Chapter 53: Zhang Yang’s Infringement!

The composition for Blue and White Porcelain was not difficult to arrange.

However…

Zhou Yang was exceptionally serious. Every note cycled through his mind several times, transforming into a melody before he finally set pen to paper to score it.

After the score was written.

He proofread it repeatedly, ensuring it matched what Zhang Yang had sung before moving on to the next step.

A task that should have taken half an hour stretched into two hours, and he still wasn’t finished.

During this time.

His manager, Li Ziwen, gently pushed the door open to bring him lunch.

However…

He seemed not to notice her at all, remaining completely immersed in the sheet music.

In truth…

Zhou Yang was an incredibly diligent person.

This was rooted in his past life experiences.

Before his debut, he had worked as a waiter in a bar in Taiwan.

Back then, as a green youth, he had encountered stars who seemed untouchable, people who usually only existed on television.

He had watched them spend money like water, surrounded by crowds and protected by bodyguards as they stood in the most dazzling spotlights.

He used to envy them.

He envied their overnight fame, envied how they could earn a fortune with a single song, and how one endorsement deal was worth ten years of his salary.

So, he changed jobs. He went to great lengths to become a general errand boy at an obscure company, working diligently every day just for a sliver of an opportunity…

Someone had once laughed and told him, “If you can compose ten tunes for me within three days, I’ll let you join the company and help you release a single.”

The people around him were all laughing.

Anyone with eyes could see it was a joke.

But he saw it as a hard-won opportunity.

He locked himself in his room, torturing himself like a madman, spending every day tormented by musical notes.

Finally…

When he arrived at the company on the fourth morning, his hair was a mess, but he hadn’t just composed ten tunes – he had written three full songs!

The boss was shocked by his persistence.

With everyone watching, the boss found himself in an awkward position. Eventually, he picked one tune at random from the songs and helped him release a single.

That tune was Zhou Yang’s debut single, “Never Give Up.”

While its sales were unremarkable compared to other singers, in an era dominated by Heavenly Kings, it didn’t just break even – it made a small profit…

He showed the boss his potential, and later…

He climbed step by step, rising higher and higher until he finally exploded into stardom!

On this journey, everyone could only see his brilliant side. No one ever knew how many days and nights of torment he had endured behind the scenes.

…………………………………………

Noon.

After finishing his lunch, Zhang Yang looked toward the office.

Zhou Yang still hadn’t come out.

The manager, Li Ziwen, stood at the door and shook her head helplessly.

Clearly, Zhou Yang hadn’t eaten lunch.

Zhang Yang suddenly felt an indescribable sense of respect for Zhou Yang.

For some people, success was inevitable.

And for others…

Zhang Yang thought about himself and suddenly felt he was a bit of an opportunist. Although his journey hadn’t involved outright fraud, he had certainly been targeting the weaknesses of human nature.

Even for someone as thick-skinned as Zhang Yang, a ripple of self-reflection stirred in his heart.

Once the ripple passed…

Zhang Yang took out some chewing gum and found a chair to sit down.

Actually…

I should probably settle down and properly improve myself too.

Underhanded tricks can get me good profits for a while, but it won’t last forever…

Even if I earn tens of millions or even hundreds of millions in the future, I might not necessarily be happy.

After all, this money…

Wait…

Can hundreds of millions buy a villa in Yanjing now? After buying a Yanjing villa, wouldn’t I need to buy a car?

What kind of car should I buy?

A sports car or an SUV?

A BMW?

A Mercedes-Benz?

Or a Lamborghini?

A Rolls-Royce seems nice too!

After getting a car, would I need a girlfriend?

Hold on!

If she’s a rich heiress, could she save me twenty years of struggle¹…

But then again, a self-made, hardworking career woman like President Chen seems pretty good too?

So, how should I choose?

Zhang Yang had intended to engage in self-reflection.

But once he sat down, the thoughts in his head inexplicably shifted toward buying a garden villa in Yanjing in the future.

As he thought, he unconsciously frowned slightly, glanced at Chen Weiwei, and then looked out the window.

……………………….

Not far away.

Even though more than an hour had passed.

Sun Lili was still in a dreamlike state of disbelief.

She looked at Zhou Yang’s manager, Li Ziwen.

Then she looked at Chen Weiwei, who was stepping forward to discuss something with Li Ziwen…

Finally, her gaze settled on Zhang Yang.

Isn’t President Zhang a game developer? How can he… write songs?

And…

What exactly did President Zhang write that could keep Zhou Yang inside for so long?

Countless questions echoed in her mind…

But no matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t find an answer!

Under the sunlight, Zhang Yang seemed very profound in her eyes. At times he looked incredibly wise, at times he sighed with emotion, and at times he looked deeply worried.

President Zhang must be thinking about the company’s future plans and the problems they’ll face, right?

Sigh…

After all, he started such a company at such a young age. Basically the entire burden is on his shoulders. He must be under a lot of pressure.

So talented, so young, yet so hardworking…

Sigh!

With a boss like this, it would be a miracle if he didn’t succeed!

As she thought, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration and anticipation!

She felt full of confidence in the company’s future!

It wasn’t just her; even Zhao Hang, Zhong Chongwen, Ge Yumiao, and the others at Universe Technology were unable to focus on work.

They sat at their computers like sleepwalkers, their eyes occasionally darting toward the office and then back to Zhang Yang.

Shock, disbelief, bewilderment, daze, astonishment…

A kaleidoscope of expressions flickered across their faces.

The more they looked, the more they felt Zhang Yang was unfathomable.

They never could have dreamed of what was actually happening.

At this very moment, Zhang Yang’s mind was entirely consumed by thoughts of sports cars, beautiful heiresses, and his future…

……………………

Half an hour later.

The office door finally opened.

Li Ziwen was the first to greet them.

She saw Zhou Yang running out of the room, clutching a manuscript with an expression of pure excitement.

“Sister Li…”

“Zhou Yang, what’s wrong?”

“The notation is finished! Oh, right, where is Mr. Zhang? Where is Zhang Yang?”

Zhou Yang scanned the room for Zhang Yang. Upon spotting him sitting in a chair, he abandoned all pretense of professional decorum and jogged over.

“Huh? Mr. Zhou?”

“Mr. Zhang, I’ve finished the notation for your Common Jasmine Orange and Blue and White Porcelain! At the same time, I’ve written a song of my own called Dream Chaser². Please, take a look for me!” Zhou Yang excitedly held out a manuscript and handed it to Zhang Yang.

“What?” Zhang Yang snapped out of his fantasies, staring blankly at the sheet music covered in dense notations.

He was somewhat dazed.

“A few days ago, my creative inspiration had completely dried up… But after seeing your Blue and White Porcelain and Common Jasmine Orange, and then seeing the state of your company, I suddenly had an epiphany. This is a group of young people fighting for their dreams. In fact, I’ve already planned out my music video. Now, I sincerely invite every colleague in the company to record the MV with me… It won’t take much of your time; you just need to leave a few words about your future…”

“…”

Zhou Yang spoke with fervent enthusiasm, looking at everyone in the office as he did so…

Everyone was stunned by Zhou Yang’s words!

They were so excited they nearly jumped for joy.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yang remained in a state of utter bewilderment.

What on earth?

Wait!

There’s actually a good deal like this?

Zhang Yang opened his mouth, wanting to say something…

Then, his phone rang.

He answered it subconsciously.

“Mr. Zhang, you liar! I’m going to sue you! Your company used my writings and drawings for commercial purposes without my permission. This is illegal! I’ve already hired a lawyer… we’re on our way!”

“…” Zhang Yang heard Mendeleev’s furious voice.

Zhang Yang’s head began to throb.

Not long after…

He heard a knock at the door outside.

Then…

Wu Zhuang ran out to open it.

When the door opened, the famous painter Mendeleev walked in, accompanied by a lawyer and several bodyguards!

“Mr. Zhang, you are suspected of infringing on my copyright. I expect a satisfactory answer from you right now. If I don’t get one, I will sue you!”

“…” Looking at the aggressive Mendeleev, Zhang Yang was thoroughly intimidated.

What the hell…

What was going on?

And why had Mendeleev personally stormed his office?

This…

“Mr. Zhang, did you get my permission?”

“Mr. Mendeleev, this… it’s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. Why don’t we sit down and talk?”

“It is not a misunderstanding! I’m asking you, Mr. Zhang, did you get my permission? Answer me!” Mendeleev glared at Zhang Yang.

“Well… that, Mr. Mendeleev, I actually…”

“You didn’t ask for my consent at all!”

“Then… Mr. Mendeleev, would you have consented?” Zhang Yang’s mind was a mess.

“You’ve violated my copyright and several other rights. Do you think if I had consented, I would be here with a lawyer?”

“Mr. Mendeleev, would you allow me to use what you wrote? If it has caused you any trouble, I will compensate you according to the law… Just say the word, how much money do you want?”

“I will not allow it! I don’t need any of your money, you wicked, ugly capitalist³!”

“Huh? Then, Mr. Mendeleev, let’s talk this through calmly. I… how about…” Zhang Yang suddenly felt a massive headache coming on.

If a figure like Mendeleev decided to get serious about this.

It would be a disaster!

He might not even be able to avoid prison time!

Even someone like Zhang Yang began to panic at this moment!

“I will give you my formal answer now: I can allow you to use what I wrote! However, because you used my paintings without my consent, I will not seek your consent either. I will use your image in my paintings for a global exhibition! Furthermore, my management team and I will not pay you a single cent…”

Just as Zhang Yang was feeling terrified and at his wits’ end…

Mendeleev suddenly dropped that bombshell!

“What?”

Zhang Yang’s brain couldn’t seem to process the turn of events.

I’m going to be exhibited?

Is that what he means?

Wait?

Painting my image?

When he looked at Mendeleev again…

He suddenly realized that Mendeleev’s furious expression had vanished instantly. Looking at Zhang Yang, the man seemed to be struggling to hold something back…

Was he holding back a laugh?

…………………………

Almost simultaneously.

In the global art world, news suddenly broke of a new exhibition for Mendeleev’s latest work, with an auction to follow the show.

“A new work by Mendeleev!”

“The Fallen Painter will be exhibited and auctioned. All proceeds from the auction will go to charity…”

“This is a work of rebirth from Mendeleev…”

“The estimated starting bid after the exhibition…”

“Ten million!”

(End of Chapter)

Translator’s Notes