Xia Xiaolan’s proposal caught everyone by surprise. A buzz of discussion arose.

Her unexpected move left Lisa’s lawyer dizzy. Seeing that the court session was about to begin, Lisa’s lawyer finally suppressed his anger. “She’s trying to interfere with us. Don’t fall for it!”

Lisa held several photographs in her hand. The infinity pool at the Nanhai Hotel… This made Lisa’s pupils constrict. Although none of the drawings and photos were labeled with names, how could she not know her works? Those that weren’t hers must be Xia Xiaolan’s.

Lisa clutched the photos tightly.

An RV that had been parked by the roadside opened, and out walked Xia Xiaolan, wearing jeans and a T-shirt casually topped with a light jacket, looking youthfully invincible. Perhaps it was her commanding presence of ten feet tall, but the crowd parted to make way for her.

Xia Xiaolan was so cunning! She had arrived early but stayed in the vehicle watching her opponent running around, showing no anxiety at all, deliberately waiting until the last moment to appear.

Though not a big shot, she carried herself like one. This confidence of someone assured of winning the case would put tremendous psychological pressure on Lisa!

Xia Xiaolan still held her microphone, waving to the crowd. Her supporters naturally screamed.

“Please quiet down, maintain order for a moment. Thank you all for coming to support me, but we mustn’t disturb public order. I trust the New York court will make a fair judgment. Welcome, to evaluate the works of both Ms. Lisa and myself – you are all judges today!”

Afraid that some might miss out on the design drawings scattered from the helicopter, she even had people bring out many cardboard boxes from the vehicle, all filled with various copied drawings. Who knew how many copies she had made?

Drawings and photos were handed to everyone, including passersby who originally had no interest in this matter. The passersby began asking what was happening.

Xia Xiaolan checked her watch. “Two minutes until the trial begins. I hope everyone can wish me luck!”

In front of reporters, her opponent, and everyone else, Xia Xiaolan dropped the microphone and walked into the New York courthouse.

Eric followed behind her. Her witnesses weren’t visible.

After such a dramatic appearance, reporters finally came to their senses and wanted to interview Xia Xiaolan, but she had already disappeared, much to their frustration.

“She’s so beautiful!”

Even more beautiful in person than in photos, so vivacious.

“She’s so bold.”

This was the second impression.

“Perhaps…”

The third impression was subtle; Lisa’s supporters dared not speak it out loud.

“Fuck you!”

You idiots who got played along, now you’re dumbfounded, aren’t you? Kissinger, who had been holding in his anger for several days, finally vented it all through the design drawings flying everywhere. He grabbed one randomly – he remembered this, Lisa’s work from when she had just started at GMP.

Kissinger looked at it with disgust, crumpled up the copied design, and threw it in the trash.

Time was up, and Lisa had to enter the courthouse too.

No one knew what she was thinking at that moment.

But her lawyer was angry, cursing Eric’s shamelessness in the hallway in a low voice.

“That was inspired by you,” Eric replied.

For a copyright lawsuit, did they need to turn the defendant into a TV celebrity?

If they wanted to do that, obviously his client Xia Xiaolan had more potential for sensation.

Xia Xiaolan had endured for so many days, not for attention, but to launch her ultimate move and disperse the “public support” Lisa had gathered. Those people gathering at the courthouse entrance would put tremendous pressure on the judge and jury, and Lisa had been portrayed as a “tragic hero.”

Xia Xiaolan’s high-profile appearance shattered this atmosphere of tragedy.

While a group of people wanted to seek justice for Lisa, Xia Xiaolan gave them a task – choose for themselves which works are better, who seems more capable? Since the drawings weren’t labeled with names, those supporters worried they might accidentally choose Xia Xiaolan’s works.

Attention had been diverted – what tragedy and indignation remained?

Xia Xiaolan’s move would be very effective.

Eric couldn’t help but look at the young woman walking ahead.

To think this move was the client’s idea. Young yet patient, and ruthless enough – how was he, the lawyer, shameless? He had just been taught a lesson himself.

Qi Wei swallowed hard.

This was too ruthless.

Lisa had been shooting small arrows before, but Xia Xiaolan had simply ignored those small arrows, waiting until today to strike back with a great blade. With just one strike, she had nullified thousands of arrows—

Qi Wei also picked up some design drawings. She didn’t know which were Xia Xiaolan’s works, but for Xia Xiaolan to dare such a move, she must have had immense confidence.

Idiots like Zhou Yi could make all the mistakes they wanted – with someone like Xia Xiaolan managing her, Zhou Yi couldn’t stray too far from the path.

Qi Wei envied Zhou Yi again, not for her family background, but for being under Xia Xiaolan’s protective wing.

Han Jin was also looking at the design drawings.

Han Jin couldn’t understand any of it.

She hadn’t even done well in her major, let alone understand architectural designs from a different field.

But she understood Xia Xiaolan’s strategy.

Women were skilled at using minimal force to achieve maximum effect, using softness to overcome hardness, and using small to defeat large.

Xia Xiaolan didn’t follow conventional methods; her moves were bold and unique. No wonder Chen Qing had once liked her so much… Han Jin felt an inexplicable panic. Was it really “once”? After liking a woman like Xia Xiaolan, could he ever like anyone else? She shouldn’t have agreed to let Chen Qing come today.

As Han Jin’s expression kept changing, Song Minglan stood beside her, speaking perhaps intentionally for her to hear:

“This case has caused such a sensation – Xia Xiaolan must win. I won’t spare anyone who betrays us and causes trouble.”

“Senior Sister Minglan—”

Song Minglan wore a profound smile. “Junior Sister Han, you’re not focusing on the drawings. What did you want to say?”

There was too much she wanted to say, but she didn’t dare.

As Song Minglan said, Xia Xiaolan’s performance just now had probably won over even her opponent’s supporters, let alone those supporting her. If Han Jin raised any objections, she would surely face attacks from everyone!

Regardless of her thoughts, Han Jin had to stay put and support Xia Xiaolan along with everyone else.

There was nothing she could do about her dissatisfaction!

Who knew how that unfortunate Lisa, who had provoked Xia Xiaolan, was feeling now?

“Court is now in session.”

The judge was quite old, and couldn’t possibly be unaware of the commotion outside the courthouse.

Whether those events would influence his judgment of the case, no one could be certain.

Following normal court procedures, Eric, as the plaintiff Xia Xiaolan’s attorney, presented her demands in court – Xia Xiaolan demanded Lisa immediately cease the copyright infringement, pay $100,000 in economic damages, and $500,000 for damage to reputation and emotional distress.

“The economic losses include my client missing the AIA Rising Star Architect evaluation, interrupting her studies, and all expenses incurred coming to America for this lawsuit… Of course, we also demand the defendant bear all litigation costs.”

$100,000 in economic compensation wasn’t a small amount.

But compared to artistic copyright infringement cases, it wasn’t particularly high.

This amount wasn’t arbitrarily demanded; it had been reasonably calculated by Eric. The AIA Rising Star Architect award alone came with a $50,000 prize!

Whether she could have won was uncertain, but Lisa’s claim to AIA that the theater renovation plan was her work had eliminated Xia Xiaolan’s chance at the prize money. Eric believed compensation was due. The other economic losses covered Xia Xiaolan’s interrupted studies, travel expenses, accommodation, and other costs of coming to America for the lawsuit.

This was still when Lisa hadn’t profited from the plan yet.

If she had been like those singers who sell millions of albums before being sued for infringement, $100,000 wouldn’t have been enough.

The $500,000 for reputation and emotional damage was amended in court. Lisa’s lawyer completely disagreed… No, he didn’t accept Eric’s accusations at all – the work was Lisa’s!

With the plaintiff and defendant each maintaining their position, evidence naturally had to be presented.

Xia Xiaolan had quite a few witnesses! The first witness called was Kissinger, who had been itching to twist off the heads of Lisa and Mond Dawson! After waiting several days, he finally got his moment, and he definitely wouldn’t be gentle!

Before testifying came the oath, a basic procedure – the witness swore that all testimony would be true, willing to bear legal responsibility for perjury.

“This commission originally didn’t quite fit the firm’s rules. We usually don’t let interns handle projects independently, but when clients strongly insist, we have to make exceptions.”