Chapter 48 "Trial failed, host qualification revoked."
Everyone in the conference room looked at Xi Yimiao.
"Yi Jiantai, you, you wait!" Xi Yimiao stood up, grabbing his phone. "I'll ask our screenwriter to send the evidence over right now!"
He spoke loudly, but everyone could hear the undisguised tremor in his voice.
The evidence Yi Jiantai presented was overwhelming. The original manuscript, stored on the website's backend two years ago, was adapted into every revised version of the script. Unless Xi Yimiao could produce evidence of their screenwriter's earlier work, who would believe Ye Shiqing had plagiarized?
Could it be possible that Ye Shiqing first plagiarized the script of G-Light Entertainment, then traveled back to two years ago to publish it, and then traveled back again?
Xi Yimiao himself was in the arts circle, so how could he not understand this? But he just didn't want to believe it.
He is the host of the system, and Xiang Yiqing is the god-level screenwriter recommended to him by the system. How could it be possible that Xiang Yiqing plagiarized?
Can the system still cheat the host?
Impossible, impossible... Xi Yimiao kept comforting himself, but his trembling fingers pressed the wrong button several times. After a lot of effort, he finally clicked the right icon and selected Xiang Yiqing's number.
"Hello……"
"Hello! President Xi, President Xi..." The call had just been connected, and before Xi Yimiao could say anything, Xiang Yiqing said in horror, "I just... I just received a court summons saying my script was plagiarized! What should I do? What should I do?"
"What did you say? Do you even have a brain?" Xi Yimiao was panicked by what he said. "It's your own script, and someone sued you for plagiarism. Can't you provide evidence to make them lose the case and bankrupt them?"
"I..." Xiang Yiqing's voice was filled with fear, "Boss Xi, I..."
He was hesitating so much that Xi Yimiao's palms were sweating.
"Xiang Yiqing, I'm warning you. I'm using your work because I trust you. Do you know where I am right now? I'm at the headquarters of Runjia Investment Group, already clashing with the people at Lingyun Media! The court summons you received is from Yi Jiantai! Yi Jiantai already registered the copyright two months ago, and there's evidence of publication from two years ago. Hurry and gather the evidence for me. Hand me all those drafts and versions..."
Before he could finish his words, there was a thud from the other side.
No way… Xi Yimiao’s heart tightened, and he shouted sharply: “Hello? Xiang Yiqing? Xiang Yiqing! Hello!”
There was no sound on the other end of the phone.
Xi Yimiao felt that his breathing and heartbeat had stopped as well.
Xiang Yiqing...Xiang Yiqing was frightened and fainted.
Why was he frightened by a court summons?
The answer appeared clearly in his mind, but Xi Yimiao was unwilling to believe it.
He held the phone in his hand, his whole body cold and frozen in the comfortable air-conditioned temperature of the group headquarters.
I couldn't even muster the strength to go back to the meeting room.
But he was on the phone for more than ten minutes and did not return to the meeting room, and he had already told everyone the result.
The true and false Monkey King made a lot of noise, and the plot finally came to the Buddha, where his true colors were revealed.
What's more, Yi Jiantai's evidence is so solid and his confidence is so strong.
Some people couldn't help but feel embarrassed for others again.
Before the meeting and after the vote, Yu Chong and Xi Yimiao were incredibly arrogant, repeatedly shouting at the chairman. Xi Yimiao, the general manager of a small subsidiary, even scolded the chairman by name in front of all the other executives.
They said the chairman invested in a plagiarized drama, that the criticism would be announced to the entire group, and that he would conduct a public review.
In less than twenty minutes, the situation suddenly changed.
Yu Chong and his gang put themselves on the firewood, and their original arrogance turned into fire to roast themselves.
Xi Yimiao ran away under the pretext of making a phone call, and everyone's attention at the scene, both overtly and covertly, was focused on Yu Chong.
The conference room fell silent again, but this time, it was Du Wanwan and her subordinates Pei Xingyao, Wei Nanrong, Fan Zhaoling, and Yi Jiantai who looked calm and composed, while Yu Chong and his men were on the edge of their seats.
The secretaries and assistants of the board's office also called the logistics department and considerately served tea and coffee to the participants to facilitate their long wait.
The aroma of tea and coffee wafted in the air. At some point, the signal source on the screen was cut off from Yi Jiantai and returned to the original picture.
The above row of eye-catching suggestions:
For plagiarized dramas and plagiarized drama project teams, the penalties include revocation of investment and cancellation of projects. An email notification will be sent to the entire group, and the signed supervisor will conduct a review of the entire group.
The silence and the words on the screen seemed to turn into needles. Yu Chong felt very uncomfortable and could only lower his head to drink tea and pretend that nothing had happened.
But he wanted to pretend nothing had happened, but others couldn't. Of Runjia Investment's five major divisions, Runjia Entertainment was the laggard. Their constant focus was asking for money and losing money, squandering all the money earned by the other divisions.
Now, because Yu Chong failed to cause trouble with his stupid teammates, the entire company is being forced to stay here and share in his embarrassment?
That’s wishful thinking!
"Ahem..." The president of Runjia Network Technology Group coughed dryly, put down his coffee cup, glanced at his watch covered in talismans, and said, "Xi Yimiao's been out for almost twenty minutes now. We already have an idea of what's going on. I think there's no need to wait any longer. Isn't this just 'fleeing from justice'?"
"That's right," his vice president echoed. "Just now, weren't CEOs Yu and Xi the loudest and most supportive of this anti-plagiarism resolution? So what are we waiting for? The resolution has been passed, so let's implement it."
After he finished speaking, he turned around and asked, "Is that so, Mr. Yu?"
As soon as the words fell, the people from Runjia Logistics Group also sneered, "Yeah, who doesn't come to a meeting to make decisions? Is it just to accompany President Yu for tea in the headquarters conference room? Stop wasting time, everyone has work to do!"
Once someone starts talking, the others will start talking at once.
"Yes, didn't they already vote to pass the resolution? Then let's implement it."
"The chairman and CEO Yu both voted in favor of the anti-plagiarism resolution just now, which means they support it! CEO Yu, please don't be so heartless, chairman."
"Exactly. Last night's 'True and False Hu Ji' incident caused quite a stir in public opinion. It's concerning our group's image, so we need to address it as soon as possible. Our PR department suggests issuing an announcement before noon today to avoid impacting other divisions."
Du Wanwan lowered her head and drank the medicinal tea, unable to help but laugh in her heart.
Because of her grandfather's poor health over the years and his excessive delegation of power, the Runjia Investment Group has become fragmented, spawning countless small factions. After she parachuted Wei Nanrong into the position of Vice President, using her position as Chairman, she'd been trying to gauge the situation. Before she could fully grasp the depths of each faction, they were already putting on a show of superficial harmony in front of her, enjoying the excitement and making trouble.
Just now, some people voted in favor of passing the anti-plagiarism resolution to embarrass her, and now they are targeting Yu Chong.
Anyway, both of them are enemies, so they will kill the weaker one. If one of them dies, they won't lose anything, but if two of them die, they will definitely gain.
The accusing voices grew louder and louder, and Yu Chong's face was as gloomy as the sky covered with dark clouds, flickering with anger and embarrassment.
He wanted to speak several times, but his mind kept recalling how he had just allowed Xi Yimiao to cause trouble.
He can't let go of this face.
He couldn't digest this embarrassment.
Everyone's time is precious, so he has to ask others for help.
"Chairman, what are you still hesitating about?" someone from the Internet Technology section yelled. "Lingyun Media has already presented the evidence. What could be more compelling than that archived manuscript page from two years ago? If there was, G-Light Entertainment would have produced it long ago! Don't waste everyone's time just to save Mr. Yu's face. Get this done quickly so we can move on to the next step. We have so many projects lined up, all big, profitable ones. Just like their entertainment section, they're just causing trouble but not making any money."
"yes!"
"that is."
Du Wanwan sipped herbal tea and admired the live version of "When the wall falls, everyone pushes it down" before putting down her teacup. "In that case... let's follow the resolution proposed by Xi Yimiao and passed at the meeting."
"Plagiarism is a shameful and illegal act. G-Light Entertainment not only plagiarized, but also plagiarized original projects from subsidiaries within the same group. They manipulated public opinion, distorted right and wrong, and attempted to smear the original creators as plagiarists. This is extremely despicable. As of now, the investment in the plagiarized drama, G-Light Entertainment's "Legend of the Hu Ji" project team, has been revoked, and the project has been canceled. All project managers will be held accountable, and the signing supervisor will write a self-criticism, which will be notified to the entire group."
With every word she said, Yu Chong's face grew more embarrassed. Finally, Du Wanwan fixed her gaze on him and slowly asked, "Do you have any objections?"
Dissent? How could there be any dissent? They weren't the ones being punished.
And it was not until this moment, until he saw Du Wanwan's smiling eyes and heard her last words, that Yu Chong understood everything.
Xi Yimiao proposed sending an email notification to the entire group about the plagiarism incident, with the signing supervisor conducting a group-wide self-reflection. There's room for maneuver here. A plagiarism incident notification and criticism would bring shame to the responsible subsidiary, leading to deductions in bonuses, performance rewards, and other incentives. The signing supervisor's group-wide self-reflection could be held at a meeting at group headquarters—the very meeting before us.
Any review is fine.
Formal ones would read a letter of apology. More casual ones would just verbally admit their mistakes, and that was it. Beyond the headquarters conference room, only those who attended would know about it, and it would only be circulated privately.
But what is Du Wanwan’s explanation?
She said that the final signing supervisor would write a review and inform the entire group.
This means that he not only has to write a letter of apology, but also put it in the email reporting the incident and send it to the entire group through the office system!
No wonder... Yu Chong's fingers turned white from exertion, his teeth clenched tightly, he could no longer control the anger in his heart, and glared fiercely at the woman sitting at the head of the conference table.
No wonder G-light Entertainment and Lingyun Media have been arguing for two months. No wonder Du Wanwan remained silent despite Xi Yimiao's provocations. No wonder Du Wanwan, knowing G-light Entertainment also had "The Legend of the Hu Ji" and that Lingyun Media had already registered the copyright, held back and refused to sue G-light Entertainment.
It turned out that her target was not Xi Yimiao at all!
She was targeting him!
Targeting him, the president of Runjia Entertainment Group!
She wanted him to be embarrassed in front of the entire group!
Yu Chong stared at her until he suddenly became furious.
Okay, Du Wanwan wants him to be humiliated, so he will go all out!
Yu Chong wiped his face, stood up, and said loudly: "Chairman, I signed G-light Entertainment's "Legend of the Hu Ji". Although I am not the project leader, I am the signing supervisor. Although I don't know exactly what happened and I mistakenly trusted Xi Yimiao, it's a mistake. If something goes wrong, I can't escape the blame. The headquarters wants me to review it. No problem, I will write a letter of apology when I go back and send it to the board of directors today."
This attitude of admitting mistakes is good!
Everyone was shocked and surprised.
But isn't Yu Chong famous for being petty? When has he ever admitted his mistakes so readily?
"But," Yu Chong said, his sneer etched on his face, unconcealable. "I believe that in the entertainment section, as part of the arts, originality is always the lifeblood of art and is inviolable. For literary and artistic works, plagiarism is the greatest principled error. Simply issuing notices and conducting self-criticisms is far from enough."
"Oh?" Du Wanwan raised an eyebrow. "Then what kind of punishment does Mr. Yu think should be used?"
Yu Chong opened his mouth and uttered four words: "Transfer from the position."
What did he say? All the attendees were shocked.
No way! Is Yu Chong playing such a big game? Is he Du Wanwan's undercover agent? He'd lost face and a subordinate in a fight with Du Wanwan, and now he's personally helping Du Wanwan replace the president of Runjia Entertainment?
What kind of business-friendly and thoughtful setting is this?
Only a few executives understood the situation.
Yu Chong's move is to retreat in order to advance.
He knew that with the G-Light Entertainment plagiarism scandal, Runjia Entertainment's situation wouldn't improve for some time to come. Its projects would undoubtedly be withdrawn or declined. The entertainment industry wasn't a one-person operation. The production of a film or TV series depended on the director, the actors, the script, and the entire crew, including costumes, makeup, and props. Any one missing could be fatal.
What's more, Runjia Entertainment has more than one film and television project, and at least a dozen have been reported this year.
Coordinating more than a dozen projects relies on Yu Chong's status and connections in the entertainment industry.
Yu Chong wasn't actually stepping down; he wanted Du Wanwan to see for herself how influential he was in the entertainment industry. He wanted her to understand that Runjia Entertainment couldn't function without him.
Could Du Wanwan have thought of this alone?
They lowered their heads to drink tea, hiding the look in their eyes that were waiting for the show, but their ears were perked up, waiting to hear something interesting.
Sure enough, Du Wanwan asked like a hook: "Transfer from a position? Mr. Yu, what position do you think is the most appropriate for you to transfer from?"
Ha... little girl, you want to fight him? Yu Chong sneered in his heart, deliberately thought for a moment, and then said: "Runjia Entertainment has a vice president, who just retired, and they haven't found a suitable replacement yet. In my opinion, I am quite suitable. As a punishment, demote him one level and let me be the vice president."
This Vice President position isn't just any Vice President; it's also the Chief Financial Officer, overseeing the financial review and disbursement of funds for all Runjia Entertainment projects. While seemingly one level below the President, it's actually a crucial position. Yu Chong has been eyeing it for a long time, but he's never been able to snatch it up. He finally managed to wait for that old man to retire a while ago, and he's now searching for someone to take over.
Judging from the current situation, it would be better for him to do it himself than to let others take over.
Let him personally bring Runjia Entertainment Group to a standstill, and wait for Du Wanwan to regret it and beg him in person!
"As for the position of president..." Yu Chong pretended to hesitate and paused.
He thought that whoever wanted to do it could do it, but he wouldn't do it anyway. He expected that few people in the entire Runjia Investment Group would dare to take on this hot potato.
Unexpectedly, before she could even finish her words, Du Wanwan nodded and said, "President Yu truly understands the greater good. He accepted the punishment and stepped back. He truly supports headquarters' work and sets an example for everyone. The Board Office will definitely include this in the notice, urging everyone to learn from President Yu. Mistakes are not to be feared, as long as you have the courage to admit them and accept the punishment calmly."
"As for the position of President of Runjia Entertainment... there's no good candidate right now. It just so happens that I don't have much real work to do at headquarters. I just sign and stamp documents every day, and I spend most of the day resting."
Du Wanwan smiled slowly: "Until you find a suitable candidate, let me take the position."
she?
The participants at the scene suddenly stopped breathing.
Du Wanwan, going to Runjia Entertainment to work as a host? Why do they have the illusion that supporting Lingyun Media, clarifying the plagiarism incident, and dealing with Yu Chong are secondary? Is this Du Wanwan's true purpose?
But she wants to work as a host in the entertainment industry? What can she do?
But they were just thinking about it. What could Du Wanwan do, what would she do? What did it have to do with them? Whether she did well or not, that was the entertainment section's business, and that was all Yu Chong had to worry about.
To be honest with them, the entertainment section, which only knows how to lose money, should have been closed long ago. It is now simply a burden.
If Du Wanwan causes any shameful things in the entertainment sector again and fails to make money, they can criticize Du Wanwan more at the headquarters meeting!
What if, by some stroke of luck, they let that troublesome person in the entertainment section tire Du Wanwan out, or even kill her? Wouldn't that be a win? Du Wanwan doesn't have any heirs, so what will happen to Runjia Group then? Won't it still fall into their hands?
"Great!" The president of Runjia Network Technology Group was the first to applaud, cheering loudly: "The chairman is really wise, leading by example. What do you call that? A big picture!"
"Boss Yu has already taken the punishment, what else can we say? It's decided."
"With Runjia Entertainment now in the hands of the chairman, what else do we have to worry about? Of course, we will give our full support."
Among all the people, Yu Chong was probably the only one who had a sinister smile on his face the whole time, and his congratulations were all insincere.
"Don't praise me, I'm young. I'll get carried away if you do." Du Wanwan smiled and raised her hand, motioning for silence. "Since I've taken on the role of President of Runjia Entertainment, I have to make my first decision. Let's vote. How about it?"
She glanced at Yu Chong with a smile and asked, "The G-light Entertainment plagiarism incident has had a significant impact. I propose that the G-light Entertainment subsidiary be abolished and merged into Lingyun Media. Former G-light Entertainment General Manager Xi Yimiao has failed his probationary period for plagiarism and slander, and is dismissed from this moment on. What do you all think?"
Who would want to let G-light Entertainment, a fly, continue to be associated with the Runjia name? The cancellation is what everyone wants.
As for Xi Yimiao?
Who cares about him? He's not one of their own. If Yu Chong has the ability, he can protect him himself. The chairman is following the procedures. What can they say?
"I agree, I agree, this is the group's policy!"
"Chairman, disbanding your subsidiary is your own business in the entertainment sector. There's no need to discuss it at the headquarters meeting. Just make the decision yourself."
"Okay, that's settled then." Du Wanwan nodded. "I'm new to this job and don't know much, so please teach me."
"Hahaha, the chairman is young and promising, you're welcome!"
Executives from other sections also echoed the sentiment, first praising Du Wanwan for a while, then letting the matter go and moving on to the next meeting process.
By the time Xi Yimiao finally mustered up the courage and walked to the door of the conference room, the meeting had already ended.
The group's executives passed by him one by one, discussing their own matters without giving him a second glance.
The security guards had already received the news and politely but firmly told him, "Mr. Xi, you failed your probation period and are no longer an employee of Runjia Group. Please hand over your employee card now. And Vice President Yu, please hand in your employee card first. We need to change your permissions."
What... he's been kicked out by Runjia? What about his plans to dominate the entertainment industry, the hearts he wants to win...
Xi Yimiao was startled when he suddenly saw Du Wanwan. He instinctively took a step forward and wanted to call her.
Just then, a voice sounded in his head.
"Trial failed, host qualification revoked."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
