Chapter 43: Deal

As he watched Fang Mingyuan, who was skipping ahead, Su Aijun felt a sense of unreality. Just now, he had witnessed an unprecedented transaction.

"Is that it?" Chen Xiaoer asked, stunned for a moment.

"That's it!" Fang Mingyuan replied resolutely, "We can sign a written contract! If anyone breaches it..."

Fang Mingyuan's mind raced. He might have overdone it today. Perhaps now, due to their excitement, Su Aijun, Chen Xiaoer, and Zhu Laomao wouldn't think much of it, but they might later. "The one who breaches it will publicly admit they are a dog!"

This childish response left Chen Xiaoer and Zhu Laomao speechless for a moment before they shook their heads and smiled bitterly.

"Forget it, forget it. If I go back on such conditions, I, Chen Xiaoer, will have no face to show anyone. My old man might disown me!" Chen Xiaoer rubbed his bald head, "Old Mao, what do you think? If this kid insists, I have no objections."

Zhu Laomao spread his hands and smiled bitterly, "With such generous conditions, if I still complain, everyone will think I'm bullying a child. I'd have no face to show anyone! Mingyuan, are you sure about these three conditions?" Zhu Laomao felt a bit guilty. While there were three conditions, only the last one was truly meaningful. The other two were either insignificant to them or even beneficial.

"A man's word is a horse's gallop!" Fang Mingyuan lifted his head and said without hesitation.

"Mingyuan!" Su Aijun interrupted, "You really don't want anything else besides these six promises?" If he didn't know about this, it would be one thing, but he was here. If he let Fang Mingyuan give away these three excellent scripts so easily, he would face criticism from his father and the Fang family. Fang Mingyuan was just a seven-year-old child; it was normal for him to be shortsighted. How could he just stand by and watch?

"Uh-huh! I just want three promises from Uncle Chen and Uncle Zhu each!" Fang Mingyuan answered clearly.

Su Aijun, Chen Xiaoer, and Zhu Laomao looked at each other. Although the terms were clear, they all felt a bit strange. Especially Chen Xiaoer and Zhu Laomao, who felt they were taking advantage of a child.

"Uncle, do you think I'm at a disadvantage in this deal?" Fang Mingyuan could see what they were thinking.

"Mingyuan, do you want to think it over? Is there anything else you want?" Su Aijun didn't say it outright, but his words clearly indicated he thought Fang Mingyuan was at a disadvantage.

"Ah..." Fang Mingyuan sighed like an adult, "Actually, I don't think I'm at a disadvantage. I think I'm getting a great deal."

"How so?" Su Aijun was even more puzzled. Chen Xiaoer and Zhu Laomao also frowned—how was the child getting a great deal?

"Let me put it this way. If I sell this script to Uncle Chen now, even under the conditions Uncle Chen proposed, how much could I earn in the next two or three years?" Fang Mingyuan turned to Chen Xiaoer.

"In two or three years, at least ten thousand or so," Chen Xiaoer thought for a moment. He was quite confident in his movie's box office. Su Aijun was moved; this was not a small amount, especially for a family from a town like Fang Mingyuan's.

"Then I can tell you that maybe ten years from now, Uncle Chen's promise will be worth a million. Do you still think I'm at a disadvantage?"

"How is that possible?" Fang Mingyuan's words immediately drew unanimous skepticism from Su Aijun, Chen Xiaoer, and Zhu Laomao. Now, earning three or four hundred yuan a month, or five or six thousand a year, was considered a high salary. There weren't many people in China who could do that. For a promise to be worth a million ten years later was absurd.

"I believe it's possible! So I'm betting on it, betting that Uncle Chen and Uncle Zhu will have that much influence in the future!" Fang Mingyuan smiled inwardly. This was the advantage of being a precognitive. By 1994, with Chen Xiaoer's status, a million for exclusive advertising wasn't impossible, though it might be a bit much. If managed well, it could be even more. But if he used the promise for such a purpose, Fang Mingyuan would definitely be at a disadvantage. With ten thousand yuan as seed money, if he managed it well for ten years, a hundredfold return was not a problem.

Chen Xiaoer leaned back in his chair, understanding Fang Mingyuan's intention. In simple terms, the child was more confident in his and Old Mao's future, so he didn't want to take the immediate reward. In the past, this would be considered an investment.

"Do you really have that much confidence in me and Xiaoer's future influence?" Zhu Laomao asked, incredulous. He was in his thirties; how did he not see this potential in himself and Xiaoer? Could his judgment be worse than a child's?

"I'm sure! I'm as sure as I can be!" Chen Xiaoer and Zhu Laomao, before Zhao Dashan's rise, were the golden duo who dominated the Spring Festival Gala. If they didn't have such influence in the future, Fang Mingyuan would drown himself and try again!

Zhu Laomao was about to ask more, but Chen Xiaoer patted his shoulder, "Alright, Old Mao, the kid has made it clear. We can't show less confidence than he does. Instead of doubting, let's think about how to live up to his trust. Alright, Mingyuan, we have a deal!"

The rest was simple. Su Aijun and Zhu Laomao wrote out two contracts. Fang Mingyuan was Party A, Chen Xiaoer and Zhu Laomao were Party B, and Su Aijun was the witness, signing the contract as well.

"Mingyuan, since you call me Uncle, no matter what happens, I, Uncle Xiaoer, won't let you down!" Chen Xiaoer patted Mingyuan's young shoulder meaningfully.

"Uncle Xiaoer, I'll call you Uncle Xiaoer from now on!" Fang Mingyuan naturally agreed; this was a powerful tool for his future connections in the entertainment industry.

"Alright, Uncle Xiaoer, Uncle Laomao!" Zhu Laomao also chimed in.

"Alright, Uncle Xiaoer, Uncle Laomao!" Fang Mingyuan called out.

Then he turned his eyes and extended his hand, "Uncle Xiaoer, Uncle Laomao, Happy New Year! I wish you greater success in your acting careers next year!"

Su Aijun couldn't help but laugh; the kid was already asking for a red envelope after recognizing his uncles!

"Here, here, of course we'll give you a New Year's red envelope!" Chen Xiaoer laughed and reached for his money.

"I don't want money. Uncle, can you sign your name for each of my family members?" Fang Mingyuan's request was naturally not refused.

However, after a while, Chen Xiaoer and Zhu Laomao frowned. "Mingyuan, you've signed for at least thirty people. How many more are there?" They were running out of good wishes, and Mingyuan was still providing names.

"My mom has many sisters, and my dad's side too. Naturally, there are more," Fang Mingyuan said matter-of-factly, "We can't favor one over the other, or they'll fight!" Although the craze for celebrities wasn't as intense as in the future, Fang Mingyuan thought this gift would make his family happy.

Chen Xiaoer: "......"

Zhu Laomao: "......"

"Come on, you've signed so many already. It's not much more for me. I've put in the effort today, right?" Su Aijun laughed, "My family isn't big, just about thirteen or fourteen!"

Page break for AD start

Page break for AD end