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When the Shanghai Earl Company's letter of intent to acquire her for 6.5 million yuan was placed on Xiao Yawen's desk, she did not react with the elation or eagerness to cash out that outsiders had speculated.

She calmly and repeatedly read through each clause of the letter of intent, her delicate brows furrowed as she fell into deep thought.

The assistant couldn't help but remind him, "Mr. Xiao, this is 6.5 million! And it's at a time when we're embroiled in lawsuits, it's a real lifesaver! Shouldn't we contact them as soon as possible?"

Xiao Yawen raised her head, her gaze sharp and clear. She gently shook her head and, as if analyzing the situation herself, said to her assistant, "No, things aren't that simple. Earl Company is a long-established giant in the industry, known for its shrewdness. If they really had their eye on Geli Poetry and wanted to take advantage of the situation or genuinely acquire it, they could have waited until the lawsuit was resolved before making their move. That would have been less risky, and the price might have been lower. Why choose this sensitive moment to offer a seemingly generous price that is actually easy to attract attention?"

She stood up, walked to the window, looked at the bustling traffic of Beijing outside, and continued, "Therefore, I judge that the Earl Company's move is not intended to acquire the company itself at all. They are 'testing the waters'."

"Regardless of the outcome, the lawsuit between Geli Poetry and Lesheng has already shaken the entire audio industry. Earl Company felt threatened, or rather, they keenly sensed a potential shift in the industry landscape. Their letter of intent has three main purposes: first, to observe Geli Poetry closely, understand our strengths and weaknesses, and devise countermeasures; second, to demonstrate their magnanimity and foresight to the industry, thereby enhancing their own image; and third, and most importantly, it is a manifestation of being prepared for potential challenges. They want to use this method to assess the level of danger posed by us as a potential competitor in advance and attempt to establish some kind of connection, reserving space for various possible collaborations or competitions in the future."

This insightful analysis made the assistant realize the truth and also made him deeply admire the new leader's insight.

Xiao Yawen made a decisive decision: "We will not give a formal response for the time being, but will maintain contact. Our focus must be on dealing with Lesheng's lawsuit."

"Yes, Mr. Xiao."

In the litigation process, Xiao Yawen made a decision that many people couldn't understand: Geli Poetry Company did not submit a detailed response to the court as is customary.

From the outside perspective, this almost means giving up the right to defend oneself, appearing unusually passive and negative.

However, this is precisely part of Xiao Yawen and Ding Yuanying's strategy...

They didn't want to get bogged down in procedural debates, but instead wanted to steer the battle directly to the core of the issue—the evidence that best reflects the essence of classical Chinese poetry.

The case thus quickly skipped the defense stage and went directly into the evidence exchange procedure.

When Lesheng Company's legal team obtained detailed information from Gelishi Company through evidence exchange, including key documents such as the cooperation agreement signed between Lesheng Company and farmers in Wangmiao Village proving its "company + farmer" poverty alleviation production model, proof of farmers' self-financing, and cost structure analysis, the situation began to subtly change.

These documents were quickly submitted to Lin Yufeng, chairman of Lesheng Company.

When Lin Yufeng saw the words "poverty alleviation", "helping impoverished villages escape poverty", and "loose cooperation without an employment relationship", the arrogance and anger on his face were gradually replaced by astonishment and solemnity.

As an experienced entrepreneur, he immediately realized the seriousness of the problem.

If Geli Poetry is truly just a poverty alleviation project that integrates resources from impoverished villages, and its low cost does not stem from malicious dumping or selling below cost, but rather from its unique production organization model and social benefits, then the legal basis of Lesheng Company's "dumping" lawsuit filed under the Anti-Unfair Competition Law will be fundamentally shaken!

“A poverty alleviation company… how could it be a poverty alleviation company…” Lin Yufeng muttered to himself, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

He originally thought that Geli Poetry was just a clown who overestimated himself, piled up high-end components to build products, and then maliciously disrupted the market. Now he realized that behind the other party stood the banner of "poverty alleviation," which has strong political and moral advantages.

Against this backdrop, courts will inevitably be more cautious in making judgments, and may even consider the social impact of the case.

A chill ran down Lin Yufeng's spine.

He realized that he might have made a fatal mistake...

Without fully understanding the opponent's strengths and weaknesses, they rashly launched a full-scale, all-out attack.

Now, the prospect of winning the case has suddenly become bleak.

This lawsuit is probably far more complicated and difficult than he imagined.

……

As the exchange of evidence progressed, Lin Yufeng's ominous premonition grew stronger.

The exposure of Geli Poetry Company's "poverty alleviation" attributes came as a surprise, catching him completely off guard.

He sensed that the likelihood of Le Sheng losing the case was increasing dramatically.

The immense pressure, the loss of face, and the anxiety about the company's future left him breathless.

In a state of extreme anxiety and resentment, a dangerous thought began to take root in his mind.

He needed help, but not for legal advice; he wanted to find a more "direct" way out.

Then he thought of Zhou Jianhua.

Zhou Jianhua was a friend he met when he was young and adventuring. In the past, Lin Yufeng kept his distance from him, but now he felt that he had nowhere else to turn.

In a secluded private room at a private club, Lin Yufeng met Zhou Jianhua.

Zhou Jianhua still had the air of a gangster boss, but his eyes now held a hint of businessman's shrewdness.

After listening to Lin Yufeng's resentful and desperate account, he slowly brewed tea without immediately expressing his opinion.

As a friend and elder brother, Zhou Jianhua did not fan the flames. Instead, he calmly analyzed the situation for Lin Yufeng: "Yufeng! You've been through many storms before, so why did you get so caught up in this?"

He handed Lin Yufeng a cup of hot tea. “The essence of this matter is now very clear. Ding Yuanying was never playing a simple business game with you from the beginning. He was playing a grand game, and poverty alleviation was his most powerful move, giving him the moral high ground. If you sue him for unfair competition now, it’s like punching cotton; you won’t get anywhere and you might even bring yourself down.”

He paused, looking at Lin Yufeng's contorted face, and said earnestly, "My view is that losing a lawsuit isn't shameful. What's shameful is being unable to accept defeat! Victory and defeat are common occurrences in business. Even if we lose this time, Lesheng's foundation is still there, the brand is still there, and we can simply adjust our strategy and start over. But if you go astray..."

Zhou Jianhua didn't finish his sentence, but the warning was clear.

However, Lin Yufeng was blinded by anger and despair and couldn't listen to any of the advice.

His mind was filled with thoughts of how Ding Yuanying had schemed against him and how he had made him lose face.

Seeing that his persuasion was ineffective, Zhou Jianhua remained silent for a moment, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

So he got up, took something wrapped in oilcloth from the safe in the inner room, and placed it heavily on the tea table in front of Lin Yufeng.

Uncover the tarpaulin, and inside is a shiny black pistol.

“This thing,” Zhou Jianhua said in a low voice, “I’m giving it to you not to encourage you to use it. I’m giving it to you so that in a critical moment, it can help you calm down and think about the consequences. Or, in case… I mean in case, the other party really wants to kill you all, you can have a last thought to protect yourself. But remember, once you use it, there’s no turning back.”

Lin Yufeng stared at the pistol, the cold metallic gleam reflecting the mad flames in his eyes.

He didn't refuse and silently put it away.

After leaving the private club, Lin Yufeng drove alone through the night.

He pondered Zhou Jianhua's words, but his thoughts were filled with a ruthless, "what's the use" attitude.

He couldn't understand why Ding Yuanying was so shrewd, as if he had already prepared a way out for the outcome of this lawsuit.

This feeling of powerlessness from being completely crushed was suffocating him.

"Ding Yuanying... Ding Yuanying!" Lin Yufeng gritted his teeth as he uttered the name.

Then a crazy idea formed in his mind: since he might fail miserably in business, he would make one last desperate attempt!
He wanted to use this lawsuit to completely expose Ding Yuanying, the "master" who had been hiding behind the scenes, to the media spotlight and make him known to the world!

He wanted to muddy the waters, even if it meant his own disgrace, so that he could drag Ding Yuanying down with him and bear the scrutiny and pressure of public opinion!
The gun, and Zhou Jianhua's warning, did not bring him to his senses; instead, they seemed to instill in him the final courage to go to extremes.

What should have been a dispute within the realm of commercial law has been subtly shrouded in a dangerous shadow due to Lin Yufeng's unbalanced mindset.

……

The court's verdict has not yet been officially announced, but the evidence presented during the trial and the overwhelming public opinion have already made Lin Yufeng clearly foresee the outcome of Lesheng Company's defeat.

The immense sense of frustration and pent-up resentment made it impossible for him to calmly await the final judgment.

He drove his luxury car, carrying the pistol Zhou Jianhua had given him, and sped all the way to Han Chufeng of Zhengtian Group.

Han Chufeng received this uninvited guest in his office.

Lin Yufeng's face was gloomy, and his eyes were bloodshot. He went straight to the point and asked for Ding Yuanying's detailed address in the ancient city.

Han Chufeng was no ordinary person. He immediately understood from Lin Yufeng's almost out-of-control state and the faint murderous aura he exuded that Lin Yufeng's intentions were definitely not benevolent.

He looked calmly at Lin Yufeng, neither asking questions nor offering advice, but remaining silent for a moment. He knew that some calamities were unavoidable.

Finally, he picked up a notepad, smoothly wrote down Ding Yuanying's address, and handed it over.

"Thank you." Lin Yufeng took the note, his voice hoarse, and turned to leave.

Han Chufeng watched his retreating figure and sighed deeply. He knew that a storm was about to unfold in that quiet little house in the ancient city.

……

As night deepened, a solitary lamp burned in Ding Yuanying's residence in the ancient city.

A series of urgent and heavy knocks broke the silence of the night.

Ding Yuanying seemed to have anticipated this. He calmly walked to the door and slowly opened it.

Standing outside the door was Lin Yufeng, who looked haggard and had a crazed look in his eyes.

What first caught Ding Yuanying's eye was not Lin Yufeng's face, but a dark, deadly gun barrel pointed directly at his forehead.

The air seemed to freeze in an instant.

However, Ding Yuanying's face showed no fear or surprise. His gaze calmly passed over the muzzle of the gun and looked at Lin Yufeng, the gunman, as if he were just welcoming an ordinary visitor.

Lin Yufeng was enraged by this unusual composure. He forced his way into the house with his gun and slammed the door shut behind him.

But strangely, he did not pull the trigger immediately.

Overwhelmed by confusion, he needed an answer.

That night, in this simple house, two adversaries who should have been mortal enemies engaged in a long and peculiar conversation.

Like a persistent questioner, Lin Yufeng unleashed all the pent-up confusion, anger, and humiliation in his heart: "Why? Ding Yuanying! What grudge do you have against my Lesheng Company? Why did you choose Lesheng as your target? I, Lin Yufeng, have always acted with integrity in the business world, so how did I become the target of your 'robbing the rich to help the poor' scheme?!"

Despite Lin Yufeng's agitation and erratic gun-wielding, Ding Yuanying maintained a chilling calm.

He slowly brewed the tea, poured a cup for Lin Yufeng, and mostly listened silently to Lin Yufeng's barrage of questions. Only at the very end did he summarize the whole reason with an extremely concise sentence:

"Killing the rich doesn't make the rich go away, saving the poor doesn't make the poor leave. The Savior's culture can only be spoken of by the Savior."

Looking into Lin Yufeng's confused and angry eyes, he further pointed out: "Robbing the rich to help the poor is just to awaken Wangmiao Village and the market. Lesheng is big enough and has a well-known brand, making it the best symbol of 'wealth'."

These words, like a key, though not completely unlocking all of Lin Yufeng's inner conflicts, instantly made him understand his role in this grand scheme...

He and his vast Lesheng Company were merely a pawn used by Ding Yuanying to validate his theories on cultural attributes and enlighten the masses, a symbol of a "myth" that had to be overthrown.

This realization brings not relief, but a deeper sense of powerlessness and absurdity.

"Moreover, the cooperation between Lesheng and Wangmiao Township is also an opportunity for Lesheng."

……

At daybreak, the court formally opened the trial and delivered its verdict, with Geli Poetry Company winning the case and Lesheng Company losing.

Upon hearing the news, Lin Yufeng remained unusually calm.

His trip to the ancient city seemed to have put his last worry to rest.

In the end, Lin Yufeng did not shoot Ding Yuanying. He drove his car alone onto the winding mountain road.

Outside the window, the rising sun and magnificent mountains and rivers stretched out before him, but his heart was filled with a deathly stillness.

He had to admit that Ding Yuanying's "robbing the rich to help the poor" scheme was ingeniously designed, and he had no excuse for losing. He was indeed one move behind, and what he lacked was the level of understanding and perspective.

He parked the car at a bend with a wide view and took one last look at the world.

Then, he restarted the engine, slammed on the gas, and the luxury car, like a wild horse, broke through the guardrail and tumbled down the bottomless cliff.

In his final moments, Lin Yufeng even managed a strange smile.

He carefully adjusted the angle and position of his descent off the cliff to ensure that, to anyone, the death would appear to be nothing more than a "fatigue driving accident" caused by days of overwork and mental exhaustion.

In this way, he preserved his last, fragile dignity.

The life of a business tycoon came to an end in such a resolute and tragic way.

Ding Yuanying's "myth" appears even more profound and unfathomable after Lin Yufeng's downfall.

……

The sensational case of Lesheng suing Geli Poetry for unfair competition has finally come to an end with Geli Poetry's complete victory.

This lawsuit, leveraging the brand recognition of Lesheng, an industry giant, and the extensive media coverage, has generated a remarkable effect.

The little-known company, Geli Poetry, along with its "poverty alleviation" background and highly controversial "robbing the rich to help the poor" story, became famous overnight, spreading throughout the country.

Orders poured in from all over the country and even overseas, and the production lines in Wangmiao Village were busier than ever before.

However, behind this hustle and bustle and success, a tragicomedy of human nature is unfolding.

Before leaving the ancient city, Ding Yuanying handed a sealed file folder to Liu Bing, who had been dismissed but was still unwilling to accept his fate. He told Liu Bing that this was something that could "keep his job," but solemnly warned him that "it can only be used to keep his job and must never be used as a bargaining chip to blackmail others."

This file folder became the fuse that ignited Liu Bing's ultimate tragedy.

When Liu Bing saw that the regulated verse had not only not collapsed, but was thriving and had even reached a cooperation agreement with Yue Sheng, he was completely psychologically unbalanced.

He thought the file contained "dirt" that could bring down Gelishi or Ding Yuanying, and fantasized about using it to blackmail them for huge profits or to reinvest.

However, when he tore open the file folder with trembling hands and found a stack of blank papers inside, he instantly plummeted from the euphoria of speculation into the abyss of despair.

Unable to bear the blow of his dreams being completely shattered and the immense psychological gap, this insignificant man, in a state of extreme shame, regret, and madness, jumped from the top of a twenty-story building, hastily ending his short and ridiculous life.

His death, like a mirror, reflects the ultimate fate of those who only want to "peek over the edge of the well" but lack the corresponding responsibility.

At the same time, business rationality ultimately prevailed over emotional entanglement.

In order to survive and develop, and to get rid of the internal strife after the lawsuit, the new management of Lesheng Company conducted several rounds of arduous and pragmatic negotiations with Gelishi Company, represented by Xiao Yawen, and Wangmiao Village's specialized producers, represented by Feng Shijie.

Ultimately, the three parties reached a comprehensive cooperation agreement: Lesheng Company would open up its mature channels and some technologies, Gelishi Company would provide branding and unique sound design, and Wangmiao Village would serve as the core production base.

This marks a new stage of symbiosis and win-win cooperation between former rivals, and also opens up a new industrial model for China's audio industry.

After all these arrangements were in place, Chairman Su Ning instructed General Manager Xiao Yawen to officially announce at a high-profile press conference: "Geli Poetry Company will officially enter the high-end professional audio equipment market! We will not only be limited to the home Hi-Fi field, but will also rely on our core acoustic technology to expand into the professional audio equipment market for professional recording studios, large-scale concerts, theaters and other professional-grade sound equipment!" This declaration marked Geli Poetry's entry into a broader commercial arena.

Ding Yuanying, the mastermind behind all of this, and Rui Xiaodan, whom he deeply loved, disappeared quietly in the ancient city without alerting anyone.

They vanished without a trace, silently leaving this city that had witnessed countless battles of wits and struggles of humanity.

No one knows exactly where they went. Perhaps they are enjoying a peaceful life in a small town in Germany, or perhaps they have gone to another place that needs to be "mythical".

The story of the regulated verse became a legend, circulating in Wangmiao Village and the business community.

It tells a story not only about commercial success, but also about cultural attributes, human redemption, and the different destinations that different choices lead to when facing the torrent of fate.

The ancient city remains unchanged, as if nothing had ever happened, yet everything is different now.

...(End of chapter)