After streaming for two or three weeks and earning a few hundred yuan, the agency was now demanding that Li Xingying pay a 200,000 yuan penalty for breaching her contract. Not only was she dumbfounded, but even Jiang Beicheng was stunned upon hearing this.
He sneered, "MCNs are truly the most rotten and shameless business."
This was a sentiment the entire investment banking industry agreed with.
MCNs were widely regarded in the investment world as the worst kind of investment project.
Yet every year, a ton of capital still poured into them. There was no helping it—it was just too profitable.
Jiang Beicheng's sarcastic remark left the agency representative, who had come to negotiate with Li Xingying today, visibly embarrassed.
"If I hadn't continued in this online industry, Xingxi Agency probably wouldn't have come after me," Li Xingying sighed.
Jiang Beicheng said, "That just shows you have potential. In their eyes, you're highly valuable."
That's how agencies worked. For big streamers who could rake in money, they'd tie you down with all sorts of contract clauses. For small-time streamers or influencers with no popularity, they couldn't care less whether you streamed or not.
Back when Li Xingying was in her third year of college, she was worthless to Xingxi Agency. But now, with hundreds of thousands of followers and her potential as a travel vlogger, the agency, true to its nature, wouldn't miss the chance to exploit her.
"Miss Li, you can take a look at this other contract. We're full of sincerity," the representative said, trying to sweet-talk her. "The ultimate goal here should be a win-win cooperation."
"I've already made my stance clear. I won't join any MCN agency," Li Xingying said firmly.
Jiang Beicheng glanced at the contract.
A signing bonus of five million yuan.
Not a small amount.
Plus a guaranteed annual income of eight million.
The temptation was strong.
A mature MCN could help Li Xingying achieve this value in a short time.
But Jiang Beicheng had discussed her career plans with her and knew she craved the freedom she held dear.
Xingxi Agency had first tried to intimidate her with an old contract from years ago, then dangled an olive branch to lure her in. Their tactics were slick.
Jiang Beicheng said, "Legally, the penalty for breaching a contract isn't whatever amount you write down. It depends on how much you actually spent on her."
"Exactly! I only streamed for two or three weeks and didn't take a single thing from you. Why are you demanding 200,000 yuan?" Li Xingying added.
The representative said, "That's the cost of operating and managing your account."
Jiang Beicheng looked over the documents and thought to himself, *This is utterly shameless.*
No streaming for the past two or three years, and yet they were claiming costs for things like ad spend, account maintenance, and event participation?
Weren't these just numbers they could arbitrarily fill in?
Li Xingying was completely unaware of any of this.
"The government really needs to crack down on your industry," Jiang Beicheng said bluntly.
The representative gave a wry smile. "All crows under the sky are black. How many industries are truly clean? Mr. Jiang, right? Actually, this matter can be resolved easily. A lawsuit would greatly damage Miss Li's reputation. Why don't you just pay the 200,000 yuan for her, and we'll all go our separate ways?"
"No way!" Li Xingying said, visibly agitated.
She couldn't afford the 200,000 yuan herself right now, but she also didn't want Jiang Beicheng to pay the penalty for her.
Her biggest dilemma at the moment was whether to pursue legal action.
If she went the legal route, Xingxi Agency would surely hire marketing accounts to spread rumors and ruin her reputation.
They'd destroy her public image.
If they couldn't have her, they'd make sure she was ruined.
On the internet, conflicts between agencies and influencers like this were all too common.
After meeting Jiang Beicheng, Li Xingying had just ignited a spark of hope to "make it big and strong." This bucket of cold water caught her completely off guard, leaving her at a loss.
Jiang Beicheng placed his right hand on Li Xingying's thigh, giving her a reassuring smile to calm her down.
"We've already presented two solutions. If you don't accept them, the only option left is to go to court," the representative threatened. "The court's ruling isn't even the important part. It's the unpredictability during the litigation period that you should worry about. Miss Li, think carefully. I'll wait for your answer."
Li Xingying's expression grew visibly tense.
Jiang Beicheng picked up his phone and sent a few WeChat messages. It took just two or three minutes.
Suddenly, the representative's phone rang.
"Mr. Han, yes… I understand, alright."
After hanging up, he looked at Jiang Beicheng in shock.
His tone became much more polite. "Mr. Jiang, you know our Mr. Han?"
Jiang Beicheng smiled faintly. "Xingxi Agency's shareholder structure doesn't just include your Mr. Han."
The representative was stunned.
Mr. Han was the founder and CEO. If Mr. Jiang hadn't contacted Mr. Han about this, then it could only mean he'd reached out to one of Mr. Han's investors.
Xingxi Agency's major shareholder was Nanfeng Venture Capital.
Who was this Mr. Jiang?
Whatever his background, his influence was clearly far greater than that of a mere agency representative.
If he didn't handle this properly and gain Mr. Jiang's approval, he might even lose his job.
He had originally planned to secure Li Xingying and take the credit back to his manager, but he'd overplayed his hand.
He'd run into a tough opponent.
"Mr. Jiang, I'm sorry. I got carried away earlier and said some inappropriate things," the representative apologized. "Since Mr. Han has spoken, we naturally won't pursue this matter any further."
Jiang Beicheng looked up at him and said, "Your threats and intimidation didn't faze me in the slightest. You should apologize to Miss Li. She's the one whose mood you've ruined."
The representative turned to Li Xingying, gave a slight bow, and apologized repeatedly.
Li Xingying let out a huge sigh of relief.
It had felt like a rollercoaster ride, as if her career was about to collapse.
Yet, in a complete 180-degree turn, everything had shifted in her favor without her even knowing what had happened.
Of course, she knew it must have been Little Boss Jiang pulling strings behind the scenes.
"You can cover the bill. I don't want to make things hard for a worker like you," Li Xingying said with a wave of her hand.
"Alright, thank you for your understanding, Miss Li and Mr. Jiang."
The representative cleared the table, paid the bill, and even ordered them another round of coffee.
Jiang Beicheng sipped his coffee and teased, "Miss Li is quite magnanimous."
Li Xingying pouted and laughed.
She hugged Jiang Beicheng's arm tightly, planting a kiss on his cheek with her red lips. "I'm just starting out in the real world and don't want to make too many enemies. Plus, society is so full of hostility these days—people pull out knives over the smallest disputes. Stepping back is also a way of protecting myself."
Her words might seem like a retreat, but in today's society, they were actually quite practical.
There were too many incidents online of people resorting to violence over minor arguments.
Jiang Beicheng didn't comment on her approach but joked, "My stomach's growling!"
"Hahaha, I'll treat you to dinner!" Li Xingying said generously, linking arms with Jiang Beicheng.
As they headed upstairs, Li Xingying asked curiously, "Who did you call to help me sort this out, Little Boss Jiang?"
Jiang Beicheng replied, "A friend in the investment circle."
In fact, while looking at the contract, he had noticed that Nanfeng Venture Capital was Xingxi Agency's major shareholder.
Just yesterday, he had dined with Mr. Shen from Nanfeng Venture Capital and exchanged contact information.
For a trivial matter like Li Xingying's issue, neither Mr. Shen nor Mr. Han would bother getting involved—they only cared about Xingxi's data.
Today, he had used that connection and now owed Mr. Shen a favor, which he'd have to repay someday.
He couldn't let Uncle Hai Lin handle these kinds of favors for him.
As the saying goes, "The master leads you to the door, but the practice is up to you."
Li Xingying, still full of admiration, clung to Jiang Beicheng and said, "Little Boss Jiang, you've got connections not just in the Entertainment industry or networks but in the financial world too?"