After Chen Pingjiang had fiercely used the group's power to suppress Xiaonei.com some time ago, he wanted to keep a low profile for a while.
However, recently many media outlets revealed that the Red-clothed CEO Zhou Hongyi and Pony Ma had successively arrived in Dongjiang to hold talks with Chen Pingjiang.
With 360 and Tencent clashing fiercely, outsiders analyzed that the reason these two corporate leaders went to Dongjiang was most likely to gain Chen Pingjiang's support.
The 3Q War, which had raged for over half a year, finally entered a white-hot phase.
First, at the beginning of the year, Tencent launched QQ Doctor 1.0 Beta, announcing its official entry into the security software field, and then launched QQ Doctor 3.2, which closely resembled 360, aggressively promoting it during the Spring Festival.
The sensitive 360 quickly realized the threat of QQ Doctor, and some employees on vacation were urgently recalled to respond to this sudden event.
360 reacted quickly, and combined with QQ Doctor's own immature product rushing into battle, many users successively uninstalled QQ Doctor, and its market share quickly dropped below 10%.
360 emerged as the victor in this confrontation.
Unwilling to accept defeat, Pony Ma renamed QQ Doctor to "QQ PC Manager" in late May and early June.
The new software merged QQ Doctor and QQ Software Manager into one, adding features like cloud-based Trojan killing and plugin cleaning, covering all mainstream functions of 360 Security Guard.
The user experience was extremely similar to 360, a move by Tencent that caught 360 and Kingsoft off guard.
As time entered September, perhaps inspired by Chen Pingjiang's decisive actions, Pony Ma became increasingly aggressive.
On September 22nd, netizens successively reported that a "QQ PC Manager" icon suddenly appeared on their desktops and would automatically launch upon startup.
This was QQ's second large-scale forced installation, following the mandatory installation of QQ Doctor during the 2010 Spring Festival.
Relying on QQ's massive user base, QQ PC Manager would directly threaten 360's survival in the security sector.
A few days later, 360 released a "Privacy Protector" tool directly targeting QQ, claiming it could monitor QQ's activities in real-time and alert users that "a certain chat software" was peeking at their personal private files and data without their permission.
This caused concern and panic among netizens regarding the QQ client.
Consequently, the two companies began a war of words.
Tencent sued 360 for unfair competition, while 360 responded that Tencent's lawsuit at that time was due to a guilty conscience and an attempt to divert attention.
At this point, there was still room for reconciliation, if both sides were willing to make concessions.
But whether they had truly become enraged or if Chen Pingjiang's example of crushing Chen Yizhou was still fresh in mind, both sides simultaneously pushed the situation towards an uncontrollable direction.
First, Pony Ma, in collaboration with Kingsoft and Baidu, issued a "Joint Statement Against 360's Unfair Competition and for Strengthening Industry Self-Regulation."
The statement jointly demanded that regulatory authorities firmly stop 360's unfair business competition practices and thoroughly investigate 360's malicious intimidation and deception of users.
This was tantamount to forcing official intervention to suppress 360, much like crying to parents when unable to win.
Zhou Hongyi, the "Iron Head Prince," responded by launching "360 QQ Guard," aimed at comprehensively protecting QQ users' security, including preventing QQ from viewing user privacy files, preventing Trojans from stealing QQ accounts, speeding up QQ, and filtering advertisements.
Downloads exceeded 20 million within 72 hours and continued to increase rapidly.
Tencent, in a panic, issued a strong statement, claiming that 360 QQ Guard was a plug-in.
Next, Pony Ma also made a bad move.
At 6 PM on November 3rd, Tencent announced in an open letter that it would stop running QQ software on computers with 360 software installed, advocating that users must uninstall 360 software to log in to QQ.
Zhou Hongyi claimed that 60 million users were forced to uninstall 360 software.
If before this, the general public was still half in support of 360 and half in support of QQ.
After this battle, netizens were furious, almost enough to scold Tencent into isolation.
Tencent's initiated incompatibility war was almost a dimensional reduction strike, like the two-dimensional foil attack in The Three-Body Problem.
Aside from gaining a little public support, 360 was practically powerless to fight back.
Zhou Hongyi's purpose in coming to Dongjiang was clear: to persuade Chen Pingjiang to help him, or at least not side with Tencent, and if necessary, to use social platforms like Weibo and Renren.com to pressure Tencent.
"Chairman Chen, Tencent has truly gone too far this time. It's companies like this that stifle the development of other small domestic enterprises. I sincerely hope you can help me."
The Red-clothed CEO had been stressed recently, even getting sores on his lips:
"And haven't your two companies' products always been in competition? We 360 can take this opportunity to issue an open letter to users, supporting them in using the WeChat PC version to replace QQ."
After thinking about his words, Chen Pingjiang tried to say in a gentle tone:
"Old Zhou, it's not that I don't want to help you, but once I get involved, this matter will escalate further, eventually reaching an irreversible point. You know that although I fully withdrew from the previous incident, there were many sensitive voices saying that Renren.com's power was too great, forcing me to keep a low profile for a while."
"Besides, I don't think your issue is untalkable. There's no real need for it to be so tense."
Zhou Hongyi's face turned bitter gourd green, wishing he could write his disappointment on it.
As he was speaking, Zhou Hongyi's phone rang:
"Hello, Old Qi, do you need something?"
Chen Pingjiang couldn't hear what Zhou Hongyi was discussing on the phone, but he could see Old Zhou's face filled with panic.
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Hongyi was visibly panicked.
"Excuse me, Chairman Chen, the matter isn't finished, but I have to leave."
Chen Pingjiang probably guessed what had happened, but still asked:
"What's wrong?"
"Pony Ma is playing dirty."
Zhou Hongyi's face was grim:
"My CEO called to tell me that over 30 police officers from out of town appeared at the company headquarters. He told me to run, to fly wherever I can right now, and deal with the rest later."
"Where are you planning to go?"
"Hong Kong, I have a house there. I'll stay for a while and then decide."
Chen Pingjiang sighed:
"Go directly to Dongjiang Airport and take my private jet. I'll make a call to the airline. Waiting for a commercial flight will probably be too late."
Zhou Hongyi gratefully stepped forward and shook Chen Pingjiang's hand:
"Chairman Chen, a great kindness needs no words of thanks. When I return, I'll treat you to a meal."
"Be careful on your way."
...
Old Zhou left, as quickly as he arrived; hurried when he came, flustered when he left.
When it came to ruthlessness, Pony Ma was indeed more ruthless; Chen Pingjiang admitted he was not as good in this regard.
Of course, the situations of the two were also different.
Xiaonei.com had no power to retaliate against Renren.com, but for QQ facing 360, it was a matter of life and death.
If anyone was to blame, it was Old Zhou for pushing people too far.
Chen Pingjiang could act as a mediator in this matter, but it was impossible for him to step in and help either side.
As he said, if Renren.com got involved, the nature of the situation would change.
In any case, the two companies would eventually shake hands and make peace.
Compared to Zhou Hongyi's frantic arrival, Pony Ma's visit to Chen Pingjiang appeared much calmer.
Although he incurred a lot of criticism, forcing users to choose between two options was indeed a nuclear option.
If 360 couldn't be used, QQ Security Manager could still be used.
But QQ had been operating for over a decade, with all personal connections built upon it; it wasn't something that could be easily switched.
Even with WeChat now available, WeChat's main strength was still on mobile.
Upon seeing Pony Ma, Chen Pingjiang smiled:
"Did you two arrange this? Old Zhou just left my place for Hong Kong yesterday, and you've come today."
Pony Ma raised an eyebrow upon hearing this:
"Oh? Did he come to see you too?"
Chen Pingjiang nodded with a smile:
"You pushed him to that extent, how could he not be anxious? I heard that even Wang Gongquan, who tried to mediate, was turned down by you."
Pony Ma also shook his head and sighed:
"I didn't want to do that either, but what he did was too much. He actually transplanted my QQ onto the 360 Security Guard panel. In the future, users wouldn't be managing QQ; 360 would be managing my QQ. He could uninstall me whenever he wanted, and even control my pop-ups so they couldn't be sent out."
Then, Pony Ma changed his tone:
"He came to you for help, to deal with Tencent together?"
When asking this, Pony Ma was still a little flustered.
Tencent, being a large enterprise, didn't care much about a mere 360.
But if Renren.com helped, then Tencent would not be a match.
Moreover, in Pony Ma's view, Renren.com also had sufficient motivation and could completely use this opportunity to promote the WeChat PC version.
"Yes, but don't panic. I didn't promise him. I told him I wouldn't help either side, I could mediate, but I wouldn't get involved."
Hearing this, Pony Ma finally relaxed:
"It's good not to help, it's good not to help..."
The meeting place was a private room in a tea house.
The owner had closed the doors and was not accepting customers, so it was very quiet.
On the tea table, sandalwood incense wafted, and from outside the private room, the melodious strumming of a guqin could be heard.
Chen Pingjiang personally poured a cup of tea for Pony Ma:
"Brother Ma, this matter has already become big enough. It won't be long before the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will likely intervene. It's time to know when to quit while you're ahead."
Pony Ma took a sip of tea and said:
"Brother, I'm already very grateful that you won't help either side. But ultimately, they started this. If I stop on my end, will Old Zhou stop on his?"
"Leave that to me, I'll make him stop."
Seeing Chen Pingjiang speak with such certainty, Pony Ma was stunned for a moment, and after a long pause, he sighed.
"Actually, I know how the outside world has viewed us for so many years, saying we only copy, doing whatever is popular, saying we crush small businesses by leveraging our advantages. I want to defend ourselves a bit on this.
Tencent also has to be responsible for its shareholders and for the tens of thousands of families behind us; we also need to survive. The internet circle is only so big, and there's only so much that can be done.
Does this mean Tencent can only continue existing businesses in the future and cannot do any new ones? Because once we do, others will again accuse us of bullying the small."
"Of course, I also admit that Tencent cannot compare to Renren.com in terms of innovation, and I don't have your boldness. Whether it's Toutiao, social games, or Zhihu Group Buy, you were the first to start them. You dared to make phones and chips, which is something we can't match. But not all companies are Renren.com!"
Chen Pingjiang looked at Pony Ma, whose expression was moved, and knew he was also pouring out his heart.
From a certain perspective, Pony Ma was not wrong.
The pressure on the leaders of large enterprises is immense, beyond what others can imagine.
The melodious sound of the guqin diffused a hint of awkwardness.
Chen Pingjiang said:
"I understand your difficulties, but what the outside world says isn't entirely wrong. Alibaba did online shopping, and you did it too. When SNS became popular, you also wanted to get involved. I won't even mention games; this security software is the same. Personally, I believe large enterprises should have the vision and responsibility of large enterprises. Today, Tencent should actually change its style of play."
"Hmm? Chairman Chen, please elaborate."
"Don't think about doing everything yourself. There are so many products on the market; you can't finish them all, and you can't guarantee every product will succeed. Instead, why not take it easy? Just like you invested in Dianping, why not complete your ecosystem through investments? If you compete directly, you're a devil to those small companies. If you just invest, in their eyes, you're an angel."
"Tencent's reputation in the market is actually quite poor. It's time to put some effort into changing the public's ingrained perceptions of you. Don't always think about infighting and fiercely 'involution'; try to go out and tackle the global market. The mobile game era is coming soon.
With Tencent's strength, developing some best-selling mobile games shouldn't be a problem, right? Conquering territory abroad, people will see you as a hero. Bullying people domestically, others will think you're barbaric. How to choose, you should think for yourself."
If anyone else had said these words, Pony Ma would have disdainfully asked,
"What right do you have to instruct me?"
But if Chen Pingjiang said it, Pony Ma would only find it reasonable.
It wasn't exactly earth-shattering, but it did offer inspiration from a different perspective.
"Chairman Chen, are you very optimistic about the future mobile game market?"
Chen Pingjiang nodded:
"Under Moore's Law, smartphone components are becoming increasingly advanced. Future phones will certainly even be able to run AAA titles. Users won't necessarily have to rely on computers to play games; playing games on smartphones during fragmented time will become a future trend."
"So you won't do it? Renren.com's gaming division is very strong."
"We might, but it won't be our focus. In fact, I've left the internet sector to my subordinates to manage. My personal focus is on mobile phones, chips, and other high technologies, such as drones, robots, new energy vehicles, and private rockets."
Pony Ma was stunned, and after a long time, he gave a wry smile and nodded:
"I'm not as uninhibited as you, but I admire your courage. They say professions are like mountains apart; without a solid foundation and accumulation, I would never dare to undertake those industrial projects. If your new company needs funding in the future, I am willing to invest in my private capacity."
"Haha, no problem. What I lack most right now is money."
...
Pony Ma also left, on the third day after he returned.
360 company issued a response stating "guaranteeing 360 and QQ can run simultaneously," and subsequently, 360 QQ Guard software was quietly taken offline from its official website.
Another day later, 360 issued an open letter stating:
"We are willing to put aside disputes and let the internet return to peace; 360 QQ Guard is officially taken offline."
On the other side, QQ had begun to restore compatibility with 360.
Thus, 360 and Tencent each called off their troops, and the "3Q War," which had garnered the attention of hundreds of millions nationwide, abruptly ended.
From the direct outcome of the battle, Tencent completely defeated 360, easily overcoming the relatively low-frequency, non-essential security product with its high-frequency, essential instant messaging product.
However, 360 gained fame in one battle, won widespread public sympathy, and shortly after the 3Q War, completed its IPO, escaping the fate of possible strangulation.
Years later, when Zhou Hongyi reviewed the impact of this controversy in his book, he commented on his competitor Tencent:
"Starting from the 3Q War, Tencent began to reflect on its past business model, gradually transitioning from building its own internet empire to a business model of constructing an industrial ecosystem with Tencent at its core through acquisitions, investments, and mergers. Tencent became more open, evolving into a more powerful and respected enterprise. Today, its scale is already beyond reach."
Zhou Hongyi felt that his own efforts had prompted Tencent's change.
However, those who knew the inside story just smiled upon seeing this.
It was clearly the day after Pony Ma returned to Shenzhen from Dongjiang that he laid down the future development guidelines at the group's internal reflection meeting.
"We must become more open and inclusive, and look more to overseas markets."
Pony Ma wrote in an internal letter:
"Without the challenges from our opponents, we might not have experienced so much pain or so much self-reflection. One day in the future, when we reach new heights, we should thank today's opponents for the tempering they've given us. I also want to thank Chairman Chen of Renren.com for enlightening me and letting me know what kind of excellent enterprise Tencent should become."
After the 3Q War, Tencent organized multiple reflection meetings, invited a broad range of netizens to participate, directly faced public criticism, and ultimately achieved rapid evolution and iteration.
Chen Pingjiang would also not go around babbling to the outside that he mediated the dispute.
When the deed was done, he dusted his clothes and left, deeply concealing his achievements and fame.
Having taken so much of Pony Ma's luck so many times, it was time to return it to him once.
From another perspective, Chen Pingjiang also felt that instead of fiercely engaging in internal attrition, domestic enterprises should advance into the global market earlier.
Although this step would be very difficult!
Piercing through the mists of history, when Chen Pingjiang saw a host of apps like TikTok, Temu, short dramas, and Genshin Impact conquering territory abroad and vigorously exporting culture in the future, he wished that day would arrive sooner.
After returning from Hong Kong and learning about everything, Zhou Hongyi came to Dongjiang again to personally thank Chen Pingjiang.
During dinner, Chen Pingjiang also offered a hint regarding 360's future development direction.
"360 doesn't necessarily have to compete with QQ Security Guard in the civilian market. You could try collaborating with universities, government agencies, and enterprises to defend against cyberattacks from abroad.
Devote all your energy to national cybersecurity protection and global cybersecurity research, assisting key entities such as government, military industry, scientific research, and finance in defending against cyber espionage activities specifically targeting mainland China."
Zhou Hongyi's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he excitedly gave a thumbs-up:
"Chairman Chen, your vision is truly superior. Listening to your words is better than studying for ten years. As long as I join the national team, the police officers won't dare to come after me anymore."
"Come, I'll toast to you."
(End of chapter)