Chapter 27: First
“The speed is pretty fast.”
Gu Yansheng had been back for only half an hour, and Wu Sibao’s men had already driven the car over.
Giving the car without taking money yet, it seems this meal went pretty well, generous.
“Go invite Mr. Wolf over, say his true love has arrived.”
“Oh, my God.” Mr. Wolf, summoned over, saw his beloved car as soon as he stepped out, and the feeling of lost and found made him emotionally agitated.
“Gu, you actually got it back?”
“Had someone find it, spent 5000 US Dollars, hope it’s returned intact.” Gu Yansheng told the truth.
Mr. Wolf immediately started cursing upon hearing it: “Are these gangsters so black-hearted, actually quoting such a high price? Damn it, if they fall into my hands, Gu, sorry to make you spend money.”
Gu Yansheng patted Mr. Wolf’s back, indifferently saying: “Don’t worry about that, go check it quickly, those thugs are rough-handed, while I still have money in my pocket, if you want to repair the car, I can still afford the bill.”
Whether it breaks the bank or not depends on Wu Sibao’s performance later; for now, this is at most an early investment.
“Hahahaha.” Mr. Wolf laughed loudly as he got on and tested it around, then got off and said, no problem at all.
“They not only washed the car for me, but even filled it up with gas.”
“After all, it’s 5000 US Dollars service, definitely making you feel right at home. How’s the court side?”
“Already submitted. They reporters have many sources of information, maybe even inside the court. If fast, they should know by now.”
The newspaper company indeed already knew.
Shen Bao.
Having finished proofreading the daily newspaper content and sent it for printing, the newspaper company’s editors were preparing to get off work.
However, a cry suddenly came from the editor-in-chief’s just-opened office: “What? We’ve been sued?”
The editor standing opposite quickly said: “Yes, I’ve verified the information, can confirm it’s real news.”
The sued ones aren’t just us, The Great American Evening News, German Daily News, etc., almost all mainstream media in all of Shanghai have been sued.
According to court internal information, at the latest the day after tomorrow we’ll receive the court’s summons.
“What what? All sued?”
Editor-in-Chief Liang Youwei felt his experience was still insufficient; all newspaper companies sued together, this is simply unprecedented big news.
“Really fresh, I’ve been in this business my whole life, never heard of such a thing. What is he suing us for?”
“It’s this content.”
The reporter took out the newspaper from the day of the incident and pointed to the headline above: “French don’t admit to handing over law enforcement power to Japanese, now suing us for slander, demanding a serious apology, and in the form of a newspaper publication.”
“Isn’t this just what the French Consulate called and demanded we do that day?”
Liang Youwei remembered; right after the incident, the consulate had called about this.
“Yes, but at the time none of us took it seriously, who thought he’d actually sue.”
“Ridiculous.”
Liang Youwei pushed the newspaper away, sneering: “Newspapers report on heard matters, I’ve never heard of newspapers having to take legal responsibility for what they see and report, this is simply absurd, utterly absurd!”
“Editor-in-Chief, what do we do? They’ve sued, we definitely have to go to court, or we apologize now.” The subordinate editor said.
“No apology! What’s there to apologize for? Let him sue if he wants, I don’t believe he’ll win on this trivial matter?”
Liang Youwei waved his sleeve angrily: “Didn’t you say? Not just our newspaper company sued, that’s all of Shanghai’s newspaper companies sued together.
So everyone unites, no apology. So what about the French? We have Americans, British People, Italians here too, not afraid of him!”
“Maybe still be cautious?”
The subordinate reminded: “The lawyer the French found is Mr. Wolf from Danwen Law Firm, this is a very cunning British lawyer.
If we go to court and he grabs our handle, the court orders an apology in the end, then we’d better apologize now, can still sell the French a favor.
By then lose face inside and out, that’d be too not worth it.
Besides, now we’re under the Japanese’s thumb, don’t have much face anyway, apologize, no need to even hire a lawyer.”
“What are you saying?” Liang Youwei pulled a long face, pointing virtually at the newspaper, “Is this an apology matter? This is a right to speak issue!
Today publish a news story, he can make us apologize, then tomorrow if we write about other French matters, do we have to send the newspaper to the French Consulate for their review before publishing?
Cannot apologize, absolutely cannot apologize.”
The subordinate had nothing to say, “Alright, then Editor-in-Chief, I think you should contact other newspaper companies, see what they think? Everyone advance or retreat together, avoid getting played.”
This made some sense, Liang Youwei nodded, picked up the phone halfway, then put his hand down.
“No, need to stall a bit. Isn’t there still two days? Other newspaper companies know the news, they should also think to contact us. Whoever asks first shows they’re afraid of the French, we can’t be so lacking in confidence.”
“Editor-in-Chief makes sense, but we’re the first defendant, isn’t it inappropriate not to proactively contact?”
Liang Youwei’s pupils widened: “Wait, hold on, why are we the first defendant? Oh, good things don’t come to us, bad things we do first, picking the soft persimmon to pinch, huh?”
“Not that, the court is still rigorous on this, specifically because…”
The subordinate editor pointed to the newspaper: “Other newspaper companies published on the day: French Concession handing over law enforcement power to Japan Shanghai Headquarters, while our content that day was: France submits to Japan’s Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.
They wrote handing over law enforcement power, we wrote submits to Japan.
So we’re the first defendant.”
At this point, the subordinate editor frowned, puzzled, “I’m also baffled, why only our headline is different from his, which editor wrote it, isn’t this drawing hate to us? Too unprofessional.”
Liang Youwei was silent, recalling the day’s events, feeling somewhat withdrawn, then silently looking at his subordinate.
The subordinate felt a chill on his neck, suddenly realizing, “It wasn’t you who wrote it, right? Ah? No way?
That what, Editor-in-Chief, remember to call the editors of other newspaper companies, I have something, I’ll go out first, hehehehe.”
“Running what? Going out for what?” Liang Youwei’s voice was a bit cold.
The subordinate editor shrank his neck, thought, then smiled obsequiously: “Things are mostly done, nothing much, then I’ll get off work first.”
“Have you no professionalism at all? Get off work at a time like this?!”
Liang Youwei’s finger heavily poked the wooden table: “As a reporter, with all of Shanghai’s newspaper companies sued such big news, you don’t try every way to make it tomorrow’s front-page headline, what do I need you for?”
The reporter suddenly understood: “Got it, got it, I’ll write an article right away, after writing let you review it.”
“Reaction too slow, deduct 50 bucks from your salary!”
“Ah? Oh.”
“Get out.”
“Alright.”
After walking two steps, the reporter turned back: “Editor-in-Chief, just this one move with a few short words, let me know the old ginger is still the spiciest.
Editor-in-Chief, you’re too awesome, casually writing a newspaper headline can overpower the crowd, bravely claim first place, not only recognized in the industry, but also recognized by the legal world!
Treasure sword unaged, model for our generation.”
“Scram!”
Smack, a flying pen brushed the door frame.
Seeing his subordinate flee holding his head, Liang Youwei sat down, picked up the newspaper, staring at the headline he drafted then: “France submits to Japan’s Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.”
Back then, to both pass review and pull off diverting trouble to the east, realizing French hatred toward Japan, now it seems the goal was indeed achieved, achieved very perfectly.
To the point of standing out from the crowd, bravely claiming the honor of first defendant seat.
“Treasure sword unaged, why not hold back a bit, now have to spend money to find a lawyer again.”
Liang Youwei sighed, decided to still call other newspaper companies, communicate.
After several calls, familiar editors from each newspaper company were all cursing this behavior over the phone, firmly stating no apology.
And to extensively and continuously report on this until French Concession voluntarily withdraws the lawsuit.
Not satisfied cursing over the phone, that evening, people from several big newspaper companies gathered together, reopening the cursing war, formulating strategy.
And decided to pool money to hire a law firm of the same level as Danwen Law Firm to represent them in court.
“Smithfield Law Firm, I’m familiar with their people, they just recently represented Swire in a shipping dispute with Japan, winning such a big case of smuggling contraband into Wusongkou.”
“Heard about it, them it is. Who agrees, who opposes?”
The British Person editor’s proposal quickly got everyone’s agreement; able to win on contraband, one listen knows the other side’s lip service is top-notch, absolutely can beat the opponent black and blue.
