Book 1: Chapter 24

Aqua The negotiations go on for nearly an entire hour, with me pointing out several things I don’t like in the contract. I obviously don’t have any actual training in business contracts, but even I can spot things I don’t like. For example, them trying to set a quota of jobs I need to take on every week. That is out entirely as I have no idea what will happen. Then there’s another one where it specifies the types of jobs I can refuse. I had that taken out entirely and replaced with letting me refuse jobs if I want to refuse them instead of locking me into only being able to refuse certain ones. One after another, the contract gets closer and closer to something better for me and my situation. And at more than one point during this I have to wonder if this guy is trying to take advantage of me himself. Using the fact that we’re both Bloodliners to avoid any legal trouble. But eventually I get the contract to something I’m relatively satisfied with. Enough to finally sign it. Only for the contract to suddenly move back towards the CEO again the moment I’m about to grab the pen by it. Confusing me in the process. I glance up at him while blinking, wondering what he’s doing. Then he reaches down beneath the table and pulls out another packet. One that he sends over to me as he says, “Read this.” I continue to frown at him before slowly reaching for the packet and glancing at it. But what I see on it just confuses me even more since it’s another contract. I glance up at him to find him smiling rather widely at me. Meanwhile the other people in the room look very impressed with me for some reason. Okay, what the abyss is going on here? After a brief hesitation, I go ahead and begin reading the contract. And what I find is actually rather surprising. This contract is far more beneficial to me than even what we ended up as the final result of the last contract. To the point that it’s incredibly free for me and gives me full control over what jobs I take, how often, and how many. It even gives me ninety-five percent of my royalties, which is higher than the industry standard. I turn a very confused look his way, only for him to chuckle and answer my unasked question, “The other chair members of the company were against giving you such a beneficial contract, so we agreed that if you were to negotiate a far worse contract to a certain degree, we would offer you this premium contract. But if you didn’t manage to negotiate the contract high enough, we would offer you a standard high end contract. And if you didn’t negotiate at all, you’d be offered the standard contract.” Huh. So it was a test? “Yes, it was a test,” Rhettfelt answers my unasked question again, making me briefly wonder if he can read my mind. No, probably just reading my face. It’s not like my lazy expression is very hard to read after all. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Probably. Anyway, I purse my lips for a few seconds before reading the contract again and finally signing it. The contract is very beneficial towards me without any problems I can see. So there’s no reason not to sign it. Especially when it’s with Star Pioneer Agency. Most Pioneers would kill to get into this agency at all, even with a bad contract. A faint smile stretches across my face for a moment before I find the contract moving back to him after my signing. Following which he puts the contract away, having already signed it prior to showing it to me. And for some reason burns the other contract we were previously passing back and forth. My smile turns amused at that sight. Then I remember something. “Right, do you know about the job I plan on taking?” I ask while putting my hands on my hips since I don’t have any pockets in my armor. Considering who he is, there’s a good chance he knows. Which would make things simpler to explain to him. He can handle my jobs now that I’m signed under his agency after all. “Which ones? We know every single job offer that was sent to you,” Rhettfelt answers with a question and a surprising comment of his own. “Although we have the following jobs marked as higher priority and more likely to be selected by you based on our research into your pre-Pioneer status and post-Pioneer status.” I blink in surprise as numerous different jobs appear all over the screens around the room. Many of which are ones I was actually planning on accepting, and others are ones I’d considered but hadn’t committed to whether I’d accept or not. Right. I almost forgot how much influence Bloodliners have. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if this guy knew everything about me that I know from before I became a Bloodliner. Maybe even some things I don’t even know. He looked confident that I could understand the contract. Which wouldn’t make sense for someone to assume when they know I’m an orphan. After all, while orphans across the Alliance automatically get elementary and even sometimes junior high level schooling for free as a form of orphan care system, a junior high education level individual wouldn’t normally be able to read a contract and figure out what it meant. I’m only able to because I was given a scholarship to high school and even given some special private lessons regarding various random topics thanks to a lottery. It wasn’t until later on that I realized that my school was for some reason the only one in the entire Alliance doing a lottery for high school level education and private tutoring for a single orphan student. And by then the school was already torn down. Within a year of me graduating. Although even high school education isn’t necessarily unheard of for orphans. After all, there are plenty of orphans who work and earn the money for their own tuition. But the private lessons are a different matter altogether. And yet, he’s not surprised at all at my knowledge. I stare at him for a few seconds before walking over to the screens and pointing out which jobs I’m currently interested in taking. Including but not limited to the starring role in that drama, several commercial and ad shootings, a couple modeling jobs including some in more conservative swimsuits that don’t expose much skin and some in diving suits, and finally, a single singing job. Which makes for one acting job, one singing job, and a splatter of other commercials, ads, and modeling jobs mixed in. “Those are good choices,” Rhettfelt states with a nod of his head. “I’ll have your schedule ready soon. Please accept the business inquiries at the times listed on the schedule when you do. Assuming you approve of the schedule, of course. And don’t worry as there will be plenty of breathing room for change.” I feel more than a little confusion filling me as I ask, “You’re preparing my schedule? Would that normally be a manager’s job?” “Yes,” Rhettfelt answers with a nod. “I’ll be filling the role of your manager. We can’t have a normal human managing a Bloodliner after all.” I stare at him. He stares back at me. The CEO... is my manager... “You’re free to go now if you wish,” Rhettfelt continues as I stare blankly at him, trying to fully register the idea of having the CEO as my manager in my mind. “We’ll handle contacting all the individuals behind the chosen offers for you, so just worry about surviving for now. Your first job will most likely be the day after tomorrow.” I numbly nod my head before deactivating the System Phantom mode and returning to my body. Only to feel pain filling me again as I remember that the System Phantom automatically sends you in perfect shape wherever it is sending you. Both the Pioneer and their equipment. Even if only visually. Well that was not what I was expecting going in. But I don’t mind at all. At least having the CEO as my manager means I have the smartest mind in the entertainment industry working to push my career forward. I continue blankly staring ahead for a few seconds before going ahead and continuing with mining out my little safe place here. To create my own home down here in the caves. Because I’m certainly going to need it. As for that shark? I can figure out that mess later.