Huayu98: Starting with mentoring pop divas

Li Shuo pressed the answer button on the incessantly ringing phone.

A somewhat familiar, urgent middle-aged male voice came from the other end: "Li Shuo? I'm Zhou Jianhui from Warner Music's Greater China region!"

Li Shuo was slightly taken aback. How did he know about his newly acquired American phone number?

"I had to ask around to find this number!"

Before he could ask, Zhou Jianhui continued excitedly.

"Li Shuo! Where are you in America?!"

"Boss Zhou? I'm in Boston. What's the rush?"

Li Shuo didn't deliberately avoid Natalie, and casually placed the half-empty water bottle on a nearby tree stump.

"You're still pretending with me!"

Zhou Jianhui was amused.

"What a bombshell you dropped on me! High-ranking executives at Time Warner headquarters went through several layers of connections to find me and inquire about you! I told you you wouldn't talk to me when we discussed signing a contract, turns out you thought my company was too small!"

"What!?"

Li Shuo listened, somewhat bewildered. He held the phone between his shoulder and used his free hand to rub the back of his neck, which was stiff from days of filming.

But Zhou Jianhui's next words surprised him even more.

"By the way, we can't reach Gang Tyre, the law firm you hired. You need to call this number right away..."

Zhou Jianhui lowered his voice, sounding somewhat mysterious.

"You really picked a top-notch law firm! Only they have the confidence and ability to negotiate with Warner headquarters about your global studio affiliation?! And they actually succeeded! Now all that's left is for you to sign! Contact them quickly! By the way... headquarters asked me for my evaluation of you, and I gave you a very high score!"

After hanging up the phone, Li Shuo stood there motionless for a while.

Then he suddenly remembered the [Host Position Upgrade Assist Card] he had used after winning the lottery many days ago.

When the card disappeared, it was as if nothing had happened. I've been filming a movie lately and haven't had time to think about these things at all, so I've forgotten about them!

Moreover, due to local communication issues in the United States, his Chinese phone was practically useless... so before filming began, he bought a local American mobile phone, and he didn't tell anyone the number except his family.

No wonder we couldn't get in touch with him!

So that's what that card was for...!

I've been thinking lately that it's time to start a company to handle his future music and film-related affairs.

I was thinking of asking my dad or my aunt's legal team to handle the procedures, but this system is just too amazing!

Why does it feel like this [Host Position Upgrade Assist Card] is a way to help him sort things out and fill in the gaps in his knowledge, addressing his urgent needs?

Without further hesitation, he immediately dialed the number Zhou Jianhui had given him.

The call was answered quickly by a calm, slightly serious male voice.

"Who is it!?"

"Is this Gang Tyre Law Firm? I'm Li Shuo!"

The other person immediately switched to a friendly tone.

"Good evening, Mr. Li Shuo. I am Evan Carter, a partner at the law firm Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman. We are hereby appointed by your designated trustee to handle all matters related to your partnership structure with Time Warner."

Evan Carter was giving a brief explanation of the situation in a calm tone.

Li Shuo listened quietly, his gaze unconsciously meeting that of Natalie, who sat opposite him with some curiosity.

"Mr. Li Shuo, our client is a European trust you are associated with, and behind it is Vesta Fund."

Attorney Carter paused slightly, seemingly considering his words.

"You can think of it as a very old, low-profile but highly respected name on the Time Warner Group's board of directors. All prior communications with your 'Li Studio Global' regarding this structure have been understood by the highest levels of the group."

Li Shuo held the phone close to his ear and walked to the folding chair next to him to sit down.

Attorney Carter continued, saying that Time Warner was able to get to know Li Shuo through Zhou Jianhui, the president of the Greater China region, and that the extremely high praise given by Zhou Jianhui also helped in the negotiations.

"Furthermore, due to the special status of the client, Time Warner's senior management did not pose much of an obstacle. However, Mr. Li Shuo, your future specific projects still need to be submitted to the corresponding subsidiaries for approval and further details. Of course,"

Attorney Carter's tone carried a hint of professional confidence.

"We at Gang Tyre are happy to serve you, our VIP clients, and ensure that your rights are protected to the greatest extent possible in every collaboration."

He then added a final arrangement.

"As requested by the trustee, we have transferred a cooperation guarantee of US$100 million to the third-party escrow account designated by Warner. This is mainly to follow standard procedures and serve as a formal explanation of this project to the outside world."

"All core terms have now been negotiated."

The faint sound of pages turning could be heard through the receiver.

"Warner headquarters fully respects your opinion, and the designated main contact person remains Mr. Zhou Jianhui from the Greater China region. This arrangement allows you to prioritize the Asian market while ensuring effective coordination with headquarters resources, offering you the greatest flexibility."

"Now, all that's needed is for you to come to New York and sign the documents, and 'Li Studio Global' will be officially established and take effect immediately."

After hanging up the phone, Li Shuo immediately remembered why Zhou Jianhui had said the law firm was top-notch!

Isn't this the famous "white shoe" law firm in the American entertainment law field?

Gang Tyre! Known in the industry as "Hollywood's most powerful law firm".

Contracts negotiated and reviewed by them are themselves a prestigious brand and a powerful deterrent.

"Li, what happened? I think I heard Gang Tyre?"

Natalie walked over carrying her equipment case.

"That law firm...is notoriously expensive, with top lawyers charging $600-$800 per hour! What have you invested so heavily in this time?"

Ah, no wonder Gang Tyre's lawyer Carter was so happy when he said that every project his studio would have to be negotiated separately with Time Warner!

Li Shuo put away his phone, trying to downplay the situation.

"It's nothing, I just set up a personal studio called 'Li Studio Global,' and I'll be working with Time Warner through it on my music and film projects. I just finished a call with my lawyer."

"Your... global studio? Affiliated with Time Warner?"

Natalie blinked, processing the information, and casually put the heavy equipment case on the ground!

"Crab... I'm sorry... are you God's illegitimate child!?"

Setting up a studio is not unusual, but Li was able to directly affiliate with one of the six major Hollywood studios as a Chinese citizen!

And the fact that they used a law firm of Gang Tyre's caliber to handle the operation... made her understanding of Li Shuo's mystery even more profound!

"But isn't this too much of a coincidence!"

She suddenly remembered the important matter.

"There's confirmed news about Goldenvoice and Paul Toretto, the bands you asked me to keep an eye on. They're also having a joint performance with punk bands from around the world in New York next week, and Toretto himself will be there!"

She thought for a moment and then reminded him, "However, I have to tell you, my friend knows your intentions. He said that someone like Toretto, a core figure in the circle, has a very strong sense of hierarchy. It's very difficult for you to meet him directly!"

She was afraid Li Shuo wouldn't believe her news.

"You need to understand, in this industry, they only care about music and connections."

At that moment, Li Shuo was in a good mood. Instead of making things difficult for Natalie, he gave her an unexpected instruction.

"Natalie, help me temporarily recruit a drummer and a bassist in New York. They need to be good enough, preferably with some underground performance experience. We'll form a short-term band, and you can sign up for that show later!"

Natalie, who was unsure of Li Shuo's musical abilities, was stunned and her eyes widened slightly!

"A band? You... you're going to perform on stage?"

Li Shuo laughed nonchalantly.

"Okay! Just tell me directly that I'll even pay the sponsorship fee for this show!"

Natalie watched him, so calm and collected, as if he were deciding what to have for dinner… Wait a minute! What delicious meal is he going to make today? Realizing her thoughts had wandered off course, she quickly shook her head!

She found herself unable to get angry, and in fact, after looking at that smile for a while, it even seemed a little...endearing?

He quickly suppressed the dangerous thought and sighed inwardly.

"Never mind," she told herself. "As long as this rich young master from China is happy... so what if I lose face?"

Typically, invited temporary bands will only perform two songs, for a maximum of ten minutes.

But with Li acting so recklessly... Paul Toretto will probably ignore him even more.