Champagne Problems (A Cross Security Investigation Book 4) by G.K. Parks

Author:G.K. Parks [Parks, G.K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Modus Operandi
Published: 2025-08-30T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty-four

“Why don’t we start with the basics?” I suggested. “I’m aware of Good Day Marketers’ mission statement. In fact, you could say I was walked through their supposed advertising strategies. However, we all know that’s not really what’s going on there. That’s not how they’re making their money.”

“You’re right.” Steed glanced at the door. Uncomfortable, he got up, peered down the hallway, and closed the door to the break room. “They turn a profit on the sites and profiles they create. Everything is monetized. The entire goal is monetization. They make even more off online ads than the paid endorsements and advertisements they provide.”

This wasn’t what I had in mind, but I didn’t want to interrupt. I wanted Steed to lead the conversation. My only hope was we’d end up somewhere pertinent.

“The content is total bull crap. It’s generated garbage. They do a half-assed copy and paste job, feed it into the automation software, and have fresh shit posted regularly, except none of it is fresh. Half of it isn’t even accurate, I don’t think. I don’t know.” He shrugged. “It’s all stolen. That’s how these large language models provide output. They regurgitate whatever was input into them. And let’s not even get into the potential FTC violations by their failure to disclose.”

“Did you voice your issues to anyone in charge?” I asked. “Did you talk to your boss about it?”

“You mean Jasmine?” Steed rolled his eyes. “She didn’t see anything wrong with it. She claimed everything was carefully checked and curated, but it wasn’t. They don’t have enough people on staff for that. Out of spite, she assigned me to fact-check every generated article they posted.” He folded his arms over his chest, unsure what to do with himself or possibly to contain the rage. “I’m not a research assistant, and even if I was, I would have done my own searches and written my own articles. What they’re doing is wrong. It’s stupid. It’s nothing but shoveling more horse manure at the masses.”

“Agreed,” I said.

Steed let out a relieved sigh, as if he’d been vindicated. “Finally. Someone gets it. Everyone at Good Day Marketers thought I was insane. They treated me like a squeaky wheel. Everything they made me do felt punitive.”

“What did they make you do?”

“Besides the fact-checking, it was coffee runs and monitoring community feedback.”

“What exactly did that entail?”

“Deleting any negative comments that weren’t completely off the wall. They needed some to make things look legit, but if someone posted the truth about this slop or the money-grabbing that was going on behind the scenes, I had to make it disappear. In between, they expected me to leave a handful of other comments as different users. They had several computers set up to make that easier. Everything they did was about manipulating the system, at least on the social media sites. Whatever went on with the sites they created themselves, that they had domain over, was even worse.”

“Domain,” I chuckled, hoping to ease the tension radiating off him.

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