Chapter 355 - 353: Damned Company, Just Blow Up Already

Cecilia Sterling’s tone wasn’t overly aggressive, but coming from her, the words carried an intense weight.

However, Chuck Lawson was a seasoned veteran. Having worked at a major tech company for so long, he’d seen it all. Cecilia Sterling was young and beautiful, so no matter how powerful her aura, she couldn’t intimidate him right off the bat.

He gave a lazy smile, taking the opportunity to lock his gaze on Cecilia Sterling. "Now, miss, that’s a bit of an overstatement. Of course we’ll fulfill the terms of the contract. It’s just that the company signed a lot of new talent after the holidays, so we’re running behind on assigning teams to everyone. We’ll get them assigned to the streamers as quickly as possible, in the order they were signed."

"When our company signs a streamer, we do so with the goal of a mutually beneficial partnership. We don’t play games with contracts. You all know our influence in the content creation space. We have thousands of streamers under our banner. If the company weren’t reliable, wouldn’t everyone have revolted by now? Right?"

There were no real holes in his argument, and it was the kind of speech that could certainly placate most people.

But it had no effect on Cecilia Sterling.

Cecilia Sterling didn’t want explanations. She wanted results.

"So according to you, there’s no telling when it will be Blair’s turn?"

Cecilia Sterling leaned back casually in her chair and let out a cold laugh. "If you couldn’t fulfill the terms of the contract on time, why were you in such a rush to sign it?"

"Blair’s streaming revenue last month was substantial, yet now your company, which has done absolutely nothing, gets to take half. And this situation could continue for the next several months. Isn’t your company just expecting a free lunch?"

"Now, miss, you can’t put it that way..."

"Then how should I put it? That you’re all talk, making empty promises? Or that you’re all show and no go—a total sham?"

Estelle, who was sitting to the side, couldn’t hold back anymore. "Aren’t you just a bunch of leeches? You sign her, provide zero support for Blair’s stream, and still take half the money? Are you treating our Blair like free labor?"

Perhaps it was because the women were all so beautiful, but even with their aggressive attitude, Chuck Lawson didn’t get angry. He even kept up his placating smile as he explained, "Weren’t we rushing to sign because of the ’Top 100 New Streamers’ platform event? We even registered Miss Blair for it. You can’t say we’ve done nothing, can you?"

The mere mention of the "Top 100 New Streamers" event made them all seethe with anger.

Estelle Goodman shot him a huge eye-roll before speaking in a hostile tone. "What kind of garbage event with garbage rules is your platform running? You fly the banner of creating ’grassroots’ superstars, but the popularity scores in the PK battles are all bought and paid for with cash. Do the words ’grassroots’ and ’money’ even belong in the same sentence? Don’t you think the event’s premise and its rules are a complete contradiction?"

Blair had initially been interested in the new streamer event, especially since the company promised to promote her stream during it. But later, they told her the company would only cover forty percent of the promotion costs, and she would have to bear the remaining sixty percent herself.

The competition in the event was insane. Getting into the top one hundred required a massive financial investment to game the system. The new streamers currently in the top ten had all spent over a million dollars, and the number one spot had already surpassed ten million.

Is that what you call creating a ’grassroots’ superstar? What kind of ’grassroots’ streamer has that kind of money?

Blair eventually realized the so-called platform event was nothing but a gimmick these companies used to rake in cash, exploiting the competitive PK format of live streaming.

In the end, the companies were the sole beneficiaries, raking in enormous profits.

As long as one or two streamers managed to break out from the event, the company could declare it a resounding success and then just pull the same stunt again next time.

And in an event like that, ninety-nine percent of the streamers are never even seen.

Blair was new to the business and didn’t understand the live-streaming industry very well. By the time she caught on, it was too late.

So, the issue with the team was just the catalyst. The company had made the contract airtight, and their failure to provide a team was the one and only thing they hadn’t fulfilled. Seizing on this singular breach, Blair decided she was done playing their game.

"Enough of this nonsense. You breached the contract first, and according to its terms, I have the right to dissolve it. I want to terminate the contract!"

Blair’s face was impassive as she spoke. It was obvious from her composure that she had come prepared.

Even Estelle Goodman and Cecilia Sterling were taken aback. Blair had never mentioned terminating the contract before they came. They had just assumed she wanted to demand a professional team, which was something she had always wanted.

"Terminate?"

Chuck Lawson’s expression finally shifted. The smile on his face mostly vanished. "I’m afraid that’s not going to happen..."

"Why not?" Blair’s brow furrowed. "You breached the contract. You’re saying I can’t terminate it?"

Estelle chimed in, "Yeah, what, did she sell her life away to you?"

Chuck Lawson just smiled and shook his head. "We’re not human traffickers. It’s just that the contract clearly stipulates, ’All company commitments will be scheduled for implementation based on the company’s current circumstances, but will be fulfilled in their entirety.’"

"What does that mean?"

"It means that, due to the company’s current circumstances, we are unable to assemble a team for Miss Blair immediately. Miss Blair will need to wait patiently, but the company will absolutely fulfill its commitment."

"In other words, your claim of a breach of contract is invalid!"

Cecilia Sterling’s expression grew cold. "What a clever word game. A single, short sentence that extends the deadline indefinitely. Even if you fail to deliver for a year or two, you can use this inconspicuous clause to weasel your way out of it. Just what I’d expect from a big corporation. Your tactics for bullying people are as base as they are effective!"

Unfazed by Cecilia Sterling’s sarcasm, Chuck Lawson replied nonchalantly, "There are many unforeseen circumstances a company can’t predict. This clause exists precisely to prevent situations like this. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be just you three sitting here today. If everyone could use any company slip-up to demand termination, how would we stay in business?"

He then raised an eyebrow at Cecilia Sterling, his tone dripping with unconcealable, smug superiority. "It’s just a self-preservation tactic. If you want to call it a word game, miss, I won’t argue. After all, this sort of thing is hardly an isolated incident at large corporations."

Seeing how arrogant he was, Estelle Goodman was so furious she felt like steam was coming out of her ears. She desperately wanted to flip the table and beat him up right then and there.

But seeing that Cecilia Sterling and Blair were still sitting perfectly still, looking as composed as ever, she took a few deep breaths and forced herself to calm down.

’This damn company can go to hell!’