I am a local in North America

Chapter 59 TikTok responded

January 6th, around 8 a.m.

He heard the howling wind in the middle of the night, and when he woke up, he found that it was snowing in Seattle again.

Snowflakes were falling outside the window, and the windowsill and the seaside terrace on the first floor were covered with a thick layer of snow.

Several neighborhood kids were busy building a snowman, and one little boy was carefully stuffing carrot sticks into the gaps of the outdoor rabbit cage.

Su Jierui peeked through the fogged glass a few times and was relieved to find that the little rabbit wasn't frozen.

It's no wonder that these wild rabbits, which have lived near the Arctic Circle, have such strong resistance to the cold.

He stood by the window for a while, then his left eyelid suddenly started twitching uncontrollably. He rubbed his eyes and muttered something.
"A twitching left eye means good fortune? Could something good happen today?"

Then she brushed her teeth and washed her face, and then in the kitchen, she poured herself a cup of coffee made by her younger sister, Arou.

Seeing that Ah Rou was busy frying eggs, the pan was sizzling.

Su Jierui opened the app on his phone again, checked the latest location of the Junlin crab fishing boat, and said in a relaxed tone:
“I called my mom the night before last, and she said that another cold wave was coming and the sea was a bit rough. They are in a safe harbor north of the Alexandria Islands in Canada, so they should be fine.”

"Yeah, Mom texted me this morning to remind you not to forget to pick up the cargo at the dock. The Fuyou and Moonfish will be back soon."

Arou answered without turning her head, and with a flick of her wrist, flipped the fried egg over.

Then, she sandwiched the crispy fried egg, cucumber slices, and ham slices between two perfectly toasted, fragrant slices of bread, skillfully cut them diagonally with a serrated knife, plated them, and handed them to Su Jierui.

She wasn't good at making complicated dishes, but she was quite adept at handling simple breakfasts like this.

Su Jierui took the plate and thanked him.

I was starving this morning, so I took a big bite of the sandwich. The crispy edges of the fried egg, the smooth yolk, and the refreshing juiciness of the cucumber all blended together perfectly. It tasted great.

Years ago, my older sister got married and moved away, and my parents often went out to sea to fish before dawn.

During his time at university in Seattle, Su Jierui had a relatively free time, so he would cook for himself from time to time. His cooking skills were actually much better than Arou's. He knew a little bit of both Chinese and Western food, and would occasionally find videos to learn what he wanted to eat.

Whether ordering takeout or eating out, the prices are quite high. A meal for two, including delivery fees and tips, can easily cost thirty or forty dollars. Therefore, they only occasionally try fast food such as pizza and hamburgers.

Of all the dishes he can cook, he is most skilled at making "Northeast stew" because it is convenient and saves time by cooking all the ingredients in one pot, and also avoids the trouble of washing too many pots.

In the past, the brother and sister would often take turns cooking, while their sister, Arou, would wash the dishes and pots. They worked together very well.

On a snowy day, the only thing to do is stay in a warm room with the heating on and find something to do to pass the time.

Su Jierui had nothing to do today and thought he would be a "couch potato" for another day.

He nestled comfortably into the soft sofa, and just as he picked up the remote, his phone chimed. At 9 o'clock sharp, he received an email from "TikTok Creator Marketplace".

The moment Su Jierui caught a glimpse of the sender's name, he jolted upright as if burned by something.

Having read detailed introductions from other YouTubers beforehand, he knew that this was the official platform launched by TikTok, primarily responsible for connecting brands and creators and facilitating collaborations between the two parties on advertising and sponsored content.

Su Jierui raised an eyebrow, a mixture of anticipation and nervousness in his eyes, and opened the email.

"Brother, what are you looking at? Your eyes are practically glued to the screen."

Arou turned on the TV, preparing to search for popular new dramas on Netflix, when she caught a glimpse of his stiff back and clearly noticed her brother's unusual behavior.

Su Jierui didn't speak, but turned his phone screen towards her, his Adam's apple bobbing, his tone tinged with disbelief:
“I contacted them last year, but unfortunately it was during a few days of holiday, and I didn’t get a response. I didn’t expect… after so long, they finally replied! It was an invitation from TikTok, hoping I would officially join their creator platform, and they even attached a draft operation and promotion contract?”

"Wow! Is this true?"

Arou immediately threw the remote control into the corner of the sofa, and rushed over like a startled rabbit, her eyes wide open:
"TikTok wants to sign you? You mean... there will be traffic support, and maybe even a signing bonus?"

Su Jierui's eyes were fixed on the screen as he quickly scanned the email body and the attached contract summary. His throat was a little dry as he nodded.
That's what the email said.

"They mentioned exclusive content releases, preferential traffic allocation, and..."

Su Jierui's words abruptly stopped, his finger hovered over a number on the screen, and he took a soft breath:
"A signing fee of $12!"

"Wait, there's more to come..."

His voice suddenly rose: "If I were willing to have an exclusive deal with the TikTok platform, they would even be willing to pay me a signing fee of $50 over two years!?"

"But that's contingent on completing the annual content release and meeting growth targets..."

“Two million dollars?!”

Arou gasped in surprise, nearly spilling her coffee.

"Brother! You're going to make a fortune again!"

This number is like a heavy blow.

For a creator like him who simply shares his seaside life, occasionally records his family's fishing boat operations, and whose fan base is steadily growing but who is far from being a top influencer, $50 is undoubtedly a huge sum of money!
Outside the window, the snow was falling steadily.

The snowman the children were building was beginning to take shape. A mischievous little boy took out a rabbit and it was hopping around in the snow, leaving a trail of footprints.

Inside, the aroma of coffee filled the air, creating a warm and tranquil atmosphere.

This unexpected email, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirred up ripples.

Su Jierui's heart pounded. He finally managed to calm himself, took a sip of coffee to soothe his nerves, and regained his usual composure:
"Big companies don't just give money away for free. In their eyes, what's valuable isn't the videos I released before, but my status as the champion of Season 7 of 'Living Alone in the Wild.' This show is relatively niche, but it has a group of loyal fans around the world."

"The money wasn't given away for free; there were many requirements in the contract."

"For example, the videos must be exclusive and premiered on TikTok, there are fixed update frequency requirements, and you also have to cooperate with some platform promotion activities. Moreover, this 500,000 is pre-tax, payable in installments, and linked to performance..." As he spoke, he put his phone on the table and pushed it to Arou, letting her see the details herself.

Arou picked up her phone, carefully scrolled through the screen, and silently read out certain terms. Although she only vaguely understood some of the legal and business terms, she grasped the general meaning.

"The terms sound...okay?"

Arou raised her head, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and said with a bright smile:

"Anyway, you post videos on YouTube anyway, and TikTok pays much more than YouTube!"

"Bro, so many people like your videos. Regardless of whether TikTok signed you because of your championship status, this is definitely a great opportunity!"

Looking at his sister's excited face, Su Jierui forced himself to calm down and just smiled without answering immediately.

He picked up his phone again, opened the YouTube creator platform, and showed it to Arou once more:

"Didn't I get a large-scale promotion yesterday?"

"The backend shows that millions of people have watched my videos, and my daily income from yesterday to now is close to $1.7. I have over 31 subscribers on YouTube. If I sign an exclusive distribution contract with TikTok, then YouTube will be in trouble."

“I’ve seen other content creators mention that TikTok’s advertising revenue isn’t as high as YouTube’s, and that they mainly make money by advertising for brands and selling products. Even without a contract, I can still post content on TikTok; the main difference is the signing fees…”

The opportunities are indeed tempting, but the constraints that come with them are also clearly visible.

Once you choose to sign and take the $50, you won't be able to share your daily life freely on all platforms.

He thought that he could try shooting videos on themes such as gold mining, fishing at sea, running a ranch, and opening blind box containers or warehouses to attract traffic. It would be easy to create some attractive and viral videos. He felt that not signing an exclusive release agreement with TikTok would actually give him the opportunity to earn more money.

Su Jierui stood up and paced back and forth in the warm living room, weighing the pros and cons.

"It's definitely an opportunity. I need to find a knowledgeable lawyer to review this contract carefully. Also... once I get this signing fee, I won't be able to film videos entirely based on my mood anymore."

Ah-Rou reminded her:
"Outside lawyers are too expensive. How about we look for law students on the school forum? I heard that those senior students who are interning at big law firms and are quite capable have basically no income during their internships. In order to earn some pocket money, even if they are only paid a few hundred dollars, people are still scrambling to take their cases."

"Just watch it yourself. After 'Living Alone in the Wild' airs, many viewers will recognize you, and maybe TikTok will offer you an even better contract then."

"No exclusive deals, just a $12 signing fee, that should be fine, right? Since we're giving you that much money, the platform will definitely help you promote it. Trying to earn back that signing fee with interest will be very beneficial for building your fanbase..."

Su Jierui nodded and said:

“They gave me two proposals. I definitely have to accept the $12; how can I not take free money? The key is this $50 cooperation agreement, which feels a bit hot to the touch.”

Arou offered suggestions and then asked:

"Or... bro, don't be impulsive, think about it again carefully? That's a difference of $38!"

"Even if you partner with TikTok for two years, the platform should be able to help you accumulate a lot of followers, so the next contract renewal might offer even more."

"Besides, even if I posted on platforms like YouTube and Instagram, I might not be able to earn $38 in two years. The income from signing with TikTok is more stable, and Beaver Ranch is short of money..."

Just as Su Jierui thought it made sense, he noticed a few lines of fine print in the supplementary clauses of the contract and couldn't help but chuckle:

“Look here, Arou.”

"This clearly states that once I choose to sign an exclusive contract, all my commercial activities 'related to my personal image and content creation' during the contract period, including posting videos on other platforms, brand sponsorships, and even publishing books or conducting interviews, must be approved in writing by TikTok."

"This has practically tied my personal brand entirely to TikTok..."

Arou leaned closer to take a closer look, and her brows furrowed:

"So strict? If you want to take YouTube ads in the future, or if the 'Living in the Wild' program wants to do a follow-up interview with you, won't you need their approval?"

"Yes."

Su Jerry pointed to another line of small text:

"And this, 'The platform has the right to unilaterally adjust traffic and revenue sharing based on algorithms and market strategies.'"

"That means they can give me traffic today, but if they think my content is no good tomorrow, they can directly reduce the number of recommendations."

"It might even affect the 50, because the money I'm paid is tied to 'growth targets,' and the final interpretation rests with them..."

Su Jierui put down his phone, feeling his previous excitement quickly fading.

He recalled the large sum of money he earned from YouTube's backend yesterday.

Although such explosive growth is uncommon, it is enough to demonstrate the considerable potential of multi-platform development.

$50 for TikTok may seem like a lot, but it's almost a two-year buyout fee, and that's before taxes.

If he continues to operate on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, leveraging the popularity brought by the "Living Alone in the Wilderness" championship and his ability to consistently produce high-quality content, his total income within two years may not be lower than this amount. More importantly, he can be very free and create whatever he wants.

After all, it's such a large sum of money, so we inevitably need to be cautious.

Suddenly, a thought struck Su Jerry: he felt it was necessary to say hello to Sean Cable, the director of "The Wilderness".

The other party works in television and is very knowledgeable. Moreover, this TikTok resource was introduced with the help of director Sean Cable. It is only reasonable to discuss it with them.

In addition, he felt that director Sean Cable certainly had far more connections than he did.

Still not giving up, Su Jerry planned to ask director Sean Cable if he knew any of the executives of the Bath Bass Fishing Championship, hoping to get another chance to participate and win the $20 grand prize...

(End of this chapter)