The Heiress's Game

When Dong Yuwei received the call, she was sitting on the small balcony of her rented apartment, lost in thought.

She had just transferred the last payment to the materials supplier when the landlord contacted her on WeChat to ask for the next quarter's rent.

"Hello, is this Ms. Dong Yuwei? This is the Jewelry Division of Xingyao Media. We saw your design work online and would like to invite you for an interview."

Starry Media – the production company of "Walking with Brilliance" and Chen Cui's agency.

Of course she knew that she was still a viewer; she had watched both the first and second seasons of "Walking with the Stars".

Holding her phone, Dong Yuwei could hardly believe it: "I didn't submit a resume..."

"Yes, we contacted you proactively. We are currently recruiting emerging designers, and your design style is a perfect match for the jewelry line we are developing."

If you are interested, would it be convenient for you to come to the company for an interview tomorrow morning?

The other party added another sentence that caused Dong Yuwei's heart to stop.

"By the way, if the collaboration goes smoothly, your design will have the opportunity to appear on the program 'Walking with Brilliance' and be worn by Ms. Chen Cui and her family."

Additionally, we understand that you have recently encountered some intellectual property issues. If you successfully join Xingyao, the company may be able to assist you in resolving these difficulties.

Dong Yuwei put down her phone and looked at the "Flying Apsaras" sample set on the windowsill. She recalled the fleeting comment in the video: "Appearing on a variety show like Star Glory, that's what truly breaks into the mainstream."

She originally intended to continue working independently.

Freedom means not having to depend on anyone, and whether you earn a lot or a little, it's all yours.

But this infringement incident gave her a resounding slap in the face—going it alone means having no legal team, no budget for rights protection, and no platform endorsement.

No matter how well you draw, someone can make you unable to use even the lines you drew with just a registration document.

To put it bluntly, this kind of solo work is just working for someone else for free.

She bit her lip. "Tomorrow morning? I'll be there on time."

The office area of ​​Xingyao Media was larger than she had imagined.

The entire floor was opened up, and the open-plan workstations were filled with busy young people.

She was led into a conference room by HR, where two people were sitting.

One of them, dressed in a sharply tailored black suit dress, exuded professionalism and composure. She introduced herself as Wen Qi, the head of the jewelry line.

Another person sat on a chair next to them, wearing a blue and pink silk shirt with a white skirt.

She was holding an uncapped fountain pen between her fingers and looked even younger than Wen Qi.

Wen Qi flipped through her design drafts, examining each page carefully.

She didn't ask those platitudes; she went straight to the creative concept, the feasibility of the process, and cost control—all expert questions, and every single one hit the nail on the head.

The woman in the blue shirt next to Wen Qi looked at the design drafts in a completely different way: she spread the drafts out, covering half of the conference table, arranging everything from hairpins to earrings to bracelets according to the series, then took two steps back, crossed her arms, as if she were looking at a painting.

She hardly speaks, but every time she does, Wen Qi stops writing and listens attentively.

"How did you come up with the idea of ​​using a Möbius strip structure for the ribbon curves in the Flying Apsaras series?"

Gu Yunjin picked up the hairpin design and gently traced the lines with her fingertips.

Dong Yuwei was taken aback. She hadn't expected that the other party would see through her most proud and hidden ingenuity in the design at a glance, and she was somewhat flattered.

"When I was copying in Dunhuang, I discovered that the ribbons on the murals looked flat, but in fact the painter used the turns of the lines to suggest the flipping of space."

I want to incorporate this "what looks flat is actually three-dimensional" feel into jewelry.

Gu Yunjin nodded slightly, put down the hairpin drawing, picked up the bracelet design and compared it for a moment, then turned to look at Dong Yuwei.

"In the design industry, talent is more important than hard work. I've seen your talent, but I still have a few questions for you."

Dong Yuwei knew that the main topic was about to be discussed.

"You posted a video saying that your design was registered by a contract manufacturer. Is everything you said in that video true from beginning to end?"

"It's true." She took a deep breath and recounted the whole story.

Then she opened the folder she had prepared and laid out all the evidence that could prove the originality of the work on the table.

The original pencil draft still retains traces of revisions and date annotations.

Screenshots of every chat log with the OEM manufacturer, from quotations to modifications, to the last message they sent during the last communication: "Registered, prohibited from use."

She even had a screenshot of the other store's so-called "original statement," and she printed out the page that made her tremble with anger.

"I've contacted teachers, friends who know the law, and even posted videos asking for help, but—"

Her voice was a little hoarse, "I don't have the money to hire a lawyer."

Wen Qi and Gu Yunjin exchanged a glance.

Dong Yuwei gripped the strap of the canvas bag on her knee and mustered her courage to ask a question.

"If I get the job, can I... get those designs back?"

Wen Qi turned to look at Gu Yunjin, then turned back to look at Dong Yuwei, a meaningful smile appearing on her lips.

"Do you know who is sitting in front of you? For other people, getting their designs back from an unscrupulous merchant who has stolen their trademarks might take half a year of litigation, and they might not even win."

But for President Gu, it was an easy task.

Gu Yunjin nodded. "For me, it's probably just a phone call."

"Of course, that's on the condition that you pass the interview first."

"We at Xingyao will not let our designers work for others for free, nor will we let our products go online with disputes."

"You should proudly and honestly put your name on whatever you design."