"What!" Lan Xing's voice rose.
Cui Qingling made a 'shh' gesture, and Lan Xing immediately covered her mouth and lowered her head slightly.
"What's going on? No, we have to confront her face to face!" Lan Xing lowered her voice.
"Don't get excited. This is their home turf. Making a scene will only be detrimental to us." Meng Wan held Lan Xing's hand, remaining as calm as ever.
"What should we do then?" Lan Xing had no doubt that Cui Qingling might have misread it or that there was some other misunderstanding.
In her opinion, if the two of them were to say such things, then there was an absolute certainty that the other had plagiarized!
"It's still unclear whether she copied an entire series or just one of them. Qingling, what do you think? Does anyone have any doubts?" Meng Wan withdrew her gaze from Wen Qinglian, who, sensing Meng Wan's gaze, raised her chin, looking quite smug.
"There is one person who has doubts, but we'll have to ask to find out. This is the main product, and if they can copy this... the other styles should be pretty much the same too."
"You didn't show the hidden one to anyone, did you?"
"No, I only showed it to you," Cui Qingling said without hesitation.
Do you have any backup plans?
Even if they report the plagiarism now, it's too late to redesign. If the main styles are the same, then the launch event loses its purpose, which is very disadvantageous for them.
Cui Qingling looked at Wen Qinglian, who seemed to be doing it on purpose, brushing a stray hair behind her ear to reveal matching earrings.
"Look at her shameless face!" Lan Xing said with disdain, and couldn't help but give her the middle finger.
Ji Sheng found it amusing and ruffled her hair, but didn't stop her. Sure enough, Wen Qinglian's expression changed, and she gritted her teeth and turned away.
"Hmph, shameless." Lan Xing made a face at her, but unfortunately Wen Qinglian, who had her back to her, didn't see it.
"The Tree of Life was designed in three versions, but the second version had the best prototype effect, while the third version was more stunning."
"W·P has a factory with which we have a long-term partnership..."
“There’s also one in the Yan family’s area. Let’s contact them first.”
“My friend has some too, I’ll let them know as well,” Ji Sheng chimed in.
None of them complained or blamed others; their first reaction was to discuss and find a better solution to get through this hurdle.
As she spoke, Meng Wan suddenly made a gesture, and the group instantly fell silent. Looking up, they saw Wen Qinglian, arm in arm with Hu Lou, walking towards them.
"Long time no see, everyone." Wen Qinglian smiled. Hu Lou looked Meng Wan up and down, then his gaze fell on Yan Nian's face, and he gave him a faint smile.
"Those who take the main road and those who only know how to take the side roads will naturally never meet." Lan Xing's words were filled with undisguised disdain.
Wen Qinglian's smile froze for a moment, and she touched the necklace around her neck again.
"I heard you're having a press conference on Friday too? I'm really looking forward to your work."
She extended her hand, and Cui Qingling took it, but said nothing. Both of them had smiles on their faces, looking at each other, but the smiles didn't reach their eyes; instead, each was lost in their own thoughts.
After the event, the group didn't go home but instead gathered at Cui Qingling's studio. They changed out of their cumbersome formal attire into their newly purchased casual clothes and discussed new plans.
"These are the design drawings for other versions. If we were to make new samples, we could only make the most basic version. As for the main model, there simply isn't enough time, because it was specially made by craftsmen. Even if we were to make a new one, it would take at least a month."
Cui Qingling handed them the printed materials.
"There is another problem. This version is based on the second version, so it is very similar to the second version and needs to be readjusted. In other words, the current situation is very unfavorable to us."
Cui Qingling's expression was not pleasant. The design of a jewelry series had to go through many rounds of selection before it could be finalized. This process was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive, but that was not the most troublesome part.
The most important thing is the product's effectiveness. If someone else has already released a similar product, both its appeal and effectiveness will be greatly diminished, which is the biggest disadvantage!
"Let's make one copy for now, and also prepare the manuscript and evidence in case Wen Qinglian uses the media to frame us. If that happens, even if we successfully defend our rights, many people will only remember us for plagiarism."
Meng Wan glanced at the third version of the design and calmly made a judgment.
"What about the plagiarism issue? The design concept is definitely unchangeable now... Can we reschedule for Wednesday?"
Lan Xing frowned. Their family's businesses didn't involve the fashion industry, so they could only offer suggestions to the best of their ability.
"No, there's not enough time. Even if there were enough time, going back on our word would only give the client a bad experience. In that case, no matter who plagiarizes us, the outcome will be unfavorable. Even if the client feels sorry for us being plagiarized, they are still the client, don't expect them to empathize."
Yan Nian tapped the table. "The studio is positioned to serve female clients with strong financial resources. These clients are very rational and different from ordinary consumers. They don't care how much the jewelry costs; they care more about whether what they buy can highlight their status and please them."
"Being plagiarized and having your manuscript leaked are internal issues for us, and they don't care. But if they are implicated, do you think they will choose us again next time?"
Yan Nian reviewed the available materials and made a judgment after understanding the positioning of Cui Qingling Studio.
“Yan Nian makes a good point, and the investors will also reassess the risks. Investors have to consider more things. If a company’s secrets can be easily stolen, even if it’s a strong investment, they still have to consider the risks.”
After Ji Sheng finished speaking, the office fell into a brief silence.
"We're going to proceed in two directions right now. One is to gather information. It would be disadvantageous for us to release information prematurely or after the event, so we need to communicate with the media first and try to control the situation."
Meng Wan closed the file, tapped the table, and drew everyone's attention.
"Qingling, you and a few trusted designers should revise it again. My factory and Yan's factory will be open 24 hours a day for the next few days. At least we need to get the basic model out."
“Okay.” Cui Qingling never doubted Meng Wan’s abilities. After all, the initial stages of this project were accomplished thanks to Meng Wan’s plans and risk assessments, and her first investment was also from Meng Wan!
"But with such a high degree of similarity, what's the point of us printing it out?" Lan Xing frowned and asked, voicing her doubts.
"Then we'll have to rely on you, Lan Xing." Meng Wan looked at Lan Xing with a strange smile.
"What?" Lan Xing was a little scared by the look.
“I checked, and the venue where Wen Qinglian held the exhibition is the showroom of your company.”
Sometimes, business warfare is just that simple and brutal.
The men wore eerie smiles, which were rather unsettling.
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