150: Chapter 150 Who's such a sucker?

"When are we shooting the commercial, Mr. Executive Director?"

As soon as Li Li finished his sentence, the conference room went quiet for half a second.

The technical lead held up his phone, frozen in place.

The business manager looked at Li Li, then at the quote sheet, and finally set his water cup down on the table.

"Teacher Li, your speed of changing sides is very professional."

Li Li pulled out his chair and sat back down.

"It's mainly about respecting the client."

Cheng Songyan stood at the door, the fixation belt still on his waist, and the muscles in his face twitched twice.

"Didn't you just say you didn't care about that bit of money?"

Li Li picked up a cold steamed bun and took a bite.

"Not caring about it and not wanting it are two different sets of financial logic."

The young engineer lowered his head and whispered a follow-up jab.

"I want to send this sentence to the group chat."

The business manager had already started flipping through the contract template.

"The endorsement period is one year, the fee is 300 million RMB, and the scope of authorization includes brand image, promotional videos, exhibition materials, online promotion..."

Li Li raised a hand.

"Don't fill it out too fully yet."

The business manager stopped writing.

Li Li folded up the bun bag.

"I don't sell medical devices, I don't sell health supplements, I don't sell financial courses, and I don't shout 'Family, click the link'."

The technical lead nodded quickly.

"We only make firefighting drones and emergency rescue equipment; 'family' probably doesn't need those anyway."

"That's fine then."

Li Li added another sentence.

"The contract must go through formal procedures; the money goes to the Company, not to an individual."

The business manager's pen tip paused.

"Does Teacher Li have a personal studio?"

Li Li also paused.

The largest sum of money he had ever received before was the wages he finally got after the construction site boss delayed payment for three months.

That day, he almost kowtowed to the man.

Now that 300 million was on the table, he lacked a recipient entity.

This whole thing felt like an urban brain-teaser.

And a rather expensive brain-teaser at that.

Li Li took out his phone and sent a message to Lu Cheng.

"Can you help me set up a Company? Quickly."

Lu Cheng replied quickly.

"Purpose?"

"To receive endorsement fees."

Lu Cheng sent a sentence back.

"I suggest you inform Teacher Jiang first."

Li Li stared at the screen.

The sentence was very short.

But it contained survival instinct, professional ethics, tax knowledge, and the sentiment of "I don't want to be hit on the head by Queen Jiang with a folder in the middle of the night."

Li Li directly initiated a video call.

Jiang Rumu answered quickly.

The background was a hotel suite.

Xiao Chai was running past behind the sofa with a slipper in its mouth, Xiao Qian was sitting on the carpet staring at it, and Lu Cheng was curled up in the corner hugging a computer.

Jiang Rumu reached out and pulled Xiao Chai away.

"Aren't you at a meeting at the Fire Station?"

"It's over. I want to ask you something."

"Speak."

"I want to let Lu Cheng help me set up a Company."

Jiang Rumu changed the angle of her phone.

"Come to my Company. I just opened a studio that only handles my own business. You can register a personal studio under it, and we can handle the accounting, legal affairs, and promotion together."

Li Li was immediately alert.

"Is there a fee?"

Jiang Rumu paused for a moment.

"I'll charge you a 2% affiliation fee annually."

Li Li muttered.

"That expensive?"

In the video, Jiang Rumu sat up straight.

"How is that expensive? Outside, it's all 10%."

Lu Cheng added from the side.

"Industry standard is 8% to 15%."

Jiang Rumu pressed down on Xiao Chai, who was trying to steal a slipper again.

"What exactly did you sign?"

"An endorsement."

"Then that should only be a commission of a few tens of thousands or a hundred thousand; we'll go with the lowest rate, won't rip you off."

Li Li coughed.

"Three hundred million. For one year."

The video froze.

It wasn't a network glitch.

It was Jiang Rumu herself who froze.

Lu Cheng's hands holding the computer also stopped.

Xiao Chai took the opportunity to snatch away half a slipper, and Xiao Qian raised a paw and pressed it back onto the carpet.

After two seconds, Jiang Rumu spoke.

"Who is such a sucker?"

In the conference room, the business manager of Zhongtian Infinite covered his chest.

The technical lead couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The Mr. Executive Director had just thrown away 300 million, and in the next second, he was labeled a sucker by a top female celebrity.

This money was spent with quite a bit of interaction.

Li Li turned his phone around to let her see the contract header.

"Zhongtian Infinite."

Jiang Rumu listened to the whole process; she was still shocked, but when she heard "ten thousand single-rotor drones," her hand stopped on Xiao Chai's head.

"Ten thousand single-rotor units?"

"Yeah."

"Fifty-kilometer control range, two hundred-kilogram payload?"

"Yeah."

She didn't answer immediately.

The people in the conference room who understood Chinese also quieted down.

Jiang Rumu lowered her voice.

"Fahd doesn't want to swap the flying motorcycles for short-range suicide drones, does he?"

The technical lead silently moved the model on the table closer to himself.

The business manager's pen tip hovered over the contract, not daring to land.

Li Li tapped his fingers on the tabletop twice.

That feeling of something being off earlier had just clicked.

Fifty kilometers.

Two hundred kilograms.

Ten thousand units.

The word "firefighting" was written in the contract header, but there was definitely a different smell to it.

Li Li brought the phone closer.

"The contract purpose is for firefighting and rescue, and the export approval process will be followed fully. If the regulatory authorities pass it, the manufacturer will deliver. If it doesn't pass, then it's returned."

Jiang Rumu stared at the screen.

"Don't get too deep into this."

"Don't worry, I'm only taking the domestic brand endorsement, not the consultant fee from Ala Country."

"You're quite experienced."

"Poor people preventing themselves from being scapegoats is a survival skill."

Jiang Rumu paused for a moment.

"The affiliation fee is 2%, no bargaining."

Li Li thought about it.

"1.5%."

"Li Li."

"Fine, 2%. You capitalists are pretty tough."

Jiang Rumu pulled Xiao Chai off the slipper.

"If you bargain again, I'll send Xiao Chai to the Fire Station tonight to tear up your shoes."

Li Li looked at the grey-black husky in the screen.

"Xiao Chai, have you already learned capitalist threats?"

Xiao Chai opened its mouth at the screen.

The business manager listened from the side, stunned.

It turned out that the core deterrent for a 300 million endorsement financial negotiation was a husky.

The contract was reorganized.

Li Li wrote several restrictions very strictly.

No standing for illegal or non-compliant products.

No endorsement for military modifications.

Investigate the cause first in case of after-sales accidents.

Funds go into the studio account, tax compliant.

No consultant fees.

The business manager listened and lowered his head to revise the contract.

The legal counsel looked up at Li Li.

"Teacher Li is very professional."

"Learned it from working."

That night, the representative from Ala Country really arrived.

Three black business cars parked at the temporary reception point outside the Fire Station.

Suits, translators, lawyers, technical consultants—a complete set.

Fahd didn't come, but his video call was hanging on the screen.

As soon as the Ala Country representative saw Li Li, he spoke in Arabic first.

"His Highness the Prince asked me to send you his regards."

Li Li raised a hand.

"Regards are fine, but no consultant fees."

The representative paused for a moment.

"His Highness said you would definitely say that."

"He really has a good eye for people."

"So he is prepared to exchange the consultant fee for a donation to the Fire Station."

Li Li turned his head to look at Station Chief Chen Tao.

Station Chief Chen Tao was just about to speak when the representative had already opened the folder.

"Thermal imaging cameras for firefighting training, demolition tools, spare cylinders for air respirators, training mats, emergency lighting equipment—the budget is two million RMB."

Station Chief Chen Tao's hand paused at the edge of the table.

Cheng Songyan spoke in a low voice.

"Station Chief, does this count as international friends providing targeted poverty alleviation with firefighting equipment?"

Station Chief Chen Tao looked at him.

"Shut up."

Zhongtian Infinite was not to be outdone.

The business manager jumped in on the spot.

"Our Company will donate too. For the welfare institute construction project, we will contribute one million, to be used for living supplies and fire safety renovations."

Li Li raised his head.

"You just signed a big order, and you're already scattering money so quickly?"

The business manager capped his pen.

"Teacher Li, this is brand responsibility."

The technical lead dismantled him from the side.

"It's also because they are afraid you won't shoot the commercial."

The business manager turned his head.

"Old Qi, be more mature."

Li Li pushed the sponsorship agreement to Station Chief Chen Tao and the lawyer for the welfare institute project to review.

He didn't touch the money himself.

Didn't touch it.

Absolutely refused to touch it.

Money can be earned.

But scapegoats cannot be carried.

The tripartite contract was signed from seven o'clock in the evening to eleven o'clock.

The Ala Country representative signed for the procurement.

Zhongtian Infinite signed for the endorsement.

The Fire Station and the welfare institute signed for the donation.

The people from the Production Team stood by the wall, not daring to breathe heavily the whole time.

Director Pei Zhao covered his headset and arranged the cameramen in a low voice.

"Don't film the contract amount, don't film the stamps, don't film the representative's credentials; film Li Li eating his boxed meal."

The cameraman turned the lens over.

Li Li was picking the green peppers out of his boxed meal.

Director Pei Zhao was silent for two seconds.

"Forget it, don't broadcast this part either. An image of a 300 million endorsement celebrity picking out green peppers because he doesn't like vegetables—the brand side will be heartbroken."

The Ala Country representative finished signing, and the finance department confirmed the advance payment.

Thirty percent.

When the payment notification popped up, the business manager held onto the back of his chair.

The young engineer's eyes turned red.

"Director, our R&D building's leaks can finally be fixed."

The technical lead pressed down on the back of his neck.

"It can be fixed."

"Can the lab air conditioning be replaced too?"

"Replaced."

"Then that workstation chair of mine..."

"Shut up, don't make our vision look so small."

Station Chief Chen Tao looked at the document and didn't move for a long time.

Cheng Songyan pulled his fixation belt tighter and asked Li Li in a low voice.

"You translated for one day and translated over five billion?"

Li Li waved his hand.

"Don't talk nonsense. I'm a concerned citizen."

After Zhongtian Infinite officially announced Li Li as their spokesperson, the hot search exploded.

#Li Li 300 Million Endorsement in One Year#

#Firefighting Drone 5.3 Billion Order#

#Concerned Citizen Li Li#

#Endorsement? Commission!#

The business department of the Company was originally negotiating a beverage endorsement for Gu Zeyan.

After seeing the hot search, the group was silent for a minute.

Someone sent a sentence.

"Our quote here is eight million, and the client still wants to cut it to six million."

Someone else added another jab.

"Stop sending messages, I'm already crying."

Zhou Hui slammed his phone onto the table.

"Is he here to record a variety show, or is he here to acquire the entertainment industry?"

No one answered.

Because the answer was a bit hurtful.

After Li Li signed the contract, the first thing he did wasn't to celebrate.

He sent the scanned copies to Lu Cheng and marked the restrictive clauses in red separately.

Lu Cheng replied with three words.

"No problem."

Jiang Rumu followed up with a sentence.

"Don't spend the money recklessly when it arrives."

Li Li replied.

"Don't worry, I only save it recklessly."

Very good.

The money hadn't even arrived yet, and the family financial war had already fired its first shot.

A week passed quickly.

Training continued as usual.

Running stairs, weight-bearing, equipment, responding to calls, eating.

Li Li checked the account status every morning and checked for strange cars at the entrance of the Fire Station every night.

Life-saving matters couldn't be left to metaphysics.

Especially after just being targeted by someone with a black box.

On Saturday night, the Production Team turned the cafeteria into a viewing area.

The third episode went live.

The guests and Firefighters sat in several rows.

Jiang Rumu came too.

A white T-shirt and jeans, hat pulled low; Shen Jue recognized her the moment she entered.

"Sister!"

Director Pei Zhao almost spat out his water.

"Shen Jue! Keep it low profile! She is a special guest, not a red carpet guest!"

Shen Jue sat up straight immediately.

"Received, I'll shout in my heart."

Li Li moved the popcorn bucket to the side.

"Why is there popcorn for a Fire Station movie night?"

Director Pei Zhao raised his hand.

"Sponsored by the Production Team, not using public funds."

Qin Xiaoshan sat down holding a bucket.

"Then can I have another bucket?"

Director Pei Zhao looked at the large bucket in his arms.

"This is your third bucket."

Qin Xiaoshan nodded.

"I am indeed hungry, won't waste it."

The projector lit up.

The third episode was edited starting from the morning training.

The guests were tortured by the physical fitness test, and the bullet comments scrolled by quickly.

[Gu Zeyan's smile disappearance technique]

[Shen Jue's running posture is all about sincerity]

[Li Li: Don't panic, basic operation]

[Please open a separate membership for Qin Xiaoshan's eating shots]

The cafeteria erupted in laughter.

Gu Zeyan sat in the back row, seeing himself managing his state forcefully in front of the camera, his ears slowly turning red.

Zhong Ji turned his head.

"You still remembered to find the camera angle when you were that tired?"

Gu Zeyan picked up his water cup.

"Professional habit."

Han Su added a sentence.

"It's changed a bit now."

Gu Zeyan looked at him without retorting.

"Yeah, I'm changing it."

The show aired to the rooftop scene.

Song Yaoshan sat on the edge, the wind blowing his clothes messily.

The cafeteria went quiet.

[Don't provoke him, please]

[This live broadcast segment made my hands shake]

[Li Li really knows how to talk to people]

[Captain Cheng's move was too fast]

The moment Song Yaoshan came out of the air cushion, someone in the cafeteria started clapping first.

Qin Xiaoshan put down the popcorn bucket and wiped his face with his sleeve.

"I watched this segment live; it's still painful to see it edited."

Cheng Songyan sat in the front row, his back straight.

Li Li glanced at him.

This person didn't speak, but since that day, his steps into the fire scene had become much steadier.

The show continued.

"rose boy" began to play.

Jiang Rumu lowered her head to get a tissue and pressed it against the corners of her eyes twice.

Li Li pushed a bottle of water over.

She took it but didn't open the cap.

The bullet comments suddenly became dense.

[Song Yaoshan, come on]

[This song saved me once]

[Don't be afraid, you are not a monster]

[Li Li, stop writing, I'm running out of tissues]

Next was "The Wind Has Risen."

Fire Station training ground, night, several people sitting on the steps listening to music.

Qi Wanyin leaned against the back of the chair and tapped the side of her cup with her finger.

"Remember to save the authorization for this song for me?"

Li Li replied in a low voice.

"Why do you singers all love to grab goods on the spot?"

"Good things have to be queued for, or they will be bought by others if you're late."

Jiang Rumu didn't answer.

She looked at Li Li on the screen, then looked at the person himself who was picking burnt popcorn kernels next to her.

She lowered her head and smiled, then took a tissue and pressed the corners of her eyes again.

Li Li handed the popcorn bucket over.

"Eat some, it's an emotional stabilizer."

She took one.

"You call popcorn an emotional stabilizer?"

"For poor people, carbohydrates have medical properties."

Shen Jue nodded from the side.

"Brother is right, every time I get scolded by my manager, I can forgive the world after eating rice."

Ji Shen poked his head over.

"Then your manager is quite cost-effective."

At the end of the viewing, the Production Team added a Mother's Day teaser.

A round of laughter and teasing started again in the cafeteria.

Director Pei Zhao covered his headset, already enjoying the data in advance.

"The third episode is solid. At least five hot searches tonight."

Li Li looked at him.

"That doesn't sound auspicious."

"Don't worry, I bought positive entries."

"Hot searches often have positive and negative ones carpooling."

Just as Director Pei Zhao was about to retort, Shen Jue's voice came from the back row.

"Gu Zeyan, are you unhappy?"

Li Li turned his head.

Gu Zeyan was sitting in the corner, his phone screen lit up, but he wasn't looking at the projection.

Shen Jue scratched his head.

"You do have fewer shots in this episode, but don't be too sad. The later training is solid, it will definitely be edited in."

Gu Zeyan looked up, his finger still on the phone.

"It's not this."

"Then what is it? Did the Company scold you again?"

Gu Zeyan turned his phone toward him.

"Teacher Jiang is being attacked again."

Shen Jue froze first, and in the next second, he stood up.

"Who?"

Several people around turned their heads at the same time.

Jiang Rumu also raised her head.

Li Li reached out and took Gu Zeyan's phone.

The hot search list was refreshing.

The first line popped out.

#Queen Jiang Mother's Day Air-drops to Fire Station to Hitchhike on Li Li's Traffic#