Chapter 129: Those Who Imitate Me Shall Die

After hesitating for a moment, Xu Kuangdao answered the phone.

“Hello.”

“Third Brother, what are you doing?”

“Big Brother, I was just in a meeting with the employees. What’s wrong?”

“Call Old Luo right away. He has something urgent to discuss with you. Hurry.”

Old Luo’s full name was Luo Dafeng. He was the connection between Xu Kuangdao and the provincial and municipal officials.

If Luo Dafeng was calling, it had to be about the branch companies.

Without hesitation, Xu Kuangdao hung up and immediately called Luo Dafeng. The moment the call connected, he heard news he had been eagerly awaiting.

“Boss Xu, Zhang Tianfeng has made his move.”

“His employees have already delivered the advertising samples to every television station. They should be broadcast by tonight at the latest.”

“We need to come up with a way to counter him immediately and make sure he never gets back on his feet.”

“Old Luo, is that all?” Xu Kuangdao asked.

“Yes, that’s all.”

“Then don’t worry about it. Let him advertise!”

After saying this, Xu Kuangdao even burst out laughing.

When the lawsuit had ended and he had confronted Zhang Tianfeng, Xu Kuangdao had still felt somewhat uneasy.

Zhang Tianfeng had been far too calm. Apart from punishing Tianlong Corporation, he had taken no further action.

He had not even reacted to Xu Kuangdao’s plagiarism.

During this period, Xu Kuangdao had remained constantly on guard while doing everything in his power to uncover Zhang Tianfeng’s secrets.

After all that effort, it turned out the man had merely filmed a commercial. What a fright.

On the other end of the line, Luo Dafeng was thoroughly confused. Zhang Tianfeng had already begun making his move, so why did Xu Kuangdao sound so pleased?

“Boss, I—”

“That’s enough. Continue according to plan. He can run his advertisements, and we’ll buy our own advertising slots. We won’t interfere with each other.”

Since the boss had given the order, what else could Luo Dafeng do as an employee? Naturally, he followed it.

After putting down the phone, Xu Kuangdao dropped heavily onto the sofa.

With a laugh, he patted his thigh. His secretary obediently sat down against his lap, enduring her employer’s advances.

“That little bastard made such a fuss over nothing and nearly scared me to death.”

“With a boss as formidable as you, how could some outsider from another province possibly be your match?”

“Of course he couldn’t be. Go turn on the television, then bring in some food.”

“Today, I’m going to be that brat’s very first viewer and give him a little support.”

The secretary fled as though a great serpent were behind her.

Xu Kuangdao waited from morning until evening, and eventually began to grow impatient.

To watch the advertisement for Bluefront Toy Factory, he had turned down a great many social engagements and stayed with his secretary in the bedroom behind the conference room.

After lying down for so long, his lower back began to ache. He would have to drink some nourishing soup again.

Muttering to himself, Xu Kuangdao rose and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window to stretch.

Just then, the secretary suddenly called out,

“Boss, their commercial is on.”

Xu Kuangdao hurried over to the television.

The news had just ended, and even on a local station, advertising during this time slot was extremely expensive.

On the screen, a child was playing with a Rubik’s Cube. In the upper-left corner of the table, the words “Bluefront Toy Factory” were clearly visible.

The child fumbled with the cube, playing at random for quite some time without managing to restore it.

“Dad, what are we having for lunch?”

“Fish. It’s good for developing the mind.”

“Alright, I’ll go buy some right now.”

Hearing the parents’ voices, Xu Kuangdao burst out laughing.

What kind of terrible commercial was this? It was nothing but a close-up shot aimed at the toy. You could not even see the child’s face, let alone the parents.

The sound was chaotic as well: the television, the chopping of vegetables, and the child’s unruly cries all mixed together.

What was this supposed to be?

Zhang Tianfeng, I really did think too highly of you.

You may have plenty of clever schemes when it comes to making money in business, but when it comes to advertising, you’re still a complete amateur.

Satisfied, Xu Kuangdao lay back against his secretary’s thighs and patted his belly.

Enduring the unpleasant smell of his body odor, the secretary said, “Boss, don’t you think that man’s voice sounds familiar?”

“There are only so many kinds of voices in the world. So what if it sounds familiar?”

“Boss, the child’s parents are appearing.”

“Let them appear. What’s there to see? His commercial has no creativity whatsoever.”

“But… but the child’s father is Captain Ma.”

“Which Captain Ma?”

“The leader of the Ma Family Army.”

Xu Kuangdao shot upright as if he had seen a ghost, his face filled with terror.

On the television, all three members of the family had appeared. The child had already solved the cube and was obediently doing his homework.

His parents were busy in the kitchen, and the family of three looked perfectly harmonious.

At that moment, four lines of text drifted across the screen:

“A harmonious and loving family is indispensable to a child’s physical and mental well-being.”

“Allowing children to explore on their own helps develop their independence.”

“Interest is the finest teacher in a child’s growth.”

“Bluefront Toy Factory’s Pictographic Cube—growing with you as you care for your child’s healthy development.”

At the end of the commercial, the family of three sat around the table, playing together with a series of toys produced by Bluefront Toy Factory.

It was over. This time, it was truly over.

Xu Kuangdao collapsed onto the sofa, his face ashen.

The Ma Family Army had been the most prominent group of people in the country over the past six months.

With Captain Ma involved, even the worst commercial would become a sensation across the nation.

It was all over now. Xu Kuangdao had intended to let Zhang Tianfeng prepare the wedding clothes for him, but now he was the one preparing them for Zhang Tianfeng.

As soon as the commercial ended, a second one followed.

It still featured Captain Ma, but this time he was somewhere else—apparently inside a manufacturing workshop.

Machines were running, workers were carrying out their tasks in orderly fashion, and toy after toy was transported toward the rear on conveyor belts.

Wearing a safety helmet, Captain Ma walked out holding two toys. One was the pictographic character cube that had just appeared; the other was a wooden puzzle board.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Ma Lengjun, and I’m currently standing inside the production workshop of Bluefront Toy Factory.”

“As everyone knows, toys play an indispensable role in a child’s growth.”

“People often say that playing with toys can ruin a child’s ambition. In my opinion, parental guidance is far more important. Children should understand that they may play with toys, but must not become addicted to them. Study is still the most important thing.”

“However, if a toy can develop a child’s intelligence at the same time, that would be absolutely perfect.”

“According to scientific research, children between the ages of three and ten experience a peak period of intellectual development.”

“The pictographic character cubes and intelligence puzzles produced by Bluefront Toy Factory are highly effective for developing memory and are well suited to the interests of children between three and ten.”

“If your child does not like those types, that’s no problem. We also offer many other educational toys.”

On the television, a large assortment of toys was arranged in front of Ma Lengjun as he smiled brightly at the camera.

“Parents, please take note. Every toy produced by Bluefront Toy Factory bears a unique anti-counterfeiting mark and identification code.”

“We do this to eliminate imitation products. Toys made by those small workshops are manufactured from toxic, counterfeit materials that may cause cancer.”

“So, parents, please be careful when purchasing toys. Be sure to buy them from an authorized direct-sales store operated by Bluefront Toy Factory.”

“Do not be tempted by low prices and buy cheap toys sold by street vendors. Otherwise, your child’s physical and mental health may be affected.”

Words occupied two-thirds of the entire commercial, and Ma Lengjun remained in front of the camera without leaving for even a second.

For Xu Kuangdao, it was another crushing blow.

He finally understood what Zhang Tianfeng had said to him after the trial had ended.

“Those who learn from me will prosper; those who merely imitate me will perish.”

Now, Ma Lengjun—the man regarded as a living legend by viewers across the nation—had personally appeared on television to warn everyone not to buy counterfeit goods.

Who would still buy them?

And once the matter gained momentum, the branch companies Xu Kuangdao had established would probably face the risk of being shut down as well.