Following Chen Jianhao, Lu Chen arrived at the reserved seating area on the upper level of the bar.
Forget-Me-Not Bar was converted from an old warehouse. With a ceiling height of nearly seven meters, it had been transformed into two levels, with the space in the center left open for a stage. The layout was clever, making full use of the entire area.
Like most bars in Houhai, Forget-Me-Not Bar had a reserved seating area. It featured three tables that, no matter how busy the bar was, were kept empty for VIPs who might or might not show up.
Running a bar is a business where connections are vital. Chen Jianhao was a well-connected man; it would be incredibly awkward if a good friend or someone he couldn't afford to offend dropped by, only to find the bar packed with no place to sit.
That was why the reserved seating area existed.
Anyone coming to buy a song from Lu Chen and sitting in the reserved section was clearly no ordinary character.
Perhaps noticing he was a bit nervous, Chen Jianhao whispered as they climbed the stairs, "Don't worry. Whether you sell it or not is entirely up to you. With me here, no one is going to deliberately give you a hard time."
Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you, Boss."
Chen Jianhao really was a very good boss, even if he was usually a bit strict.
Two of the three reserved tables were empty. At the table near the wrought-iron railing sat a man and a woman. The man, around thirty years old, was dressed in a crisp suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and with his hair neatly combed; he was clearly the corporate elite type.
The woman was much younger, petite, and quite pretty. Dressed casually, she held a wine glass and looked around with curiosity, appearing to find everything in the bar quite novel.
"Manager Song, I've brought him over."
Chen Jianhao led Lu Chen over and said with a smile, "This is Lu Chen, little Lu!"
The man in the suit waited until Chen Jianhao reached him before standing up. A faint smile appeared on his face as he gave Lu Chen a reserved nod.
The woman beside him hurriedly followed suit but forgot to set down her glass, causing some of the drink to spill.
Chen Jianhao introduced them: "Little Lu, this is Mr. Song Xinwei, the Deputy General Manager and head of the Artist Management Department at Qingyu Media, and this is Miss Dong Xuan, the General Manager's assistant."
Qingyu Media? Was that proud and temperamental Su Qingmei still unwilling to let it go?
Lu Chen thought to himself while extending his hand to the man in the suit, neither humble nor pushy: "Manager Song, hello."
Song Xinwei reached out and shook his hand: "Hello."
Lu Chen then extended his hand to Miss Dong Xuan: "Miss Dong, hello."
Dong Xuan quickly shook it, stuttering slightly, "H-hello, Lu Chen, nice to meet you."
Lu Chen smiled faintly.
This assistant was truly too green; she was clearly a fresh graduate just entering the workforce.
Of course, he didn't need to worry about whether she was capable of her job. After the pleasantries, everyone sat down at the table.
Song Xinwei got straight to the point: "Little Lu, it's like this: we came here tonight at the request of Director Su Qingmei. We would like to purchase the copyright to one of your songs."
As he spoke, he nodded to Dong Xuan, who immediately took several sheets of paper from her briefcase.
Song Xinwei continued, "Our company's legal department has confirmed that the copyright to the song titled 'The You of the Same Desk' belongs entirely to you. We are willing to purchase the full copyright at a high price. Please take a look at this contract."
Lu Chen calmly accepted the contract.
It was easy for Qingyu Media to verify the copyright; they simply had to check the "Greater China Music Library." Whether it was the title, lyrics, or sheet music, everything could be searched.
That was the authority and convenience of the Greater China Music Library. Although the registration fees were high, it legally avoided potential copyright disputes and saved a lot of trouble.
Moreover, if Lu Chen wanted to, he could conduct copyright transactions through the Greater China Music Library as well.
But that wasn't the point.
His gaze swept quickly over the clauses in the contract, and he soon locked onto the key detail: the price for the copyright transfer. In black and white, it clearly read: 20,000 RMB.
Twenty thousand! When he first saw the price, Lu Chen was genuinely tempted.
In the past, working two jobs for over 15 hours a day, after deducting living expenses, he could only send four or five thousand home each month.
But now, all he had to do was sign his name on this contract to easily take home twenty thousand.
Most importantly, he had countless other great songs in his memory; selling one really didn't matter.
Across from him, Song Xinwei, peering through his thin resin lenses, keenly noticed the change in Lu Chen's expression. A flicker of subtle disdain crossed his eyes.
If not for Su Qingmei's request, as a Deputy General Manager at Qingyu Media, he would never have come in person to discuss a tiny twenty-thousand-yuan contract with a wet-behind-the-ears kid.
Of course, this amount must be a massive fortune to this kid; he was probably dizzy with excitement. Lucky boy! However, Lu Chen wasn't dazzled. After noting the price, he began to examine the other clauses carefully.
The more he read, the uglier his expression became.
The clauses transferring all rights to "The You of the Same Desk" except for the right of attribution were standard, and Lu Chen accepted them, but what was this about not being allowed to perform the song in any public venue?
That meant after selling the song, he couldn't even sing it at the Forget-Me-Not Bar?
There was also a clause stating that Qingyu Media had a right of first refusal on his future work; until they formally declined, he could not license any of his future creations to a third party!
That was unreasonable! If Lu Chen had signed without reading carefully, he would have been shackled to Qingyu Media, losing all control over his own work.
The high-price bait was indeed hiding a trap.
Realizing this, Lu Chen firmly pushed the contract back. "I'm sorry, I cannot sign this contract."
He had said the exact same thing to Su Qingmei yesterday.
Song Xinwei, who had been waiting for Lu Chen's signature, was stunned. "What?"
Lu Chen repeated himself.
This time, Song Xinwei understood. Feeling insulted, his expression darkened immediately. "May I ask why? Is it a matter of price?"
"I think you should realize that no one else would offer you this much!"
In truth, Lu Chen understood this point.
This era was no longer the eighties or nineties. With the rise of the internet and the prevalence of piracy, the record industry had declined significantly. Modern singers and stars relied on fan economy and attention economy, using all sorts of frantic hype and stunts to gain popularity; the days when a bestselling album could make one rich were long gone.
The status of pop music songwriters had naturally fallen as well.
Furthermore, technology was so advanced that even ordinary people could use software like "Singer-Songwriter Master" to create music. The barrier to entry had been lowered significantly, and the market was flooded with mediocre work.
Amateur writers could sell a passable song for three or five hundred yuan without paying to register it in the Greater China Music Library, simply by uploading it to a music site to prove their copyright.
Professional songwriters commanded higher prices, but a newcomer or a third-rate writer would only ask for two or three thousand at most—and that was if anyone wanted it at all. Most of the time, they couldn't even sell their work at a discount.
Qingyu Media offering twenty thousand for Lu Chen's "The You of the Same Desk" was already the treatment reserved for established names! After all, this was Lu Chen's first work; it hadn't yet been tested by the market.
That was why Song Xinwei was so annoyed—how could these newcomers be so ignorant of their own insignificance?
But the price wasn't what bothered Lu Chen.
"The price isn't the problem."
He said earnestly, "I am willing to sell the copyright for twenty thousand, but I cannot agree to the other clauses."
The value of "The You of the Same Desk" was worth far more than twenty thousand, but considering Chen Jianhao's relationship with Su Qingmei, and not wanting to offend a media company, he was willing to take a small loss.
However, that was strictly limited to this one song!
Song Xinwei understood what Lu Chen meant, but his attitude remained unchanged. He sneered, "Little Lu, think about it. Without these clauses, would our company offer such a high price? Who do you think you are? Besides, you still have the right of attribution—this is your chance to make a name for yourself. You should know how to cherish it!"
He might as well have pointed at Lu Chen's nose and said, "Don't be ungrateful!"
Lu Chen raised an eyebrow and said in a low voice, "Manager Song, I am just a nobody. I can't afford to climb the ladder of a big company like Qingyu Media. You'd better look elsewhere!"
If Su Qingmei had heard his retort, she would have been furious.
Lu Chen also had a temper. His pride was buried deep in his bones, and although he had bowed his head under the pressure of life, his knees had always remained firm.
With that, he stood up, nodded to Dong Xuan, and said to Chen Jianhao, "Boss, I'm heading down. I have to go on stage soon."
Throughout the negotiation, Chen Jianhao had remained silent. Now, he smiled and said, "Go ahead. I'll stay here and have a few more drinks with Manager Song."
"Thank you, Boss!"
Lu Chen didn't even glance at Song Xinwei as he walked straight out of the reserved area.
Song Xinwei was so angry he nearly dropped his glass. He looked at Chen Jianhao and said coldly, "Boss Chen, your employee certainly has a backbone. I've learned something today!"
"Haha, he's just a young man."
Chen Jianhao chuckled. "They're all like that. Who hasn't been young once? Come, let's drink, let's drink!"
Song Xinwei could no longer bring himself to drink; he was feeling a sense of frustration he had never known before.