Fang Yu's Ambition

"Fang Yu, 20 million a year would be enough for me to hire an Earth Martial Artist," Wang Xundao said leisurely. "Isn't that price a little high?"

"I think highly of you, but business is business."

"Ten million a year is already quite good. After all, I only want an exclusive endorsement within Huguang Province." Wang Xundao looked at Fang Yu.

He wanted to bargain the price down.

"Uncle Wang, I'm not completely ignorant of business," Fang Yu said unhurriedly. "First, when you hire an Earth Martial Artist, it's mainly to get tax deductions for your company, so the Civilization Warrior rank is what matters, not absolute strength... Take Uncle Gu. He's only an Advanced Martial Artist, but the tax deductions he provides Shengchuan Group are probably close to what many Earth Martial Artists could provide."

"If you want to hire an Earth Martial Artist to act as a bodyguard, it won't cost 20 million a year. It'll be at least 100 million," Fang Yu said with a smile.

The smile on Wang Xundao's face didn't change, but he didn't directly refute him.

There was a huge difference between the price of hiring an Earth Martial Artist to lend their name to a company and hiring one for personal protection.

This world kept martial artists under strict supervision, and the alliance's law enforcement capabilities were terrifying. Even so, there were bound to be some powerful outlaw martial artists.

Some were hired by business rivals to carry out assassinations, while others wanted to kidnap the wealthy and seize their fortunes.

Quite a few such cases occurred across the Blue Moon Civilization every year. Unless they lived in certain important areas and never went out, most wealthy people took security teams with them wherever they went.

When Wang Xundao went out, although he didn't hire an Earth Martial Artist for personal protection, he was accompanied by several Advanced Martial Artists with extensive combat experience. His annual security costs alone exceeded ten million.

"Besides."

"When it comes to an endorser, what matters is essentially fame and a compelling story," Fang Yu said with a smile. "Within Wuling City, a level 39 Advanced Martial Artist's endorsement fee is far less than that year's city college entrance exam top scorer's."

"Likewise, an Earth Martial Artist's endorsement fee is far less than that year's provincial college entrance exam top scorer's." Fang Yu looked at Wang Xundao. "A provincial top scorer can easily earn tens of millions for an exclusive endorsement in the year they come first."

"But you aren't the provincial college entrance exam top scorer," Wang Xundao said, shaking his head.

"But I might become the subject of a legendary story, one even more astonishing than a college entrance exam top scorer's," Fang Yu said with a smile. "If I can get into a martial arts graduate program... A junior college student making a comeback like that, with a little reporting and publicity, would draw more attention than many college entrance exam top scorers."

"A martial arts graduate program?" Wang Xundao fell into thought.

A martial arts graduate qualification was a hundred, even a thousand times more valuable than an academic graduate qualification... Academic graduate students were everywhere, but only ten top universities on New Moon offered martial arts graduate programs.

Even at Huguang Martial Arts University, only a few students got in each year, which showed just how valuable the qualification was.

Fang Yu continued, "Besides, getting into a martial arts graduate program is only my goal for the next two years. In the future, my goal is to take part in the Alliance Martial Arts Tournament."

"If a junior college student succeeds in entering the Alliance Martial Arts Tournament, even without placing very high, it would be enough to make my name resound throughout the alliance."

Wang Xundao stared at Fang Yu.

The Alliance Martial Arts Tournament was held every two years and admitted Earth Martial Artists under the age of thirty at most. It was one of the most dazzling martial arts events in the Blue Moon Alliance.

Never mind winning the championship-even those who qualified to compete were among the strongest Earth Martial Artists. Every one of them was exceptionally young, with boundless prospects.

"Are you confident you can do it within five years?" Wang Xundao asked.

"I'm somewhat confident I can do it before thirty," Fang Yu said. "I'm only twenty-one now, and the next tournament isn't until next year. That gives me enough time to cultivate."

"But you're only willing to sign with Shengchuan Group for five years." Wang Xundao shook his head.

"After five years, if I really do show enough talent, 20 million a year won't be enough," Fang Yu said with a smile. "Uncle Wang, what you want isn't an endorsement for a single brand, but an exclusive endorsement across every industry in Huguang Province... If I become famous enough in the future, you could earn the money back just by cooperating with other companies and licensing the rights to them."

"Take Senior Wang Heng. His endorsement fees are astronomical," Fang Yu said with a smile. "That's why I'm only willing to sign for five years."

"You get all the benefits, and I bear all the risk," Wang Xundao sighed. "Either extend the term or lower the fee."

Fang Yu smiled, took a tactical sip of water, and said nothing.

He really was short of money. Now that his life level had reached level 20, his body was strong enough to use large quantities of Star Power potions and treasures.

To make the most of his Innate Divine Ability, Devour, he would have to spend money like crazy!

But that didn't mean he had to mortgage his future.

Ten years? Too long.

That would bind him completely to Shengchuan Group.

Before the age of thirty was when a martial artist's strength grew fastest. If his Astral Aspect really was strong enough, ten years would be enough for him to become an Earth Martial Artist or even a Sky-Roving Martial Artist.

Once his Void Star Aspect, which was about to awaken, had awakened, the eight major martial artist groups would certainly be willing to sign him. He also had a chance of obtaining an Earth Contract from Huguang Martial Arts University.

Either way, it would bring in a large amount of money.

Thus, although Fang Yu was short of money right now, he wasn't in too much of a hurry.

A five-year contract, combined with an exclusive endorsement limited to Huguang Province... In Fang Yu's view, both the term and the scope of the rights were reasonably suitable.

"No room to negotiate?" Wang Xundao spoke again.

"Uncle Wang, all I can promise is that when the contract expires, if the terms are equal, I'll absolutely give you priority for renewal," Fang Yu said calmly.

That was Fang Yu's concession.

Negotiation was a matter of give and take.

"All right, I can agree to your terms." Wang Xundao seemed to have made up his mind. "But I have an additional condition. I want your exclusive endorsement across every industry within Wuling City... for ten years."

"Of course, I won't let you come out short. I'll prepare a separate contract for the exclusive endorsement within Wuling City: 1.5 million Star Coins a year, totaling 15 million over ten years, paid in two installments. I'll pay 5 million as soon as the contract is signed; once you awaken your Astral Aspect, regardless of its rank, I'll immediately pay the remaining 10 million." Wang Xundao looked at Fang Yu.

Huguang Province had more than ten cities.

It sounded as though Wang Xundao's second contract was limited to Wuling City, making it a good deal for Fang Yu. He could also get 5 million Star Coins immediately...

But Fang Yu understood that this second contract was probably Wang Xundao's real objective.

After all, he was from Wuling City. No matter how much he achieved in the future, his endorsement advertisements would have the greatest effect within Wuling City... Most importantly, Shengchuan Group's businesses were based almost entirely within the city.

"All right," Fang Yu said. "But I've already signed a one-year contract with the Iron Mountain Martial Arts Society..."

Quickly,

Fang Yu explained the terms of the contract he had already signed.

"A small matter. We can simply make a note of it in the contract." Wang Xundao didn't mind. His businesses hadn't ventured into martial arts societies, and Fang Yu's contract with the Iron Mountain Martial Arts Society was only for one year.

Fang Yu had his own considerations as well.

Business was complicated to talk about, but ultimately, the most important thing for a company was its products.

An endorser was only part of the publicity... Customers weren't fools; they wouldn't blindly trust a product just because its endorser was a famous martial artist.

An endorser gave customers a little more confidence and something to remember, making them willing to linger on an advertisement for a few extra seconds.

So even for someone as powerful as a Starry Sky Martial Artist or an Alliance Martial Arts Tournament champion, there was a limit to how high an endorsement fee could go.

For Fang Yu, apart from the money he could quickly get his hands on, what mattered more was Shengchuan Group's local influence.

Make some concessions and build a relationship with the Wang family.

In the future, I'll probably be away from Wuling City for long stretches, Fang Yu thought. If anything happens to Father or Grandpa, it'll be easier to ask the Wang family to help look after them.

His college roommate friendship with Wang Mo alone would be hard to sustain; only interests were eternal.

On the other hand,

The first endorsement contract was always the hardest for a martial artist to sign... With this endorsement contract from Shengchuan Group, he would have a basis for raising his price further when companies and groups from other provinces or even other countries wanted to sign him as an endorser in the future.

"Uncle Wang."

"For this contract, I'd like to ask my senior martial uncle and the others to act as third-party witnesses when I get to Huguang Martial Arts University tomorrow, and sign it together there," Fang Yu said with a smile.

He believed Wang Xundao could certainly find out about his martial lineage.

He wouldn't sign at Wuling City Martial Arts College.

That was because Shengchuan Group was too powerful locally... Wuling City Martial Arts College might not be able to withstand the pressure at a critical moment, but having Huguang Martial Arts University as the third party would be entirely different.

Following his father's advice, since he intended to draw on someone else's influence, the greater that influence, the better.

Wang Xundao hesitated for only two seconds before slowly nodding. "All right. I'll arrange for a vice president in the provincial capital to meet you at Huguang Martial Arts University tomorrow and sign the contract."

"Then sorry for the trouble, Uncle Wang," Fang Yu said with a smile.

"No trouble at all, Fang Yu. I look forward to working with you." Wang Xundao smiled, rose, and held out his hand.

"Likewise." Fang Yu also stood and shook his hand. He said quite seriously, "In any case, it's an honor to have met you, Uncle Wang... And please believe me, Uncle Wang, I won't disappoint you."

"I believe you," Wang Xundao said with a smile.