Chapter 356 - 354: Your Bottom Line Is Far Lower Than I Imagined

In this world, a contract is the one truly legal way to bind a person.

And getting out of one is one of the most difficult things in the world to do.

If even top streamers with tens of millions of fans had it rough, controlling a minor newcomer like Blair was child’s play for a massive company like Wanderlust.

Even Blair herself was prepared for this; she knew they wouldn’t let her go so easily.

Even if they did agree to terminate the contract, companies like this would squeeze every last cent out of her in the form of a termination fee.

Five million!

To her, that was an astronomical sum. Even if she fought in underground matches day and night, it would likely take her two or three years to earn five million.

And that was just the fee for a newcomer.

That was why Blair had no intention of paying the termination fee from the start. There was no way she was handing her money over to such an unscrupulous company!

Seeing their momentary silence, Chuck Lawson thought his words had hit their mark. He quickly broke into another enthusiastic smile. "Ladies, don’t think so poorly of our company. The team situation will definitely be resolved as soon as possible. The company can’t just leave all its streamers hanging—that wouldn’t be practical, right?"

"As long as Miss Blair’s stream traffic continues to climb, the company will see the data and take notice. When that happens, we’ll bump you to the front of the line and get a team assigned to you ahead of schedule."

To put it bluntly, it was a dog-eat-dog world among the newcomers.

Whoever had the best numbers would get the company’s support. As for those who fell behind in the competition, the company wouldn’t waste any extra manpower or resources on them. With a contract to tie them down, they were left to sink or swim. In the end, the company never lost.

Blair suddenly patted Cecilia, leaning in to whisper, "I think we should just take the contract to Lawyer Quincy and have him look at it himself. Maybe there’s a loophole we missed."

Cecilia understood immediately. There was no point in wasting time arguing with some guy from the operations department. Blair was dead set on terminating her contract and breaking free, and a professional matter like this required a professional’s touch.

However, Cecilia wasn’t optimistic about finding a loophole. A company this large would have a top-tier legal team; they certainly wouldn’t leave any exploitable openings in their contracts.

Still, it was worth a shot. Perhaps Lawyer Quincy would have another solution.

Ignoring Chuck Lawson, Cecilia and Blair stood up. Seeing this, Estelle Goodman quickly got to her feet as well, and the three of them walked straight out of the room.

Chuck Lawson watched them go, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. He then eagerly hurried after them. "You two lovely ladies, are you sure you won’t consider becoming streamers? You have the perfect look for it! You could at least leave your contact information, in case you have second thoughts..."

He was halfway through his sentence when Blair stopped in her tracks and shot him a look as cold as a dagger. "Harass my friends again, and I won’t be so polite."

She had real martial arts training. Seeing her expression, Chuck Lawson quickly shrank back and offered a placating smile. "Just asking, that’s all..."

The three women left the meeting room and headed straight for the company’s main entrance. Chuck Lawson was about to see them off, but the moment he stepped out, he was pulled aside by Cece Desire’s assistant, who had been waiting there.

"Hey, Warner!"

"Chuck!" the assistant, Warner, called out. His gaze followed Blair’s retreating figure in the distance. "Is that one of the company’s new streamers? What did she want from you?"

Chuck Lawson scoffed. "She wanted the company to assign her a team. I sent her packing."

"Oh..." Warner nodded slowly, his eyes darting about as he said with deliberate casualness, "That girl offended Cece a while back. Cece didn’t stoop to her level, but... I didn’t realize she was with our company. I thought she looked familiar."

Now that he mentioned it... Chuck Lawson was a sharp guy. Cece Desire was the company’s top star, its biggest cash cow. Who wouldn’t treat her with the utmost respect?

"Is that so?"

"You bet. It’s a good thing Cece is so good-natured and didn’t make things difficult for her!"

A knowing smile appeared on Chuck Lawson’s face. He patted Warner’s shoulder. "Don’t worry. When the time is right, I’ll help Cece get even."

"Oh, I don’t know about that," Warner said, feigning reluctance. He lowered his voice. "Cece never said she wanted that."

’Isn’t that exactly why you came to find me?’ Chuck Lawson thought.

Outwardly, however, he put on a magnanimous air. "Who in our company could stand by and watch Cece get bullied? Teaching a nobody a small lesson is no big deal!"

Seeing that his goal was achieved, Warner nodded in agreement. "I suppose you’re right. It’ll keep these arrogant newcomers who don’t know their place in line. They could use a good rap on the knuckles!"

Just as Cecilia and the others reached the main entrance, they saw President Cross of Wanderlust Entertainment striding toward them, flanked by two secretaries and an assistant. One of the secretaries was chattering away, giving him a report as they walked.

The women paid them no mind and started to walk right past, but how could three such beautiful girls escape Caleb Cross’s notice?

Though he acted casual, he had recognized Cecilia Sterling from a distance. He’d expected her to stop and greet him, but he was surprised when she brushed right past without a flicker of acknowledgment. Only then did Caleb Cross stop in his tracks.

He paused and turned back, looking at Cecilia with feigned surprise. "Miss Sterling?"

Cecilia stopped. Before turning around, she took a deep, impatient breath. After she had publicly snubbed him at the last banquet, she’d thought he would pretend not to know her. She hadn’t expected him to call out to her.

She simply couldn’t bring herself to be pleasant to a man like President Cross, so she could only force her expression to remain neutral as she turned back. Her gaze and tone were as placid as still water. "President Cross."

Caleb Cross’s gaze instinctively flickered over to Blair and Estelle before he walked back a couple of steps to stand before Cecilia. "What brings you to my company, Miss Sterling? Is there something you need help with?"

He appeared completely unfazed, as if the unpleasantness between him and Cecilia had never happened.

Cecilia let out a barely audible scoff. She raised an eyebrow at him and said bluntly, "My friend was tricked and cajoled by your company into signing a contract. Can you help her terminate it, President Cross?"

Her words made the faces of the three employees beside Caleb Cross shift with various emotions.

’This girl has some serious nerve. How dare she speak to President Cross like that?’

’What does she mean, "tricked and cajoled"?’

Caleb Cross’s brow furrowed slightly, then he gave a strained smile. "We’re all adults here. We must be responsible for our actions. Besides, we’re a legitimate company, and our contracts are legally binding. As law-abiding citizens, we must do everything by the book."

As he spoke, the smile on Caleb’s lips widened. His tone grew sinister, yet he couldn’t hide the taunt in his voice. "But aren’t you a very capable woman, Miss Sterling? On par with Empress Wright, wasn’t it? Since you’re so formidable, helping a friend get out of a contract should be child’s play for you, no?"

"Isn’t that right?"

He thought his words would provoke Cecilia, make her realize how rude she had been to him before, or at the very least, fill her with shame and anger in this moment.

Unfortunately for him, Cecilia didn’t react that way at all. Instead, a mocking smile touched her lips as she retorted, "Whether I have any power, and just how much of it I have, is something you’ll see for yourself one day, President Cross. As for you, your vindictive, petty nature is truly disappointing."

With that, she turned to leave, only to pause abruptly. The sarcastic smile on her lips deepened. "I can’t believe I actually overestimated you that day. The depths of your pettiness are far lower than I could have ever imagined."

Caleb Cross’s face instantly turned livid with rage.