Free Web NovelChapter 452: Chapter 249: The Three Major Hollywood Talent Agencies
Date: December 28th, afternoon, Los Angeles.
Location: SB Projects Company Headquarters, an office overlooking the entire Beverly Hills.
Scooter Braun leaned back on an expensive Herman Miller office chair, fingertips gently tapping the desk.
Returning to the company from Bieber’s house, he had just finished a video conference about next year’s global tour route, with a hint of fatigue on his face.
His assistant knocked and entered, handing over a tablet.
"Boss, Alison forwarded an email, specifically addressed to you." The assistant’s voice carried a touch of unusual excitement, "It’s from that man in Alaska."
"Oh?" Scooter raised an eyebrow, sitting up straighter. He took the tablet and motioned for the assistant to leave.
He initially thought it would be an emotional, rambling thank-you letter, or a probing letter eager to monetize and seek business collaboration.
This was a normal reaction he had seen countless times post-overnight fame in this industry.
However, when he saw the email’s subject, his keen businessman intuition sensed something unusual.
"A Sincere Thank You from the Alaskan Wilderness—From Lin Yu’an"
The title was simple and direct, yet carried an unassuming sense of distance.
He began reading the body of the email word by word.
The office was quiet, with only the gentle hum of the central air conditioning. Scooter’s expression transitioned from initial casualness, to focused concentration, then to a hint of surprise.
Finally, the corners of his mouth involuntarily lifted, revealing a smile filled with appreciation and excitement, like discovering a top-tier prey.
"Brilliant... truly brilliant," he murmured to himself.
This email could practically serve as a perfect case study in crisis PR and relationship advancement.
Firstly, the posture, the email was filled with sincere gratitude throughout, without any fawning or ecstasy.
The phrasing of being flattered perfectly satisfied their psychological need as benefactors, while maintaining the dignity expected of an independent creator.
He opened the attachment titled [Attachment: "A Song, A Recovery, A Cabin"].
Mr. Braun:
Before explaining why the song "Recovery" is so important to me, I want to share a story about my wife Aliya and me.
A few years ago, I wasn’t living in the tranquility of Alaska as I am now.
At that time, I had just gone through a devastating low point in my life, depleting all my savings and was nearing bankruptcy. Worse, I was facing the risk of deportation at any moment.
That was a despairing period in my life. I felt like a ship adrift in a storm, having lost all direction and momentum, gradually being engulfed by the tidal waves of reality.
During that time, Aliya, who was then my girlfriend, made a decision that changed my life.
She didn’t choose to leave; she courageously married the destitute me.
Our wedding lacked a grand ceremony, no blessings from family and friends, only two simplest rings at the city hall and our most resolute gaze.
Life after marriage remained difficult, juggling several part-time jobs. In those days of surviving on cheap fast food, I accidentally heard the song "Recovery" on the radio.
Honestly, before that, my impression of Mr. Justin Bieber was still stuck in his aura of teenage fame. But this song was like lightning, piercing through my heart!
I heard not a distant superstar, but a soul who had similarly experienced loss, deeply introspecting, and earnestly seeking healing.
The lyrics’ yearning for home, the candid admission of mistakes, and that repeatedly sung line "Headed for a recovery" perfectly mirrored my state of mind at that time.
From that day forth, the song became my spiritual solace. During every exhausting late night, when I was on the verge of giving up, I kept this song on repeat in my headphones.
It reminded me I wasn’t alone; I had a lover who believed in me no matter what, and I had to recover for her.
Later, to provide a better life for our future children, I took a leap of faith and joined the "Alone in the Wilderness" challenge.
In that solitary wilderness, the things that kept me going were the thoughts of my family and this song, long engraved in my mind.
Luckily, I succeeded. Our life finally started to improve.
Later still, God granted us the most precious gift, our twins, Olivia and Ethan.
Yet I always knew in my heart that I owed Aliya a real home, not just a rented house.
A place where she could feel absolutely safe, where we could escape all the clamor, a sanctuary we could create together from scratch.
Then, I came to Alaska.
When I cut down the first tree and laid the first foundation in the video, what echoed in my mind was still that line.
"My heart’s on the mend, I’m headed for a recovery."
Hence, in my video, the song plays on repeat—not to please the audience, but as my deepest tribute to the song.
I wanted this song, which provided me solace during the darkest moments of my life, to become the cornerstone of our home, a part of it.
I never imagined that this pure personal homage could receive a response from Mr. Bieber himself. This understanding from the other side of the world means so much to me.
This is the story of the song and the cabin.
Thank you again, Mr. Bieber.
Lin Yu’an
————
Just after a few paragraphs, he was deeply attracted by the story about life’s low points and the solace of music.
He immediately realized, this is not just a fan’s story; it’s priceless PR material!
At this point, Scooter no longer cared about the authenticity of the story; he just knew this was a story they needed!
The story perfectly tied Justin’s lesser-known, artistic song with a real-life story about hope and reconstruction, filled with positive energy.
This is precisely the mature, profound artist image they’ve been wanting to create for Justin in recent years!
Again, the wisdom. What shocked Scooter the most was the third part of the email—proactively requesting the team to review the gratitude draft to ensure it helps Bieber build a positive image.
"This kid... he’s not asking, he’s submitting a pledge!" Scooter sharply saw through the intention behind it.
This is equivalent to telling him, I understand your rules of the game, and not only will I not disrupt it, but I’ll also be your most harmonious and on-point teammate in this game.
This kind of tacit understanding that doesn’t need to be spelled out is a quality a top agent appreciates the most.
Finally, the most brilliant move was requesting a lawyer recommendation.
Scooter almost laughed out loud when he saw this.
This move was simply a stroke of genius! It shrewdly elevated their relationship from mere online interaction to a deep-level engagement requiring offline connections.
If he refused, it would seem petty, and if he helped, it would tacitly mean bringing Lin Yu’an into his protective circle.
More importantly, it meant that all of Lin Yu’an’s future business contracts would be handled by a lawyer recognized by Scooter Braun.
The trust conveyed through this and the trust that can be established is far beyond compare with money.
"Grateful, on-point, knows boundaries, and knows how to turn favors into deeper bonds..." Scooter leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping lightly on the tablet screen.
"This isn’t just a simple video blogger; this is more like a seasoned professional who understands the world’s foundational play."
He picked up the internal phone on the desk and got through to his assistant.
"Connect me to Brian Lorde at CAA (Innovative Artists Agency)."
CAA, one of the three major agencies in Hollywood, and Brian Lorde, its all-powerful co-chairman.
"And arrange for Hollywood’s best entertainment lawyer, Matty Singh. Tell him I have a very important new client to introduce to him."
"Also," Scooter paused for a moment, adding, "In Justin’s name—no, in my personal name—prepare a Christmas gift for Mr. Lin and his family."
"Send the best supplies through our Anchorage, Alaska channel. Remember, in the least intrusive way."
"Lastly, forward Mr. Lin’s email and that attachment to Justin. Tell him, this time, he may have really discovered someone extraordinary."
Hanging up, Scooter stood up, walked to the enormous floor-to-ceiling window, holding the background check results, and looked at the urban skyline outside symbolizing wealth and power.
A determined smile appeared on his face.
Archaeopteryx? Mountain Rat? LVMH? Interesting.
What you see is just an overnight internet sensation.
But what I see is a future ally and a new global top player in the outdoor field. A mature plan began to gradually take shape in Scooter’s mind!
The assistant quickly dialed, and it was almost answered instantly, a voice equally filled with power and a hint of lazy hoarseness came from the receiver.
"Scooter, my friend. I thought you were busy counting money this Christmas and had no time for me."
"Money is eternally uncountable, Brian. But interesting people, not so many." Scooter leaned back in his chair, his tone relaxed, yet with a touch of seriousness that couldn’t be ignored.
"I sent you a client."
On the other end of the line, Brian chuckled lightly, "A client you personally call to deliver either has to be Oscar-worthy or ringing the Nasdaq bell."
"However, I’m more curious, Scooter, given your character, discovering a gold mine, why would you not dig it yourself and instead call to send it to me?"
Brian shrewdly pointed out the core of the issue.
Scooter laughed as well, the laughter filled with honesty and confidence: "Because I’m a music agent, Brian, what I’m good at is creating superstars on stage."
"And this guy doesn’t need a stage. He may not be able to ring the bell or win an Oscar now, but his future achievement may fall just a little short of those two."
"He’s a Chinese guy named Lin Yu’an. Lives in the Alaskan wilderness, was a champion on Alone in the Wilderness, oh, and he can build his own house."
Brian was silent on the other end for two seconds, "That sounds like a barbarian. Scooter, you know our CAA business hasn’t expanded to... the caveman market."
"He’s also the caveman who made Justin’s Instagram post get 30 million likes in three days." Scooter slowly dropped the trump card.
"..."
