Chapter 177 Infamous Rivalry
Oliver shot Hilda a furious glare. He was clearly upset about the accusation of being shortsighted. However, he refrained from intervening. Benjamin had already reprimanded Hilda for his interruption, and it would be too embarrassing for Oliver to be scolded for speaking out of turn again.
"Entering the stock market?" Benjamin chuckled softly. "Investors may be foolish, but they're not that easily fooled. Back when our Penguin Company wasn't profitable, we struggled to go public and were nearly sabotaged."
"It's different now," Hilda countered. "Penguin Company is a success story. With your strength combined with Shark Live's leading position, going public would be simple. A little promotion would fill investors with confidence. We'd make a fortune, and so would Penguin Company. It's a win-win."
"But that's ultimately just speculation," Benjamin pointed out. "To keep making money and keep Shark Live running, you need a sustainable, profitable model. Capital must appreciate; otherwise, it dies."
"Did Penguin Company have a profitable model back then?" Hilda challenged. "Time will tell. Besides, if Penguin Company doesn't believe in the profitability of the streaming platform industry, why invest in it at all?"
Hilda's pointed retort left Benjamin momentarily speechless.
"You're certainly not lacking in confidence," Benjamin conceded. "But your Shark Live platform suffered that unfortunate 'Boring' incident, which severely damaged its reputation. How do you plan to handle that?"
"Allow me to draw an analogy," Hilda proposed, fixing Benjamin with a serious gaze.
"Go on," Benjamin prompted.
"Back in the day, Penguin Company had a run-in with a certain software company, didn't it?"
Oliver and Skyview exchanged knowing smiles.
A wave of amusement rippled through the room.
That particular rivalry was infamous.
It began when Penguin Company developed its own security software, directly competing with the established company.
Penguin Company already had a reputation among other internet companies for cloning software – a practice widely resented but considered unavoidable.
Initially, this particular software company had nothing to do with Penguin Company. But then, Penguin Company copied their software, and their massive user base posed a significant threat to the software company.
In retaliation, the software company exposed Penguin Company's practice of scanning user files and offered protection to prevent it.
Infuriated, Penguin Company engaged in a bitter public battle.
At first, the public remained indifferent, as long as their online experience wasn't affected.
Then, Penguin Company made a colossal blunder that ignited public outrage.
Through its social media platform, Penguin Company issued a threatening message: uninstall all software developed by the rival company, or face being banned from all Penguin Company products.
The backlash was immediate and furious.
Countless users, enraged by the ultimatum, promptly uninstalled Penguin Company software.
Caught off guard, Penguin Company scrambled for a response.
This incident became a turning point for the company, forcing them to re-evaluate their strategy. Without that harsh lesson, they might not have achieved their current success.
The rivalry only ended with government intervention.
Years ago, bringing up this incident to Benjamin would have provoked his fury.
Now, with time and perspective, he simply chuckled. "That was a long time ago. What's your point?"
"At that time, Penguin Company's image hit rock bottom," Hilda pointed out. "Even worse than our 'Boring' incident. But didn't Penguin Company persevere?"
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