EFB Chapter 16 Brokerage Contract
Chapter 16 Brokerage Contract
Zik was the first to open the car door and get out. He nodded to the men who had gathered around him and greeted them familiarly: "It's me, Zik. These are my friends and lawyers. They're just here to take care of some business. It's no trouble at all."
The men relaxed slightly, nodded to him, glanced at Tino and the others who got out of the car, asked no more questions, and slowly retreated to the corner of the wall to continue their joking and playing around.
The owner of the grocery store next door poked his head out and jokingly asked, "Lawyer? Zeke, what have you done?"
Zik smiled helplessly and waved his hand: "Don't talk nonsense, I'm just consulting with a lawyer and taking care of some important business."
He turned and beckoned to Tino, Herbert, and the others, and walked into old Rossi's restaurant.
The restaurant was filled with the aroma of food. Old Rossi was standing behind the counter, yelling at a clumsy kitchen helper, "Can't you even do your job? You can't even make such a simple salad. If you keep being so clumsy, you don't need to come in tomorrow!"
The kitchen helper kept his head down, not daring to breathe.
Zik stepped forward, took his arm, and whispered, "Dad, I have something to tell you. Go to the kitchen." He then turned to Tino and the others and said, "Find a place to sit down and wait a moment."
Old Rossi was completely bewildered. He followed Zeke into the kitchen, with Herbert close behind. The kitchen was steaming hot, and Zeke explained the situation simply and clearly.
Upon hearing that his son's song could sell for $2, and that the seller's lawyer and agent had personally come to his door, old Rossi was overjoyed. His earlier anger vanished, and he excitedly slapped his thigh.
"Really? $2? That's my son for you! We have to celebrate tonight. I'll go tell all the relatives to come over right now, let's have a good time!"
"Dad, stop it." Qi Ke quickly stopped him, his tone helpless. "Today is Christmas, everyone should be with their families. Why invite guests? Besides, I need to save this money for college tuition, so I have to spend it carefully and not squander it."
Old Rossi's smile faded slightly as he muttered, "How can this be considered extravagance! And what's the rush for tuition? It's $2, more than enough to cover your tuition with some left over! This is a joyous occasion, how can we not celebrate? I'll definitely invite all the relatives over for a gathering these next few days, so everyone knows you've made something of yourself!"
Qi Ke felt very disgusted, after all, in his view, the principle of not flaunting wealth was an irrefutable truth.
Once his relatives find out he received $2, some might come knocking on his door asking for money; Brownsville is a mixed bag, and it could even attract the covetous eyes of others, causing unnecessary trouble.
But this is an Italian custom; when there is a happy occasion in the family, it is necessary to share it with relatives and friends. He could hardly avoid it, so he could only sigh inwardly and refrain from arguing for the time being.
He pulled Herbert to a corner of the kitchen, lowered his voice, and asked earnestly, "Herbert, can you help me analyze whether Tino is a suitable agent?"
Although Herbert was just a law school graduate and a newcomer who had only been practicing law for a year, he was meticulous and insightful. His performance during today's negotiations had already impressed Zeke, who had a good impression of him.
He met Zick's gaze and said in a low voice, "Well, Tino does have some fame in the music industry. He helped Frank Sinatra and his son with their affairs in his early years, so he has connections. But I heard he has a criminal record and almost went to jail."
"Why?"
"I don't know the specifics, but it seems to have some shady dealings with the mafia," he said, his gaze sweeping over the men in the restaurant who looked like troublemakers. "But I guess you don't care about that, right?"
This didn't surprise Zike at all. He had met Tino in the gang's underground casino, so he naturally didn't expect him to be some innocent, naive girl.
"Herbert, people can't choose the family they're born into, nor can they choose the community they grow up in," Zeke said with a hint of helplessness. "All I can do is try my best to protect myself and do my own thing."
"I understand." Herbert nodded and analyzed seriously, "Generally speaking, Tino has enough connections in the music industry. At least he can help you connect with record companies and negotiate collaborations, so you won't be exploited by those unscrupulous publishers."
"But for the Sirens, this might not be a good thing," he said, glancing at Tino, who was laughing and talking loudly with Colin. "Rock and disco these days are too far removed from their glorious era. The way they play and the market rules are completely different. Tino's experience might not be of any help to them."
Zeke understood Herbert's unspoken meaning: Tino had his moment in the spotlight, but that was a long time ago. It was best not to hand over all of his management business to Tino; if he wanted more than just to be an unknown songwriter and wanted to achieve greater things, he needed to keep some options open.
But these were the conditions agreed upon with Tino beforehand. Although Tino wasn't exactly honest and even "double-crossed" him, he didn't cheat him and kept his promises, helping him to collaborate with the Sirens.
It's normal for someone like Herbert, a graduate of a prestigious law school, to look down on Tino.
Zik didn't want to be the kind of person Tino described as "stabbing someone in the back" at this crucial moment. Moreover, Herbert's words confirmed that Tino also had connections to the mob; if things really escalated to the point of reaching the Mafia bosses, the outcome would be unpredictable.
Perhaps some big shot will seize the opportunity to intervene and demand a share of the profits. In that case, he will only get less money, which would be a net loss.
"There's one more thing I need to remind you of," Herbert suddenly said. "You're a minor, and according to New York State law, the brokerage contract you signed with Tino requires court approval to be valid."
Furthermore, a portion of the income you earn from this song will go into a court-designated trust account, which neither your father nor Tino can access until you reach adulthood. This is actually a good thing for saving for your tuition; I can help you increase the percentage deposited into the trust account to maximize the protection of your assets.
Zik nodded, feeling completely reassured.
After a brief chat, Zeke led Rossi and Herbert to a table in the restaurant, where they sat down with Tino, Colin, and others to discuss his agency contract with Tino.
Colin took a thick contract out of his bag, pushed it in front of Zeke, and said with a smile, "This is a standard brokerage contract we prepared. The terms are all reasonable. Take a look."
Herbert picked up the contract, quickly flipped through a few pages, then immediately waved his hand, saying firmly, "Come on, Colin, you're kidding. You know, a seven-year agency contract with a minor like this would never pass a judge's hearing, and it doesn't comply with the Arts and Business Act."
Colin shrugged indifferently, showing no surprise, and took out another prepared contract from his bag, pushing it over: "I knew you'd say that. This one is for three years, and the terms are similar to the previous one. Take a look."
Herbert took the contract and checked it against Colin's clauses one by one, pausing from time to time to explain the meaning of the terms to Zeke and old Rossi.
When the topic turned to the section on trust accounts in the contract, old Rossi frowned and said with dissatisfaction, "I'm his father, why can't I manage his money? Why put it in some trust account? It's completely unnecessary!"