It would be a lie to say that Lin Chen was completely unmoved. This was almost the most favorable contract he could imagine, while still allowing him to retain some of his own independence. Xingyao seemed to be genuinely showing great "sincerity."
"Why?" Lin Chen asked, voicing his inner doubts. "Why are you offering me such good terms?"
Mr. Wang smiled, with an air of complete control: "Because the company believes your value justifies this investment. Furthermore, we believe that with the company's professional operation, you can generate returns far exceeding the value of this contract. It's a win-win situation."
Win-win? Looking at Mr. Wang's impeccable smile, Lin Chen's mind echoed Chen Kai's warning—"When the temptation is too great to resist, be wary of the traps behind it. What they're after might not be your current value, but rather the enormous future profits you could bring, and... the absolute control they could gain after completely taking you over."
Seeing Lin Chen's silence, Mr. Wang added fuel to the fire: "I know you might have heard some rumors and misunderstood our company. That's alright, time will tell. You can take this draft contract back and review it at your leisure, consult with professionals, anything is fine." He pushed a brand-new folder towards him. "However, the window of opportunity waits for no one. The later the show goes, the more people will be watching you. I hope you can give me a clear answer before the next round of competition. After all, the company also needs time to tailor a follow-up promotion plan for you."
Leaving the teahouse, Lin Chen, holding the heavy draft "special contract," walked along the early winter streets, feeling even more lost than when he arrived.
On one side was the path of independence Chen Kai depicted—fraught with thorns but preserving a pure self, an unknown, lonely, and arduous journey.
On the other side was the shortcut offered by Xingyao Entertainment, paved with flowers but potentially concealing shackles—a dazzling, alluring path.
His life seemed to be split into two parts.
One was the "musical youth Lin Chen," striving and expressing himself through song in front of the camera and on stage.
The other was the "potential commodity Lin Chen," behind the camera and at the negotiating table, constantly weighing options, calculating, and resisting temptations.
He returned to the dormitory provided by the training base, closed the door, as if temporarily isolating himself from the two worlds. He opened the "special contract" and read it word by word. The terms were indeed much more lenient than the first version; many harsh details had been modified or deleted. However, some key clauses, such as "the company has the final say on the artist's image and commercial development" and "the artist must unconditionally cooperate with the company's promotional and commercial activities," remained unchanged, and the wording was even more ambiguous, leaving ample room for maneuver.
He took photos and sent them to Chen Kai and his lawyer friend.
Late at night, the lawyer friend replied first, his tone serious: "The contract terms seem generous on the surface, but key clauses have room for interpretation, and risks remain. Especially the 'final decision-making power' and 'unconditional cooperation' clauses, which could become tools to limit your future development. I advise caution."
A while later, Chen Kai called directly.
"Finished reading?" Chen Kai's voice was hoarse from staying up all night.
"Yes."
"How does it feel? Are you tempted?"
Lin Chen honestly admitted: "Yes. They seem to... have made a lot of concessions."
"Concessions?" Chen Kai sneered on the other end of the phone, "Kid, you're too naive. This isn't a concession; it's an upgraded bait. They found that hard tactics didn't work, so they're using softer ones. Five years? Five years is enough for them to completely transform you and extract most of your value. A 40/60 split? That's assuming you can earn enough for the company to deduct 'costs.' Thirty percent creative autonomy? What about the remaining seventy percent? And the phrase 'primarily your personal creation'—the company has the right to interpret that."