Chapter 315: Signing

Tan Jie replied to her very quickly: Why do you suddenly want to go on a show?

Mou Lili: To increase my popularity.

Tan Jie: There are suitable shows, but you can't just go on them suddenly. You need to find an agency first to package and plan things for you. Do you need to sign a contract? If you are going to sign, our company is quite good. Actually, I wanted to sign you a long time ago; you are quite talented.

Mou Lili: A soul-selling contract, right?

Tan Jie: No, the contracts are flexible. If you feel that you aren't developing well at our company and want to seek better opportunities elsewhere, or if the promises our company made to you haven't been fulfilled, then you can leave at any time.

Mou Lili: Where is your company, and when is it convenient for us to meet?

Tan Jie immediately sent her a location pin.

……

The next day, Mou Lili tidied up a bit and took the subway to Tan Jie's company.

In the subway station, she received a call from Ling Feng again.

"Where are you?" Ling Feng's voice was hoarse, suspected to be from a hangover.

Mou Lili said: "On the subway."

"I am asking you, where are you living now?"

"Ling Feng, I have things to do today, I won't chat with you anymore, goodbye." Mou Lili hung up the phone.

Ling Feng did not call again, and Mou Lili guessed he didn't want to be humiliated further.

After all, Ling Feng was never a bootlicker.

Ling Feng was indeed drunk; he was currently lying on the bed at home. The housekeeper came twice to call him for breakfast, but he didn't move.

The housekeeper had no choice but to report to Ling Father and Ling Mu, "The young master hasn't woken up yet."

"Did he drink?" Ling Mu asked.

The housekeeper nodded: "Yes."

Before Ling Father could get angry, Ling Mu said first: "It might be because of that Miss Mou. Yesterday, I made it very clear to Miss Mou that it is impossible for her to marry into our Ling Family, and then she quickly moved out of the house of Ling Feng's friend and ran to the Third Ring Road to rent a place like a drifter in Beishi."

Ling Father was still angry: "She is at least sensible."

"I originally said that as long as she was willing to leave Feng'er, I could buy her a house and a car, or give her money, but she didn't take any of it."

Ling Father threw his chopsticks down: "What face does she have to take money? As long as she knows the status of my Ling Family in this Beishi, she knows it is impossible for her to marry in."

Ling Mu said: "It's just that Feng'er might have to suffer for a while."

"When has he ever been serious? Which time wasn't it just suffering for a while before switching to the next one? You should also keep an eye out during this time to see which family's daughter is suitable, and let him go on a blind date, or bring the girl home; that kid has always loved whoever he sees, so find some who suit his taste."

"Okay."

……

Mou Lili went to Tan Jie's company, and Tan Jie specifically found a very capable agent to talk to her.

This agent was called Duan Jie.

Duan Jie had already watched Mou Lili's videos and knew she had a certain level of singing ability.

However, Duan Jie poured a bucket of cold water on Mou Lili right from the start: "Although you are quite popular online, I think it will be difficult for you to debut. The songs you write aren't particularly talented either, and your age... you're 27, right?"

"Is it too old?" Mou Lili asked.

"It is a bit old."

Tan Jie said from the side: "Then can't she take the route of a talented artist?"

"It's not that it's impossible, it's just hard to stand out. It's difficult for the company to promote such an artist; it costs a lot of money, and we don't know if we can even break even."

Mou Lili smiled; she knew Duan Jie wanted to suppress her.

Entertainment companies are like this; they must squeeze every drop of blood from an artist and avoid signing contracts with too much freedom for the artist.

Mou Lili smiled: "Then forget it. I don't think this contract is a must-sign."

Duan Jie couldn't help but say: "Or you could sign for ten years with us; the longer the time, the more the artist's share."

Mou Lili asked: "But didn't you say that someone like me is hard to promote?"

"That's why we have to spend a lot of money to promote you. Many resources are bought with money. If the signing period is too short, what will we do if you leave just after we've made you famous?"

Mou Lili said: "But I still prefer an agency with a higher degree of freedom. Since I'm not a good fit here, I'll seek better opportunities elsewhere."

Just as Mou Lili was about to leave, Duan Jie held her back and said: "How about I discuss it with our manager? You wait here for a moment, and I will do my best to fight for you."

Mou Lili glanced at Tan Jie, "The waters of an agency are quite deep."

Tan Jie smiled: "You should still consider it carefully. If it's suitable, sign; if not, don't. I do think you have talent, otherwise I wouldn't have scouted you. However, you have to negotiate the specific terms with them yourself."

Mou Lili nodded to show she understood.

20 minutes later, Duan Jie came back, sat down, and said: "Miss Mou, I just discussed it with the manager. If you come to our company, the first step is that we must help you change your name. The second step is to have you participate in shows like 'Talented Singers' as a newcomer. The third step is to vigorously promote your songs on music platforms. We have to pay a lot for all of this in the early stages."

Mou Lili asked: "So?"

"So, I think signing for ten years is still more cost-effective."

"Signing for ten years is no problem, but you have to let me see the profit-sharing ratio. The 30/70 split you mentioned earlier, I think it's too little for an artist. I can't possibly only take 30 percent."

"Then how about 40/60?"

"Let's do 50/50."

Duan Jie was still hesitating, "We haven't tried signing such a high-benefit contract."

Mou Lili said: "But I insist."

"Then I will go ask the manager again."

"Fine."

Not long after, a chubby woman came out with a hint of a smile on her face.

"Hello, I am the company manager. They all call me Zhu Dami."

Mou Lili stood up and shook hands with her.

"You want a fifty-fifty split, right?"

"Yes!"

Zhu Dami confessed, "It's not impossible; we have artists here who have signed for a thirty-seventy split, with the artist getting seventy and us getting thirty. However, those are artists who are already very mature and can earn money for the company as soon as they arrive."

"Sister Zhu, are you worried that I won't be able to earn money for the company? If you have such concerns, then I think we might as well not sign the contract from the start."

"That's not it. My meaning is that we have to spend a large amount of money on promotion and packaging in the early stages, so forty-sixty for the first two years—you get forty, we get sixty—and we can do fifty-fifty in the following years. Is that okay?"

Mou Lili looked at Zhu Dami and felt that Zhu Dami was indeed already very sincere.

"If you have the heart to cooperate with us and trust us, then I also have the confidence to build you into a powerful actress," Zhu Dami said.

"Fine, then happy cooperation," Mou Lili said.

Just like that, Mou Lili became a member of Jiali Entertainment Company and changed her stage name to Mou Yuyu.