Destined Entwining: Capturing My Devoted Beau

Chapter 398 - 214: Everyone Must Kneel Before Me Here!

Zoe Johnson nodded, "Basically, either we terminate the contract with Lucas Harlow, or we terminate it with him. He also said, at the very least, we should shelve Lucas Harlow, otherwise he’s leaving.""Let him go!" Edward Foster, momentarily furious, burst out, slamming his fist on the desk, "Does he think just because he’s popular he can disregard everyone?!"

"What about the contract? Let me see how many years are left! If we terminate now, let’s see how much he’d have to pay!"

Edward Foster wasn’t going to indulge certain people, no matter being top dogs, they all had to bow to him!

Zoe Johnson’s mouth twitched, silently handing over Arthur Johnson’s contract.

Edward Foster glanced at it, damn, only three months left until it expires!

No wonder there’s drama!

His face darkened, tapping a few spots on the contract with his fingers, he asked, "...Has he already found another company?"

Generally, artists who dare to make such demands either want to quit the industry or have their contracts about to expire and someone has already poached them.

Zoe Johnson nodded again, saying, "Before I came, I asked around a bit, and indeed there’s a company in contact with him, very enthusiastic, offering very good terms, probably the kind we can’t match."

"How good?"

"...The other party agreed to let him establish his own studio and then invite him to join the new company in a cooperative form, offering him eighty percent!"

Edward Foster’s pupils contracted sharply, "Eighty percent to him?! That’s a loss-making deal?! How do they make any money?!"

The cost for a company to cultivate an artist is actually very high, and even higher once they’ve become popular.

Even if a popular artist comes over, the company’s cost is still high, and even with a fifty-fifty revenue split with the artist, the company can barely break even.

For example, foreign idol groups often sign contracts with entertainment companies that give them ten percent of the revenue, meaning the companies take ninety percent, and the artists ten percent.

That’s why overseas idols basically don’t make money; only when they become bigger stars and actors do they start making substantial money.

Reaching a higher level also means getting a new contract.

Even in the domestic entertainment circle, there are contracts offering eighty percent to artists, but those "artists" already come with their own capital. The money given to them is actually passed down from their patrons, making it a win-win situation for the company.

If Arthur Johnson had such a patron, he wouldn’t need to demand their company terminate Lucas Harlow or shelve him.

Zoe Johnson nodded as well, "So I think the other party urgently needs a big name to establish credibility, thereby gaining fame."

Edward Foster frowned, "You’re saying all this, but you still haven’t told me which company is so clueless?"

Zoe Johnson pursed her lips, "It’s NeoHuman Entertainment Ltd."

Edward Foster was taken aback, "NeoHuman? Isn’t that basically mimicking our company’s name?!"

Their company is "NewHuman Entertainment Ltd." and the other party named themselves "NeoHuman Entertainment Ltd.," clearly a direct challenge!

"Right, and it’s specifically aimed at us," Zoe Johnson laid it all out, "I heard from friends that the president of this company is a woman named Summer Spencer, the biological daughter of the Spencer Group’s boss. Establishing the entertainment company was initially directed at us."

"Not just Arthur Johnson, they’ve contacted other artists from our company too. Right now, we have about thirty artists whose contracts will expire within three months. These are all targets for NeoHuman Corporation to poach."

Edward Foster slapped the mouse angrily, "The Spencer Group?! Them again?!"

"...Young Master Foster, our Foster Consortium has targeted the Spencer Group so many times, it’s not surprising we’ve upset them..." Zoe Johnson tentatively suggested, "Perhaps you should talk to Mr. Foster, maybe a more peaceful approach could be beneficial?"

Recently, the Spencer Group had been frequently troubled, and the official blog of the Foster Consortium hadn’t missed a chance to mock and rub it in.

Edward Foster rolled his eyes, "Any other company and I’d let it slide, but with the Spencer Group, we’re locked in!"

He leafed through the expiring artists’ contracts in his hand and lazily said, "Forget about these people for now, let them go if they want. But if anyone chooses to stay, we’ll immediately allocate resources and heavily promote them!"

This was to make a statement that only those willing to stay with the company would be rewarded better.

"...Moreover, for those unwilling to stay, gather all their dirty secrets. Once they sign with that NeoHuman Corporation, release it right away!" Edward Foster smiled somewhat wickedly.

In business, just like in commanding troops, you can’t be soft-hearted; sometimes you need to be ruthless.

Zoe Johnson’s heart trembled, once again grateful that she hadn’t completely gone down a dark path when she tried to scheme against Edward Foster.

She understood that truly provoking this young Mr. Foster would mean being unable to continue in the industry.

Those artists wanting to jump ship had been with their company long enough that it knew all their dirty laundry. If they couldn’t amicably terminate the contract, they’d generally face backlash for a while.

However, as long as it wasn’t illegal or immoral dirt, they’d face embarrassment for a period but could still refine their skills, seize opportunities, and make a comeback.

Put simply, being an artist is like being an author; ultimately, it’s their work that catapults them to fame, not their image to attract fans or patronage for a push.

Relying on an image to draw fans could lead them to be held captive by fan circles, while patronage-based pushes bring "push embarrassment," the kind of situation where no amount of money makes them popular.

Whether or not they have ordinary public appeal is the real key to determining if an artist will become hugely successful.

Because the general public looks at the work, not the artist, nor the capital backing the artist.

Zoe Johnson silently nodded, then asked, "What about Arthur Johnson? What do you plan to do with him?"

Edward Foster was about to say let him go but suddenly remembered something, "Here’s the plan, let me first discuss it with our external spokesperson, Lawrence Winters, and see how to handle this issue."

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This is the first update. In the afternoon at one o’clock, there will be more updates in continuation of the special reward for ’Wǔ ài táng’ Grand Alliance in January; the third update is at seven o’clock in the evening.

Begging for your support with monthly tickets!!! Any left?

Today is Monday, recommendation tickets are also very important~!

Group kisses!