Chapter 57: Clever Indeed, I Support You

“Be careful not to accidentally hurt Miss Ji,” Bai Yichu sighed helplessly. Lin Yu didn’t care much himself, but Ji Ya definitely couldn’t be bullied.

...

The food had just been served when Ji Ya’s phone rang. Her assistant was calling to report on work progress in real time.

“OO Music has no objections to releasing the new song’s copyright, but regarding the price increase… they said they’d need another meeting to discuss it.”

“Kuma Music’s offer is higher than we expected, but they want to buy exclusive rights so the song can’t be released elsewhere. However, their payment is a revenue-sharing model.”

“OO Music just replied—they’ll agree to the price increase, one million for a full buyout.”

“Boss, what do you think? The buyout may be the best option right now. Since it’s the song’s debut, we don’t know if it’ll be profitable; selling the rights outright would reduce the risk.”

“What do you think?” Ji Ya asked.

The assistant thought Ji Ya was asking her opinion and was momentarily at a loss for words. Hadn’t she just finished giving her analysis? Maybe the signal was bad? While she stammered on the line, Ji Ya’s gaze landed on Lin Yu.

The copyright of “Decency” belonged to Lin Yu. Ji Ya still hoped her artist would have the ability to make independent decisions. As for how to sell his rights, that was for him to decide.

“What do you think?” Ji Ya asked again. Her phone was on speaker, so Lin Yu had heard the entire conversation clearly.

Lin Yu pondered. Kuma Music’s conditions were too harsh—a buyout meant selling everything, with no future options to cooperate with other platforms. It would cut off many possibilities.

For now, OO Music seemed the better choice. They’d pay more for the song’s copyright, and there were no additional terms requiring future exclusivity. Of course, Lin Yu had his own plans.

“Could we negotiate a revenue-sharing deal for the buyout? I don’t want to hand my song over entirely to any one party.”

Holding onto the copyright meant there would be more opportunities in the future. Even if things didn’t work out with OO Music, he could find other avenues. Besides, one million was paltry compared to the potential profits this song could bring in years to come. It could only be described as a loss.

Ji Ya was pleased with Lin Yu’s choice. As the boss, she knew that if Lin Yu sold the copyright outright, he wouldn’t even receive the full one million—after company fees, it would be less.

She trusted her own judgment. When she heard Lin Yu sing this song at his university graduation party, she knew it would be a sensation. Something that could make a female CEO’s eyes light up was never trash.

Getting a million in one go versus earning one or even two million over time—the difference between a single feast and steady meals. Capitalist Ji Ya understood this better than anyone.

“Reply to Kuma that we’re declining their offer, and negotiate with OO Music to change from a buyout to a revenue-sharing model. The contract can’t include any clause requiring our artist to release songs exclusively through them.”

Now was the time when all the music platforms were competing fiercely for market share. The bosses behind each were investing heavily to build their brands. If OO Music failed to grow, Ji Ya would help Lin Yu find a more suitable platform to release his work.

If all else failed, she’d release the song on every channel at once. She didn’t believe such a good song would be buried by the competition.

As they ate, Ji Ya suddenly thought of a serious issue. “You haven’t been assigned a manager yet, have you?”

A month’s contract was just a trial for a trainee. If Lin Yu didn’t have the right professional qualities, no amount of talent would help him debut.

Newcomers didn’t have managers, but after a while of filming, Lin Yu’s incredible songwriting and on-screen charm had made Ji Ya expect more from him.

“I don’t need one for now. I’ll think about it when I’m officially debuting.”

Lin Yu was reminded of some unpleasant memories. Back when Xu Shanshan hooked up with that fat pig, it was her manager who played matchmaker. That made Lin Yu deeply averse to the idea of having a manager.

Besides, from watching variety shows, he knew that managers often controlled artists to an extreme degree—sometimes not even letting them eat properly. Lin Yu didn’t want to be so restricted, with no freedom at all.

Hearing this, Ji Ya looked at Lin Yu, her calm face giving nothing away. After half a minute of silence, she finally spoke.

“If that’s how you feel, I won’t force you.”

“Before your official debut, just stay by my side. If you run into any problems, the company will help you solve them.”

A newcomer with this much talent was worth the investment, even if it meant assigning her own assistant to handle negotiations and bookings. It was not a waste at all.

The most important task now was to develop Lin Yu into an artist with real ability, to give him more time to create, and to prepare a foundation for his future career.

After the meal, just as they were about to leave, Ji Ya received the electronic contract from her assistant.

She carefully read through every clause. She had a high opinion of her assistant’s competence. The new contract from OO Music had been revised according to her instructions, and after reading it, Ji Ya smiled with satisfaction.

“It looks good. Take a look yourself.”

Ji Ya couldn’t watch over Lin Yu forever. At some point, he’d need to understand contracts and their pitfalls. Otherwise, if he were ever cheated, it wouldn’t just be a matter of carelessness—the industry’s contracts could tie penalty fees to an artist’s status, and a careless mistake could mean compensation worth hundreds of millions, ruining someone’s life.

“Be careful, don’t miss any loopholes,” Ji Ya warned him. “If everything’s fine, you can sign it. The assistant will arrange for ‘Decency’ to go live on OO Music. From the moment it’s released, you’ll start earning your share.”

Lin Yu signed, handed the phone back to Ji Ya, and once again had his right to drive revoked. With laughter, Ji Ya drove them forward.

“Don’t worry, very soon your ‘Decency’ will be available on OO Music. When that happens, your ex-girlfriend will regret her decision.”

Lin Yu was in high spirits and nodded with satisfaction. If nothing else, being able to slap his ex-girlfriend in the face was the greatest joy of his life. If he couldn’t personally punish the wicked, what was the point of living this life?

He pulled up the navigation and directed Ji Ya to their next destination.

“Boss, do you like graffiti?”

From beneath her sunglasses, Ji Ya raised an eyebrow. “What kind of graffiti? On the face, or body art?”

Lin Yu: …

She clearly knew a lot—why did she pretend to be clueless about massages just a moment ago? Really...