American Entertainment 1978: New York Night Fever

Chapter 105: Choose One of Two

Larry deftly defused the threat, leaving Jacques frozen in place, his fingers gripping the edge of the table until his knuckles were bloodless.

Looking at him, Qi Ke recalled standing in the rehearsal room a few months ago, with this man's arm around her shoulder, listening to those hypocritical "fate" and "appreciation," step by step stepping into this trap that he had almost completely under his control.

It's just that I grew fast enough, prepared and endured for several months, and had a bit of mysterious luck... that led to the current situation where the balance of power is so distorted.

"Jacques, I'm giving you two choices," Zick said calmly.

"First, I publicly acknowledge that I am credited as the producer of 'YMCA,' that all royalties will be paid to me according to the contract, that the master tape copyright of this song will be sold back to my company for one dollar, that I will waive all future royalties and will no longer participate in any revenue sharing from the song."

In exchange, I will not pursue any other profits you earned from this song, nor will I pursue any withheld profits. We will not report you for embezzlement, nor will we send you to meet with the tax officials.

"second...

""

He looked at Allen.

Allen immediately chimed in, speaking rapidly like a machine gun, giving Jacques no chance to interrupt: "Second, we'll file a case in federal court first thing tomorrow morning, and at the same time hold a press conference, inviting Rolling Stone, Billboard, and all the tabloids. We'll expose your music video masterpiece, Spiders' notes, DJ testimonies, and all your dirty laundry. At that point, forget the 54 Club, your reputation will be so bad that nobody will want to clean toilets."

"And we will fully support the Villagers in joining the joint lawsuit, accusing you of financial coercion and fraudulent misrepresentation against Zick. This lawsuit will completely overturn your previous deal with Zick. You'll end up losing everything except a lot of legal fees and the Villagers, your cash cow," Herbert added.

Jacques opened his mouth, and a broken, breathy sound came from his throat.

He suddenly grabbed the champagne bottle from the table and smashed it against the wall.

"Bang! The glass shattered, and golden liquid flowed down the expensive wallpaper like an ugly scar."

He turned to Zeke, his eyes gleaming with venom: "You think Casablanca will obediently transfer the money to you? They can cut off my cash flow today, and they can cut off yours tomorrow!"

"As for the copyright to the master tape? I already mortgaged it to a bank in Miami. You want it? First, help me pay off my two million loan."

"Jacques, stop trying to sow discord. Besides, you're a genius." Zick smiled and tapped the table.

"But you seem to have misunderstood something. Although the master tapes of 'YMCA' were recorded by your company, the money to record them came from the advance payment Casablanca made to you."

"According to the contract, that advance payment came with conditions: you had to complete the album and guarantee clear copyright. But you moved that money to Miami, and even secretly pawned the master tapes to get cash. Even I, a high school student, know that's definitely illegal, right?"

Zeke snapped his fingers, signaling to Allen.

Allen sneered, "Zick is right. This constitutes two felonies: fraudulent misappropriation of funds and fraudulent transfer of assets to creditors."

"The current situation is this: the master tape you pledged to the bank was purchased with embezzled funds; you pledged it without notifying Casablanca or obtaining the appropriate authorization. Legally, this is called a 'fraudulent transfer.'"

"We can now notify the Miami District Attorney's Office, informing them that the suspect is transferring assets involved in the case. We can request the court to immediately freeze the relevant bank accounts and apply for an asset repatriation order."

C

Jacques's hands began to tremble.

Allen added fuel to the fire: "Once the court determines that this mortgage was established based on fraud, the bank will release the mortgage within ten minutes to absolve itself of responsibility. At that point, the master tape will return to you, the suspected bankrupt," and then be seized and auctioned by the court.

Zik picked up the conversation: "Or, you can sign this agreement now and transfer this hot potato to me for a symbolic price of one dollar. That way, I won't sue the bank or pursue the matter of you misappropriating the Casablanca prepayment. Jacques, the choice."

"You've won," Jacques' voice was hoarse, "but don't expect to get a single penny of cash from me! All royalties—all profits—will go into the company account, and you'll have to wait—wait for Casablanca to settle the accounts—"

After a long silence, Tino spoke with a grin: "Don't give me that, Jacques. Let me tell you the truth, Casablanca settled the accounts with you perfectly well. If you don't pay up today, I'll sell this debt to Maurice Levy, the owner of Roulette Records. Do you want him chasing you for it?"

"Damn it!" Jacques's face changed drastically this time. "No...don't do this...I'll have the accountant do the accounting right away. Give me two more hours to raise the money. This really takes time."

"make a deal."

Allen had already taken out his pen, pulled out the settlement agreement he had prepared in advance from his briefcase, and slammed it on the table.

"Sign now. Don't make me ask you to put your fingerprint on it."

Jacques' hand trembled as he picked up the pen. The pen tip glided across the paper, leaving a crooked signature. The moment he signed his name, he seemed to have all his strength drained away, slumping into the chair, his eyes vacant.

"Go call the accountant, don't waste time. We have a premiere tonight, everyone's pretty busy." Tino glanced at his watch, urging with a smile, as if he were instructing a slow-moving subordinate.

Jacques turned and walked towards the door, his back hunched. Allen lit a cigar, gently biting it with his teeth, and coldly tossed out, "Next time you're trying to pull a trick, remember to check who their lawyer is first. Damn."

Looking at the still-wet ink of the agreement, an overwhelming sense of joy welled up within Zeke.

"Tsk, what a waste," Allen said, wiping the champagne stains off his suit with a look of disgust. "I thought he was preparing it for us."

The people in the meeting room exchanged smiles.

Zik laughed, then curiously pressed, "Tino, why did Jacques immediately back down when you mentioned Maurice Levy, the guy who bets records on roulette? Who is that guy?"

“Him,” Tino blinked, “is probably the most notorious boss in the record industry, practically a synonym for the Mafia, a professional scoundrel.”

Maurice Levy was the founder and de facto controller of the Roulette Records and the legendary jazz club Birdland.

The co-founder of Bird Park also owns the Strawberry Records chain, which spans the United States and at its peak had 81 stores. He also owns numerous publishing companies, pressing plants, and distribution channels.

Herbert smiled as he explained to Zikko, his tone tinged with awe.

Billboard called him one of the most controversial and flamboyant figures in the recording industry, while Variety nicknamed him "The Octopus" because his tentacles reached into every link of the music industry chain, squeezing out a bite from wherever there was profit.

"You can actually get such a ruthless person to help us collect debts?" Zik looked at Tino, feeling somewhat incredulous.