Chapter 112

Chapter 113: At IKD, We Lead With Sincerity!

After they tied down the Magibeast corpses on the skids, Sheng flew Qian Qi and the others up. They passed through the exit safely. As soon as they landed, a huge crowd surged forward.

Reporters ran the fastest. They shoved microphones at Sheng and the Awakeners and asked in a rush: “Awakener sir, how was the flight? Was it really safe?”

Another asked, “Is this Dungeon really E level? Is the boss a Magibeast or a Magiplant?”

Someone called out, “Mr. Sheng, what made you enter the Dungeon as a normal person? Is IKD close to bankruptcy, so you’re placing a last bet?”

Another shouted, “Mr. Sheng, SCT and Qingyun Aviation Group say you’re just grandstanding. What do you say to that?”

Questions flew at them nonstop. Qian Qi stepped up and blocked the mics with her body. She lifted a bright, friendly smile and said, “Our boss has to head right back in to pick up more Awakeners. I can answer questions for him.”

She nodded to Sheng and watched him go, then turned and beamed at the Reporters.

She waved and called, “Come on, don’t rush. No crowding, no trampling. Safe interviews help everyone.”

The Reporter she had snatched the mic from looked at his empty hand: [Huh?] People had seen famous folks hide from microphones, but who grabbed one this eagerly?

She said, “I think you’re all curious why our Boss Sheng, as an ordinary person, chose to risk a Dungeon. We had only two goals.”

She cleared her throat and spoke with sincere feeling: “First, Awakeners have paid a heavy price to conquer Dungeons and bring more information to our world. IKD thanks them. When we heard you couldn’t leave this Dungeon without a plane, we immediately wanted to help.”

She sighed deeply, lifted her sunglasses, and wiped at a tear that wasn’t there as she said with a bitter tone, “But as you know, certain petty people have backstabbed IKD lately. We’re having a hard time. If we help Awakeners, our situation only gets worse.”

She pushed the mic under a Reporter’s chin and asked, “On one side are the Awakeners. On the other side are our employees. No matter who our boss gives up, it will hurt him. Isn’t that true?”

The Reporter blinked and nodded on instinct: “Y-yes.”

“Exactly.” She took the mic back and said with fire, “But our boss didn’t give up. He refused to abandon either side. He stayed up all night trying to find a two-way win. Then, by chance, he met a benefactor who gave him a perfect plan.”

She said, “We would grab both ends at once. We’d help Awakeners and also use this chance to market IKD’s products.”

She stepped onto a small stool, pulled a Little Bee Amplifier from her belt, and let her voice ring out for a hundred meters: “At IKD, we never hide. We lead with sincerity. We want both honor and profit!”

She raised her chin and said, “Why can’t we have both fish and bear’s paw? IKD will help Awakeners and also earn money to feed more people.”

She finished with, “We’ll face every wave of public opinion and let our products speak for us.”

Her heartfelt words stunned the Reporters, and the onlookers nodded along.

Someone in the crowd said, “Sure, IKD is promoting itself, but they really did help the Awakeners. Meanwhile, SCT and Qingyun just snipe from afar and do nothing.”

Another said, “They make tons of money off us usually, but when we hit trouble, they turtle up. IKD is different. They at least thought of us, and the boss even went inside the Dungeon. With that kind of sincerity, when I have cash, I’m picking IKD.”

Riding the moment, Qian Qi stuffed the mic into the hands of the Awakeners who had just ridden out and said, “We care a lot about our customers’ feelings. Lords, please share the good and the bad from your return flight. IKD will play to our strengths and fix our weak points.”

The Reporters all turned to the Awakeners, not noticing that Qian Qi had quietly taken control of the whole interview.

An Awakener opened his streaming app and spoke to the cameras and the press: “At first we were just testing it. Dungeons are dangerous, and we didn’t even know if a big boss like him would make it out alive.”

He said, “But he really waited for us under the Dungeon like it was nothing. I mean, I almost peed myself my first time in a Dungeon. He didn’t even blink, like life and death didn’t matter. That’s not normal.”

He added, “A person that tough deserves to earn. And their helicopter is solid. There were three of us and four Magibeasts, and it lifted them without trouble.”

He finished, “I’m set on IKD now. Anyone who can get a win win like that is worth trusting. If you ask me, IKD’s stock is about to jump. Okay, that’s all. I’m heading back inside.”

They handed the mic back, then dragged their loot away.

In the crowd, many people opened their stock apps and saw IKD was indeed climbing.

“Wow, buy now and you can’t lose. Get in.”

“IKD is so straightforward. From now on, SCT and Qingyun will have to think about public opinion before they try to crush IKD.”

From that point, IKD flipped the whole narrative. The internet was full of cheers and approval. It seemed like reporters had never seen such a sincere business leader, and they couldn’t dig up any scandal, so they just wrote straight news using Qian Qi’s words.

IKD’s stock soared. Qian Qi’s initial stake ballooned, and she made a small fortune.

Once she finished her market moves, Qian Qi went straight into the First Cloud Mountain Dungeon. Sheng was just an ordinary person, and it wasn’t safe for him inside. She had secretly hired two E level Awakeners to guard him nearby, but she still couldn’t relax.

She hugged herself and said, “Sigh, there aren’t many people as kind as me these days.”

[System: If I didn’t know you made a bet with Sheng Qing Hong and you’ll get an IKD VVVIP twenty percent off card if the plan works, I might almost believe your so called kindness.]

Inside the Dungeon, Qian Qi set down a small stool, wiped off a dusty shoeprint, and sat. While Sheng flew back and forth, she had nothing to do. She crossed one leg over the other, pulled a copy of Beast Studies from the back of her waistband, and read with interest.

After who knows how long, a white robed old man suddenly stood behind her without a sound.