Chapter 501 Do you even want to stay in this industry?
“No one can guarantee that every signature they make will be perfect, even like a rubbing. A single stroke, a single line, a single line of length, even a difference of only 0.01 is still an error!” Wen Ni explained logically and eloquently. “But if it’s been cut off, that’s a different story. Let’s compare the fonts of the two electronic signatures right here. If the handwriting matches perfectly, it means that the copyright sale statement on your phone is forged! And forging contract documents and stealing copyright rights is illegal! We will definitely pursue this to the end! No one who knows about it will get away with it.”
"Where did you get this electronic letter of intent? We can't screenshot documents signed online, and external ports can't access our internal network to retrieve data..." Director Mu never expected that this document would fall into Wen Ni's hands. "Your behavior is suspected of stealing company secrets. I can call the police and have you arrested, you believe me?"
"How did I steal it? Do you have any evidence?" Wen Ni blinked her big eyes, looking completely innocent. "Shouldn't everyone have a copy after the contract is signed? On the contrary, Director Mu, you didn't even send a copy of the contract receipt to Anxi, which further exposes your malicious intentions and premeditated plan!"
"Exactly! You've been yelling about calling the police for ages, but why don't you actually do it? Or are you hiding something and too scared to do it?" Anxi felt incredibly relieved seeing Director Mu's discomfiture. She picked up her phone and held it up. "Look, I've already called the police. They're coming to take you to jail right now!"
"You, you all..."
Director Mu's face twitched, and he seemed a little flustered.
"What's going on here?! Why aren't you working? What are you all doing, making a racket like this?"
A deep, stern shout came from the outer edge of the crowd.
Immediately, everyone made way and saw that President Xi Ming, with a tense expression, was walking quickly towards them!
"Mr. Xi, these two girls said... said our company committed fraud and stole their work!" Secretary Yang followed up, concisely explaining the current situation.
"Ha! You really dare to say that?"
When President Xi arrived, he sneered. He didn't even glance at Wen Ni and her companion, and said, "If you want to extort money, please find a smaller company. We, Metro Music, have been in Hong Kong for over ten years. Who doesn't know our works? Why would we need to steal your lyrics and music? If you were some kind of creative genius, that might be possible, but unfortunately, I'm sorry, I've never seen or heard of you in the industry!"
"How could you say such a thing? Plagiarism is divided into different levels? Just because I'm not famous, does that mean I deserve to be bullied and suffer in silence?" Anxi had never suffered such an injustice before. As she spoke, she choked up a little!
But everyone present was heartless and showed no empathy.
"If I remember correctly, Mr. Xi, you started from scratch. What? After living the life of the upper class for more than ten years, have you forgotten the hardships you once endured, eating coarse food, burning oil by lamplight, and spending all your remaining money on music creation? And now you look down on unknown grassroots creators? How ironic!" Wen Ni turned her attention to Xi Ming, each word hitting his sore spot. "If it weren't for the old artist Cen Zong selecting your work from a group of grassroots creators, you'd probably still be squatting in a tiny rented room, dreaming unrealistic dreams of fame, wouldn't you?"
After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.
Xi Ming's expression shifted unpredictably!
"Young lady, how do you know so much about my past experiences?"
"That's not important."
Wen Ni chuckled and shook her head.
"The important thing is that I thought Mr. Xi, having experienced many ups and downs and unforgettable events in the past, might be able to empathize with the younger generation who are following in your footsteps. Unfortunately, I forgot that people can forget their roots, and very few can truly stay true to their original aspirations!"
"..." Xi Ming looked somewhat embarrassed.
Wen Ni coldly looked away, her tone even more indifferent, "Let's get back to the point. I'm not here to reminisce about the past or dwell on bittersweet memories. My purpose here is to reclaim the copyrights to the lyrics and music, to abolish all the illegal contracts, and to bring those who have violated the law and committed fraud to justice!"
"Do you have any evidence?" Xi Ming asked, his voice low and serious.
"The handwriting expert is on his way." Wen Ni said calmly, then opened a series of image files. "These are the initial data for the creation of the lyrics and music of 'The Breaker.' The creation time and the number of revisions are all included. I wrote the lyrics, and Anxi composed the music. We are its creators, without a doubt!"
"The one who breaks the formation?"
Xi Ming frowned and looked at Director Mu.
"Isn't that the demo with lyrics and music you gave me this morning? You said you wrote it, so how come it's now said they wrote it?"
"This...I...I..."
Director Mu stammered for a long time, knowing that the matter had been exposed and there was no way to avoid it, so he simply confessed!
"Mr. Xi, I did all this for the company! You told me to find good lyrics and music and have the Hot Boys sing it, so I had no choice but to resort to this tactic. But I didn't shortchange them on their payment. Who knew they would be so difficult..."
"What do you mean by 'for the good of the company'? You're clearly just afraid that if I can't produce any decent work again, I'll fire you, right?" Xi Ming's blood boiled, but he had to suppress it in front of so many people.
Outside the building, the sound of police sirens grew closer.
"Mr. Xi, you have to protect me no matter what!" Seeing the police push the door open and enter, Director Mu frantically grabbed Xi Ming's arm. "If this gets out, the company's image and reputation will be damaged. Where will any lyricists work with us in the future?"
"You knew perfectly well that you were wrong, yet you still dared to make a mistake!"
Xi Ming was so angry that he almost ground his teeth to powder.
But Director Mu is right, this matter must be suppressed no matter what!
"Who called the police? They said there was a fraud dispute?" The officer stepped forward, staring at the room full of people.
Xi Ming went to greet him first.
"Officer, the matter isn't that serious. We can discuss it and resolve it privately, so please don't trouble yourself!"
"It would be best if you could resolve this privately." The officer looked impatient. "There are plenty of cases more serious than yours. Don't waste police resources on trivial matters!"
"Yes, yes, it's our fault..."
Xi Ming smiled ingratiatingly.
Wen Ni also came over and said, "This matter cannot be settled privately."
"Young lady, may I speak to you in private?"
Under the suspicious gaze of the police officer, Xi Ming grabbed Wen Ni's sleeve and took a step to the side.
"Director Mu has made a huge mistake, and I will fire him. Not only that, you can take back your songwriting demos intact, and all contracts are void! Of course, if you're willing, I can also help you produce and release the finished product, and I guarantee I won't charge you a single penny, how about that? My only request is that we let this matter drop and not make a fuss, otherwise it will really damage our company's image!"
Xi Ming had already been humble and subservient enough.
But principles cannot be destroyed simply by lowering one's head!
“Even if you fire him, he can still work for other music companies and continue to harm other grassroots creators.” Wen Ni remained unmoved, her words resolute and unquestionable. “What I want is for him to never set foot in this industry again, and more importantly, to serve as a warning to others and purge the industry of these pests!”
"Young lady, you can't go too far." Xi Ming didn't expect her to be so resolute, and his tone turned cold. "When there are worms in one place, it means that other places are probably already in a mess! You've blacklisted Director Mu and dragged our company down with you, which will shake the entire industry! Do you and your friends not plan to work in the music industry anymore?"
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