590: Chapter 585 A Real-Life Farmer and the Snake

Shen Yan's gaze did not linger on her.

"You are working for yourself."

Bai Ling pushed the door open at the right moment and made a 'please' gesture toward Li Jing.

"Ms. Li, I will escort you downstairs."

Li Jing followed Bai Ling out of the conference room, her steps somewhat unsteady.

Everything that happened today felt like a dream.

A dream that went from hell to heaven, yet led to an unknown battlefield.

Shen Yan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the taxi carrying Li Jing merge into the traffic flow downstairs until it disappeared from sight.

He picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"It's me."

"The public opinion war can begin."

"I want tomorrow morning, every social media platform in Binhai to have only one voice."

The next morning.

The air still held a hint of coolness.

Countless people woke up from their sleep and habitually picked up their phones.

Then, they saw the same news aggressively pushed to them.

"The Fall of a Genius, or Shameless Plunder? — Revealing the Woman Behind 'Brilliant Era'"

The publisher of the article was a new media account named 'Eye of the Deep Sea'.

The account's avatar was a deep blue color, with no certification whatsoever.

But the content of the article exploded like a heavy bomb in Binhai's public opinion sphere.

The beginning of the article was a high-definition old photograph.

In the photo, a young Li Jing stood on a podium, holding a design award trophy, smiling sweetly and youthfully.

Standing next to her was an equally young Gao Jun, gazing at her affectionately.

The caption accompanying the photo read:

["That year, her eyes held light, and his eyes held her."]

Immediately following, the article narrated the story of a genius designer in a highly inflammatory style.

From her astonishing talent during her university years to her giving up a top offer for love, accompanying her husband to start a business from scratch.

The article included over a dozen design sketches.

Some were drawn in notebooks, some on napkins, and even some on the back of cigarette packs.

The brushstrokes were messy, yet brimming with spiritual energy.

And next to these sketches were juxtaposed photos of the finished jewelry pieces from 'Brilliant Era'.

The degree of similarity was shockingly high.

The turning point of the story was the success of 'Brilliant Era'.

The husband, Gao Jun, became a new elite and the darling of the media.

And she, the true creator, gradually disappeared from the public eye.

Until a 'plagiarism' lawsuit completely ruined her reputation.

The article did not directly call Gao Jun a thief.

It only kept posing questions.

["Why did all the design sketches for 'Brilliant Era' award-winning works come from Li Jing's hand?"]

["Why, after Gao Jun and Li Jing divorced, has 'Brilliant Era' never released another market-stunning piece of work?"]

["Why did a simple copyright dispute cause a mother to lose her studio, accumulate huge debts, and be unable to even pay her daughter's tuition?"]

Every question was like a knife, piercing the hearts of the onlookers.

The end of the article was a recent photo of Li Jing.

The background of the photo was the dilapidated coffee shop in the south of the city.

She sat by the window, her eyes tired and numb, tightly clutching a somewhat chipped Ultraman toy in her hand.

That was the gift she was preparing for her daughter.

The caption for the photo was just one sentence.

["Is the light still there?"]

Boom!

Public opinion completely detonated.

In less than an hour after the article was published, the readership exceeded ten million.

In the comment section, the public was furious.

["Holy crap! Isn't this the real-life Farmer and the Snake?"]

["Gao Jun, what a scumbag! He's taking everything she has!"]

["Heartbroken for this sister; look at that old photo, she used to have so much spirit!"]

["#BoycottBrilliantEra#, this must trend!"]

["I knew 'Brilliant Era's' designs have been like crap these past few years; turns out they ran out of things to copy!"]

["Too tragic, buying a chipped Ultraman for her daughter, while Gao Jun drives a limited edition Ferrari!"]

The account 'Eye of the Deep Sea' gained millions of followers in just a few hours.

Countless self-media accounts and major influencers began reposting and digging deeper.

Gao Jun's dark past, Sun Miao's history of making a fortune—everything was stripped bare.

'Brilliant Era's' official website was flooded.

People started throwing eggs at the physical stores.

The company's PR department was overwhelmed, issuing a pale and powerless denial statement that was instantly drowned in the angry spittle.

Gao Jun was so angry he smashed his most cherished antique vase in his office.

He couldn't figure out who orchestrated all of this behind the scenes.

The speed was so fast, the force so ruthless, as if intending to strike him down in one blow.

Meanwhile, Shen Yan was leisurely sipping coffee in his own office.

The screen in front of him was divided into two sections.

On the left, real-time public opinion data was scrolling, the red growth curve as steep as a mountain peak.

On the right was the interface of a stock trading software.

At the very moment the public opinion war broke out, based on the daily intelligence refreshed by the system, he used one billion in capital to short a company called 'Brilliant Mining'.

This company was scheduled to break the scandal this afternoon at three o'clock: its largest mining area had severe safety hazards and was ordered to suspend production for rectification.

The stock price would plummet.

Public opinion and money.

These were the two most powerful weapons in the world.

And now, both were held in his hands.

His phone rang.

It was Ning Ke calling.

"President Shen, the fish is taking the bait."

Night fell.

The city's most upscale private club, 'Cloud Top Heavenly Palace'.

Sun Miao adjusted her expensive suit tie and walked into the reserved private room.

She felt a bit excited, yet also uneasy.

The introducer was Ning Ke, a figure in the Binhai business circle with extensive connections.

Ning Ke had told her that a mysterious investor from Switzerland greatly admired her talent and wished to meet her.

For the ambitious Sun Miao, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

She had long been dissatisfied with Gao Jun, who only knew marketing and packaging.

That fool didn't understand the soul of design at all.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door of the private room.

A well-dressed, blond, blue-eyed white man stood up.

He looked to be in his forties, with a refined demeanor and a gentle smile on his face.

"Ms. Sun, hello. I am Sterling."

His Chinese had a slight accent, but it was fluent.

"Mr. Sterling, hello, hello."

Sun Miao quickly extended her hands and shook his.

Ning Ke stood to the side, smiling and smoothing things over, "Alright, everyone sit. I'm hosting today, you two chat well."

After a few rounds of drinks.

Sterling also opened up.

He talked about sculptures from the Renaissance, Da Vinci's manuscripts, and then moved on to modern jewelry design aesthetics.

His profound knowledge and unique insights captivated Sun Miao.

This man was a true expert!

"Ms. Sun,"

Sterling put down his wine glass, his blue eyes full of admiration.

"I have been following the works of 'Brilliant Era' since I was in Europe."

"Especially those first few early series, 'Star Dream,' 'Morning Dew,' and 'Heart of the Deep Sea'—they are simply the work of a genius!"