TDLVSC 9
Upon entering the conference room, an awkward silence settled in. The man naturally took the center seat at the visitor's table, facing Chen Zichen directly. Yet he remained silent, gesturing for Paul to speak on his behalf. He leaned back in his chair, his body a full distance away from the long table. His legs were casually crossed, his entire person exuding relaxation. There was no hint that he was here for negotiations.
—Not that he had come here to negotiate in the first place.
Chen Zichen found it awkward to conduct discussions with Paul at a diagonal, especially with the man and Sherman sitting silently but emanating such an overwhelming presence. The tension weighed heavily on RM's representatives, making everyone uncomfortable. Meanwhile, the other domestic companies on the collaboration list hesitated to intervene because AIBO Film Studios had taken the lead.
Both Chen Zichen and Jin Shiya had braced themselves for a grueling negotiation.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, the negotiations moved swiftly.
Paul offered highly favorable terms while making minimal demands. He even laid out the details of the contract clauses clearly and transparently. If not for their clear understanding of RM's background, even she might have suspected some hidden connection between RM and AIBO Film Studios.
(TN: ( ͡º ꒳ ͡º)...)
This hard-fought battle RM had prepared for ended in less than an hour. The surprising outcome left everyone smiling, visibly relieved by the smooth proceedings.
AIBO Film Studios had even prepared the contracts in advance. RM's lawyers reviewed them thoroughly and found no loopholes, confirming that the terms aligned with those discussed during the meeting.
Chen Zichen accepted the contract, confirmed the signing schedule with Paul. With a smile, he then invited everyone to lunch.
At the mention of lunch, Paul quickly turned to the man beside him.
The man responded in English with a simple, “That’s fine,” and said no more.
For him, the hour-long meeting had clearly been an exercise in boredom. He hadn’t paid any attention to the discussions—this much was obvious even to Jin Shiya. She could tell he had been zoning out, lost in thought. If it weren't for basic courtesy, he probably would have taken out his phone to play around with it right in front of everyone. At least that would have been more fun than listening to this meeting.
Lunch was arranged at a hotel within the same area. RM had reserved the top-floor restaurant, which offered a nice view, and also reserved some rooms for people to rest.
The hotel’s buffet was highly regarded, and its French cuisine was particularly authentic. While it might not have been perfect for everyone, it was more than adequate to avoid offending the guests.
As the saying goes: “Better safe than sorry.”
But one can't prepare for everything, and sometimes a difficult person slips through the crowd.
While Chen Zichen and Paul exchanged pleasant banter, Jin Shiya was tasked with hosting the more challenging duo: the enigmatic man and Mr. Sherman Herman.
The man sat in a corner by the window, his posture elegant and impeccable. But at his table, there was only a glass of sparkling water, which he hadn't even touched.
He looked impressive, with sunlight from outside shining on his nearly-white blonde hair, blinding enough to make people look away. His thin, well-shaped lips opened slightly, casting a shadow with his long eyelashes. He was beautiful enough to look like a painting—but the words that came out nearly made Jin Shiya lose her smile.
“I want Chinese food.”
The sun shone brilliantly outside, the view from the eighty-eighth floor was breathtaking, and the live band played enchanting melodies... But none of that could stop the little flame of frustration growing inside Jin Shiya.
