Chapter 369 Not Going Against My True Intentions
"What nonsense are you spouting! You're slandering me without any evidence!" Zhao Chuang said with a stern face, "Rebecca, don't think that just because the president is on your side, we're afraid of you. Justice will prevail. Without real strength, you won't survive in this industry."
Everyone nodded in unison.
The world of art is different from that of pure business; it's a complex and multifaceted field. But the fundamental principle remains the same: true talent is always appreciated, while those without talent will never be respected and will not deserve to be called artists.
If Rebecca cannot produce evidence to clear her name, she will not only lose the project for this art exhibition, but also completely lose the opportunity to enter the domestic art market, becoming a universally condemned figure.
"If I had evidence, would I need to waste my breath on you?" Su Youling glanced at him indifferently, and roughly understood.
People who steal designs usually try to get on stage first to give a presentation, seizing the initiative so that those who come later can't come up with a new design without evidence and have no choice but to admit defeat.
Zhao Chuang drew the last lot precisely to do the opposite of what was expected, to falsely accuse her of stealing Yitao Culture's design and clear his own name.
Su Youling glanced at Ding Muyan and raised her voice, "President Ding, things have escalated to this point. We should either call the police directly, or investigate the design drafts. The alleged theft must mean there's a traitor in the team. We can always find out. However, these kinds of lawsuits usually take a long time to investigate, and no one can afford to wait that long."
"Either the organizers come out and give an explanation, and we come up with a solution on the spot so that the art exhibition bidding can continue smoothly."
One investor shouted angrily, "What kind of plan is this? If you're plagiarizing, then get out of here. Don't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch."
Li Tingxi took a cold step forward, and the man immediately cowered, switching from shouting to muttering in a low voice, which only made him a laughingstock.
Ding Muyan met Su Youling's gaze and said calmly, "I did receive the design proposal from Karina before the competition, and it matches the one that Teacher Li has. Director Zhao just returned the creation process and detailed records of this design proposal..."
He walked over to the judging panel and whispered something to them before stepping onto the stage to face Su Youling. He said righteously, "I'm sorry, Rebecca, if you can't provide strong evidence, this design cannot be submitted as the entry for the Strange Kingdom competition."
The implication is that even if they don't definitively prove the plagiarism accusations against Strange Kingdom, this plan is meaningless; they have no original work, so their trip was essentially a waste of time.
Zhao Chuang exchanged smug glances with several staff members of the project team, looking confident of victory, while Li Shi, standing to the side, had a solemn expression.
“Rebecca.” He walked to Su Youling’s side, glanced at Li Tingxi and the inscrutable Ding Muyan with a complicated expression, and said indifferently, “I’m sorry, based on my position, it’s not convenient for me to say anything in this situation. However, Mr. Ding, I only saw this plan half an hour ago and did not participate in the entire creative process.”
Li Shi glanced at Zhao Chuang, then turned to Li Tingxi for instructions, "President Li, there are so many other members in the project team, all of whom have participated in the entire design process. Their presentations will definitely be better than mine. I am not capable of handling the task that President Ka assigned to me."
Su Youling's eyes flickered with surprise. "President Li..."
By doing this, he clearly stood on his own side.
Karina called Li Shi over to support her because she valued his status and position in the industry, which was something that a businessman like Zhao Chuang could never match.
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Zhao Chuang can engage in heated debates with himself and extort ownership of the work, but he cannot convince the judges and guests on professional matters.
"I'm just too old and useless. I get dizzy just from riding in a car, and now I feel lightheaded after walking just a few steps, let alone giving a speech on stage."
Master Li waved his hand, offering no lofty pronouncements, but simply expressing his views and stance: "Sigh, I'm getting on in years, but I still prefer to stay in the front lines of the factory, discussing and learning how to make pottery with the workers."
When Zhao Chuang saw that Li Shi had actually run to the enemy camp, he immediately sensed something was wrong and hurriedly came over to try to pull him back. Just then, he heard Li Shi say that he was quitting.
“President Li, you are a high-ranking executive at Yitao Culture. This is such an important occasion, and President Ka specially invited you to oversee things. How can you just quit like this? Have you considered everyone’s feelings? So many of us have worked so hard…” Zhao Chuang was used to verbal battles when he was out in the market, and even when he spoke to senior colleagues, he had an aggressive tone.
Judging from Li Shi's helpless expression, this was probably not the first time they had faced each other.
Su Youling's eyes darkened. She helped Li Shi sit down and looked coldly at Zhao Chuang. "You guys are so incompetent, why are you even participating in this competition? Li Shi didn't participate in your design and creation at all. He was just temporarily pulled in by your boss as a living advertisement. Couldn't he refuse?"
"This is a family matter of our Yitao culture. What does it have to do with you, an outsider?" Zhao Chuang's face darkened, and he was about to bypass Su Youling to persuade Master Li.
"She's an outsider, but what about me?" Li Tingxi walked over to Li Shi and sat down leisurely. Although his gaze was upward, it gave people an even stronger sense of pressure. "Director Zhao is so powerful inside and out. Why don't you take the president's seat?"
Zhao Chuang subconsciously took a step back, his imposing aura softening, but he was still unwilling to give up easily. "President Li, I'm also doing this for the company's good. You can't be so unclear about your position at this time. I'm just asking President Li to go on stage and give a presentation based on the plan, and he's making excuses. I wonder if he's been bribed by someone..."
This last sentence was a muttered complaint, which grew fainter and fainter under Li Tingxi's icy gaze until it could no longer be heard.
Li Shi frowned, looking somewhat embarrassed. "President Li, I..."
If it's truly for the company's honor, then of course he's willing to give it his all.
But he was an artisan and didn't want to get involved in the cutthroat world of business, especially since everything seemed too coincidental today.
He's not stupid; he can see that this whole thing is aimed at Rebecca.
That girl looks very talented, how could she plagiarize other people's work?
Besides, he knows his own team well.
Most of the people in Karina's design team are also from the Yitao Culture Design Department. Their previous works tended to be immature and youthful, and could not withstand the scrutiny of profound art. However, as long as they are polished and learn diligently, they will have a bright future in the future.
As for Karina, she is essentially a businesswoman and has no talent for art and design.
He knew exactly what this team was capable of.
On the way here, he was a little surprised when he saw the plan—Karina was able to lead this group of inexperienced people to create such an excellent design.
Looking back now, it's clear that they were the thief crying "stop thief!" and stealing someone else's work.
Based on his position, he couldn't expose these things on the spot.
However, he didn't want to go against his conscience and give a presentation on a stolen design!
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