51: Chapter 51 Eight Million, in the Garbage Bag

Shen Nian's rented apartment was in an old residential complex in the north of the Magic City, on the sixth floor, with no elevator.

At six in the evening, someone knocked on Shen Nian's door.

Shen Nian got up from the sofa, shuffled over in her slippers, and took a look through the peephole.

It was a middle-aged woman in a dark blue suit.

Her makeup was meticulous, and her lipstick was a vibrant red. She was carrying a brown handbag.

Shen Nian opened the door, leaving it ajar.

"Miss Shen Nian?"

"Who are you?"

"Fang Min. From Xinghui Business Consulting." The woman smiled. "May I come in for a moment?"

Shen Nian's hand stayed on the doorknob, not letting go.

Xinghui Business Consulting.

She hadn't heard of this name.

"I don't know you. What do you want with me?"

"Good news." Fang Min took a kraft paper envelope from her bag and handed it to Shen Nian. "Regarding the copyright dispute between you and Hua Xingyu, Shenghai Entertainment would like to discuss a solution that satisfies both parties."

Shen Nian stared at the envelope but didn't take it.

Fang Min turned slightly, making the words "Settlement Agreement" printed on the envelope cover face Shen Nian directly.

"Miss Shen, it's not convenient to talk at the door. Could we go inside and chat? Just five minutes."

Shen Nian stood behind the door, biting her lip.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she stepped back.

Fang Min walked in and scanned the room.

A fifteen-square-meter Studio apartment.

A bed, a table, and a chair. On the table sat a half-eaten cup of instant noodles and a row of medicine bottles.

Shen Nian stood by the door, arms crossed over her chest.

Fang Min sat on the only chair, opened the envelope, and spread the document on the table.

"Miss Shen, I'll be straightforward." Her finger tapped on the first page.

"Shenghai Entertainment is willing to admit that Hua Xingyu made a management error regarding the copyright ownership of 'starry sky'. The company will pay you five million yuan in full as copyright compensation and compensation for emotional distress."

Five million.

Shen Nian didn't speak; she clenched her cuffs tightly.

She had lived this long without ever seeing a balance of more than five digits in her bank card.

Since her diagnosis a year ago, the medicine she took had been supported by borrowed money.

Fang Min didn't look at her, continuing to flip to the second page.

"In addition, Shenghai Entertainment is willing to provide a new artist contract. The signing bonus is three million, for a term of four years. The company will go all out to rebuild your personal brand, including album production, variety show resources, and commercial performance arrangements—all through the company's highest-level promotional channels."

She looked up, her gaze landing gently on Shen Nian's face.

"Five million in compensation, plus a three-million signing bonus, totaling eight million. There are only two conditions—you withdraw the copyright lawsuit against Hua Xingyu and terminate your existing contract with Fanyin Culture Studio."

The room was very quiet.

The color on Shen Nian's face changed several times.

Eight million.

This number was so large that her brain needed a few seconds to truly understand what it meant.

It could pay off all her medical expenses, allow her to move out of this rental where even the hot water was unstable, and she wouldn't have to count pills in the middle of the night to see if she had enough for the next month.

Her fingernails dug into her palms.

"You want me to betray Jiang Fan."

"It's not a betrayal." Fang Min spread her hands, her tone gentle, as if chatting with a little sister having trouble making a choice.

"It's making a choice. Miss Shen, a small Studio with 100,000 in registered capital, a newly debuted talent show champion, and an agent who just resigned. What can you get by following Fanyin?"

She paused.

"How long can they protect you? A lifetime?"

Shen Nian bit her lower lip.

"He is already protecting me."

"No, he just gave you a song and a live performance." Fang Min's tone was flat.

"And then what? Shenghai Entertainment's legal team has forty-seven people. If they mobilize all their resources to drag out the lawsuit for two or three years, can you afford to waste that time?"

Shen Nian had thought about this question more than once.

She didn't know how to answer.

Fang Min continued: "Given your current state, are you suited to fight this kind of war of attrition?"

Her gaze shifted toward the row of medicine bottles on the table.

Shen Nian subconsciously took half a step back.

Fang Min leaned forward slightly, her voice softer.

"I have looked into your situation."

"Severe depression, social avoidance. Appearing in court in this state, facing the media, accepting cross-examination... Miss Shen, to put it bluntly, as long as Shenghai's lawyers pull out your medical records in court and question your mental state and the accuracy of your memory, the validity of your testimony will be greatly discounted."

Shen Nian's hands began to tremble, and her arms, held against her chest, tightened.

Fang Min stood up, placed the document on the table, and set the ballpoint pen next to it.

Shen Nian looked at the row of medicine bottles on the table, then at the pen Fang Min had left behind.

She lowered her hands from her chest.

"I won't sign."

Fang Min's action of packing her handbag paused for a moment.

"Miss Shen, I'll give you three days to think it over carefully."

She picked up her bag and walked to the door.

She turned back and added,

"Miss Shen, don't ruin the rest of your life for someone you've known for less than half a month."

The door closed.

The sound of high heels went down the hallway step by step, getting further and further away.

Shen Nian stood where she was, staring at the document on the table.

She walked over, sat down, picked up the document, and flipped through it page by page.

The terms were written very clearly.

Withdraw the lawsuit after the money arrives, terminate all cooperation with Fanyin Culture Studio, and sign a non-disclosure agreement, with no further public discussion of the "starry sky" copyright issue.

Shen Nian put down the document.

Her gaze landed on the corner of the table.

Another contract was placed there.

The artist contract for Fanyin Culture Studio.

Shen Nian closed her eyes.

She remembered the thirty-page contract she signed at Shenghai Entertainment a year ago. She thought it was the beginning of her dream, but it turned out to be the entrance to a nightmare.

She thought of the dead mouse sent by Hua Xingyu's fans.

She thought of the days when she didn't dare to go out for seven consecutive months, living on takeout and pills.

When she opened her eyes again, she picked up the settlement agreement and tore it straight down the middle.

Then she stuffed it into the plastic bag used for trash under the table.

She picked up her phone, found Jiang Fan's WeChat, and typed a line.

[A woman claiming to be from Xinghui Business Consulting came to see me. She offered eight million for me to drop the lawsuit and terminate my contract with Fanyin.]

Sent.

Three seconds later, he replied.

[Did you sign it?]

Shen Nian smiled. She looked down and typed.

[The contract is in the trash can.]

The other side was silent for a dozen seconds.

Then a message popped up.

[Moving tomorrow. Li Cheng has already rented a new apartment for you. The kind with access control and surveillance.]

Shen Nian stared at the text for a while.

Her nose felt a little sore.

She put down her phone, walked to the windowsill, and poured a cup of water for the pothos that was about to die.

————

Fanyin Studio.

Jiang Fan put down his phone, the smile on his face fading.

He turned his chair to look at Li Cheng.

"Shenghai Entertainment went to find Shen Nian. Eight million to make her drop the lawsuit and terminate the contract."

Li Cheng was gnawing on half a sandwich; hearing this, he swallowed without even chewing.

He swore, throwing the sandwich onto the table.

"That old bastard Cao Qiming, always picking on the soft persimmons. Shen Nian didn't sign, right?"

"She didn't. She tore it up."

Li Cheng let out a long breath.

"This girl is good."

"Move her tomorrow morning." Jiang Fan tapped the table. "Her condition has just improved; we can't let anything else go wrong. Also, starting tomorrow, someone must accompany her on her daily announcements and outings."

Li Cheng nodded.

"I'll have Zhou Yutong keep an eye on her. That girl might not be good at other things, but she's quite good at protecting her own."