Volume One Chapter 22: Terms of the Contract

“If you have any questions, just ask.”
On the way, Su Muyu wore an expression of hesitation mixed with curiosity, making Jiang Yu find her both amusing and endearing.
Su Muyu bit her lip lightly. “There’s nothing I want to ask.”
Jiang Yu couldn’t help but chuckle—she was clearly quite curious.
“Yesterday, the chairman of Stardust Entertainment came to see me, wanted to sign me on. I turned them down. They must have found out about my connection with Zhao Yiyi, so today they sent her to persuade me. I refused again.”
Hearing this, Su Muyu’s alluring lips curled ever so slightly, but she quickly caught herself. “I didn’t ask you.”
“Ah, right, right, you didn’t ask. I just wanted to tell you.”
The two of them walked into a private restaurant.

Su Ling was already waiting there.
“President Su.”
“Xiaoyu, it’s been a long time.” Su Ling greeted them warmly as soon as they entered. “Don’t call me President Su. Just call me Auntie, or Ling, like Muyu does.”
Jiang Yu smiled. “Sorry to have kept you waiting, Ling—ah!”
Before he could finish, Jiang Yu let out a yelp, clutching his waist.
“What are you shouting about?” Su Muyu asked coolly.
How would I know? Jiang Yu looked aggrieved—who knew what I said wrong to make you twist my waist like that?
“Just call me Auntie, like Muyu does,” Su Ling said with a laugh, while a flush of pink crept over Su Muyu’s earlobes.
“‘At the Crossroads Where the Phoenix Flowers Bloom’ and ‘Barefaced’—both songs are truly excellent.”
“Thank you, Auntie.”
Su Ling paused, then asked tentatively,
“Xiaoyu, I’ve heard that many entertainment companies have approached you?”
As the person in charge of an entertainment company, she naturally understood the value of such songs. For any company, a song of this caliber is a golden goose.
When she first heard “Barefaced,” she’d harbored some doubts about Jiang Yu—after all, who could imagine a fresh graduate composing such a piece?
But after “At the Crossroads Where the Phoenix Flowers Bloom,” she was completely convinced, and her admiration for this talented and composed young man only deepened.
“Yes, quite a few have reached out.”
“You’re Muyu’s classmate, so I’ll be direct: Huayue Entertainment would like to sign you.”

Su Ling took a contract folder from her bag.
“All our terms are in here. See if they suit you. If you have concerns, we can negotiate.”
“Auntie, you’re very straightforward.” Jiang Yu smiled, taking the contract.
Even though she was Muyu’s aunt, he still needed to review it carefully.
He had to admit, this contract was remarkably favorable to him.
For example,
If a song’s copyright was sold outright to the company, the minimum buyout price was three million, with room for increases for outstanding work.
If only the rights were licensed, the base fee was five hundred thousand, with all subsequent earnings split thirty-seventy—seventy for the agency, thirty for him.
Such terms were beyond what many second-tier singers could hope for.
Su Ling’s offer brimmed with sincerity; she must have faced considerable pressure to present such numbers.
However…
“Auntie, thank you for offering me such a contract,” Jiang Yu said with a smile. “But I have some thoughts. I can take a lower base fee, or even none at all, but I’d like to reconsider the profit split.”
Su Ling’s brows arched slightly.
“You have concerns about the split?”
“Yes. The split can stay, but I want to be the one taking seventy.”
Su Ling almost flinched. Seventy for him, thirty for the company—only top-tier, S-class stars commanded such terms.
Offering a three-to-seven split to a newcomer, and a three-million buyout, had already raised eyebrows among the shareholders, let alone giving him seventy percent.
“That’s impossible. Jiang Yu, perhaps you don’t realize—after a song is uploaded, we bear all the operational and promotional costs. At those rates, not only the shareholders, even I can’t agree.”
“Auntie, I know you’re in a hurry, but please don’t rush this.” Jiang Yu took a sip of tea.
“‘Barefaced’ and ‘At the Crossroads Where the Phoenix Flowers Bloom’—these two songs were lucky enough to gain recognition. They hardly require any further promotion. In other words, the company’s thirty percent is more like a gift from me.
Recording might incur some minor costs, but those are negligible. Don’t you agree?”
Despite her discomfort, Su Ling couldn’t refute him—he was absolutely right.
In fact, the only reason the contract was so generous was because of these two songs. She’d offered such high terms hoping to win their rights.
She hadn’t expected Jiang Yu to see straight through her intentions.

“Xiaoyu, though we are friends of a sort, business is business.”
Su Ling looked at him with an intriguing smile.
“I must admit, these two songs are true masterpieces, and deserving of you taking seventy percent. But can you guarantee that every song you write from now on will be of this quality?”
“Auntie, I trust him,” Su Muyu interjected.
Jiang Yu’s heart warmed. “Muyu, Auntie is right—business is business. You may believe in me, but you can’t expect her to do the same.”
Su Ling’s concern was valid.
Jiang Yu had only sung two songs, and though he’d gained some fame, in the grand scheme of the entertainment world, he was far from a household name.
Many in this industry only ever write one hit their entire lives.
Who could promise that Jiang Yu would keep creating songs at this level?
If he didn’t, even thirty percent might not recoup the company’s investment in promotion and operations.
Jiang Yu pondered for a moment. “Very well, Ling, I’ll compromise. For these two songs, we’ll do the thirty-seventy split. As for future works, let’s bet on it: if they reach the same level of success, we keep this split. If not, we revert to your terms. How does that sound?”
Su Ling considered it.
“I still can’t agree.”
“Then I suppose there’s nothing to be done.” Jiang Yu smiled, raising his teacup. “Auntie, let me toast you with tea in place of wine. I hope we’ll have a chance to work together another time.”
Jiang Yu’s thinking was simple—Su Ling fought for her company’s interests, just as he fought for his own. Neither of them was wrong; it was simply a matter of standpoint.
If negotiations failed, then so be it.
Su Ling hesitated, then said, “Wait a moment, Xiaoyu, don’t be hasty. I have an idea—would you be willing to hear me out?”
Jiang Yu set down his teacup. “Please, go ahead.”
“In any partnership, both sides need to bring tangible assets to the table. If your abilities truly warrant seventy or even eighty percent, I can agree. But a contract can’t be signed on the promise that you’ll always write hits—you need to prove your capabilities.”
Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow. “Auntie, how would you like me to prove it?”
A faint smile played on Su Ling’s lips.
“The major streaming platforms are collaborating to launch a new talent show called ‘Idol: Two and a Half Years.’ I happen to have a direct-entry slot for contestants.”
“There’s no better measure of an artist’s worth than the test of the market.”
“What do you think?”