Chapter 9 — Let go at the right time, life will bloom

I smiled and replied:

"So that's because..."

"You've met too few lawyers."

Manh Tuyet's eyes widened. Too lazy to argue with me anymore. When the studio is about halfway renovated. An unexpected thing happened. Dinh Vy sent an article to the city's largest design industry media site. The article title is:

"Confessions of a person who was plagiarized: The true story between me and a famous designer."

Throughout the article. She never mentioned my name. They're all aiming straight at me. She identified herself as my "former colleague". Affirming the core idea of an award-winning work of mine... It's a plagiarism from her design plan. Dinh Vy also attached several sketches called "originals". The date is on it. Earlier than the time my work was published... Exactly two months. The article is elaborate and full of emotion. Sincere words. Almost turns her into an innocent young designer. Being hit by a big company. And a famous designer. Join forces to suppress. Just for one afternoon. The number of reads has exceeded 100,000. Public opinion in the comments section. Almost completely leaning towards Dinh Vy.

"It turns out the design world has many dark corners."

"Support young designers to protect their rights!"

"Do celebrities also plagiarize? Their image has really collapsed."

Manh Tuyet was the first person to read the article. She was so angry that she walked back and forth in the studio.

"She's really crazy!"

"Those sketches are obviously fake!"

"Even the timing doesn't match!"

"That work you made three years ago."

"At that time, Dinh Vy had not yet graduated from university!"

I finished reading the entire article. Still calm as before.

"Are you sure those sketches are fake?"

"Of course!"

"When you did the project three years ago."

"All designs are saved on the company's cloud storage system."

"Timestamp cannot be edited."

I nodded.

"Then..."

"It's simple."

I hold the phone. Call Chu Nghien Bach.

"Have you read that article?"

"I'm preparing the documents for you."

"This is enough evidence to constitute slander."

"At the same time, there are also signs of unhealthy competition."

"Are you going to sue her?"

"But not now."

Chu Nghien Bach paused slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"I want..."

"Let her fly a little higher."

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds. Then he laughed softly.

"I plan to lead the snake out of the cave."

I smiled.

"I want her to roll all the cards."

"Solve it once and for all."

"Save the trouble of coming back later."

"But I have to monitor public opinion."

"Can't let this drag on too long."

"Otherwise it will affect the new studio."

"Give me a week."

"If there's something wrong, you have to tell me right away."

During that week. The topic "Famous designers who plagiarize" is getting hotter and hotter. Dinh Vy seemed addicted. Every day we post more so-called "new evidence". She released more "originals". Even found two "witnesses". Were college roommates. The other person. A former colleague at the previous company. Testimony of both. Almost identical.

"That's right."

"That idea was thought of by Dinh Vy first."

"I've seen her sketches with my own eyes."

Public opinion is becoming more and more extreme. Someone dug up all my previous works. Try to find more "evidence of plagiarism". Someone flooded my page Brands that have cooperated with me. Request to end cooperation with "plagiarized designers". Someone pulled up my personal account. Let out curse words. Manh Tuyet helped me synthesize all the information. Done collecting. Standing in the studio again, cursing loudly.

"What a blatant slander!"

"These people don't even bother to check the truth."

"When you see someone else talking, you follow suit."

"And those two witnesses too."

"I investigated."

"Someone owes Dinh Vy money."

"The other one."

"She's her cousin."

I recorded all of that information. Then close the book.

"It's about time."

Manh Tuyet's eyes immediately brightened.

"You finally counterattacked?"

I nodded. Come Saturday. I posted a very long article on my personal account. No emotions. No whining. Not to mention suffering. Part one. I published the full project timeline three years ago. From project approval documents. Go to the cloud timestamp of each sketch. From the customer's acceptance confirmation email. Until the final judging record. All have screenshots. Date and time accurate to the minute. Part two. I invited a digital forensic expert. Analysis of the "original sketches" that Dinh Vy published. The report concludes. The original data of those files. Just created... 1 month ago. Not three years ago as she claimed. Even though the photo's EXIF information has been edited. But traces of the original data... Haven't been erased yet. Part three. I made public the relationship of the two "witnesses". One person is Dinh Vy's cousin. A person who has a debt relationship with her. I don't comment. No judgment. Simply... List the facts. Final part. Also the most important part. I posted a recording. Not secretly recorded. It's a cut from the livestream that Dinh Vy himself posted on social networks. During that livestream. Someone asked her:

"Who is the designer you admire the most?"

Dinh Vy smiled brightly. Then answer:

"Of course it's Miss Tham Niem Chu."

"Her award-winning work..."

"I researched countless times."

"From color matching."

"As far as spatial storytelling."

"All are worthy of being model textbooks."

"I dream and hope that one day I can create work at that level."