"Don't worry about the money. You've made so much, what is there to worry about?"
"Squeezing in with Mexicans and Salvadorans... Imagine what would happen if people found out you're a singer."
Hearing this, Leon glared at Phil. "You forgot I still have to pay damn income tax!"
But Phil actually had a point. Illegal immigrant crime in New York had been rampant lately.
Those Central American gangs even brought their "glorious tradition" of dismemberment and intimidation to the streets of New York.
Although Leon had money now, counting Jay-Z's handout, his net worth was barely over $90,000. With the property prices in Brooklyn Heights, rent alone was enough to give him a headache, not to mention other living expenses.
"How about this apartment?"
Leon took the picture. It was a penthouse apartment on Henry Street.
Although it was only 800 square feet—a standard bachelor pad—it came fully furnished and ready to move in.
Most importantly, it was very close to the Roc Nation building, only about a 20-minute walk. Based on the listing, you could even faintly see the Manhattan skyline across the East River.
The asking price was $8,500 a month.
This price sounded shocking at first, but for this location and size, it was actually extremely cost-effective.
Leon didn't want to waste any more time on apartment hunting, so he readily asked the agent to take him to see it.
After a quick inspection, although the details differed slightly from the photos, it generally met his expectations.
After signing a stack of lengthy agreements, he stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Looking out, he could indeed see the Manhattan skyline in the distance.
"It's getting late. We have to hurry to meet Jay-Z!"
Big shots tend to have eccentric tempers. For the King of New York, Jay-Z, being even a minute late for a small timer like Leon probably wouldn't fly.
---
At 3:00 PM, Leon arrived at the Roc Nation headquarters in Brooklyn.
The company had offices in New York City, London, Nashville, and Los Angeles, but Jay-Z firmly kept the headquarters in Brooklyn, the place where he grew up and made his fortune.
As soon as he stepped through the doors of Roc Nation, Leon felt his blood pumping as he looked at the photos lining the walls.
The photo wall documented Jay-Z's entire journey from a low-level drug dealer to a legendary superstar.
There were plenty of photos with big shots, like President Obama, Madonna, and Michael Jackson...
But the one that caught Leon's eye the most was a photo of Jay-Z with the late gangsta rap legend Tupac Shakur.
In this photo taken in the 90s, Tupac and Jay-Z were hugging, looking incredibly close.
But according to deep dives by many news outlets, Jay-Z and P. Diddy were very likely the masterminds behind Tupac's murder in 1996.
The more Leon looked at the smiles in that photo, the colder he felt. The dark side of the entertainment industry was fully exposed right there.
Taking the elevator to the 23rd floor, guided by staff, he finally met Jay-Z in the innermost office.
The luxury of this office left Leon speechless. It looked to be over 3,000 square feet—and remember, this was in Brooklyn Heights, where land is gold.
Scattered casually around the office were precious antiques and celebrity memorabilia Jay-Z had picked up at auctions around the world.
Masterpieces by Paul Gauguin and Picasso worth a fortune were hung casually on the walls.
The cabinet behind him was filled with the dazzling awards he had won over the years at the Grammys and VMAs.
Most unbelievable of all, he actually kept a jaguar weighing over 150 pounds in his office.
The jaguar, which had been lying docilely at Jay-Z's feet like a kitten, stood up immediately upon seeing strangers, eyeing its prey with a fierce glint.
Phil's legs went weak instantly, and he tried hard to lean closer to Leon. "Fk... keep that thing away from me..."
Jay-Z interlaced his fingers and smiled. "Relax. She's my wife's pet, a gentle lady."
Leon rolled his eyes helplessly at Phil, forcefully pried Phil's grip off his arm, walked up to Jay-Z, pulled out a swivel chair, and sat down.
Jay-Z smiled even wider now. "I like young people like you. Look at that ambition... reminds me of myself when I was young."
Saying this, Jay-Z pulled a stack of documents from a drawer. This was the contract prepared for Leon.
Leon was satisfied with most of the content, especially the one-year short-term contract, which aligned perfectly with his thinking.
Any contract that felt like a deed of sale carried potential risks. Once he truly blew up, a long-term contract would instantly turn into shackles.
Regarding copyright ownership, the contract was also quite fair. The copyright of works independently created by the singer belonged to the author, while the copyright of works provided by the company belonged entirely to the company.
Leon breathed a sigh of relief here. Many record labels demanded a share of the copyright revenue even if the work was created entirely by the singer independently.
The only thing he was dissatisfied with was the record sales split. Roc Nation was only willing to offer a 20% cut to new artists.
Leon was very unhappy about this. Singers at Beyoncé's level could easily take at least 40% of record sales no matter which label they were with!
He raised this issue directly to Jay-Z's face: "Boss, can the record sales split be raised a bit?"
Jay-Z's face darkened rapidly. "Company policy for new artist contracts is originally 15%. Out of my wife's appreciation for you, I've already raised it to 20%."
"What else are you dissatisfied with?"
Phil was also winking furiously from the side, constantly tugging at the hem of Leon's shirt. "Quit while you're ahead..."
Quit while I'm ahead?
This logic clearly didn't exist in Leon's world. He only believed that all benefits were won by fighting for them.
Just as he was about to try and hustle Jay-Z further, a woman's rich, beautiful voice came from outside the office door.
"Mimi~ Mimi, are you in there?"
Hearing the woman's call, the jaguar at Jay-Z's feet reacted quickly, brushing past Leon as it pounced toward the door.
The office door opened, and a tall, fit woman in a tight white dress appeared.
Dark golden long hair, long, powerful legs, dark skin but without overly prominent African features...
Her perky chest bounced restlessly, looking ready to burst through the fabric at any moment. Her already long legs, accentuated by high heels, pushed her height over 5'11".
"Mimi~ You little rascal, always making Mommy worry~" The woman squatted down and hugged the jaguar tightly, looking adoring.
In that squatting position, the woman's domineering "tail lights"—even deadlier than her long legs—were highlighted by the tight dress, maximizing the visual impact.
Woman and jaguar together... she exuded an astonishing queen-like aura from head to toe.
"Beyoncé?!" Phil looked like he had seen a priceless treasure. Having worked in this industry for years, he dreamed of managing a phenomenal diva like this.
Meanwhile, Leon had slowly stood up. Under Jay-Z's gaze, he walked toward Beyoncé.
He extended his right hand to Beyoncé, the corners of his mouth tilting up 45 degrees.
"Hello, Sister-in-law."