Assistant Lin’s response was within Qin Shuangshuang’s expectations, but it did little to soothe her anxiety.
There was nothing she could do about it.
After all, the copyright to her parents’ legacy work was currently held by Gu Shi Entertainment. If Song Junhan was indeed looking to settle privately with Gu Shi Entertainment, and Gu Shi Entertainment was willing to accept Song Junhan’s financial terms for an out-of-court settlement, then her parents’ posthumous works would be utterly ruined, with no chance of ever seeing the light of day.
How could she accept that?
Qin Shuangshuang wanted to ask more, but she felt that Assistant Lin had already been quite polite. If she were to ask anything too demanding, it would seem ungrateful.
Yet, her current unease was overwhelming, her heart threatening to leap from her throat.
As the elevator ascended, she felt herself plummeting due to fear and anxiety.
The feeling was unbearable.
“CEO Song didn’t have an appointment beforehand, and neither did I,” Qin Shuangshuang decided to say something to alleviate the suffocating feeling. “Why is Mr. Gu willing to see me?”
“Mr. Gu has always respected original creators and understands the difficulty of original work, thus he shows considerable favor to creators under Gu Shi Entertainment.” As Assistant Lin finished speaking, the elevator doors opened. “Miss Qin, this way, please.”
Assistant Lin’s words gave Qin Shuangshuang a glimmer of new hope and a bit of security. Since she had come this far, she was determined to find a solution.
No matter the outcome, she had to fight for her parents and seek justice!
Qin Shuangshuang followed Assistant Lin into Mr. Gu’s office.
Upon seeing Qin Shuangshuang arrive, Gu Yaoyang stood up and shook her hand. “Miss Qin, I’ve been expecting you.”
Seeing Mr. Gu extend his hand to her, Qin Shuangshuang became flustered again. She merely shook Gu Yaoyang’s hand stiffly before standing there, unsure of what to do next.
“I’ll have a cup of coffee,” Gu Yaoyang said, looking at Qin Shuangshuang. “What would you like to drink?”
“I… I’ll have coffee too…” Qin Shuangshuang’s voice grew softer. She could hardly believe that she had actually entered Mr. Gu’s office and was standing before him.
“Please wait a moment.” Assistant Lin acknowledged and turned to leave.
“Mr. Gu, I… I am the daughter of the author of ‘A City of Dreams,’ [Qin Wushuang]. I’ve come regarding my parents’ work,” Qin Shuangshuang mustered her courage to tell Gu Yaoyang her purpose. “My parents’ work was maliciously plagiarized and even made into a hit drama. I… I am extremely indignant, but I don’t know what I can do.
“I consulted a lawyer and learned that I needed to find the copyright holder to request legal assistance. I also asked my parents’ former editor, and only then did I find out that the copyright had been sold.
“I… I spent a long time searching to discover that the copyright for ‘A City of Dreams’ now belongs to Gu Shi Entertainment. I… I hope Gu Shi Entertainment can help my parents get justice!”
Qin Shuangshuang knew her delivery wasn't perfect, and seeking justice…
She felt she had used rather strange phrasing.
But she truly didn’t know what else to do. She was so nervous.
“Seeking justice is not my purview, but the copyright for ‘A City of Dreams’ is indeed with me,” Gu Yaoyang said, gesturing to the chair opposite his desk. “Please sit, and we can talk slowly.”
Qin Shuangshuang then sat opposite Gu Yaoyang, her cheeks flushed. At that moment, Assistant Lin entered with two cups of coffee, and a secretary accompanying him also brought a stack of documents.
Qin Shuangshuang felt she had said many foolish things and wanted to salvage the situation, but then she thought she might say even more foolish things. As she was caught between a rock and a hard place, Gu Yaoyang spoke.
“Here are the copyright agreement for ‘A City of Dreams,’ the original author’s copyright application and agency certificate processed by Gu Shi Entertainment immediately upon acquiring the copyright, and proof of infringement against Junlin Entertainment’s work, ‘I Am the Great City Lord.’
“This is the text version of the plagiarism assessment between the two works, where the plagiarism rate in terms of plot, characterization, dialogue, and descriptive passages has reached ten percent as defined by law. Additionally, there is a legal aid application that requires your signature.”
Gu Yaoyang laid everything out before Qin Shuangshuang. “Furthermore, we have prepared a lawyer’s letter. If you have no objections, we will proceed with the next steps. I hope you will cooperate fully throughout the process.”
Qin Shuangshuang was stunned by everything laid out before her. She numbly shifted her gaze from the documents to Gu Yaoyang’s face, her throat feeling as if it were stuffed with cotton, unable to utter a single word.
“Do you have any other questions?” Gu Yaoyang looked at Qin Shuangshuang.
From the moment he acquired the copyright for ‘A City of Dreams,’ he had been prepared for this situation.
Not long after he acquired the copyright for ‘A City of Dreams’ in his second rebirth, ‘I Am the Great City Lord’ became a huge hit. At that time, he hadn’t handled it promptly, and someone took advantage of the loophole.
He had considered it a loss he had to swallow, a mistake in investment. But he hadn’t expected to see Qin Shuangshuang, struggling and crying out in powerlessness.
Not long after that, Qin Shuangshuang left a suicide note online and followed her parents.
After Qin Shuangshuang’s death, due to the immense emotional upheaval among netizens, it was finally he who managed to regain the upper hand.
However, Gu Yaoyang felt no happiness.
That was a human life; the price of victory was too high.
Therefore, in his third rebirth, he made preparations in advance, avoiding the tragic end for Qin Shuangshuang.
Now, in his seventh rebirth, Gu Yaoyang was already very familiar with the process.
Although in this life, the copyright holder of ‘I Am the Great City Lord’ was Song Junhan, not Gu Yaoqing from previous lives, this minor difference was insignificant to Gu Yaoyang.
“Okay, I’ll sign,” Qin Shuangshuang finally picked up the pen and signed the documents. Then she looked up at Gu Yaoyang again. “Mr. Gu, how will you handle the work ‘A City of Dreams’?”
“Do you want to hear the truth?” Gu Yaoyang asked Qin Shuangshuang.
“Mmm,” Qin Shuangshuang nodded.
“Speaking from a business perspective, after seeing the success of ‘I Am the Great City Lord,’ Gu Shi Entertainment certainly wouldn’t miss this opportunity. The filming of ‘A City of Dreams’ had actually concluded long ago, but I hadn’t found a suitable opportunity to release it. This time, we will leverage the publicity generated by this lawsuit and directly release it as a web drama. Regarding the plot, you can rest assured that we respect the original work and have strived for over eighty percent faithfulness in the adaptation,” Gu Yaoyang stated truthfully.
Hearing Gu Yaoyang say this, Qin Shuangshuang felt much more at ease. “I… I will cooperate with you. Please… please treat my parents’ legacy work kindly.”
“We will,” Gu Yaoyang nodded.
After seeing Qin Shuangshuang out, Gu Yaoyang asked Assistant Lin to organize the documents. Immediately afterward, Song Junhan barged in.
His demeanor was exceedingly arrogant.