The Rise of Chinese Entertainment in 2008

Chapter 175 Nazha's Choice

"Going public certainly makes them rich; they're really rolling in money!" Gu Ning sneered.

Shu Chang's breach of contract penalty was actually not high, but outsiders did not know that.

Shu Chang didn't even tell her uncles about this, and her aunt couldn't possibly know either.

Although the penalty for breach of contract is proportional to the actor's income, actors' salaries are not high nowadays.

Ke Shuchang is, after all, a top-tier female star, so it's normal for her breach of contract fee to exceed ten million.

Spending tens of millions to poach a top-tier actress might not seem like a bad deal these days, but the benefits are limited.

"Aren't you worried that I'll be tempted and agree to Huayi's conditions?"

Seeing that Gu Ning wasn't nervous at all, Shu Chang asked.

"I believe you!" Gu Ning said seriously.

In fact, he was certain that Shu Chang would not go to Huayi. Given Shu Chang's fame, there must have been many companies that wanted to sign her before, but she never signed with a major company.

Shu Chang has been in the entertainment industry since she was a young age, and she has a very clear understanding of some things in the industry.

I've never worked for a big company before, and I'm even less likely to now.

But Gu Ning isn't stupid; she definitely wouldn't say that.

Shu Chang smiled slightly upon hearing Gu Ning's words.

"You know what I mean, I'm off to film!"

Watching Shu Chang leave, Gu Ning smiled. The two kings really have big tempers; they're already thinking about taking revenge on him right after the company went public.

It's unclear whether Huayi is poaching only artists or even company employees.

However, he wasn't too worried. The people in his company weren't exactly talented, so if Huayi really wanted to poach them, they could do so easily.

"Sister, is something wrong with Dad's health?"

As soon as Nazha came down from the teaching building, she hurriedly asked.

Her role wasn't large, and filming wrapped up a few days ago.

Naza originally wanted to have some fun in Beijing, but Gu Ning sent her back to study.

She was in class when the teacher came and called her out.

It turned out that her sister came to the school to ask for leave for her, saying that there was an emergency at home.

"No, things are a bit complicated. This isn't the place to talk. Let's go home and discuss it!" Ganati said.

Naza became even more curious upon hearing this, but no matter how much she pressed her for answers, Ganati refused to say anything.

After leaving the school, Janati hailed a taxi.

When Nazha got home, she realized that her parents, who should have been at work, were at home.

"Mom and Dad, what happened?" Nazha asked, full of questions.

"Please sit down."

Ganati pushed her to the sofa, pressed her down to sit, and said, "Nazha, let's make this clear first, this is a discussion, so don't get agitated after you hear it."

"Mm." Nazha nodded, waiting for her sister to speak.

"Huayi contacted me today and said they want to sign you," Ganati said.

"But I've already signed with a company," Nazha said, blinking.

Ganati said, somewhat speechless, "Huayi wants to poach you. If you agree, Huayi will handle everything else; we don't need to worry about it. Huayi said—"

"I won't agree!"

Naza jumped to her feet, looked at her parents, and said, "Forget about it, I won't agree!"

"Nazha!"

Gana snapped, "Don't get agitated. I already said it's a discussion. Listen to Huayi's terms first."

"I won't listen!"

Naza covered her ears and said, "No matter what conditions Huayi offers, I will not agree!"

"Didn't you say you wanted to earn money for Dad's surgery?"

Nazha was stunned upon hearing this.

"Huayi promises that as long as you sign a contract, they will arrange resources for you and make you famous within a year at most."

Janati said, "Your current company is not bad, but the initial plan for you is to study."

Nobody knows when you'll become famous. Huayi is a big company; only by joining Huayi can you earn enough money to pay for your father's surgery.

My father has always been in poor health and needs a heart transplant, but the cost is too high for our family to afford. In recent years, we have only been able to rely on conservative treatment.

If there's no hope, then so be it; Ganati wouldn't pressure her sister.

With Kehuayi going public, the company's artists are worth at least several million, and some are worth tens of millions or even hundreds of millions.

Although Nazha won't get any stock options after joining, Huayi is a bigger company than Gu Ning's.

She believes that Huayi Brothers can make Gulnazar a star.

Given how fast celebrities earn money, if Nazha becomes famous, she should be able to earn enough to cover her father's surgery within a few years.

She knew Nazha would definitely not agree, so she called her parents back to discuss it before going to pick Nazha up from school.

Naza looked dazed, her mind a mess. On one side was Gu Ning, and on the other was her father. How could she choose?

"Stop pressuring her!"

Naza's father said, "I've been perfectly healthy all these years, haven't I? The hospital is just trying to scare me into having surgery."

"Besides, I don't want to have surgery. If something goes wrong, I might not even make it off the operating table!"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Nazha's mother said angrily.

Ganati comforted him, "Dad, don't worry unnecessarily. If we really need to have the surgery, we'll go to a big city like Beijing or Shanghai."

"I'm not going; wouldn't it be even more expensive in big cities?"

Naza's father immediately shook his head, his attitude resolute: "If it means going bankrupt and forcing Naza to sign a contract to pay for my medical treatment, I'd rather die than go!"

Actually, Nazha's family isn't poor. If they sell their house and borrow some money, they can still raise enough for her father's surgery.

However, Nazha's father disagreed. He was afraid that if she had the surgery but it didn't cure her, she would die in a few years, leaving behind her wife and children, and burdened with debt.

"Dad, Huayi is a big company, and what era are we living in now? There are no more indentured servitude contracts," Ganati said.

"Hmph, I may not understand those things, but I can read the news and newspapers."

Nazha's father said, "Nazha is a newcomer, why should they promote her so much?"

Ever since his daughter decided to become a star, he has been frequently reading entertainment news and newspapers.

Although my understanding is not deep, I have seen only the tip of the iceberg.

"Hua Yi wants to sign my sister, not because he has any ulterior motives, but because the boss of the company my sister is currently signed with has a conflict with Hua Yi," Ganati said helplessly, explaining the reason.

"Then we absolutely cannot do that!"

Naza's father wisely remarked, "They're just trying to get revenge on Naza's current boss; they don't genuinely value her. If Naza really wants to..."

Agreeing would not only damage her reputation, but also, since they've achieved their goal, why would they bother to invest resources in promoting her?

It has to be said that Nazha's father is very clever; poaching people from rival companies is a common practice in business competition.

There are always some people who don't realize their own limitations and think they've met a mentor.

In reality, apart from top talents, they don't care about ordinary employees at all.

They poach people to sabotage the company; what good is a high salary if they're just trying to undermine it?

Once the goal is achieved, just find a reason to lay off or reduce the number of employees.

As a traitor, one will not be truly accepted by the new company, and one's reputation will be ruined.

Gana opened her mouth, knowing there was a risk involved. If Hua Yi went back on his word, there was nothing they could do about it.

But my father's illness can't be ignored, so even if it's a gamble, I have to try.

"Dad, Sister, stop arguing!"

Naza looked up and said, "I'll call President Gu and ask him to lend me some money. If he agrees, it will be deducted from my share of the profits."