"Is it an ownership issue?" Zhang Fan hesitated for a moment and said puzzledly, "Old Hu, this involves legal issues. I really know nothing about it. And regarding the copyright, it seems that I am in the wrong, right?"

"Oh~ That's not the case."

Lao Hu waved his hand and explained:

"Brother Zhang Fan, this copyright trademark does not belong to whoever registers it first. If the other party only used the two words Changhong, then it is indeed legal and compliant."

"But they used your profile picture and your online nickname, which is a typical infringement."

"I'm going to put it in words you can understand. All branches established through the Changhong Studio are infringing and pirated stores. You have the right to report and close them down."

"Hmm...I see." Zhang Fan nodded and said thoughtfully:

"Old Hu, I understand what you're saying, but isn't it a bit...too cruel to close all 2,800 branches at once? As far as I know, the franchise fee alone is hundreds of thousands, and the subsequent expenses are not small either."

"Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to say!"

Lao Hu nodded slightly and continued:

"Brother Zhang Fan, to be honest, these shops that have joined the piracy are also victims."

"They chose to join at all costs because they saw your endorsement."

"If everything is sealed off at once, I don't know how many families will be broken up, and there will be many destroyed families. If there are people with fragile mentalities, there is a high possibility of tragedy."

After hearing what Lao Hu said, Zhang Fan felt a little touched.

But as the general manager of Changhong Funeral, he can't possibly allow piracy to grow freely, right?

After thinking for a while, Zhang Fan said:

"Old Hu, I understand what you mean, but this matter...it will be troublesome if I don't deal with it."

"If I choose to store them directly, piracy will become more rampant in the future, and my business will be completely gone."

"We have considered the problem you mentioned." Lao Hu put the information in his hand on the coffee table and waved his hand:

"Brother Zhang Fan, these are the addresses and some simple information of all pirated merchants."

"Because your case would have such a wide impact, and since you are both merchants and victims, the Security Bureau has come up with two options after discussing it with the higher-ups. You can choose from them."

"Option one: Regardless of how they joined, all pirated stores will be investigated, those that should be closed will be closed, those that should be fined will be fined, and everything will be done according to the formal legal process."

"Plan 2: We have recovered a large amount of stolen money from the Changhong Studio that was destroyed last night. The amount is not small... The above means that the money should be taxed normally, and the rest should be handed over to your company as the franchise fee paid by other defrauded merchants."

"If you choose option 2, then these 2,800 stores will be considered your regular branches in the future. You can discuss the specific profit sharing between yourselves."

After listening to the plan given by Lao Hu, Zhang Fan said without any hesitation: "Two, I choose plan two. It just saves me from expanding the store."

"By the way, Lao Hu, how much money is this stolen money worth? I have another very serious question. Do we have to pay taxes on the stolen money?"

"Of course we have to pay taxes." Old Hu said with a look of delight and gratitude:

"Brother Zhang Fan, thank you for making such a generous choice. As for how much the money is, I don't know yet. I guess it's still being calculated. But even if it is calculated, I don't think there will be any news."

"I see... Then I'll wait."

Zhang Fan nodded, thinking about something.

I didn't expect that Wang Kai was right to beat Lee Donghae yesterday.

Not only did it kill piracy, but it also helped them reap a wave of franchise fees.

Of course, the most important thing is that he opened branches all over the country with almost no effort.

For those of you who have a system, this is the most practical.

Speaking of which, the heavy rain yesterday was pretty severe, and it actually rained twenty times.

Are all the people in this studio stupid?

It’s raining heavily and you don’t know how to run. The whole group can be wiped out at once. Is there no one who can swim?

Thinking of this, Zhang Fan suddenly realized a serious problem.

If the heavy rain does have something to do with me... then wouldn't that mean I am responsible for twenty lives?

Also, these twenty people were just those who drowned. How many people besides them lost money and suffered physical harm because of this?

The more Zhang Fan thought about it, the more he felt like a sinner, and even shame appeared on his face.

After some ideological struggle, Zhang Fan decided to tell the truth, no matter whether Lao Hu believed it or not, and no matter what the final result would be. He dared to take responsibility for his actions, and he lived long enough to bear the consequences.

"Lao Hu, the heavy rain last night was actually..."

"Harmful!"

However, before Zhang Fan could finish, Lao Hu suddenly interrupted:

"Brother Zhang Fan, even though you followed me on TikTok, this rainstorm is not your fault."

"In fact, the hot air or air layers in the west and east collided, and then... I can't explain this thing. Anyway, it's a very rare natural phenomenon. It has nothing to do with you. There is no need for you to blame yourself."

"Didn't you just say that you are not the Dragon King of the East China Sea, so how can you control the rain?"

"Oh...it turns out to be a natural phenomenon." Zhang Fan put away his gun in time and nodded half-believingly.

A natural phenomenon... Am I overthinking it?

This shouldn’t be the case… I had an epiphany yesterday…

Could it be that beating someone up is just something you learn on your own, and the other person won't be able to use it on the spot?

Just as Zhang Fan was deep in thought, Lao Hu saw that he still looked heavy-hearted and asked in confusion:

"Brother Zhang Fan, you didn't really beat up the Dragon King, did you?"

"Hmm?" Zhang Fan came back to his senses and laughed awkwardly:

"How could that be? If I get a chance, I will definitely beat him up."

"Come on." Lao Hu smiled and asked tentatively, "Then... Brother Zhang Fan, is this settled?"

“It’s settled!”

"Then sign it and I'll report back when I get back."

"no problem."

Lao Hu: "Brother Zhang Fan, I haven't thanked you in person for helping me find out about my heart problem last time. I notified my wife before I came here, and she should be here soon. Here are some local specialties from my hometown for you to try."

"Brother Hu, didn't you ask Brother Liu to help you deliver the gift? There's no need for that. It's too polite." Zhang Fan waved his hand and refused.

"That's different...giving it to someone in person can show my sincerity." Old Hu hesitated, then mustered up the courage to say:

"Brother Zhang Fan, to be honest, my wife is in big trouble. You know about the hearse, right?"