Chapter 111: A World-Shaking Revelation! (Requests for Recommendations)

“When did you get in touch with those top-tier lawyers? And how did they agree to represent you in the lawsuit?”

Xu Dong, being part of the political and legal system, had some understanding of American law and was, of course, familiar with the famous Simpson murder case. What he was curious about was how Zhang Chu had connected with such high-profile lawyers—it was hard to imagine he could afford to hire lawyers costing millions, even tens of millions of dollars.

Moreover, these lawyers handling a copyright case was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut—an overwhelming force for such a small matter.

At this moment, Zhang Chu finally understood that there was progress on the American side. He replied, “Let’s not talk about that now. Has the result come out? What did the judge rule?”

Xu Dong shook his head. “This was just the case notification. The hearing and judgment will be held three days from now.”

Three more days to wait!

Zhang Chu was already numb from waiting. Didn’t they say efficiency was key? Why was it so slow?

Perhaps sensing Zhang Chu’s silent frustration, the usually quiet system suddenly reminded him in his mind: “The system follows the American judicial process step by step. Even arranging a meeting between the three lawyers takes considerable time.”

Since the system had spoken, Zhang Chu quickly checked his reputation score. He found that the number was skyrocketing at a rate far exceeding that after the broadcast of “One Stand to the End.”

Before the big event, it was just over seven million; now, it had soared to eleven million and was still climbing wildly.

Snapping back to reality, Zhang Chu ignored Xu Dong beside him, grabbed his phone, and checked the news. Today’s headlines had already pushed notifications.

“A Chinese Writer Sues the Conan Doyle Estate Foundation Overseas—Three Ace Lawyers Lock in Victory!”

The American media had broken the story first. Since it involved a Chinese national, domestic media quickly followed, republishing with various sensational headlines.

Xu Dong realized he had underestimated the young man in front of him. When Zhang Chu took action, it was nothing less than earth-shattering.

Besides Xu Dong, many people at the scene were distracted, playing on their phones. One by one, they were stunned by Zhang Chu’s move. How could someone suddenly play such a trump card out of nowhere?

This was clearly a nuclear strike!

“This is incredible—we actually have a fierce player among us now.”

“Yesterday, I was watching the news saying fan works weren’t allowed, and now this guy flips the script and sues the estate foundation. That’s amazing!”

“Did you see the identities of those three lawyers in the news? How did this high schooler, Zhang Chu, manage to hire such top lawyers? Is there anyone backing him?”

“Don’t know what to say—just watch quietly and enjoy the show.”

“It has to be him. You never would have guessed he’d directly file a transnational lawsuit.”

“I hope he wins. Sherlock Holmes is such a huge IP; readers eat up this stuff. Maybe someday I’ll write a fan work too.”

Although everyone had been eagerly awaiting the lawsuit’s outcome, Zhang Chu’s mind was already numb.

Many writers nearby, unaware of the details, gradually understood the situation through friends’ explanations and began to look at Zhang Chu as if he were a prodigy.

So this is how things could be done!

...

The Seventh Circuit Court in the United States was equally stunned by the joint complaint filed by these three lawyers. Why would three of America’s top attorneys take such intense action over a mere Sherlock Holmes copyright dispute?

Could there be some hidden circumstances behind the case?

Court staff conducted repeated investigations and evidence collection but ultimately had to admit this was genuinely just a copyright case, albeit with unusual parties involved.

On one side was a young overseas writer creating Sherlock Holmes fan fiction; on the other, the Conan Doyle Estate Foundation, which controlled the Holmes copyright. Normally, the foundation would sue the writer for infringement.

But this time, the situation had turned 180 degrees—the writer was suing the foundation, seeking to free the classic Sherlock Holmes character from the foundation’s control and make it public property for all humanity!

The well-informed Chicago Sun-Times was the first to break the story. The names of the three lawyers combined with such a peculiar copyright case even made the editor question the authenticity of their own news.

“Holmes Copyright Expiring: Overseas Fan Sues Original Author’s Family Foundation!”

“Conan Doyle Estate Foundation Faces Its Greatest Foe: Three Top Lawyers Unite to Defend Rights!”

“What Lies Ahead for Sherlock Holmes?”

“The Most Bizarre Copyright Case: Can the Elements and Characters of the Sherlock Holmes Series Become Public Domain for Free Use?”

“Sherlock Holmes Series Value Under Threat: Expect a Surge of Holmes-related Films on the Big Screen!”

Following the Chicago Sun-Times, Google News picked up the story and promoted it to users worldwide.

Yahoo News, unwilling to be outdone, also included the story and published it on their official Twitter and Facebook accounts!

The Los Angeles Times, HSD Post, Huffington Post, Fox News Channel, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal all followed suit.

From coast to coast, every major and minor media outlet in America knew about the writer suing the foundation. What would normally be a futile effort now seemed to have a real chance of success with the backing of three top lawyers.

The New York Times acted swiftly, managing to interview one of the lawyers, Baden, and published an extensive feature on their official website.

Baden’s law firm was a partner of The New York Times, a connection envied by other media outlets.

Baden was America’s most renowned copyright attorney, having helped numerous singers, film companies, writers, and photographers reclaim their copyrights and resolve related disputes.

When asked why he took on this case, the silver-haired lawyer Baden told the New York Times reporter: “I have been a devoted Sherlock Holmes fan since childhood. I’ve read every case repeatedly, but I’ve been puzzled why we couldn’t write new stories. When I received an email from the distant East, I felt it was time for change. Zhang Chu shared his experience with us. It’s hard to imagine the Conan Doyle Estate Foundation would do such a thing. Now, the copyright for the Sherlock Holmes series has expired—fifty works published before 1923 are now public domain.”

“This means publishers can freely republish Conan Doyle’s works, yet authors and fans are forbidden from creating new stories? That makes no logical sense. I want to help Zhang and every other fan and author worldwide so they won’t fear legal repercussions for using, interpreting, or adapting Holmes elements!”

Lawyers are skilled orators. Baden cast himself as a champion of justice while briefly explaining why he chose to help Zhang Chu fight this case.