The public relations department director was frustrated as she realized that Joseph's assessment was accurate. There was no concrete evidence to establish that the Key Group had indeed stolen their design concept. Joseph himself had meticulously developed the design for Runestone Group's new product for the current season. Fully aware of the potential risk of intellectual property theft, Joseph had taken extensive precautions and implemented stringent security measures. This mindset translated into Joseph's cautious approach toward both words and actions.
None of the senior leaders within the company had been granted access to the design blueprint, which included the director of the marketing department. This led to repeated complaints from the marketing director, as they were unable to forecast sales without any knowledge about the materials used in the new product. However, the public relations department director acknowledged that she was in a similar situation. They, too, lacked any specific information about the product, except for the fact that it would feature a fresh design concept.
It wasn't until the week prior to finalizing the design that the public relations department received some materials regarding the new product. Following this development, the director of the public relations department began their final preparations for the product launch.
To maintain confidentiality, Joseph was cautious and only approached the embroidery experts with technical inquiries. Interestingly, none of these experts possessed any knowledge or information regarding the design itself.
However, despite Joseph's extensive measures to safeguard the design concept, it had still been leaked or disclosed to unauthorized individuals.
"Mr. Dover, I am certain there is a traitor hidden within our company," the public relations department director gritted her teeth as she spoke.
Joseph remained silent, deep in thought.
"Mr. Dover, I promise you that I never betrayed you," the director pleaded once again.
"No, I don't suspect you. It is highly unlikely that Key Group could have altered the design concept within a week," Joseph responded calmly.
"So, are you suggesting that Key Group might have been involved right from the beginning?" the director inquired.
Joseph maintained his silence and refrained from speaking.
Abruptly, a knock echoed through the door, followed by Daisy's entrance into the room.
Carrying a rolling suitcase in her hands, Daisy promptly apologized upon entering, "I apologize, Mr. Dover. I'm aware that something has occurred within the Runestone Group, so I couldn't ignore it and simply enjoy my vacation abroad."
Casting a brief glance at Daisy, Joseph responded calmly, "You have returned at an opportune moment. Sooner or later, you would have learned about this."
Daisy set aside her suitcase and immediately began attending to her tasks. "It's truly alarming news. Key Group's actions have had a detrimental impact on our upcoming product launch, which is a major obstacle. Moreover, the unreasonable shareholders are also proving to be significant hurdles."
Joseph fixed his gaze on Daisy but remained silent.
After a brief pause, Daisy continued, "The shareholders are awaiting your presence in the meeting room."
The shareholders, being observant individuals, had noticed Joseph's frequent interactions with the embroidery experts. They had developed suspicions that the new product must be somehow related to embroidery. Naturally, cross-border collaborations were not unheard of, and they were not surprised to see the integration of embroidery in the new product.
Indeed, even if Key Group incorporated embroidery into their product design, it would not be of significant concern as long as the design concept itself was distinct.
However, the shareholders, being cautious about potential profit losses, were naturally sensitive to such developments. Despite not having seen the design drawings themselves, they grew anxious upon hearing the news of Key Group's integration of embroidery into their new products.
As Daisy uttered those words, Joseph promptly stood up, preparing to address the concerns of the shareholders in the meeting room.
"Did they hear the entire story?" the director of the public relations department inquired.
"They will eventually find out," Joseph replied as he walked out of the office.
Daisy hurriedly followed Joseph as they made their way out. Meanwhile, Irish was on her way to meet Jay during Key Group's new product launch. William and Kelly had also traveled to Runestone Group for the upcoming product promotion conference. Seizing the opportunity, Jay was determined to visit Lilith to gain insight into the entire Lilith experience process.
Coincidentally, Irish caught a glimpse of Leo being interviewed by the media on a street screen display.
Leo appeared dashing and captivating in his impeccably tailored suit.
The sight of Leo and the memory of his peculiar behavior towards her a few days ago caused Irish to tremble slightly. As she was preparing to move on, she overheard the reporter ask Leo a probing question, "There have been rumors circulating that Mr. Dover, the CEO of Runestone Group, has been in frequent contact with you. Some industry insiders speculate that the upcoming new product from Runestone Group may also incorporate embroidery into its design. Are you concerned that your design concept might coincide?"
Irish's curiosity was piqued, and she lingered for a moment to hear Leo's response.
Leo grinned and responded, "I have been planning to incorporate embroidery into our product design for several years, and I have been waiting for the right opportunity to garner public support. However, I am not privy to Runestone Group's design for this year. If they have also considered integrating embroidery into their design, it demonstrates that our two companies share a similar vision. I believe this is not a negative development but rather a positive opportunity for both our companies. We have both set our sights on Chinese embroidery, and this presents a chance to promote embroidery culture and generate interest in our products. Naturally, I am also eager to see Runestone's new product as I am curious about their innovative design concept and elements."
Irish's mind was overwhelmed with thoughts, and she couldn't focus on the subsequent question posed by the media. The words she had just heard had unsettled her, leaving her feeling uneasy and restless.
Although Irish had never seen the design drawing, she felt Key Group's new product launch was weird. Leo did not like to follow suit, but why did he also adopt embroidery this time? Was it an occasion? Irish was unable to figure it out.
Staring at the dazzling jewelry on the screen, Irish felt flurried.
When she was absorbed in her thoughts, her phone started ringing abruptly.
It was Jay who asked her where she was.
Trying her best to calm down, Irish told him where she was while Jay asked her to stay there. "I will come to pick you up soon. Wait for me for a while," said Jay.
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