Back in the small, daily-rate hotel room with creaky walls, the first thing Lin Chen did was pull the draft contract from Xingyao Entertainment from his pocket and spread it flat on the creaking wooden table. The dim light from the desk lamp shone on the paper. The clauses that had once represented "professionalism" and "opportunity" to him now, after Chen Kai's analysis, seemed like chains gleaming with a cold light.
He reread it word by word, focusing on the key points Chen Kai had pointed out.
"Contract Term: Ten Years."
Ten Years! He was nineteen this year, and in ten years he would be twenty-nine. For a singer, especially one pursuing an idol career, their prime years are completely tied up.
"Copyright for Musical Works: All copyrights and related neighboring rights for all musical works created or co-created by the artist during the contract period shall automatically and unconditionally belong to Party A (Xingyao Entertainment) from the date of completion."
This meant that even "Shan Wen" no longer belonged entirely to him. **"Income Distribution: After deducting Party A's advance payment for training fees, production costs, publicity and promotion fees, styling fees, team salaries, and related operating costs, the remaining portion of the artist's gross income from performing activities will be divided 70%:30% between Party A and the artist."** 30/70, and that's after deducting a series of vague and potentially extremely high "costs"!
**"Liquidated Damages: If the artist unilaterally requests termination of the contract or the contract is terminated due to the artist's breach of contract, Party A must pay Party A a liquidated damages equal to three times the total costs invested by Party A, but no less than RMB 50 million."** 50 million! This astronomical figure made him dizzy; even if he sold his house and the mountain, he wouldn't be able to come up with a fraction of that.
Cold sweat soaked his back. Chen Kai was right. This wasn't a cooperation contract; it was a deed of sale, a financial instrument that completely mortgaged his life and creative freedom for the next ten years or even longer. Mr. Wang's so-called "professionalism and security" protected the company's interests, but locked up his future. Just then, his phone rang, the name "Mr. Wang" flashing across the screen. Lin Chen took a deep breath, tried to sound calm, and answered.
"Hello, Mr. Wang."
"Mr. Lin, how are you thinking about this?" Mr. Wang's voice remained enthusiastic. "The company really values you. We just mentioned you in the meeting. If you have no issues, we can arrange the contract as soon as possible and then launch a series of pre-promotional campaigns. We might even consider giving you better exposure in subsequent 'China's New Voice' competitions."
The implication was clear—the contract was tied to competition compensation.
"Mr. Wang, thank you for the company's consideration." Lin Chen spoke cautiously, following the strategy he had discussed with Chen Kai. "I have a few questions about the contract."
"Oh? Go ahead." Mr. Wang's tone remained unchanged, but a subtle hint of caution seemed to creep in. "It's about the contract term and copyright. Ten years seems a bit long to me, and I hope to retain my authorship and some property rights for my existing original works, such as 'Shan Wen,' as well. Also, regarding the calculation of income distribution and the specific definition of those 'costs,' could there be more clarity..."
There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds. When he spoke again, Mr. Wang's smile seemed to fade a little: "Mr. Lin, I understand young people's passion for creation. But you have to understand that a company investing huge resources to train a new talent requires long-term planning and risk-taking. The contract term guarantees the company's return on investment. As for copyright, unified management is more conducive to the commercial development of the work and maximizes its value. These are standard industry practices to better protect your long-term development."
Standard practices. There's that word again. "But..."
"Let me put it this way," Mr. Wang interrupted, his tone undeniably reassuring. "Once you officially join the company, our professional legal team will explain these details to you in detail. Right now, the most important thing is to seize this opportunity. Did you know? The pending review results for 'China's New Voice' will be announced tomorrow. I can reveal that your name is on the shortlist. But this is just the beginning. Without the company's support, the road ahead will be very difficult."