CHAPTER 288: CHAPTER 214: CHAOS OF WAR, THE FINAL RUSH_2

"Mr. Wood, an unexpected situation has arisen, and I need more support from headquarters!" Ye Zhonghuai said urgently as soon as they met.

Derek Brown, an American, was the Vice President of Habes Records for East Asia and had personally overseen the acquisition of Baise Entertainment. He was also Ye Zhonghuai’s backer.

"Dear Ye, you Asians are always in such a rush. You should try to be more of a gentleman."

"Sorry, Mr. Derek, I don’t have time to act the gentleman right now. What I need is help."

"Wow, I really can’t handle your temper, but I choose to respect you. So, tell me, what’s your plan to save the world?"

Seeing Derek’s nonchalant attitude, Ye Zhonghuai was so angry he felt like kicking him. But remembering the man’s American citizenship, he instantly became subservient.

"I apologize, Mr. Derek. I was a bit hasty just now."

"Mm-hmm, I accept your apology. So, can you now tell me about the trouble you’re facing? Please, hurry up. I’ve got a lot of work to do."

"It’s about the upcoming album release. You had promised to help me, but now there’s a problem."

Derek Brown pursed his lips, signaling him to continue. Not getting the answer he wanted, Ye Zhonghuai had no choice but to go on.

"Our estimates were too optimistic. I hadn’t expected so many people to release albums at the same time."

"And... and there was a bit of a problem with our operations..."

Seeing him hemming and hawing, Derek asked, "What’s the problem? I think you’d better just come out with it."

"It’s... it’s that one of our singers participated in a competitive show but was... was eliminated..."

Derek frowned, visibly displeased, and said, "Ye, damn it! Your name is really hard to pronounce. Anyway, back to the point. I’d like to give you a bit of advice on this."

"Please go ahead, Mr. Derek."

"Well, I’ll tell you the truth. I don’t recommend you release the album at this time. You know, our company’s marketing department is much stronger than your small company’s."

"According to their calculations, the entire album market is a red ocean right now. Anyone who enters will fail."

"That’s why I don’t recommend you release that damned album at this most inappropriate time. Do you understand?"

"No! Mr. Derek, we agreed on this! This album is something our company has prepared for a long time. Moreover, it’s meant to suppress that bitch! I absolutely cannot give up!"

"Bitch? Oh, you mean that disrespectful lady? Honestly, Ye, you’re far too irrational. And... I’m suddenly getting the feeling you might not be competent for this job..."

"Mr. Derek?! Don’t forget it was I who approached you for this collaboration. Surely, controlling a new company would be beneficial for you, right?"

"Considering the part I played in this, please help me out, Mr. Derek..."

The office fell into an awkward silence. It was unclear if it was Ye Zhonghuai’s veiled threat or his sudden submissiveness that had caught Derek off guard. This uneasy atmosphere lasted for several minutes.

Just as beads of sweat began to form on Ye Zhonghuai’s forehead, Derek finally spoke.

"Alright, since you insist on doing this, I’ll allow you to try. And the resources I promised will be allocated to you."

"However, I must warn you in advance: if you fail this time, you only have two choices!"

"Either pack up and fuck off, or, get me another ten percent of the shares!"

"What?!" Ye Zhonghuai’s voice trembled as he spoke.

He had thought sending his son Ye Guang abroad would solve all his problems. But he hadn’t expected that punk Chu Tian to have left behind evidence. It was also Ye Guang’s fault. He was used to swaggering around, was too young, and too inexperienced, so his methods were crude. This had resulted in irrefutable evidence that led the police directly to him. Fortunately, there’s no extradition treaty with America, so Ye Guang couldn’t be directly extradited. Moreover, the case was minor. It didn’t warrant intervention from higher-ups to persuade authorities abroad. Thanks to some connections he still had, he’d managed to cover up the matter. But Ye Guang, this good-for-nothing son of his, hadn’t stayed quiet over there. He got involved in all sorts of messy things, not only using drugs but also gambling. He amassed significant debt and was targeted by local gangs.

To save his son, Ye Zhonghuai had contacted someone at Habes headquarters through a mutual acquaintance. Through that person, he met Derek, the man now standing before him.

The name Derek might not be famous. At best, he was just the president of an entertainment company in Asia. But if one mentioned the surname Brown, those in the know would understand that theirs is a traditional and prominent political family. People familiar with American society probably know that upper-level power there is largely concentrated in the hands of a few major political families, especially the most famous elite circles like Skull and Bones and the Blue Bloods. The Brown family was not only part of the Blue Bloods but also deeply involved with Skull and Bones, with several family members who had joined Skull and Bones holding positions throughout Congress, the CIA, and Wall Street. Therefore, the family’s influence was enormous, which was why Ye Zhonghuai wanted to bring him on board.