OBS Chapter 14 Double Scam
Chapter 14 Double Scam
Zeke and Holly chatted casually.
From the conversation, I learned that Holly is a native of Manhattan. A few years ago, she ran away from home to make her way in the West Coast. Now she has returned to New York and lives alone in a rent-controlled apartment left by her grandmother. Her biggest hobbies are writing songs and playing musical instruments.
"Zike, you can come to my house when you're free. We can write songs and make music together. It'll be a lot of fun."
This was practically an explicit implication. Qi Ke understood, but his face remained impassive as he casually replied, "Sure, I'll definitely do it when I have time."
His mind wasn't on that at all. Tino and Amanda had been gone for a long time and hadn't returned yet, which inevitably made him a little worried.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Qi Ke excused himself to go to the restroom and quietly slipped out of the rehearsal room, wandering aimlessly through the narrow and steep stairwell.
The attic hallway was dark and damp, with mottled walls. After walking a few steps, they heard hushed conversations coming from around the corner not far away; it was Tino and Amanda's voices.
He tiptoed closer, quietly approaching and holding his breath to listen carefully.
“…But, Tino, we were planning to sign Bill Aucoin,” Amanda said hesitantly. “He’s with Aucoin Management and Rock Steady Productions, and he’s also the manager for the band KISS. With him, we’d have access to top-tier resources.”
"Bill O'Quinn? He's famous, that's true, but what can he give you? Can he get a song like 'YMCA'?"
"Besides, you know he's KISS's manager, right? If there are any top-notch rock songs in the future, do you think he'll give them to you guys first, or to KISS? You'll only get scraps from him, you'll never amount to anything."
"I know you really want to sign with a big record label, and I can help you with that. Casablanca Records, right? They've been very strong these past few years, but not good enough. I have strong connections at Warner Music. If you sign a management contract with me, I guarantee I can get you a record deal with a really big label."
"My experience as an agent is a million times greater than that gay man from the television industry, Ocumen. I was Frank Sinatra's manager in the 50s, and later I managed his son Frank Jr.'s acting career. You can ask around at any record label or recording studio in New York; who doesn't know Tino Barzi?"
Zik, hiding around the corner, felt a chill run down his spine and cursed inwardly: Damn it, Tino wasn't Amanda's manager at all!
Judging from this, he was clearly deceiving both sides: on one hand, he was using the news that the Sirens might buy "YMCA" to lure him into a collaboration; on the other hand, he was using his own songs as bait to persuade the Sirens to sign a management contract with him, trying to profit from both sides.
"...Can you guarantee it? Guarantee that you'll help us get a record deal with Warner?" Amanda's tone softened.
"Of course I can!" Tino's voice was firm and resolute. "I guarantee with my reputation that if I can't secure a formal record contract for you within a week, our management agreement will be void immediately, and I won't take a single penny."
Will this be written into the contract?
"Absolutely!" Tino said firmly. "All promises will be written in black and white in the contract, there won't be any shady dealings."
As he listened, Zeke's anxiety eased slightly. It seemed convincing Amanda wouldn't be too difficult; Tino had already gotten her to forget about her big-name agent, Bill O'Quinn.
He knew the weight of those names: KISS was one of the most popular rock bands in the United States right now, having been voted "most popular rock band" for two consecutive years, with fans all over the country;
Casablanca Records, which not only represents the band KISS, is also a top-tier record company in the industry. It created Donna Summer and established a disco dynasty. It has now entered Hollywood and established a production company, achieving success in both music and film.
Even RSO Records, the distributor of the "Saturday Night Live" soundtrack, is a minor player compared to Casablanca.
But when faced with the real record giant Warner, Casablanca, which Amanda had originally wanted to join, suddenly became completely unattractive.
Of course, it's unclear whether Tino really has a relationship with Warner, but it's not his concern for the time being.
After listening for a couple more sentences and confirming that there were no major problems, Qi Ke quietly turned around and tiptoed back to the rehearsal room.
Just a few minutes after they sat down, Tino and Amanda returned together. Although Amanda still looked somewhat unwilling, her eyes had become resolute.
She made the call, and his lawyer arrived quickly. He was a middle-aged man in a sharp suit and gold-rimmed glasses, who looked serious and rigid.
Colin immediately took out a draft contract he had prepared in advance and, together with Amanda's lawyer, drafted and revised the contract terms.
Zeke didn't care about the Sirens' management contract with Tino at all. He quietly called Herbert aside, leaned close to his ear, and whispered a few words.
"...In short, the situation is very favorable to us. You must strive to maximize my benefits in the contract, especially regarding copyright and royalty sharing. There should be no compromise on these."
After listening to Zeke recount the information he had just heard, Herbert smiled knowingly: "Don't worry, Zeke, I will help you get the most reasonable terms, and I will never let you suffer a loss."
Later, Tino called Zeke and Herbert over, and the two sides sat down together to formally begin negotiations on the purchase contract for YMCA.
Amanda's lawyer spoke first: "We are willing to offer $10,000 for the Sirens to purchase the exclusive rights to perform Mr. Zeke Rossi's 'YMCA.' But there is a wager: the full $10,000 will only be paid if the Sirens successfully secure a record deal with this song; if the wager fails, Mr. Zeke will only receive $3000 in compensation."
Before he could finish speaking, Herbert immediately interjected, "I'm sorry, but we cannot accept these terms. The potential of 'YMCA' is far more than ten thousand dollars; this price is unreasonable."
"We're offering $2, but if we lose the bet, the payout will be $1, and that $1 has to be paid now as an advance payment."
Amanda's lawyer's face darkened, his tone tinged with anger: "You're simply delusional! Asking for $2 for a song that hasn't even been market-tested, and demanding $1 upfront—that's impossible!"
Herbert, however, remained unfazed and smiled confidently: "Don't rush to refuse, let me finish." He picked up the draft contract, turned to the copyright revenue sharing section, and said, "If the Sirens successfully obtain a record deal, Mr. Zeke Rossi should enjoy more rights in this contract. Without this song, everything is just empty talk, and the performance-based clauses should also be commensurate with the rights and responsibilities."