C16—Plagiarism Controversy
by UntamedSThe one who called was Cao Qiyue’s assistant, Da Pan, and when Zhou Yuhe met with him, the famous assistant, who was tough on the outside tactics, was walking back and forth so anxiously that even the hairline on his head had moved back a few millimeters, showing that this little ancestor was really about to go fight.
“Mama ah, what do you think we should do, we’ve been so anxious about the plagiarism, and there’s no telling how many people outside are waiting to see us cry. How do you think she’s so capable ah! She’s missing at this point!”
Zhou Yuhe was tired of being shaken by him and interrupted, “Don’t spin blindly.”
Da Pan was stunned, he didn’t seem to react to the fact that the young man in front of him was different from the past, and he was so hot that he had to rush up and ask, “Little Zhou, do you remember anything?”
Zhou Yuhe glanced up at him, “Even if I remember anything, you’ve shaken it off.”
Da Pan immediately made a stitched mouth motion.
Cao Qiyue had entered the entertainment industry two years before Zhou Yuhe, but her fate was completely different from him, that was a little transparent.
Her musical talent was extremely high, and her ethereal and melodious unique singing voice and independent and straightforward personality made her a huge fan favorite in just three years, as if she was riding a rocket. In the case that the record industry was so recession, the first album “Qiyue” sold 300,000 copies, then sales rose year by year, the fourth album this year “Flow of fire” directly sold out, the same name of the hit song overlapped charts for two months, she was nominated for music awards and was now the hottest little music diva.
It could be imagined that, for a talented woman, nothing was more devastating than plagiarism.
However, this was only the beginning.
Homosexuality, grandstanding, low emotional intelligence…the next series of scandals would knock her straight from the sky to the mud, a full internet ban, and eventually she could only make a living by singing in bars.
The genius with infinite light, the old friend who had always been by his side like a family member….
He could never forget hearing in the hospital, after the fire, that Cao Qiyue had been drunk and humiliated and had slit her wrists, a blow a thousand times more painful than Ji Chen leaving!
Desperate? The walking dead? Even he didn’t know how he survived.
The most ridiculous thing was that Cao Qiyue’s death became the turning point in her “career”.
A hot search of a death had reignited a violent storm for someone who had been hidden from public view for years.
Her songs, her talent, and her crazy personality and unconventional attitude had led millions of people to the vortex called ” Cao Qiyue” after her death. Her old boss, the Black Emperor, released an album that recorded seven songs that Cao Qiyue had no chance to release in the past, and it sold miraculously, selling 50 million records, sweeping all music awards that year, and no one surpassed it for more than a decade.
But she would never know what she had achieved….
These past events were like a big rock on Zhou Yuhe’s chest, and he jerked his face away, telling himself that it was not too late! Let’s find Cao Qiyue first!
Zhou Yuhe dragged Da Pan to the training room where Cao Qiyue might hang out, the bar, the apartment, the park, they all went through… eventually finding her the next afternoon in the old house her family had bought for her near the school during her high school days.
Zhou Yuhe was apprehensive and rang the doorbell, but there was no answer from inside for a long time.
Just when the two thought they had made another trip in vain, the door clicked open.
From behind the door, a girl wearing a work-ordered vest and large pants, shuffling along in a pair of slippers, and with short, messy hair, revealed a face that wasn’t “pretty” in terms of public aesthetics, but was very charming.
“Hi, it’s Yuhe and Da Pan, I thought it was another person who doesn’t like me…” Cao Qiyue said, with a plucky burp.
“My grandmother Cao!!!” Da Pan was on the verge of tears, he tugged at the corner of Cao Qiyue’s vest and refused to let go, while shouting and squeezing into the small house.
Zhou Yuhe, however, was quiet, looking at the familiar old house, the familiar smell of wine, the familiar Cao Qiyue, the kind of sudden loss that spanned more than a decade made him stand at the door for a long time.
It was still Cao Qiyue who called out to him before he reacted, he took two steps to the center of the living room and picked Cao Qiyue up from the couch with ease.
“Do you know how serious the situation is now?” Zhou Yuhe asked in a cold voice with a frown.
Da Pan, who was only concerned with complaining, reacted at once and answered in succession, “Yes! You’re only halfway through recording the album, and there’s the audition for the theme song of “Seeking Heaven” the day after tomorrow, so hurry back with me now!”
Cao Qiyue shrugged off Da Pan’s hand, and her drunken voice lazily said, “What’s the hurry! The leading man of Seeking Heaven is still nowhere to be found…”
She stared in confusion at Zhou Yuhe’s face, which was much more handsome and dignified than usual when she was angry, “Well? Yuhe, you’re a good image for Yuan Tian…why don’t I get you an audition?”
“You’re drunk.” Zhou Yuhe.
“I’m not drunk, you’re the ones who are!” Cao Qiyue broke away from Zhou Yuhe’s hand and slumped on the couch, mumbling with a bitter smile, “You guys don’t understand at all, there’s no album, there’s no audition, I’ve got nothing left…”
Da Pan: “What nonsense are you talking! Now the internet is full of hot searches of your plagiarism, so hurry up and speak up to clarify!”
“It’s not that I’m not clarifying, but the Weibo account is with the company, two days old, no PR, no statement…” cao Qiyue braced herself, looking at Da Pan as if she was looking at a poor wretch who knew nothing, “You still don’t get it? It’s not the plagiarism scandal that’s going to destroy me, it’s Black Emperor.”
Da Pan was shocked, “Why would the company do that?”
“Because of Meng Churong, I fell in love with Meng Churong.”
“My God… “Da Pan was startled for a full minute before he let out a long, sad sigh.
Meng Churong, Black Emperor Company’s daughter-in-law, was also the fiancée and later wife of Ji Chen in his former life.
To be able to marry with Ji Chen, Meng Churong was naturally not an unknown person.
Meng Churong’s mother, Fu Xiaoyu, was neither the nominal helmsman of the Meng Group nor the director of Black Emperor, but rather, the number one agent in the entertainment industry.
She was decisive, ruthless and clever, and had a soft-spoken policy. The artists she had brought with her were all very loyal to her. Twenty years ago, she took more than 30 top artists and agents to Black Emperor and almost emptied the entire Universe Pictures, which was still a legend in the entertainment industry.
Meng Churong had such a mother, so one could imagine what would happen to Cao Qiyue.
So what about the super newcomer? So what if she was a popular little diva? Was there still a shortage of top artists that Black Emperor had produced over the years?
Cao Qiyue’s face still had a very clear sadness of being trapped in love, those autumn water-like eyes seemed to be hiding infinite melancholy and emotion, Zhou Yuhe only felt a dull ache inside when he saw her like this.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Miss Meng, but she didn’t know that soon after her own death, she and Ji Chen had officially gone public with their romance.
That was right, this couple, after Zhou Yuhe’s disfigurement by fire and Cao Qiyue’s suicide, could not see any guilt in getting together, and even after the marriage, both of them were playing their own game, living free and unrestrained.
Successful ambitious people never looked back on the past, their hearts had long been corrupted by the capital game, no pain, nor those who had been abandoned by them.
The anxiety and anger within turned into a deep pity for his old friend at this moment.
Zhou Yuhe squatted down and straightened the hair in front of Cao Qiyue’s forehead, his eyes gentle and firm, “Qiyue, the company won’t save you, but you yourself can’t give up, do you still remember what you said, ‘How can the decision of your own dreams be handed over to others’? Since they won’t help you, let me help you, okay?”
Cao Qiyue was startled as she looked at Zhou Yuhe, her deflated eyes gradually coming into focus.
She yawned widely and turned around to shrink into the couch, leaving a lazy back to Zhou Yuhe.
”Nosy.”
********
Dusk.
In the nostalgic cramped old house, Zhou Yuhe sat on the floor in front of the coffee table, with a laptop on each side, the crackling sound of keyboarding paired with the sound of Da Pan frantically making phone calls to the media not far away, created a warm picture as far as the viewpoint went.
Their rescue was in full swing, and Cao Qiyue just couldn’t sleep even if she wanted to.
She rubbed her hair and was about to pick up the half-drunk beer bottle under the sofa, when she suddenly got a glimpse of Zhou Yuhe’s taut jaw and her outstretched hand paused, and eventually she put it back.
Zhou Yuhe opened Weibo, the battle situation on Weibo could simply be described as deep and hot water.
The top ten of the hot search, nearly half of them were vociferously denouncing Cao Qiyue’s bad behavior of plagiarism, and a casual glance at them would reveal all sorts of so-called professionals’ opinions on the comparison of audio tracks.
It was the eponymous title track of the album “Flow of Fire” that was caught up in the plagiarism scandal.
The two had similar melodies, and almost anyone who had heard the two songs was convinced that they were plagiarized, but what about the fact that they were plagiarized?
It was not plagiarism, it was sampling.
Cao Qiyue not only sampled “Song to you”, but also the Russian folk song “Lake”, both of which were purchased through official channels. The difference between plagiarism and sampling was not very clear, so unless she took the case to court and had it judged by professionals, the so-called comparison of tracks on the Internet would easily lead public opinion in an unfavorable direction.
The most important thing now was to control the comments.
If they couldn’t control the public opinion in time when the situation was most serious, then even if it was clarified later, people wouldn’t care about the subsequent development, and the bad influence that had been caused couldn’t be reversed, Cao Qiyue would be branded as “suspected plagiarism” for the rest of her life.
Zhou Yuhe took a deep breath, his previous life’s ups and downs, from the ground up to the clouds, and from the clouds, he was kicked down to the bottom of the ground, and then dragged into the mud rolling, the number of crises encountered were countless. It was once counted that in the two decades between 2015 and 2035, all the crises in the entertainment industry that could have brought someone to ruin and ended up bringing them back from the dead did not add up to more than half as many as Zhou Yuhe’s, and seven of the top ten textbook PR examples were from Zhou Yuhe’s team.
When it came to crisis PR and clarification statements, even the most professional PR firm in the industry may not be able to match him.
He carefully went through the causes and consequences of the matter in his mind, and then flicked his fingers, and in less than half an hour, a long, emotional PR article was written.
Zhou Yuhe called out to Da Pan: “Do you have a channel to buy hot searches?”
“There is, but why do you ask… “Da Pan looked confused.
Zhou Yuhe pointed, and Da Pan looked towards the computer, instantly went stupid as if he had been struck by lightning.
A full three times.
He stared at the computer without blinking and read the PR text three times before he fidgeted as if he was stuck in the throat and asked, “This, did you write this?”
Zhou Yuhe nodded wearily, “Do you think it’s okay?”
”Can? It’s just too good! Oh my God!!!!! It’s a total bomb! If it was sent out, public opinion would definitely turn against it in an instant! You’re so damn talented!!!” Da Pan excitedly grabbed Zhou Yuhe and hugged him, shaking his shoulders as hard as he could.
What could be more ecstatic than seeing hope in the most desperate of times, and this was probably how Da Pan, who had been denied a voice by countless media outlets, felt.
As Zhou Yuhe was shaken to a deep lock, Da Pan realized that he had lost his cool and let go to apologize.
“Don’t get too happy too soon,” Zhou Yuhe waved his hand, no sign of relaxation on his face, “Even the best PR needs facts and evidence to back it up, and now that the Black Emperor has made it clear that they don’t want to make public the fact that they’ve bought the copyright, and they’re holding Qiyue’s Weibo account in their hands, unless they get the most direct and powerful support – a statement from the original writer, Lucas, this PR is only going to turn into a farce, and it’s going to get me into it too…”
Da Pan’s ecstatic face instantly changed. Lucas? The eccentric musician?
The channel through which they purchased the copyright was always handled by the Black Emperor, and that they themselves had no contact information for Lucas. Even if they did, what original writer would be willing to come out and speak up for a guy who may have plagiarized their work? This was the kind of strenuous thing that no one who was not brain dead could do, let alone Lucas, who was known for his temper.
Da Pan’s heart, which had been held so high, was suddenly thrown back to the ground.
Just then-.
“With his help, this might work…”
Da Pan stared intently at the source of the sound that sounded like heavenly music.
He watched Zhou Yuhe hesitate for a long time, then pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and not too skillfully dialed a number.
After three seconds of beeping, a deep voice came out of the receiver, making it clear to Da Pan, who was already very close to the phone.
“Hello? Is there something wrong?”
Zhou Yuhe hesitated for a moment and decided to cut to the chase, “Although this is a bit abrupt, but I do have something very important I would like you to help me with today…”
There was a second’s pause, and then a magnetic, mocking voice uttered words that couldn’t help but make his ears turn red.
“Why is this Valentine’s Day pickup line so popular right now?”
Zhou Yuhe was stunned, he cut out the call interface to take a look, “February 14” a few big words on the screen was very dazzling.
What the fuck?
Da Pan was also stunned, as he had clearly seen earlier that this person’s note in his address book was – Xie Yifeng.
F*ck!!!!
ty
small grammar correction: “most hot music little diva” is not right, you could use “hottest little music diva” or “musics hottest little diva” instead.
Done, thank you 😊
Ouch. Cao Qiyue also fell in love with the wrong person. Aish.
I hope Xie Yifeng is willing to help them contact that musician to clear things up.
Thanks for the chapter!
At first I was not really angry with Ji Cheng but now that I see how disgusting he is, even if he possess a godly appearance, I won’t hesitate to throw him on fire then reincarnate again to throw him again and again
Wait what? What at first? On 1st chapter, all ji dude disgusting deeds are there. Why now?? Im just baffled and genuinely curious why be angry at him now. Like whaa?
Actually, I also blame Yuhe and his friend for their fates. They fell for wrong people, sure, but it was their subsequent actions which sealed their fate. Ji Cheng disfigured Yuhe after threatened to go public. It’s probably the same with Meng girl.
Zhao’s future says that they both married each other publically (a lavender marriage, it is called, when a gay man and lesbian marry for social reasons) and then went on to have unrestrained fun (as in probably kept multiple side pieces each).
The reason they played out was because the other side pieces were fine with being kept, but they never asked for more, unlike Yuhe and Cao jie.
P.S. I am not defending them, but u also have to understand that Ji and Meng, these two chaebols, have a lot riding on them and a little scandal like homosexuality can destroy, not just them and their career, but also their family’s companies because the country is extremely conservative, as are the investors and the shareholders. A person’s sexuality shouldn’t be a criteria for if they can run a successful corporation, but sadly that’s not how it works in reality (even fictional reality).