Chapter 173: Chapter 169: Not in Control of One’s Own Body
Translator: 549690339
It’s simply about whether they act or not. Certainly, figures like Jackie Chan, who is not just a celebrity but also a member of the politically-involved, must be reckoned with carefully. Yet, doing so merely requires careful consideration and by no means is it unfeasible.
I have to admit that the power gap between the two sides is colossal. It’s easy to realize the terrifying extent of the relationships involved in such a large corporation. Even though its market value is indeed 400-500 billion Flame Nation coins, it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s all the money they possess.
Years ago, the corporation’s market value was roughly the same and it remains so even in recent years because a lot of the profits were discreetly invested elsewhere.
This time, without a doubt, Bryski Miller has made his move without any pretenses. The data Finn Lewis received from Zeros’s findings showed that the Miller Clan’s influence in the Blackfield Group managed to cancel over a dozen of Kay Lee’s endorsement contracts. Moreover, they managed to do so without having to pay any penalties. The Miller Clan indeed has its ways of getting Kay Lee to terminate contracts.
In the process, they exploited new endorsement contracts to set up a cash clause that resulted in Kay Lee paying a staggering 250 million in penalties. Upon seeing this, Finn just shook his head in disbelief. Despite being shrewd, she remained nave, failing to recognize problematic contracts, and even ended up paying a hefty sum in penalties.
The biggest blow came when the agency Kay Lee had signed to was bought outright by a subsidiary of the Blackfield Group. The agency was originally set up under the Blackfield Group, and now they’ve moved from being a shareholder to sole ownership.
Kay Lee, being as stubborn as she is, was clearly aware of what was going on. Rather than adhere to the company’s arrangement, she opted to terminate her contract unilaterally, resorting to paying a high penalty fee of 300 million. She ended up shelling out a total of 550 million, nearly all the money she made from her fame ”
She even ended up selling many of her assets, a coffee shop, two restaurants, two villas, most of her cars, and ended up left with only one.
Despite all this, she still owed a considerable sum of money to the bank. Since the entertainment industry is so closely linked, everyone was aware of this fiasco. As a result, who would dare have Kay Lee as an endorsement figure or cast her in TV shows and films? Anyone who cast Kay Lee in a movie would probably struggle even to release it.
After reviewing these documents, Finn sighed in exasperation. These stars may seem to lead glamorous lives, but even top international celebrities in Hollywood or Flame Nation are at mercy of these financial groups if they want to ruin them. It’s a harsh reality that celebrities heavily rely on media to survive, much more than they do on their fans.
And these media outlets are completely in the hands of these financial groups! It’s too easy to slander someone. A lie could seem plausible if spoken by enough people. That’s just the power of media.
For instance, everyone is aware of global warming and the melting polar ice caps. But in 2009, at the Copenhagen climate conference, a hacker revealed data-fabrication that created quite a stir. Is the world truly warming or cooling? Experts used to advocate global warming, and even had detailed explanations about the increase in C02 emissions affecting the atmosphere. Their explanations seemed so convincing that everyone believed it to be true.
However, the truth? According to Zero, human impact on global warming is minimal based on our current capabilities. Nature’s capacity for self-repair far exceeds anyone’s imagination. In conclusion, Zero told Finn that Earth is gradually entering a new ice age. Of course, this won’t be noticeable in the short term because it’s a slow process. Considering Zero’s capacity, it had no reason to lie to Finn, so he realized that sometimes things aren’t as they seem.
It’s just like how many financial moguls are willing to swallow losses to control numerous media entities. Why? Simply to control the narrative. Ultimately, almost everything the average person sees or hears is filtered through the lens of these entities. This is the truth!
After going over these documents, Finn couldn’t help but feel reflective. It seems like what the world truly believes in is absolute power! As the adage goes: with power, you’re awe-inspiring; without power, you’re just an ass-kisser!
It appears he still has a long way to go. Without Finn, Kay Lee would either end up succumbing to Bryski Miller or have to completely exit the entertainment industry. Even if she exited the industry, do you think Bryski Miller would leave her alone?
After all, Kay Lee’s grandfather is quite elderly, how many years does he have left? Protection isn’t eternal.
But that’s all nonsense in a situation without a person like Finn. How dare anyone mess with a woman Finn identified as someone he cared for? Finn turned off the data on his phone and started his contemplation! First, Bryski Miller hasn’t made heavy moves against Kay in the media. Although there have been a few negative reports on Kay’s contract terminations, nothing else has emerged as of yet. Secondly, Kay’s biggest problem right now isn’t that she can’t accept invitations for movies or TV shows, but rather that she doesn’t have any offers for commercials or endorsements. The only two she has left are for the Flying Horse sports car and Pepsi-Cola. Even the endorsement for the Flying Horse is expected to run into problems soon.
Although Flying Horse might be a considerable brand immune to Bryski
Miller’s influence, they wouldn’t need to influence Flying Horse directly. Flying Horse sought Kay for marketing in the domestic market. But, once they start trying to promote their advertisements domestically, they will politely be informed that they can promote other endorsements but not the ones featuring Kay. Friendly note, we don’t do business like that..
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