592: Chapter 587 Lawsuit

Li Jing? That good-for-nothing who couldn't even afford her daughter's tuition after being dumped by Gao Jun?

Where did she get the money to hire a lawyer? And dare to sue in the Intermediate Court?

This must be a prank! It's some despicable trick Gao Jun, that bastard, came up with to force her to compromise by driving down the price!

Sun Miao's hands trembled slightly. She picked up her phone and dialed Gao Jun's number.

As soon as the call connected, Gao Jun's furious roar came through.

"Sun Miao! Who the hell did you meet last night?! What exactly did you say?!"

Sun Miao's heart sank suddenly.

"You received it too?"

"Nonsense! The entire company's Legal Department is in an uproar! 'Black Shield Law Firm'! Jin Feifan is leading the team personally! Do you know what that means?!"

Black Shield Law Firm.

Jin Feifan.

Sun Miao's mind buzzed.

The 'King of Law' in Binhai, undefeated since his debut.

He specialized in handling high-stakes commercial lawsuits.

It was rumored that his lawyer's fees were calculated by the minute.

How could Li Jing possibly afford him?

"I... I met an investor from Switzerland..."

Sun Miao's voice was as dry as sandpaper rubbing together.

"Introduced by Ning Ke... He said he wants to invest one billion Euros to establish my personal brand..."

There was a deathly silence on the other end of the line.

A few seconds later, Gao Jun's voice returned, carrying a tone of despair, utterly drained of all strength.

"A Switzerland investor?"

"Sun Miao, you idiot."

"We are finished."

On the day of the hearing, a light rain fell over Binhai.

Inside the courtroom, the atmosphere was so oppressive it felt suffocating.

Li Jing sat in the plaintiff's seat, her palms covered in cold sweat.

This was the first time she had stepped into a place like this.

Everything around her felt foreign and terrifying.

She subconsciously looked toward the spectator seats.

Shen Yan was not there.

His assistant, Bai Ling, was there, along with several men in black suits with stern expressions.

They stood like a row of silent statues, offering her a faint, almost imperceptible support.

In the defendant's seat, Gao Jun and Sun Miao looked pale.

The two people who once shone brightly now looked haggard, as if their spirit had been completely drained.

Jin Feifan stood up.

He delivered no impassioned speech; instead, he presented piece after piece of evidence to the judge and jury in a tone so calm it bordered on coldness.

The first piece of evidence was Li Jing's university award certificates, along with over a dozen notebooks filled with design sketches.

The second piece of evidence was a comparative analysis report of the design blueprints for the best-selling products from the Brilliant Era over the years against Li Jing's original drafts.

The curvature of every line, the precise location of every diamond setting, was clearly marked.

Gao Jun's lawyer attempted to argue that it was 'borrowing' and 'work created under employment'.

Jin Feifan did not rebut.

He simply pressed the play button.

A clear video appeared on the large screen in the courtroom.

In the footage was that luxurious private room in 'Cloud Top Palace'.

Sun Miao's face, distorted by greed and jealousy, was perfectly clear.

"...To put it plainly, just give me the concept, and the actual design, from sketch to finished product, was all done by me!"

"...She just provided some immature 'inspiration,' and we paid her for it, considering it a buyout!"

Boom!

The entire courtroom erupted in an uproar.

Sun Miao's body trembled violently. She seemed struck by lightning, freezing completely.

She stared fixedly at the eloquent version of herself on the screen, her eyes filled with unbelievable horror.

A trap.

It was a trap from the very beginning!

The Switzerland investor, the one billion Euros—it was all fake!

That was a Hongmen Banquet tailored specifically for her!

Gao Jun closed his eyes, the last trace of color draining from his face.

He knew everything was over.

Jin Feifan's voice sounded like the final judgment.

"Presiding Judge, my client never signed any form of copyright buyout agreement with the defendants."

"The defendants maliciously stole copyrighted material, knowing full well the design rights belonged to my client, and used it for commercial profit. The amount involved is exceptionally large, and the circumstances are particularly severe."

"Furthermore, the defendant Sun Miao personally admitted that her inspiration came from my client."

"This is naked fraud."

"We request the court to order the defendants to return all illegal gains, along with punitive damages of ten times the amount, totaling eight hundred and seventy million Yuan."

"Simultaneously, we demand the defendants issue a public apology to my client in national media for thirty consecutive days, clarifying the facts."

"And immediately return the copyrights for all stolen design manuscripts."

The gavel fell.

The sound was crisp, yet it struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Everyone rise."

The moment the Presiding Judge announced, "The plaintiff's claims are all granted."

Sun Miao could no longer hold on.

She let out a shriek that sounded inhuman, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted dead away.

Gao Jun slumped in his chair like a pile of mud.

Li Jing's tears finally burst forth.

These were not tears of sorrow.

They were tears of release, of liberation, an outpouring of regaining her dignity.

She had won.

With the help of that man, she had personally taken back everything that had been stolen from her.

Walking out of the courthouse.

The rain had stopped.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds, dazzling her eyes.

Countless reporters swarmed her, flashes creating a sea of light.

"Ms. Li! Are you satisfied with the verdict?"

"Ms. Li! What are your plans next?"

Bodyguards in black formed a human wall, protecting her tightly in the center.

She moved through the chaotic crowd.

She saw a black rolls-royce phantom parked quietly by the roadside.

Shen Yan was leaning against the car door, talking on the phone.

He wasn't looking at her, or even glancing toward the courthouse.

It was as if everything that had happened here was irrelevant to him.

Just a trivial matter that had been dealt with.

Li Jing took a deep breath, walked past the bodyguards' cordon, and approached him.

Shen Yan had just hung up the phone, and his gaze fell upon her face.

His look was calm, containing neither congratulations nor comfort.

Li Jing's lips moved, a thousand words condensing into a single sentence.

Her voice was hoarse from crying.

"Mr. Shen... Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Shen Yan's voice was as flat as ever.

"This is part of the contract."

He opened the car door.

"Your opponents were never trash like Gao Jun and Sun Miao."

"The team in Hong Kong City has been operational for a while now."

"In three days, I need to see your first draft of the brand proposal."

He didn't give her time to bask in the joy of victory.

He didn't even grant her a single second to catch her breath.

Li Jing paused for a moment, then nodded forcefully.

The glimmer of tears in her eyes quickly faded, replaced by an unprecedented brightness.

She understood.

What Shen Yan had given her was not just a victory in a lawsuit.

It was an entrance to a brand new, higher battlefield.

"I understand, Mr. Shen."