Chapter 9 — When I Don't Need Them Anymore

Luc Canh Tham stood still for a few seconds. Finally, she pulled me away. After walking five or six steps, he turned around and looked back once. I have started cleaning up the exhibition space. Don't look at him anymore. Three days after the exhibition ended. Studio received a call. As a domestic trade magazine, I would like to arrange an interview with "An Lac". I did not accept. But that afternoon, there was another call. After the studio assistant answered the phone, he came over and said to me:

"A person named Tien Nhuy said he knew you and wanted to meet."

“Did she say anything?”

"Don't say anything. Just leave your address and say you can come over when you're free."

I don't pay attention. The next day, Tien Nhuy came directly to the studio door. She's a little fatter than a year ago, her makeup is darker, and she's all branded from head to toe. As soon as he stood at the door, he started shouting:

"Tham Niem An, are you really too much? You don't answer the phone calls, leave messages and don't answer."

I put down the things in my hand and went out.

"What is up?"

“Uyen Ninh asked me to come talk to you.”

She crossed her legs and sat on the steps in front of the door, taking out a file of documents from her bag.

"This is Uyen Ninh's trademark authorization. She feels that the works she brought to the exhibition are a bit... similar to the designs of Uyen Ninh Jewelry."

"She doesn't want to make a big deal out of it, but I hope she signs this authorization form, admitting that her design inspiration comes from Uyen Ninh Jewelry, which is considered a joint venture cooperation."

I looked at her.

“You mean you want me to admit that my original work is a plagiarism of To Uyen Ninh?”

“Don't say such harsh words.”

Tien Nhuy smiled.

"Joint venture cooperation, sounds great. It's mutually beneficial."

“Go back and talk to To Uyen Ninh.”

I said calmly.

“My original design, creation date, and submission history are all intact.”

"Who cares who, just need to compare to know."

The smile on Tien Nhuy's face slowly disappeared.

“Tham Niem An, don't be unreasonable.”

"Uyen Ninh is very famous in the country now. The media raises her to the sky, customers are vying for cooperation."

"And you? Just an anonymous apprentice abroad. If you make a big deal out of it, the real person is you."

“Then try to make it big.”

I turned around and went into the studio. Before the door closed, Tien Nhuy shouted from behind:

"It's too late to regret it!"

The door closes. After the news was transmitted to To Uyen Ninh, she did not immediately take action. But two weeks later, many posts began to appear on several domestic design forums. The title is almost the same.

“Exposing ‘An Lac’ at the Milan exhibition who really is.”

"Thien Kim was abandoned by the Co family and is living abroad, still trying to gain fame from To Uyen Ninh?"

“This type of person is jealous of other people's success.”

The article is very cleverly written. First spread all kinds of negative rumors about me during my years at the Co family. Then it was hinted that I was jealous of To Uyen Ninh, so I went abroad to make fake products to gain popularity. The direction of public opinion in the comments section is extremely uniform. Obviously someone spent money. I did not respond publicly. But I do one thing. I collected all of my original designs, including creation date, submission history, notification letter of finalist... All arranged into one file. complete electronic profile. Attached is the contract for participation in the Milan exhibition and all orders. Pack and store carefully. Then continue working as usual. The day Lam Vu saw those articles, he was drinking tea. He put down the tea cup and said only one sentence.

"Don't be in a hurry. Time will tell whether the work is good or not."

And time has indeed spoken. Two months later, a famous jewelry magazine in Milan published an article summarizing the fall exhibition. The article devotes an entire page to introducing the work of "An Lac", calling her:

“The most notable new designer at this year's exhibition.”

At the end of the article, there is a special mention of one thing.

"An Lac's design style has a very high degree of similarity with a recently emerging brand in the Chinese market. After comparison, the magazine's editorial board confirmed that the registration time of An Lac's work was about two years earlier than the other person's. Regarding the relationship between the two sides, the magazine sent an interview invitation to both."

As soon as the article appeared, the domestic design world immediately exploded. Below the posts that once scolded me, a reversal wave began to appear.

"Wait, the original version's time is two years ahead? Who's telling who?"

“So To Uyen Ninh's representative work is not original?”

"Mom, it turns out that the person whose fame was stolen is not To Uyen Ninh but An Lac?"

To Uyen Ninh's team reacted extremely quickly, immediately releasing a statement:

“Design inspiration is completely independent creation, any coincidence is purely coincidental.”

This type of explanation stands in front of evidence like a piece of paper blurred by water. The more you wipe, the dirtier it gets. Then things got bigger and bigger. Because the person who dug up "An Lac" was Tham Niem An. He is the true genius who once "ran away from home" of the Co family. Domestic entertainment sites and marketing accounts immediately rushed in like bees in a hive.