1.4: Jielan Bastards

School was a quiet affair. Except for the occasional girls confessing out of nowhere, Azaki found nothing worth ranting. Maybe it's because Valentine hasn't arrived yet, Maybe he'll see true hell on that day. But today made him actually miss going to his former high school.

Throughout the day, him and Jillian had been doing well. They were becoming fast friends too. Though sadly, Jillian's driver picked him up and they had to say goodbye.

Now real war starts.

As soon as he stepped out of the school gate, a conspicuous man stood by the gate attracting girls as if moths to flame. And he knows who this man is.

He stopped talking to the girls as soon as he laid eyes on Azaki.

"Yo, you ready for the contract? I'll drive you to Jielan."

Really, Azaki wanted to punch the daylights out of him but he held back and gave the man a smile like usual.

"Sure." he replied.

The man smiled at him and gestured towards his car, "Hop on first," then turned towards the girls, "I'm going now, be a good girl and go home, yeah?"

They squealed again, not one of them left until he got in the car and sped up. Azaki glanced at him, careful to keep a small smile as if he's looking at the view.

The man beside him wore your standard monochrome suit. A pair of glasses sat on top of his nose, hiding his pitch black eyes behind them. A messy bird nest of a black hair gave him the picture of an out going young man, single and ready to mingle.

And a name tag on his suit with the name, 'Anthony' on it.

"Say,"

Azaki almost flinched but he didn't and ignored the other. Anthony though, didn't care and continued, "You're going to be a star from today onwards! What are your thoughts?"

Azaki wanted to scoff and snort at Anthony. He's really confident about Shen Mayu accepting the contract. Okay, if it's the Shen Mayu of the past, he would've accepted the contract. But right now in this body is Azaki.

Azaki who, despite being stuck in a hospital for a year, is a cautious and meticulous person. Azaki who managed to die by illness and not by assassination. He, who'd known beforehand how signing a contract with Jielan Entertainment can twist his life, will not accept the contract. He'll take any means to not accept it.

Azaki turned to Anthony while laughing merrily, "I have to accept the contract before though!"

"Hahahaha, of course you'll sign it!"

Azaki's smile did not falter, though it did gain an edge. "We'll see!"

[Congratulations! Host gained +2 DP]

Azaki knew this would happen. After all, he can't not go off the rails without inviting some Doubt Points. This time it's two so Anthony probably believed Shen Mayu had hit his head somewhere.

"You like teasing someone huh! You promised me you'd accept it!" said Anthony in a pitiful tone as if the implication of Shen Mayu not signing them hurts his poor little fragile heart.

Azaki racked his folders of memories and found nothing indicating Shen Mayu promising to accept their contract. None.

'Haha, you bastard.'

"Oh please, promises are made to be broken aren't they? Haha, at least that's what my Mom told me!"

"This is a bad time to follow your Mother's words, Mayu. She'll be sad too if you didn't accept it. Didn't you tell me that she's happy her son is scouted?"

'Ho, two can play this game old man' thought Azaki bitterly, though his expression did not change. He never opened his eyes and always gave the man a closed eye smile because if he do, Azaki's afraid Anthony will see the coldness in his eyes and make the Doubt Points double itself!

He leaned his head on his palm, "Oh no~ Whatever shall i do." he says with a teasing tone.

Then they both laughed.

Luckily it seems they've arrived before Azaki finally hit his limit and decided to fuck it all and punch the guy.

....

"Sir it seems our newly scouted person arrived."

"Prepare the contract" a gruff voice said.

After the secretary left, the man sighed. He clenched his fists in frustration. "Why today of all times?!" he yelled angrily. His face red and he kept banging on the table.

Then a moment later he scoffed. At least he'll get a newbie under his control. After the majority of Jielan artists fled the company for not wanting to sign the 5 year contract he proposed, he's been itching to throw someone out there.

Preferably someone youthful with a lot of charisma but the remaining artists are all faded gems and they decided to retire instead of serving under him!

Now Jielan is on the brink of collapse and the news of someone wanting to sign the contract brought joy to him.

The door opened and enter a tall teenager with red shoulder length hair and a charismatic smile on his face. His caramel eyes glowed under the lights like a jewel.

An Xifu felt giddy so the moment the youth sat on the chair, he gestured his secretary to shove the conteact in front of him.

"Now sign! You'll be a dazzling star from today!"

But instead of signing happily, the youth read the contracts and flipped the pages one by one as if examining it.

"What are you doing? Quickly or you'll lose your chance," urged An Xifu impatiently. "You don't have to read through it, let your agent do it! or we can discuss the contract after you've signed!"

Despite being urged from all parties around him the youth did not respond. After what it seems to be eternity, he finally looked up from the last page of the contract.

He gave An Xifu a closed eye smile that radiates sunshine which made An Xifu feel relief.

"On second thought, No."

"What?"

The whole room was silenced in an instant. Shen Mayu gave the contract back to An Xifu's secretary who reluctantly accepted it.

Shen Mayu stood up and excused himself.

"Wait! Anthony!"

Said man caught Shen Mayu's wrist in a tight grip. "Why? Why do you reject it? Remember your parents! You'll make them sad! They all expected you to become a star!" yelled An Xifu. Despite his Secretary's desperate efforts to hold him back, An Xifu continued to trudge over. Showing his dominance by stucking out his belly and folding his hands.

Shen Mayu's smile did not falter, instead he turned towards An Xifu with a calm expression. "Do you expect anybody to accept your contract? A 5 year contract where the most profit goes to you? Where you control the artist's life 24/7? You must be crazy."

An Xifu's face reddened. "You—"

"You were happy about it two days ago when we talked! What changed your mind?!" asked Anthony, his previously handsome face contorted into something ugly.

Shen Mayu turned towards Anthony this time, "You lot must think i'm dumb?" he raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Well truthfully i researched about Jielan last night and can't help but come across a few unsavory stuff."

"So you believed it? The rumors? I never knew you were such a shallow young man, Shen Mayu." countered Anthony in a scathing tone.

Shen Mayu shrugged, "At first i gave you guys the benefit of the doubt. But then you proved my worries with the contract."

"But your parents—" Anthony pushes while tightening his grip on Shen Mayu's wrist, causing him to involuntarily flinch.

"My parents are my business. It's not yours to talk about. Whether they are disappointed or mad at me, it's something i have to deal with myself." explained Shen Mayu with an emphasis on 'My parents'.

He gave Anthony a glare which loosened his hold on Shen Mayu's wrist. "Stop acting like you know everything about my life and my family—"

Shen Mayu stopped. He then backed out of Anthony and gave a glare towards An Xifu and his secretary, "Or is it because you stalked me?"

"You!! Such accusations!" An Xifu yelled. He had been holding in his anger and yet this know nothing youth decided to spout nonsense!

Shen Mayu laughed, "Wow, stalking a minor and forcing a minor to sign a binding contract without his legal guardians?"

An Xifu's limit has finally been reached. He grabbed the contract forcefully from his secretary's hands and shoved it once again in front of Shen Mayu.

"Look kid I don't want to resort to this but you've gone way over the limit." said An Xifu as he trudged closer in an attempt to intimidate Shen Mayu.

"Sign this or you'll find a white flag on your home tomorrow, you got me? If you want your little family safe, you'll sign this."

Shen Mayu however, did not falter. "So you admit to stalking me and my family?"

An Xifu scoffed. "Yeah i was. What about it? We just wanted a firm hold so you never have a choice from the start. You're just unlucky to have caught the eyes of our company." He then laughed.

Shen Mayu grinned. His grin widened that An Xifu's afraid his face might split. The youth's caramel eyes seemed to once again glow under the light but this time instead of a warm gaze directed at him, the youth seemed to be mocking him. Him! An Xifu!

Seeing this An Xifu began to itch, "What are you smiling for? If you continue this any longer we'll have no choice but to use force! Problem children needed to be disciplined after all!"

Shen Mayu raised his hand to cover his ever-growing grin. Who by every second seemed terrifying to the occupants of the room.

"We'll see." he says while smiling and tilting his head.

"You!!!!" yelled An Xifu as he marched towards Shen Mayu with a hand reaching out for his arm.

But suddenly, the hand was slapped away and An Xifu ended up on the floor because of the force.

"What is going on here, Uncle?"