Global Film Emperor

Chapter 103 Contract Upgrade
Waking up from the dream again, Lu Ze leaned against the headboard, staring blankly at the sky. In the past few days, he had finished the course on mental disorders and had experienced firsthand how painful it was to be a mental patient.

What color is the sky above a madman?

It was gray, a hazy gray.

Sometimes, when you want to do something, you'll suddenly be drawn to something else entirely.

They cannot control their thoughts and actions, but they can distinguish right from wrong. Yet they always make mistakes, and in the end, they still hope that what he does is good.

This is what madmen are like—people who just want to live a peaceful life, but can never seem to find a way to survive.

In just over ten days, he survived only eight of the various mental illnesses he had experienced; the rest all died, even though they thought they could live on the very last second before they died.

He lit a cigarette, but didn't smoke it. Watching it burn to ashes, he suddenly realized what was happening. He rubbed his face vigorously; it was time for him to get on with his business.

His hair had grown quite long, almost like it had been chewed by a dog, and his fingernails had also grown long. This was preparation for the tree's future. Even during this time, he had not forgotten his upcoming mission.

Just as Hu Zhiguang said, Lu Ze is more clear-headed than many people, has his own plans, and is not complacent about the success of "Forensic Doctor Qin Ming".

He put on a hat to hide his unsightly hairstyle, and as he went to the door to put on his shoes, he saw his neighbor also getting ready to go out. He smiled and greeted him, and the two of them went down the elevator together. Then Lu Ze got into Liu Bin's car and left.

Lu Ze is preparing to move; this place is no longer safe to live in.

Since the TV series "Forensic Doctor Qin Ming" became popular, he has often been recognized by residents in the community, who then pester him for autographs and photos. Lu Ze has satisfied all of these requests, but some people have even asked him for money.

What Lu Ze found most unacceptable was that his neighbors often took photos of him secretly, just like paparazzi, as if living next door to Lu Ze was something to brag about to his friends.

Lu Ze didn't know what to say, because he was now considered a public figure and should be used to being photographed without his consent. But everything should have its limits, right?

He has already informed Shen Jinghan to help him find a house. He is not short of money now, and it is not difficult for him to afford to rent a house for 10,000 or 20,000 yuan a month.

Why be like a monkey in a zoo, constantly surrounded by people? They're practically breaking into Lu Ze's house to watch him sleep. If this continues, Lu Ze will either be driven crazy by the system or by his neighbors.

Good morning, Brother Lu~

Good morning, Xiaomei.

After saying hello, Lu Ze first threw his bag into the office, took out tea leaves from the drawer and poured them into a thermos. Previously, because this was a small conference room, there was no water dispenser, but now it has been provided.

He plugged in the power, waited five minutes for the water to boil, brewed some tea, tightened the cap, placed it on the table, and left the office, heading towards the artist management department.

Qian Shijia has now made a detailed division of functions for each department. Originally, Lu Ze's contract modification was no longer under the jurisdiction of the artist management department, but considering that Gao Wanzhi had been communicating with Lu Ze before, Lu Ze became the only artist whose contract Gao Wanzhi was responsible for.

Artists are usually very busy, and even those who joined Qian Shijia later than Lu Ze wouldn't often appear at the company. But for Lu Ze, this oddball, the staff were used to it and even gave him a nickname: "The Cafeteria Food-Eating Maniac".

Lu Ze would never go out to eat if he could eat in the cafeteria. He never skimped on spending money when it was necessary, spending it more freely than anyone else.

But his upbringing taught him that he should save money where he could, and use his resources wisely. To put it simply, he had been poor for too long and was terrified of poverty.

"Sister Gao, I'm here."

"Is this freeloader here?"

The two had a good relationship and maintained good contact. Gao Wanzhi and Lu Ze even exchanged local specialties from their hometowns. Everyone in the company knew that Lu Ze and she were quite close.

"Dang Cang."

Lu Ze pulled a coin out of his pocket and tossed it into Gao Wanzhi's piggy bank, a classic golden pig. Gao Wanzhi would put any spare change she had in her pocket into it.

"Hey, why are you feeding my little pig again today?" "No, I just thought I'd raise a pig for you too. When I run out of money for the bus, I'll slaughter your pig and that will lessen my guilt."

Lu Ze joked as he took the coffee from his secretary, blew on it, tested the temperature with his lips—it was just right—and took a sip.

"Stop joking around, come with me. Mr. Hu informed me that he wants to talk to you."

Lu Ze was somewhat surprised, but he didn't say anything. He waited for Gao Wanzhi to walk out with the documents, then followed her into Hu Zhiguang's office.

"Please feel free to give Daji your orders, Master~, click."

Lu Ze's expression turned a little strange after hearing the line, followed by the sound of the screen locking. Hu Zhiguang turned his executive chair around as if nothing had happened, his expression normal. He was a better actor than Lu Ze.

"Come and sit down. Xiao Yang, could you bring me that document from yesterday again, and then call Minister Li from the Legal Department over?"

After sending the secretary away, Lu Ze and Gao Wanzhi sat opposite Hu Zhiguang. Gao Wanzhi placed the document, which was the contract that Qian Shijia had given to Lu Ze, on the table.

"I don't like to talk so much. Let's discuss the contract in detail when Li Jun arrives."

Because the company has a legal department, and the contracts of its artists are kept absolutely confidential, the company's legal department will also act as the artists' lawyers and sign contracts on their behalf.

As for the idea that the legal department and the company are conspiring to cheat artists, that's just wishful thinking. Big companies don't bother with scams. To put it bluntly, even if they give you unfair terms, they'll put them out in the open. You can sign them if you want, or you can leave if you don't.

After Li Jun arrived, the three of them officially began the contract negotiations. As a well-known commercial lawyer in China, he was very eloquent and could explain the obscure and convoluted laws to Lu Ze in plain language. He would state a clause, and Lu Ze would nod to indicate that he understood, and then he would move on to the next clause.

The main body of the contract remains the same, but with upgrades. To put it bluntly, the profit sharing, company benefits, and breach of contract compensation have all been significantly increased.

This time, Qian Shijia's offer to Lu Ze left Lu Ze stunned for a long time. It was a 40/60 split, with Lu Ze receiving 60%, and Qian Shijia would still pay for the agent's share.

By offering such a revenue share, it's clear that Qian Shijia is very sincere. Moreover, the only resource Lu Ze received was "Beijing Youth." Other opportunities, such as gigs and art photos, were either obligations of the company or offered by businesses themselves, without requiring Qian Shijia to make a significant investment.

Most importantly, Qian Shijia has already recouped its investment and even made a considerable profit from Lu Ze. The investment has paid off, and the drama "Forensic Doctor Qin Ming" has brought Qian Shijia a profit of over 30 million yuan. Therefore, Hu Zhiguang absolutely cannot continue to use low revenue sharing to bind Lu Ze.

Everyone works to make money. No matter how good or sweet the relationship is, if the distribution of benefits is uneven, Lu Ze may rebel.

Qian Shijia has recently been promoting products with Lu Ze at its core, and further cutting corners like this is not how Hu Zhiguang should behave.

Leaving aside the compensation and benefits, the next level up involves significantly more resources being allocated to them. This is the talent agency's star-making plan, which is nothing more than throwing money at the problem.

As for the penalty for breach of contract, it doubled, then doubled again, and then doubled again, reaching 80 million. This is the amount of compensation Lu Ze would have to pay if he wanted to leave Qian Shijia. This amount is not a small sum; it can be described as a huge sum, even higher than that of a stable second-tier star.

This is something Lu Ze also needs to consider. He is comfortable in Qian Shijia now, but he may not be comfortable in the future. When the good days come to an end, there is no use in thinking about how to face and solve this problem now.

As for the duration, it remains seven years; this has not been changed.

Finally, if Lu Ze signs this contract, he will receive a signing bonus of five million yuan before tax. His sincerity is evident here, a truly sincere offer.

"Mr. Hu, what am I to the company?"

Hu Zhiguang laughed. Lu Ze only wanted a guarantee. His contract was right there. Couldn't Lu Ze see the guarantee? This was the guarantee!

"Just a mainstay, interested?"

After listening, Lu Ze picked up a pen and signed his name.

(End of this chapter)