American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 254 Risk Points of a Thunderstorm (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Less than ten minutes later, his satellite phone beeped with a notification that an encrypted email from Scout had arrived.

The email was very simple, containing only a phone number and a name: Matti Singh.

Lin Yu'an took a deep breath. He knew that he was about to have a conversation with the most fearsome god of law on this planet.

Without the slightest hesitation, he dialed the number directly.

The phone rang only once before it was answered. There were no polite greetings, only a calm yet authoritative voice that pierced through thousands of kilometers.

“Mr. Lin? I am Marty Singh.”

"Hello, Mr. Singh. I am Lin Yu'an."

“Scooter has told me everything about your situation.” Marty’s voice was devoid of any emotion, as if he were stating a report. “A very interesting start, I like it.”

“My pricing is very simple,” he got straight to the point, “It’s charged by the hour, $2500 per hour. Or it’s a percentage of the total project cost, five percent.”

"For your contract with CAA, I suggest an hourly rate; for your negotiations with Arc'teryx, I suggest a commission-based rate. Of course, the choice is yours."

“I choose to pay by the hour,” Lin Yu’an answered without hesitation. He wanted the purest legal service, not to make the lawyer a party bound by interests.

“A wise choice.” Marty seemed to chuckle slightly.

"My assistant will send my lawyer engagement agreement and a temporary power of attorney for the CAA contract to your email address within ten minutes."

"Take a look. If there are no problems, you can sign it online. Notify me after you've signed it."

"Ok."

Marty continued, "In addition, I need you to immediately forward me all the communication records of the contract you previously signed with Arc'teryx. I need to understand all the background information."

"No problem, I'll take care of it right away."

“Very good.” Marty seemed satisfied.

"Now, tell me, Mr. Lin, regarding this new contract with Arc'teryx, besides money, do you have any personal or emotional requests, such as an apology, or any other non-commercial requests?"

This question surprised Lin Yu'an. He hadn't expected that this legendary "mad dog" lawyer would be more concerned about something other than the commercial terms.

Lin Yu'an pondered for a moment, recalling Archaeopteryx's previous contemptuous assessment, and his voice turned somewhat cold: "I don't need any form of apology."

Marty on the other end of the phone raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.

“An apology is cheap, Mr. Singh,” Lin Yu’an continued, his tone not one of magnanimity, but rather one of deeper business considerations.

"What I need is to see their sincerity and actions in solving the problem."

"I have only one request: the person directly responsible for the initial assessment report on insufficient business exposure."

"Whoever he is, whether it's Ms. Katherine Walker or Mr. Johnson, he must be removed from all positions related to my future collaborative projects."

He paused, then clearly explained his reasoning to the god of law: "Mr. Singh, I am not seeking cheap revenge. I am simply engaging in business risk avoidance."

"I am about to sign a long-term contract with Arc'teryx worth tens of millions of dollars. What I need is a team that is absolutely professional and has the most basic respect for my work."

“I don’t believe that someone who can easily deny my value based on outdated data and bureaucratic thinking can be a reliable partner for future collaborations.”

"His very existence is an unstable factor and a potential risk in future cooperation."

“I have neither the time nor the interest to spend the next three years repeatedly communicating, explaining, or even arguing with someone who was prejudiced against me.”

"Therefore, in order to ensure that this contract can be carried out smoothly and efficiently in the future, Arc'teryx must pay the due personnel price for their foolish misjudgment."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds.

Then came Marty Singh's deep, satisfied, and appreciative laugh, like that of an old crocodile. "...I understand."

What he admired was not only Lin Yu-an's requirements, but also the impeccable business logic Lin Yu-an had found for those requirements.

"In other words, you don't need their cheap apologies; what you need is for them to clear the way for your future cooperation with a significant personnel change."

“I like this request. It’s far more effective than a perfunctory apology letter.”

"If you've read the contract and there are no problems, then sign it. Leave the rest to me."

After saying that, Marty Singh hung up the phone decisively.

Looking at the phone that had ended the call, Lin Yu'an's impression of this decisive and legendary lawyer deepened even further.

An hour later, an online signing ceremony spanning Alaska and Los Angeles was officially held with remarkable efficiency.

At one end of the video is Lin Yu'an.

On the other end was the formidable CAA core team: Bieber's agent Scooter Braun, CAA co-chairman Brian Lord, and Matty Singer, who had just become Lin Yu-an's lawyer. These three top figures, whose mere presence could shake the entire Hollywood, were all intently watching the man on the screen.

After Marty Singh reviewed the contract line by line and, with his unquestionable professional authority, confirmed that the contract, filled with devilish details, contained no legal traps, he concluded that it was free of any such traps.

He looked at the screen and calmly nodded to Lin Yu'an, "The contract is fine, Lin, you can sign it."

Lin Yu'an picked up the electronic signature pen and carefully signed his name on the electronic contract that symbolized his official entry into the world's top fame and fortune arena.

There was no champagne, no flashbulbs, only the silent flow of data through the submarine fiber optic cable.

But everyone knows that at this very moment, a brand new alliance, one that could even shake up the future global entertainment landscape, was officially born.

The moment the signing was completed, Brian Lord, co-chairman of the CAA who had been maintaining an observer's stance, leaned forward slightly for the first time.

His eyes, which had seen so much of the world's superficiality, now revealed genuine curiosity and appreciation.

Instead of the formulaic welcome to CAA, he spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but carrying a solemnity that defined an era: "Lin, congratulations."

"You know, in this industry, I witness countless people becoming famous overnight every day. The rise and fall of traffic and the accumulation and dissipation of wealth are nothing new to me."

“But in my 30 years in the industry, I have seen very few people like you who have transformed from an audience member to a rule maker in just a few days.”

His gaze seemed to pierce through the screen, reaching the vast land behind Lin Yu'an.

“This is no longer just about becoming famous,” Brian Lord concluded.

"This is something even rarer—a leap in social class! You no longer need to adapt to this survival game, Lin. From today onward, you, like us, have become part of the game itself!"

These words carry far more weight than any empty praise. They represent the highest level of recognition this business empire has given to Lin Yu'an's personal value.

Scout Braun smiled with satisfaction.

Brian Lord then resumed his signature smile, his tone becoming more relaxed: "So, as part of the game itself, let's get on with your first chore."

He abruptly changed the subject, his previously relaxed expression turning serious, his sharp eyes seeming to pierce through the screen and gaze directly into Lin Yu'an's deepest secrets.

“Lin, but according to CAA’s practice, before planning the future for a new artist, we must first clear out all potential risks.”

"Based on our background investigation of you, there is a huge risk to you that could destroy all your future business value."

“We know that you are legally married to Ms. Arya McKinley in the United States.”

"At the same time, there is also a Ms. Emily Schneider by your side, who also exists as your wife in your social circle and daily life."

Brian interlaced his fingers and calmly stated a cold, hard fact: "Lin, I need you to understand this very clearly. Legally speaking, you haven't committed bigamy, and that's good."

"However, in the social and media context of the United States, the negative impact of this de facto polygamous family structure, once exposed, could be equally devastating."

"In this country, the label of polygamy is almost synonymous with cult, especially when it is associated with certain extreme factions of the Mormon Church."

"The media and the public won't delve into whether you're legally registered. They'll only see the most sensational headline: 'One man with two wives.'"

"Once this point explodes, all your positive image about authenticity, hardcore, and romance will completely collapse. Your commercial value will be greatly reduced."

These words, like the sharpest icicle, pierced the joyful atmosphere that had just been filled with happiness.

After Brian finished speaking, he didn't look at Lin Yu'an anymore, but turned his gaze to Scout.

“Scooter,” he said, as if presenting a thorny case, “as his co-agent, what do you think is the best way to handle this potential problem?”

Scout Braun showed no surprise; clearly, this was all within his expectations.

Instead of offering a solution directly, he first turned his attention to Lin Yu'an on the screen, showing sufficient respect.

"Lin, this is your family, this is your choice. So I want to hear your own thoughts first."

Without any hesitation, Lin Yu'an spoke slowly and deliberately, her voice not loud, but filled with unwavering determination: "I cannot change my family structure for the sake of commercial interests."

“Arya is my wife, and so is Emily. They are both the mothers of my children.”

These words caused Brian on the other end of the video to furrow his brow almost imperceptibly.

But Scout laughed.

"Relax, Lin. You don't need to give up on anyone. Compared to those artists who exhaust me, your risk is as simple as an afternoon tea."

He offered the well-thought-out solution: "We don't need to change your lives, we just need to change the outside world and the way we interpret your lives."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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(End of this chapter)