Rebirth 03: Starting a Business After Giving Up a Secure Job

Chapter 69 The Situation Reversed, Wang Hu Was Anxious

After receiving the agreement signed with Tian Chuanjun, Lin Feng did not immediately turn back to find Wang Hu.

When dealing with someone like Wang Hu, who won't act until he sees a benefit, and even wants to devour the eagle along with the rabbit, one's attitude is very important.

Instead of contacting the other party proactively, he had Yang Chengang "inadvertently" spread the word through a friend of both himself and Wang Hu.

The gist of it is that he, Lin Feng, and Tian Chuanjun have reached an agreement, and the matter is basically resolved. They will return to Jiangcheng in a few days.

After the news was released, Lin Feng and Yang Chengang waited quietly in the hotel.

Yang Chengang was restless, glancing out the window every now and then. Lin Feng, on the other hand, calmly sipped his tea.

"President Lin, will Wang Hu... contact us on his own initiative?" Yang Chengang finally couldn't help but ask.

"Yes," Lin Feng said with certainty. "He's more anxious than we are. Once Tian Chuanjun's situation is resolved, the value of the copyright agreement he holds will be greatly reduced, and he'll do the math."

Sure enough, that evening, Wang Hu called Yang Chengang. Yang Chengang looked at Lin Feng, who gestured for him to answer and pressed speakerphone.

"Chen Gang," Wang Hu's voice came, his tone softening, "Are you free tonight? How about we go out for a chat? Just the two of us brothers, let's have a good talk. There might have been some misunderstandings before, and I feel bad about it..."

His intention to meet with Yang Chengang alone was self-evident.

Yang Chengang looked at Lin Feng, who gestured for him not to go out alone.

Then Yang Chengang said awkwardly into the phone, "Brother Hu, I... I'm with President Lin right now, discussing things. It might not be convenient for us to go out alone."

"Or... what is it you need? Could you just say it over the phone? Or, if you don't mind, Mr. Lin and I can come over together?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone. Wang Hu was clearly surprised that Yang Chengang had directly pushed Lin Feng forward.

"You're with President Lin... That's perfect, let's chat! The place is Qingyun Teahouse, the one we had tea with last time, a private room on the second floor. I've already booked it, shall we head over now?"

"Okay, see you in a bit." Yang Chengang hung up the phone and looked at Lin Feng with a smile.

Lin Feng nodded: "Well done. Remember, from now on, you and I are a team. Don't talk to him alone."

Yang Chengang nodded, and the two discussed their strategy for tonight's negotiations before setting off.

Qingyun Teahouse, second floor private room.

Wang Hu had arrived early, tea was already brewed, and he had a smile on his face, but he was actually a little anxious. He was worried that his copyright would be stuck in his hands.

"President Lin, Chen Gang, come, come, sit down! Try this tea, the newly arrived Jin Jun Mei." Wang Hu greeted them warmly and poured the tea himself.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Wang Hu couldn't hold back any longer and tentatively asked, "President Lin, I heard... you've reached a conclusion with Tian Chuanjun? That old Tian is a very difficult person to deal with."

"It has indeed been agreed upon." Lin Feng picked up his teacup, blew on it gently, and said in a calm tone, "Teacher Tian is a wise man who knows the importance of securing the benefits in time."

He and I have signed the "Ringtone Business Copyright Transfer Agreement," and all related rights to ringtones now permanently belong to our Fengchi Digital Studio.

Wang Hu's eyelids twitched, and he pressed on, "Oh? It's settled so quickly... I wonder if it's convenient for President Lin to reveal the price, but taking over Lao Tian's side must have come at a high cost, right?" He wanted to find out the price and assess how many bargaining chips he still had.

Lin Feng smiled slightly and put down his teacup: "I'm sorry, this is a trade secret. However, the general scope is similar to what I mentioned to you, Mr. Wang, last time."

The one mentioned last time? Wang Hu's heart skipped a beat.

Last time, Lin Feng offered eight thousand yuan! Could it be that Lao Tian also sold it for such a low price? This thought made him a little uneasy.

If Lao Tian could cash out and leave so easily, what's the point of Wang Hu holding onto this flawed contract and stubbornly resisting?

"About that?" Wang Hu chuckled. "President Lin is joking. Old Tian's appetite is probably more than that, isn't it?"

"Believe it or not, Mr. Wang." Lin Feng stopped pressing the issue, his tone becoming more relaxed. "Mr. Wang, I already have clear copyrights for ringback tones obtained from the very beginning. This means that we've secured our place in the ringback tone market and can proceed independently."

He paused briefly to allow Wang Hu to process the information before continuing, "As for the agreement you have, Mr. Wang, firstly, it doesn't explicitly state in black and white that it includes the copyright of ringtones."

Secondly, your contract with Chen Gang is fundamentally in conflict with the earlier contract between Tian Chuanjun and Chen Gang. If you really want to get to the bottom of this, you might need to clarify with Tian Chuanjun which copyright is more valid, his or yours.

I consulted a lawyer, and Tian Chuanjun's contract is earlier and more legally protected. If you sue Tian Chuanjun, the court will likely support Tian Chuanjun, who obtained the copyright first. Your contract will most likely be ruled invalid.

At most, you can seek personal compensation from Yang Chengang, and then the two of you can slowly fight the case in court. The court might not even support that.

Wang Hu's face immediately darkened; this was exactly what he had been worried about. Lin Feng, through the lawyer's words, shattered his last shred of hope.

If he were to sue Tian Chuanjun, it would not only be time-consuming and laborious, but his chances of winning would also be very slim.

Even if you sue Yang Chengang, who is currently penniless, you won't lose much money even if you win. Besides, you'll lose his friendship.

In the current situation, Wang Hu is in a difficult position.

"President Lin, look at the mess this has made... Actually, my demands aren't that high." Wang Hu's tone finally softened, even carrying a hint of pleading.

"Look, if you're still interested in ringback tones, I can discuss transferring ownership! The price... is negotiable! We can talk about it some more!"

He wants to sell!

He was eager to cash in on this rapidly depreciating "right"!

Lin Feng shook his head. The situation was in his favor, and he wanted to deflate the opponent's arrogance.

"Mr. Wang, thank you for your kind offer. However, we already have the ringback tone copyright, so we can operate legally and compliantly. There's no need to purchase an additional right that might be disputed. What you have might be an asset or a burden for you, but it's no longer a necessity for us."

He gently swirled his teacup: "The contractual dispute between you and Chen Gang is a legacy issue between you two. If Mr. Wang feels that his rights have been violated, he is free to assert his rights according to the contract, and may even file a lawsuit. That is your right."

However, that's a matter between you and Chen Gang, and has nothing to do with my studio. If your dispute affects our legitimate operations, we will take legal action to protect our rights.

Lin Feng's words effectively left Wang Hu completely out of the loop.

Your problem is your problem with Yang Chengang, don't bother me.

You want to sue? Go ahead, but don't stop me from making money. Besides, I have the copyright agreement, I'm not afraid.

Sweat began to bead on Wang Hu's forehead. He had originally hoped to use the contract to control the other party, but now he found that the contract was practically worthless, as the other party had already bypassed him. Moreover, they had adopted a tough stance of "sue me if you want, I'll fight you, but don't interfere with my work."

This put Wang Hu in an extremely passive position.