Free Web NovelChapter 454: Chapter 251: Scoot’s Invitation
December 29, 10:00 AM, Wiseman.
Lin Yu’an just finished his routine trap inspection, and the wolf pack still left no new traces, like ghosts.
He returned to the cabin and was about to enjoy breakfast when the satellite phone, which had been silent all night, rang again.
The caller ID showed a number from Los Angeles.
"Mr. Lin, good morning." On the other end of the line came a familiar voice, it was Scooter Braun.
But this time, there was a hint of appreciative laughter in his voice, "I hope I’m not interrupting your breakfast."
"Mr. Braun, good morning. You’re very punctual." Lin Yu’an’s tone was calm and steady.
"Efficiency is the fundamental virtue of this industry." Scooter chuckled, then got straight to the point, "I’ve read your email and that brilliant story."
He paused, his tone becoming exceptionally sincere, "First of all, on behalf of all of us, I want to express our gratitude again."
"Not only for your profound understanding of Justin’s music but also for being willing to share such a genuine and touching personal experience with us."
"Secondly, I must admit, you’re a born strategist. That email was the smartest introduction I’ve seen in years."
Lin Yu’an didn’t speak, just listened quietly.
"So, in response, I’ve brought our utmost sincerity." Scooter said, "CAA’s co-chairman, Mr. Brian Lorde, has authorized me to extend a formal, top-tier agent contract invitation to you."
"We’re not talking about those illusory plans and blueprints." Scooter’s words turned sharp and pragmatic, "We’re only discussing one thing — what we can immediately do for you."
"Your Archaeopteryx brand ambassador contract officially expires on January 1st, correct?"
"Yes."
"Which means there’s less than a three-day negotiation window." Scooter’s voice turned icy, "And this is precisely our first gift for you."
He continued, "I suggest that you immediately sign an agency contract with CAA. As long as you become a contracted artist with CAA before January 1st, the nature of your negotiation with Archaeopteryx will completely change."
"It will no longer be a struggle between you personally and a commercial empire worth hundreds of billions of US dollars. Instead, it will be a showdown between CAA, Hollywood’s most powerful agency empire worth the same amount, and Archaeopteryx."
"By then, behind you will stand Hollywood’s top business negotiation team, and the formidable Matty Singh, who makes every corporate legal department tremble."
"We will make it our duty to bite off a piece of the Archaeopteryx contract so painfully large it will make them remorseful!"
Scooter’s voice was filled with undeniable confidence, "Eight million a year? No, that’s just a joke, an appetizer they’re using to test your limits."
Lin Yu’an’s expression changed subtly, he had to admit, Scooter’s proposal was dangerously enticing.
But he wasn’t immediately swayed, sharply catching the key point in the offer.
"Mr. Braun," he slowly began, "it sounds like a perfect plan, but there is no such thing as a free lunch. What does CAA or, should I say, you guys, gain from this?"
"Why would you choose to engage in a potentially mutually destructive battle with a giant like Archaeopteryx for a newcomer you’ve known for less than 24 hours?"
This was a sharp retort, probing the other party’s real intention. On the other end, Scooter laughed appreciatively once again.
"A very good question, Mr. Lin. I like dealing with smart people." He answered candidly, "The answer is simple, there are three points."
"First, we need to give you a candy. We need to achieve a clean and decisive commercial victory to prove to you that CAA has both the capability and the determination to defend your value. Archaeopteryx is the perfect candy."
"Second, we need a story, a story of ’CAA willing to engage in a confrontation with a top brand for the maximum benefit of its artists.’ This story, far more than signing ten ordinary stars, can consolidate CAA’s dominance in the industry."
"As for the third point..." Scooter paused, with a hint of playfulness in his voice, "Both Brian and I deeply, deeply hate the feeling of losing. Especially, we detest seeing our friends being bullied by those self-righteous fools."
This statement, half true and half false, yet appeared utterly sincere.
Lin Yu’an fell into silence. He knew the other party had already laid all their cards on the table.
"So, what about the terms?" he asked the final and most practical question.
"It’s simple." Scooter responded decisively, "CAA’s standard top-tier artist contract, with an agency commission of fifteen percent of total income. Out of which, CAA takes ten percent, and my SB Projects as a co-producer takes five percent."
This percentage is the standard for Hollywood’s top contracts, fair, but not extraordinary.
Lin Yu’an remained silent, waiting for further details. He knew that true sincerity wouldn’t be so straightforward.
As expected, Scooter shifted his tone, bringing up the real "dessert."
"However, to show our greatest sincerity and to accelerate your growth. Brian and I have discussed and agreed, for the first three years of your agency contract, we’ll employ a tiered commission model."
"Specifically, for the income generated from your individual creative projects, like the advertising revenue from your YouTube channel or fan donations, we won’t take a single cent; that’s your pure earnings as a creator."
"For conventional commercial collaborations, such as endorsement contracts that come to us, we’ll take the standard fifteen percent commission because that requires our professional team’s negotiation and execution."
"And most critically," Scooter emphasized, "for those top projects directly sourced from my personal connections or Justin’s contacts."
"For instance, collaborations with the LVMH Group, documentary invitations from Netflix, or potential future partnerships with Universal Pictures in these cases, my team and CAA will voluntarily forgo most of the commission, only symbolically taking ten percent of total earnings for project management and legal support fees."
This statement was flawless, showcasing enormous sincerity while defining clear commercial boundaries.
This wasn’t just a simple agency contract anymore; it was an invitation at the "co-founder" level, emphasizing shared risks and mutual benefits!
On the other end of the phone, Scooter was evidently confident in the proposal he presented.
He quietly waited, anticipating Lin Yu’an’s grateful agreement.
However, after a moment’s silence, Lin Yu’an began to speak slowly.
"Mr. Braun, your proposal does indeed sound sincere." His voice remained calm, without a hint of fluctuation.
"However, I think regarding conventional commercial collaborations, perhaps we could consider a more interesting approach."
Scooter’s eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly on the other end of the line. "Oh? Let’s hear it."
"Let’s take the Archaeopteryx contract, for example," Lin Yu’an’s tone was as if discussing a business case unrelated to him.
"They’ve already offered eight million dollars a year, post-tax. This figure, I can say, is my guaranteed base earnings from this incident. Whether or not CAA gets involved, this number will not decrease."
He paused, his tone suddenly turning sharp, "So, if CAA gets involved in this negotiation only to help me secure this base earnings, then a fifteen percent commission, if I may say so, is not reasonable."
Scooter didn’t speak, listening with interest, curious about what this young man would say.
"How about this," Lin Yu’an proposed his idea, "we use this ’eight million dollars’ as the baseline."
"In this negotiation with Archaeopteryx, any part of the final contract that’s below or equal to eight million dollars is my personal achievement; I don’t think I need to pay any commission for that."
"And for any amount beyond eight million dollars, whether it’s nine million, ten million, or even higher, that’s where CAA, as a top agency, truly showcases your capabilities in creating incremental value for me."
"For this additional value, I’m willing to pay a higher than standard commission, twenty percent, even thirty percent, is negotiable."
"In short, Mr. Braun, the more you can get from Archaeopteryx, the larger piece of cake you can take from me."
"Your earnings will be entirely dependent on the real, tangible value you create for me. Do you think this game plan is fair?"
On the other end of the phone, there was a long, deathly silence.
Scooter Braun, a man who has turned tides in Hollywood for twenty years, for the first time, in front of a newcomer he was about to recruit, felt the astonishing boldness of his opponent.
He could even imagine, on the other end of the phone, the face of that Chinese man standing in the icy wilderness of Alaska, wearing a calm and confident expression.
He didn’t expect Lin Yu’an to be so bold, so direct, even with a touch of aggressiveness, seizing control of the negotiation with an almost brutish approach.
Yet this only stirred an indescribable thrill deep within him.
He liked this kind of character!
In this dog-eat-dog world, such timid, overly humble personalities wouldn’t go far.
Only those who, like wolves, dare to show their fangs at the negotiation table and defend their interests, are worthy of the top-tier resources of CAA and are worthy of Scooter Braun’s investment!
