Chapter 511: Things Are Not the Same Anymore!

The car in the distance was heading toward a restaurant in Shenzhen.

Deng Xuanxuan sat in the front passenger seat, her lips occasionally curling into a faint smile.

Clearly, she was reminiscing about the past with Shen Fei.

Her smile, which lingered on her face, left the man sitting next to her feeling quite surprised.

This was not the person he remembered interacting with at all.

“Xuanxuan, why are you so cheerful now? I was just worried that the incident at the intersection would affect your mood,” the man said, his brow furrowed and his tone somewhat complicated.

“Huh? That incident affecting my mood? Not really, my mental resilience isn’t that bad!” Deng Xuanxuan replied helplessly.

The man’s face froze for a moment, and he didn’t continue with the conversation.

He smiled and changed the topic.

“Now that you mention it, I’m curious. How could that old lady be the mother-in-law of Shen Fei, the CEO of XinYue Group? Given Shen Fei’s wealth and status now, he’s incredibly impressive. The companies he owns are all highly successful, with billions or even hundreds of billions in assets in various fields. Yet, how could his mother-in-law act like that over a mere 30,000 yuan? For Shen Fei and his family, 30,000 isn’t much, but for us, it’s still a considerable sum. This mother-in-law… sigh… if this gets out, it could cause a huge stir online!”

“Well, it’s not for me to comment on other people’s family matters, but judging by the performance of that aunt and the attitude of the restaurant owner, their relationship doesn’t seem very good! And even if their relationship were good, they’ve been living with Shen Fei, which means they are well taken care of and don’t need to resort to such unethical behavior over 30,000 yuan!” Deng Xuanxuan analyzed.

The man nodded in agreement, then suddenly exclaimed, “Now that you mention it, you were right! When Shen Fei first started his business, he gained a lot of attention due to a scar-removal cream. His mother-in-law once revealed his past scandals online, and this caused a lot of public criticism. Even now, many people still dislike Shen Fei because of his past! If he had a good relationship with that old lady, that would indeed be strange.”

“Wow, I didn’t know that happened!” Deng Xuanxuan said, shocked.

“Yes, this was big news back then and made headlines on the internet for days! You really didn’t know?” The man was quite surprised.

“Well, the signal is poor in the mountains, so apart from making calls, there’s not much I could do!” Deng Xuanxuan said in a low voice.

“I forgot about that! So, you must be out of the loop on all the gossip now?” The man teased, noticing a slight displeasure in Deng Xuanxuan’s tone.

But Deng Xuanxuan didn’t respond to his teasing. Instead, she shifted the conversation.

“Wait a minute, aren’t you really clear on Shen Fei’s story? What’s your plan? Are you thinking of joining Shen Fei’s company and giving up your current job?” Deng Xuanxuan asked.

The man quickly shook his head.

“That’s not it. I still think my secure job is the best. Besides, Shen Fei’s past was all over the news, so even if I didn’t want to know, I ended up learning about it anyway!” he replied.

Before Deng Xuanxuan could respond, her phone suddenly rang.

When she saw the caller ID, she smiled and immediately answered the call.

“Dad!”

“Xuanxuan, what’s going on? You called me, and your mom said you called her too. What happened?” Deng Jianming asked, frowning.

“Dad, it’s nothing serious. I just wanted to get Shen Fei’s contact information!” Deng Xuanxuan replied.

Upon hearing this, the man driving almost slammed on the brakes.

Shen Fei’s contact information?

That was Shen Fei!

Not only the man, but even Deng Jianming on the other end of the phone was stunned.

“What? You want Shen Fei’s contact info now? Didn’t you say you’d wait a few days to ask for it? Back then, when I mentioned it, you refused. Why the sudden change of heart?” Deng Jianming asked, confused.

“Well, it’s because of what happened earlier. I wanted to call him, but I didn’t have his number. Now that the situation is settled, I’m not in a rush anymore!” Deng Xuanxuan admitted.

“Well…” Deng Jianming didn’t know how to respond, but he didn’t ask about the incident she mentioned. Instead, he said directly, “I’ll send you Shen Fei’s phone number now!”

“Okay! Send it to me, and I’ll contact him myself!” Deng Xuanxuan said with a smile.

After Deng Xuanxuan hung up, the man couldn’t suppress his curiosity any longer and asked, “Xuanxuan, you’re talking about Shen Fei, the CEO of XinYue Group, right?”

“Yes, what’s the matter?” Deng Xuanxuan asked, puzzled.

The man was surprised, “I didn’t know you knew Shen Fei!”

“It’s normal you didn’t know. I never told you guys! Besides, I only learned about Shen Fei’s success after I came back. My parents told me about it!” Deng Xuanxuan replied honestly.

“Huh? Your parents know Shen Fei well?” The man asked, raising his eyebrows.

A sudden sense of unease crept over him.

“Of course! When Shen Fei was in middle school, he spent three years with my dad. My parents took care of him a lot, and I spent a lot of time with him too. Later, when he went on to further studies and I entered college, he kept asking me about university life. After the volunteer teaching project, I couldn’t stay in touch as much, and our communication became less frequent. For several years, Shen Fei even lost contact with my parents.”

“Later, we learned that during those years, Shen Fei’s life had hit rock bottom, and he was too embarrassed to face us, so he cut off contact. I didn’t hold it against him, though!”

The man finally understood and said quickly, “Since that’s the case, with Shen Fei’s wealth and status now, how do you plan to handle your relationship with him?”

“Hehe…” Deng Xuanxuan chuckled as if she had heard a joke.

After a brief pause, she seemed to drift back to the days when she spent time with Shen Fei in middle school. She calmly said, “Naturally, I’ll treat him the same way as before. No matter how much he’s changed, as long as he still calls me ‘sister’ and treats me the same way, we’ll remain the same as we were!”

The man, glancing at Deng Xuanxuan’s expression, felt a complex mixture of emotions. Although he knew that Deng Xuanxuan had no romantic feelings for Shen Fei, as someone who had liked her for many years, he still felt a pang of disappointment in his heart.

—————- END —————-

Chapter 512: Cold Response!

At the same time.

After taking a tour of the construction area of the base, Shen Fei had a rough understanding of the building progress.

However, he still couldn’t figure out how the company was permitted to operate, especially with over a hundred retired special forces soldiers being hired.

Regardless, after leaving the construction site, Shen Fei first went to the market.

After buying several groceries, Shen Fei drove to Weideli Kindergarten.

He timed it perfectly, arriving right as school was letting out.

After picking up Shen Jiayue and taking her home, Shen Fei immediately went into the kitchen.

He didn’t check his phone, so he was completely unaware of the commotion that Zhang Xiulian had caused on Jinxiao Road that evening.

Naturally, he didn’t know that his name had caused the incident to spread quickly in the rapidly developing internet age.

If it had been anyone else without a connection to Shen Fei or Han Xinyan, the incident would have been discussed briefly before fading away.

But Zhang Xiulian didn’t do that. She boldly mentioned Shen Fei’s name, which made the issue start to gain traction in the public’s eye.

Even Shen Fei was once again the subject of heated discussion.

Shen Fei had no idea about any of this.

He focused on the kitchen and, using his excellent cooking skills, prepared a four-course meal with soup in no time.

As for Han Xinyan, since returning, she hadn’t said much.

While Shen Fei was busy in the kitchen, she sat at the dining table, frequently checking her phone, absentmindedly.

She had just looked at the trending topics on Weibo and short video platforms. Although it had only been a short time since the incident, the topic linking Shen Fei’s name with her mother’s traffic violation scam had already risen to the trending list.

And within just a few minutes, it had begun to gain significant momentum.

“Ah Yan, what happened to you? It’s been an hour, and you look so dazed!” Shen Fei asked after serving a bowl of soup to Shen Jiayue.

Upon hearing Shen Fei’s question, Han Xinyan trembled, then lowered her gaze, her voice shaking slightly.

“H-Husband, my mom has caused trouble again…”

“Well, that’s not really surprising. She’s made a lot of trouble before! If she wasn’t causing trouble, that wouldn’t be like her at all!” Shen Fei said, not surprised. But just as he finished speaking, he sensed something wasn’t quite right.

If it was just another ordinary trouble, why would Han Xinyan look so troubled?

“No, this is more than just ordinary trouble… She dragged us into it. Now that you’re involved in a lawsuit with Tengke Company, and our offline stores are about to open… I’m really worried this will bring us negative attention!” Han Xinyan said with great concern.

“Tell me more!” Shen Fei said seriously.

“Look for yourself!” Han Xinyan opened her phone and showed him the trending topic.

In the video, the loud and arrogant woman shouting was none other than Shen Fei’s mother-in-law, Zhang Xiulian.

The video emphasized the 30,000 yuan and how Shen Fei and Han Xinyan were her son-in-law and daughter.

The familiar faces of Deng Xuanxuan and the man standing next to her were blurred.

The video detailed the development of the incident.

It had been uploaded to a short video platform just 30 minutes ago.

In just 30 minutes, the video had garnered hundreds of thousands of likes and thousands of comments.

“Husband, I’m sorry!” Han Xinyan said, feeling incredibly guilty and regretful as she saw Shen Fei’s face darken and his brow furrow.

“How is this incident developing?” Shen Fei asked directly.

“My mom wouldn’t let them leave, so my dad called me. I thought I had to go to resolve it, so I rushed over. Fortunately, the other party didn’t pursue the matter. Otherwise, my mom would have been taken away by the police! I really need to thank them, and Yuan Song and the others for stopping the bystanders from filming as soon as I arrived. Otherwise, it would have blown up even more…” Han Xinyan’s voice grew quieter as she spoke, filled with guilt.

“Ah Yan, I’m not saying you shouldn’t be harsh about this, but you should have just ignored it!” Shen Fei sighed.

“I couldn’t just ignore it! If I didn’t go, my mom definitely wouldn’t back down. She knows nothing about the law and has a fiery temper! In this situation, if I didn’t go, who could stop her? My dad? Absolutely not! If we let her keep causing a scene, the negative impact on us would be even bigger!”

As she spoke, Han Xinyan’s eyes began to redden, and she sighed helplessly.

“Sigh, do you think I’ve done something horribly wrong to deserve all this torment?”

“Ah Yan, forget it, there’s no point in complaining about this anymore. What’s happened has already happened.”

Shen Fei also sighed deeply. He hadn’t opened any of the comments on the video.

“Yeah, I understand. Complaining won’t do any good! Besides, the public opinion is already starting to ferment, and the negative impact is definitely greater than we can imagine! If this happened at any other time, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but now, with the lawsuit with Tengke Company and our offline store opening, if someone with bad intentions exploits this, we…” Han Xinyan became even more upset.

Shen Fei, however, responded coldly.

“Now that this incident has happened, it’s unavoidable. No matter what we do, it will only make things worse. If we let Lin Tianzhen handle it and use public relations with hired commenters, it will only make the public even more disgusted with us!”

“You mean we should just ignore it?” Han Xinyan asked, anxious.

“Yeah! The best way to handle it now is to respond coldly! If someone needs to take the blame, it should be your unruly mother!” Shen Fei said coldly.

Just then, Shen Fei’s phone rang.

“This must be Lin Tianzhen calling!” Shen Fei said helplessly.

As he expected, it was indeed Lin Tianzhen.

“Mr. Shen!”

As soon as Shen Fei pressed the answer button, Lin Tianzhen spoke.

“Hmm, is this about my troublesome mother-in-law?” Shen Fei asked.

“Yes, Mr. Shen, during this time, your company, Longguang Media, has just filed a lawsuit against Tengke Company, and your offline store is about to open. Now this incident has happened! In the video, your mother-in-law mentioned both you and Mr. Han’s names, and as a result, public opinion has started to ferment very quickly. Instead of focusing on criticizing your mother-in-law, most of the criticism is now directed at you and Mr. Han!” Lin Tianzhen explained in a business-like manner.

“I figured this would happen. How do you plan to handle the PR?” Shen Fei asked, not very enthusiastic.

“Mr. Shen, after the incident developed, I’ve already thought of several plans. Right now, I believe the best course of action is to not respond at all! Also, this video doesn’t accuse your mother-in-law of anything unjust, so she’s clearly in the wrong!”

“Also, if we hire internet trolls, it will only make things worse! You pay me so well, I can’t let you down. However, if you want to solve this issue, there is another better solution, but it’s not suitable…” Lin Tianzhen’s voice trailed off.

—————- END —————-

Chapter 513: This Approach is Unacceptable!

Regarding what Lin Tianzhen said, Shen Fei was very surprised.

The immediate response should be to think of a way to minimize the negative impact of this situation, which is exactly what the emergency public relations team needs to focus on.

Take Zhang Xiulian’s case for example—using a cold response is a good solution. However, if they continue down this path, the negative public opinion directed at the couple won’t lessen in the slightest.

Moreover, there is another approach that could prevent them from being blamed by the public, and it is a better solution than a cold response, one that Shen Fei had already considered. However, Shen Fei did not want to implement this step.

What shocked him was that Lin Tianzhen had also thought of this solution.

Suppressing his surprise, Shen Fei calmly said, “Go on.”

“Okay! Mr. Shen, no matter what, I am very loyal to both you and Mr. Han, and everything I do is for the company… However, this approach may seem ruthless, but only in this way can you and Mr. Han avoid public criticism and influence. I hope you and Mr. Han can understand!” Lin Tianzhen said calmly.

“Alright!” Shen Fei nodded.

“Mr. Shen, I apologize if this offends you! If the company truly wants to break free from this public opinion, the best way is for Mr. Han and her mother, Ms. Zhang, to sever ties completely, and for Ms. Zhang to bear all the consequences herself. Perhaps to others, this approach may be disliked and criticized, but for you, Mr. Shen, it would be just right. After all, when you first started your business, there were rumors about your mother-in-law revealing your dirty secrets… these things can actually become your leverage! I believe this approach would be understood by everyone.”

Lin Tianzhen cleared her throat and continued, “Furthermore, we can also hire some online influencers to guide the narrative. By then, the netizens would not only understand but would also greatly respect your actions, and Mr. Shen’s reputation would be enhanced!”

After hearing what Lin Tianzhen said, Shen Fei did not immediately respond.

Lin Tianzhen, not waiting for Shen Fei to speak, continued, “Mr. Shen, to be ruthless, this method is to sever ties between Mr. Han and her mother, but if we implement this, we will get a much better result than a cold response! If you agree, leave this matter to me, and I will handle it beautifully!”

Seeing how eager Lin Tianzhen was about this approach, Shen Fei couldn’t help but give a bitter smile before rejecting her plan.

“Minister Lin, this approach is not acceptable!”

“Mr. Shen, why?” Lin Tianzhen asked, confused.

“First of all, Zhang Xiulian is Mr. Han’s mother. As the saying goes, ‘Family shame should not be exposed.’ Even if she is unreasonable, we cannot bring it to the outside world! Otherwise, the nature of this issue would change completely! Although both Ah Yan and I have suffered a lot due to her antics, it would be wrong to shift all the public criticism onto her! Besides, if Zhang Xiulian cannot bear the public pressure, we would also be held responsible!”

Pausing for a moment, Shen Fei continued, “These netizens are just people who love to watch the drama. Once the narrative shifts, they will change their stance as well. These people are like grass on a wall, and few have their own opinions. If Mr. Han’s mother were to mentally break down because of this, or worse, if she were to suffer a fatality, not only would Mr. Han suffer, but those netizens wouldn’t spare him either!”

“If that really happens, even though we may avoid some trouble now, the future consequences will be much worse! So, this method might work temporarily, but it is not feasible in the long run!”

After hearing Shen Fei’s analysis, Lin Tianzhen was stunned and silent for a long time.

After a while, she sighed and said, “Mr. Shen, I didn’t think this through.”

“No, your thinking wasn’t wrong! If someone else were making the decision, this solution would definitely be accepted! But I can’t agree because Zhang Xiulian is Mr. Han’s mother! I’m not that magnanimous, and I don’t want to forgive her, but she is Mr. Han’s mother, so I have to make a concession! For this incident, whether it affects our lawsuit or causes problems at the store opening, we will just have to bear the consequences!” Shen Fei said in a clear voice.

Lin Tianzhen sighed deeply, “Mr. Shen, Mr. Han is really fortunate to have you!”

Upon hearing Lin Tianzhen’s praise, Shen Fei smiled slightly, and his mind wandered. He suddenly said, “If it were someone else, they would probably act like I did—like Tang Xingwen!”

This statement left Lin Tianzhen completely stunned.

What does this have to do with Tang Xingwen?

“Mr. Shen, I don’t understand your point!” she asked, confused.

Clearly, Shen Fei had something else in mind!

“It’s nothing, you don’t need to understand! I was just rambling. Alright, the PR department doesn’t need to deal with this anymore! A cold response will be enough for this matter!”

After saying that, Shen Fei hung up the phone directly.

On the side, Han Xinyan had been listening to the entire exchange between Shen Fei and Lin Tianzhen.

The more she listened, the more sorrowful and guilty she felt.

As soon as Shen Fei hung up, the little girl looked at Han Xinyan with concern.

“Mom, did I make you angry? Why are you crying?”

“It’s nothing, sweetheart, Mommy just got some sand in her eyes!” Han Xinyan comforted Shen Jiayue, gently patting her little head.

“Sand? Then let me blow it away for you!”

With that, Shen Jiayue reached out her little hand and gently wiped away the tears from Han Xinyan’s cheeks and eyes, then blew on her eyes.

“Mommy’s better now, thank you, Yueyue!” Han Xinyan forced a smile.

“Ah Yan…” Shen Fei called out awkwardly. He suddenly didn’t know what to say.

“Shen Fei, thank you!” Han Xinyan wiped away another tear with great sincerity.

Seeing this, Shen Fei simply nodded without saying anything.

…

Meanwhile, on the other side.

At Tengke Company’s Legal Department.

In the office of the head of the legal department.

As the president, Pan Shi did not knock but walked straight in.

His face was extremely anxious, and the piece of paper in his hand was slightly damp with sweat.

—————- END —————-

Chapter 514: A Summons from the Court!

At this moment in the office of the Legal Department’s Minister.

Several core members were gathered for a meeting.

When they heard the door open, they all impatiently turned to look at the entrance.

When they saw that the person who entered was the CEO, Pan Shi, they suppressed their impatience.

Although it was only a brief expression, Pan Shi caught it.

“Mr. Pan, you’re here…” Ding Yongxing, the Minister of the Legal Department at Tengke Company, felt a bit displeased upon seeing Pan Shi enter without knocking.

He had led the Legal Department in winning many lawsuits and had become a senior figure at Tengke Company. He was highly respected and did not answer to anyone, not even the company’s owner, Ma Hua.

Pan Shi’s behavior was clearly lacking in courtesy.

Nonetheless, out of politeness, Ding Yongxing suppressed his dissatisfaction.

Pan Shi glanced around the office and saw that all the core members were present, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

“I didn’t expect all of you to be here. That way, I don’t have to send someone to call each of you individually!”

Pan Shi’s attitude toward Ding Yongxing was not as abrupt as it had been with Cai Ming.

He unfolded a slightly damp paper and placed it on the table.

“Mr. Pan, what is this?” One of the members of the Legal Department asked, confused, after seeing Pan Shi’s actions.

“A summons from the court!” Pan Shi replied bluntly.

“What? A summons? Have we been sued?” Ding Yongxing asked, surprised.

However, he was not immediately concerned with the content of the summons. He hadn’t thought about Longguang Media in this context. Given the relationship between Tengke Company and the court, even if Longguang Media had submitted the relevant documents, the filing speed wouldn’t have been so quick.

Or, even if the filing process was fast, the summons wouldn’t have arrived so swiftly.

Moreover, Yunhe Law Firm, which represented Longguang Media, had no power or influence. How could they possibly receive special treatment from the court?

“Ding, take a look at the contents of this summons!” Pan Shi said.

Seeing the serious tone in Pan Shi’s voice, Ding Yongxing furrowed his brows and turned his gaze to the paper.

After reading the words on the paper, a heavy look appeared between his brows.

“How could this be? It’s actually a lawsuit from Longguang Media?”

Upon hearing Ding Yongxing’s words, the senior members of the Legal Department gasped in shock.

“Minister, is it true?”

“Yes! Longguang Media submitted the lawsuit materials, and it was announced on their official website. How could the summons arrive at Tengke so quickly? This is unbelievable! Also, your department has connections with them. Don’t you usually get advance notice when there’s a lawsuit or a summons? Why didn’t we get any notice, and why did the summons arrive so quickly? Could this summons be fake?” Pan Shi’s face was filled with worry.

Of course, Pan Shi knew the summons couldn’t be fake. It was illegal to forge a summons, and neither Longguang Media nor Yunhe Law Firm would break the law.

However, now that the summons was in hand, Pan Shi couldn’t entertain any other thoughts.

After all, the summons was real, and their Legal Department hadn’t received any advance notice from the court. The filing speed was so fast!

Clearly, the situation wasn’t as simple as they had initially thought.

As soon as Pan Shi finished speaking, Ding Yongxing frowned deeply.

“This summons is indeed real. Even though the law firm hired by Shen Fei is a small firm, they are still lawyers. They should know that forging a summons is illegal!”

“I know that for sure! My biggest concern right now is how the summons arrived at our company so quickly, and why we didn’t get any prior notice. How could Yunhe Law Firm be so powerful that they got the summons out this fast?” Pan Shi said, becoming more agitated, and his tone grew worse.

“Mr. Pan, please don’t rush. I’ll check on the details right now!” Ding Yongxing understood this matter was serious, so he quickly took out his phone.

However, after dialing five numbers in a row, no one picked up the phone.

This made everyone in the office nervous, and the atmosphere became increasingly awkward.

Even Ding Yongxing himself grew frustrated.

He had made five calls, but none of them were answered.

Such a situation had never occurred before, clearly indicating that things weren’t developing as they had expected. It was completely different from the 10,086 cases they had worked on in the past.

Taking a deep breath, Ding Yongxing dialed the last number.

After a few beeps, the call was answered.

Ding Yongxing was relieved and put the call on speaker.

“Old Wang, what’s the situation with the case between Tengke Company and Longguang Media? How come we didn’t get any notice about the lawsuit or the summons? I tried calling Lao Li and others, but no one answered…”

The other side didn’t immediately respond, and the evasive attitude made the Legal Department members uneasy.

Ding Yongxing sighed and gritted his teeth.

“Old Wang, we’ve known each other for so many years, at least five years if not eight. Please, for the sake of our friendship, give me a straight answer, okay?”

“Ha…” A sigh came from the other end of the line, followed by the response, “Old Ding, don’t act like we’re strangers. You’re calling me now, but if it were a second later, I wouldn’t have picked up.”

“What’s going on here?” Ding Yongxing asked in a low voice.

“Old Ding, I can only tell you that the water is too deep, and no one is willing to wade through it,” Old Wang sighed deeply.

Before Ding Yongxing could ask further, Old Wang continued.

“I believe you must have sensed something is wrong now! Based on normal procedures, even if Yunhe Law Firm submitted their materials, the filing and summons wouldn’t be so fast. You would have received some advance notice! But now, Old Ding, it’s different!”

“Old Wang, please continue!” Ding Yongxing urged.

“Considering our friendship, I’ll tell you straight. You’ve offended someone you shouldn’t have. The leaders from Kyoto have intervened in this case. Because of that, we can’t afford to treat this matter lightly. Otherwise, it won’t just be your problem, but we won’t be able to keep our heads either,” Old Wang said bitterly.

“Kyoto? Who’s involved?” Ding Yongxing’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“I don’t know. I can’t say,” Old Wang replied, with a hint of resignation.

“Could there be someone behind Yunhe Law Firm?” Ding Yongxing questioned.

“That’s possible, but not very likely. If they had someone powerful behind them, their name would be well known by now. They wouldn’t be acting this way. Either way, this case is not something we can control. If something goes wrong, we can’t bear the responsibility!” Old Wang said heavily.

After a pause, Old Wang continued with a more serious tone.

“Old Ding, I’ve told you what I can. You need to think carefully about this case. The trial is in one week. To put it bluntly, you might still have a chance if you settle privately, but if it goes to court, your chances of winning are practically nonexistent. You should discuss it with your company…”

—————- END —————-

Chapter 515: This is not the right thing to say!

After hanging up the phone with Old Wang from the court, the atmosphere in the office suddenly became oppressive.

Everyone exchanged glances, not wanting to speak.

After all, the contents of Old Wang’s words just now were quite heavy.

The chance of winning was almost nonexistent.

If it had been someone else speaking, Ding Yongxing would have likely dismissed it. But since it was Old Wang, a senior staff member of the court, speaking, he had no choice but to start taking it seriously.

What was even more unacceptable to Ding Yongxing than the prospect of Tengke Corporation losing the case was that someone from Kyoto had interfered in the case.

Whether it was someone from Yunhe Law Firm or someone with ties to Longguang Media, he had no idea.

“It really has gotten complicated!”

After a long silence, Ding Yongxing, the head of Tengke Corporation’s legal department, furrowed his brow tightly.

“I don’t understand, how could Longguang Media have such a connection that even the higher-ups are getting involved? Six months ago, this game company was repeatedly seeking cooperation with us, Tengke Corporation. If they really had connections at the top, would they have fallen so low? And as for Shen Fei, even though he’s very rich now, in just six months, how could he possibly have made connections at the top?”

Pan Shi, looking pale and barely holding himself together, finally spoke up.

After a pause, he said incredulously, “Lao Ding, what do you think about all this?”

“President Pan, I think what Old Wang said is likely true. After all, they can’t afford to joke around with something like this. But whether it’s Longguang Media, Yunhe Law Firm, or even Shen Fei, it doesn’t matter! The case with Longguang Media is much more difficult than anything we’ve dealt with before!” Ding Yongxing frowned.

“Difficult? What do you mean by that? Don’t even talk about giving up, I won’t allow it! If we give up, not only will Tengke lose face, but we’ll also lose our market share! ‘Tianxia’ is crucial for Tengke, right? If ‘Tianxia’ goes offline, all the efforts the company has made will just become a stepping stone for ‘Tianjue’!”

Pan Shi took a deep breath, suddenly enraged.

“If we lose, the entire Tengke Corporation will become a joke in the gaming world, a global laughingstock! Tengke’s game division will be done for! And if Longguang Media wins this lawsuit, it will set a precedent, and anyone in the future could sue us! The consequences will be too severe for us to bear… This result, not even Mr. Ma could accept, let alone me!”

Seeing this, Ding Yongxing also became solemn.

“President Pan, I understand that. But Old Wang is absolutely telling the truth! If we continue to fight, we won’t just lose, but we’ll also lose the reputation we’ve built in the legal department. The higher-ups might even investigate us, and things will only get worse!”

“Lao Ding, you can’t say that! Tengke has been developing for so many years, how could we let the bias of a Kyoto leader end the legendary status of our company in the gaming world? Tengke is not only a major taxpayer in China, but also provides numerous job opportunities. Our influence is second to none in the country, so who doesn’t know us? Even if the other side has some big titles, they can’t act based on their personal desires to bring us down!”

Despite feeling guilty, Pan Shi stubbornly argued.

But those words made the legal department’s head, Ding Yongxing, feel a sinking sensation in his heart.

Such words should not have come from a senior executive.

“President Pan, that’s not appropriate!” Ding Yongxing said.

After a pause, he continued, “President Pan, to be honest, what you said about Tengke’s past achievements is true. Even if this lawsuit happens, it can’t deny our contributions. But what’s the point? The key issue now is that Longguang Media has sued us, and the court has sent us a subpoena! Just the pressure from Kyoto means the court won’t be able to show us favoritism.”

“But Lao Ding, you once assured me that even if the court doesn’t favor us, we can blur the definitions of plagiarism and imitation and still win, didn’t you?” Pan Shi said loudly.

“President Pan, I did say that. But surely you’ve felt it too—the interference from the Kyoto leaders has already made the court take a different approach. I didn’t foresee this. Before, I thought that even if Longguang Media was in the right, the court would still favor us because of our contributions to society! But now it seems that things are not as simple as that. To be blunt, we no longer have the court’s protection!” Ding Yongxing said, frowning.

“So you’re saying, if we keep fighting, we’re definitely going to lose?” Pan Shi said, trembling.

“Old Wang wouldn’t lie. If we trust him, what he said is sound advice. The chance of us winning is basically gone!” Ding Yongxing said.

“Is there really no chance for a turnaround?” Pan Shi said, his legs going weak, his heart filled with bitterness.

“President Pan, what do you think?” Ding Yongxing asked, not answering.

“Damn! This situation is messed up!” Pan Shi said in frustration.

From the very beginning, when the issue of ‘Tianxia’ allegedly plagiarizing ‘Tianjue’ surfaced, he had been the one pushing this matter forward.

Even when Mr. Ma inquired, he had been adamant.

Not only that, but he had also signed a series of game advertisement contracts with various brand partners.

If ‘Tianxia’ is forced offline, the market share they’ve worked so hard to secure will be returned to Longguang Media—no, it might even multiply.

That’s not even counting the breach of contract penalties he personally agreed to with several brand partners. The compensation could amount to billions.

Tengke’s reputation and face will take a massive hit.

This entire situation was his fault. He had pushed Tengke into this dilemma, and he would have to pay a heavy price.

No matter what, Tengke Corporation couldn’t continue like this.

If it came to that, Pan Shi would become a laughingstock throughout China. What would he do then?

With these thoughts, Pan Shi’s mind grew heavier.

“I don’t care what you think, we have to fight this lawsuit to the end! This passive stance is not what Tengke wants to see! If we just surrender because of the court’s actions, then I can forget about us holding onto our position as the gaming leader!”