SEC Chapter 96 Public Opinion
Chapter 96 Public Opinion
As night falls, the neon lights of Hong Kong illuminate the city, casting a dazzling glow over the Zhonghua Industrial Park. Many windows in the Zhonghua Group headquarters office building remain lit.
Inside the Legal Department's office, the lights were on, and several lawyers in suits were engrossed in a mountain of documents, their pens flying across the paper. They had to draft a strongly worded and logically sound legal letter overnight, one that complied with Hong Kong's laws while also taking into account relevant Japanese regulations.
Inside the technical department's lab, a flurry of activity was underway. Engineer Wang and several others were repeatedly testing two handheld consoles. They placed the Zhonghua handheld console and Nintendo's Game & Watch side by side, opening the same game screen.
Under the light, the difference between the two is obvious at a glance—the LCD screen of the Zhonghua handheld console is clear and delicate with vibrant colors, and even when viewed up close, there is no visible graininess; while the CRT screen of Nintendo appears hazy, with some blurry halos around the edges of the screen, and the console starts to get slightly hot after only a few minutes of play.
"The battery life test results are in!" A young engineer ran over with a notebook. "The Zhonghua handheld console can last for five and a half hours of continuous gaming on a full charge; the Nintendo one only lasted two hours!"
Engineer Wang nodded, picked up calipers, and measured the thickness of the two handheld consoles: "The weight difference is also significant. The Zhonghua handheld console weighs 250 grams, while the Nintendo one weighs a full 450 grams, almost twice as heavy."
He recorded all the data, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. Mr. Lin was right; Nintendo's imitation was ultimately just a poor imitation.
The next morning, Ms. Chen arrived at Lin Zhou's office right on time. In her hands, besides the lawyer's letter that the legal department had rushed to prepare overnight, she also had the comparative test report that the technical department had just released.
Lin Zhou picked up the lawyer's letter and began to read it. The letter started by listing the design patent number and game copyright registration certificate for the Zhonghua handheld console. It then proceeded to point out, point by point, the instances of plagiarism by Nintendo's Game & Watch in product design, button layout, and gameplay. The letter's tone was unequivocal and forceful. Finally, the letter explicitly demanded that Nintendo cease sales of the infringing products within seven days, issue a public apology to the Zhonghua Group, and compensate for related economic losses.
"Well written." Lin Zhou nodded in satisfaction. "Print ten copies and send them to Nintendo's Kyoto headquarters by express mail. Also, copy the Japan Patent Office, the Japan International Trade Commission, and several mainstream Japanese media outlets."
After speaking, he picked up the comparison test report again. On the cover of the report were two eye-catching comparison pictures—the clear picture of the Zhonghua handheld on the left and the blurry picture of the Nintendo handheld on the right. Below were also listed various data such as battery life, weight, and screen resolution. In every item, the Zhonghua handheld was far ahead.
"Take this report to reporter Li at the Hong Kong Commercial Daily." Lin Zhou handed the report to Ms. Chen. "Tell him that this is exclusive data from Zhonghua Group, and ask him to write a thorough in-depth report. The title must be eye-catching, like 'Toyota Mobile Suspected of Plagiarizing Zhonghua, Core Technology Gap Huge,' and then have our newspaper reprint it."
Ms. Chen took the report and replied, "I'll take care of it right away."
She had just reached the door when Lin Zhou called her back.
"Wait a minute," Lin Zhou thought for a moment and added, "Contact a few more media outlets in Southeast Asia and Europe and America and send them this report as well. We need to let consumers all over the world know who the true pioneer of handheld game consoles is."
Ms. Chen paused, then suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask, "Mr. Lin, what if Nintendo refuses to acknowledge the debt, or even turns around and blames us?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhou couldn't help but laugh. He leaned back in his office chair, his fingers interlaced in front of him, his eyes full of confidence: "Then let them come. We hold the patents and data, what are we afraid of? If it really comes to court, they'll be the ones who lose."
He paused, then added, "Besides, so what if they deny it? Once the public outcry starts, consumers will have their own judgment. By then, their product reputation will plummet, and even if they want to sell, no one will dare to buy it."
Miss Chen suddenly realized what was going on, glanced at Lin Zhou with admiration, and turned to leave quickly.
In the following days, the media in Hong Kong and even around the world were ignited by this sudden "handheld game console plagiarism scandal".
The Hong Kong Commercial Daily was the first to publish the in-depth report, which not only included the full text of Zhonghua Group's lawyer's letter but also published detailed comparative test data. Clear images and compelling figures allowed readers to immediately see the differences between the two handheld consoles. The report concluded by quoting a Hong Kong technology expert: "Zhonghua's handheld console's LCD screen technology is a groundbreaking innovation. Nintendo's subsequent imitation not only constitutes infringement but also shows a lack of respect for technological innovation."
This report immediately caused a huge uproar in Hong Kong.
On the streets and in tea restaurants, you could hear people talking about this everywhere.
"No wonder Nintendo handheld consoles are so cheap; they're counterfeit!"
"I knew it! Zhonghua's handheld console is so thin and light, while Nintendo's feels like a brick in your hand. They're not even in the same league."
"Support Zhonghua's rights protection! Our Hong Kong technology companies cannot be bullied by Japanese companies!"
Consumer opinion overwhelmingly favored Zhonghua Group, which in turn boosted its profile. Many customers who were initially hesitant, after seeing the reports, flocked to Zhonghua's stores and bought a third-generation handheld console without hesitation. Meanwhile, those who had already purchased Nintendo handhelds felt cheated and demanded refunds.
When the news reached Japan, it also caused quite a stir.
The atmosphere in the conference room at Nintendo headquarters was so oppressive it was almost suffocating. President Hiroshi Yamauchi stared at the lawyer's letter and the comparative test report on the table, his face ashen. He never expected Zhonghua Group's reaction to be so swift and forceful. Even more unexpected was the media coverage that had already stirred up the Japanese consumer market; numerous distributors were calling to inquire about the veracity of the claims, and some were even suggesting suspending their orders.
"President, what should we do now?" an executive asked cautiously.
Hiroshi Yamauchi slammed his fist on the table and roared, "What else can we do? Hold a press conference immediately! Say that our product was independently developed and has nothing to do with Zhonghua!"
But he also knew in his heart that such an explanation seemed so pale and powerless in the face of the overwhelming evidence of the patent.
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of Zhonghua Group in Hong Kong, Lin Zhou stood by the window, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Nintendo's game consoles are a combination of plagiarism and outdated products; they've already won half the battle in this public opinion war.
But this is not enough.
Nintendo is just the first competitor to emerge; many more challengers will flood the handheld console market in the future. This battle must not only be won, but won spectacularly, so that everyone knows—Zhonghua Group is the absolute king of this market.
(Please add another one as a token of my appreciation, thank you!)