"Is he going directly to the hotel, or settling in first?"
"He said he'd come straight to the hotel to find me. He's already off the high-speed train, probably half an hour away." Xia Qianqian replied.
Liu Yifeng thought for a moment and said, "Then let's do it today. I just found a lawyer at the law firm this morning to draft the contract. Have your agent review it, see if there are any issues or anything to add. If not, we can sign it directly and head back to Haicheng together to shoot the advertisement."
Xia Qianqian nodded, "Okay, that's what I was thinking too."
A while later, they returned to the hotel. The moment they each got to their rooms and rested for about ten minutes, there was a knock on Liu Yifeng's door.
Liu Yifeng opened the door, and standing at the entrance was Xia Qianqian, accompanied by a man about thirty-four or thirty-five years old wearing glasses.
Upon seeing Liu Yifeng, Xia Qianqian immediately smiled and introduced, "Yifeng, this is my agent. Everyone calls him Brother Liang."
She then turned to her agent and said, "Brother Liang, this is Liu Yifeng. He's the one who asked me to film an advertisement. His son is on the 'Super Brain' team, and I'm a special guest invited by his son."
After Xia Qianqian's introduction, the man called Brother Liang immediately extended his hand and shook Liu Yifeng's. "Hello, Mr. Liu. I'm Zhao Liang. You can call me Brother Liang if you don't mind. Qianqian told me you're looking for her to film an advertisement and that the payment is quite substantial. You have great taste. Although Qianqian isn't famous yet, she's a very promising singer with unlimited future potential!"
This was the first time Brother Liang had praised her like this. Xia Qianqian knew it was because she had landed a million-dollar advertisement. As her agent, he would also receive a portion of the bonus, which was why his attitude towards her was so exceptionally different today.
Liu Yifeng also recognized that he was treating people based on their perceived status, but he wasn't cooperating with Xia Qianqian because of him. Besides, in this era, many people were snobbish. He immediately returned a polite smile and said, "Hello, let's come inside and talk!" He then invited them in.
In the room, Tongtong was playing with a jigsaw puzzle. This puzzle consisted of over three thousand small pieces, and Tongtong had already completed more than half of it, with the initial shape of the picture becoming visible.
Brother Liang saw Tongtong and immediately praised, "I saw Tongtong's performance on TV. He's truly amazing. For such a young child to outperform all the contestants is incredible. Qianqian, you're so lucky to be grouped with Tongtong. If those contestants were eliminated, the special guests would have to leave with them too."
Initially, when Xia Qianqian participated in the show, he hadn't paid much attention. He thought the contestants in Xia Qianqian's group would be eliminated quickly, meaning even if Xia Qianqian participated, it wouldn't have much impact. But if she stayed until the end, it would be different. Not only would she gain immense exposure, but she would also leave a deep impression on people's minds. Especially if she made it into the top three. Although special guests didn't receive trophies, they would still get corresponding resources. This was the path to becoming famous. And as Xia Qianqian's agent, if she became famous, he wouldn't have to be an executive agent anymore, working himself to death managing five or six artists for a meager salary. Once Xia Qianqian became famous, he could apply to the company to exclusively manage her business, earning much more.
"Brother Liang, this is the contract I drafted. Please take a look and let me know if anything needs to be added!" Liu Yifeng handed the contract he had printed at noon to Brother Liang.
Brother Liang took the contract and read it carefully. It stated that the contract was for three years. If they wished to renew after three years, a new contract would need to be drafted. Additionally, if the artist caused any personal negative impact that harmed the company's interests during the contract period, they would have to pay three times the liquidated damages. Similarly, if the vegetable company, due to issues like vegetable safety, damaged the artist's personal image, they would also have to pay the artist three times the liquidated damages. Although their relationship was good, the contract still had to follow normal procedures, as Xia Qianqian had a company behind her. Liu Yifeng also had investors from his village, so this wasn't something they could decide on their own. The contract had twelve clauses, covering all aspects, ensuring neither party's interests would be harmed. Brother Liang had been an agent for seven or eight years and had signed numerous contracts. He could immediately tell if a contract had issues or used wordplay. After reading it twice, he smiled and said, "The contract has no problems. We can sign it now!"
That evening, Xia Qianqian and Liu Yifeng signed the contract. The contract was in duplicate. Brother Liang kept one copy for Xia Qianqian, and Liu Yifeng kept the other.
"I will transfer the money to your account from the company account within a week!" Liu Yifeng said to Brother Liang.
Brother Liang nodded. "Okay, did your son put this puzzle together himself?" His attention was drawn to the puzzle Tongtong was working on. So many tiny pieces made him dizzy, let alone finding the correct pieces among so many small ones. As expected of someone who could participate in "Super Brain," his mind was different from ordinary people.
Liu Yifeng also turned to look at Tongtong and smiled faintly. "Yes, he put this together himself. He works on it a bit every night. It'll probably be finished in a few more days."
With the affirmative answer, Brother Liang couldn't help but give a thumbs up. "Truly remarkable. For so many small puzzle pieces, a normal person would be overwhelmed just looking at them, let alone putting them together."
"Indeed. If you asked me to do it, I'd probably take a month and might not even finish it." Liu Yifeng sometimes marveled at Tongtong's intellect, wondering how he knew which puzzle piece belonged in which spot.
"Your son is truly a brilliant genius. Mr. Liu, I've been an agent in the entertainment industry for so many years, and I can tell at a glance who will become famous and who won't. If your son were to pursue a career in entertainment, he would undoubtedly become the hottest child star. Have you considered developing him in that direction? I can't guarantee anything else, but I can definitely secure the best resources for your son from the company." For a smart and adorable boy like Tongtong, it would be hard not to become famous in the entertainment industry.
Liu Yifeng smiled and refused. "I'm sorry, I don't have that idea. Children should have a happy childhood, not be used as tools for making money."
"You're mistaken if you think that way. Putting a child in the entertainment industry doesn't necessarily mean treating them as a tool for making money. More often, it's because the child is interested, and it's also a form of investment. Once the child becomes famous, they can live very well on their own for the rest of their lives, without us adults worrying about them. Are you afraid that entering the entertainment industry will affect his studies? You can rest assured, these things can be managed. If necessary, we can even hire tutors for him for one-on-one instruction, which is even more effective," Brother Liang continued to persuade, unwilling to give up.
Liu Yifeng still shook his head. "Thank you for your kind intentions, but even if my son doesn't work a day in his life, I can ensure he has a comfortable life!"
Brother Liang was about to persuade him further, but Xia Qianqian interrupted him. "Brother Liang, please stop trying. You're not the only one who has approached Mr. Liu to have Tongtong pursue a career in entertainment, and he's refused everyone. If he truly wanted Tongtong to enter the entertainment industry, you wouldn't even have a chance to speak."