Rebirth: The Time-locked Girl
Chapter 201 Huge Uproar! [1 More]

Chapter 201: 201 Huge Uproar! [1 More]

Shenzhou is vast in territory and rich in history.

In the long river of time spanning over five thousand years, countless artisan skills and national cultures have flourished, all of which are world-class treasures.

Yet three hundred years ago, in a single night of decline, much, too much, was lost.

Some were plundered by foreign nations, while others were completely extinguished in the merciless flow of time.

Even Catika, one of the world’s top luxury brands, used batik techniques on their new line of handbags a few years ago.

These bags, due to their unique design and patterns, triggered a global buying frenzy.

Although batik is a traditional Chinese hand-dyeing technique, this intangible cultural heritage indeed lacks any notion of patents.

This has led to the theft of Shenzhou culture.

If such practices continue unchecked, over time, culture would inevitably change hands inadvertently.

This time, the same is true for Su embroidery.

The historical value of Su embroidery is immense, surviving over two thousand years, and after a three-hundred-year hiatus, it has once again captivated countless individuals.

It was only after seeing Catika’s great international fashion success with Shenzhou’s batik techniques that Saint Leys finally decided to follow suit.

They may believe that this could be their chance to leap from affordable luxury to high-end luxury.

Unfortunately, it is also true that due to the scarcity of artisans skilled in Su embroidery, and because of the substantial initial investment that may not yield returns, only Pulling the Sky Company in all of Shenzhou is making Su embroidery garments and other accessories.

Without understanding the techniques of Su embroidery, naturally, no products can be created.

Saint Leys Company adopted the most primitive form of competition—poaching talent.

"Who are you?" The blonde man frowned as he looked up and down at Ye Wanlan, his voice cold, "Director Jiang, giving such great power to an assistant, doesn’t seem quite right, does it?"

"If she says the negotiation is over, then it’s over." Jiang Xulin didn’t want to waste another word with him, "A mere affordable luxury brand trying to poach from us, you really have quite the audacity. Plagiarism is plagiarism, let’s see if you can copy for a lifetime!"

The blonde man’s face was as cold as the snow. He sneered, "Director Jiang is quite loyal. Well, you can go down with your old employer, no need for farewells!"

**

Outside of Saint Leys’ Jiangcheng branch.

The fierce sun beat down, the sunlight flowing slowly across the land, a gentle breeze flitting by, the scent of midsummer strong in the air.

"These shameless creatures, they’ve gone too far." Jiang Xulin kicked a stone away with great irritation, "I think poaching our staff is just their first step, next they’ll want to turn Su embroidery into their own thing!"

"Yes, indeed," Ye Wanlan said lightly, "what a pity, my Plan A often fails to launch."

Jiang Xulin touched his nose, "I can do racing, but I don’t understand how to fight a business war. So what do we do next?"

Ye Wanlan pressed her earpiece lightly, speaking in a faint voice, "Qingli, you can now release the second statement."

Upon receiving Ye Wanlan’s order, Fang Qingli immediately directed the PR department to go ahead.

While netizens were still debating the plagiarism incident, Pulling the Sky Company’s official Weibo account posted another update.

It caused an uproar!

[ @PullingtheSkyV: Whoever plagiarizes will leave the Shenzhou market. ]

[ ??? ]

[ Isn’t this playing too big? Surely it’s not necessary ]

[ For Saint Leys to leave the Shenzhou market is just to lose profits from one region, but if Pulling the Sky leaves, the company will basically disappear from existence. Pulling the Sky Company has already made their stance clear, ]

"Vice President, Pulling the Sky Company has thrown down the gauntlet to us." The secretary hurried over, looking anxious, "They seem to be ready to make a sacrificial gamble. Could there be some plot? How should we respond?"

After reading the brief statement, the blonde man slammed the table and said sternly, "Call Shi Yongxin over."

Before long, the secretary returned with Shi Yongxin.

"Are you sure you took all the drafts with you when you left the company?" the blonde man asked sharply, "And you are sure these patterns are your own original designs?"

"Absolutely certain." Shi Yongxin was full of confidence, "After learning Su embroidery from Director Jiang, I designed some patterns. As long as you protect me, Vice President, they can’t punish me."

Relieved by this assurance, the blonde man nodded, "Okay, then continue to prepare for next quarter’s new products. I will assign some more staff to you to expand the production of Su embroidery."

Once Saint Leys mastered the techniques of Su embroidery and took over the Shenzhou market, wouldn’t it be an easy task at hand?

"It seems they are just cornered, trying to scare us with this move," the blonde man sighed. "Even their own culture they can’t protect, these Shenzhou people are truly useless."

The secretary always felt something was off but couldn’t quite pinpoint it, "So how should we reply to this?"

"Since they are wagering everything, of course, we should follow suit," the blonde man smiled, "Whoever plagiarizes will leave the Shenzhou market."

The outcome of this affair was as predictable as it could be—Pulling the Sky Company was certain to lose.

He didn’t need to consult the headquarters of the Starman Federation, as he could decide on his own.

Now even the original sketches are in Saint Leys’s hands, if Pulling the Sky Company had any evidence, wouldn’t they have come out to clarify sooner? And they still have time to make threats here?

It’s truly laughable.

"Yes," the secretary responded and proceeded to act as instructed by the blonde man.

Saint Leys’s Shenzhou branch directly forwarded the official Weibo post of Pulling the Sky Company and added a graphic message.

[@SaintLeysV: Originality is hard work, plagiarism indeed should be dealt with like this.]

[The fight has started, it really has started, I love watching this, keep it coming, life has been too boring lately.]

[...I really don’t know what grounds Pulling the Sky has to pick a fight with Saint Leys, Saint Leys has always been very strong in the ready-to-wear line, I really like wearing Saint Leys’s clothes, this time I stand with Saint Leys.]

[This time Saint Leys’s new product uses Su embroidery, Pulling the Sky isn’t getting angry because it sees a foreign brand trying to share a slice of the pie, right?]

Public opinion is still unfavorable for Pulling the Sky Company.

The blonde man dialed Jiang Xulin’s phone number again, laughing as he asked, "Director Jiang, I thought you were rash, but at least your boss would have some discernment. Seems like I was right, a family that doesn’t know how to do business."

"Screw off!" Jiang Xulin laughed too, "What I mean is, wait for you to screw off out of the Shenzhou market."

The blonde man’s smile faded: "Stubborn fool!"

He hung up the call and instructed his secretary with a few more tasks.

He couldn’t wait to see Pulling the Sky Company’s reputation completely ruined, forcing them to come to him, tails between their legs!

**

At this moment, Ye Wanlan had organized all the evidence, including the malicious poaching by Saint Leys Company, Shi Yongxin’s defection, and the copyright registered early on with the World Copyright Registration Center.

Indeed, as an intangible cultural heritage, Su embroidery doesn’t have patents per se, but if it comes down to specific patterns, then there is copyright.

All design drafts that had passed through her hands in the company had been registered for corresponding copyrights under the name of Pulling the Sky.

"Ah Lan, are you sure you don’t need help?" Quan Zhaoning called over, also very angry, "Saint Leys is a subsidiary of the MN Group, and I know the top executives of MN Group. Just say the word, and I’ll take care of this matter for you."

"Thank you, President Quan," Ye Wanlan expressed her gratitude, "Although it would be an easy matter for you to resolve it with just a word, it’s still not enough."

"Not enough?" Quan Zhaoning frowned, "Isn’t it enough to make Saint Leys issue a public apology?"

"Hmm, not enough," Ye Wanlan smiled lightly, "This time it’s just one Saint Leys, what if next time it’s directly Catika? We must make them afraid to use such means to steal Shenzhou’s culture again."

Quan Zhaoning’s expression shifted slightly, "What do you mean?"

"To make Saint Leys exit the Shenzhou market, to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys," Ye Wanlan’s voice was calmly composed, "Let all these brands coveting Shenzhou’s culture dare not act rashly."

This was her ultimate goal.

Otherwise, dealing with just Saint Leys Company would be a piece of cake.

But if one Saint Leys falls, countless others will come back strong.

Quan Zhaoning drew a sharp breath, "I’m glad I asked for your opinion first, otherwise I would’ve been a hindrance instead of help."

"You’re too kind, President Quan, without your initial help, I wouldn’t even be able to gather the starting funds," Ye Wanlan raised her eyebrows, "Please enjoy the show."

In the office, Rong Yu, who had come to help out, finally had an epiphany after hearing the conversation, "So that’s it. I was wondering why you were not at all anxious, you got me running around in circles."

"Winning without a fight is just a vague general concept," Ye Wanlan turned around, "When putting it into practice, there are many methods, such as—"

Her fingers gently tapped on the table, and she smiled, "Letting the enemy think you’re in a desperate situation, so they joyfully bet all their chips and rush over to deliver the final blow, but by then, they have no way out."

The same principle also applies to the battlefield.

Rong Yu couldn’t help but shudder, asking Bing He for a jacket to wrap himself tightly.

In the mid-August weather, nearly forty degrees, he felt like he had plunged into a world of ice and snow.

Yan Tingfeng listened attentively, a hint of a smile emerging in his eyes, and he blinked gently, "Every conversation with Miss Ye always proves immensely enlightening to me."

In the Jianghu, he was used to fighting alone, resolving issues with fists and blood.

But Ye Wanlan taught him how to manipulate a much bigger game.

Yan Tingfeng’s eyes deepened as he suddenly remembered his conversation with the Supreme Elder of the Rong family.

It was very similar to... Princess Yongning.

What a pity, Princess Yongning has long been asleep beneath the ground.

"Qingli, the timing is about right," Ye Wanlan contacted Fang Qingli, "You can issue the third statement now."

Fang Qingli: "Okay, Sister Lan!"

[@PullingTheSkyV: May I ask, @SaintLeysCompany, when you say our first quarter’s new product is plagiarized, could it be that we’ve traveled through time and space to plagiarize, and even the World Copyright Registration Center has joined us in this journey?]