Murphy hadn't returned by Monday. Niu Meiling, having received word from her subordinates, couldn't sit still any longer. She called Mo Xiaojuan early the next morning and issued an ultimatum: "Come to my office. We need to talk about Murphy!"
Mo Xiaojuan wasn't intimidated. She went alone to face the music.
"What does Murphy mean by this? She thinks she's too big for her britches now, doesn't want to renew her contract with the company, right?" Niu Meiling launched a preemptive strike as Mo Xiaojuan walked in, trying to dominate her with sheer force.
But Mo Xiaojuan wasn't Murphy. She grinned and said, "Hey, Sister Ling, why are you so upset? Renewing a contract isn't like eating or sleeping—it's no small matter. We need to take our time discussing it!"
"Time? Is this your attitude toward negotiation?" Niu Meiling snorted coldly. "Over a week, and Murphy hasn't shown any sign of表态. She's even hiding from me. I think you two have something to hide!"
"Sister Fei is sick today—caught a cold, coughing, can't talk much. So I told her to rest at home and take care of that golden voice of hers." Mo Xiaojuan smiled sweetly. "And Sister Ling, if we're talking about who has something to hide, don't you have a clue yourself?"
Niu Meiling was both shocked and furious: "Mo Xiaojuan, how dare you say that to me? What kind of attitude is that?"
"Sorry, sorry, Sister Ling. I've got a quick tongue and can't control it. My bad. Please, a big person like you can overlook a small mistake like mine." Mo Xiaojuan apologized with a grin, but there wasn't a hint of sincerity in it.
Truth be told, this girl was getting fed up with Niu Meiling's aggressive tone from the start, barely holding back from flipping the table and calling it quits.
"Hmph!" Niu Meiling was fuming.
But Mo Xiaojuan wasn't done. Still smiling charmingly, she said, "Sister Ling, honestly, we do have the sincerity to renew. But it can't be a one-sided effort, right? What kind of sincerity is the company showing? Our Sister Fei is currently on a top-tier contract with over half a year left. You're asking her to renew now, and with a lousy seven-year deal like that? That might fool a newcomer, but don't think Sister Fei is naive enough to be taken in!"
Mo Xiaojuan's tone remained light and cheerful, but the sharp edge in her words was unmistakable.
"Times have changed. I've told Murphy this before—look at her results when she signed the top-tier contract versus now. The company's situation isn't as rosy as it used to be. Offering her this contract is already a concession, considering her past contributions." Niu Meiling softened her tone, trying to persuade.
"Sister Ling, don't play that game with us. Sister Fei's performance after her comeback has been terrible. At first, we didn't know why, but later we figured it out. Did the company really put in the effort to support her return? Don't you know the truth?" Mo Xiaojuan smiled faintly, but inside, she was seething with anger.
"The company didn't support Murphy? What nonsense is that?" Niu Meiling snapped, her face red with rage.
"Ha, we won't dwell on the past. But Sister Ling, why are you in such a hurry to renew now? Why not wait until Sister Fei releases this album, see how it performs, and whether she can recreate the glory of her platinum record days before discussing renewal?" Mo Xiaojuan asked with a playful laugh.
"Impossible. If Murphy doesn't renew, we won't release her album. She can drag her feet if she wants, but let's see if the company dares to shelve her!" Niu Meiling, her pride bruised by Mo Xiaojuan's repeated jabs, dropped all pretense and threatened.
Mo Xiaojuan narrowed her eyes like a cat, her smile fading. But instead of losing her temper, she spoke softly, as if advising a friend: "Sister Ling, our Sister Fei's contract has less than a year left. If you shelve her, she can wait it out. Worst case, in a year, she'll take her new album to another company and record it there. You know those twelve songs were authorized by Mu Zi'ang to our Sister Fei, not to you."
Niu Meiling's breath caught, and she nearly twisted her nose in anger: "Is Murphy getting too big for her boots? Is she dead set on leaving?"
"Look at you, Sister Ling. You were the one who first mentioned shelving her, right? Our Sister Fei has deep feelings for you and Tianmei. Of course, she doesn't want to leave. But if you keep pushing her and threatening her with shelving, even the most loyal person would be driven away!" Mo Xiaojuan's smile returned, her tone light and teasing.
Niu Meiling took a deep breath to calm herself.
Though Mo Xiaojuan was infuriating and had left Niu Meiling dizzy with anger, she had to admit the girl had a point. She knew Murphy's personality well—maybe even better than Mo Xiaojuan, given their longer working relationship.
That girl was cold on the outside but warm inside, and she was stubborn. You could keep her tied down with emotion, but if you pushed her too hard, she might just run away.
"What's Murphy's stance? Does she still want to negotiate a renewal?" Niu Meiling asked coldly.
"She wants to talk, of course she does. But the company needs to show some sincerity!" Mo Xiaojuan said with a grin.
Inside, Mo Xiaojuan was cursing: "Talk my foot! My Sister Fei is leaving!"
But she had to keep up appearances. Not knowing about Yang Yi's resources, Mo Xiaojuan preferred to use Tianmei to boost Murphy's status first, then leave when the contract expired. A full-blown fallout would be a last resort.
"Ahem, honestly, Sister Ling, I don't think we need to settle this right now." Mo Xiaojuan smiled slyly. "There's still a whole year ahead. You don't know how Sister Fei might develop."
"Suppose the company offers a top-tier contract, and Sister Fei renews with you. How would you set the penalty clause? You don't know how popular this album might be. What if another company thinks Sister Fei is worth more than the penalty you set and pays it to poach her?" Mo Xiaojuan tempted.
Niu Meiling frowned. Greed took over, and she forgot about Murphy's loyalty to the company. In her mind, no loyalty was unshakable—it just depended on whether the price was high enough to justify betrayal.
This round of negotiations between Niu Meiling and Mo Xiaojuan ended in a stalemate. They parted on bad terms, but at least they hadn't completely burned bridges.
After Mo Xiaojuan left, Niu Meiling, her face dark, called a meeting with several company executives.
Meanwhile, Mo Xiaojuan didn't waste any time. She rushed straight to Tingshan, heading to the studio building under renovation. Using the funds Yang Yi had given her, she had bought a three-story building. It wasn't in a bustling area, but it was convenient for transport and suitable as Murphy's studio.
The entire building needed a complete renovation. Mo Xiaojuan felt this would be their new base, and no matter what, they deserved the best.
Wearing a mask, she found Xiao Ai, who was supervising the work. The two chatted as they checked the progress.
"Xiao Ai, after you quit, did your family give you a hard time?" Mo Xiaojuan asked, linking arms with Xiao Ai and leaning against her soft body.
"Of course they did! Last weekend, my mom came over and scolded me. Said I gave up a stable job for nothing, quit without knowing what I was doing. Then she said I've been looking pale and thin lately, and how will I ever find a boyfriend? Juanjuan, you owe me!" Xiao Ai laughed playfully.
"I'll pay you back, I promise! You're going to be a founding member of Sister Fei's studio. Your salary will be way higher than before. Just bear with it for now." Mo Xiaojuan pinched Xiao Ai's chubby cheek and snorted, "Men? Who needs them? If they look down on us, we'll look down on them too!"
"Exactly! They keep pushing me to go on blind dates. I'm so sick of those annoying men!" Xiao Ai agreed.
"If you ask me, don't listen to your mom. What's the rush? Let's build our careers first, then take our time picking. There are plenty of good men out there!" Mo Xiaojuan said proudly. "I think men who go on blind dates are never that great anyway."
"But I'm scared I'll end up like people say—an old leftover woman if I don't get married in a few years," Xiao Ai said worriedly.
"Don't worry, I've got your back. If anyone calls you a leftover woman, I'll punch them!" Mo Xiaojuan waved her little fist menacingly.
"Hehe, okay!" Xiao Ai giggled.
Just then, Mo Xiaojuan's phone rang. She pulled it out and saw it was Niu Meiling calling again. A slight smile curled at the corner of her mouth.
Looks like it worked.