C17 Conboat and Cat Tooth Vied for the Exclusive Contract!

Qin Mo listened intently as Hu Dacheng laid out the terms of the deal.

To his astonishment, the conditions set forth by Hu Dacheng were incredibly stringent!

Just last night, his fame skyrocketed on Conboat, amassing tens of millions of fans and catapulting him into the ranks of top-tier anchors!

He had anticipated that the platform would offer him an annual salary. Given his newcomer status, he expected a modest sum, perhaps a few hundred thousand, certainly not more than half a million.

Yet, his actual market value should have already exceeded a million!

But there was Hu Dacheng, the Conboat operations manager, offering him a mere three thousand yuan a month as a base salary, plus a 50% cut of his gift earnings!

And the strings attached to this exclusive contract were no less onerous. He was forbidden from streaming on any other platforms for three years, with a breach incurring a staggering ten million yuan penalty. Not to mention, he was required to stream for ten hours daily!

During peak platform events, that number would balloon to fifteen hours a day!

And let's not forget the monthly quota of a hundred thousand in gift performance!

Qin Mo was baffled.

This didn't seem like an anchor's contract—it felt more like a beast of burden's.

Such terms would be excessive even for a minor anchor with tens of thousands of fans, let alone for someone like Qin Mo, who had a fanbase in the tens of millions.

Something about this didn't quite add up.

Qin Mo didn't outright decline the offer but responded diplomatically, "I appreciate the invitation. I'll need some time to think it over."

Hu Dacheng grew impatient, "There's no need to hesitate. Our platform is heavily promoting the Star Creation Program. The chance to make it big overnight is right here!"

Qin Mo reiterated, "I'll give it serious thought."

Hu Dacheng, unable to mask his urgency, blurted out, "Look, Uncle, I'll be straight with you. Last night during your PK session, our manager was already monitoring your stream. It was only after the manager decided to boost your visibility that your popularity exploded, gaining you millions of fans in a single night! Without the platform's backing, you wouldn't have had such an opportunity!"

Qin Mo, with a smile, inquired, "And without support?"

Hu Dacheng replied, "Without it, the platform will throttle your reach, and we'll have to reevaluate the authenticity of your data..."

Qin Mo detected the contradiction in his words.

Essentially, not signing the contract meant facing throttled exposure and a limited audience. Refusing to comply would lead to finding pretexts to purge the fanbase he had already secured.

Qin Mo nodded, making up an excuse to decline.

"I get it. I've got to head back to my hometown for something today, but I'll get back to you with an answer tomorrow, okay?"

Hu Dacheng pressed, "Okay, but make it quick. This is the best deal I've managed to secure for you!"

Qin Mo bid farewell and ended the call.

In the entertainment industry, he had developed the habit of recording calls, and he had taped this one.

Should the platform resort to foul play to wipe out his followers, he could take legal action or report them to the authorities.

Yet, the issue of restricted reach remained without an easy fix.

Relying on someone else's platform for promotion without a contract made significant traffic nearly impossible.

He needed to find a middle ground.

Qin Mo dismissed the call from his mind.

He reached out to a premier recording studio, where, by chance, the owner had heard his music and was impressed. Breaking protocol, the owner offered him a half-day slot without the need for a reservation.

Qin Mo took a cab to the Sky Blue Recording Studio.

The studio boasted the finest facilities in Lasthold, with equipment worth millions and opulent decor.

Vintage posters and vinyl records of international stars adorned the walls, creating an atmospheric vibe.

Typically, a singer would wait months for a recording slot.

Qin Mo was greeted by the studio's owner, Shao Hongxi.

A sharp and lean figure in the real estate world, Shao was impeccably dressed, complete with gold-rimmed glasses.

His studio wasn't a moneymaker; it was a passion project, a hub for fellow music enthusiasts.

Shao Hongxi personally welcomed Qin Mo.

"I'm 45 this year, so don't mind if I call you 'Qin.' You can call me Brother Hong, just like the others do!"

Qin Mo smiled and obliged, "Brother Hong."

Shao Hongxi's laughter was infectious as he clapped Qin Mo on the shoulder. "I've listened to your 'When Love Becomes a Memory' and 'Twilight.' They're fantastic. Keep writing from the heart, and I promise, you're going to make it big!"

Qin Mo expressed his gratitude.

Shao Hongxi wasn't just all talk; he handed over a business card. "Here's my contact info. I've got a decent network in showbiz. Whatever resources you need, just say the word! Next time you come in to record, no need for an appointment, and we'll cut the fee in half!"

Accepting the business card, Qin Mo allowed himself a smile. Shao Hongxi's offer of no appointments and a fifty percent discount was quite the gesture.

But Qin Mo wasn't in a position to make demands; signing with a company wasn't in his plans. He was open to befriending Shao Hongxi, yet becoming his employee would complicate things. After all, employment relationships often came with exploitation and pressure.

For now, he was content being an independent artist, free from constraints.

After exchanging pleasantries with Shao Hongxi, Qin Mo nodded to the sound engineer and entered the recording booth solo. He nailed "Dusk," "I Heard," and even the spine-tingling "Opera 2" in a single take each.

Qin Mo laid down a few new tracks as well, saving them for a gradual release. Without fresh music to keep the buzz alive, and lacking a hefty marketing budget, even the best songs could quickly be submerged by the next big thing.

Next up was arranging the music with his instruments. In just four hours, he wrapped up all eight songs.

The sound engineer couldn't hide his admiration. "Mr. Qin, your foundation is rock solid. In today's fast-paced music scene, it's rare to find someone with your talent. I've seen a top young idol spend an entire afternoon on one song, relying entirely on sound editing to fix pitch issues..."

With a modest smile, Qin Mo offered his thanks.

He bid farewell to Shao Hongxi, grabbed his USB drive, and headed back to his apartment. Today, Qin Mo had decided to give himself a day off to ponder his response to the platform's invitation—or rather, its veiled threat.

Then, his phone rang with an unfamiliar number.

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

"Yes, that's me," Qin Mo confirmed.

"We're from Cat Tooth Live Streaming Platform. We've seen your streams and work online and would like to invite you to join us as a featured broadcaster. Are you interested?"

Qin Mo rose to his feet and prepared himself a cup of instant coffee.

He listened attentively as the other party explained their proposal.

Typically, those who are overly enthusiastic, excessively polite, and prone to rambling tend to lack real authority; the true power usually resides with their superiors.

Yet, the offer from Cat Tooth was quite appealing: an annual salary of one million with a three-year contract.

The live streaming schedule was flexible, too, with the only requirement being to ensure a monthly inflow of 200,000 in virtual gifts.

The platform's revenue split was an even fifty-fifty.

The representative added, "Mr. Qin, we're also interested in acquiring the rights to your music. We've secured a buyout offer of 200,000 yuan for your song 'Dusk.' As for the other four songs, we're offering 100,000 yuan each. How does that sound to you?"

Qin Mo took a sip of his piping hot coffee, savoring the full-bodied aroma.

Compared to others, Cat Tooth's contract was considerably more generous.

For a newcomer like Qin Mo, a buyout price of 200,000 yuan for the copyright seemed fair.

But still, it wasn't the right price!