Free Web NovelChapter 456: Chapter 253: Explosive Risk Points
In less than ten minutes, his satellite phone sounded an alert, an encrypted email from Scooter had arrived.
The content of the email was simple, just a phone number and a name, Matty Singh.
Lin Yu’an took a deep breath. He knew that next, he would be talking to the most formidable legal God on the planet.
Without any hesitation, he dialed the number directly.
The phone rang just once before it was picked up. There was no courteous greeting, just a cold yet authoritative voice penetrating thousands of kilometers.
"Mr. Lin? I’m Matty Singh."
"Mr. Singh, hello. I am Lin Yu’an."
"Scooter has already briefed me about your situation." Matty’s voice was devoid of any emotion, as if stating a report, "An interesting start, I like it."
"My fee structure is simple." He directly got to the point, "Hourly rate, $2500 per hour. Or a commission, 5% of the total project amount."
"For your contract with CAA, I suggest hourly. For your negotiation with Archaeopteryx, I suggest commission. But of course, the choice is yours."
"I choose to pay hourly." Lin Yu’an responded without hesitation; he wanted the purest legal service, not having the lawyer become tied into the interests.
"Wise choice." Matty seemed to chuckle lightly.
"My assistant will send my lawyer engagement letter and a temporary authorization regarding the CAA contract to your email within ten minutes."
"Look it over, if there are no issues, you can sign it online. Notify me after signing."
"Alright."
Matty continued, "Besides, I need you to immediately forward me the previous contract with Archaeopteryx and all communication records. I need to understand all background information."
"No problem, I’ll handle it right away."
"Great." Matty seemed satisfied.
"Now, tell me, Mr. Lin, regarding this new contract with Archaeopteryx, besides money, do you have any personal emotional requirements, like an apology or other non-commercial demands?"
This question made Lin Yu’an pause for a moment; he hadn’t expected that the legendary Mad Dog Lawyer would be more concerned with non-commercial terms first.
Lin Yu’an thought for a moment, remembering the previous dismissive assessment from Archaeopteryx, his voice turned cold: "I don’t need any form of apology."
On the other end of the phone, Matty’s eyebrow raised slightly imperceptibly.
"Apologies are cheap, Mr. Singh." Lin Yu’an continued, his tone not out of magnanimity but a deeper commercial consideration.
"What I need is to see sincerity and action from them in solving problems."
"I have one requirement: the person initially responsible for that insufficient commercial exposure assessment report."
"Whether it’s Catherine Walker or Mr. Johnson, they must be removed from all positions related to my future collaboration projects."
He paused and explained clearly to this God of Law: "Mr. Singh, I am not seeking cheap revenge. I am merely conducting a commercial risk mitigation."
"I am about to sign a long-term contract worth tens of millions of US Dollars with Archaeopteryx, what I need is an absolutely professional team that shows basic respect to my work."
"Someone who could easily negate my value based on outdated data and bureaucratic thinking, I don’t believe can have effective intimate cooperation in the future."
"His presence itself is an unstable factor, a potential risk point in future collaboration."
"I don’t have the time, nor the interest, to repeatedly communicate, explain, or even argue with someone who once held a prejudice against me over the next three years."
"Therefore, to ensure this contract can proceed smoothly and efficiently in the future, Archaeopteryx’s brand owner must pay the appropriate personnel cost for this foolish misjudgment."
The other end of the phone remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, Matty Singh’s satisfied and appreciative deep chuckle, as if from an old crocodile, came through, "...I understand."
What he appreciated was not only Lin Yu’an’s demands but also the impeccable commercial logic behind Lin Yu’an’s request.
"So you don’t need their cheap apology, what you need is to have them remove an obstacle through a significant personnel change for your future cooperation."
"I like this request. It’s far more lethal than a meaningless apology letter."
"After you check the contract and find no issues, sign it. Leave the rest to me."
With that, Matty Singh simply and decisively hung up the phone.
Lin Yu’an looked at the phone with the call already disconnected, his impression of this decisive legendary lawyer deepened a few more degrees.
An hour later, an online signing ceremony spanning Alaska and Los Angeles officially took place with high efficiency.
At one end of the video was Lin Yu’an.
On the other side was the terrifyingly glamorous core team of CAA: Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun, CAA’s Co-Chairman Brian Lorde, and Matty Singh, who had just become Lin Yu’an’s attorney.
Three top power brokers who, with a stamp of their feet, could shake the whole of Hollywood, were at this moment intently watching the man on the screen.
After Matty Singh meticulously reviewed and confirmed with his indisputable professional authority that the contract filled with devilish details had no legal pitfalls.
He nodded calmly at the screen toward Lin Yu’an, "The contract is fine, Lin, you can sign it."
Lin Yu’an picked up the electronic signing pen and with careful strokes, signed his name on the electronic contract symbolizing his official entry into the world’s top celebrity stage.
No champagne, no flashlights, only the silent rush of data through the undersea fiber-optic cables.
But everyone knew, at that very moment, a brand new alliance was born, one capable of reshaping the future global entertainment landscape.
As soon as the signing was completed, CAA’s Co-Chairman, Brian Lorde, who had remained an observer, leaned forward slightly for the first time.
In his eyes, accustomed to the world’s splendor, there appeared genuine curiosity and admiration.
Instead of offering the formulaic "welcome to CAA," he spoke slowly, his voice understated but carrying the gravity of defining an era: "Lin, congratulations."
"You know, in this industry, I witness countless overnight successes every day. The rise and fall of fame, the gathering and dispersal of wealth, to me, are all common sights."
"But someone like you, who transforms from an audience to a rule maker in just a few days, is something I’ve seen very rarely in my thirty-year career."
His gaze seemed to penetrate the screen, seeing the vast land behind Lin Yu’an.
"This is no longer merely fame," Brian Lorde made the ultimate declaration.
"This is a much rarer—class transition! You no longer need to adapt to this survival game, Lin. From today, like us, you have become the game itself!"
These words carried far more weight than any empty praise. They represented this business empire’s highest recognition of Lin Yu’an’s personal value.
Scooter Braun smiled satisfactorily beside him.
Brian Lorde then resumed his signature smile, and his tone became lighter: "So, as the game itself, let’s handle your first household affair."
His tone shifted, and his once-relaxed expression turned suddenly serious, those sharp eyes seeming to pierce through the screen, directly seeing into Lin Yu’an’s deepest secrets.
"Lin, but according to CAA’s convention, before planning the future for a new artist, we must first clear any potential risk points."
"According to the background investigation we’ve conducted on you, there is now a significant risk on you that could destroy all your future commercial value."
"We know that you have a legal marriage registration in the United States with Ms. Alia McKinley."
"At the same time, there is also a Ms. Emily Schneider, who in your social circle and daily life, also exists as your wife."
Brian clasped his fingers together, calmly stating a cruel fact: "Lin, I need you to be acutely aware of one point. Legally speaking, you have not committed bigamy, which is fortunate."
"But in the social and media context of the United States, this de facto polygamous family structure, once exposed, could cause equally devastating negative effects."
"This label of polygamy, in this country, is almost synonymous with a cult. Especially when linked to some extremist factions of Mormonism."
"The media and the public won’t delve into whether there’s a legal registration between you. They will only see the most sensational headline of one man with two wives."
"Once this point explodes, all your positive images of authenticity, toughness, and romance will completely collapse. Your commercial value will be greatly diminished."
These words, like the sharpest ice pick, pierced through the joyful atmosphere that had just prevailed.
After speaking, Brian no longer looked at Lin Yu’an but turned to Scooter.
"Scooter," he tossed out a tricky case, "as his co-manager, what do you think is the best way to handle this hidden danger?"
Scooter Braun showed no surprise on his face, clearly, all of this was within his expectations.
He didn’t provide a straightforward plan but first glanced at Lin Yu’an on the screen, showing enough respect.
"Lin, this is your family, your choice. So I would like to hear your own thoughts first."
Without any hesitation, Lin Yu’an spoke word by word, his voice not loud but filled with unyielding determination: "I cannot change my family structure for commercial interests."
"Alia is my wife, Emily is too. They are both the mothers of my children."
This statement caused Brian on the other end to furrow his brows slightly imperceptibly.
But Scooter laughed.
"Relax, Lin. You don’t need to give up anyone. Compared to those artists who exhaust me, your risk point is as simple as an afternoon tea."
He presented the well-considered solution: "We don’t need to change your lives, we just need to change the way the outside world perceives your lives."
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