Chapter 11 I want to be famous, and I'll be famous in a fair and square way.
The original owner dropped out of high school and relied on odd jobs to support himself and his mother. However, he was uneducated and not very resourceful, often getting fired from even his odd jobs, and barely making ends meet.
Later, he was discovered by a talent scout and signed with a local agency.
He's been in the industry for over a year now, and the company has only given him one role in a web series, which aired for about ten episodes before being cancelled due to the male lead's tax evasion scandal. He hasn't earned much money, but instead has been embroiled in a lot of scandals.
The original text states that "Xia Mian" will have a scandal exposed on a variety show and be completely abandoned by the Xia family. Based on the timeline, this should be the show Qian Hui mentioned.
So no matter how much she wanted to go back to sleep, Xia Mian got up and went to the bathroom to wash and fix her hair.
At 11:00 AM, he left the house looking refreshed. At 11:30 AM, following the original owner's memories, he arrived at the company's small conference room. Qian Hui and her colleagues from the legal department were already waiting inside.
When he came in, Qian Hui looked him over for a while and inexplicably felt that this idiot had changed a lot.
It has become strangely beautiful.
“Here it is,” she said, gesturing with her chin to the contract on the table. “Sign it.”
Xia Mian knew she couldn't just sign any paper, so she ignored Qian Hui, opened the contract, and started flipping through it from the first page.
As can be seen from the project overview, this is an escape-themed variety show called "Infinite Escape" launched by Wandou TV, one of China's four major online platforms. The first season has eight different scenarios.
Survival reality shows are quite popular these days, and if the guests are well-chosen, they can create a lot of sparks. Moreover, "Infinite Escape" has a rare innovation: the entire recording process is broadcast live. Viewers can choose to watch the live broadcast or watch the edited version on the platform after it's finished. This way, they can see the artists' most authentic reactions while avoiding malicious editing, making it relatively fairer.
Summer hibernation is tolerable.
But the further he read, the less he understood: "Sister Hui, what does it mean that it says I only sign two copies?"
Qian Hui: "Literally, you will exit the recording after the second instance ends."
Xia Mian was full of questions: "It's not an elimination-based talent show, so why is there a question of who will leave?"
"Maybe they just couldn't keep recording."
"Is there a script?"
“Wow, impressive, you even know about scripts,” Qian Hui glanced at him in surprise, picking her nails as she spoke. “Variety shows all have scripts. You’ve been in this industry for a while now, don’t tell me you didn’t know.”
Summer sleep certainly knew.
In real life, his parents were extremely busy with their business, leaving him with little companionship and attention. So, he secretly went to work as a trainee at a friend's company. Although he ultimately failed to debut due to his parents' passing, he was only one step away from entering the entertainment industry, and he knew very well how murky the waters were.
“Okay,” Xia Mian asked again, “then why couldn’t I continue recording?”
He suspected that this was what was known as a "scandal".
Qian Hui paused in her nail-picking motion: "The specifics won't be revealed on the show. We'll have to rely on netizens to speculate, and then hire online trolls to guide the discussion, which will make it easier to create buzz."
Why doesn't the program say it explicitly?
You just don't want to tell him!
Since she wouldn't tell her, she refused to show it to her. Xia Mian wanted to avoid this part of the story anyway: "Sorry, Sister Hui, I can't sign this contract."
"Not signing?" Qian Hui sarcastically retorted, as if she'd heard a stand-up comedy routine. "Xia Mian, do you have the right not to sign?"
After being recognized and returned to the wealthy family, he had some pocket money and never contacted the company again, which is why his agent still doesn't know about his dramatic life story.
Xia Mian didn't want to say more, only saying, "I have the right to refuse an unfair system."
"Before we talk about rights, I suggest you take a look at the brokerage contract you signed with the company. Xiao Zhao, send me a scanned copy of his contract."
Xia Mian disliked her attitude, but his mother taught him to be a gentleman to girls, so he couldn't curse her. He could only sit opposite Qian Hui and wait silently.
Xia Mian actually had a vague recollection of the original owner's decision to become an actress. Firstly, she felt unworthy of Zhou Ting and wanted to become a star to elevate her own status and get closer to him. Secondly, her mother's kidney disease had developed drug resistance, requiring her to switch to imported medication, which they couldn't afford.
In his haste to get the money, he signed the contract without carefully reviewing it or knowing to consult a lawyer.
There's definitely something fishy about this contract.
Shortly after, Xiao Zhao sent over the scanned copy. The densely packed small print was piled up, and Xia Mian immediately noticed the most striking line: "Party B is obligated to accept all work assigned by Party A. Failure to do so will be considered a unilateral breach of contract by Party B."
If Party B breaches the contract unilaterally, Party B shall compensate Party A with a penalty of RMB 10,000,000.00.
Summer hibernation bowed its head and counted zeros: hundreds of thousands, millions, tens of millions... billions!
One hundred million!
The breach of contract actually requires the company to pay a small amount of money!
What the hell?! Even if the original owner had a low level of education, couldn't they at least understand numbers? How could they dare to sign such a rip-off contract!
Xia Mian cursed the original owner in her heart, took out her phone, and planned to pay part of the breach of contract fee first.
He scanned his face to open the mobile banking app, saw the balance in his bank card, and then silently put the money back.
Sorry to bother you.
She forgot that she was no longer the Xia Mian she once was.
Xia Mian had some understanding of this; such agency contracts were considered unfair contracts, and while artists who unilaterally breached them would indeed need to pay a penalty, it didn't have to be that much. If a lawsuit were filed, the court would determine a reasonable amount based on the artist's earning capacity.
At this stage, to save his life, the most important thing for him is to complete his marriage with Zhou Pingchuan. If he goes to court, the company will inevitably hire online trolls to smear him and manipulate public opinion, which would be counterproductive to the marriage.
After all, in "Love in the Palm," it was Xia Mingzhao who married Zhou Pingchuan. As long as he and Zhou Pingchuan didn't complete the entire wedding ceremony, his life would be in danger, and he couldn't afford even the slightest mistake.
Of course, he could ask the Xia family for help, but given the Xia family's current situation, it would be difficult for them to come up with so much liquid capital.
A true man can bend and stretch. Xia Mian took a deep breath and said, "Sister Hui, I'll take the variety show."
"That's a good boy! I don't know what's wrong with you today, daring to refuse the company's arrangements! Don't you think about it? With your impoverished family background and your stupid, pig-like personality, where do you think you can fly to?"
"Listen to me, 'Infinite' is a well-made production. Even if we only record two episodes, it will be enough to gain a huge number of fans. As for other issues... you don't need to worry about them. Once the popularity rises, with your looks, as long as you play the rich kid character well, you'll definitely have no problem going down the path of becoming famous through controversy."
“But I don’t want to be infamous,” Xia Mian said calmly, with an undeniable determination. “If I’m going to be famous, I’ll be famous in a fair and square way!”
Upon hearing the words "honorably red," Qian Hui's heart pounded uncontrollably, as if... the idiot was really about to become famous.
Well, which artist hasn't dreamed of becoming a superstar? In the end, they all fade into obscurity. Qian Hui had an appointment later and didn't have time to say much more: "You'll be joining the production next week, remember to prepare in advance."
After giving her instructions, Qian Hui opened the door, intending to slam it shut and leave.
Xia Mian: "Okay, I will join the crew at the agreed time and perform well, but you can't interfere with my private life."
"I'm not your mother, why should I care about you?" Qian Hui muttered to herself.
The next second, I heard the other person say, "I need to take some time to prepare for the wedding in the coming period."
"..." Qian Hui's scalp almost exploded. "Company rules state that you are not allowed to date during the contract period!"
"Your contract doesn't say I can't date, and besides, I haven't dated anyone. I'm just getting married."
Xia Mian smiled and ended the recording.
He slammed the door and left before she could.
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