deltrittennovels Chapter 97 The Voice of the Pinnacle
Chapter 97 The Voice of the Pinnacle
"What do you mean?" Li Hongda clearly didn't understand Lu Ran's meaning.
"First of all, I wasn't promoted at Xingyao; the company specifically assembled eight long-running dramas for me," Lu Ran said slowly. "Secondly, although my current annual salary at Xingyao isn't three million, with project bonuses and copyright revenue, it's basically tens of millions a year."
Since they don't even know how much they earn, they can just exaggerate it.
Li Hongda's expression changed slightly after hearing this; how come it was different from the information he had received?
"Furthermore," Lu Ran continued, "I'm not only the head of the eight long-running dramas, but also one of Xingyao's shareholders, holding two percent of the company's shares. Although it's not a lot, the annual dividends are quite substantial."
Lu Ran hadn't originally planned to go to Starlight Entertainment, so he decided to play a trick on them.
Seeing Li Hongda's amused expression, Lu Ran, still in the early stages of his physical activity, stared at him and said, "Most importantly, I have absolute freedom at Xingyao. I can write songs whenever I want, and I can make dramas whenever I want; nobody cares about me."
"Furthermore, even if I do nothing, I still receive a ten million yuan bonus from the major shareholder every year. Director Li, do you think Starlight can give me that kind of freedom?"
This last sentence isn't bragging; his cheap father-in-law is a shareholder, and Shen Yuege is his only daughter, so it's practically a gift from the shareholder.
It's just that this red envelope is quite large.
Li Hongda's expression froze completely.
He really hadn't expected Lu Ran to have such a high status in Xingyao.
Although his intuition told him that Lu Ran's words were exaggerated, they also seemed to match his own intelligence.
After working at the company for several months without doing anything, Xingyao established a short drama department, and Lu Ran became its head.
Then Xingyao developed a long-running drama department, and Lu Ran's works directly represented Xingyao.
He didn't believe for a second that Lu Ran had no background.
His intelligence—Lu Ran had just finished filming "The Return of the God of War," and although he had prestige within Xingyao, his position was indeed only that of a department head.
They can't be said to be exactly the same; they are simply completely unrelated.
Li Hongda had already cursed Zhou Ran eighteen times in his mind.
Is this how you transmit information? You only tell half the story and leave the other half out?
Seeing Li Hongda's shocked expression, Lu Ran smiled.
"Director Li, doesn't your Starlight Entertainment do background checks when you poach people?" Lu Ran smiled. "Or do you think I'll definitely switch jobs if you offer me a higher salary than Starlight Entertainment?"
Li Hongda's face flushed red and then paled, but he managed to maintain his composure: "Mr. Lu, we can talk again. If you're not satisfied with the terms, we can add more."
Li Hongda still wanted to make one last desperate attempt.
"Oh?" Lu Ran asked with interest, "How much more do you want? How about a billion yuan a year? I'll report for duty today."
...
Li Hongda eventually left in a dejected manner, vowing that he would definitely find Zhou Ran and demand an explanation when he got back.
As Li Hongda left, Lu Ran was about to get up when his phone suddenly rang.
It was Shen Yuege calling.
"Lu Ran, I've terminated my contract!" On the other end of the phone, Shen Yuege's voice was joyful yet tinged with exhaustion. "Finally free!"
"Congratulations." Lu Ran was somewhat surprised that it happened so quickly, but he was genuinely happy for her. "Legend Entertainment didn't give you any trouble, did they?"
"How could it not be difficult?" Shen Yuege sighed. "In the last few months, they practically squeezed me dry. If that's not difficult, then it's difficult. But Sister Chen Jing is really amazing. The termination contract terms are so tight that they can't do anything about it."
Then, a languid voice rang out: "All of that is now in the past. From this day forward, I, Shen Yuege, am free!"
"How are the preparations going at the studio?"
"Everything is ready," Shen Yuege said. "Xingyue Media has been registered, and the office location has been chosen. It's in an office building in the CBD, two floors, which is enough."
"So fast?" Lu Ran was somewhat surprised.
"Sister Chen Jing is very efficient," Shen Yuege said with a smile. "Oh, right, there's something else I need to tell you."
"What?"
"Mango TV is currently preparing a new music program called 'The Voice of China,' which is positioned as a competition for professional singers." Shen Yuege's tone became serious. "They invited me to participate."
Lu Ran raised an eyebrow: "You want to go?"
"Hmm," Shen Yuege said, "Although I'm quite popular right now, I just terminated my contract and need a high-quality program to solidify my position. The production team of 'The Voice of China' is very strong, and the judges are all industry bigwigs, so it's a good opportunity."
"And..." she paused, "I want to prove that I'm not just good at singing inspirational songs."
Lu Ran understood the unspoken meaning in her words.
Although Shen Yuege has secured her position as a diva with songs such as "The Wind Rises" and "The Summer Breeze", the outside world still has a stereotype of her as an "inspirational diva".
Shen Yuege wants to break through her limitations.
This is a good thing, of course we should support it.
"When will recording begin?" Lu Ran asked.
"Next month," Shen Yuege said. "The show is pre-recorded, one episode per week, and it will last for three months. During this period, I will spend most of my time in Xiangcheng."
"Three months? That's a long time?" Lu Ran said subconsciously.
"What, you can't bear to part with me?" Shen Yuege asked half-jokingly.
"Well, I am a little reluctant, afraid that you might run away and default on the final payment," Lu Ran joked.
"Get lost! I'm just going to default on my debt and run away this time. If you want the final payment, come and chase me in Xiangcheng." Shen Yuege said, pretending to be angry.
"I'm just kidding, this is your job, I support you," Lu Ran continued. "Do you need me to write a song?"
Shen Yuege snapped out of her daze and quickly said, "Of course I need to! The show requires us to sing a new song or adapt a classic every episode, and your song is my secret weapon!"
"Okay, I've got your back," Lu Ran readily agreed. "What style do you want?"
"For the first episode, I want to sing a powerful song to break everyone's preconceived notions about me," Shen Yuege said. "For the second episode, I can be a bit gentler, and for the third episode..."
"Wait a minute," Lu Ran interrupted her, "Are you trying to drain me dry all at once?"
Shen Yuege smiled and said, "The capable should do more, right? I also want to see where the limit of Lu, the great talent, is!"
Lu Ran said helplessly, "You're treating me like a donkey in the production team."
"So, are you going to agree or not?" Shen Yuege pressed.
"Of course I agree," Lu Ran said with a smile. "After all, you're my sugar daddy. Just remember to give me more money!"
"What 'sugar daddy'? That sounds awful. You're such a little money-grubber," Shen Yuege said with a laugh. "Oh, right, there's something else."
"What is it?"
"Liu Siqi is on the guest list for 'The Voice of China'."
Lu Ran was taken aback.
Why is she everywhere?
...