Chen Zhenggang, seated to one side, chimed in with a smile. "Of course. After all, this happened during the filming of the program. Under the terms of the contract, we have the right to broadcast it. But considering the sensitive nature of the matter, we'll seek your and your family's consent."
Wei Linxuan's heart stirred. In a gentle tone, he asked, "If you have any concerns, you might as well say them directly."
Lu Heng hesitated briefly before asking, "If it airs on television, does that mean people all over the country will be able to see it?"
Chen Zhenggang smiled again. "Of course. By then, you'll become a little hero known in every household."
Yet there was little excitement on Lu Heng's face. Instead, he asked worriedly, "Would the bad guys be able to see it too?"
The moment he said that, everyone froze.
Lu's mother's expression changed drastically, and she immediately stared at Chen Zhenggang nervously, as though hoping to hear some reassurance from him.
But Chen Zhenggang could not answer Lu Heng's question. It was something both the police and the production crew had already considered.
Lu Heng continued, "...I don't regret stopping those traffickers at the train station. But when the police officers talked about confidentiality and guaranteeing my safety, I got a little scared. Have they caught all the traffickers? Are there any who got away? If there really are people who weren't caught, and they learn about me, would they try every possible way to retaliate against me, or even take it out on my family?"
As he spoke, Lu Heng unconsciously glanced at Lu's father.
Lu's father's heart tightened, but his face remained calm. He waved a large hand and said manfully, "Don't worry, son. You did very well. Dad will protect all of you."
In Lu's father's eyes, traffickers were certainly hateful, but not necessarily terrifying. When he had carried out missions in the military, he had seen many vicious criminals, and every one of their crimes had been even more utterly inhuman than those of traffickers.
Could they simply let criminals commit evil because criminals were frightening?
Obviously not.
That was why people said that the greater one's ability, the greater one's responsibility.
Lu's father did not think there was anything wrong with what his son had done. A group of criminals who only dared prey on the weak, women, and children, who profited by destroying other people's families and lives—if they saw them, they had to bring them to justice. Even if there were still fish that had slipped through the net, and they truly dared come to Lu Family Village for revenge, Lu's father was not afraid. He and all the men, young and old, of Lu Family Village—even some of the aunties—would show those scum through their actions just how formidable the people could be!
Maybe they could even help the police catch a few more bad guys!
Even taking a step back, it was too late now. Being afraid would do them no good. In the year 2000, in a small county town like J City, there were only so many people capable of carrying cameras around to film a program. Anyone with ulterior motives only needed to make careful inquiries to uncover the production crew's identity, Lu Heng's name, and even his home address.
Lu's father, who had once served as a scout, understood that perfectly well.
What was coming could not be avoided. Rather than wait passively, it was better to use the chips already in hand to maximize their gains.
At that moment, the Lu father and son were thinking the same thing.
Lu Heng smiled faintly. "With Huaxia Imperial Entertainment's influence, I believe you should be able to help us. Helping the guests participating in the filming deal with the aftermath would not only strengthen the program's timeliness and news appeal, but also leave an extremely positive impression on the audience."
"It seems you've done quite a bit of homework these past few days." Wei Linxuan kept his warm, harmless smile as he encouragingly asked, "If you have any other ideas, say them all."
Lu Heng lowered his head with a smile, then said, "My older brother is an excellent student. He's currently in his second year at County No. 1 High School and ranks first in the entire grade. Since Yanjing University Affiliated High School is so good, I'm sure its security measures must be excellent as well. I want my brother to attend that school too."
"And my little sister, Lu Miao, is in second grade this year. I heard Yanjing University also has an affiliated elementary school?"
Wei Linxuan chuckled and asked, "And you want us to arrange jobs for your parents too?"
"Not necessary." To Wei Linxuan's surprise, Lu Heng shook his head. He had other plans for his parents.
Wei Linxuan raised his brows slightly in surprise. "So you went to all that trouble, read so many gossip papers, and took notes just to resolve your brother's and sister's school enrollment issues?"
Lu Heng nodded with a smile.
Having lived once before, his past experiences and knowledge had become a kind of capital, helping him assess the situation and choose a better path for the future.
But rebirth was not omnipotence, much less an excuse to be greedy and overestimate oneself.
Using every resource one could command as bargaining chips for reasonable negotiations was an exchange of interests. But making outrageous demands beyond that scope would do nothing except make one a laughingstock.
For the time being, Lu Heng had no plans to switch careers and become a comedian.
Lu Heng looked at Wei Linxuan with clear, bright eyes and said, "I'll work hard, make money for the company, and become its cash cow."
"...So, could the company advance the transfer fees and first year's tuition and miscellaneous fees for my brother, my sister, and me?"
One side sincerely wanted to sign him, while the other sincerely wanted to sign the contract. Once Lu Heng's small conditions had been met, the two sides immediately reached an agreement.
Lu's father and mother had never expected that their son's participation in a program would resolve the school enrollment problems of all three children in the family.
Huaxia parents had always possessed the spirit of "working themselves to the bone for their children," and they understood what it meant for knowledge to change one's fate. Wei Linxuan's promise, in Huaxia Imperial Entertainment's name, to resolve the three children's schooling issues sounded more reliable to Lu's parents than making their son a celebrity or handing them cash outright.
Wei Linxuan directly called Wei Zhanjie and asked the company's legal department to draft a rookie contract and send it over. Wei Zhanjie had not expected his son to think along the same lines as he had—and to act even faster—so he was immensely gratified.
Most of the rookie contract's clauses were standard. It listed the resources the company would provide artists each year, stipulated that artists could not privately accept endorsements, promotions, performances, and the like outside of work arranged by the company, and set the revenue split at seventy-thirty. That part was somewhat different from the time when Lu Heng had been reborn.
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