ECG -Chapter 57 Two Possibilities

More than half a year earlier, it was this guy, Sun Xiaowei, who had relentlessly hounded Jiang Datong for over two weeks. No matter where Jiang went, Sun always seemed to appear.

The first time they met, Sun claimed he had once been Jiang Datong’s fan and even asked for an autograph.

Jiang was delighted. After all, he had been out of the spotlight for so many years. Knowing that someone still remembered him filled him with a sense of satisfaction—one that money simply couldn’t buy.

Later on, however, the kid began showing up everywhere, insisting on playing a song for him. It became incredibly annoying.

Finally, one day, Sun cornered Jiang again in a parking lot. By then, Jiang had completely lost patience, so he told him to stand in front of the car and sing the song.

To his surprise, before Sun had even finished singing, Jiang Datong was already on the verge of tears.

The kid could sing pretty well. His voice was good, too. Most importantly, the song, “Father,” was supposedly his own original composition.

That very day, Jiang brought Sun Xiaowei back to the company.

Just like that, he signed him to an eight-year management contract and also had him sign a declaration guaranteeing that all of his original works were genuinely his own.

The company hired professional vocal coaches to correct many of his bad singing habits. They brought in image consultants to redesign his look, sent him into recording studios to make records, and more.

During that period, the entire company revolved around him.

Jiang Datong genuinely felt as though he had struck gold.

But who could have imagined that shortly after the EP was released, they would suddenly be dragged into a lawsuit?

Jiang had repeatedly instructed Zhang Yansong to confirm the song’s origins with Sun Xiaowei, and each time Sun swore that it was his own original work. That was why Jiang had allowed Zhang to make public statements to the media.

Yet during the meeting earlier that day, after Jiang applied only a little pressure, the kid immediately folded and admitted that he had plagiarized it!

Jiang regretted everything.

Why had he trusted him so completely?

Why hadn’t he registered the song’s copyright?

Then again, hardly anyone cared about copyright issues these days. On top of that, Sun had produced some handwritten drafts and old recordings of himself singing at roadside food stalls. Jiang had therefore never thought much of it.

What a foolish mistake.

“President Jiang, I’m sorry.”

Sun Xiaowei had already said those words several times. Earlier, he had even driven Zhang Yansong away with his apologies.

Jiang’s teeth itched with rage.

Originally, he had been celebrating his good fortune.

A lawsuit at a time like this?

It seemed like heaven was helping him!

He could have used the controversy to generate massive publicity and make the completely unknown Sun Xiaowei a household name.

Meanwhile, Yanjing Television Station was preparing to launch a new program focusing on family relationships among middle-aged and elderly people. The theme matched the song Father perfectly.

The company had already used its connections to submit the song for consideration, and the feedback they received suggested that there should be no problem getting it accepted.

Jiang sighed and turned toward the man seated to his right.

“Lawyer Fang, would it help if we registered the copyright now?”

Lawyer Fang was a fair-skinned middle-aged man. Adjusting his glasses, he replied softly, “It would be useless. Copyright is an inherent right. If the other party can prove they are the original creator, then even if you register it now, it won’t have any legal effect.”

“Then what should we do next?”

“That depends on what evidence the other side has.”

As he spoke, he glanced at the head-hanging Sun Xiaowei and silently cursed his luck for ending up with such a troublesome case.

“Speak!”

Jiang Datong slammed the table with a loud bang.

Sun Xiaowei trembled violently and looked up with a bewildered expression.

He was beginning to regret coming to Yanjing.

He had hoped to become famous through this song.

Instead, before he could enjoy much of the glory that came with success, he found himself caught in a lawsuit.

What he couldn’t understand was how Lin Hao, who looked like nothing more than a college student, had discovered the song so quickly and then managed to sue both him and the company almost immediately.

“S-Speak about what?” Sun stammered.

Jiang’s anger flared even higher.

“The evidence! What evidence does this Lin Hao have?”

“Evidence?”

Sun hesitated.

“What evidence could he possibly have? I only used a tape recorder to capture his live performance back then. What evidence could he have?”

Jiang turned to Lawyer Fang.

“If the other party truly has no evidence proving that the song is his original creation,” Lawyer Fang said, “then our chances of winning are very high.”

“What kinds of things count as evidence?” Jiang asked.

“For example, his original manuscript, audio or video recordings of public performances or media appearances, previously published articles related to the song, and so on…”

The moment Attorney Fang mentioned audio and video recordings, Sun Xiaowei’s face turned deathly pale.

He suddenly remembered that night. A female TV reporter had been there, holding a microphone and seemingly interviewing Lin Hao.

That’s right—there had also been a cameraman carrying a video camera.

However, he had no idea what program it was, nor had he ever seen it. He didn’t know whether Lin Hao would be able to obtain those recordings.

“Sun Xiaowei!”

Jiang Datong noticed the change in his expression, interrupted Attorney Fang, and called out sharply.

“Huh?!”

Sun Xiaowei jumped again.

A person really shouldn’t do guilty things, he thought. Otherwise, sooner or later, they’d be scared to death.

“What did you think of?” Jiang Datong asked, his sharp eyes beneath his thick brows fixed on him.

Sun Xiaowei was terrified of those eyes. He glanced up once and immediately lowered his head.

“I… I re-remember… remembered…”

Fear made him start stuttering.

Jiang Datong’s right hand, resting on the conference table, clenched tightly into a fist.

He had personally signed this man himself. Otherwise, he would have kicked him out on the spot.

He said nothing further, knowing that speaking more would only make Sun Xiaowei even more nervous.

“I remember that night… at the scene… there s-should have been a TV station there. I think they… they interviewed him.”

Attorney Fang quickly asked, “Did they record the plaintiff while he was singing?”

Sun Xiaowei thought for a long time.

He had seen Chu Yu talking with Lin Hao, but that was after Lin Hao had already finished singing.

While Lin Hao had been performing, all of Sun Xiaowei’s attention had been focused on him. He honestly had no recollection of whether anyone had been filming.

So he explained his suspicions.

Silence filled the conference room.

After quite a while, Jiang Datong finally spoke.

“Attorney Fang.”

Attorney Fang cleared his throat.

“At present, there are two possibilities.”

“Oh?”

Jiang Datong straightened up, paying full attention.

“First, the plaintiff has no evidence whatsoever. Without proof, mere words carry little weight. In that case, our chances of winning are very high.”

A balding man across the table interjected.

“What if they bring in audience members from that night as witnesses?”

Attorney Fang nodded and adjusted his glasses.

“Then we lose.”

No one in the room said a word.

Attorney Fang continued, “Second, the other side is able to produce audio or video evidence from that night that proves when the plaintiff performed the song.”

Jiang Datong’s hand tightened into a fist on the table.

“So you’re saying our only hope is that he has absolutely no evidence? Otherwise, we’re guaranteed to lose?”

Attorney Fang nodded.

“Yes. Because Sun Xiaowei cannot produce any audio or video evidence predating the plaintiff’s performance.”

In the conference room, the occasional sound of someone lighting a cigarette and flicking a lighter could be heard clearly.

What should they do?

Jiang Datong hesitated.

They could still gamble and fight it out in court, but the risk was enormous.

If they lost this lawsuit, Sun Xiaowei would completely disappear from the entertainment industry. There would be no possibility of restoring his reputation.

He would be exposed for what he really was and, from then on, would only be able to sing on street corners or at barbecue stalls.

The company’s losses wouldn’t be limited to the money spent producing his EP and promoting him.

Cleaning up this mess and erasing the stigma of plagiarism would take years, if it could be done at all.

Leaning on the conference table, Jiang Datong rubbed his temples.