"Hello. How may I help you?"
Barto’s reply was equally polite, which made Gu Ning give it a surprised look.
’The little fox’s tone had been cold and aggressive when speaking with the other company representatives,’ she thought. ’Not at all gentle like this.’
The person on the other end of the terminal paused upon hearing its voice. "Hello. This is Idelos’s agent, Deviant. We’ve spoken before."
Gu Ning heard his voice and thought, ’He sounds much more easygoing and composed than the representatives from the other companies who contacted us. There’s no fawning or desperation.’
Barto looked at Gu Ning and got straight to the point. "What is it you wish to discuss now, Mr. Deviant?"
Before Deviant could answer, it added, "I have other business to attend to shortly. You have three minutes."
"My apologies for the intrusion." Deviant glanced at the time displayed on the interface and stopped in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Although the other party’s polite attitude and adept negotiation tactics surprised him, he remained composed. "Are you dissatisfied with the terms I previously proposed? Or has another company made you a better offer?"
Deviant wasn’t beating around the bush, and Barto didn’t take his bait either, stating directly, "Regarding the terms of cooperation, I’ve drafted a new contract. Take a look at it first. If you find it acceptable, we can discuss the partnership further."
As it spoke, it exchanged a look with Gu Ning, who immediately forwarded the contract to Deviant.
Deviant saw the message from Gu Demiao Ning on his interface, opened it, and gave the contract a quick skim. "Whatever terms other companies have offered you, I can certainly do better. I can also do a better job of protecting Yuanbao’s image, as well as your own."
"However..."
"However what?"
Deviant pushed up his glasses. "All terms are negotiable, but I must also protect Idelos’s image. He is the face of our Fox Clan and a member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Partnering with us would be beneficial to you, with no downsides. If the contract contains any clauses that might tarnish his image, I’m afraid I cannot agree to them."
After hearing this, Gu Ning nudged Barto with her elbow. ’See? What did I tell you?’
’This Deviant is no pushover. He saw right through my little mischievous plan.’
She thought about Deviant’s words and wrote on a slip of paper: "I won’t pet Idelos anymore."
Barto pressed Gu Ning’s hand down and shot her a glare. ’Is that all you’ve got?’
"Mr. Gu Demiao Ning?"
When he didn’t receive a reply for a long moment, Deviant began to pace back and forth, his fingers tapping rapidly against his leg. "As long as it doesn’t damage Idelos’s public image..."
Before he could finish, a dull thud of shattering glass came from behind him.
Turning around, he saw that the coffee cup in front of Idelos had shattered. His nephew was giving him a piercing glare.
Deviant made a "calm down" gesture at him.
Idelos gave him the pinky finger.
Deviant: "..." ’Ever since the contract with Feixing expired, my nephew’s temper has gotten visibly worse.’
He seriously suspected that if their own contract were to expire, Idelos might just beat him up.
"Fine." The voice on the terminal finally spoke.
The corners of Deviant’s mouth had just turned up when the call was disconnected.
"..."
He considered calling back, but after a moment’s hesitation, he decided to finish reading Gu Demiao Ning’s contract first.
"I told you, don’t drag me into this."
Idelos pulled a tissue from the dispenser and wiped the coffee that had splashed onto his hand.
Deviant sat down beside him, looking over the contract as he spoke. "Relax, relax. You’re my nephew; I’m not going to sell you out. This is just a little negotiation tactic. You know me, don’t you? Have I ever made you do anything embarrassing?"
Idelos said flatly, "What do you think?"
Deviant clicked his tongue. "You’re still holding a grudge about that thing with Shari. You have no idea how happy she was, watching you act opposite thin air, snot and tears everywhere for the camera..."
Idelos: "Get out of my house."
"Alright, alright, I’ll stop." Deviant said. "That was from when you were just a kid. Let me get a good look at what kind of contract this Gu Demiao has cooked up."
The contract’s contents weren’t too different from the one he had sent to Gu Demiao Ning, just more rigorous. For example, it required them to act as guarantors for the three residence permits and issue a formal certificate of guarantee. The house was to be chosen by the client, and any filming concepts for Yuanbao had to pass his inspection. The revenue split was changed from 40-60 to 20-80, and an advance payment on the partnership was also required.
"This guy." Deviant’s smile faded when he saw the 20-80 split. "He’s really got some nerve."
Idelos said coolly, "Of course he has the nerve. After all, you’re a secondary partner now. If he doesn’t get an 80-20 split, he won’t make much."
Deviant looked up from the contract. "What do you mean?"
Idelos: "Exactly what it sounds like."
It took Deviant a moment to process, but then he understood. "The person I was just talking to wasn’t Gu Demiao Ning himself?! No wonder he sounded so sharp. He negotiated like someone from the Upper District."
Idelos’s tone was slightly mocking. "I should have waited until after you signed the contract to tell you."
Deviant slapped his thigh. "I knew it! After being offline for so long, someone must have gotten to him first."
Idelos: "So you’re still planning to sign with him?"
Deviant quickly composed himself, stroking his chin. "Well, it’s not a huge problem."
Idelos: "...Do you really have to make this money?"
"It’s not just about the money," Deviant said. "It’s mainly about the licensing rights for Yuanbao. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds its review and reshuffle every year. This is a great opportunity for you to move up a level. I’m doing this for your own good."
"You’re doing it for yourself. Don’t try to make it sound so noble," Idelos said, mercilessly cutting through the pretense. "And don’t forget what you promised me: from now on, I call the shots on my acting projects."
"I haven’t forgotten, I haven’t forgotten! Aren’t I listening to you?" Deviant said helplessly. "Look, you didn’t want to renew with Feixing, so I didn’t. You said you wanted a break, so I’ve been handling all the work, and no one has bothered you. My dear superstar, I’ve been so stressed managing your career transition that I’ve lost a fair bit of my fox fur! Forgetting everything else, you at least have to hold on to your position in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, right?"
Deviant’s tone turned earnest. "You have no idea how many members of the Fox Clan are coveting your position. If you get replaced, our situation in the Second District will become precarious."
Seeing Idelos remained unmoved, Deviant sighed. "For decades, I have painstakingly managed your image as the face of the Fox Clan..."
This was the line Idelos hated hearing the most. Fearing Deviant was about to bring up Aunt Shari again, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Send me a copy of the contract."
Deviant hid a smirk of delight. ’This trick still works,’ he thought. "Hang on, I’m almost finished reading it."
He finished reading the contract.
"Hiss..." Deviant stared at the clause at the end of the contract, his expression puzzled.
"What is it?" Idelos asked. "Is there a problem with the contract?"
Deviant: "Not a huge problem, exactly. This guy says he wants you to turn into your beast form so he can... pet you?"