Chapter 35: Are college students really this difficult to deal with nowadays?

When Zheng He first arrived, he had worried that Wu Bin, being a university student, might be difficult to communicate with or fail to grasp the nuances of the situation.

It now seemed his concerns were entirely misplaced. After only a few exchanges, Wu Bin was already waiting for him to lay out the terms. This indicated that Wu Bin had long since considered the prospect of monetizing his livestreams. Zheng He couldn't help but sigh to himself. It was fortunate he had come early; if platforms like Douyin or Kuaishou had beaten him to signing Wu Bin, he would likely have been plagued by nightmares.

With this in mind, Zheng He spoke: "Student Wu Bin, after careful consideration by the station, we have a proposal. As long as you agree to let us continue filming you, how about we split the livestream revenue fifty-fifty?"

Wu Bin shook his head. "Fifty-fifty is too much. I'm just a student; I haven't really done anything to deserve that much."

Too much? Bingbing, standing to the side, felt confused. From her perspective, a fifty-fifty split was clearly a loss for Wu Bin. Zheng He’s offer wasn't a firm price; he had left room for negotiation. He had been prepared for Wu Bin to reject the offer, but he never expected Wu Bin to claim that fifty-fifty was *too much*.

Zheng He couldn't help but say, "Student Wu Bin, please don't joke with me. A fifty-fifty split is quite fair."

"I know," Wu Bin replied. "But you were the ones who joked with me first."

Zheng He was left speechless. This kid was not easy to handle—he was a seasoned veteran! After a moment of silence, Zheng He asked, "Then, Student Wu Bin, what are your thoughts? You can tell us directly."

Having lived two lifetimes, Wu Bin found negotiating contracts to be second nature. He said calmly, "Look, by filming me, you're just providing cameras and a crew and hosting a livestream channel to make money. Asking for a fifty-fifty split is unfair. If I were to start my own stream, I’d just need to buy a decent phone, and the account would still be mine, wouldn't it?"

Zheng He broke into a sweat and quickly explained, "You can't look at it that way, Student Wu Bin. Our photographers and equipment are professional..."

Wu Bin waved a hand to cut him off. "I’m just livestreaming my daily life; why would I need such professionalism? Besides, if I really needed that, Douyin or Kuaishou could provide it just as easily."

Zheng He was silenced. If Wu Bin was determined to replace them, they were indeed replaceable.

"Furthermore," Wu Bin continued, "look at my situation. Every time I get sick, it’s a dangerous condition. Each time is like a brush with death. I am literally risking my life to earn this money! It is no exaggeration to say this is blood money. To ask for a fifty-fifty split of my blood money—don’t you think that’s excessive?"

Zheng He had assumed that by coming in person, he could easily handle Wu Bin. He hadn't expected the student to be this formidable.

"Then, Student Wu Bin, state your demands. How do you want to split it?"

Wu Bin said, "I have only two simple requirements. If you can meet them, we work together. If not, I’ll find someone else. First, an eighty-twenty split in my favor. Second, you must sign a five-year contract with me. Regardless of whether my popularity declines, you must continue to film me and provide a monthly base salary of twenty thousand yuan."

Zheng He’s face turned green. This was an outrageous demand! He wanted to refuse outright, but the thought of the massive revenue Wu Bin had brought to the station in such a short time stopped him.

"Student Wu Bin, I need to consult with my superiors regarding this."

Wu Bin looked at him with suspicion. "Aren't you the station director? Do you really need permission?"

Zheng He gave an awkward smile. "The station isn't run by me alone. Wait here for a moment; we need to hold a brief meeting."

Zheng He led the station leaders out of the room and immediately summoned an accountant to project the potential revenue. The results came quickly. They realized that if they accepted Wu Bin’s terms, as long as his popularity remained stable, the station would still turn a profit, albeit a modest one.

"This kid... he already crunched the numbers," Zheng He thought, his teeth gritting in frustration. *Are all university students this hard to deal with nowadays?*

"What should we do, Director? Should we agree?"

"I don't think we should. His situation isn't something that happens every day. He wants a five-year contract—can he really keep getting sick for five years?"

"Exactly. I agree; this is just a passing trend, and a long-term contract is unnecessary."

Just as Zheng He hesitated, a familiar voice drifted from the hallway. "Yo, isn't that old Zheng? What are you all doing standing at the door?"

Zheng He turned to see Yin Seze, the director of Douyin.

"Why are you here?"

Yin Seze smiled. "Just checking on our 'fragile university student.' Our boss thinks he’s quite interesting, so we came to pay a visit."

Zheng He cursed inwardly. *Interesting? You're here to poach him!* They were old rivals; everyone knew the drill. Zheng He made up his mind and stepped back into the room.

Yin Seze tried to follow but was blocked by the others. "Director Yin, Student Wu Bin needs rest. Please don't disturb him."

"Yes, Director Yin, you’ve come at a bad time. Visiting hours are over."

Yin Seze was stunned, then enraged. "Bullshit! Didn't old Zheng just go in? I get it—your station wants to sign him too, right? How despicable! Using these kinds of tactics—I look down on you, old Zheng!"

Regardless of Yin Seze’s shouting outside, Zheng He ignored him. He walked up to Wu Bin and said solemnly, "Student Wu Bin, we agree to your terms. The contract will be here shortly. Please wait."

Five minutes later, a freshly printed contract was delivered; Wu Bin could still smell the wet ink. It seemed this Director Zheng was even more anxious than he was. After confirming the terms, both sides signed. Zheng He stamped the documents, and they each took a copy.

With the contract signed, the weight finally lifted from Zheng He's heart. He walked out of the room, feeling great. "Old Yin, look at that, you're out of luck. Student Wu Bin is asleep. Since we rarely see each other, let me treat you to dinner."

Yin Seze was furious. "Eat your head! Stop the sarcasm, old Zheng. Even if you signed him, you won't be able to compete with us!"