American Peanuts

Chapter 8 Rapid Progress

It was already ten o'clock the next morning when Charlie woke up.

He felt that he had slept more in the past few months than in his previous lives combined.

Picking up the phone on the bedside table and checking the messages.

Saul has sent a report this morning. The acceptance process is generally smooth. The heads of several departments unanimously welcomed Charlie's arrival, but there were also many objections.

This was not beyond Charlie's expectations.The Hefner family probably dug a lot of holes for themselves before leaving. Moreover, some people will suffer losses after the company changes hands, such as the person in charge of the online streaming business who has been sentenced to death by himself.

These people are easy to deal with. As long as they are promised new benefits, they will obediently offer their loyalty.

But there are still some hard-core people. These people are the veterans of the company. Some of them have been working within the group before they were born. They have experienced the two presidents of Hugh Hefner and his daughter. If you include yourself, That is the elder of the three dynasties.However, most of these people are the backbone of the company's existing business and cannot be easily moved. These people are colluding with each other and will cause considerable resistance to themselves.

"Damn infighting!" Charlie rubbed his cheeks and booked the earliest flight to Chicago.

When I walked out of the room and came to the dining room, I saw my mother Danielle and the master and apprentice having breakfast, and the two servants were busy in the kitchen.

"Charlie, today you are going to help Aunt Faith repair the car. Little Taylor will stay at home with me today to discuss the composition work."

Danielle's face was a little pale and she hadn't fully woken up from her hangover. She drank until Faith came last night and was even more surprised to hear that Charlie helped Taylor change the song last night.

"Okay, besides, I'm flying to Chicago tomorrow afternoon." Charlie mentioned the time of departure.

"By the way, were you injured last night? The servant came over this morning and saw blood stains all over the sofa." Danielle thought about her son.

"Yes, I did get hurt yesterday." Charlie explained with an embarrassed face.

"Do you need me to bandage it for you?" Simple Taylor asked.

"Why are you joining in the fun?" Faith put down the cup suddenly.

·
After breakfast, Charlie drove the Dodge Ram last night to tow Faith's Lincoln Navigator to the garage.Faith dressed up before going out, wearing a lilac knitted long skirt, a classic Burberry windbreaker, and a pair of Ray-Ban toad glasses that covered most of her face.

When we arrived at the car repair shop, the repairmen in overalls stared straight-eyed as soon as they saw Faith getting out of the car, and they never looked away.

Although Faith has been in semi-retirement, she still maintains the lifestyle habits of a star. She is neatly dressed and spotless. Her fair skin seems to glow, and her temperament is completely different from ordinary people.

When Faith was paying the bill, Charlie was recognized and was treated like a star. After taking a few photos, he was able to escape.

"You should wear a pair of sunglasses like me. You know, the gossip reporters in this country are like cockroaches, they are so pervasive." Faith reminded them in the car.

After getting the vehicle, Faith didn't forget about business and called the manager of the Big Machinery Company in front of Charlie.

"Good afternoon Scott, I'm Faith Hill...Taylor did a great job, you know I love this kid. I'll be honest, you guys don't have the ability to develop a singer from scratch, otherwise They won’t let me show up either.”

"Yes, she is indeed very talented, but can you ensure that she will become famous? If you fail, you will lose everything. Consider the risk. Now I have a more mature plan, I have a sum of money, you You can use this money to start a new business and sign some more mature singers."

"Yes, it's an acquisition. I want to take over everything... Interesting, do you think the partners don't understand anything? That would be easier. You and your staff will continue to stay in the company, but in exchange, I need a reasonable The price, as you know, I don’t have much money.”

"I hope the final purchase price will not exceed US$50... Well, I'll wait for your news."

Faith Hill hung up the phone and nodded to Charlie.

"Scott Borchetta, who we met at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 96 and is now the CEO of the company, was the one who discovered Taylor. He's a smart guy and he's ready to sell off a few other partners, Make sure you don't get kicked out. That seems like a sure thing now."

$50 is probably a fraction of Taylor's endorsement in the future.

"Well done. As for your annual salary, how about 200 million a year?" Charlie said in a negotiating manner.

"If it's not enough, can we add more?" Faith twitched her eyebrows. The big company asked her to come out and teach Taylor. It only cost her a measly US$10, and she didn't have much money to serve as an album producer.

"Of course, I will agree to whatever I can agree to." Charlie said very generously.

The new record company that has been established has to be taken care of by Faith, and she has done herself such a big favor again, the one who should be generous must be generous, otherwise, no one would follow her.

"Forget it, you still need money now, wait until next year when you give me a salary increase." Given the relationship between Faith and Danielle, naturally they won't ask for excessive prices.

"What do you want to eat for lunch? Dear Director Faith." Charlie started the car.

"Of course it's the most expensive restaurant in Nashville. This time I'm going to indulge in a feast." Faith stretched out and looked like her clothes were about to burst.

Half an hour later, the two came to a luxurious Italian restaurant on the top floor of the Nashville business center.

After ordering, Charlie gave the waiter an extra instruction: "In addition, open two bottles of dry red wine from the Munisi Grand Cru for us."

Faith Hill whistled: "The last time I drank such expensive red wine was at the economic company's celebration party ten years ago, when the record sold platinum."

The Recording Association stipulates that if sales exceed 100 million, it will be rated as platinum.This is the most intuitive standard to measure a singer's strength.

Speaking of Faith's career, it can be considered brilliant, but her influence is limited to the country music circle, and it is not at the same level as Taylor in the future.

As for now, at best it is called "retiring early and enjoying life" at worst it is called a has-been singer.

The entertainment industry in the United States is very competitive. Every year, major record companies launch new artists, one after another, just like harvesting wheat. Old singers around the waist quickly become popular, unlike China, where one song can last a lifetime.

If Faith really had such a good life, she wouldn't come out to be a voice teacher.

"Then I have to contact the winery and buy a few boxes." Charlie said very generously.

"Never break a promise, this is the most basic rule for a man." Faith Hill reminded her as she closed the menu.

"Of course, I am a person with clear grudges."

"You helped me. In addition to monetary rewards, I will try to put you back on the market. Not only will you re-record old songs, but I will also ask Danielle to contact some old friends and write a few songs for you."

Faith smiled even more happily when she heard this: "Little boss, let me toast you."

Charlie clinked glasses with her and looked at this very young face: "If I were your husband, I would not divorce you even if a gun was pointed at me."

Faith laughed: "You misunderstood, I'm not married yet."

"Can you tell me the reason?" Charlie asked.

When it came to the past, Faith did not shy away and said generously: "I once had a sweetheart, who was also a country music singer. He broke my heart and made me discouraged. I began to focus on my career, and in a flash I was a thousand years old. Jubilee.”

Faith in this parallel world does not have a beautiful love like a fairy couple, but has always been single.

"What happened later, didn't you meet the right person?" Charlie asked along the way.

Faith shook her head and smiled bitterly: "I've always had bad luck."

"I think you haven't come out yet." Charlie said suddenly.

A star, no matter what, is much better than ordinary people, and she definitely has no shortage of suitors.

"How could that be?" Faith's smile became a little forced.

"Let me tell you, you have lost the first half of your life, why can't you think about abandoning the past and enjoying the present?" Charlie was persuasive.I advised her from the perspective of my mother's friend.

Faith drank a full glass of wine and smashed the empty glass on the table: "You are right."

"So cherish the person in front of you." Charlie shrugged.

The person in front of you...isn't it you?

How many young girls are as talented as Taylor?How many singers rely on betrayal to get to the top?
Faith is also an old man, so she naturally knows a lot of inside information.

She didn't speak, but drank one glass after another.

The two chatting together did not notice that two men entered the restaurant. They were wearing loose and casual sweaters, looking out of place here.

They deliberately chose a seat with a certain distance from Charlie, where they could have a panoramic view of Charlie's table without being easily discovered.

The backpack is placed on the edge of the table, facing Charlie and Faith. If you look carefully, you can see a circular hole on it, which is a camera lens...

(End of this chapter)