Chapter 317
Chapter 317
"Alan's making a scene in the conference room! He says we're paying him too little and demands we re-sign the contract immediately, or he's walking!"
My heart sank, and I frowned.
Alan Bennett was the male lead in our newly launched viral short series.
He used to be just a minor supporting actor. Lily saw potential in his looks and insisted on casting him despite everyone's objections.
I stopped in my tracks and turned to Casey: "What does he want?"
"He wants thirty percent of the company's profits, plus a dedicated luxury van and four personal assistants."
Casey was so angry her teeth were clenched:
"He's only been famous for three days! Doesn't even have a proper fan club yet, and he dares ask for this kind of ridiculous deal!"
I let out a cold laugh.
What greed.
"Alright, let's go see what this is about."
"Okay!"
Casey walked ahead of me and respectfully pushed open the conference room door.
I looked up to see Alan leaning back in a swivel chair, legs crossed and propped up on the conference table, playing with a lighter in his hand.
Standing beside him was a flashily dressed agent—definitely not one of our company's people.
Seeing me enter, Alan didn't even bother to take his legs down. He just raised an eyebrow:
"Ms. Wilson, finally. I'm a straight shooter, so let me be clear—the show's only a hit because of my face and acting. Several big companies are fighting over me right now. Don't you think we need to revise this contract?"
"What changes do you have in mind?"
I pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at him calmly.
The agent immediately handed over a document:
"Ms. Wilson, this is the new contract we've drafted. Alan's worth is different now. You should consider yourselves lucky that a small company like yours can keep him."
I didn't take it. The agent's hand hung in mid-air, awkwardly unsure whether to put it down or pull it back.
"No changes." I said slowly.
Hearing my answer, Alan's face darkened immediately. The agent withdrew the contract, and Alan spoke up unhappily:
"Ms. Wilson, what's that supposed to mean? Using us and then throwing us away?"
"The contract is crystal clear in black and white. If you want to break it, fine—according to the contract terms, you'll pay three million dollars in penalty fees."
I casually picked up a pen and tapped it on the table a few times, then paused:
"Pay up, and the door's right there. You can leave anytime."
Alan shot up from his seat and slammed his hand on the table:
"Sue! Don't push your luck! You think I can't ruin you? One word from me online and your company's done for!"
"I'll be waiting."
I turned and walked toward the door, ignoring Alan's furious outburst behind me.
Casey spoke up with some concern:
"Ms. Wilson, this won't cause problems, will it?"
"The biggest problem right now is that we were blind enough to sign Alan in the first place. After today's stunt, even if he doesn't leave, I'll fire him."
I shook my head slightly. Someone like him was a ticking time bomb in the company.
Alan moved faster than I expected.
In less than two hours, public opinion online had shifted.
Alan posted a long message on his personal account.
He accused the company of being heartless, exploiting newcomers, making him work eighteen hours a day, refusing to let him rest when sick, and after he became famous, not only withholding bonuses but threatening him with astronomical penalty fees.
The post was quickly picked up by several marketing accounts and shot straight to the trending topics.
The comments were all attacking the company.
"What a heartless company, the boss must be a ruthless capitalist!"
"Feel so bad for Alan. This heartless boss will go bankrupt sooner or later!"
"Everyone boycott this show! Not watching is the best way to fight back against heartless capitalists!"
Lily rushed over when she heard the news. She paced anxiously around the office, pulling at her hair in frustration:
"Sue, that ungrateful jerk is shameless! We need to release a statement right away to clear things up. Let's post the work schedules—he never worked eighteen hours!"
I sat at my computer, watching the show's backend data showing skyrocketing view counts, and took a sip from my water glass.
"No rush."
"How can you not be worried!" Lily leaned over:
"Look how nasty the comments are! They've even dug you up and are attacking you!"
I pointed at the data curve on the screen:
"Look here. The more he attacks us, the higher the trending rank goes, and the more people come to watch the show out of curiosity. This is marketing too. He's paying for online trolls himself, giving us free traffic. Why would we stop him?"
Lily froze, looking at the data, then at me:
"You're really squeezing every last drop out of him."
"Let the controversy build a bit more."
I leaned back in my chair, the corner of my lips curling up lazily:
"When the traffic peaks, that's when we strike."
I originally thought this would stay hot for at least three or four days.
But clearly Alan was too impatient to wait that long.
By evening, the online attacks had reached their peak.
I was leaning back in my office chair, drinking bubble tea.
Usually Jason wouldn't let me drink it, saying it wasn't good for the baby.
But today, for some reason, I was really craving it.
The office door suddenly burst open. Jason strode in wearing a tailored suit, holding a manila envelope, his face cold as ice.
"Honey?"
I was a bit surprised and instinctively stood up, hiding the bubble tea behind my back, speaking somewhat guiltily:
"What are you doing here?"
Jason walked over to me, placed the envelope on the desk, and reached out to squeeze the back of my neck, his tone full of concern:
"With all this chaos online, how could I not come? Someone's bullying my wife—do they think I'm dead?"
His gaze locked precisely onto the bubble tea. He looked both annoyed and amused:
"You seem pretty relaxed about all this."
I blinked and quickly grabbed his hand, steering the conversation back:
"I'm not losing out. I was just about to fight back."
"No need for you to worry about it."
Jason snorted coldly, his long fingers tapping the envelope:
"That idiot Alan has been in bed with our competitor Starlight Entertainment for half a month. Starlight Entertainment promised him a supporting male role in a web series, on the condition that he trash your company's reputation. In here is his bank transaction history, chat records with Starlight Entertainment executives, and videos of him cursing people out and constantly showing up late on set."
My eyes lit up as I opened the envelope and quickly flipped through it.
The evidence was solid, even including transfer records of Alan paying for online trolls.
"Your efficiency is truly impressive."
I looked up and smiled at him:
"You've been a huge help."
Jason leaned down, hands on the armrests, encircling me.
He lowered his head, his nose almost touching mine.
"I helped you out this much—how are you going to thank me?"
His voice was low and husky, somewhat seductive.
I blinked and quickly kissed him on the lips:
"If that's not enough, I'll thank you properly when we get home."
Jason's eyes flickered, and he ruffled my hair:
"That's enough."
Is it really necessary to be this restrained during pregnancy!
At 8 PM, peak traffic time.
The company's official account posted a message with just nine words: "The truth may be late, but it won't be absent."
Below were nine long images attached.
The first was the chat records between Alan and Starlight Entertainment executives, clearly showing how they taught him to extort and break the contract.
The second was Alan's bank statements showing him receiving deposits from Starlight Entertainment.
The third through eighth were video screenshots of Alan showing up late and leaving early on set, verbally abusing staff, and demanding stand-ins for his scenes.