Chapter 19 – The Trade War Caused by Pearls
Lin Jiu took a taxi to “Creation Star”, and this time it was Mr. Zhang who met him again.
Mr. Zhang’s attitude this time was very different from last time. He had been looking at Lin Jiu since he entered the door.
Lin Jiu knew what Mr. Zhang was thinking. It was impossible for him to get close to him. Lin Jiu stood in the office and didn’t even plan to sit down.
Mr. Zhang said with a smile: “Sit down and talk. Don’t be nervous. It’s not a bad thing.”
Lin Jiu hesitated for a moment before sitting down opposite Mr. Zhang.
Mr. Zhang smiled kindly as if the person Lin Jiu saw last time was not him.
President Zhang handed him another copy of the compensation details. “After careful calculation by the Finance Department, you are an artist with a long-term contract with the company. You are still young and may not be able to afford so much compensation. Therefore, the company has considered and decided to bear part of it for you. You only need to pay 40 million in compensation. As long as you pay the compensation, the company can cancel the suspension of your payment.”
Lin Jiu: “…”
This isn’t just about taking on part of the responsibility, this is more like directly exempting half of it, right?
Lin Jiu knew that even if it was 40 million, the company still made a profit. It was impossible for there to be so much compensation. The company had the final say on how much compensation to pay. Lin Jiu knew this, but he had to accept it. He could not fight against an entertainment company alone. He just wanted to make money, pay back the compensation, and then earn enough liquidated damages to terminate the contract with “Creation Star”.
The “Creation Star”’ company wouldn’t leave over 40 million untouched; they must have something up their sleeve. Lin Jiu instinctively became more cautious.
President Zhang spoke in a gentle tone, ‘What have you been up to lately?’
Lin Jiu cautiously replied, ‘Just doing some small business, saving up to repay the compensation.’
President Zhang nodded, ‘That’s good. What kind of business?’
“Just selling some snacks.” Lin Jiu wasn’t sure what he was getting at.
Suddenly, President Zhang shifted the topic, “The person in the video yesterday afternoon was you, right?”
Lin Jiu was startled, “What video?”
President Zhang smiled, “Even though you were wearing a mask, your long hair was too noticeable. I know it was you.”
As he spoke, President Zhang handed over a few printed photos.
Lin Jiu took them and saw that it was indeed the scene from the entrance of Blue Duke yesterday, captured on camera.
President Zhang continued, ‘The video was uploaded online and quickly gained attention because of the hype around the “Black Star Pearl merchant,” but the buzz was soon suppressed, and the video was deleted. I assume Blue Duke didn’t want to expose your identity?’
Lin Jiu’s hand holding the photos began to sweat. The first thing that came to mind was whether Si Xu had recognized him.
If Si Xu saw the video, he would surely recognize him too, and then the fact that Lin Jiu sent the Black Star Pearl to Si Xu as a fan would be exposed. If his past actions were dug up again, how would Si Xu see him? Would Si Xu still come to his shop to eat?
Seeing his anxiety, President Zhang reassured him, “This is a good thing. If you have both Blue Duke and Kerry, two jewelry giants, backing you, your rise to fame is just around the corner. At that point, 40 million will be nothing—four billion would be within reach.”
Lin Jiu didn’t know what President Zhang really meant. The company was freezing him out on one hand, yet saying jewelry moguls could make him famous on the other. It all seemed contradictory. Could it be that the company was suddenly being kind and covering half of the compensation due to the Black Star Pearl?
“What do you mean?” Lin Jiu hated all these roundabout conversations, so he asked directly.
President Zhang smiled warmly, “Right now, Blue Duke’s Starry Sky Series is at its peak. It’s endorsed by Hua Xian from Hua Sheng and has completely overshadowed Kerry’s Goddess Series, which has caused our artist Han Shiqing to be ridiculed. The company hopes you can collaborate with Kerry Jewelry, and then let Han Shiqing be the spokesperson to counter Huaxian from Huasheng. It’ll be a beautiful comeback for her… Don’t worry, as long as this works out, I’ll apply to have the company’s freeze on you lifted and get you the best agent. What do you think?”
Lin Jiu had never imagined that his Black Star Pearls would be tied to a business war, nor that the company would use them to negotiate with him.
President Zhang stood up and personally poured Lin Jiu a glass of water, “Whether you sell to Blue Duke or to Kerry, it’s all the same—you’re making money. And it benefits you as well. What’s there to hesitate about?”
Lin Jiu didn’t take the glass, “Sorry, I don’t have any Black Star Pearls.”
President Zhang’s smile faded slightly, “It wouldn’t be fun if you said the person in the photo isn’t you.”
Indeed, Lin Jiu was easily recognizable to those who knew him.
Lin Jiu didn’t deny it, “Yes, the person in the photo is me, but I’ve already sold all my Black Star Pearls to Blue Duke.”
To cut off any further hopes President Zhang or Kerry might have, Lin Jiu had no choice but to say this.
President Zhang’s smile vanished completely. He slammed the disposable cup onto the desk, splashing some water, “Lin Jiu, I’ve made the biggest concession. Don’t be ungrateful.”
Lin Jiu stood up, ready to show him exactly what ungrateful looked like.
“If the company is covering half my compensation because of the Black Star Pearls, then that’s unnecessary.”
President Zhang’s face twitched. He hadn’t expected Lin Jiu to refuse such a sure thing. How was he supposed to explain this to Kerry?
Taking a deep breath, President Zhang forced a smile, “The company’s decision to cover half the compensation isn’t because of the Black Star Pearls. You can rest assured about that. Even if you don’t have any right now, you could sell to Kerry later when you do. You can sign a contract, and Kerry can wait.”
As he spoke, he pulled out a printed contract from the drawer and handed it to Lin Jiu.
Lin Jiu glanced at it but didn’t take it, “There’s no need for a contract. I don’t have any Black Star Pearls.”
With that, Lin Jiu turned and left.
President Zhang’s face turned dark with rage. He threw the contract onto the desk, spilling water. The door to the break room opened, and Han Shiqing elegantly stepped out.
With her immaculate makeup, she affectionately wrapped her arm around President Zhang’s, speaking in a sweet voice, “What now? If he won’t agree, how am I supposed to explain this to Kerry? You have to help me, President Zhang. Whether I can bring down that old woman Hua Xian depends on you.”
President Zhang put his arm around Han Shiqing’s slim waist, “Don’t worry, I’ll think of something. He’s sold Black Star Pearls to Blue Duke twice, so he must have a source. Does he think he can fool me by saying he has none?”
Han Shiqing’s eyes gleamed as an idea formed, “Why not send someone to grab him and scare him into revealing the source of the Black Star Pearls?”
President Zhang’s expression changed, staring at Han Shiqing with a strange look.
She felt a pang of fear but quickly laughed, “Why are you looking at me like that? It’s just a scare. We wouldn’t actually do anything. What’s there to worry about?”
Letting go of her waist, President Zhang replied calmly, “Not only is that illegal, but the fact that he managed to get the company to recalculate his compensation means we can’t act recklessly.”
It had been a sure thing. The company usually dealt strictly with disobedient artists, and the 80 million in compensation would’ve crushed Lin Jiu. The company wouldn’t leave that money on the table. President Zhang had been confident in his hold on Lin Jiu. But the company had unexpectedly recalculated the compensation, cutting more than half of it, leaving only 40 million.
President Zhang understood the intricacies of these compensation calculations better than anyone. Lin Jiu must have found someone influential within the company to get this ‘discount.’ It seemed Lin Jiu had some tricks up his sleeve after all.”
President Zhang squinted his already small eyes, filled with calculations. He had initially thought Lin Jiu was just a poor kid with no backing, someone he could easily manipulate. But now that this “backer” had appeared and could speak directly with the higher-ups, it made President Zhang wary.
Sure, beauty and money were great, but if he lost his job, he’d lose both.
Han Shiqing scoffed, “What kind of backer could he have? If he really had one, would he have ended up in this situation? You’re just being too cautious.”
President Zhang said softly, “There’s no harm in being cautious. Until we figure out who this ‘backer’ is, we shouldn’t make any rash moves.”
Han Shiqing agreed outwardly, but inside, she was cursing this useless old man. She didn’t just want the endorsement for the Black Star Pearl; she also wanted to become Mrs. Kerry. As long as she could help Xue Zilin get his hands on the Black Star Pearl, he promised to announce their relationship and get engaged to her. Marrying into a wealthy family was her dream, and she absolutely wouldn’t let Lin Jiu stand in her way.
Lin Jiu, oblivious to the fact that selling a pearl could block someone else’s path, took the elevator downstairs, thinking about how he could come up with 20 million to pay off the 40 million compensation. He wasn’t sure why the company had suddenly reduced the amount, but to avoid them going back on their word, it was best to repay it as soon as possible.
The elevator stopped on the seventh floor, and someone entered.
“What is the company’s deal? They won’t even give you a manager. Are they trying to freeze you out? You haven’t had any activities for a year now. How can this continue? In my opinion, you’d be better off asking the captain for help. If you could get back under Qiu Er’s wing, you’d definitely have better resources than me. But if you keep waiting like this without taking any action, how long do you plan to wait?… What are you looking at?”
Huo Wei glanced back and noticed someone else in the elevator. Lin Jiu was standing there, and Ling Chen was looking at him.
Huo Wei stared at Lin Jiu, who had wrapped himself up tightly, but Huo Wei didn’t recognize him.
“Who is this? A new company recruit?” Huo Wei asked Ling Chen, puzzled.
Ling Chen swallowed, unsure whether to reveal Lin Jiu’s identity. He was worried that if Huo Wei lost his temper, he wouldn’t be able to stop him.
Lin Jiu nodded slightly in greeting.
Ling Chen averted his gaze, deciding not to acknowledge him.
Lin Jiu had reached out to Ling Chen after returning, letting him know he was okay and telling him not to worry.
Huo Wei continued to ramble, “I’ve already arranged dinner with the captain tonight to reconnect. Let’s see if he can help out. Even though the group disbanded, we’re still brothers. He wouldn’t refuse a small favor like this…”
“That’s not necessary,” Ling Chen said, glancing frequently at Lin Jiu behind them. “No need to ask him. I don’t want to write songs.”
“Have you been blacklisted?” Lin Jiu suddenly asked, surprised that Ling Chen didn’t even have a manager.
Huo Wei spun around in shock, glaring at the man behind him.
“Lin! Jiu!”
He spat out the name through gritted teeth, then lunged at Lin Jiu, grabbing his neck with his arm. Lin Jiu crashed into the elevator wall with a thud, his back tingling with numbness. Huo Wei raised his fist to strike.
love this!