Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 576, Section 574: Trial

As the evening sun sets, it casts its golden rays upon the "Lijing Garden" villa area located on the banks of the Wenyu River in Shunyi District.

Located next to the Capital Airport, this area is one of the earliest high-end, foreign-related villa districts to be formed in Beijing from the late 1990s to the early 21st century. The residents are mostly senior executives of foreign companies, diplomats, and celebrities like Gao Yuanyuan who value privacy.

Nestled among lush greenery, with a winding river, the villas are spaced perfectly apart, ensuring ample privacy.

The three-story villa under Gao Yuanyuan's name, with its independent courtyard, has an unassuming exterior but a comfortable and sophisticated interior.

At this moment, a heartwarming yet slightly "chaotic" daily routine is unfolding in the restaurant on the first floor.

The twins, Wang Xian and Wang Ruoruo, who are almost two years and two months old, are sitting in specially made children's high chairs, carrying out their "grand undertaking" of dinner.

Children at this age are in the early stages of explosive language development and have a strong desire to express themselves, but their vocabulary and logic are still far behind their little minds.

"Daddy... spoon... drop!" Wang Ruoruo waved the small spoon in her hand, and a piece of carrot puree flew precisely onto Wang Sheng's sleeve.

"Bird! Flying!" Wang Xian pointed to a sparrow that happened to fly by outside the window, stomping his feet excitedly, causing the bowl of rice porridge in front of him to sway dangerously.

While wiping his sleeves with a napkin, Wang Sheng reached out to steady his son's bowl, all the while dealing with the two little ones' "verbal bombardment."

"Hmm, the spoon fell. Ruoruo, be careful next time."

"That's a sparrow, a sparrow, not a big bird."

"Yes, the flowers are yellow."

"Daddy won't eat your meat, you eat it yourself."

Gao Yuanyuan couldn't help but smile as she watched Wang Sheng, unusually flustered yet incredibly patient, chatting idly with the two children.

She would occasionally speak up to correct the children's unclear pronunciation or help them wipe their little faces covered in rice grains.

Children at this stage don't remember things. Scientific research shows that most memories before the age of three become "childhood amnesia," which is difficult to capture. However, their babbling and dependence at this moment are the most precious moments.

The restaurant was filled with the innocent voices of children, the clinking of bowls and spoons, and Wang Sheng's deep, gentle responses. It was full of warmth and life, which softened the harshness of the business world outside.

Dinner ended amidst slurping and groaning. The nanny and caregiver skillfully cleaned up the mess and took the two little ones, who were clearly rubbing their eyes and yawning, to wash up and prepare for bedtime.

Wang Sheng and Gao Yuanyuan watched TV in the living room for a while. When the children's room upstairs was completely quiet, they smiled at each other, feeling a sense of relief that "they've finally gotten off work."

In the stillness of the night, the streetlights outside the villa cast a dim, yellowish glow.

In addition to the tight security patrols within the community itself, a black minivan was parked in an inconspicuous shadow not far away.

Inside the car were extra security personnel arranged by Wang Sheng, working in shifts 24 hours a day to ensure that this private residence would not be disturbed by any uninvited guests.

This is a necessary configuration brought about by wealth and status, and also an invisible barrier that isolates one from external disturbances.

The master bedroom is located on the second floor of the villa and has its own spacious bathroom.

After washing up, Wang Sheng and Gao Yuanyuan lay down on the large, comfortable bed, still warm from the water.

After many years of marriage, coupled with the intertwining of career and family, intimate behavior has become more of a habitual closeness and a release of pressure. The passion of youth has faded, replaced by a natural and tacit understanding.

The process wasn't particularly exciting, but it was engaging enough, providing effective relaxation and emotional affirmation after a busy day.

Afterwards, the two nestled together, with only a dim bedside lamp left in the room.

After chatting for a while, the bedroom fell completely quiet, with only the sound of each other's steady breathing remaining.

……

The next morning, at 9:30.

A medium-sized conference room at the Kunlun Hotel in Beijing.

The media reporters who received the notification had already set up their cameras and microphones, creating an atmosphere that was both serious and tinged with curiosity.

The backdrop on the stage read, "Communication and Explanation Meeting Regarding Matters Related to the Film 'Kekexili' and the Documentary 'Me and the Tibetan Antelope'".

On the stage, sitting on the left are the producers of "Kekexili" represented by Lu Chuan, Wang Zhonglei, and Chen Guofu.

Lu Chuan was pale, with heavy bags under his eyes and tightly pursed lips, clearly having not slept all night or having slept very poorly.

Wang Zhonglei tried his best to remain calm, but the fatigue and helplessness in his eyes were hard to hide.

Chen Guofu's expression was serious, revealing little emotion. To his right sat documentary director Liu Xinyu, along with a legal advisor and a public relations representative appointed by "Hanhai Public Opinion and Management Consulting" company.

Liu Xinyu was wearing an ill-fitting suit, his face was dark and rough, and he looked out of place with his surroundings, but there was a sense of relief and determination in his eyes.

The meeting was chaired by a third-party lawyer and proceeded in a concise manner.

Wang Zhonglei first read out the pre-agreed statement on behalf of the production company.

His tone was steady, but his words were like heavy hammer blows:

"...During the preparation and creation of the film 'Kekexili,' our crew, including director and screenwriter Mr. Lu Chuan, with great respect, conducted in-depth research on a large amount of valuable information about the Kekexili Nature Reserve and the fight against poaching."

Among them, the documentary "Me and the Tibetan Antelope - The Glacier Flows Here," directed by Liu Xinyu, provides us with very important inspiration and material reference with its authentic perspective and profound recording...

However, due to our negligence and inadequacy in the preliminary communication, we were unable to reach a formal and clear agreement with Director Liu Xinyu regarding the use of relevant materials and cooperation, nor were we able to give Director Liu the proper and clear credit and acknowledgment in the film… We sincerely apologize and regret for this…

The statement cleverly avoided the most sensitive word, "plagiarism," by using words such as "reference," "borrowing," "poor communication," and "procedural flaws" throughout, but acknowledged the fact of "borrowing" and the procedural errors.

When it was Lu Chuan's turn to speak, he picked up the microphone, his hand trembling slightly.

He almost verbatim recited the core message of the statement, emphasizing that the original intention of the creation was to showcase the greatness of anti-poaching heroes, admitting that there was "insufficient communication" when "borrowing" from Director Liu's work, and once again expressing "sincere apologies".

His voice was hoarse, and his eyes avoided the cameras below the stage; his artistic pride seemed to have been crushed to the ground.

Although he may still believe in his heart that he was merely "borrowing" rather than "plagiarizing," from the outside perspective, this statement, especially in this context, has already confirmed the disgraceful behavior of "getting on the train first and buying the ticket later."

Liu Xinyu's subsequent speech was simple and even somewhat hesitant, but he clearly expressed his "gratitude" for the production company's eventual willingness to acknowledge and compensate him, and accepted the title of "project consultant" and a compensation payment that he was "very satisfied with" but whose specific amount was not disclosed.

He stated that he would withdraw the relevant lawsuit.

Finally, there was a Q&A session with reporters.

Most of the questions were pointed:

"Director Lu Chuan, you just admitted to 'borrowing' from it. Does this mean you indirectly admit to the core content of Director Liu Xinyu's accusations?"

"Mr. Wang Zhonglei, what is the specific amount of compensation this time? Does this mean that Huayi Brothers has implicitly admitted to infringement?"

"Director Liu, are you satisfied with this result? Do you think this is the fair outcome you wanted?"

The people on stage were struggling to cope.

Lu Chuan barely spoke, leaving Wang Zhonglei and Chen Guofu to answer the questions, repeatedly emphasizing "respect for originality," "communication errors," and "reaching a reconciliation."

The press conference was broadcast live via text on online media.

Related reports quickly followed up on the "Maoyan Movies" community and the entertainment sections of major portal websites.

Most headlines focused on "The producers of 'Kekexili' admit to plagiarism mistakes and apologize", "Lu Chuan publicly apologizes for 'borrowing' from a documentary", and "The plagiarism controversy ends with a settlement and compensation".

The comment section under the report was quickly flooded with netizens' comments:

"Heh, 'borrowing'? That sounds nice, but isn't it just copying?"

"Why didn't you apologize earlier? If you hadn't been hammered to death, would you have apologized?"

"If apologies were enough, what would be the point of copyright law?"

"Lu Chuan's filter is shattered; I won't watch his movies anymore."

"Huayi is the same; they even submit films like this. How did they pass the censorship?"

"Director Liu did receive some compensation, which is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune."

"Get on the train first, buy the ticket later, disgusting!"

Public opinion overwhelmingly condemned Lu Chuan and the producers of "Kekexili". The term "borrowing" did not exonerate them; instead, it became a new meme for netizens to ridicule and attack.

Lu Chuan's personal reputation and career prospects plummeted after this press conference.

He has been firmly nailed to the pillar of shame for "not understanding the rules" and "creative flaws," and for the next five years, or even longer, he will struggle to breathe during a period of stagnation in the industry.

(End of this chapter)