201: Chapter 202 Joint Lawsuit by Western Giants

A fine drizzle fell over Jiangcheng in late autumn. The thin threads of rain struck the glass curtain wall of Singularity Technology’s headquarters, reflecting a hazy gray light. The door to the Legal Department’s office was suddenly thrown open, and Wang Jingdong’s assistant rushed in, soaked through and clutching a thick stack of documents. The water stains on the document bag blurred the bold black characters for "Court Summons," making them look particularly jarring.

"Lawyer Wang! This is bad!" the assistant gasped, breathing heavily. "Court summons from ten Western countries arrived at the same time. Twelve Western tech companies have filed a joint lawsuit against us, accusing us of... core technology patent infringement!"

Wang Jingdong had just finished a sip of hot tea. Hearing this, his hand jerked, splashing tea onto the documents. He immediately set down the cup and took the summons to look through them. On the list of plaintiffs, names like Aivda (the global chip giant), Ouguang Semiconductor (the sensor leader), and Nordic Sensing (a core component supplier for medical equipment) were prominently listed. The grounds for the lawsuit were shockingly consistent: "Singularity Technology's AI medical algorithms, Star Core Engine control modules, and Photon Chip architecture are suspected of plagiarizing the plaintiffs' registered patents. They demand an immediate cessation of global sales and compensation for economic losses totaling 5.7 billion dollars."

"5.7 billion? And a global sales ban?" Wang Jingdong’s fingers gripped the edge of the summons, his knuckles turning white. "This group planned this long ago; even the lawsuit amount and the grounds are unified!" He immediately grabbed the internal phone and dialed Zhang Fan’s extension, his tone carrying an unprecedented gravity. "President Zhang, something has happened! Twelve Western companies have filed a joint lawsuit against us for patent infringement. The summons have arrived!"

In the top-floor conference room, Zhang Fan was discussing overseas media public relations plans with Song Zhiwei and Zhou Yurou. The screen still showed the global sales data for "brave peace and health." Upon receiving Wang Jingdong’s call, the calm on his face instantly vanished. He spoke into the receiver in a deep voice, "Bring all the summons to the top-floor conference room immediately. Notify the core team to meet within five minutes!"

Five minutes later, the conference room was packed. Wang Jingdong distributed the summons to everyone, while the projector screen simultaneously displayed the list of plaintiffs and the key points of the lawsuit.

Song Zhiwei flipped to Aivda’s page, her brows furrowed. "Aivda is suing over the Photon Chip architecture, but our Photon Chip was originally developed by Rhine Photonics. We applied for a global patent in 2028, a full two years earlier than their so-called 'core patent'!"

"It’s not just Aivda." Zhou Yurou pointed at the summons from Nordic Sensing, her voice filled with anger. "They’re suing us for medical device sensor infringement, but our sensors were developed independently in China. Even the production lines are different from theirs. This is clearly a frame-up!"

Zhang Fan picked up a summons and scanned the "Plaintiff's Legal Counsel" column. It was a law firm based in Switzerland. Ten years ago, when Wang Tianhua forged medical records to frame Li Yong, he had used a branch of this very firm. "This is Tianming’s handiwork." He set down the summons, his voice cold. "This law firm has deep ties to Polaris Investment (a Tianming shell company). They did 'dirty work' for Tianming ten years ago. This time, Tianming must be coordinating behind the scenes, getting these companies to band together and apply pressure."

Just as he finished speaking, Zhou Yurou’s phone suddenly vibrated. She glanced at the screen, and her expression changed instantly. "President Zhang, the European branch sent a message. Customs in Germany and France have already begun seizing our Photon Chips and AI medical equipment, citing 'suspected infringing products pending investigation.' Also, the North American branch says that platforms like Amazon and Best Buy have already delisted our Star Core Engine-related products, stating they 'received lawyer's letters from the plaintiffs and are suspending sales pending clarification.'"

"The stock price is moving too!" On Song Zhiwei’s tablet screen, Singularity Technology’s stock curve was plummeting at a steep angle. "In the first half-hour of trading, the drop has reached 7.3%. Nearly 80 billion in market value has evaporated! Short sellers are taking the opportunity to dump shares, and overseas retail investors are starting to follow suit!"

The atmosphere in the conference room instantly dropped to the freezing point.

Everyone knew that the most terrifying part of a patent war wasn't the compensation amount, but the threat of a "global sales ban." Singularity’s overseas business accounted for 42% of its total revenue. Once products were truly banned from sale, the supply chain, cash flow, and partner trust would all be heavily damaged, potentially even affecting the stability of domestic operations.

"These people want to cut us off at the roots." Wang Jingdong pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his tone grave. "They know our core market is overseas, and they know patent litigation cycles are long and have a wide impact. Even if we win in the end, they can drag down our overseas business rhythm and buy themselves time to catch up."

Zhang Fan didn't speak. His fingers tapped lightly on the table. A prompt suddenly popped up from the system in his mind: [Causality Deduction initiated... Detected anomalies in three core patents of the plaintiffs: 1. The 'priority date' of Aivda’s Photon Chip patent conflicts with Singularity’s R&D records; 2. Ouguang Semiconductor’s sensor patent has a 'missing technical solution'; 3. Nordic Sensing’s medical device patent is a 'preemptive registration of undisclosed technology.' Deduction conclusion: The plaintiffs' patents have major flaws; targeted countersuits can be filed.]

Seeing the system prompt, Zhang Fan felt reassured, but he didn't say it immediately. The team was currently tense; he needed to stabilize morale first before formulating a counterattack strategy. He looked up, his gaze sweeping over everyone, his voice steady and powerful. "Everyone, stay calm. Patent wars are a common tactic of Western companies, and we have long had contingency plans. Now, we will proceed in three steps:"

"First, the Legal Department." He looked at Wang Jingdong. "Immediately coordinate with the Rhine Photonics technical team to organize our patent registration records, R&D logs, and third-party test reports. Focus specifically on the three technical points the plaintiffs are suing over, find the loopholes in their patents, and produce a preliminary chain of rebuttal evidence within 24 hours."

"Second, the Marketing Department." Song Zhiwei immediately straightened her back. "You are responsible for contacting overseas partner platforms, providing proof of our patent validity, and striving to get some products back online. Simultaneously, launch a media PR campaign to expose the fact that 'Western companies are banding together to suppress us' through neutral media, preventing public opinion from becoming one-sided."

"Third, the Supply Chain." Zhou Yurou nodded in agreement. "I will immediately notify our domestic production bases to prioritize product supply for the domestic market and non-litigation countries. Additionally, increase Rhine Photonics' Photon Chip production capacity by another 20% to ensure that even with an overseas ban, our core component inventory can last at least three months."

"And the stock price," Zhang Fan added. "Zhiwei, contact the Market-protection alliance (the Song family, the Lu family, and alliance members). Take up sell orders at key price levels. We cannot let the stock price fall through the support level; we must stabilize market confidence."

Everyone immediately swung into action. The tense atmosphere in the conference room was gradually replaced by orderly deployment. Wang Jingdong took the summons and technical data and walked quickly toward the Legal Department; Song Zhiwei spoke into her phone, communicating with overseas platforms in fluent English; Zhou Yurou tapped rapidly on her tablet, adjusting the supply chain production plans.

Zhang Fan walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the drizzle outside. The rain blurred the distant skyscrapers, but it did not blur his gaze. He knew this patent war was just the beginning. Since the Tianming Group dared to act, there would surely be financial and media wars to follow. But after ten years of honing their blade, Singularity was no longer the pushover startup it once was. They had the technology, the capital, the team, and a system that could predict risks.

"Thinking you can crush us with a patent war?" Zhang Fan whispered to himself, a hint of sharpness flashing in his eyes. "Then I'll show you what true technical confidence and legal hard power look like."

Meanwhile, in a hidden office building in Geneva, Switzerland, the "Bishop" of the Tianming Group was watching Singularity’s stock curve on the screen, a cold smile curling his lips. He said to the person on the other end of the phone, "The patent war is just an appetizer. Tell Aivda they can initiate 'Patent Troll' tactics next, filing lawsuits in more countries to muddy the waters. I want Zhang Fan to know that the price of opposing Tianming is more than he can bear."