章節 485: Chapter 485: Strike Back
In the office of the president of Jiuding Animation Co., Ltd.'s Japanese branch, Ma Tengdong sat at his desk, his face dark and brooding as he watched images of *Zhiyin Manke* comics being burned on television. His jaw was clenched, fists tightly balled, and a surge of anger bubbled up inside him, almost driving him to violence.
The actions of the Ichihashi Group were utterly ruthless and devious! His worst fears had come true, and the storm had hit harder and sooner than he had anticipated.
The Ichihashi Group was not only using newspapers to mislead public opinion and deny the origins of the comics but was also inciting nationalist sentiment, bribing readers and bookstores to encourage ordinary readers to boycott *Zhiyin Manke*. This was a thoroughly malicious strategy.
*Knock, knock, knock!*
"President, are you there?"
At that moment, the office door was knocked on, and an anxious voice came from outside.
"Come in!"
Ma Tengdong took a deep breath, forcing his expression to calm, and said in a deep voice.
*Creak...*
As the office door opened, a subordinate walked in, looking uneasy. Perhaps due to his unstable mood, he spoke while walking: "President, we just got a call from our Tokyo Branch No. 2 store. There are protesters outside the store, blocking customers from entering and burning our comics. Some people are even buying our comics and then burning them outside. The store manager doesn't know what to do and has already called the police."
Upon hearing this, Ma Tengdong's face darkened instantly, and a furious blaze of anger ignited within him.
How much worse could it get? The Ichihashi Group was using despicable tactics to strike at Jiuding Animation's most vulnerable points.
In just two days, such extreme actions as protests and boycotts were beyond what could be explained by mere public sentiment; someone was clearly manipulating this situation from behind the scenes.
Despite his rage, Ma Tengdong did not lose his composure. He knew that the Ichihashi Group's objective was to destroy the favorable situation of *Zhiyin Manke* and bring it to ruin.
What was crucial now was not to be overwhelmed by anger but to devise a counter-strategy.
Breaking the Ichihashi Group's schemes and striking back was the priority!
After a moment of contemplation, Ma Tengdong's eyes suddenly sharpened as he looked at his subordinate and said, "Notify all store employees not to panic. If the burning affects our business, they should call the police immediately. If people want to buy our comics only to burn them, let them buy! We won't refuse anyone. If they're paying us to increase our sales, why would we say no?"
The subordinate, initially shocked, felt reassured by Ma Tengdong's stance. He nodded in agreement and said, "Understood. I'll notify them right away."
"Calm the employees and assure them of the company's strength. The Ichihashi Group can't be arrogant for long!"
Ma Tengdong instructed, a fierce glint in his eyes.
"Yes!"
The resolute and menacing words from Ma Tengdong calmed his subordinate, who finally managed a relaxed expression and responded loudly.
After the subordinate left and closed the door, Ma Tengdong's expression became serious again. He took a sip of water and paced around the office, trying to come up with an effective solution.
Unconsciously, he found himself back on the sofa, picking up a stack of newspapers and quickly flipping through them, his gaze growing more intense.
The Ichihashi Group's tactics were so extreme that it was a life-or-death struggle. Jiuding Animation had no room to retreat; any retreat would only result in being mercilessly beaten down.
And he absolutely could not retreat! Retreat would mean being expelled and facing even worse consequences.
So, in this crisis, he had to fight the Ichihashi Group to a standstill! And he had to win, to live up to Chairman Xia Yu's trust!
After some reflection, Ma Tengdong knew that Chairman Xia Yu had been dissatisfied with him. Thus, when facing a more serious crisis, he hadn't sought Xia Yu's help in a panic as he had before. He needed to prove his capability!
The situation wasn't hopeless yet!
"The current situation is extremely unfavorable for us. We're fighting on enemy territory, with the Ichihashi Group having the geographical advantage and now also starting to gain popular support. The odds of us winning seem very slim."
Ma Tengdong felt a tinge of frustration, muttering to himself as his forehead furrowed deeply.
This crisis had to be won; only victory would ensure survival and potentially bring immense benefits, elevating *Zhiyin Manke* to its peak!
After all, Ma Tengdong had spent over a decade in Japan and had a thorough understanding of Japanese society and culture.
Japanese people were very aggressive towards outsiders and resilient, but they had a notable weakness: they were bully the weak and feared the strong. They would relentlessly attack the weak but would become very docile when defeated by the strong.
This cultural trait meant that defeating them would earn their respect and awe. Just look at how Japan, despite its desires to break free, remains under the leash of the United States, always submissive whenever the U.S. shows displeasure.
In Ma Tengdong's view, this crisis was also an opportunity. Overcoming it would make *Zhiyin Manke* and Jiuding Animation renowned throughout Japan and establish a solid foundation for Jiuding Animation's long-term success.
So, he had to fight back fiercely and win!
"We can't let the Ichihashi Group dictate our moves. Our strength is insufficient, so we need to break through at critical points, creating opportunities that could cause fatal damage!"
"You fight your fight, and I'll fight mine. Let's see whose methods are more effective!"
Determined, Ma Tengdong said to himself, "Let's escalate the situation, file a lawsuit at the Tokyo court, and disrupt the Ichihashi Group's rhythm!"
"Although our company hasn't registered manga copyrights in Japan, we hold international patents registered in the U.S. Our company is bound to remain unbeaten. Japan signed the Patent Cooperation Treaty in Washington in 1970, so Japanese courts won't dare to ignore it!"
In Ma Tengdong's mind, the outcome of the lawsuit was already clear. What mattered now was the symbolic significance of filing it.
By taking the Ichihashi Group to court, he would show that he had sufficient confidence. This would signal to the readers stirred up by the Ichihashi Group and help calm the chaotic public opinion, buying time for Jiuding Animation.
It would also disrupt the Ichihashi Group's offensive and allow him to regain control!
With this, he would have time to settle accounts with the Ichihashi Group slowly!
In fact, aside from the international patents, Ma Tengdong had other strong evidence that was ten to a hundred times more substantial than the so-called "evidence" the Ichihashi Group planned to present at their press conference.
For instance, the subsequent plots and settings of the comics.
Due to Chairman Xia Yu's instructions, there were extensive drafts of *Dragon Ball* and the other three comics. Even if the creation of the comics stopped now, the completed drafts were enough for half a year of magazine serialization. Such a large volume of drafts was rare in the Japanese manga industry.
The Ichihashi Group claimed these four comics were originally theirs? Then let's present the evidence and let the court determine whose claim is genuine.
Ma Tengdong was confident that the fake could never become real!
With these practical countermeasures in mind, Ma Tengdong's heart settled, and he continued to think of other ways.
When slapped in the face, one must retaliate!
After a while, Ma Tengdong came up with several strategies and a cold smile appeared on his lips.
"Victory is mine, and I'll also claim the benefits in advance!"
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票