162: Chapter 162 Copyright Acquisition Completed

At exactly eleven o'clock, Shen Xi pushed open the door of the "Waiting for the Wind" Cafe right on time.

Inside, the soft, warm yellow lighting and soothing light music drifting through the air filtered out the restlessness of the city.

With one glance, she spotted Su Nian sitting by the window.

The girl was wearing a simple white cotton T-shirt, her low ponytail draped gently behind her shoulders, and her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the cold glass wall of her cup repeatedly.

Her eyes were filled with an unmistakable nervousness and unease; clearly, she had never experienced such a formal business negotiation before, and her whole body was tense.

Shen Xi carried a sleek black briefcase, her pace calm and unhurried, with a perfectly measured, gentle smile on her face—devoid of any corporate condescension or arrogance.

"Miss Su Nian, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"No, no, I just arrived not long ago myself."

Su Nian hurriedly stood up, her voice still carrying a hint of youthful naivety. She was so nervous that her fingertips tightened instinctively, turning her knuckles slightly white.

Shen Xi nodded slightly and sat down gracefully. She raised her hand to call the waiter, first offering the choice to Su Nian: "Miss Su Nian, what would you like to drink? Please, don't be formal."

"Just a glass of warm water, please," Su Nian replied in a soft, slightly reserved voice.

Shen Xi then ordered an Americano. As the waiter turned to leave, she didn't rush into the cold business of the cooperation but instead broke the initial awkwardness with gentle conversation.

"I looked through your social media updates earlier. That succulent you're growing is doing very well. It's clear you're someone who treats life with care and has a soft heart; no wonder you could compose such a gentle and empathetic song like 'evening breeze confession'."

This precise compliment instantly melted the sense of unfamiliarity between them.

A flash of genuine surprise crossed Su Nian's eyes. Her tense shoulders slowly relaxed, and her tone became more natural.

"Thank you. I usually like to tinker with plants and flowers in my spare time. When I hit a bottleneck while songwriting, looking at them helps my heart slowly calm down."

"I completely understand. Truly touching works always stem from the small moments of tenderness and sincere emotions in life."

Shen Xi's tone was sincere and earnest as she naturally steered the conversation toward the core topic.

"Let's get down to business. Regarding the copyright acquisition of 'evening breeze confession', I'll explain our company's formal proposal to you in detail."

She took out the prepared and printed proposal documents from her briefcase and pushed them steadily toward Su Nian with her fingertips.

She then pointed to the clauses and explained them one by one with clear logic and a steady pace: "Chenxing Capital intends to acquire the full, exclusive global rights to 'evening breeze confession', covering composition and lyric copyrights, commercial adaptation rights, and all related music rights across all online and offline channels."

"One point I've clearly marked in the core clauses is that we will permanently retain your original credit. No matter how the song is covered, adapted, or used commercially in the future, your status as the original creator will never be erased, and your name will always be displayed in the most prominent position."

Hearing the words "permanent credit," Su Nian's hand holding the water glass suddenly paused, and an irrepressible look of emotion appeared in her eyes.

She had previously heard bits and pieces about the chaotic state of the music copyright acquisition industry.

Most investors only knew how to exploit original creators, wishing they could completely erase any trace of them. It was truly rare for a company like Chenxing Capital to proactively promise to permanently retain the creator's credit.

Taking in every subtle change in her expression, Shen Xi continued calmly, "Regarding the acquisition price, based on the song's quality and industry trends, the company is offering 168,000 yuan as a one-time buyout, paid in full."

"The funds will be transferred in full to your designated personal account within twenty-four hours of signing the formal contract, with no delays, installments, or any additional binding conditions."

This figure happened to match perfectly with the price Su Nian had repeatedly calculated and estimated in her mind.

Her grip on the water glass tightened slightly. A flash of surprise was followed by hesitation and reluctance; her brow furrowed deeply, and she rubbed the edge of the document repeatedly, failing to respond for a long time.

Shen Xi didn't rush her at all. She just sat there quietly, looking at her with a peaceful gaze, knowing that the real stalemate and emotional tug-of-war of this negotiation had only just begun.

After a long while, Su Nian finally raised her head. Her eyes were slightly red, and her voice was thick with reluctance and difficulty, sounding a bit strained.

"Miss Shen, this price is exactly what I expected... I know you're being very sincere, but 'evening breeze confession' is a piece I spent half a year polishing with all my heart."

"To me, it's long since been more than just a song; it's like a child I've nurtured myself. I really can't bear to give up the full copyright."

At this point, her voice choked up slightly, her eyes full of stubbornness. "When I wrote this song, I never thought about how much profit I could make from it. I just wanted to express the feelings hidden in my heart."

"If I sell the full copyright and the song is later adapted haphazardly or used commercially in a way that completely deviates from my original intent, I... I really can't accept that."

This was the most difficult emotional barrier in the negotiation. Su Nian valued her creative integrity and feared the reckless trampling of her original work by corporate interests.

This sincere obsession with music made her unwilling to easily give in, even though she had been offered a price that perfectly met her expectations.

Another negotiator might have used the price to apply pressure and urge her to compromise quickly.

But Shen Xi remained calm and rational. She leaned forward slightly, her gaze sincere and solemn, her tone firm yet gentle.

"Miss Su Nian, I completely understand your feelings and 100% respect your creative integrity and attachment to your work. We offered a price that matches your expectations because we recognize your creative value, not as a form of corporate exploitation."

"Chenxing Capital is acquiring this song not to over-exploit or exhaust its value, but because we see its quality. We want to use professional operations to let more people hear this high-quality original music."

"We will subsequently form a dedicated music operations team to promote and operate this song in a refined manner that stays true to your original intent."

"All adaptations, commercial collaborations, and version adjustments involving the song will be sent to you in full as a proposal beforehand. We will only proceed with your written consent."

"If any proposal violates your creative philosophy for the work, we will not change a single thing without authorization. I will add this promise directly to the contract's supplementary agreement, which will be fully legally binding, providing you with the most solid guarantee."

These words precisely hit the concerns Su Nian cared about most.

She had always been terrified of her hard work being ruined by corporate interests. Shen Xi not only understood her unease but was also willing to use legal clauses to protect her creative integrity. This level of respect, far exceeding the price itself, completely moved her.

Even though her defenses had softened, Su Nian still had one final struggle. She looked down at the table, her voice soft but firm.

"But... I still can't bear it. I do urgently need this money; I need to save enough tuition to go abroad for further studies in composition. That's always been my dream, but this song is too important to me..."

Her voice grew smaller and smaller. The dilemma between the two choices left her in extreme agony.

On one hand was her academic dream within reach; on the other was her precious creative work. The atmosphere of the negotiation instantly became tense and stagnant.

Shen Xi was silent for a moment. Instead of applying pressure from a corporate standpoint, she placed herself entirely in Su Nian's shoes, slowly analyzing the pros and cons with an empathetic tone, every word hitting the mark.

"I understand that feeling of being unable to let go; creative effort can never be measured in money. You know very well that this offer fits your needs exactly to help you complete your studies and realize your musical dreams."

"You're going abroad to improve your professional skills so you can write even better works in the future. Entrusting the copyright to a professional team isn't giving up on the song; it's letting it leave a niche circle so more people who understand and like it can hear it, allowing your creative talent to be seen by the industry."

"We retain your original credit and respect your right to make all decisions regarding the work. This not only solves your funding problem for your studies but also gives the song a broader vitality. This isn't a betrayal; it's the best arrangement for you and the song. You uphold your creative integrity, and we take responsibility for letting good work be recognized by more people. The two are never in conflict."

She didn't talk about profit in a vacuum or try to force a persuasion; instead, she used empathy as a bridge.

Combining the perfectly matched offer with a clear explanation of the link between reality and ideals, she both acknowledged Su Nian's passion for creation and pointed out the most rational choice, slowly dissolving Su Nian's final hesitation.

As time ticked by, Su Nian sat there, her fingertips tightening and loosening repeatedly. The struggle and reluctance in her eyes gradually dissipated, finally settling into a sense of relief and determination.

She looked up at Shen Xi, who was professional, calm, and had shown her 100% respect, and completely let go of all her defenses and concerns.

"I... I believe you."

Su Nian took a deep breath, looking at Shen Xi with unwavering determination, saying each word clearly.

"I agree to sign the copyright acquisition contract."

Hearing this, the last bit of concern in Shen Xi's heart was completely put to rest. A sincere smile of relief appeared on her face, her tone warm and certain: "Thank you for your trust, Miss Su Nian. You won't regret today's decision."

She immediately took out two copies of the formal contract and the pre-drafted supplementary agreement from her briefcase and pushed them toward Su Nian.

She went through the key clauses and supplementary promises one by one, patiently and meticulously answering every question Su Nian had, ensuring she fully understood every agreement in the contract without any ambiguity.

Su Nian reviewed the contract word by word, repeatedly confirming the permanent credit, work review rights, full payment within twenty-four hours, and the legal effect of the supplementary agreement.

Everything was exactly as Shen Xi had described. The price was accurately marked as 168,000 yuan with no hidden clauses. She then picked up the pen and, though her fingertips trembled slightly, she signed her name firmly at the bottom of the contract.

Shen Xi then signed the contract and affixed the company seal, and each party kept a copy.

The global exclusive copyright acquisition of 'evening breeze confession' was officially finalized.

The moment the pen was set down, Shen Xi reached out her hand to Su Nian, her eyes full of recognition for the creator: "It's a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Su Nian! I also wish you success in your studies and look forward to you creating more touching original works in the future."

"It's a pleasure. Thank you so much, Miss Shen."

Su Nian quickly reached out and shook her hand, her eyes filled with genuine gratitude. Her previous nervousness, unease, and hesitation had completely vanished, replaced by full anticipation for the future.

Shen Xi carefully tucked the contract away in her briefcase.

She verified the receiving account information with Su Nian once more, clearly stating again that the 168,000 yuan would be paid in full within twenty-four hours, and told her she could contact her at any time if she had further questions.

Having handled all the details, Shen Xi said a gentle goodbye to Su Nian and walked out of the cafe with a composed stride.

The afternoon sun fell gently on her shoulders. She took out her phone and efficiently edited a concise message to Jiang Chen.

[President Jiang, the full global exclusive rights to 'evening breeze confession' have been successfully acquired. The contract is signed for an acquisition price of 168,000 yuan. The subsequent fund transfer and operation process will be followed up simultaneously.]

After sending the message, she put away her phone.

Her gaze was steady and firm, still maintaining her professional, efficient, and composed manner. Having successfully completed the acquisition task assigned by Jiang Chen, she turned into the crowd and walked away with a firm step.