Reborn in the Chinese Entertainment Industry: My Childhood Sweetheart is Boss Yang

Rongxinda.

Li Xiaowan.

Upon hearing these two names, Gu Heng's heart sank.

Those who frequently travel through time and mingle in the Chinese entertainment industry know what these two names meant in 2002.

Li Xiaowan and her best partner, the famous director Li Shaohong, were known in the industry as the "Two Lis". Their company, Rongxinda, although not as large as Huayi Brothers which was at its peak at the time, produced dramas such as "Palace of Desire" and "The Orange is Red", which achieved explosive ratings.

In this era, being noticed by Rong Xinda is almost equivalent to having one foot already in the ranks of stars.

After all, they were the ones who made Zhou Xun and Chen Kun into top stars.

In her previous life, Yang Mi did indeed sign with Rong Xinda during this period.

From this perspective, Rong Xinda was indeed her mentor.

but.

But there's always a "but".

Capital is never a philanthropist.

Rongxinda's contracts were notorious as a "bottomless pit" in later generations.

A hint of sarcasm flashed through Gu Heng's mind.

This isn't a contract, it's a servitude agreement!

"This is fantastic news!"

He smiled and looked at Yang Mi.

"Honey, it seems your dream of becoming a star is about to officially take off."

Yang Mi was even happier to receive Gu Heng's support.

"They've arranged to meet us this afternoon to discuss the contract. Heng-ge, will you come with me? I feel more at ease with you here." She blinked her big, bright eyes and looked at him expectantly.

Gu Heng shook his head.

"I won't go."

Yang Mi and her mother were both stunned.

"Huh? Why?" Yang Mi's smile froze, like a little fox whose tail had been stepped on. "Are you finding it troublesome?"

"What are you thinking about?"

Gu Heng flicked her forehead and patiently explained.

"This is a legitimate business negotiation. Your parents are your guardians, so what am I supposed to do? Be my lackey?"

Gu Heng smiled and explained, "Go and negotiate, write down all their conditions, and most importantly, bring the contract back."

He then emphasized his words.

"Remember, no matter how eloquently the other party speaks, do not sign on the spot. Just say you need to take it back and discuss it with your family; this is your most basic right."

Although they didn't understand why Gu Heng wasn't going, Yang Mi and her mother still followed his advice.

Gu Heng was somewhat absent-minded throughout the afternoon.

It wasn't until evening that Yang Mi excitedly ran to find him, carrying a thick file folder in her arms.

"Heng-ge! You have no idea how impressive that company is!"

The little girl started making a fuss before she even changed her shoes.

"Director Li Shaohong is such a kind person. She speaks softly and gently, and even praised me for my talent, saying she would personally coach my acting skills in the future!"

The girl's face was full of anticipation for the future.

"Where's the contract?" Gu Heng got straight to the point.

Yang Mi handed him the file folder.

"Here it is. I did everything you said, but I didn't sign it. I told my dad I wanted to see it."

Gu Heng took the heavy contract and flipped directly to the most important pages.

The contract term is eight years.

The revenue will be split 20/80 between Party A and Party B.

The penalty for breach of contract is eight million RMB.

Gu Heng's eyelids twitched as he watched.

Sure enough, it's the same recipe, the same taste.

That evening, at the Yang family's residence.

When Yang Xiaolin got home from get off work, after hearing what had happened during the day, he picked up the contract and carefully looked through it.

Although he didn't understand the ins and outs of the entertainment industry, his years of experience gave him a natural wariness of contracts.

The more he looked, the more his brows furrowed.

"This contract has problems," he said in a deep voice. "The rights and obligations are severely mismatched. Eight years, and eight million in penalties for breach of contract—isn't this bullying?"

Yang's mother and Yang Mi both looked at him nervously.

This was the moment Gu Heng had been waiting for.

"Uncle Yang, there are too many hidden clauses in this contract; we don't understand it at all. You're a police officer with a wide network of connections and many reliable people. Could you help us find a trustworthy lawyer friend who understands economic contracts to help us review it?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Xiaolin gave Gu Heng a deep look, her eyes full of approval.

"You're a smart guy, that's for sure." Yang Xiaolin nodded, then picked up the phone with a serious expression. "I do know an expert in this field. This can't just be signed like this."

Gu Heng breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this scene.

Professional matters should be left to professionals.

His job is simply to use his cheat code at crucial moments.

The contract issue has been temporarily resolved, but this incident has also made him more vigilant.

The only way to avoid being bound by the rules and regulations set by capital is to become capital yourself, or even more powerful than them.

In Hong Kong, the plan to open an account and buy stocks must be executed immediately.

Yang Xiaolin, as expected of a veteran police officer with many years of experience, is extremely efficient.

The next day, he found a top lawyer in Beijing who specialized in economic contract lawsuits.

His surname was Zhang, he wore gold-rimmed glasses, and was very refined, but when he spoke, every word was sharp and incisive.

"Heng-ge, that lawyer Zhang is simply amazing!"

On the phone, Yang Mi's voice sounded like she had just gotten off a roller coaster, a mix of lingering fear and excitement.

"He took the contract and went through it with us, line by line. He clearly explained which clauses were traps, which were pitfalls, and which part of the contract meant they wanted to use us as free laborers!"

"My parents were listening in stunned silence, and their faces turned pale."

Gu Heng could picture that scene.

"What did Rongxinda say?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.

"They were quite arrogant at first. They sent an assistant to call and say that the company's contracts were all standard and no one had ever asked for so many changes. They even implied that there were plenty of new people who wanted to sign with them, so we shouldn't be ungrateful."

Yang Mi's tone was somewhat smug.

"But Attorney Zhang shut him down with just a few words."

"Then there was silence on the other end!"

Gu Heng smiled.

As expected, those who can get the police to come and help are all ruthless people.

In the following days, the battleground shifted from the Yang family to the telephone lines and fax machines.

Attorney Zhang and Rongxinda's legal team began a long tug-of-war.

The other party, relying on its industry standing, refused to budge an inch.

Attorney Zhang, however, remained calm and composed in dealing with the situation.

They turned a contract negotiation into a mini-lesson on legal knowledge.

Yang Xiaolin received daily progress reports from Attorney Zhang. Initially, she was worried, but eventually, she simply watched the show.

He even joked with Gu Heng.

"Xiao Heng, your Uncle Yang has been a policeman for so many years, and I've interrogated at least eighty or a hundred criminals, but I've never seen anyone with such a silver tongue. He can talk the dead back to life."

Gu Heng simply smiled.

He knew that the matter was settled.