DASFAM_CH 15
"......"
Faced with the unexpected rhetorical question, Fang Xu and Song Zhiqing were both momentarily stunned.
Fang Xu straightened his posture and forcefully placed his teacup on the table, "Bai Xu, what do you mean by that?"
"Boss, don't misunderstand."
Bai Xu replied casually, then shifted his gaze toward Song Zhiqing, "I just feel that my abilities are lacking. If this exhibition spot is so valuable and can enhance the studio’s reputation, wouldn't it be better for Master Song to lead the team instead?"
His gaze was sincere, gentle, and polite, as if the cold mockery just now had been nothing more than an illusion.
Recalling Bai Xu’s past behavior, Song Zhiqing steadied himself and said, "I’m just an old man close to retirement, I won’t join in on the excitement. Since Boss Fang values you, I have confidence in you as well."
Bai Xu followed up smoothly, "Then will the exhibition piece be under my name?"
"......"
Song Zhiqing’s smile faded slightly.
Fang Xu clicked his tongue and immediately started spinning workplace rhetoric, “Bai Xu, have you submitted your design yet? This isn’t something you should be worrying about!”
“If you stand out too early, it’s easy to make mistakes. Just be patient and gain more experience behind the scenes, do you really think you won’t have your moment to shine in the future?”
Bai Xu caught the underlying meaning and pressed on, “So my original work, does that mean I can’t put my own name on it?”
“Does the name on it really matter that much? I’m giving you an opportunity, but that doesn’t mean your skills are there yet. You are a ceramic artist under our studio, which means you represent our entire studio!”
Fang Xu’s expression hardened as he made the final decision, “To be safe, I plan to do it the same way as before, submitting the piece under the studio’s name, with Master Song credited as the lead supervisor.”
A cold glint flashed in Bai Xu’s eyes, “The same way as before?”
Dodging his question, avoiding a direct answer, and instead piling on pressure, demanding that 'he' put in all the effort and creativity, only to erase 'his' name from the final work. How was this any different from plagiarism?
This was nothing more than outright theft, disguised under the authority of a superior and a mentor.
“Bai Xu.”
Song Zhiqing called his full name, breaking the silence with rare severity, “Have you forgotten what I told you back when you were in school?”
“Ceramics has never been about chasing fame and fortune. If that’s your mindset, you’d better change careers now! There are countless ceramic artists more talented than you in this field. And from now on, if you go around saying you were my student... don’t. I won’t acknowledge you.”
His words were nothing but a thinly veiled warning.
Seeing that Bai Xu remained silent, Song Zhiqing reinforced his authority, “Let’s take a step back. If I didn’t think highly of you as my student, I wouldn’t even be speaking up for you today. I’ve created countless works in my life, I have no need to put my name on just one more as a team lead.”
Such noble words, too bad they sounded better than they meant.
Bai Xu stared at their hypocritical, scheming faces, itching to tear through their façade on the spot.
But he knew this wasn’t the right time. The only way to take down people with 'reputation' and 'influence' was to strike precisely, hitting where it hurt the most, ensuring they could never recover.
"......"
Bai Xu concealed his true emotions and instead put on a deliberately submissive front, “Master Song, you’ve misunderstood. I… I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m just putting the final touches on my design draft. I’ll make sure to submit it before the deadline. It won’t cause any delays.”
Hearing his familiar gentle tone, Fang Xu and Song Zhiqing exchanged a glance, secretly relieved.
Fang Xu was the first to speak, adopting a magnanimous tone,“Bai Xu, Master Song is doing this for your own good. As the studio owner, I also value your abilities. This is a rare opportunity, it’s good that you’ve come to understand that.”
A classic case of hitting with one hand and offering candy with the other.
Bai Xu saw through it but didn’t expose them. He simply pressed his lips together and said, “Then I’ll go back and get ready. If anything comes up, I’ll coordinate with Sister Qiu.”
Song Zhiqing had always thought of Bai Xu as easy to manipulate, so he had no suspicions whatsoever.
Nodding, he put on his usual mentor-like demeanor, “If you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime.”
Bai Xu’s nod was perfunctory at best. The moment he stepped out the door, the gentle mask he had worn shattered instantly, replaced by a cold, steely expression.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Hearing footsteps echo down the spiral staircase—
Qiu Yi hurried out from her private studio, still dusted with traces of special clay. Unable to use her hands, she gestured with her eyes for Bai Xu to step into a corner.
She cast a sideways glance at the upstairs meeting room and lowered her voice. “You’re done talking? They didn’t make things difficult for you, did they?”
Qiu Yi had long seen through Fang Xu’s hypocritical way of handling things. The only reason she was still working in the studio was—
First, she had joined early and built a client base here.
Second, Fang Xu hadn’t yet tried to pull any shady tricks with her work.
Though Bai Xu usually kept quiet, Qiu Yi could easily guess that he was facing no small amount of exploitation. But since he never voiced his grievances, she didn’t feel it was her place to interfere.
Bai Xu glanced up at the meeting room, his mind already forming a concrete plan, “Sister Qiu, actually, there is something I need your help with.”
“……”
Qiu Yi sensed something unusual in his serious expression, but she agreed without hesitation, “No problem. Just tell me what you need!”
...
Knock knock.
A knock sounded at the door.
Xie Qi was seated in the lounge area of the master bedroom’s main hall. Hearing the noise, he immediately looked up, “Mr. Xiao Bai, you’re back?”
Bai Xu glanced briefly at Shang Yanxiao, who was lying on the bed, before quickly shifting his gaze away, “Xie Qi, would it be convenient for me to borrow your computer for a moment?”
“Of course.”
Xie Qi bent down to close his work interface before handing over the device.
Bai Xu swiftly navigated to a highly secure ceramics forum, relying on his memory. He entered his username and password.
Xie Qi exchanged a glance with Chen Yufei—
The former silently mouthed: What’s going on?
The latter shook his head, just as clueless.
Soon, page after page of design drafts, real-life photos, and corresponding videos appeared on the screen, each one set to private, visible only to the owner.
Bai Xu studied the neatly organized images and text, the corner of his lips curling slightly.
The original host had always been aware of Fang Xu and Song Zhiqing’s actions. However, limited by circumstances and lacking the resources for legal recourse, he had been forced to endure in silence. Even so, he had quietly made efforts to protect his original work.
For example, these—
Every original design sketch, finished product photo, and video had been carefully uploaded and time-stamped for proof. Some of the works had even been discreetly registered for copyright protection.
Xie Qi observed the forum page and recalled some prior background research, “Mr. Xiao Bai, these are all your ceramic works?”
"Sort of, Xie Qi, I want to ask you for two favors."
Bai Xu didn't seize the creations that should have belonged to the original host but wanted to help reclaim more for them.
Xie Qi nodded, "Go ahead."
Bai Xu opened a recently uploaded full ceramics design from a month and a half ago, "Help me apply for original copyright certification for this piece, and try to shorten the certification time as much as possible."
Normally, such copyright certification takes about a month to six months.
"If it's just a graphic design..." Xie Qi stared at the design draft on the screen and offered his suggestion, "Hiring a professional lawyer and going through the expedited copyright channel should speed up the process?"
"Yes, I want a professional lawyer."
Bai Xu agreed with his proposal, "In addition, I want to sue Taojing Studio for long-term theft of my original works without paying the corresponding contractual compensation."
Even though the original host had signed contracts with the studio, Fang Xu still withheld the design fees and commissions he was owed. The original host had tried to demand fair compensation, but the studio always found excuses to delay and evade payment.
Xie Qi frowned slightly, "Alright, I'll find a lawyer as soon as possible and get back to you."
Bai Xu nodded, "Thank you."
He could have just resigned, left the studio, and abandoned everything that once belonged to the original host, avoiding a lot of trouble in the process. But Bai Xu couldn’t bring himself to do that—
Ceramic design was the original host only passion and lifelong pursuit. Bai Xu wanted to leave some traces of their existence in this world, to seek justice on their behalf, no matter how small.
This design draft, already completed but not yet handed over to the studio, would be submitted for competition and exhibition under the name of the original host!
Snapping out of his thoughts, Bai Xu looked toward Shang Yanxiao, who lay on the bed. For some reason, the heat from last night, spreading from his fingertips to his entire body, surfaced again.
"Shang Yanxiao, he…"
Bai Xu hesitated, almost biting his tongue, "Still no sign of waking up? Why do I feel like… he actually looks pretty good?"
He didn’t look like someone who had been bedridden in a vegetative state for a long time at all.
"Right? I find it strange too."
Xie Qi was a seasoned actor at this point, "Dr. Zhang brought his team over again this afternoon. He said Third Young Master’s vital signs are all normal, and he even shows some response to external stimuli. But… he just won’t wake up."
"......"
"It might just take more time," Xie Qi adjusted his glasses, his concern tinged with certainty, "Third Young Master is strong. He'll definitely wake up."
Bai Xu thought about his rather excessive experiment last night and no longer had doubts, "Yeah, let's wait a little longer."
He had already transmigrated into a book, what else couldn't he believe?
Since Shang Yanxiao was a side character in a novel, it made sense for him to experience a miraculous recovery later on. Even maintaining his good looks while lying unconscious seemed normal.
Bai Xu withdrew his gaze, "I'm heading downstairs to get something to eat. You guys do your thing."
"Alright."
The door closed again.
Chen Yufei and Xie Qi exchanged a knowing glance. One walked over and locked the door, while the other picked up a laptop and moved to the bedside.
"Third Young Master."
Shang Yanxiao slowly opened his eyes and gave a simple instruction, "Do as he said. Also, look deeper into the studio Bai Xu mentioned. We can help with this matter, but make sure it doesn't drag the Shang family or the group into it."
Bai Xu suddenly deciding to sue out of nowhere? That studio must have something suspicious going on.
"Understood," Xie Qi nodded, "By the way, Third Young Master..."
"Uncle Lin said Fourth Young Master seems unwilling to attend the banquet hosted by the Sun family."
Shang Yanxiao sat up, his expression calm and indifferent, "Forget it. If he doesn’t want to go, don’t force him. That banquet is nothing more than a veiled trap."
The Shang Group's confirmed collaboration with Jinbai had suddenly fallen through, which had stirred up interest in Imperial City's elite circles. Many wanted to use this banquet to probe the true situation of the Shang family's third branch.
Xie Qi hesitated slightly, "But if Fourth Young Master doesn’t go, those with ulterior motives will definitely start spreading rumors again."
After all, with Shang Yanxiao 'fallen', the third branch's public reputation was entirely dependent on Shang Queyan.
Of course, Shang Yanxiao knew that. But in the end, he still had a soft spot for his younger brother, who had grown up free and pampered. He didn’t want to push him too hard.
Shang Yanxiao rubbed his stiff shoulders, sore from lying down too long, and said in a low voice, "Give Xiao Yan some more time. Some things can’t be rushed. Oh, and how's the small asset liquidation I asked you to handle?"
Xie Qi replied, "It's almost done. By next month, the total should reach around 80 million."
Shang Yanxiao's eyes darkened, "Good."
The power struggle between the Shang family's main branch and side branches was ruthless, and in his current condition, he couldn't show himself publicly.
For long-term planning, it was necessary to avoid familiar eyes and establish a separate foundation elsewhere.
...
Bai Xu strolled downstairs at a leisurely pace, just in time to see Butler Lin holding an invitation, about to place it into a drawer.
He called out, "Uncle Lin."
The butler, Uncle Lin, looked up. "Mr. Xiao Bai, you're back?"
Bai Xu’s gaze landed on the platinum-colored invitation, "What’s that?"
Butler Lin didn’t try to hide anything and handed it over, "An invitation from the Sun family for a banquet. They said they’d like the third branch to attend."
"…The Sun family?"
Why did that sound so familiar?
Bai Xu flipped through the invitation, and just then, Butler Lin said, "Fourth Young Master doesn’t want to go."
After all, banquets like these were bound to be filled with wealthy heirs and heiresses of the same generation. Shang Queyan’s physical disability was an undeniable fact now, and there was no doubt he’d face subtle jabs and gossip.
Courage wasn’t something built overnight. It was understandable that Shang Queyan didn’t want to go.
Bai Xu could relate, "Give him some more time. Some things can’t be rushed."
"That’s true."
Butler Lin paused for a few seconds, his concern light but evident, "The Sun family’s business has been growing rapidly these past two years. I heard their next branch will be based in Imperial Capital."
"Now that they've sent an invitation so openly, if no one from the third branch attends, the rumors that just died down might start up again."
"…..."
Bai Xu stared at the name 'Sun Miaochun' on the invitation and finally recalled the relevant details mentioned in the book.
He slowly closed the invitation, a hint of curiosity in his tone, "In that case, I’ll go on behalf of the third branch."
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