Online, public opinion had become completely one-sided. Netizens were having a field day, watching the drama unfold.
On the third floor of Shenma Technology Company, Ning Yifan was busy at work, completely unaware of anything happening online. He carried on with what he was doing.
In a corner of the third floor, inside a cleanroom laboratory, Ning Yifan watched the centrifuge he had built separate the various substances in the raw materials.
This was an important step in preparing a lithium-air battery in the lab. The lithium-air battery would be the main power source for a machine Ning Yifan was currently building.
After several home appliance companies had joined forces and offered an enormous sum to acquire Shenma Technology Company, Ning Yifan felt it was time to bolster his defensive capabilities.
Money could move people's hearts. Faced with the prospect of enormous profits, not every company would pursue its goals through legitimate business practices like those companies in Great Xia.
As Shenma Technology Company released more and more products, more major companies with a stake in its business would become involved. There would certainly be companies willing to resort to violence to get what they wanted.
Better to prepare in advance. So lately, Ning Yifan had been researching and building a piece of cutting-edge technology to ensure his safety in the future.
Inside the cleanroom, the small centrifuge Ning Yifan had built slowed to a crawl, then finally stopped. Dressed in a full set of lab gear, he further processed the materials, occasionally using some of the machines he had built to carry out the next stages of preparation.
Never underestimate the tools and equipment in this cleanroom. They were all small, but Ning Yifan had built every one of them himself. Their performance was no worse than that of the large machines in major labs—in fact, they were even better!
Ning Yifan worked until five-thirty in the afternoon, the time he had set for himself to clock off. Only then did he pack up and leave the lab.
When he reached the elevator on the third floor, its doors opened automatically. Ning Yifan stepped inside and casually said, "First floor."
The elevator descended. A dozen seconds later, Ning Yifan stepped out, pulled out his phone, and ambled toward the three-story house where he lived as he browsed through the latest posts.
He opened Bilibili and immediately spotted mentions of Shenma Technology Company and Samsung.
Of the eight videos on the homepage, three were about this very issue!
Since it concerned his company, Ning Yifan clicked out of curiosity. He soon found himself watching Samsung Group's announcement...
A smile spread across his face. "Patent infringement? And they're claiming I stole their research from their lab? Heh. That's hilarious!"
After watching one video posted by an uploader, Ning Yifan quickly clicked on two more about Shenma Technology Company. They were both discussing Samsung Company's announcement.
Once he'd finished watching, he browsed the comments and bullet chats. They were full of mockery and derision aimed at Shenma Technology Company.
Finally, he went to Weibo to confirm what Samsung Group had done.
"Heh. I can't believe they actually managed to crack my technology!"
"I was careless. I was too confident in my software skills and figured there was no need to register a patent. After all, no one could crack it. I didn't expect to get proven wrong."
"But there's no point dwelling on that now. The most important thing is to resolve this."
Back at his three-story house, Ning Yifan took some frozen ingredients out of the fridge to thaw. After putting rice on to cook in the rice cooker, he went to his study.
He logged into Weibo on his computer and lightly tapped his fingers on the desk. After a moment's thought, Ning Yifan posted a reply to Samsung Company.
[Reply to Samsung Company.
I developed and built the Phantom Projector entirely by myself. Your company claims I stole your lab's technology. Then show us more direct evidence!
You think you can fool everyone just by finding someone and putting together some footage?
The patent certificate you showed was issued yesterday. My company may not have a legal department, but I still know a thing or two about the law.
Don't think you can bluff me!
Since when could a sword from the Qing dynasty be used to execute an official of the Ming dynasty?
The term of an invention patent is 20 years, while the terms for utility model and design patents are 10 years. All of them are calculated from the date of application.
An invention patent should remain valid from the date it is announced as granted until the twentieth anniversary of its application date. A utility model or design patent should remain valid from the date it is announced as granted until the tenth anniversary of its application date.
Lies crumble in the face of facts!
In two days, Shenma Technology Company will release its latest-generation projector. Since you claim I stole your company's technology, let's settle this through our products and see whose is better. I'm looking forward to Samsung Company proving me wrong!
Let's compare whose product is better and whose performs more powerfully. If a huge international company like yours, with so many researchers and what you claim is Illusion Screen Technology, still can't make a product that beats Shenma Technology Company's latest-generation Phantom Projector, then your lies will fall apart on their own!
So, are you up for a showdown?
And you're even suing me for patent infringement.
I'll also take legal action to protect my interests against your company's behavior. Ever heard of defamation? Or damaging a company's reputation?
Heh. What can I say? I guess that's just the way Korean companies operate. Impressive, impressive. It's an old trick by now, isn't it?
If you disagree, bring it on!
Whether you want to take this through the legal system or settle it by comparing products, Shenma Technology Company is ready for either!
Since you claim your lab invented this technology, you must have something even better than mine. Let's see the product!
If your lab's technology and products turn out to be inferior to mine, then there'll be no need to argue over who's right and who's wrong, will there?
You stole technology and somehow made it better than the original?!
Can someone who copies the homework of a student who only scores 60 get a perfect score?
Since you've already registered the patent, I accept that.
Starting tomorrow, the Phantom Projector's driver software will be updated, and the driver boards will be upgraded as well.
The display driver boards inside the first- and second-generation Phantom Projectors, as well as the Youth Edition, were nothing more than compromise versions I developed back when Shenma Technology Company had no money and was constrained by the materials and equipment components available.
Now Shenma Technology Company has the means to manufacture better driver boards and equipment components, and to build better projectors.
The old driver software only worked with those particular components. At best, it could only produce products like the first- and second-generation Phantom Projectors and the Youth Edition. I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do.]
After clicking send, Ning Yifan uploaded the post to his company's official Weibo account and tagged Samsung Company.
The many netizens who had been watching for entertainment saw the person at the center of the controversy finally speak up. They rushed to comment under Ning Yifan's post.
"He really makes it sound convincing. I went back to check Samsung's Weibo. If they hadn't produced solid evidence—the lab documents and the arrest warrant issued by the South Korean authorities for the person who leaked the information—I might've believed you!"
"Hahaha, you're practically done for, and you're still stubbornly denying it!"
"Why wait two days? Is Shenma Technology Company going to run away during those two days? Is that time just for you to pack your bags?"
"The other company's huge, and they've laid out all their evidence nice and clear! You've got nothing but empty words. Tsk, hilarious!"
"I'll sit back and watch Shenma Technology Company get beaten to a pulp!"
"You wouldn't sell when it was worth 800 billion. Now it's worthless, huh? Hahaha!"
"Is it really so hard to admit you're out of your depth? You're struggling to your last breath while pretending to be the victim. It's disgusting!"
"I'm just watching rationally. I also think Samsung Company is more capable of developing a groundbreaking product. But what if Ning Yifan from Shenma Technology Company really is a genius? The kind who can create an entire era!"
"Genius? What genius? I searched Ning Yifan online. No record of him topping the science track, no record of him attending a famous university. He's just an ordinary person! He definitely stole Samsung's technology!"
"I support Shenma Technology Company no matter what. All I know is that it's a company from my Great Xia, while Samsung Group is a South Korean company. Even if Shenma Technology Company really stole Samsung's technology, I'd still say, 'Well done! Steal more! Better yet, bring all of Samsung's technology to Great Xia!'
South Korea has stolen so many things from us and applied to have them listed as its cultural heritage: the Dragon Boat Festival, the Lantern Festival, Confucian academies, Donguibogam (Chinese medicine), ondol, kimchi, acupuncture, royal court music, movable type printing, wooden architecture... The list is endless!"
Online, netizens voiced all kinds of opinions about the incident. Most of them were skeptical of Shenma Technology Company, mocking it and supporting Samsung Group instead.
But who could say how many of them were paid shills, haters, or just jealous?
Watch rationally, and don't rush to judge. Time will prove everything!
Before you continue