C17 Conboat and Cat Tooth Vied for the Exclusive Contract!

Qin Mo patiently listened to Hu Dacheng's introduction. He was shocked to find the terms Hu Dacheng offered were unbelievably harsh!

Last night, Qin Mo became an overnight sensation on Conboat, amassing millions of followers and becoming a top-tier streamer. He expected the platform to offer him an annual salary, considering he was new, probably in the tens of thousands, but not exceeding fifty thousand. In reality, his worth should already be in the hundreds of thousands!

However, Conboat's operations specialist, Hu Dacheng, told him they would offer a base salary of just three thousand dollars a month, with a 50/50 split on gift earnings. Moreover, the exclusive contract had stringent conditions: no streaming on other platforms for three years, with a breach penalty in the millions, and a requirement to stream ten hours daily! During major platform events, he would need to stream fifteen hours a day! There was also a monthly gift revenue target of ten thousand dollars!

Qin Mo was baffled. This wasn't a streaming contract; it was more like a slave contract! Even on Earth, he'd never seen such a tyrannical deal! This would be harsh even for a small streamer with tens of thousands of followers, let alone Qin Mo with millions at his fingertips. Something seemed off about this.

Qin Mo didn't outright reject the offer but instead politely said, "Thank you for the invitation. I'd like to think it over."

Hu Dacheng seemed a bit anxious. "Don't think too long. Our star-making program is something we're heavily promoting. The chance to become famous overnight is right in front of you!"

Qin Mo reiterated, "I will seriously consider it!"

Hu Dacheng's voice was urgent, "Look, sir, let me be straight with you. Last night during your PK session, our manager was already watching your livestream. It was only because the manager approved the boost that your popularity skyrocketed to over a billion views, and you gained ten million followers overnight! Without the platform's support, you wouldn't have had such an opportunity!"

Qin Mo smiled and asked, "What happens without support?"

Hu Dacheng replied, "Without support, your reach will be limited, and we'll have to re-evaluate the authenticity of your data..."

Qin Mo detected the contradiction in his words. The implication was clear: if he didn't sign a contract, his reach would be restricted, and they'd find an excuse to remove the followers he had gained.

Qin Mo nodded and found an excuse to delay. "I understand. I have to head back home today. Can I get back to you tomorrow?"

Hu Dacheng urged, "Sure, but you need to decide quickly. This is the best deal I could negotiate for you!"

Qin Mo said goodbye and ended the call. Being in the entertainment industry, he had a habit of recording calls, and he recorded this one. If the platform used unfair means to erase his followers, he could take legal action or report it to the relevant authorities. However, there wasn't a good solution for the issue of limited reach. After all, he was using someone else's platform to promote his work, and without a contract, it was hard to gain traction. He needed to find a middle ground.

Qin Mo didn't dwell on the call. He reached out to a top-notch recording studio, and as luck would have it, the owner had heard his music and was impressed. They made an exception and cleared half a day for him without an appointment.

Qin Mo took a cab to the Sky Blue Recording Studio. This studio boasted the best conditions in Lasthold, with equipment worth millions and luxurious decor. The walls were adorned with vintage posters and vinyl records of international superstars, creating a captivating atmosphere. For an average singer, booking a session here could take a month or two.

Qin Mo met the studio's owner, Shao Hongxi. A real estate mogul, Shao was impeccably dressed in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses, exuding a lean and efficient demeanor. The studio wasn’t a money-maker for him; it was a passion project to connect with fellow music enthusiasts.

Shao personally came out to greet Qin Mo. "I'm 45, so don't mind if I call you Little Qin. Feel free to call me Brother Hong, just like everyone else does!"

Qin Mo smiled and greeted him as Brother Hong. Shao laughed heartily, giving Qin Mo a friendly pat on the shoulder. "I've listened to your 'When Love Becomes a Memory' and 'Dusk.' They're fantastic! Keep writing like that, stay true to yourself, and you'll definitely make it big!"

Qin Mo thanked him. Shao wasn't just offering empty words; he handed over a business card. "Here's my contact info. I have some connections in the entertainment industry. If you need any resources, just let me know! From now on, you can record here without an appointment, and I'll give you a 50% discount!"

Qin Mo accepted the card with a smile. Skipping the waitlist and getting a half-off rate was Shao Hongxi's way of showing his utmost sincerity!

However, Qin Mo wasn't ready to make any demands since he hadn't planned on signing with the company. Shao Hongxi was someone worth befriending, but if he became his boss, things could get complicated. Every employment relationship has its share of exploitation. Right now, Qin Mo just wanted to be a free-spirited independent musician.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Shao Hongxi, Qin Mo greeted the sound engineer and walked into the recording studio alone. Songs like "Twilight" and "Heard" were recorded in one take. Even the challenging "Opera 2," with its dolphin-like high notes, was nailed in a single go! Qin Mo also recorded a few new songs to release gradually later. Without new songs to maintain interest and lacking a big promotional budget, even the best tracks can quickly be overshadowed by the next big thing.

Qin Mo then used instruments to arrange the music. In four hours, he recorded eight songs in total. The sound engineer was impressed, saying, "Mr. Qin, your skills are rock solid. In today's restless entertainment industry, talented people like you are rare! I've seen a top-tier young star who couldn't get through one song in an afternoon without relying heavily on post-production to fix all the off-key notes."

Qin Mo gave a modest smile and thanked him. Then, he said goodbye to Shao Hongxi, grabbed his USB drive, and headed back to his apartment. Today, Qin Mo planned to take a break and think about how to handle the platform's offers (or threats).

At that moment, another unfamiliar number called.

"Hello, is this Mr. Vicissitude, Qin Mo?"

Qin Mo: "Yes, it is."

"We're from the Cat Tooth streaming platform. We've seen your live streams and work online, and we'd like to invite you to join Cat Tooth as a deep collaboration streamer. Are you interested?"

Qin Mo stood up and made himself a cup of instant coffee, listening patiently to the explanation. Typically, those who are overly enthusiastic, polite, and long-winded don't have much real authority—the power lies with their bosses. However, the offer from Cat Tooth was quite appealing: a million-dollar annual salary with a three-year contract. The streaming hours were flexible, as long as he could ensure $200,000 in monthly gift earnings. The platform offered a 50/50 split on gift revenue.

The caller continued, "Mr. Qin, we also want to buy the rights to your music. For the song 'Dusk,' we're offering $20,000, and for the other four songs, $10,000 each. How does that sound?"

Qin Mo took a sip of his steaming coffee, savoring its rich aroma. The Cat Tooth contract seemed quite fair. As a newcomer, the $20,000 buyout for music rights was reasonable. But still, it wasn't the right price!

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