On stage, Julie momentarily panicked, but it was only for a moment. She stood tall on stage, smiling sarcastically, “This song is indeed mine. However, if you claim to be the original creator, you need solid evidence to convince everyone here. Don’t forget there are many media friends present.”
Trying to use the media to intimidate her? She stood firm; why should she fear exposure?
Thelma remained calm and composed, “Just now, when I heard Miss Julie sing ‘in the snowy scene,’ the word ‘snow’ was pronounced in the first tone. If Miss Julie is truly familiar with the Book of Songs, and if these lyrics are indeed borrowed from it, you wouldn’t know that in this line, ‘snow’ is used as a verb and should be pronounced in the fourth tone.”
Upon hearing Thelma’s words, many people in the audience took out their phones to search for the correct pronunciation of that line, and at that moment, a staff member hurriedly approached Julie and whispered something in her ear.
A flash of panic crossed Julie’s eyes, and she seemed a bit unsteady, but she still maintained her composure, chuckling awkwardly, “It seems the staff down there made a mistake in proofreading. The character is indeed pronounced in the fourth tone. I apologize for my carelessness during my studies, which made everyone laugh.”
After saying this, she bowed to the audience again, her attitude humble, and her apology sincere.
“Miss Julie, your humble attitude towards learning is commendable.
As soon as Thelma finished speaking, Julie appeared even more flustered, her face turning pale. The murmurs in the audience grew louder. In Julie’s lyrics, it was clearly “snow flying,” and considering she had just admitted to being careless, it inevitably made people think she was caught red-handed.
Thelma fixed her gaze on the person on stage and asked, “So, Miss Julie, please clearly tell us, is this song truly your original work?”
It was unclear whether Thelma’s question was too sharp or if Julie was too guilty, but she instinctively took a step back, unable to utter a word for a long time. A staff member, seeing this, hurriedly gestured to the stunned host, who quickly understood and said, “Today’s new song release event will end here. Thank you all for coming from afar.”
“Wait!” Thelma’s voice echoed throughout the venue. No one expected this seemingly slender girl to shout with such force. She stepped forward towards the stage, pressing, “Miss Julie, you still haven’t answered me. Is this song really your original work? Taking someone else’s hard work as your own and claiming it’s original, weren’t you just acting so self-assured? Why can’t you say a word now?!”
Immediately, staff members appeared to shield Julie, as if Thelma were some dangerous figure threatening her life. However, even with so many people protecting her, Julie looked utterly flustered.
Amidst the chaos, MK’s president, Jonathan Foxcroft, suddenly appeared surrounded by a crowd. He walked onto the stage, took the microphone, and addressed the audience, “I have just been informed of the situation. Thank you all for your support, and I sincerely apologize to all the guests for the unexpected incident at this release event.”
Thelma raised an eyebrow and smiled sarcastically, “Boss Jonathan, I have always respected your company. Didn’t I personally come to refuse your invitation last time? I didn’t sign a contract, and the rights are still with me. In the blink of an eye, this piece has been used by a singer under your management. Isn’t that a bit unfairb?”
Jonathan Foxcroft quickly smiled, “Thelma, you misunderstand. I just learned about this matter. What you may not know is that many of my artists have their own teams, and their business is managed by their teams. There are limits to what I can oversee, and I am quite helpless in this regard. However, it is undeniable that Julie is an artist under my company. Due to the improper handling by Julie’s team, I will discuss with them to ensure Thelma receives a satisfactory response as soon as possible. As for the infringement losses we caused, we will take full responsibility.”
As expected of a big company president, his handling style was indeed generous and straightforward. With Jonathan Foxcroft’s words, this matter was effectively settled; it was clear that Julie had plagiarized someone else’s work. The disappointment among the fans in the audience was palpable. They had thought their idol had been diligently working on original music for three years, only to find out that the song released after three years was a copy, and the original creator had publicly slapped her in the face.
Listening to the disappointed voices from the audience, Julie’s face turned even paler. She deeply bowed to the audience and was escorted off the stage by the staff.
