983: Contract Expiration

Contract Expiration

Bright Summit Entertainment Company.2

A large number of media representatives crowded inside one of the company's largest halls to attend a press conference. Loud, indistinct chatter filled the place as the reporters speculated among themselves about what Bright Summit and its biggest star were going to announce today.

The main door opened and a tall, cold-faced and handsome man in a business suit entered followed by two bodyguards. A staff member immediately welcomed the new arrival, treating him with great respect, before leading him to a reserved seat at the front row separate from the media representatives. The reporters' attention immediately diverted to him. 

"Huh? Who's that man? Why is Bright Summit treating him so respectfully? Is he a VIP?"

"Dude, are you a newbie? You're seriously asking that question? Don't you recognize that bigshot?"

"Of course, he's a VIP! You work in the news industry and yet you don't know him? I don't believe you!"

"I really don't know him. Can you just tell me who—"

"Holy shit! It's CEO Jin! What is the head of Jin Corporation doing here?"

"Get the cameras! Quick, get a shot of him! This is big news!"

Jin Liwei's bodyguards flanked him and shot cold, intimidating glares at the reporters. Some cowered and stepped back while the braver ones continued clicking their cameras nonstop. A handful even had the guts to shout questions at him.

"CEO Jin, is it true that you married Iris Long?"

Jin Liwei shot the reporter an are-you-stupid look, not bothering to reply to the question. He and his wife already announced their marriage through À la Mode which was a popular and reputable magazine. They even granted the magazine an exclusive interview and allowed it to feature photos from their actual wedding. If people still doubted his marriage's authenticity despite all the concrete evidence, then they could only be seen as stupid in his eyes.

"Congratulations on your marriage with Iris Long, CEO Jin!"

This time, Jin Liwei responded and even gave a rare smile. "Thank you."

Following this example, the other reporters started congratulating him. He responded to all of them in a good mood.

"CEO Jin, there have been some reports this morning that you fired your company's female Chief Marketing Officer because your wife, Iris Long, felt jealous of her. Can you confirm if that's true?"

The smile on his face immediately disappeared replaced by vicious coldness. "Fake news. I fired that person because of her lack of professionalism in the workplace and stepping out of the bounds of her position. It has nothing to do with my wife. Anyone who continues this false narrative will receive a letter from my lawyer."

His threat intimidated the reporters and made them hesitate to ask him more questions about the topic. [Read official chapters on W e b n o v e l. Please stop supporting piracy. Also follow author on Instagram: @arriacross]

"CEO Jin, can you tell us why you're here today? You don't usually attend this kind of press conferences."

Before he could answer this particular question, the host of the press conference called for everyone's attention and started the event. After the usual preamble, the host called for the head of Bright Summit. Next, he called for the star of the event and the reason why so many media representatives came today.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the one and only Jin Chonglin!"

Cameras flashed nonstop as Jin Chonglin appeared and stepped onto the stage and flashed everyone his iconic killer smile. He stood by the middle seat beside Bright Summit's President. Then people noticed that there was one more empty seat left on the stage. Huh? Was there someone else coming?

"And also please welcome the beautiful and talented Iris Long!" Then the host caught Jin Liwei's presence in the audience and quickly added, "Or should I say Mrs. Jin?"

Curious murmurs arose from the crowd as Iris Long also appeared and walked towards the stage. Jin Liwei stood up and started clapping his hands. His bodyguards followed suit. Following their example, everyone started clapping their hands, too. It evolved into a situation where Iris Long received a louder and warmer reception than Jin Chonglin who everyone expected was the main star of today's press conference. 

Iris saw her husband in the front row and a bright smile blossomed on her face. Her beauty blinded a lot of people, making them sigh at how much more beautiful she looked in person than on the screen. Now CEO Jin's presence in this press conference made sense. He rarely attended anything showbiz-related for his younger brother in the past but started doing so for the sake of his then fiancée and now wife, Iris Long.

After Jin Chonglin and Iris greeted everyone, they sat down on their designated seats with the head of Bright Summit. Then the host prompted the president to speak. 

"We invited all of you here today to share some very important announcements. Jin Chonglin has been a part of Bright Summit's family since he started his career in the music industry. We have watched him grow from a young, charismatic and talented teenager with potential into one of the biggest superstars our country has to offer. He has since expanded his talents to other areas outside of music with great success. Bright Summit is very proud to have nurtured such a great seed like Jin Chonglin who grew up into a tall, firm, and fruitful tree. We also appreciate his loyalty for staying with us throughout all these years.

"As many of you are already aware, Jin Chonglin's contract with Bright Summit is set to expire this month."

The reporters leaned forward and paid closer attention. This was what they had been wondering about in the last few weeks.

"We at Bright Summit and Jin Chonglin have reached an agreement not to extend his contract. After his contract with us expires this month, he will no longer be an artist signed with our Bright Summit Entertainment Company."

As expected, the announcement immediately sent the reporters into an excited chatter. Some were shocked while the others already half-expected this outcome. They started shouting questions to clarify the situation but the experienced host quickly controlled the situation, reminding them that there will be a question and answer portion later after all the announcements were made.

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