northernbook Chapter 454 Yaoxing's Plagiarism Confirmed
Chapter 454 Yaoxing's Plagiarism Confirmed
At dawn, a message, like a sharp sword piercing the night, tore a crack in the long-calm internet.
“Ding-ling-ling——”
The sharp ring of the telephone shattered the office's tranquility. Sheng Qianrui hurriedly answered the phone, but before she could even speak, her assistant's anxious voice came from the other end:
"President Sheng, this is terrible! The news that Brilliant Star is being sued for plagiarism has broken, and public opinion is in an uproar!"
Sheng Qianrui felt her head buzz, and she almost dropped the phone: "What happened? Didn't I tell you to keep it quiet? How could it have leaked?! Who leaked the news?!"
Sheng Qianrui was both angry and anxious, and her hand holding the phone trembled involuntarily.
The assistant on the other end of the phone said anxiously and cautiously, "The PR department is trying to suppress it, but somehow it became known all over the internet overnight..."
一夜之间？
The whole internet knows now...
After hanging up the phone, Sheng Qianrui froze on the spot, her face completely frozen.
She was extremely anxious, fully aware of the seriousness of the incident, which concerned not only the future of the film but also the reputation of Yu's Jewelry and Yaoxing Media.
The fact that the news could be spread to the point that the entire internet knew about it overnight suggests that someone was deliberately pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Sheng Qianrui clenched her fists tightly. She couldn't think of anyone else but that bitch Xu Fangli!
Sheng Qianrui hurriedly got up, her high heels clicking rapidly on the floor, and strode towards the conference room.
The atmosphere in the conference room was as heavy as the calm before a storm.
The executives of Yaoxing Media had grim faces and furrowed brows. They all stared intently at the large screen in the conference room, which was scrolling with a deluge of accusations and insults from netizens.
"how so?!"
Vice President Li Yang slammed his fist on the table, angrily demanding, "A perfectly good movie, almost wrapped up, and you have to mess this up!"
Publicity Director Zhang Yu also looked worried: "The public opinion is very unfavorable to us right now. If we don't handle it well, not only will the movie be canceled, but our Yaoxing's image will also be severely damaged, not to mention the Yu family..."
This was the first thing Sheng Qianrui heard when she entered the room.
Yaoxing's reputation has been damaged, and the Yu family will not only suffer reputational damage as well, but also lose all the money they invested in the early stages if the movie falls through.
Sheng Qianrui took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.
"Don't panic. Regardless of whether we plagiarized or not, the most urgent task is to issue a statement and stabilize public opinion."
Everyone nodded.
The public relations department quickly drafted the details of the statement.
However, things turned out to be far more complicated than they had imagined.
While they were discussing countermeasures, reporters had already caught wind of the situation and quickly surrounded the Yaoxing Media building.
Flashbulbs went off one after another, and reporters held up microphones, shouting for the company's负责人 (responsible person/manager) to come out and give an explanation.
"What is your response to the plagiarism accusation against the film?"
"Did plagiarism actually occur?"
"What kind of explanation will you give to the audience?"
Faced with reporters' aggressive questioning, the company's security guards struggled to maintain order, but were still unable to withstand the surging crowds.
Looking out the office window at the chaotic scene below, Sheng Qianrui felt anxious and angry.
A bunch of opportunistic idiots!
Online discussions intensified, with various speculations and rumors flying everywhere, and netizens expressing their anger and disappointment on social media.
A boycott of the film was launched, which quickly garnered hundreds of thousands of views. Others began digging into Yaoxing Media's dark history, trying to find more dirt on it.
In this situation, Yaoxing Media's public relations department issued its first statement since the incident occurred.
The statement said they did not plagiarize, that plagiarism is shameful, and that there must be a misunderstanding. Yaoxing is actively investigating the truth and will release the results to the public as soon as they are available.
It must be said that Yaoxing's public relations department is quite capable.
The statement was written fairly and sincerely, which did manage to appease some of the public.
But the media is not as easily fooled as ordinary netizens.
Whether something is a denial or genuine, a media professional can see it all too clearly.
Yaoxing's people thought that the statement would at least bring some peace, but they didn't expect that the reporters gathered downstairs would not only not leave, but would actually increase in number.
Long lenses and short lenses were pointed at the gate, and the flashes of light created a blinding white blur.
Security guards formed a human wall, holding hands, and continuously blocked the media personnel who were crowding around the entrance and trying to rush in.
"They're out! They're out!" someone shouted.
The crowd stirred instantly, and everyone raised their cameras high. But what came out the next moment was just a cleaning lady.
The cleaning lady was so frightened by the scene that her face turned pale, and she dropped the mop in her hand to the ground.
In the president's office on the 28th floor, Zhang Dechang ripped open the curtains and immediately pulled them back closed. The dense crowd downstairs made his stomach cramp.
He turned and slammed the tablet on the table: "What do we do? Our names are in the top five trending topics on Weibo!"
Yaoxing's plagiarism is confirmed.
Yu's Jewelry Investment Plagiarized Movie
Sheng Qianrui, get out of the entertainment industry!
Shining Star removed from shelves
Who is Cat Pear?
Sheng Qianrui huddled in a corner of the sofa, her sunglasses concealing her anxious, red eyes: "Asking me what to do? Isn't this precisely where you, as the chief legal counsel, should be finding a solution? Shengshi Group pays you so much in consulting fees every year, not so you can come and ask me questions!"
"I'll try to find a way?"
Zhang Dechang gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead. "Plagiarism is a capital offense in this industry. Doesn't President Sheng know that after so many years in the business? You plagiarized first, what can I do now!"
Sheng Qianrui suddenly stood up, her Chanel jacket slipping to the ground: "Zhang Dechang! Isn't it a bit too late for you to try and shift the blame now! What do you mean we plagiarized first? Listen to me carefully, it was just borrowing! Who knew that by sheer coincidence, that lousy online novel was written by that bitch Xu Fangli!"
"Terrible online novels?"
Zhang Dechang laughed angrily, "President Sheng, borrowing that approach might fool the media, but you know perfectly well whether it's plagiarism or not. Even those lousy online articles are original works. If you plagiarized, you plagiarized. It doesn't matter if the other party is President Xu or not. If you sue Yaoxing, you won't get a single benefit!"
The two argued, and the atmosphere became tense and cold.
Meanwhile, a gloomy atmosphere hung over the headquarters of Yu's Jewelry, with the atmosphere in the high-level conference room as cold and silent as a chill.
Yu Minghai slammed his tablet onto the conference table and said coldly, "Can anyone tell me why the Yu family's name is associated with plagiarism?!"
The executives remained silent, terrified.
The marketing director whispered in defense, "Chairman Yu, we're just investors. Script issues should be addressed with Yaoxing..."
"Looking for Yaoxing? Then go ahead and look for him!"