Mu Jiahe took a deep breath, "Continue."
"And the elves. Although they promised to become our vassal state after establishing their kingdom, have you considered the consequences of annihilating an ethnic group that has been wronged? And the dragons circling the Orc territories. They just agreed to go to war with the Undead. If you stir up trouble like this, aren't you forcing the dragons to remain neutral?"
Mu Jiahe was astonished, "The dragons agreed to go to war? When did this happen? How come I didn't know anything about it."
Xiao Xun suddenly remembered the Dragon Emperor's beloved daughter, Perse, and felt a pang of guilt. "It happened a day or two before I set out. Perhaps I was in a hurry to leave and forgot."
"Are you telling the truth?"
Xiao Xun waved his hand, "Why would I lie to you! And it was the Dragon Clan leader, Friccius, who personally approached me."
"Then you have quite the face. I've never even seen what he looks like."
As he spoke, Mu Jiahe closed the window and walked to it. "Although what you're saying makes sense, the war with the Orcs is set in stone. It's not just the civilians' will; the nobles and civilians of other countries share the same thoughts."
Xiao Xun was anxious, "Aren't you forcefully pushing the Orcs towards the Undead?"
"That would be for the best. If they truly cooperate, it will confirm the truth of this matter. There's a reason for everything, and we are righteous soldiers, in line with the opportune moment, favorable terrain, and the support of the people."
Seeing that Xiao Xun still wanted to speak, Mu Jiahe held out his hands, "Can we not discuss this anymore? Aaron has already led the team out. I promise not to let you participate in the campaign against the Orcs this time, alright?"
Xiao Xun sighed, knowing that further discussion would be counterproductive. He nodded helplessly, "Alright."
Returning to his original world, Mu Jiahe was still asleep. Xiao Xun couldn't sleep at all. It had been not long after the New Year, and outside, everyone was still immersed in the festive joy.
He casually ate some breakfast and went to the company.
Secretary Fan's face immediately fell when she saw Xiao Xun. "Oh, my dear boss, you've had a great New Year, going completely off the grid. If President Mu hadn't said you had something important back home and there was no signal in the mountains, I would have called the police."
Xiao Xun grabbed a can of cola. "As long as it's before the end of the first lunar month, it's still the New Year. Is it appropriate for you to start scolding your boss first thing in the morning on such a festive occasion?"
Secretary Fan chuckled, "Then I'll treat you to dinner tonight to apologize."
"Forget about dinner. I'm afraid you'll mistake me for food."
Secretary Fan blushed and said, "Naughty! Such a big CEO with no sense of propriety. I'm talking about the food I'll eat, what are you thinking?"
Xiao Xun only then realized, "I didn't mean it that way. You're misinterpreting it!"
Secretary Fan waved her hands, "Alright, let's not talk about this. Did you watch our company's new variety show during the New Year?"
Xiao Xun looked helpless, "There was no signal back home... Just tell me what's going on!"
Secretary Fan said with sudden realization, "Yes, I almost forgot. That variety show was President Yu's first attempt, and it became an instant hit as soon as it was launched."
Xiao Xun yawned and casually asked, "President Yu? Which President Yu? I don't recall..."
"It's the big star you personally signed, Yu Shiwen!"
Xiao Xun suddenly remembered, "She's an internationally recognized big star, someone who's seen it all. Coming up with an idea and launching a hit show is like playing, what's so surprising?"
Secretary Fan's face turned cold. She took out a document and placed it on Xiao Xun's desk. "She has been seen. The country H claimed on the second day of the show's launch that our show was a complete plagiarism of their program and has filed a lawsuit."
Xiao Xun put his hand on the lawyer's letter and asked Secretary Fan without looking at it, "Did we plagiarize?"
Secretary Fan smiled and shook her head. "You'll have to ask our big star about that. Anyway, the impact is quite bad. Online reviews have caused our show's rating to plummet, and everyone is watching the original version."
Xiao Xun nodded, "I understand. Go and call Yu Shiwen to my office."
After Secretary Fan left, Xiao Xun called Mu Jiahe. The other end seemed to have just woken up and was still yawning.
"This is rare! You never call me normally."
"I remember you have a 'water army' company. Did you sell it?"
"I forgot until you mentioned it. No, I didn't sell it. What's up?"
"I need to use it..."
"No problem, I'll give you half price."
"..." Xiao Xun looked at the call interface speechlessly, "Are we still talking about money!"
"Brothers settle accounts clearly. Besides, we're not real brothers. You're looking for a water army, and it has nothing to do with yourself, right?"
Xiao Xun hummed, "Yes, Yu Shiwen."
"Then I understand. It's about the plagiarized show, right? Then it's full price. Your Dragon Pond Group can afford this public relations fee, can't they?"
"Alright. When will you contact your people? Anytime. But I must remind you, the plagiarism is too obvious. People aren't stupid; it's clear at a glance whether it's plagiarized or not. If it's just about stirring up public opinion online, netizens won't buy it."
Xiao Xun thought about it, "Then what should I do?"
"Kiss me, and I'll tell you."
Xiao Xun kissed the receiver twice. "Did you hear that?"
"I heard it, but I asked you to kiss me, not the microphone."
"Stop fooling around. I'm at work. Let's put it on credit for now. I'll make it up when I get home, okay?"
Mu Jiahe on the other end stopped joking. "Okay. Actually, the method is very simple. You just need to acquire the other company. Of course, acquisition isn't realistic in the short term, as it's an international deal. But you can find their high-level executives and get them to give you the copyright, so you can use it legitimately."
"That's a good idea. Okay, I know what to do."
After hanging up the phone, he looked up and saw Yu Shiwen standing there.
Xiao Xun's face blushed, and he stood up. "When did you get here?"
Yu Shiwen stood there awkwardly and said, "Just arrived. I saw the door wasn't closed, so I came in."
Xiao Xun smiled awkwardly and gestured for Yu Shiwen to sit down.
"I've heard about that variety show. Many people online say it's plagiarism. Of course, with your reputation and so many fans, it creates opportunities for those who want to blacken your name."
Yu Shiwen nodded, "I know, but I have my own pressures. If I can't create value for the company in a short period, how can I live up to the extremely high conditions you offered?"
Xiao Xun said in a calm tone, "I understand. I understand. The company's PR team has already started working on this. I think it's necessary to hype it up at this time and make this variety show a direct hit."
Yu Shiwen did not expect Xiao Xun to be so bold, "This... isn't it inappropriate? This is negative news."
"Right now, the audience just thinks we've plagiarized, and the entertainment company in country H wants to sue us. These are easily solvable problems."
Yu Shiwen reminded him, "This is an international case. The probability of losing the lawsuit is probably very high."