How can you ascend to heaven when you are a star?

Chapter 397 One plan fails, another is devised

When Li Lehua saw Zhang Wen about to leave, she immediately became anxious. She never expected him to react so strongly, leaving without a word and showing no respect for her as his boss.

Are you angry or not?

angry.

But what can you do when the other side has the resources?

The girl from the future became an internet sensation in just one month, appearing on Beijing TV and Hunan TV, and securing three commercial endorsements. This series of moves would make even top agents pale in comparison.

Therefore, even if you're angry, you have to hold it in.

A lack of patience can ruin your fortune.

"Teacher Zhang, wait a minute!" Li Lehua jumped up from his seat.

Zhang Wen remained unmoved after hearing this and continued walking out as if he hadn't heard anything.

He felt that the boss needed someone to calm down and figure out who needed whom, since he wasn't expecting a promotion or a raise anyway.

Even if you get promoted, can you still become a boss?

Even if you add more, can it still be more than selling the life essence?

So what if things get ugly? Anyway, our ancestors will back him up, so what's there to be afraid of?
Seeing that the person hadn't stopped, Li Lehua hurriedly chased after them, her high heels clicking loudly.

“Teacher Zhang, if you are not satisfied with any of the points, we can change them. We are in the discussion stage now, and it’s not like it has to be one of the points.”

Li Lehua's tone was both anxious and aggrieved.

After dominating the entertainment industry for so many years, how could any boss feel comfortable being manipulated by a mere employee?

"President Li, as you know, I didn't want to form a new partnership. It was only because you kept persuading me that I reluctantly agreed out of sincerity. But I gave you face, and you treated me like a fool. How can we discuss this cooperation?" Zhang Wen's voice was icy as he expressed his dissatisfaction.

They're playing word games with him in the contract; are they trying to take advantage of him?

If he can't even distinguish between revenue sharing and profit sharing, then what has he been doing all these months of evaluations with Gao Yue?
"No, you have to believe me, I definitely don't think you're stupid." Li Lehua blocked the door and denied it outright. "Let me take another look at the contract. You know, I've been with you the whole time and I haven't seen the contract. It was all modified by the secretary based on the original contract template."

Upon hearing this, the secretary immediately stepped forward to take the blame.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Li, and I'm sorry, Ms. Zhang. It was my mistake that I didn't ask about the details of the contract before printing it according to the original contract template. I'm sorry."

The secretary apologized and bowed repeatedly, her eyes even reddening with anxiety, as if she were about to burst into tears, looking utterly pitiful.

Li Lehua glared at the secretary with feigned anger, then smiled and said to Zhang Wen, "Teacher Zhang, you see, it's really not my fault. These kinds of contracts used to be handled by agents and the legal department; I was only responsible for signing them."

Looking at his secretary's aggrieved face, Zhang Wen thought, "This acting is such a waste of her talent; she's not even an actor."

As the person closest to the boss, the secretary should be the one who understands the boss's thoughts and feelings the most. However, she made two mistakes on a simple contract. Is it really just a simple work error?

Reality isn't a TV drama; no boss would hire someone who makes frequent mistakes as their secretary.

A secretary's job is to assist the boss in handling work, not to cause trouble for the boss.

Furthermore, if it was a work mistake, why did both mistakes benefit the company? The mistakes seem far too biased.
“Mr. Li, since you haven’t read the contract, then take a good look at it. We can talk after you’ve read it, which will save everyone’s time,” Zhang Wen said calmly.

“Although I haven’t seen it, the contents of the contract need to be discussed by both parties. We can look at it and talk about it at the same time. If you leave, how will I know which clauses are appropriate and which are not?” Li Lehua continued to try to persuade him to stay.

“Mr. Li, you know him,” Zhang Wen said bluntly. He hadn’t forgotten that the other party started out as an agent.

Li Lehua's expression froze. Seeing that the other party was not planning to stay, her face immediately turned very ugly.

So they're not going to give her any face?

"Teacher Zhang, are you sure you want to leave?" Li Lehua asked again, her smile fading and a hint of coldness appearing in her eyes.

In her view, she had already apologized and explained the reasons, and the other party should sit down again. It was simply ungrateful of them to keep harping on those one or two clauses of the contract.

"You should take another careful look at the contract," Zhang Wen insisted.

"Okay." Li Lehua moved two steps to the side, making way for the office door.

"Goodbye."

Zhang Wen greeted them politely, then reached out and opened the door.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard his boss's voice again beside him.

When do you and Bai Lu plan to go public with your relationship?

Zhang Wen paused, then turned to look at the boss beside him.

Although it was just a simple inquiry, he could detect a hint of threat in the other person's calm tone.

This is a plan to use the public disclosure of his relationship with Bai Lu as leverage to threaten him into staying, signing a contract, making money for the company, working for the company, and being a slave to the company.

It's well known that female celebrities rarely go public with their relationships, especially those who are currently very popular. Even if they are in a relationship and are photographed together, they will remain silent and make no response.

Announcing a relationship can be devastating to a female celebrity's popularity and even affect her acting career.

How many female celebrities have experienced a significant drop in popularity after announcing their relationships?

If your romantic partner is outstanding, that's fine. But if they're not, even die-hard fans might choose to unfollow you.

Therefore, Li Lehua's move can definitely be described as despicable and shameless.

“Bai Lu is still in the rising stage of his career, so he doesn’t plan to announce our relationship for the time being,” Zhang Wen replied, his face calm and composed, showing not a trace of worry or fear.

He is confident that he will not hold Bai Lu back, has the resources to support Bai Lu, and is capable of taking Bai Lu's career to the next level.

Are you trying to threaten him with this?

Haha, you've got the wrong person.

"Not planning to announce it for now? You're not just playing around, are you? Bai Lu is my artist," Li Lehua said.

While it may seem like they are supporting Bai Lu, what they actually want to express is: Bai Lu is in my hands.

The unspoken message: If you don't listen to me, you'll face the consequences.

"President Li, please rest assured, I will not bully her, nor will I allow anyone else to bully her. If anyone dares to bully her, I will make them regret it for the rest of their lives."

As Zhang Wen spoke, his eyes were fixed coldly on Li Lehua, as if he wanted to devour him alive.

Li Lehua felt a tremor in her heart. She felt uncomfortable being stared at, as if she were being pricked with needles.

At this moment, she thought of the other party's older sisters, and how those sisters called Bai Lu "brother and sister-in-law." If she pushed the other party too far, she really wouldn't be able to escape unscathed.

"That's good. If anyone bullies Bai Lu, I won't let him get away with it either," Li Lehua added, his intention to threaten the other party completely dissipating.

There was no way around it; the identities and backgrounds of the other party's sisters were too powerful. He wouldn't dare to provoke any one of them, let alone a whole group.

One person's words could drown Tianxi Media.

The company is her life's work, and she doesn't want to ruin more than 20 years of hard work because of a moment of greed.

She can tell the difference between light and heavy.

Threatening is a dead end.

Zhang Wen said nothing more and strode out of the general manager's office.

Li Lehua stared intently at the departing young man, her teeth grinding together.

Everything was going well as planned, but the other party turned on us unexpectedly. It seems impossible to gain any advantage from the contract, and even whether we can sign it is uncertain.

"Oh!"

Li Lehua slammed the door shut.

That was a really bad move.

She returned to her desk, glanced at the contract on it, picked it up, and tore it up.

Actually, she had prepared the contract that afternoon. She thought the other party didn't know anything and that as long as they signed the contract, the company would have tens of millions more in revenue every year. But it turned out that this person not only read the contract, but also understood it.

How can someone be so well-rounded?

It seems that we need to plan ahead if we want to gain more benefits from this person.

"Print out two copies of the second edition for me," Li Lehua instructed his secretary.

The secretary's eyes were no longer red, and her aggrieved expression had vanished without a trace, replaced by a calm face and a very capable posture as she stood upright.

What is a secretary?
The secretary is just a scapegoat for the boss.

Moreover, not everyone has the opportunity to take the blame. "Yes, Mr. Li," the secretary replied immediately, but stopped after taking a few steps and asked hesitantly, "Mr. Li, do you think Mr. Zhang will still sign this contract?"

Li Lehua thought for a moment, and finally said uncertainly, "Maybe."

If Zhang Wen were just an ordinary employee, she believed the other party would definitely sign the contract. A 50% cut of revenue—only a fool wouldn't sign that. Even the best agents in the entertainment industry don't get 50% of the profits.

The problem is that the other party is not an ordinary employee.

As the old saying goes: If you want an ox to work, you have to feed it grass.

When bosses want employees to work hard, the promise of promotion and salary increases is indispensable.

However, this person has money and connections, and doesn't care about the meager sum the company gives him, which makes her lose her leverage over him.

The secretary had never seen her boss so helpless before. Thinking that she should share her boss's burdens as his secretary, she said, "Mr. Li, I actually think it's okay even if Teacher Zhang doesn't sign this contract. Even if there's no new group, there's still Future Girls, right?"

“You know perfectly well that the members of the Future Girls group have signed a new artist contract with the company. For the next three years, each of them will only need to pay the company two million yuan per year.” Li Lehua sighed after saying this.

Every time she talks about the new contract, she is filled with regret and wishes she could turn back time.

“Mr. Li, the contract is fixed, but people are flexible. We can arrange some commercial performances for the future girl group. The company doesn’t provide resources, and the members pay two million yuan every year. Now that the company is providing resources, the income should naturally go to the company,” the secretary said.

Ok?
Li Lehua's eyes lit up immediately after hearing this.

Yes, why didn't I think of that?
Although Future Girls is managed by that Zhang guy, she is still an artist of the company, and she still has to listen to the company on important matters.

But soon she shook her head.

“No, if Teacher Zhang finds out, she’ll definitely cause trouble,” Li Lehua said, frowning.

She had just experienced the young man's temper firsthand; anyone who didn't know better would think she was an employee and he was the boss.

"Mr. Li, we haven't violated the contract, so what are we afraid of?" the secretary said confidently, acting like a cunning strategist.

“That’s true, but what if he just gives up?” Li Lehua asked.

"How could he bear to abandon the artists he personally nurtured? Those five members are all his prized students. Even if he didn't care, according to the contract, they still have to pay the company money every year without fail. And if he really didn't care, the company could easily take over the group, and then we could arrange things however we wanted, right?"

"..."

Li Lehua's eyes, which had just dimmed, now lit up again.

Future Girls is already famous. Even without that guy surnamed Zhang, the company has the ability to keep the group popular for another year or two.

With the current popularity of Future Girls, earning 50 to 60 million within a year is no problem, and all that money will belong to the company.

If that guy surnamed Zhang doesn't let go, it doesn't matter. Just by arranging for the group to participate in commercial performances, the company can still make a fortune. Over three years, they can easily earn tens of millions more.

As for the sisters and cousins ​​behind them...

Everything she did did not violate the contract. Even if those people wanted to stand up for Teacher Zhang, they had no legitimate reason to do so, and it would not sound good if word got out.

Thinking of this, a smile finally appeared on Li Lehua's face.

"Xiao Hu, your idea is good, but don't spread it around yet. I need to think about it carefully," Li Lehua said, his smile more pronounced than an AK.

"Yes, Mr. Li, I won't tell anyone," Secretary Hu said earnestly, feeling happy to have helped her boss again. "Mr. Li, if there's nothing else, I'll go prepare the contract."

"Okay, go ahead." Li Lehua nodded, the gloom in her heart vanished, replaced by bright sunshine.

The secretary left the office and gently closed the door.

Li Lehua went to the window, looked at the city view outside, and began to think about the idea that Secretary Hu had suggested.

It must be said that this idea is quite feasible, but if it is to be implemented smoothly, she can't be in charge; we need to find a scapegoat.

If that Zhang guy goes to extremes, she can find a scapegoat to absolve herself of all responsibility, and then no one will be able to say anything.

With a company this big, it's impossible for her, as the boss, to do everything herself or know everything. That explanation makes sense, right?

"Who should we choose to repay?"

Li Lehua started looking for a scapegoat.

Secretary Hu is definitely not an option; her position is too low, and she can't take the blame. Besides, Secretary Hu is her secretary, and no one would believe she didn't know.

Liu Haiyang?
Hmm, Liu Haiyang is not bad.

The company's deputy general manager is second only to her, wielding immense power and capable of taking the blame.

Thinking of this, she immediately took out her phone, found Liu Haiyang's number, and dialed it.

Soon, the call was connected.

"Hello, Mr. Li..."

"Old Liu, there's something I want to discuss with you," Li Lehua said in a kind tone.

Liu Haiyang, on the other end of the phone, was startled. President Li was the company's boss, while he was just the company's vice president, a senior employee. Did he need to consult with him?
"Mr. Li, please go ahead," Liu Haiyang said politely.

“Here’s the thing, you know a lot of people, so go out and find out about the performance rates for the Future Girls group. If someone wants to hire them, you can decide to accept,” Li Lehua said.

"Huh?" Liu Haiyang was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "President Li, isn't Teacher Zhang in charge of the Future Girls group? And didn't you say that the company wouldn't provide resources for the Future Girls group?"

"Old Liu, times have changed..."

Immediately afterwards, Li Lehua told Hu's secretary about his idea. Of course, she didn't say that it was Hu's idea; she claimed it was all her own brainchild.

Liu Haiyang was stunned after hearing this.

I thought, "Is this even possible?"

However, since it was the boss's arrangement, he, as the deputy, naturally had to step up.

"Okay, Mr. Li, I'll go ask right now."

"Ah."

Li Lehua hung up the phone and looked out the window at the scenery, as if she could see many banknotes waving at her.

……

"How could the boss do this?!"

Inside the barbecue restaurant, Bai Lu listened to her boyfriend's story, her face filled with dissatisfaction with the owner.

She worked at Tianxi Media for six years. While she wasn't exactly hardworking and dedicated, she did make a lot of money for the company. It's heartbreaking that the boss wanted to ruin her for a little profit.

"Ms. Li is a businesswoman, and she'll do anything for profit, which is very much in line with her personality," Gao Yue said calmly, without any surprise, as if she had known Li Lehua was this kind of person all along.

"Sister Yue, do you think the boss will make my affair with Teacher Zhang public?" Bai Lu asked with concern.

"Don't worry, President Li won't do that. She's just bluffing. You're one of the top artists in the company, contributing tens of millions in revenue every year. Why would she expose your secrets? Remember, nobody turns down money," Gao Yue comforted her with a smile.

She was Bai Lu's agent, so naturally she didn't want anything to happen to Bai Lu. Those who knew her would think that her boss was behind it all, but those who didn't would think that she was bad at public relations.

Bai Lu thought about it and realized that what Yue Jie said made sense, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

Actually, she wasn't worried about her relationship with Zhang Wen being exposed; she just wasn't mentally prepared. Now that she knew her boss could be exposed at any time, her anxiety subsided.

"Are you still going to sign that contract?" Gao Yue asked her boyfriend.

"Let's see. If it's beneficial to me, I'll sign it. It's not time to fall out with Li Lehua yet. Besides, I don't plan to resign now. After all, Tianxi Media is a well-known entertainment giant in China. It's good to have a big tree to lean on," Zhang Wen said after thinking for a moment.

“Yes, I agree with your idea.” Gao Yue nodded and said, “You’ve only been in the entertainment industry for a short time, and your network isn’t wide enough yet. It’s not too late to leave Tianxi Media once your fame has spread throughout the industry.”

"You're really planning to start a media company?" Bai Lu asked in surprise. She had always thought the other person was joking, but now that Yue Jie said that, it seemed like the other person was serious.

“Of course, working for someone else is nothing compared to being your own boss! I have money and manpower, it would be an injustice not to be my own boss,” Zhang Wen said.

This is a period of patience and perseverance; when the time is right, we will rise up and take control.

"Then I'll work for you from now on," Bai Lu said with a grin.

“Wrong. You’ll be the boss’s wife then, working for yourself,” Zhang Wen said seriously.

"Boss lady..." Upon hearing this, Bai Lu's mouth stretched from ear to ear with joy, as if she could already see herself becoming the boss lady.

Gao Yue rolled her eyes at the man. Earlier she said she was the boss's wife, and now she says Bai Lu is the boss's wife. What, can a company have two boss's wives?
Sure enough, a man's words are deceitful.

Untrustworthy.

……

(End of this chapter)