After catching the cute little child and teasing him for a while, Sui Ning’s mood was utterly bright. During their earlier chat, the topic of signing with a platform had come up. Xiao Yunduo seemed reluctant for Sui Ning to sign, saying the platform was good at tailoring its offers to its own advantage.
[Xiao Yunduo]: They’ll definitely bully you!! They say things about A, B, C contracts, but actually, they’re all D. So many of the clauses are traps!
Sui Ning raised his eyebrows with interest. That was about what he had expected, but still…
[Go With the Flow and Be at Peace]: How do you know?
[Xiao Yunduo]: Uh……
[Xiao Yunduo]: I have a friend—
[Xiao Yunduo]: Yeah, my friend, he’s also a streamer, he got scammed before.
The little kid was really too easy to tease—just one question and he was already stumbling over his words.
Sui Ning chuckled and shook his head, sending over a sticker of a hand patting someone’s head.
[Xiao Yunduo]: …Ah, you.
[Xiao Yunduo]: shy cat.jpg
——
The next morning, Sui Ning and Xu Hexuan went together to the Jinling branch of Little Shark.
Before leaving, Xu Hexuan had been full of worry. He threw on a coffee-colored jacket and then forcefully put a black mask over Sui Ning’s face: “Even if the internet has goldfish memory, you were still—you know how—blacklisted to the point of being infamous. Better wear this, so you don’t get recognized and have eggs thrown at you, dragging me down with you.”
Sui Ning sighed without resisting: “Will it even help? The admins should know who I am.”
“It’s to guard against random people on the street! And besides, we can’t be sure about the admins either—what if they just want to leech off your traffic!”
“…You mean the traffic from people cursing me?”
“Ha, what else? Don’t tell me you think capitalists are good people. They’ll drain you dry if they can. Black fame is still fame.” Xu Hexuan ruffled Sui Ning’s hair irritably.
He had wanted to pat his head, but realized the height difference wasn’t enough, and could only give up, sulking.
Self-styled as a streetwise guy, he was sure he knew more than Sui Ning. Along the way, he kept chattering, lecturing him about all the ways people had been duped by contracts.
Sui Ning flashed a brilliant smile: “Isn’t a living example right here? Perfect—next time you’re explaining, you can use me as your case study.”
Xu Hexuan choked—he almost forgot, this unlucky kid still owed fifty million.
“Hey, hope you live better in your next life.” He mockingly wiped away fake tears. “If loan sharks come after you, don’t give them my name.”
“Sure.” The curve of Sui Ning’s lips was sharp and chilly, making Xu Hexuan shiver despite himself.
When the long-delayed manager finally appeared, the chill only deepened.
They had agreed to meet at eleven, but it was almost half past when a man with slicked-back hair and glasses strolled into the meeting room. Seeing Sui Ning and Xu Hexuan, he even looked a bit surprised: “Oh, you two arrived so early?”
“My apologies, my apologies.” He bowed repeatedly, his round face full of sheepish smiles. “There was just a meeting, I lost track of time—so sorry to keep you waiting. Let me make it up by treating you to something later; there’s a great Japanese place nearby.”
As he spoke, he poured two cups of coffee at just the right temperature and set them on the table.
Xu Hexuan, who had been full of complaints, softened immediately at the man’s attitude, even feeling a little flattered as he exchanged polite chatter.
Sui Ning, however, remained unimpressed. His dark eyes fixed on the suited middle-aged man across from him, his guard rising.
The admin, Zhao Yang, kept smiling like a kindhearted, round-bellied Maitreya Buddha, but in truth, he was an old fox full of guile.
He was well-versed in manipulating young people: first a stick to put them in their place, then immediately a sweet date, showering them with flattery to make them forget their earlier displeasure while pulling them closer. Such low-level negotiation tactics came easily to him.
Only once the young man had relaxed would he slowly produce the contracts.
…But…
Zhao Yang subtly observed Sui Ning, muttering inwardly. Unlike the open-book Xu Hexuan, this young man was handsome but had barely spoken from the start—clearly not easy to handle.
Sure enough, the conversation didn’t go smoothly.
Xu Hexuan, foolish as he might look, at least knew when to stay quiet. While Sui Ning examined the contract, he sat obediently to the side, playing the role of decoration.
[The Party B must fulfill monthly streaming hours… must not be fewer than per week… Gift revenue sharing will be in tiers, specifically as follows… Should Party B fail to meet Party A’s requirements, compensation will be enforced as per the breach clauses, specifically as follows…]
Sui Ning quickly spotted the trap-laden clauses. He read everything carefully, then closed the contract without a word.
Zhao Yang kept the same harmless smile on his face, but inside, his heart skipped—this wasn’t good.
He probed: “Mr. Sui, if there’s anything unclear, I can explain it in detail?”
“Sorry. Some of these terms I cannot accept.” Sui Ning’s tone was cool.
The young man raised his gaze, his eyes steady and pressing: “Your company claims to be signing me as an A-level-minus streamer, yet the revenue share and benefit details show me no sincerity.”
He tapped pointedly at a few of the clauses where traps had been set.
Zhao Yang looked surprised: “Which parts are you specifically dissatisfied with? Is it the tiering system?”
Sui Ning only watched his act, unruffled, his beautiful eyes curving as he smiled lightly: “As an A-level-minus streamer, my required hours are over five times that of a D-level streamer.”
This much was public, written on the official site—no dispute there.
“But…” His smile faded at the corners. “With the current tiered revenue split, my actual earnings would probably end up about the same as those of a D-level contract streamer.”
Zhao Yang showed no cracks: “That’s impossible. We’re a legitimate company; everything is by the book. You must be mistaken. Where did you hear such baseless rumors?”
The revenue split tiers were precisely where the company exercised favoritism. The formulas for different levels were confidential. Any leak of contract or compensation details, especially salary, could lead to legal action.
So how had this news gotten out? As far as Zhao Yang knew, this Sui Ning had no ties with anyone inside Little Shark. His mind spun with calculations, though his face betrayed nothing—the very picture of a smiling, harmless, yet ruthless Buddha, every word laced with hidden threat.
Feigning hurt, he added: “Mr. Sui, you should know Little Shark has quotas each year for signing B-level or above. We specially prepared an A-level-minus offer for you, because we sincerely want to work with you.”
But Sui Ning was no fool, and wouldn’t bite.
The young man shook his head lightly, returning the contract as he shifted the conversation: “Since we clearly differ on the terms, and this contract doesn’t align with my career plans, I’m afraid we won’t be able to reach an agreement this time.”
Zhao Yang didn’t make excuses. Smiling, he took the papers from Sui Ning.
Instead of putting the contract back into the folder, he opened to the page where Sui Ning had lingered the longest. “Which particular clauses do you have objections to? Our company has always upheld the principle of fairness and justice. Reasonable requests from our streamers are always taken into consideration.”
His demeanor clearly suggested he was ready to have a long, heartfelt discussion with Sui Ning. Every word he said could be described as watertight.
…Old fox, Sui Ning thought to himself. He didn’t want to waste time on this back-and-forth, so he cut straight to the point: “The current terms are all designed for freelance streamers. I’ll soon be joining HPL as a professional player. These clauses won’t apply to me.”
“…I see.”
Zhao Yang’s expression remained unchanged as he politely offered his well-wishes. “Then let me wish you every success in advance.”
That remark sealed the matter—this contract clearly wasn’t going to be signed.
At Zhao Yang’s age, a man of his polish would never stoop to pointing a finger in someone’s face and snarling, Who the hell do you think you are? You don’t even kneel down to thank me for offering you such a good deal?—or any other lowbrow behavior. Even if he looked down on Suining, nothing showed on his face. He was impeccable in every respect.
After all, business may fail, but courtesy must remain; always leave room to maneuver—this, Zhao Yang understood perfectly.
He slipped the contract back into its folder, shook hands with the two young men, and exchanged a few more pleasantries to bring the meeting to a close. Before leaving, he even mentioned a Japanese restaurant nearby and invited Sui Ning and Xu Hexuan to lunch.
“No need.”
“Then next time you come around, you must give me the chance to treat you. Consider it an apology for being late today.”
The words carried a subtle undertone. Seeing the two young men decline, Zhao Yang finally walked off into the distance.
Xu Hexuan watched his back and sighed. “Uncle Zhao really has both elegance and presence.”
Sui Ning: ……
Sui Ning gave the youngster a pitying look. “…Fools live very happily. That’s not a bad thing.”
“…What the hell, Ning-zi, what’s that supposed to mean?”
Sui Ning said nothing—he only reached out and affectionately ruffled his teammate’s hair.
——
Meanwhile, Zhao Yang returned to report on his work.
He was one of the senior managers in charge of streamer contracts within the gaming section, overseeing the War of Glory division. He was a key figure, practically the face of Little Shark in that field. But above him were the general manager, and even the group’s CEO and CFO. Many decisions weren’t his alone to make.
This time, the person waiting for him was Song Fang, the sharp and capable general manager of Little Shark’s operations.
Seeing her, Zhao Yang got straight to the point. “It didn’t work out.”
Song Fang wasn’t surprised. “This contract was indeed a little lacking.”
“He’s only just started gaining traction. Whether he can withstand the test of time is another question.” Zhao Yang spread his hands. “And signing an A- tier contract so quickly… that puts a lot of pressure on the other divisions.”
By “other divisions,” he meant Little Shark’s other gaming sections. All divisions shared a fixed quota. If Zhao Yang took one A- slot, that meant one less slot for everyone else—hardly something others would welcome.
“What’s more, that kid even said he wants to go pro.”
“Pro? In HPL?” Song Fang looked up, puzzled. She and Zhao Yang both knew where Sui Ning came from. “Isn’t he an entertainer?”
Zhao Yang chuckled. “Who knows? Maybe he’s chasing his dream across industries.”
To him, whatever “personal pursuits” streamers had outside of streaming were irrelevant. But Song Fang immediately sensed the business potential. Part of the reason she’d been optimistic about Sui Ning was that he had once been a trainee on Idol Gas Station. Once that identity was revealed, it would draw in fans and expand Little Shark’s audience base.
But now the idea of “a former trainee crossing over to become a rising pro player—while streaming on Little Shark” was an even more thrilling hook.
If Sui Ning succeeded, the traffic he could bring in would be beyond imagination.
After a moment’s thought, Song Fang made her decision. “Draft another contract and reach out to him again. And keep a close eye on his… professional career.”
“If he doesn’t make it, we’ll just treat him as a normal A-. If he underperforms, downgrade him. But if he succeeds, we’ll reserve a slot for him in the War of Glory Streamer Invitational.”
Zhao Yang was a little surprised. “But isn’t that tournament supposed to invite Xi Xiujin? Isn’t having a film emperor as the selling point enough? Aren’t you worried about overlapping audiences?”
“Xi Xiujin is just a national heartthrob from the entertainment industry,” Song Fang explained. “Even though he said in that interview with Pei Siyuan that he enjoys playing War of Glory, there’s still some distance there.”
“With Sui Ning as a bridge between the two, the effect will be better.”
“Of course, that’s assuming he can actually pull it off.”
Zhao Yang pondered this, then finally nodded in agreement. “In that case, all we can do is sincerely wish him success.”
The two of them then stayed late into the night, discussing the details of the new contract.
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