Cross Lines

Chapter 36: Dispute

On Friday afternoon, half of the workday had already passed. Maggie stood up from her desk to get some water and take a break for her eyes and neck. With nothing pressing on her mind, she was looking forward to a relaxing weekend, which brightened her mood.

Just as she returned with her cup, before she had even taken a sip, her phone rang. Zachary's voice sounded somewhat urgent.

“Maggie, are you in the office?”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“The President’s Office just informed us that there’s an emergency meeting at 3:30 PM in the first conference room for all department managers. I’m stuck at the production plant and won’t make it back in time. Can you go and attend the meeting?”

Maggie quickly agreed, “Okay, I’ll head over shortly.”

“Uh…” Zachary seemed to have more to say but hesitated, unsure how to express it.

“What’s up, boss? Anything else?”

“It’s just… during the meeting, whatever they say, just listen and keep quiet. Don’t speak up.”

“Oh…” Maggie was a bit surprised; there seemed to be some underlying concern in Zachary’s words. “Did you hear something?”

“Just some rumors, but it’s best not to get involved.”

“Got it, I’ll be there.”

After hanging up, Maggie frowned thoughtfully. The timing of the meeting was unusual, and she wondered what issue might have arisen.

Since it was an impromptu meeting, attendees appeared less organized compared to the usual Monday morning meetings. The Business Department manager looked like he had a bit too much to drink at lunch, with a flushed face, the first button of his shirt undone, and his tie hanging loosely. The people from Administration seemed to have just woken up, with red eyes and greasy faces.

Jasmine and Peter Gao arrived one after the other. Jasmine looked hurried, as if she had just come from outside, while Peter Gao remained calm and impassive, as usual.

When everyone had arrived, Seymour Gao entered with a grim expression, to everyone's surprise, followed by Lola. What was typically the secretary’s role was now taken over by a translator, creating an odd atmosphere in the meeting room.

Maggie glanced up and blinked but remained silent. When she looked back, she caught Jasmine’s gaze. Jasmine’s eyes were filled with clear curiosity, so Maggie shrugged lightly, signaling her ignorance of the situation.

Once seated, Seymour Gao surveyed the room with a stern face. The chairman’s fury was palpable, and his anger escalated upon seeing the mid-level managers in such a state. He slammed a thick notebook onto the table, causing everyone to flinch.

Maggie, like everyone else, kept her head down, trying to grasp the severity of the situation. Seymour Gao was usually very amiable and always smiling. In all her years at the company, Maggie had never seen the chairman so enraged.

“Let’s show them the material,” Seymour Gao said, seemingly trying to control his anger. Lola, sitting behind him, stood up, turned on the projector, and distributed a stack of color-printed materials from her briefcase.

As she moved about, many eyes in the meeting room turned to her, some inquisitive, some dismissive. When she reached Maggie and handed her the papers, Maggie’s face changed upon seeing the contents.

At that moment, the screen displayed an advertisement for a home products brand, which was highly stylish and seamlessly integrated with the product. The only problem was that it featured the competitor “Yimei Home Furnishings” instead of Yafu.

Everyone in the room looked around in shock. The promotional materials and the advertisement were strikingly similar to the new product launch plan finalized by Yafu a month ago. The exquisite product images were Yafu’s new designs for the year.

Seeing their months of hard work appear in someone else's advertisement, Maggie was frozen, struggling to process what was happening. Seymour Gao began speaking.

“Have you all seen it clearly? Can someone explain what’s going on?”

An oppressive silence filled the room. At such a critical juncture, no one was willing to speak up recklessly. Seymour Gao, red-faced with rage, directly addressed the two vice presidents.

“Vice Presidents? Speak up.”

Peter Gao maintained his composure, fiddling with his pen and showing no intention of speaking. Jasmine, unable to ignore her father, cleared her throat and spoke.

“Someone leaked our internal confidential information.”

Seymour Gao sneered but remained silent, turning his gaze to his daughter. Jasmine avoided his eyes and continued.

“Yimei would not be able to launch such an elaborate imitation without having access to our design patents beforehand. So—”

“So what?” Seymour Gao interrupted.

“So, this must have happened before the announcement. There must be an insider in the company.”

The room buzzed with activity. Many people exchanged nervous glances. Seymour Gao turned his attention to Peter Gao.

“And you? What’s your opinion?”

Peter Gao adjusted his glasses and smiled faintly, “The play hasn’t even started, and already people are sabotaging it.”

Seymour Gao tapped the table sharply.

“You all know how difficult it is to launch domestically at this stage. Yimei and we submitted our materials almost simultaneously, and it’s nearly impossible for two companies in the same industry to launch at the same time. This means that whichever company goes first, the other will have to wait indefinitely!”

He paused, looking at everyone around the table. “This new product launch is crucial for our company’s marketing! The production plant has already started preparing the first batch. And now, at such a critical moment, this happens!”

Seymour Gao, experienced in handling crises, knew that dwelling on the problem was unproductive, so he shifted to problem-solving mode.

By now, everyone had begun to understand the gravity of the situation. Some department heads, who were not directly involved, looked relieved. Maggie’s face, however, was visibly distressed.

“Our promotion plan was announced internally just a month ago. It’s impossible for the competitor to have created such a perfect imitation in such a short time. This must be an issue that occurred before the announcement.”

Leo, speaking calmly, glanced at Seymour Gao. A sales manager quickly agreed.

“Yes, if it were known before the announcement, only a few people would have known about it.”

“The earliest it could have been known would be within the Design Department, right?”

Qiqi, sitting sideways, smirked and spoke lightly. All eyes turned to Maggie. Maggie looked at Qiqi from across several people.

The second daughter, without changing her expression, responded with disdain. “The Design Department worked on these new products for months. Who can guarantee there were no issues in the process?”

“Manager Gao, do you have any evidence for such suspicions?” Maggie asked, her voice steady but firm.

“Pfft~”

Qiqi dismissed the question with a scoff, turning her gaze away. Seymour Gao, who remembered Maggie from a previous award ceremony, addressed her.

“Maggie, were you in charge of this year’s new product design?”

“Yes, I was.”

Maggie met Seymour Gao’s gaze with composure. The chairman nodded and did not press further. At this point, the head of the R&D center, due to its affiliation with the Design Department, felt compelled to speak on Maggie’s behalf.

“The Design Department worked tirelessly on this product, and the results were the collective effort of over twenty designers. If the competitor received these designs, it means our work would be credited to someone else. No designer would be willing to accept that.”

“Director Wang, don’t be so naive. In life, there are other motivations besides fame—there’s also profit!”

Qiqi’s eyes flashed with a cold glare, landing directly on Maggie.

Maggie ignored her and looked around the room. Most people were maintaining a neutral, detached demeanor. It was understandable; in such a situation, everyone would be eager to distance themselves from any suspicion.

At this point, Peter Gao, who had been mostly silent, spoke.

“While the Design Department was the first to produce the work, it’s impossible to work in isolation for months. There would have been revisions and reviews during this period, and it’s possible something went wrong.”

Everyone knew that Jasmine was responsible for overseeing these tasks, and the product designs were reviewed by her first. Although Peter did not name names, his remarks clearly pointed the finger at Jasmine.

Jasmine smiled lightly but did not address the implication.

“Enough.” Seymour Gao shifted in his seat and leaned back. “Lola will take full responsibility for this matter. Each department should cooperate, investigate thoroughly, and submit reports on how to handle the situation.”

As soon as he finished, nearly everyone’s gaze shifted to Lola, who remained composed and unfazed.