Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Memes with the caption “Doesn’t your conscious hurt?” went viral on the Internet. Even television stations were surprised by how quickly it spread. The head of the Z University’s Law Department gave strict warnings to those that circulated and used the memes on Weibo, a popular microblogging website. It infringed on his right to his portrait. Moreover, he expressed he would send out a letter from his attorney as a warning to the one that made the meme because it tarnished his image.
The moment that post came out, readers were dumbfounded. Everyone had used memes for so many years, and yet none had seen something like that happen. Was that really illegal? Of course it wasn’t. So many celebrities were made into memes. If it really did violate their rights, would the court of justice be able to deal with it? Besides, would those celebrities give up that great big opportunity to become rich and famous because of a few memes? It was a no-brainer…
Soon after that article came out on Weibo, many law professionals came to inform the public about the basics of the law. Among them were many students from B University’s Law Department. They wrote comments under the head of the Z University’s Law Department’s Weibo. They only cited one article from the law.
“When a public personage decides to show and make his or her face public, the pictures belongs to the public. He or she cannot object to said pictures and how the public distributes them.”
This meant that if the head of the Law Department didn’t go on the television station as a specialist and was not recorded, it would have been against the law to make memes using his private pictures. However, the original picture that everyone used to make the meme was a screenshot of the head of the Law Department from the television station’s public broadcast. It belonged to the public domain and he had lost his individual rights to the picture. Furthermore, he could not oppose those that reproduce it.
In short, one couldn’t be a public figure and gain fame and wealth and ask people to treat one like a normal person so that one could protect one’s fragile conscience. Public figures had to endure the pressure and the price that came with being a public figure.
When the head of the University’s Law Department saw everyone quoting that article of law on his Weibo and that it became a hot thread, he finally couldn’t take it anymore. He quietly deleted his attorney’s letter that was full of anger from his Weibo. At the same time, he also closed his Weibo account.
Due to that, it affected his image very much. After much consideration, Z University decided to relieve the head of the University’s Law Department’s of his duty. Cai Songyin’s case had not even started yet but before the law expert knew it, he had fallen off his horse. Gu Nianzhi and Ma Qiqi had been following the progress of the case, and they felt like everything worked out in mysterious ways.
“Qiqi, say, how many people would be affected by this case?”
“It all depends on them. The winner would gain both fame and wealth. Of course, the loser would have to pay the price.”
…
Jin Wanyi was the lawyer representing the Tan family. She worked on the case with all of her might. She already accomplished a lot by bringing Cai Songyin home from the procuratorate. However, the case was not over.
“Prime Minister Tan, your wife’s case is fairly complicated. Right now, the most important thing is the case involving the embezzlement of your election fund. If we are too careless, this case could affect you…” Jin Wanyi warned Tan Dongbang with the utmost of care. She looked at Cai Songying, who looked dejected, and then looked at Tan Dongbang, who looked distressed. She stood up and said, “You two, husband and wife, talk about it thoroughly. I will take my leave.”
Tan Dongbang closed the office door the moment Jin Wanyi left. He walked over to Can Songyin and said, “Songyin, it must have been hard. They didn’t do anything to you, did they?”
Cai Songyin shook her head, but when she raised her head to look at Tan Dongbang, her eyes were brimming with tears. “Dongbang, it won’t affect you, will it?”
“No. No. I hired the best lawyer to handle this case for you. Nothing will happen.” Tan Dongban embraced Cai Songyin, patted her back, and said, “Little Darling is very worried about you. Do you want to see her?”
“Yes. Didn’t it scare her? This child has never seen something like this before. I don’t want it to traumatize her. Should I take her to a psychiatrist?” The moment Cai Songyin thought of her daughter, her heart ached.
“It did scare her a bit. She had been in her room the whole day and hadn’t come out.” The phone suddenly ran when Tan Dongbang said that. He took out his phone and looked at it. It was Gu Yanran. He quickly picked up the call. “Miss Gu, hello.”
Gu Yanran said, “Prime Minister Tan, I’m almost at the Prime Minister’s Residence. I heard that Mrs. Tan is home. Is it true?
“Yes. She just got home. Do you need to speak to her?” Tan Dongbang said that as he gave the phone to Cai Songyin for her to listen, too. “It’s Gu Yanran.”
“Gu Yanran?” Cai Songyin’s eyebrows wrinkled. “Why pick up her call when I’m in such a state of affairs?”
“She wholeheartedly wants to help you.” Tan Dongbang quickly explained when he saw that Cai Songyin had misunderstood Gu Yanran. “That night, everyone was hiding from you. She was the only one that came and asked what had happened. Then she brought a computer expert over to help us see where those little Weibo accounts came from. She helped us a lot.”
Only after hearing Tan Dongbang say things like that did she take the phone and make a soft “hello” sound.
When Gu Yanran heard Cai Songyin’s voice she chirped, “Mrs. Tan? You’re back? That’s great!”
The corner of Cai Songyin’s mouth raised and in a low spirit she said, “Yes, I just got home not too long ago. Thank you for your concern.”
“Mrs. Tan, you are too courteous.” Gu Yanran quickly expressed her loyalty, “Don’t treat me like an outsider. I’m almost there. Let us talk about your case thoroughly. I have some information that I want to talk to you about.”
Cai Songyin felt nice and warm since Gu Yanran was that enthusiastic. She felt really good. She softened her voice. “OK then, thank you.”
Not long after, Gu Yanran was at the Prime Minister Tan’s Residence’s office. However, that time she didn’t go in. Instead she said, “Prime Minister Tan, I came here to discuss private matters with your wife. How about we go back to your home to discuss it?”
Tan Dongbang thought about it and agreed. “Miss Gu is very considerate. We will discuss it at home.”
They went to the residential quarter of the Prime Minister’s Residence. It would better to protect their privacy. Tan Dongbang knew that even if someone wanted to monitor them, they couldn’t monitor them in their residence. They went to Tan Dongbang and Cai Songyin’s room. The moment Gu Yanran walked in, she was flabbergasted by the fine, extravagant, and exceptionally beautiful door. The surprise in her eyes disappeared in a blink of an eye. It was replaced with her gentle and refined smile. Cai Songyin asked her to sit and she personally made a cup of coffee. She gave it to her with both of her hands.
“Mrs. Tan, you are too courteous.” Gu Yanran raised herself slightly from her seat and took the coffee. She held it with two hands. She shot a glance at Tan Dongbang, who was sitting on the side. “Prime Minister Tan, Mrs. Tan. This time I came here to tell you something.”
“Miss Gu, please speak.”
Gu Yanran took a document out of her personal little bag. “This is a letter of authorization from the Xie family. It’s from France. I bought the right to use the external form of the sapphire teardrop shape diamond pendant necklace from the Xie family for a million dollars. That’s why it’s true that it’s a quality fake, but it doesn’t violate any rights.”
That meant it was legal.
“Ah?! Really?!” Cai Songyin was pleasantly surprised. “How could I have the nerve to do it? You spent so much money and time…”
She opened that document and read it carefully. There were three portions — one in French, one in English, and one in Chinese. Cai Songyin was good at French and English, so she could read all three portions of the document.
After she had finished reading it, she was very surprised and said, “The one million dollars is actually only the right to use the external form of a piece of jewelry?”
“Yes. There is also a serial number.” Gu Yanran pointed at the cluster of numbers at the top of the document. “This represents the certification number of your necklace. It also has value.”
Tan Dongbang also read the document. His facial expression looked complex. “I never knew that the Xie family was that good at doing business. It really is beyond my expectations.”
Even the external form of the necklace had to have a registered pattern so that no one could copy it. If one wanted to copy it, then one must discuss the question related to the right of using it with them.
“Prime Minister Tan, the Xie family doesn’t usually issue these kinds of certificates. Only because they respect my father did they gave me such a thing. Also, they want the price of friendship.”
Gu Yanran’s light-hearted attitude toward the one million dollars left a deep impression on Tan Dongbang and Cai Songying. It was not that they had never seen money — their social status was worth more than ten times that one million dollars. However, to spend one million dollars on someone as a favor so easily was still hard, even for them.
“One million dollars was the price of friendship…” Cai Songyin wanted to laugh loudly.
Gu Yanran also said, “Also, consider that necklace to be a birthday gift from me. Look, the pattern date is your birthday.”
To buy the certificate from the Xie family, Gu Yanran had to do a lot because the Xie family didn’t even want to sell it at all. They didn’t care about the issue regarding Huaxia Empire’s new prime minister’s wife’s reputation. They only said that violators had to pay the price. Only after Gu Yanran transferred one of her father’s, Gu Xiangwen’s, patterns did she get that certificate from the Xie family. That one million dollars that the Xie family said was “price of friendship” was really the “price of friendship.” Compared to the pattern Gu Yanran gave up, the one million dollars was only a pretense she put on for others to see.
