WeChat Group Incident Over Emotional Outburst

WeChat Group Incident Over Emotional Outburst | Generated by AI

Home 2026.05

Question: Why did Zhang Ying remove (or distance) Fu Sheng from many WeChat groups years ago?

Answer:

The incident you’re referring to is a specific event around early 2020, not a long-term strategic “falling out.” It was triggered by a heated argument inside investor/CEO WeChat groups, mainly associated with 经纬中国 (Matrix Partners China).

1. What actually happened

In a WeChat group of investors and founders, people were discussing the death of Li Wenliang (COVID whistleblower doctor).
傅盛 (Fu Sheng) strongly disagreed with some opinions and used insulting language in the group, then announced he was leaving the group. (Ifeng Finance)
The conflict escalated, with multiple members arguing and even threatening to leave.

2. 张颖’s action (why he “removed” Fu Sheng)

张颖 (Zhang Ying), as a senior investor and group organizer, reacted by:
- Asking that Fu Sheng be removed from related groups
- Criticizing him as “too immature” (太不成熟) (Ifeng Finance)

👉 The core reason was not personal conflict, but:

Maintaining group order and professionalism
Rejecting emotional outbursts / insults in a high-level CEO group
Avoiding pressure for people to “take sides” in sensitive discussions

3. Important clarification (very often misunderstood)

Many online articles exaggerate this as a “break” between them, but:

张颖 later clarified:
- Fu Sheng actually left voluntarily in some cases
- They did NOT break ties
- They were still communicating normally afterward (cnBeta)
Fu Sheng also:
- Publicly apologized
- Said he acted emotionally due to the situation (Ifeng Finance)

4. Real relationship between them

Historically, Zhang Ying was actually an early supporter/“mentor-like” investor to Fu Sheng
Their relationship remained close professionally, even after the incident (Sina Tech)

5. Deeper interpretation (what this reveals)

This event is often cited in Chinese tech circles because it shows:

VC group norms: High-level founder groups expect rational, controlled discussion, not emotional attacks.
Power dynamics: Zhang Ying managed the group as a network hub, not as a personal friend.
Crisis behavior: During emotionally charged public events (COVID), even top founders can lose composure, and social networks amplify it quickly.

Bottom line

Zhang Ying didn’t “kick Fu Sheng out for years” due to personal conflict.

👉 It was a short-term reaction to inappropriate behavior in a group discussion, mainly to:

maintain order
enforce norms
prevent escalation

And afterward, their relationship continued normally.

References:

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