Art exhibition plagiarism

However, halfway through the opening ceremony, there was another slight commotion at the entrance.

This time, it wasn't Chi Zhuo who came, but several highly influential critics and collectors in the art world.

Their arrival flattered the organizers, who quickly went to greet them.

Lin Tingyue looked at the big shots she usually only saw in magazines and news with surprise, wondering why they would be interested in this new exhibition.

Accompanied by the organizers, the big names walked straight to her exhibition area.

Lin Tingyue's heart jumped instantly.

They paused before her work, admiring it intently, conversing quietly, and nodding occasionally.

“Ms. Lin?” One of the collectors looked at her, his attitude amiable. “This work has a very clever concept and is full of emotion in its colors. Can you talk about your creative inspiration?”

Lin Tingyue suppressed her nervousness, took a deep breath, and tried her best to clearly and calmly explain her creative concept.

She focused on the art she loved, her eyes became focused and bright, and her words were full of sincerity and enthusiasm.

The experts listened attentively, occasionally asking professional questions and exchanging ideas with her.

The surrounding media cameras quickly focused on them.

This scene undoubtedly became the focus of the entire opening ceremony.

Many viewers who hadn't paid much attention to her work before were also drawn to her.

Lin Tingyue was so engrossed in the professional exchange that she temporarily forgot about her nervousness and Chi Zhuo.

Flashbulbs went off constantly as reporters surrounded her with questions. Xia Xiaoran, seeing this scene, was so excited she almost jumped up.

Just as everyone was immersed in this peaceful atmosphere, a sharp voice broke the silence.

"What talent can a plagiarized work possibly have?"

At that moment, a man dressed in flamboyant clothes, wearing exaggerated glasses and a wig, suddenly appeared in the crowd, pointing at Lin Tingyue's painting and shouting loudly.

Instantly, everyone's eyes turned to him.

Lin Tingyue's smile froze as she stared in astonishment at the unfamiliar boy.

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Xia Xiaoran immediately jumped out to refute.

"I'm talking nonsense?" The man sneered, pulled a foreign magazine from his bag, flipped to a certain page, and held it up to the media cameras. "Look, everyone, this work from a European art journal from three years ago, from composition and color to core concept, isn't it exactly the same as this Ms. Lin's work? Isn't this plagiarism?"

The cameras on site instantly focused on the magazine. Although the details were not exactly the same, the overall composition and color scheme were indeed similar.

The scene erupted in uproar!

The reporters, like sharks smelling blood, instantly brought their microphones and cameras even closer to Lin Tingyue.

"Ms. Lin, what is your explanation for this?"

"Does your creative inspiration truly come from independent ideas?"

Does this involve academic misconduct?

Sharp questions came crashing down like hailstones.

Lin Tingyue's face instantly turned ashen.

She stared at the pictures in the magazine, her mind going completely blank.

She had never seen that painting before!

Her creations were entirely done independently!

how so?

"I didn't! I didn't plagiarize!" she pleaded urgently, her voice trembling with shock and grievance, sounding so powerless amidst the cacophony of questions.

"With such conclusive evidence, you still want to deny it?" the man persisted, his tone sharp. "No wonder it was selected; it turns out it borrowed from the master's work! I wonder if President Chi knows his wife has this hobby?"

These words were extremely malicious, directly linking her work to her marital status, implying that her success was based on nepotism rather than talent, and possibly even affecting Chi Zhuo's reputation.

Xia Xiaoran was so angry that she wanted to rush up and argue, but Lin Yujin held her back tightly.

Lin Yujin's face was ashen as he stood protectively in front of his sister and said to the media in a deep voice, "Please do not make any unfounded speculations before the matter is settled! This could very well be a misunderstanding or even a slander!"

But the doubts and flashing lights did not stop. The stage, which had just been glittering with stars, instantly transformed into a trial court.

Looking at the onlookers and listening to the harsh comments, Lin Tingyue felt a chill run through her body, as if her blood was about to freeze.

All her pride and joy were shattered in an instant, leaving only immense grievance: she had not plagiarized at all!

Just as she was swaying and about to collapse, a cold and extremely intimidating voice pierced through the noise and clearly resounded throughout the entire exhibition hall:

"Who says my woman, Chi Zhuo's woman, needs to plagiarize?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Suddenly, Chi Zhuo appeared at the entrance of the exhibition hall.

He was dressed in a black overcoat, his face was frosty, his eyes were sharp as knives, and he exuded a terrifyingly low pressure as he walked towards us step by step.

The crowd automatically parted to make way for him.

He walked straight to Lin Tingyue's side, ignoring all the cameras and gazes, reached out and steadily supported her as she was about to collapse, protecting her behind him.

His movements were natural yet firm, displaying an absolute protective stance.

Then, his cold gaze swept over the man holding the magazine. With just one glance, the man's aura instantly diminished, and his eyes began to dart away.

"Say what you just said again." Chi Zhuo's voice was not loud, but it carried immense power, silencing the entire exhibition hall.

The exhibition hall was deathly silent.

All eyes were on Chi Zhuo and the accuser.

The air seemed to freeze, with only the soft click of camera shutters and the tense breathing of people remaining.

Chi Zhuo's gaze was like a sharp blade tempered with ice, firmly locking onto the man. The invisible pressure made the man's face turn pale, cold sweat seep from his forehead, and his hand holding the magazine began to tremble slightly.

"I...I..." The man opened his mouth, but under Chi Zhuo's terrifying aura, he was speechless for a moment and dared not repeat the absurd accusation.

"Bring it here." Chi Zhuo's voice was cold and brooked no argument.

The man, like a puppet being manipulated, subconsciously handed over the magazine.

Chi Zhuo took the magazine without even looking down to look at it, and simply handed it to the assistant who followed him.

His gaze remained fixed on the man, his tone calm yet carrying a deadly pressure: "You just said that this journal was published three years ago?"

"Yes..." the man's voice was weak.

"Which publisher? Which issue? Specific page number?" Chi Zhuo asked one question after another, quickly and clearly.

“It’s…it’s ‘European Art Frontiers’, issue 47, page 23…” the man answered with a forced smile, but his eyes darted around.

Chi Zhuo slightly turned his head to look at his assistant.

The assistant immediately took out a tablet and started typing rapidly.

Those few dozen seconds of waiting felt like an eternity.

Lin Tingyue was protected behind Chi Zhuo. Looking at his broad and tall back, she felt a sense of security she had never felt before.

He didn't even ask her a question before choosing to stand in front of her.

The assistant quickly looked up and reported clearly to Chi Zhuo, and also to the entire room: "Mr. Chi, we found it. There is indeed such a section in issue 47 of 'European Art Frontiers,' but the content on page 23 is a review article about sculpture art, not a painting. In the archives of all pages of the journal from the same period three years ago, no painting similar to yours was found."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire audience erupted in uproar!

That magazine was a fake?!

Or the page numbers and content simply don't match!

The man's face turned deathly pale instantly, and his body trembled like a leaf in the autumn wind.

“Slander and framing, fabricating evidence.”

Chi Zhuo's icy gaze swept over the ashen-faced man, then slowly turned to the media cameras present. His voice, though not loud, carried immense weight, clearly resonating in every corner: "My wife, Ms. Lin Tingyue, is an extremely talented and sincere artist. Every stroke of her brush stems from her love for art and her independent thinking. I will not allow anyone to tarnish her talent and reputation through any despicable means. In this information age, to use such despicable methods to slander others—you are truly audacious!"

He paused, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, scanning the room with an absolute warning: "The Chi Group's legal department will follow up on today's events. All individuals and media outlets involved in spreading false information and causing damage to my wife's reputation will receive our lawyer's letters. Don't say you weren't warned."

That last sentence, carrying a chilling, murderous aura, sent a shiver down the spines of all the reporters present. They instinctively put down their cameras and microphones, no longer daring to take pictures or report recklessly.

The troublemaker collapsed to the ground and was silently escorted out by Chi Zhuo's bodyguards. He will face severe legal consequences.

After dealing with all of this, Chi Zhuo turned around to look at Lin Tingyue behind him. She seemed to be terrified and was stunned for a moment.

"It's alright." This time, Chi Zhuo's attitude and tone were much gentler than before. Lin Tingyue looked up at him with red eyes and realized that his eyes were less cold and more tender today.

She doubted that she had seen correctly.

Chi Zhuo held her like that, gently patting her back with one hand. He didn't say anything, but simply used his body to shield her from all prying eyes and disturbances.

The entire room fell silent.

The spotlights stopped flashing, and only the complex and awe-inspiring gazes of the crowd remained.

Xia Xiaoran covered her mouth, feeling both excited and heartbroken.

Lin Yujin looked at the two embracing, her eyes filled with complex emotions, which eventually turned into a soft sigh.

Qiao Wei, who was hiding behind the crowd, watched this scene with an extremely ugly expression, and finally turned around and left silently.

Chi Zhuo glanced at Lin Tingyue's condition, turned to give a few instructions to his assistant, then put his arm around her shoulder and nodded to the organizers and several important guests:

"I'm sorry, my wife is frightened. I'll take her home to rest first."

No one dared to object.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he protected Lin Tingyue and left the exhibition hall.

Once inside the car, Lin Tingyue's emotions gradually calmed down, but her cheeks were still burning hot, and she dared not look at the man beside her.

The car was silent. Lin Tingyue twisted her skirt in distress. She secretly glanced at Chi Zhuo, who was still resting with his eyes closed, just like always.

But Lin Tingyue's heart was like a roaring sea. She couldn't help but wonder if Chi Zhuo had used swift and decisive means to resolve the crisis today, was it for the sake of the Chi family's reputation?

Is that really the case?

She really couldn't figure out the answer to this question.