Chapter 172

Hiromi the next day marched me down to City Center. Practically buzzing with excitement, as she guided me towards a specific building into its garage, using an access code she supplied, to enter into the building’s garage.

 

“Must be exciting. To be doing like a real business deal.” I offered to her, as we slipped into the elevator.

 

“I’ve done business deals before.” She replied semi distracted, but I could see her cheeks flushing.

 

“Yeah but that was on the street, this is like the real deal. Bet no one in your class has ever gotten even close to this sort of thing.” I whispered teasingly at the end.

“Definitely not. Those losers and over inflated egotists!” She chirped, pleased, and then focused up as the elevator ride ended, the doors opened onto a fancy upscale reception, carpeted and warmly lit. At the end of the hallway was a woman with tasteful cyberware, elegant and attractive sitting behind a desk.

 

The big company icon above her head was rather telling.

 

I followed along after Hiromi, who had shifted her face into a mask of confident arrogance.

 

Neither woman spoke up at first. Hiromi’s eyes flashing, and the womans did as well, before her cement-like smile broke.

 

“You are right on time Ms. Mitsunashi. Keiko will guide you to the conference room.” She replied and another woman dressed in the same way stepped out of a side door throwing a fake smile and bowing.

 

We both followed Hiromi staying confident and cool, but I could see the tension in how she walked from knowing her.

 

I was basically uninterested in the pageantry. I wouldn’t even be here if not for Hiromi asking me to.

 

I just didn’t need the eddies, or the fame, but if I could help out Hiromi’s dream by giving her access to the rich and powerful, I wasn’t going to deny her.

 

We were guided down the hall, Keiko smiling fakely, her voice chipper and happy as she talked up her company.

 

Blah blah blah. It all went in one ear and out the other.

 

I’ve heard enough corpo jargon in my life. I didn’t need more.

 

Finally the door was held open for us, and we walked into a brightly lit conference room. An entire side of the wall were open windows showing the towers of City Central.

 

But I was more interested in the other end of the table. The one man sitting. Expensive suit, and more expensive smile.

 

But it was the two standing behind him that caught my eye.

 

They looked like accountants. Standing behind him with tablets, and even some actual papers in their arms.

 

But I recognized the stance, the way they held their arms.

 

They were armed. Bodyguards?

 

I stopped behind Hiromi as she took a seat across from the man, earning a confused look from her as there was a chair beside her for me, but I was fully in bodyguard mode myself now.

 

“Ms. Mitsunashi. I am Sam Henson. It is a pleasure to see you face to face. Rarely do I get such riveting back and forth for something so simple as a small music deal.”

 

“Small or large, hardly matters. Not when it comes to who is asking for this deal.” Hiromi seemingly reposted, bringing up Denny in her first line.

 

Ah, if Hiromi had been getting back and forth, then likely the company was trying to screw me?

 

Heh.

 

“Our contract is welcomed by many up and coming artists.” He replied back, but Hiromi laughed fakely.

“Artists, am I right? They never know what they want. Or what they need.” She shrugged, and I actually almost looked at her myself, because that almost sounded like a bit of a dig towards me.

 

I’m sorry Hiromi, I just don’t like all the attention!

 

“Well, we’ve run your contract edits through legal, and they were denied of course.” He offered casually. “I’ve taken the liberty of going through the edits you desired and altering them into something that will work for us.”

 

Hiromi didn’t frown, she didn’t smile either. Simply waited, as the man’s eyes went blue as he sent over a file to Hiromi.

 

I could practically see the file transfer over, but before Hiromi could open it I attacked.

 

Slipping into the network transfer to Hiromi, I popped up a small text file on her agent into her sight.

 

*Motoko: Give me a second. Checking the file.*

 

*Hiromi: Okay.*

 

“A moment then to look it over.” She replied verbally, and I checked over the file searching through it before deciding it was clean. Yoko was right, checking file transfers first was a good idea.

 

Hiromi nodded, popping it open, and I pulled out of her system leaving her to check it over.

 

The room was quiet as Hiromi’s eyes continued to glow telling everyone she was reading through a document.

 

I kept an eye on the other guards, but neither seemed to register me as an actual threat.

 

Which was kinda hilarious, but I just took it as a good thing and continued to stand guard as Hiromi browsed, finally she slapped a hand onto the table.

 

“Ridiculous.” She said instantly. “We are selling a song to Master-Space Records. Not selling the musicians rights. You want to be able to sell the song without giving attention to its songwriter. That doesn’t work for my client.”

“It’s a standard part of our contracts Ms. Mitsunashi, we need to be able to sell the song without any issues from a musician’s public stunts. The contract will make ‘Tank’ a full and complete ownership to Master-Space.”

“You want to have someone else ‘create’ the song and sell it as theirs.” Hiromi argued, and I was just following along not really seeing the issue.

 

Wasn’t that what selling the song to them meant? Hiromi, stop getting fiery!

 

“Correct. That is a standard in our business Ms. Mitsunashi, we understand that you are new to the music industry, and not properly licensed to deal in contract law, so we are being understanding of your limitations.”

 

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

Wow, what a great way to belittle someone. I was really starting to not like this guy.

 

“I have enough experience to see when my client is being taken advantage of. We are here at the request of your company, as you wish to purchase my client’s work. If this is the best you can offer. I can reach out to other agencies. It honestly isn’t an issue for us.” Hiromi states plainly.

 

But Sam wasn’t seemingly intimidated.

“The door is behind you Ms. Mitsunashi.”

“Then I’ll leave explaining the situation to Denny to you.” Hiromi added, rising up, and there was a tension in the room, the two guards behind Sam shifted.

 

I didn’t move. Better to let them think I’m nothing in case I needed to move. If either of them reached for a weapon they would be dead before their hand touched it.

 

“Hold on Ms. Mitsunashi.” Sam demanded and Hiromi calmly finished rising to her feet.

“Do we have any further business Mr. Henson?”

“Allow me a few moments to make a call. It would be a shame to lose your client out of such a profitable enterprise.” He explained with a smile that was as fake as his attempted kindness.

“I can wait a few minutes.” Hiromi replied back drily, confidence in every inch of her. She had definitely won that exchange.

“Enjoy some snacks while we wait.” Sam offered. Pointing to a table that had…

 

I guess they were snacks? I don’t really get it. Hiromi nodded, and actually walked over. Grabbing a soda out of a mini fridge I hadn’t even realized was a fridge and then taking some of the weird… Wafers?

 

Rich people food was fucking weird.

 

She grabbed one and bit into it, and looked to me, but I just shook my head and remained standing in place.

 

I still didn’t like the look of the guards.

 

Time stretched on and eventually Hiromi got sick of standing so she retook her seat.

 

And then Mr. Henson’s eyes finished glowing.

 

“We will acquiesce on the matter of copyright, Ms. Kusanagi’s name will be attached to the song. In regards to your second alteration which I know you will harp on. We will allow a royalty payment into the contract. Although the gross will drop significantly.” He replied with an unhappy smile.

 

“I will be happy to look over the contract again.”

Sam nodded and instantly Hiromi received another file. After checking it again, I allowed Hiromi access to it.

 

She looked it over for a good five minutes. Much longer than she had the first time.