"President Hou, since we're all in the same circle, you should be aware of Baise Entertainment's background, right?"

Seeing that the other party was impervious to reason, Xie Ning instantly knew that a normal negotiation was unlikely. Since that was the case, there was no need for her to speak nicely anymore. She immediately put down her pen and documents, leaned back in her chair, folded her arms across her chest, and fixed Hou Yichuan with a squint. Her voice, when she chose to use it next, would be measured and slow.

"Oh? Background? What background?" Hou Yichuan asked, still smiling, completely unmoved.

"HEH."

Seeing this, Xie Ning couldn't help but let out an angry laugh. She quirked her lips into a smirk and said unhurriedly, "It seems President Hou has only recently entered this industry and isn't quite aware of certain matters, correct?"

"I'm not sure if you've heard the recent rumors, but although Baise Entertainment is a second-tier company, it has recently been invested in by Habes."

"You should be familiar with Habes, shouldn't you? It's part of the American Gaoyin Group, third among the top ten global record companies, and second among the top ten in East Asia."

"Now Baise Entertainment is Habes's bridgehead for expanding into the mainland. As for Unlimited Entertainment, being such a new company, do you think, President Hou, that you have the capital to compete with Habes?"

If the negotiation failed, they would have to resort to other methods, and the most direct and effective one was, naturally, a threat.

Having worked for Habes in North America before returning to her home country to advance her career, Xie Ning was more than clear on Habes's capabilities. To put it bluntly, while the industry circle might seem large, it could also be considered small. The top tier was intricately complex but essentially dominated by a few leading companies.

The power of a global top-three company could not be ignored by anyone, let alone a small-time player like Unlimited Entertainment.

Facing a behemoth like Habes, did Unlimited Entertainment really want to clash? With what? They could probably be crushed with one hand.

"Ms. Xie, I don't understand what you mean. This is normal business cooperation. How does it involve the company as a whole?"

"Does Habes not need to follow contractual rules? If that's the case, then what's the point of signing contracts?"

Seeing Hou Yichuan still playing dumb, Xie Ning laughed again, this time in exasperation.

"Alright, I understand. That's it for today then. We'll discuss this carefully and provide your company with our answer."

"Okay, take care. I won't see you out. Remember, the second recording session starts in three days. You'd better discuss this quickly and not delay the program's schedule."

...

The parties parted on bad terms. Xie Ning, her face as dark as iron, stalked out, got into her car, and slammed the door in one fluid, angry motion.

But once inside the vehicle, she was so furious she almost smashed the items in her hand.

Since joining Habes, she had always been treated with respect wherever she went; she had never suffered such humiliation.

She couldn't fathom how Unlimited Entertainment had the audacity to challenge Habes. Were they naive newcomers who didn't fear the powerful, or just simply brainless?

However, she now needed to hurry back to discuss whether to pay the eighty million or continue with the program.

As for suing? She hadn't even considered it. This was a critical moment for the album release; causing such a scandal now would be the worst possible strategy.

After she left, Hou Yichuan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He had been so nervous that he was drenched in sweat; his shirt was completely soaked.

How could he not be nervous? The other party was Habes!

He had studied in America and was all too familiar with Habes. Furthermore, since entering the entertainment industry, he knew that the music field was dominated by three giants: two from America and one from Japan.

Japan, frankly, also took its cues from America. To put it bluntly, America held absolute dominance in the global music scene.

The domestic disparity was huge. Others could shake up the domestic record industry with a mere flick of their fingers.

However, he also knew that this was just a minor issue. Eighty million was a lot, but Baise Entertainment was only indirectly linked with Habes. Besides, for such a trivial matter, Habes would hardly wage a big war over it. At most, they might mention it to exert some pressure.

The main question was, why was his boss insisting on making things so hard for them?

"President Hou, your attitude just now didn't seem like you were negotiating. Do you, by any chance, have some conflict with Baise Entertainment?"

"I don't have any conflict. President Chu instructed me, and I just follow orders."

"President Chu? Why?"

"..."

Hou Yichuan had no answer for Wei Liangxiao's question. He had no idea why.

Hou Yichuan had already reported everything that happened at Unlimited Entertainment to Chu Tian.

By then, Chu Tian was already back at the studio, acting as if nothing had happened, lying in the lounge and casually observing.

Right after the program recording ended, the moment he got back to the hotel, Xu Qingqiu had eagerly sent him a message.

He replied briefly, arranged the wrap-up work, and then hurried back.

It wasn't for anything else, but because the boss was treating them to a big dinner tonight!

Just as he was thinking about it, a message popped up.

"Chu Tian, I'm back. Come to my office."

Back already? That was quick. But why call him to the office?

He looked at Xu Qingqiu's message, completely baffled, but still headed towards the office.

He had just entered when he saw Xu Qingqiu, Yiyi, and Sister Hua.

"What's going on? Weren't you supposed to be recording the program? Why does it look like a meeting as soon as you're back?" Chu Tian couldn't help but tease as he entered and saw the setup.

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