Chapter 133: Chapter 133: Teacher Du, Please Reconsider the Termination of the Contract
Watching Jiang Li and the others finish their meal and tidy up the table, Jiang Yan rushed to the well to fetch water for a bath without a moment’s delay.
But when he went to the firewood shed to find a convenient wooden tub, he was surprised to find that the previously shabby shed had completely transformed. Not only that, he also discovered a device resembling a shower.
Overjoyed, he ran out and caught Zhao Lang, who was washing dishes by the well, “Brother Daniu, the shower in the firewood shed is available for use, right? Also, I don’t have any clean clothes left, could you lend me a set?”
He really treasured the red robe that Uncle Zhao had given him earlier and didn’t have the heart to wear it. After showing it off in the morning, he took it back, folded it neatly, and put it away.
Zhao Lang took one look at him, “I can lend you clothes, but the shower is for Miss Jiang to use, maybe Young Master Jiang should—”
“Why the hell not?!” Jiang Yan immediately became indignant, “I’m still her brother, why the hell is the shower only for her to use?”
Zhao Lang replied helplessly, “Because Miss Jiang is a girl, it’s more inconvenient for her, Young Master Jiang, please just bear with it.”
Jiang Yan had no intention of enduring it.
It would have been fine if he hadn’t discovered the shower, but now that he had, how could he possibly bear it?
So, he went straight to Jiang Li’s door and knocked.
“Hey, about the shower in the firewood shed, let me use it.”
Jiang Li opened the door and was seated at the table reading a book, not even sparing Jiang Yan a glance.
“You can use it, but it’s two hundred yuan a minute, five minutes tops.”
“Damn it, Jiang Li, have you gone money-mad?!” Even though he anticipated it, Jiang Yan still couldn’t help but curse upon hearing it directly.
Jiang Li remained unflustered and turned a page of his book, “If it’s too expensive, you don’t have to use it.”
Jiang Yan gritted his teeth, “Fine, I’ll write an IOU, okay?”
[HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, laughing so hard, Young Master Jiang’s debt just increased by a thousand yuan.]
[I must say, Jiang Yan does have some conscience, knowing to ask for Jiang Li’s permission instead of sneakily using it. If it were someone else, they might have just used it without permission.]
[Is there a chance that Young Master Jiang simply didn’t think of it?]
Star Media Entertainment Company.
Shen Lan’s gaze shifted away from the beautiful lady opposite her; she pressed her temples, showing signs of exhaustion.
Then she exhaled softly, quickly adjusted her state, and looked straight at the person in front of her.
“Teacher Du, please reconsider. Our show is gaining momentum. Thanks to the exposure from the show, He Yun has attracted quite a bit of traffic, and now there are many advertisers who want to sign him for endorsements. If you propose to terminate the contract now, not only will you have to pay a hefty penalty fee, but you will also lose all these opportunities for nothing. It’s not worth it.”
Du Qinglian sniffed disdainfully, her already sharp eyes squinting further, looking even more scornful.
“A hefty penalty fee? Isn’t it just six million? Do you know how much Director Zhang has offered He Yun for his film salary? Over fifty million! Those endorsements are just insignificant small traffics. My He Yun is a Movie Emperor, and doing these commercials would lower his worth!”
After saying all this, Du Qinglian smiled, shifted her sitting posture, and the jade earrings by her ears shimmered, casting flickering shadows.
“Shen Lan, it’s not that I don’t think highly of your variety show, it’s just that it doesn’t align with He Yun’s career path,” he said. “We’re both talent agents, practically colleagues, so here’s the deal: I’ll give you eight million, and the rest we can regard as an investment.”
Despite Du Qinglian’s persistent hard and soft tactics throughout the morning, Shen Lan, who had weathered many storms, certainly was not going to compromise easily.
Putting aside the significant impact on public opinion of a guest abruptly breaking a contract halfway through a show, by her personal conviction, unless He Yun proactively approached her to terminate the contract, she would never agree to Du Qinglian’s demands.
Rumors about her were already rampant in the industry.
They said she wouldn’t hesitate to exploit her own son in exchange for a lifetime of glory and wealth.
She hadn’t believed it at first, after all, even a tiger wouldn’t eat its offspring, and no mother could be so heartless towards her child.
But after encountering the woman herself today, she realized that the rumors were actually true.
No wonder the first time she met He Yun, the boy had such a numb expression on his face. It was only after she shared the concept and purpose of the show with him that she saw a flicker of emotion on his face.
In her more than a decade in the entertainment circle, handling countless artists, she had always treated them as her own children.
She couldn’t understand how Du Qinglian, who played the dual roles of agent and mother, could be so ruthless.
With these thoughts, Shen Lan did not reply to Du Qinglian immediately, but instead forced a fake smile, stood up to stretch her limbs, and then glanced at the clock on the wall.
“Oh, it’s almost one o’clock. I can’t believe I’ve been talking with Teacher Du for so long. Why don’t we go have lunch first? There’s no rush; we can continue discussing afterward.”
Du Qinglian, of course, understood that Shen Lan was gearing up for a long battle and was not in a hurry. She grabbed her bag and stood up.
“Sure, I heard there’s a great Japanese restaurant across from your mall, let’s eat there,” said Du Qinglian. “But I still hope that Mr. Shen can come to an agreement with me by this afternoon. After all, I have an appointment with Director Zhang tonight to discuss a contract. You know how important he is in the directorial world; we can’t afford to slight him.”
Shen Lan maintained her smile, “Of course, Teacher Du, after you.”
Du Qinglian gave her a quick once-over, snorted softly, and walked out of the office.
Behind her, He Wen hurriedly pulled Shen Lan aside.
“Sister Lan, are you really going to have lunch with her? She’s even planning to hit the mall; it’s clear she’s plotting to take advantage of you.”
Shen Lan smiled helplessly, “What can I do? I have to try every possibility before everything is settled, right? Transfer one million from the company account to me. It’s just a bit of bloodletting. We stall her for a while; that’s all. And keep Chixia Village in the dark for now so as not to disturb their filming.”
“Got it, Sister Lan,” He Wen replied.
“Oh, and,” Shen Lan’s foot was already out the door, but she stopped, “Jiang Li isn’t home, and my sister-in-law is too busy with household chores to spare a moment. No one is looking after Shi Xu, that boy is probably not eating properly again these days. Please go check on him at the Jiang Family for me.”
“Don’t worry, Sister Lan, I’ll go buy some food and swing by your place right away,” said He Wen. “But has Brother Ming Yu still not said when he’s coming back? It’s been two years. Does he really not care about you and your son at all…”
Shen Lan stiffened, and the last trace of a smile vanished from her face.
“Let him be. Our relationship has long turned into stagnant water anyway.”
After saying this, she lifted her head again, regaining her bright smile as if she were still the formidable career woman conquering all fronts.
Her brisk figure then disappeared at the end of the hallway.
Yet, He Wen could perceive a touch of melancholy in that sharp and decisive exit.
“Sigh, this whole family…”