Contract termination

Upon hearing this, Nanqi was furious and retorted first, "I remember Chairman Zheng fainted at our hotel last month. I wonder how you are doing now? Have you recovered?"

"Thanks to your hotel's timely treatment, I'm recovering very well," Zheng Shiqiu said through gritted teeth, remembering how Nanqi had ruined his plans.

"Do you two know each other?" Lin Ruizhe asked.

“Nanqi works at the Vance Hotel. I heard she’s a VIP there and recently got a million-dollar black card,” Song Zhao explained meaningfully.

Zheng Shiqiu leaned back, exuding an air of wealth and power. "Oh, it's just helping the young people boost their sales figures. I just spend a little money casually. Occasionally, I'll stay there overnight if I have a business dinner." Zheng Shiqiu then changed the subject and said to Song Zhao, "But Weiwei, you've been going there quite often lately. I also heard that you're about to find another job?"

Song Zhao looked at him with a sly smile and said, "Chairman Zheng is really well-informed. I have a friend working there, so of course I have to catch up with him." As he spoke, Song Zhao patted Nan Qi's shoulder, then looked back at Zheng Shiqiu and said sarcastically, "I'm just a small-time actor, powerless and without influence. Do you think I can bring a young heartthrob with me?"

Seeing that Zheng Shiqiu was already angry, Song Zhao immediately smiled and said, "Just kidding."

She picked up the wine glass on the table and turned to the two men with a composed demeanor. "Consider this meal a thank-you dinner. Chairman Zheng and President Lin have taught me so much; I should have thanked you both properly long ago."

Cindy immediately smiled and chimed in, "We, Vivi, will still need your guidance and support in the future. We are grateful for your care in the past, and if there are any collaborative projects with Canxing in the future, we, Vivi, will definitely make time for them."

"Cindy, you've extricated yourself from the situation so quickly?" Lin Ruizhe asked, slightly surprised.

Upon hearing this, Cindy, holding a wine glass and wearing high heels, walked over slowly, her smile both polite and meaningful: "President Lin, in the past, no matter how difficult the problems I encountered at Canxing were, as long as you were there, I knew there was nothing that couldn't be solved. You always told us that to succeed in our line of work, talent and hard work are nothing; what's truly important is opportunity. But opportunities aren't something you wait for, nor are they blown in by the wind; they're something you fight for through risk! I've always remembered those words, and now, I also want to try to seize that opportunity that comes from risk."

After speaking, she leaned slightly forward, lightly clinked her glass with Lin Ruizhe's, and downed her drink first. Lin Ruizhe looked at her, said nothing, and also drank a glass.

After Cindy returned to her seat, Song Zhao and Nan Qi stood up together. Song Zhao raised his glass and said, "I'm just an unknown actor. I owe my success today entirely to everyone here. Without further ado, I'll drink this first, and you can all drink as you please."

The two finished their drink and bowed slightly.

“Actually, if you wait six months until the contract expires before starting your business, you can save yourself a lot of trouble,” Lin Ruizhe said.

“What President Lin said makes sense, but compared to personal safety, we can’t afford to avoid some trouble,” Song Zhao said with a smile.

Before celebrating Nanqi's birthday, Song Zhao first spoke with Lin Ruizhe about terminating her contract. She explained in detail how Zheng Shiqiu had premeditatedly assaulted her, stating that the company had breached the contract first and failed to guarantee the artist's safety, therefore her request to terminate the contract was reasonable. She also declared that if the company insisted on refusing to terminate the contract, she would take legal action. Although litigation was time-consuming and laborious, compared to the cost of embroiling a major company in scandal, her losses were insignificant.

Lin Ruizhe pretended not to know what she was going through and used the excuse of needing to find out the truth first to make excuses. Song Zhao didn't want to push him too hard, but Zheng Shiqiu was so unreasonable that he even arranged for thugs, which forced her to speed up her pace.

Zheng Shiqiu gave a disdainful "heh," his greasy belly protruding as he grinned lewdly: "Not that I'm being a spoilsport, but can this makeshift operation you guys have really hold up in this storm? Don't let it get to the point where I can't even find you in two years! Of course, I still hope you'll do well. If things really don't work out, I'll invest in you. With my limited influence, I'll make sure you don't lose too badly."

Zheng Shiqiu's laughter was arrogant and conceited. He was indeed rich, and he usually didn't care about small companies like this that had just been established. However, he was too vengeful. As long as he could control Song Zhao, he was willing to invest money.

Cindy said, "Thank you for your trouble, Chairman Zheng. Our company is small and doesn't require much money."

Song Zhao retorted, "I remember that Canxing also went through thick and thin back then. How could a makeshift troupe grow into a major theater without experiencing some ups and downs? Don't you all agree?"

"Haha, come on, let's drink." Zheng Shiqiu clapped and laughed.

When Song Zhao took her second sip, she discovered that the wine in her glass had been replaced with water. She would only secretly add water to her wine when there were many people at a drinking party, so as to pass it off as a genuine drink. Now, there were only a few people who would replace all the wine in her glass with water, and no one else but Nan Qi would do that.

Nanqi's glass was always very close to hers, and the smell of alcohol was so strong that you couldn't tell whether it was water or alcohol unless you smelled it up close.

"You're pretty quick." Song Zhao nudged Nan Qi on the shoulder.

"It's something you learn through practice," Nanqi said, covering her mouth.

"So, security guard, what's the purpose of your visit here today?" Zheng Shiqiu asked Nan Qi, his tone full of disdain.

Song Zhao frowned slightly, about to speak, but Nan Qi calmly took her hand and gave her a reassuring look.

"Security guards are here to protect everyone's safety, of course."

"Oh my, this is the first time I've ever eaten with a security guard. How interesting." Zheng Shiqiu then looked at Lin Ruizhe and said, "Mr. Lin, have you ever eaten with a security guard before?"

When Lin Ruizhe saw Zheng Shiqiu turn his gaze to him, they smiled at each other. Lin Ruizhe looked Nan Qi up and down and said, "This girl has a good figure; it's a pity she's working as a security guard."

Nanqi had been observing them the whole time. Lin Ruizhe maintained a peaceful smile throughout, but there was no emotion in his eyes. He was an unpredictable character. Zheng Shiqiu, on the other hand, was like a wild dog that would show its fangs at any moment. His fierceness and hostility were written all over his face. Such a person was actually easier to deal with.

Nanqi stood up and said calmly, "It is my honor to have dinner with you two leaders today. To be honest, we are not from the same company and we are not familiar with each other. It is a rare opportunity to get to know you two leaders, but I have not taken the initiative to offer a toast. It is really my fault."

As she spoke, she took the wine bottle and walked over to Zheng Shiqiu and Lin Ruizhe, filling their glasses with wine. "I'm not very capable, all I know is how to fight, so being a security guard is a good fit for my profession." She smiled and said to Zheng Shiqiu, "It's understandable that a big leader like Chairman Zheng looks down on me."

Seeing Nanqi lower her head, Zheng Shiqiu raised his head even more smugly.

“Actually, we security guards are generally simple-minded. We can’t remember fancy words, but we have to be good at remembering people. Those two people who came out of Chairman Zheng’s room last time, were they your bodyguards? I remember one of them had a scar on his right wrist, quite noticeable. Coincidentally, one of the people who attacked me and Miss Siwei also had a scar on his right wrist.” Nanqi said while observing Zheng Shiqiu. The man’s face suddenly stiffened, and his fingers trembled slightly involuntarily.

Nanqi pressed her advantage, saying, "When we were giving our statements at the police station, we specifically mentioned this characteristic." Nanqi paused, her gaze fixing intently on Zheng Shiqiu. "Oh, right, before your two bodyguards left that day, I had the receptionist register their identification information..."

Seeing that Zheng Shiqiu could no longer laugh, his eyebrows were almost furrowed, and his face was even redder than Guan Yu's, Nan Qi slowly curled the corners of her lips, clinked glasses with the two of them, tilted her head back and drank the wine in her glass, and then returned to her seat with a carefree air.

She knew that even losing one bodyguard wouldn't bring down Zheng Shiqiu, but this insult was enough to deflate his arrogance.

Moreover, the so-called "bodyguard" had an overly effeminate face, and the belt he wore was the same brand as Zheng Shiqiu's. Considering Zheng Shiqiu's reaction just now, the relationship between the two was definitely not simple.

Zheng Shiqiu couldn't even keep his loyal mistress, which could drive him half to death with anger.

Lin Ruizhe, on the other hand, developed a greater appreciation for Nanqi, taking in her every move and observing her closely.

"In this industry, cooperation is the only way to achieve a win-win situation. What's the point of grudges compared to the benefits of cooperation?" Lin Ruizhe smoothed things over.

Song Zhao said, "President Lin is right. Let's drink to our future cooperation."

Zheng Shiqiu found the drinking uninteresting and was about to leave in a huff when Lin Ruizhe stopped him, looking confident. "Chairman Zheng, we've only drunk half of the wine, don't rush."

Seeing that Lin Ruizhe's words implied something, and that he seemed to have some plans, Zheng Shiqiu snorted coldly at Nan Qi and sat back down.

Lin Ruizhe drank two glasses with her before solemnly saying, "Xiao Wei, Canxing isn't a place you can come and go as you please. When you were down on your luck, Canxing helped you and gave you opportunities, gradually transforming you from an unknown newcomer into the big star you are today. Now that you're famous and can earn money on your own, it's really not a considerate thing to do to leave."

Song Zhao looked at him with deep, unfathomable eyes. The moment their gazes met, an unspoken contest raged within them, each trying to guess the other's trump card. Song Zhao calmly replied, "The company helps me, but I must have value to be helped; the company is willing to give me opportunities, but I must have the ability to make money. From the moment I joined Canxing, I've been generating revenue for the company, not just after I became famous." Her words were decisive, yet left room for maneuver. "But I also know how to be grateful. I can promise that I will absolutely not touch any of Canxing's artists, whether currently employed or already departed."

"This is it?"

"This is my greatest sincerity."

Lin Ruizhe smiled, but apart from the curve of his lips, it was impossible to tell whether he was angry or happy. "Okay, don't worry, the company will accept your termination of contract."

Zheng Shiqiu looked displeased. "Hmph, I thought you were something special, but all you did was agree to terminate her contract?!"

“Chairman Zheng, there are rules to every game, and everyone must abide by them, including you and me.”

Zheng Shiqiu was furious. He slammed his hand on the table and stormed off, followed closely by his assistants at the door.