Chapter 91

Upon hearing this, Milton’s face displayed a look of surprise. He asked incredulously, “You’re not talking about the show directed by Spencer Mark, are you?” He knew one of the supporting male actors from that production, and they had a decent relationship. That actor had even asked him for help during rehearsals, which allowed Milton to read the script, and he had particularly liked the second male lead role. Unfortunately, that role had already been filled. Even if it hadn’t been, his agent wouldn’t have gone to bat for him.

Phoebe nodded. “That’s the one.”

Milton thought Phoebe was unaware of the inside scoop, so he reluctantly reminded her. “I heard that the major investor for this show pulled out; it might not get made.”

In other words, there would be no show.

Phoebe shot him a reassuring look. She then reached over and patted Brenda’s shoulder, smiling as she said, “It’s okay. From now on, Brenda will be the show’s investor.”

Brenda nodded, grinning broadly. “That’s right! From now on, I’m the investor.”

Earlier that morning, they had already contacted the director. Upon hearing they wanted to invest, he had been incredibly excited and invited them to dinner that evening to discuss the investment further.

Phoebe felt confident in what they could achieve and believed it wouldn’t fall through. After hearing Phoebe’s words, the three of them were astonished. They hadn’t expected the major shareholder to invest directly in that show. It seemed the studio’s finances were quite robust. After all, she was the daughter of the Hill Group. Moreover, the studio’s efficiency was impressive, which further reassured them.

A smile spread across Milton’s handsome face. “Then we should thank you, Ms. Jenkins and Ms. Hill.” He loved acting and needed the money, so he decided to switch jobs.

Phoebe nodded at him, smiling. “From now on, we’re all in this together, so no need to be formal.”

Then she turned to Quintus. “As for you, my plan is to release a new song first. Once that’s recorded, we’ll aim to top the charts on all the major apps with it. As long as the new song is a hit, you should also appear on a variety show to boost your visibility.”

She didn’t plan on having the three of them become variety show regulars, but given the high exposure they offered, it was the easiest way to gain fans, so it was necessary to participate when the opportunity arose.

“You three will follow this schedule. After the variety show ends, Gwen and Milton will continue filming, while Quintus will focus on releasing new music,” she added.

Gwen was a few years older than Phoebe, while Milton and Quintus were around the same age. Phoebe then shifted her tone. “Of course, if any of you have your own ideas, feel free to discuss them with me. For instance, if Gwen and Milton want to create a song or if Quintus wants to act, you can all talk to me about it. I’ll arrange for you to try it out.”

Quintus shook his head. “Acting is out for me. I think if I did, it would be a disaster for the director.” He entered the industry because he loved singing. It was his true passion.

Phoebe smiled as she replied, “In this industry, it’s essential to genuinely love what you do, so I won’t force you. Take the contract home and look it over. If you’re interested, I’ll have the studio’s legal advisor come by to sign.”

She added, “Brian will help you terminate your contract with Jenkins Entertainment.”

Gwen said, “Then Brian, please help me in terminating my contract within the next few days.” She was genuinely fed up with Jenkins Entertainment and wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Milton and Quintus felt similarly. “We also need Brian to help us terminate our contracts quickly.” They had long wanted to escape the quagmire that was Jenkins Entertainment but had not found the right opportunity until now. The company that was trying to pinch them offered harsh conditions, making it feel impossible to leave without being exploited.

After discussing with Phoebe, they suddenly felt a renewed sense of hope for the future. Just the terms of the contract and the freedom it promised excited them. Not to mention, she had so thoughtfully outlined a path for them.

If things truly developed as she mentioned, they would die for someone who understood them. After chatting for a while longer, they added each other as friends.

Phoebe and Brenda left first, while Brian discussed the termination of contracts with the three of them. Each of the three was under a different agent and had been treated like expendable assets. Phoebe’s studio was even covering the termination compensation for the three. Therefore, terminating the contracts was not difficult. Moreover, Brian had a good personal relationship with the director of the HR department.

By asking for a favor, it was possible to ensure the contracts were terminated that very day. So, that day, they managed to finalize the contract terminations. The three of them pretended not to know each other and staggered their signing times to avoid suspicion.

Given that they were currently on ice with no future prospects, their decision to terminate their contracts was not surprising. Many gossipers speculated that Gwen should have left long ago. They thought she should feel anxious and embarrassed now that she was surrounded by two people she once undermined, who were now doing so much better than her. After having such a terrible reputation, she would have no chance to win back even if she lingered with the company.

That scumbag and his girlfriend heard about the news immediately from their assistant. Neither of them took it seriously. Gwen had already been thoroughly trampled; there was no way she could make a comeback. They were just waiting to see Gwen used and exploited in the black market until she lost all her value and was forced to withdraw from the industry.

The man who had always targeted Milton overheard the termination news and speculated that Milton must have been unable to continue. They believed he would either end up at a small company and be exploited or simply change careers altogether. They didn’t think Milton would rise again. No one dared to confront him directly without considering the people behind him. After all, he was Ollie’s younger brother, the top agent in the company. Leon never left loose ends. He would never let someone he trampled on rise again. Therefore, he felt entirely unconcerned. As long as Leon was around, Milton would never have a chance to shine again.

In an office, Joshua’s assistant walked in. “Joshua, I just heard from the HR department that Quintus terminated his contract today.”

Joshua, who was writing a new song he felt passionate about, looked up. “He was poached by another company?”

Among the singers in the company, Joshua had always found Quintus the most irritating. With a bit of talent, he acted arrogantly, trying to play the genius in front of Joshua. He had the nerve to directly compete with him on the charts while maintaining an air of superiority. Naturally, Joshua would never allow someone like that to stand tall. After all, the company was his.

The assistant replied, “I heard he’s going to a small studio.”

Joshua scoffed. “He couldn’t even make it at Jenkins Entertainment. Does he really think he can succeed at a small studio? How naive. Maybe he was poached to write songs for someone else as a hot commodity.”

“He’s really embarrassing himself more and more. There’s no need to pay attention to someone who has no future anymore,” he added.

In Joshua’s mind, he had already sentenced Quintus to failure, believing that he would soon vanish from the industry. Those with similar attitudes targeted the three of them. Leon was even more indifferent. After hearing the assistant’s brief mention, he didn’t respond and didn’t care at all. Instead, he was busy reaching out everywhere to blacklist Brian, ensuring he wouldn’t be able to survive in the industry.

On another side, Phoebe and Brenda arranged for someone to clean and set up the rented office space. They then headed to the restaurant to meet Spencer. The three of them enjoyed a pleasant conversation and finalized the investment contract. Spencer welcomed the inclusion of Milton and Phoebe into the cast.

The next day, once Brenda’s funding was in place, Spencer resumed production. Following Brenda’s request, Spencer removed two stars from Jenkins Entertainment from the cast. Those two had initially been pushed into the project by Jenkins Entertainment’s agents. Their acting skills were poor, and they had bad tempers; Spencer had never liked them. With a major investor’s backing, Spencer naturally had no hesitation in letting them go.

At Jenkins Group, the agents of the two stars who had been removed angrily stormed into Leon’s office.