Chapter 128: The Big Announcement

[Chapter 128: The Big Announcement]

"If you're unhappy with the deal and feel that I'm playing you, then go find a lawyer now. If you want to throw down... Berwick!" Ryan shouted towards the door.

Dressed in a tailored suit, Berwick came in with two tough-looking associates. The three men carried an imposing presence, causing Ellie's boyfriend to shrink back slightly.

"I'm just trying to help your girlfriend fulfill her dreams. This revenue split is standard in the industry. You've released singles on Island Records; you should know this by now. As for the contract length, just look at Taylor Swift. Who do you think has more potential: Ellie Goulding or the Taylor Swift from a few years back?" Ryan countered with a smile.

With the hard part of the conversation ended, he intended to soften the blow. After all, his goal was to get the contract signed, not to force anyone into a corner.

"Ellie is every bit as good as Taylor Swift was back then!" Ellie's boyfriend insisted.

"Do you believe that yourself?" Ryan scoffed.

"I..." Ellie's boyfriend fell silent, unable to find further words.

"I only have one request, you have to be the producer of my future albums, and... you have to give me songs to sing." Ellie coolly laid out her demands, which sounded far more practical.

"Of course, after signing, it won't just be me -- Taylor might even give you songs. Helping you is helping ourselves; I think you understand that," Ryan coaxed.

Taylor had plenty of songs left over -- not because they were low quality, but because she had amassed a vast library of her own.

"I have one last question. Will you be signing other female artists in the future?" Ellie asked pointedly.

"You'll just have to take a gamble; bet that I'm unlucky and can't find a newcomer with the same potential as you," Ryan replied, resting his chin in his hand.

"That's all my questions." Ellie glanced over at her boyfriend.

"Mr. Rivers... I got a bit impulsive earlier. I apologize," her boyfriend said, smiling again, clearly lost in his thoughts.

"Actually, I'm a DJ too. I think I'd be better suited for your label than Ellie, plus I could do live DJ sets." He rubbed his hands together eagerly.

"Live DJ performances are booked out until next year. If I ever need you, I'll reach out," Ryan said, dismissing him.

Don't forget, Ryan was also involved in the performance company set up jointly by AEG and Spinnin' Records. He wasn't going to shortchange fellow DJs; they offered generous performance fees, and with the Bad Room's booming reputation in Florida, those "Top 100 DJs" lined up for a chance to perform there. 

In a few years, Bad Room would become a high-status nightclub, like "The Sound Stage" in the industry!

Even Joel hadn't been getting many chances to perform lately, relegated to being a head of equipment, let alone some unknown DJ on the outside.

"Alright then." He nodded.

"When do you want to start producing the first single?" Ryan asked, sensing they were nearing the end of their discussion.

Ellie pointed to her boyfriend. "Frankmusik introduced me to a producer, Starsmith. I've talked with him a few times, and we have a solid idea set up, but I need funds for recording and production."

"Do you have a demo?"

"Yes, it's tentatively titled Under the Sheets."

"Send it to me. I'll give it a listen, and if it works, I'll arrange for a deposit. Where do you plan to record it?"

"In London."

"Sounds good."

...

Ryan instructed his assistant to take the couple to finalize the paperwork. Although Calvin Harris still had a month before his contract was up, he had already begun on his new music.

Then Ryan dove back into interviews. Over this time, he had been conducting interviews for positions at the nightclub, legal advisors, and record labels, from clerks to servers. Aside from custodians, he basically hired directly. Fans got priority, and Ryan could tell if someone was a genuine fan just by asking a few questions.

This created a unique phenomenon: except for the core positions held by Scott's team, the majority of other positions were filled by women.

Given this, Ryan couldn't help but enjoy the atmosphere. Each day when the front desk staff saw him, their smiles were radiant, making for a lively workplace, especially since everyone shared similar interests.

"Ryan, you need to check this out." Manager Sean walked into the office, carrying a bag.

Ryan peeked inside and saw syringes and all kinds of strange equipment -- no doubt used for recreational purposes in the nightclub.

Although Ryan had maintained a zero-tolerance policy from the beginning, filling the entrance and hallways with warnings and notices, anyone who saw such items had to put a stop to it. As a result, there had been multiple conflicts every night. But the issue was rampant and hard to eradicate.

"We need to install a complete surveillance system for the main hall with no blind spots. Additionally, we should form a special patrol team. Anyone caught misbehaving in public will be warned the first time, but the second time, we'll call the police and blacklist them from the club, never to come back. We'll implement double testing at the entrance: anyone who tests positive will be denied entry," Ryan ordered. Whatever happened outside his territory was out of his control, but on his ground, such behavior had to vanish completely -- no leniency.

"What? Ryan, surveillance is fine since it's a public area, but... testing? Isn't that a bit harsh? If there's one problem among a group, what about the others?" Sean chuckled nervously.

If Ryan actually went through with this, it would be unprecedented.

"And this could deter customers. We may be busy now, but we could see a sharp drop in visitors," Sean reminded him.

"No, it's not just busy; it's overwhelmingly busy," Ryan shook his head. "We're not short on guests; we're overwhelmed. We need to filter out the troublemakers, which will lighten the workload for the staff."

"I got it. I'll follow your orders," Sean nodded and left with the plastic bag.

...

Ryan soon received a call from Trey.

"Ryan, the set is being constructed now, and the production crew is nearly ready. Everyone's asking when we'll start shooting," Trey said. She and Julie had been busy with this project, and aside from contributing the script, Ryan was merely delegating.

"How many days until the set is completed?"

"Five days at best, maybe next week if it runs behind schedule."

"Sounds like we need to start casting actors now," Ryan sighed.

"Exactly. Julie mentioned there's an industry meeting just after the Christmas break. Advertisers, networks, and production companies will send their representatives. We need the pilot episode filmed before that; we don't have much time."

"Right, about casting..." Ryan hesitated.

"You're the investor and the creator; you're the one in charge. Julie and I only make suggestions, we don't have decision-making power," Trey replied.

"That does make sense..." Ryan smiled.

"If you can nail down the timeline, I'll have Julie spread the word; she knows quite a few agents."

"Let's aim for this week."

"See you in Los Angeles, then."

"Sounds good."

Just as Ryan hung up, another call came through. He saw the name and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

...

"Big star, I've got a major opportunity for you. Interested?" The cheerful voice of Fizz, the head of NEXT Model Management, rang through the phone.

*****

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