161: Chapter 161 Acquiring Copyrights

Jiang Chen withdrew his gaze, his fingertips casually rubbing the edge of his phone before dialing Lu Zheng's number.

After two rings, the other end picked up. Lu Zheng's voice was steady and efficient, with a background so quiet there wasn't a hint of noise: "President Jiang."

"Come pick me up. I have classes this morning. Stop by Yujiang Bay on the way to grab my backpack."

"Understood, President Jiang."

Lu Zheng answered succinctly, not asking a single extra word. "I'm heading out now to get the backpack. I'll be at your place within fifteen minutes. Please wait a moment."

He never pried into Jiang Chen's private itinerary or made random conjectures; he simply focused on doing his job well.

This sense of professional boundaries was exactly why Jiang Chen continued to employ him.

Jiang Chen gave a soft "mm," hung up, and tossed the phone onto the coffee table. He leaned back into the sofa and closed his eyes to rest.

On the other side of the living room, Shen Xi had already shifted into a completely different state.

She sat at the dining table, her tablet propped up steadily, her notebook flipped to a blank page, and a Bluetooth earbud tucked into her ear. She instantly immersed herself.

Her fingertips slid rapidly across the trackpad, the blue light of the screen reflecting in her eyes, calm and focused.

The tender little woman from moments ago seemed as if she had never existed; sitting here now was only a sharp, sheathed blade.

She wasn't ostentatious, yet she exuded professionalism and efficiency in every way.

Step one: thoroughly understand the target's background.

She didn't rush to call. Instead, she first cross-referenced the name "Su Nian" across mainstream music platforms, original creator backends, and student record databases.

Student records from the Xinghai Conservatory of Music, award records from three sessions of the Campus Original Music Competition, and personal pages on independent music platforms.

In just a few minutes, everything had been retrieved.

Her gaze swept through quickly but precisely, her fingertips simultaneously extracting keywords into her notebook.

Major, style of work, social media activity, fan base size, exposure trajectory—the logic was clear, not a single detail out of place.

The portrait pieced together from public information became increasingly clear: Su Nian was a pure creator with almost no concept of commercial operations.

All seven of her works were in a healing, lyrical style with clean and simple arrangements. She had never intentionally chased trends or spent a single cent on promotion on any platform.

Her social media account had fewer than three thousand followers, and the content she posted was simple and casual.

Clips of piano practice, close-ups of handwritten scores, green plants on the windowsill, and coffee cups.

The latest update from three days ago featured a photo of scattered scores and a cold latte. The caption was just one sentence: "Finally finished recording. Consider it giving myself some closure."

Shen Xi's gaze paused on this sentence for two seconds, then she wrote a line in her notebook: Pure creative intent, values emotional worth over commercial awareness.

Negotiation core: Provide professional recognition, protect creative dignity.

She didn't stop, continuing to dig deeper.

Su Nian's real-life situation was also traceable through public information.

The Cultural and Creative Park apartment was subsidized housing provided by the government for young entrepreneurs. The rent was low, but the location was remote and the commute inconvenient.

Her income relied solely on music teaching. Her lesson fees were set on the low side, and the number of students was limited, leaving her with very little after basic expenses.

An update from two months ago clearly revealed her intention to apply for an overseas composition study program. Her exact words were: "The project is lined up, still figuring out the fees, hope it works out."

Shen Xi drew an asterisk next to this sentence and annotated two words: Urgent need.

Everything clicked.

The source of the 168,000 psychological price point in the intelligence was right here.

The other party urgently needed a sum of money to advance her education. Her desire for cash far outweighed her awareness of the song's long-term value.

Room for negotiation certainly existed, but she absolutely could not adopt the aggressive stance of capital trying to force a price down.

If Su Nian felt she was being exploited, given her pride as a pure creator, she might choose to break the deal out of an emotional reaction even if she desperately needed the money.

Shen Xi already had a complete negotiation framework in mind.

She didn't choose to communicate via email. The back-and-forth would be too slow, and text lacked warmth, making it unsuitable for building trust.

She directly dialed the contact number Su Nian had left publicly on the independent music platform.

On the fourth ring, the other end picked up.

A young female voice spoke with obvious sleepiness and confusion: "Hello? May I ask who this is?"

"Hello, Miss Su Nian. I am Shen Xi from Chenxing Capital."

Her tone was adjusted perfectly—gentle but not soft, professional but not stiff. Her speaking speed was steady, every word clear and firm.

"Our copyright discovery team noticed your original single, 'evening breeze confession', while screening quality works on original music platforms."

"Our company's evaluation team highly recognizes the creative quality and commercial suitability of this song. We hope to discuss the acquisition of the full copyright with you in person. I wonder if you are free today?"

The other end was clearly stunned.

Shen Xi could clearly hear the sound of chair legs scraping against the floor, as if the other person had suddenly sat up straight.

"Chenxing Capital? Copyright acquisition?"

Su Nian's voice was full of disbelief, mixed with a hint of instinctive wariness. "How... did you hear my song?"

"Your work previously had a brief featured exposure on the niche original charts of an original platform, and was added to our internal library by our editors."

Shen Xi's tone was certain and natural, her logic self-consistent. She neither revealed the true source of the intelligence nor left any gaps for doubt.

"The evaluation team unanimously agreed that the melody and lyrics of this song have great potential, which is why it was pushed to our department."

Su Nian's guard clearly lowered a bit, but her tone remained cautious: "Then... what exactly is the cooperation format?"

"I suggest we discuss the specific acquisition plan, copyright consideration, and subsequent operation planning in person. It will be much clearer that way."

Shen Xi was well-versed in the art of negotiation; she never quoted prices over the phone.

Once a price reaches the other party's ears, the initiative is no longer in one's own hands.

She kept the rhythm firmly under control while gently tossing the choice back, her tone full of respect.

"The time and location are at your convenience; I will accommodate you. Both this morning and afternoon are fine, depending on when you are free."

This unhurried posture and full respect for the other party completely soothed Su Nian.

Her voice relaxed as she softly replied, "I have a class for a student at 10:30 AM, but I'm free after that. How about... the 'Waiting for the Wind' cafe near the Cultural and Creative Park? It's close to where I live and the environment is quiet."

"Alright, Miss Su Nian. 11:00 AM sharp, at 'Waiting for the Wind' cafe. I will be there on time."

Shen Xi's fingertips quickly noted the time and location in her notebook, her tone meticulous and thoughtful.

"Just bring your ID card and the original declaration documents for the work. We will prepare the rest of the contract materials. By the way, this is my mobile number. Please save it and feel free to contact me if you have any questions."

"Okay, thank you for the trouble, Miss Shen." Su Nian's tone had shifted from initial wariness to an expectant politeness.

"You're welcome, Teacher Su. See you later."

Four and a half minutes.

She had controlled the pace throughout, demonstrating professional quality while giving the other party enough respect, paving the way for the subsequent face-to-face negotiation.

Hanging up the phone, Shen Xi took off her Bluetooth earbud and immediately entered the contract preparation phase.

She pulled up Chenxing Capital's standard copyright acquisition contract template from the cloud and checked it word by word.

She listed all rights including songwriting and composition copyrights, performer's rights, information network dissemination rights, commercial adaptation rights, and global exclusive operation rights one by one, leaving no gray areas.

At the same time, she specifically added a detail to the clauses.

Permanent attribution rights for the creator.

This wouldn't cause any commercial loss for Chenxing, but for an original musician like Su Nian, it meant her name would never be separated from her work.

It wasn't a matter of money; it was about dignity.

At the negotiation table, this would become the most crucial emotional bargaining chip in her hand.