Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

"asshole!"

The cold fountain pen was slammed heavily onto the heavy mahogany desk, making a dull thud.

Yin Mingzhu leaned back in her large executive chair, her chest rising and falling slightly. Her sharp, hawk-like eyes were burning with cold anger as she stared intently at the headline of the evening newspaper's entertainment section spread out on the table. The eye-catching headline pierced her eyes: "Sifei Media publicly accuses Mingzhu Media of plagiarism of its creative ideas. The evidence is conclusive, and the verdict will be announced soon. Former best friends are suspected of turning against each other due to business interests."

The report was highly inflammatory, quoting an "unnamed senior executive" from Sifei Media who claimed that the core plans for several hit variety shows and film and television projects of Mingzhu Media showed obvious signs of plagiarism from Sifei's early internal proposals.

Although the article did not directly name Yin Mingzhu, the implication between the lines was obvious, vividly portraying the dramatic conflict of "best friends turning against each other".

It's as if Yin Mingzhu used the term "best friend" to extract internal information from Sifei Media.

"You, Xu Siqi! You, Du Yuanyuan!"

Just as Yin Mingzhu predicted!
Yin Mingzhu forced a cold laugh through her teeth, her fingertips unconsciously tightening so much that they almost crushed the edge of the newspaper.

Although the court has not yet formally opened a hearing on the case of Sifei Media suing Mingzhu for plagiarism, under the instruction of Du Yuanyuan, Xu Siqi's mother, who was once the deputy director of a TV station and is well-versed in the art of manipulating public opinion, Sifei Media has already launched a public opinion offensive, and it is coming on strong!

Instead of choosing to communicate discreetly within the industry or issue a court summons, they directly accused Mingzhu Media of plagiarism through the media, presenting irrefutable evidence (although Yin Mingzhu found the so-called "evidence" dubious and firmly denied any plagiarism). They ruthlessly tore away the last shred of civility, leaving Mingzhu Media no room for compromise.

This "public opinion first" tactic is extremely ruthless.

Overnight, keywords such as "Mingzhu Media plagiarism", "best friends turn against each other", "degradation of business ethics" and "plagiarism of best friend's ideas" spread like wildfire across major print media platforms and social networks.

Unsuspecting netizens were incited, and competitors secretly fueled the flames, instantly ruining Mingzhu Media's reputation. Partners started calling to probe and inquire, creating an atmosphere of panic and pressure from public opinion like a tsunami.

Yin Mingzhu put down the newspaper, but a cold, bloody smile curled at the corner of her lips.

Anger? Of course.

But more than anything, it's a cold-blooded calculation of a hunter seeing his prey step into a trap.

Du Yuanyuan's seemingly fierce move exposed the opponent's lack of confidence in the legal evidence chain, and their eagerness to use public opinion to coerce the judiciary.

"Yu Li!" Yin Mingzhu pressed the intercom, her voice calm and undisturbed. "Notify Attorney Liu's team to execute Plan B. Also, have the public relations department prepare the press release and contingency plan for the press conference."

A few days later, at the Intermediate People's Court of Shanghai, in a civil trial division.

The atmosphere was solemn and respectful.

The gallery was filled with reporters from all walks of life, their cameras and microphones aimed at the plaintiff's lawyer representing Sifei Media and the defendant, Yin Mingzhu, and her legal team.

The air was thick with the silent smoke of gunpowder.

Du Yuanyuan sat in the front row of the audience, her posture elegant, but her eyes held a sharp, determined look, as if she could already see Yin Mingzhu's crestfallen appearance after losing the case.

The legal representative of Sifei Media and her lawyer, Attorney Li, who were standing next to her, also looked quite relaxed.

The trial focused on the core evidence presented by Sifei Media in its accusation that Mingzhu Media plagiarized its content.

Attorney Liu, as the legal representative of Mingzhu Media, is experienced and sharp-tongued.

He refuted the so-called "plagiarism evidence" submitted by the other party point by point, pointing out that it was weakly related, lacked originality, and even contained logical flaws in the timeline.

He pointed out that the initial draft of the proposal provided by Sifei Media had an unclear date and obvious signs of revision, making it impossible to prove that its conception predated that of Mingzhu Media; while Mingzhu Media provided detailed evidence of a complete creative source chain, timestamp records, and an independent creative process.

Attorney Liu's defense was clear, logical, and well-structured, gradually dismantling the carefully constructed defenses of the plaintiff.

The judge on the jury looked thoughtful.

After several hours of intense debate and examination of evidence, the presiding judge struck the gavel.

"quiet!"

The judge surveyed the room and calmly read out: "After deliberation by the collegial panel, this court finds that in the copyright infringement dispute between the plaintiff, Sifei Media Culture Co., Ltd., and the defendant, Mingzhu Media Group Co., Ltd., the existing evidence provided by the plaintiff is insufficient to clearly and adequately prove that the defendant committed substantive plagiarism, nor can it form a complete chain of evidence to eliminate reasonable doubt. Therefore, regarding the plaintiff's claim that the defendant plagiarized its core ideas, this court finds the evidence insufficient and does not support it."

"Bang!" Like a bolt from the blue!
The confidence on Du Yuanyuan's face froze instantly, turning into an incredulous paleness!

She gripped the folder tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Although Attorney Li, who was representing the case, had expected this, his face turned extremely pale, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

However, this is not the end!

The moment the judge finished speaking, Attorney Liu stood up abruptly, his voice loud and clear: "Your Honor, judges! Given that the plaintiff, Sifei Media Company, prior to this lawsuit, without any justifiable reason or submission of any formal evidence to our court, has been disseminating false information on a large scale and continuously through its affiliated media and online platforms, maliciously accusing our client, Mingzhu Media Company, of plagiarism, causing extremely serious damage to our client's business reputation and brand image, and that the relevant false reports have spread widely, resulting in huge direct economic losses for us!"

Attorney Liu's sharp gaze swept over the pale-faced Du Yuanyuan and Attorney Li, and he continued his forceful statement: "Regarding the plaintiff's malicious litigation, abuse of litigation rights, and subsequent media attacks and defamation, our client, Mingzhu Media Company, reserves all rights to pursue legal action! In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China and the Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the People's Republic of China, our client, Mingzhu Media Company, formally files a counterclaim with your court!"

He held up a copy of a prepared complaint: "The counterclaim requests are as follows: 1. That the defendant, Sifei Media Culture Co., Ltd., be ordered to immediately cease all defamatory acts against our client, delete all false information, and publish an apology statement in a prominent position on its official website, major partner media outlets, and online platform homepage for thirty consecutive days; 2. That the defendant be ordered to compensate our client for the economic and reputational losses caused by its unfair competition and defamation, tentatively estimated at RMB 50 million; 3. That the defendant bear the litigation costs of this case! The above counterclaim copy has been submitted to your court!"

This counterattack was precise and deadly! The courtroom erupted in an uproar!
The reporters were like they were on steroids, frantically taking photos and recording everything.

No one expected that Mingzhu Media would not only successfully defend itself against the plagiarism accusations, but also immediately turn the tables and become the plaintiff the moment the lawsuit was over, directly accusing the plaintiff of malicious litigation and defamation!
Du Yuanyuan felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and her vision went black.

Her meticulously planned media offensive has now become the sharpest dagger the other side could use against her!
As the trial concluded, crowds poured out of the courthouse.

The area outside was already packed with reporters who had caught wind of the news. Flashbulbs were going off, and microphones were thrust out like a jungle.

Du Yuanyuan forced herself to remain calm and, under the protection of Attorney Li and her assistant Cheng Hong, tried to quickly leave this embarrassing vortex.

However, to her and Attorney Li's surprise, the surging crowd of reporters did not surround them to ask about their "follow-up plans" or express their "sympathy" as some of the reporters they had "bribed" in advance did. Instead, most of the microphones and cameras passed over them and eagerly turned to Yin Mingzhu and Attorney Liu, who followed closely behind!
"Mr. Yin! Congratulations on your company's victory! What are your thoughts on the other party's malicious lawsuit and defamation?"

"Attorney Liu! What evidence is Mingzhu Media's countersuit based on? Do you have conclusive evidence that the other party is manipulating public opinion?"

"Mr. Yin, Mr. Du from Sifei Media is also here. Would you like to say something to this former 'elder'?"

Will Mingzhu Media pursue this to the end?

……

Questions rained down on Yin Mingzhu like a machine gun.

She stopped in her tracks, her makeup exquisite, her posture upright, her face displaying a composure that suggested she had survived a close call and was in control of the situation.

She raised her hand in a gesture, and the scene immediately quieted down considerably.

"Thank you for your attention, friends from the media." Yin Mingzhu's voice was clear and powerful, and it carried through the microphone. "Today's court verdict has proven Mingzhu Media's innocence. We have never and will never plagiarize anyone's ideas. Every achievement of Mingzhu Media comes from the wisdom and hard work of our team."

Her gaze swept, intentionally or unintentionally, over Du Yuanyuan, who stood not far away, her face ashen, surrounded by a few scattered reporters. Her tone turned cold: "We are shocked and regretful that certain competitors are using the media to spread rumors and maliciously damage our reputation. This not only harms Mingzhu Media but also disrupts a healthy market order! The law has already given us a fair judgment, and we have filed a countersuit against their defamation and malicious litigation! I believe the law will once again deliver a fair ruling! Mingzhu Media will resolutely defend its legitimate rights and market reputation and will never tolerate any unfair competition!"

Her words were resolute and forceful.

These remarks undoubtedly provided reporters with even more sensational material.

Instantly, more reporters abandoned Du Yuanyuan and surrounded Yin Mingzhu and Attorney Liu, their flashes almost forming a continuous barrage.

Du Yuanyuan was left out in the crowd, and her assistant Cheng Hong desperately tried to fend off several persistent reporters, making the scene quite awkward.

Looking at Yin Mingzhu, who was surrounded by everyone like a star, and listening to her righteous speech, she felt a surge of anger rush to her head, and her face burned as if she had been slapped hard in public!

"President Du!" Cheng Hong finally managed to squeeze to her side, covered in sweat. "The car is just ahead, let's go!"

Du Yuanyuan, almost gritting her teeth, was half-pulled, half-draggled by Cheng Hong as she stumbled towards the black sedan parked by the roadside. "Bang!" The car door slammed shut, shutting out the noisy world outside.

Du Yuanyuan leaned back in the comfortable leather seat, her chest heaving violently, her carefully styled hair becoming somewhat disheveled, and she could no longer maintain her elegance and composure.

"Mr. Du, please calm down..." Cheng Hong carefully handed over a tissue.

"Calm down?! How can I calm down?!" Du Yuanyuan abruptly turned her head, her eyes piercing Cheng Hong like knives. Her voice rose with anger, trembling sharply. "Useless! A bunch of useless trash! Didn't you say you'd taken care of everything? Didn't you say most of the reporters would side with us? What happened just now?! Why did they all rush to surround that little bitch Yin Mingzhu?! Why are they turning against us?!"

Cheng Hong trembled with fright, her face turning pale, her voice trembling with tears: "President Du...President Du, please calm down! I...I didn't know either! I did follow your instructions and contacted and 'greased the palms' of several familiar media reporters...but...but there are too many reporters here today! More than twice as many as we expected! And..."

"And what?!" Du Yuanyuan demanded sharply.

"Moreover...and I observed that many of the reporters who were surrounding Yin Mingzhu earlier were familiar faces from mainstream media in Shanghai...especially those who asked tricky questions...they kept asking you questions...it seems...it seems they're from Shanghai Evening News and Shanghai Finance Channel..."

Cheng Hong's voice trailed off as she spoke, "Mingzhu Media is a deeply rooted local enterprise in Shanghai, and Yin Mingzhu herself has dealt with these local media outlets for many years... I... I suspect they've been planning this all along, and those reporters... have probably already been bribed by them... Today, we've been outmaneuvered by them!"

"Hmph!" Du Yuanyuan sneered through gritted teeth, her eyes filled with a terrifyingly sinister light. "Fine! Very well! Fine, Yin Mingzhu! Fine, you mountain stronghold of Shencheng! This isn't over! Do you really think I, Du Yuanyuan, am a paper tiger?!"

She took a few deep breaths, forcibly suppressing her almost bursting anger, and turned to Attorney Li, who was sitting in the passenger seat and had been silent all along: "Attorney Li! Tell me! What are our chances of winning this countersuit?! We absolutely cannot lose! What I want is 'not only to win, but to win beautifully'! Do you understand what I mean?"

Attorney Li wiped the sweat from his brow, his expression grave: "Mr. Du, it's indeed troublesome that the other party is using our prior public accusations as leverage. The core of defamation lies in 'spreading false information' and 'causing damage.' Although we didn't explicitly name 'Mingzhu Media' in our previous public statement, the context and media interpretation made the implication too obvious. It will be very difficult for them to prove that we manipulated public opinion and filed a malicious lawsuit, but proving that we disseminated potentially unfavorable information targeting Mingzhu Media and caused actual damage... on this point, the judge might be inclined to support some of their claims."

He paused, carefully choosing his words: "But rest assured, our law firm will do everything in its power! I will do my best to defend ourselves, emphasizing that we filed the lawsuit and spoke out based on reasonable suspicion, not on malicious defamation. In the end, the worst outcome of this lawsuit might be... mutual clarification and apologies, or we might pay a token amount of damages for reputational loss, not a large sum. The possibility of us being found guilty of 'false accusation' or having to pay the huge amount of damages demanded by the other party is extremely low. It is very likely that the case will be dropped."

Hearing that the matter would be dropped and that the compensation would be symbolic, Du Yuanyuan's tense nerves relaxed slightly.

As long as it's not a complete reversal of fortune, and she and Sifei Media have to publicly apologize and admit to making false accusations, she can accept it.

Otherwise, where would she put her old face?

How can I explain this to my daughter?

"Okay! Attorney Li, I entrusted this most important case to you because of your firm's reputation! Don't let me down!" Du Yuanyuan said seriously.

"Don't worry, Mr. Du, we will do our best!" Attorney Li wiped the sweat from his forehead and quickly assured him.

The car drove smoothly through the traffic.

Du Yuanyuan closed her eyes wearily and leaned back in her chair. The anger in her chest had not completely subsided, but was temporarily suppressed by a deeper scheme.

After a long pause, she spoke again, her voice regaining its usual calmness, tinged with a barely perceptible weariness: "That's fine. Attorney Li, you should go back to the firm and come up with a plan to deal with the counterclaim as soon as possible. Xiao Hong."

"Yes, Mr. Du," Cheng Hong replied quickly.

"Have the driver go directly to the airport," Du Yuanyuan instructed, her tone softening and tinged with anticipation. "Judging by the time, Siqi's plane should be landing soon."

"Understood, Mr. Du." Cheng Hong immediately picked up her phone and contacted the driver.

Du Yuanyuan gazed at the fleeting street scenes outside the window, her expression complex.

A moment later, she whispered to Cheng Hong, "When you see Siqi later... don't say anything you shouldn't."

She didn't want her daughter to see her defeated and humiliated in her first battle.

In particular, she thought she was being clever by releasing the news of the other party's plagiarism in advance, which resulted in the other party seizing the opportunity to turn the tables and accuse her.

He, a seasoned veteran who had retired as the deputy director of a television station, actually capsized in a ditch in Shanghai and was thoroughly outmaneuvered by Yin Mingzhu, a young upstart!
Du Yuanyuan could only swallow her anger and resentment.

Her current plan is to let her daughter happily spend two days in Shanghai with her granddaughter, enjoying family time together.

After safely sending her daughter and granddaughter back to Singapore, she will stay in Shanghai and concentrate all her energy on fighting that damned girl, Yin Mingzhu!
She refused to believe it. She had more experience than the other woman, and had seen more of the world. This was just a careless mistake; how could she really lose to a mere young girl?
Unlike the oppressive atmosphere inside the car, the president's office of Mingzhu Media presented a completely different scene.

The sunlight streaming through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows seemed to be celebrating the victory in court.

Yin Mingzhu sat upright in her boss's chair, a triumphant smile on her face, and personally handed a thick document to Lawyer Liu, who was about to take his leave.

"Attorney Liu, you did a fantastic job this time! A swift and decisive strike, a fatal counterattack! You truly deserve to be called the gold standard of the Shanghai legal profession!"

Yin Mingzhu's tone was full of praise, "In this upcoming countersuit, I hope you can continue your efforts and press your advantage! Make sure you fight this counterattack beautifully and win decisively! After it's done, Mingzhu Media, including myself, will definitely not treat your law firm unfairly!"

Attorney Liu took the documents, his expression confident and composed. He bowed slightly and said smugly, "Mr. Yin, you flatter me. This is all within our team's duties. This lawsuit is not only about Mingzhu Media's reputation, but also about our law firm's reputation and professional image. Rest assured, we will do our best in the upcoming countersuit and will not let you down. We have plenty of ways to deal with outsiders."

His words exuded a strong sense of "professional" confidence.

"Great! With Attorney Liu's words, I'm relieved!" Yin Mingzhu personally escorted Attorney Liu to the office door and shook hands in farewell.

Watching Attorney Liu's tall and confident figure disappear into the elevator, Yin Mingzhu's smile deepened.

She turned back to her desk, picked up her teacup to take a sip and relax her tense nerves after a long day, when there was another gentle knock on the office door.

Yu Li pushed open the door and walked in, her footsteps very light.

She didn't speak immediately, but walked to Yin Mingzhu's side, bent down, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Boss, there's new information about the schedule of Ms. Xu Siqi, the president of Sifei Media, whom you asked me to keep an eye on."

Yin Mingzhu paused almost imperceptibly in the teacup she was holding.

Yu Li continued in a low voice, "It has just been confirmed that Ms. Xu Siqi took a flight this afternoon and has already departed from Luzhou Airport. She is expected to arrive at Shanghai Pudong International Airport in a little over two hours."

"Click".

A very slight crackling sound came from Yin Mingzhu's fingertips unconsciously tightening as she pinched the thin edge of the porcelain cup lid.

The joy of victory and relaxed atmosphere that had just filled the office seemed to have been instantly sucked out, frozen, and cooled down.

The smile on Yin Mingzhu's face vanished as quickly as the tide receded, leaving only a calm, expressionless, and cold profile.

She slowly put down her teacup, the bottom of which touched the table with a crisp "ding," sounding particularly abrupt in the suddenly quiet office.

Finally... are we going to meet?

An extremely complex emotion, which she couldn't quite define—was it bitterness, anger, hatred, or the tenderness of the past that she had forcibly suppressed for countless days and nights but could never completely sever—suddenly crashed into her heart.

After all, they were once inseparable classmates...

They are best friends and confidantes who have shared countless secrets and supported each other through their youth...

So many years of unforgettable friendship, how can it be completely erased as if it never existed?
She walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the bustling city of Shanghai.

The golden glow of the setting sun cast a warm hue on the towering buildings, but it could not warm her cold eyes. Her delicate face, yet filled with hardness and weariness, was clearly reflected in the glass window.

"Yin Mingzhu, oh Yin Mingzhu..." she whispered silently to herself, word by word, like the coldest judge, "...You care about that pitiful friendship and classmate bond between you, but what about her? Xu Siqi, did she ever care even a little bit? When she chose to stand on Lu Yang's side and stab you in the back with her mother, those feelings were already worthless in her eyes!"

A chilling hatred, like vines, coiled around me, instantly covering the fleeting tenderness in my heart.

She squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them again, all that remained in her eyes was a deep, icy coldness and unwavering resolve.

In this city of Shanghai, which holds so many shared memories for them, in this inevitable and impending reunion, let's make a clean break!

She firmly believed she was right! It was the other person who betrayed her first, breaking the once unbreakable bond of sisterhood between them! (End of Chapter)