Faced with this somewhat dissolute-looking young man, Beyoncé was momentarily taken aback, then, as if realizing something, her face lit up with surprise.
"You're the Street Jesus from Brownsville?"
"I bought your record. I've listened to Take Me to Church on repeat so many times."
"Both your vocals and the music video are top-notch!"
Receiving such high praise from a superstar caught Leon off guard. This was Beyoncé, after all—formerly of Destiny's Child.
Whether it was Listen, Single Ladies, or Halo... just pick any one of her works, and it's Grammy-level history.
As for that racy music video... let's not even mention it. A little more, and it would have been rated R18.
There was no lofty artistic pursuit there; it was purely T-Ray satisfying his obsession with glutes. And even that got praise from the Queen?
But thinking about how Beyoncé herself possessed a perfect posterior celebrated by the entire nation—and wasn't shy about showing it off—Leon wasn't surprised anymore.
"You're too kind, Ms. Beyoncé. As you can see, I'm discussing contracts with Mr. Jay-Z."
As he spoke, Leon glanced at Jay-Z casually, as if hinting that he had the Queen's backing now.
"That's wonderful! Signing you is Roc Nation's good fortune. Welcome to the Kingdom!"
The two chatted happily, almost ignoring the existence of the boss, Jay-Z. Watching Jay-Z's face turn increasingly green, Phil was sweating bullets.
After the conversation, Beyoncé left an excellent impression on Leon. Although she was a top-tier diva in the music industry—perhaps the number one in many eyes...
She felt very approachable, not aggressive like her fierce stage persona might suggest.
Beyoncé in real life, just like on stage, exuded vibrant vitality and affability.
"Ahem... Honey, Leon and I still have some business to finish..." Seeing the overly enthusiastic Beyoncé, Jay-Z finally couldn't help coughing twice.
"Is that so? Then I won't disturb you any longer~" Beyoncé pulled the chain on the jaguar's collar, leaving behind a graceful retreating figure. "Darling, take good care of this pretty boy for me. I have a feeling he's going to achieve great things."
"Don't worry, I will, Honey."
After Beyoncé left, Leon was still immersed in the surreal experience of chatting with a superstar.
Something that could only happen in dreams just over a month ago had miraculously occurred in reality.
Knock, knock—
Jay-Z rapped on the table to draw Leon's attention back, saying in a deep voice, "Since my wife thinks so highly of you, I can make some small adjustments to the contract."
"I have to fly to Chicago in three hours. You'd better make a decision quickly."
Leon nodded in agreement.
With Jay-Z's wealth, there was really no need to haggle over pennies with Leon. Right now, this kid was just a small fry whose record sales hadn't even hit six figures yet.
The main addition to the new contract was simple: as long as Leon's debut album sold over 50,000 copies in its first week, he would get a 30% sales royalty.
It sounded difficult, and in reality, it was extremely tough.
Tens of thousands of newcomers emerged in the music industry every year, but very few could achieve this result.
But achieving it meant reaching the level of a B-list celebrity.
After Jay-Z left, Leon toured Roc Nation's recording studios, dressing rooms, and dance studios, guided by an assistant.
The deep-pocketed Roc Nation even had its own massive indoor soundstage. From equipment to personnel, it was on par with Hollywood studios.
And this soundstage was built just to shoot music videos that were only three to five minutes long.
Even having worked at a major corporation like Epic Records, Phil couldn't help but marvel at the luxurious setup. "No wonder Roc Nation makes old giants like Sony and Columbia nervous..."
He gently touched the buttons on the mixing console, treating it like a lover.
There were six fully equipped recording studios like this one at Roc Nation headquarters, barely meeting the recording needs of its vast roster of singers.
For the next week, Leon spent his time either shuttling between bars in major East Coast cities to make quick cash or attending vocal training arranged by the company.
His schedule didn't seem much different from before signing, but it was noticeably tighter.
This pressure often made him feel overwhelmed, leading to frantic moments and even wearing the wrong performance outfits.
While performing at a gay bar in Queens, he even wore a graphic tee he bought casually from a street vendor.
Besides a graffiti image of a middle finger, the shirt had a line of text printed boldly below it: Fk off damn gay.
This oversight resulted in him being buried under hundreds of bras thrown from the audience.
In politically correct America, if something like this happened at a major music festival, it would basically sentence a singer's career to death.
"Maybe I should remind you, it's time to find an assistant. You can't handle everything alone anymore."
Phil was talking easy, standing on the sidelines. His thirst for money had been suppressed for too long, and he had been booking Leon for gigs like crazy recently.
"Assistant?"
"Yes. You have too many things to deal with every day. You need someone to give you a little help with your life." Phil grinned mischievously. "I know a considerate and gentle girl from Manhattan Beach. She's tamer than a pet dog. I think she'd be a good choice."
Another streetwalker?
Forget it.
Leon immediately rejected Phil's half-joking suggestion. He didn't want his new apartment contaminated with strange viruses from the ghetto.
However, he did seriously consider hiring an assistant. Even though he was still small-time, the schedule was relentless.
Spending a few thousand dollars a month to hire a helper would be well worth it.
Suddenly, a name flashed through his mind.
"Bonnie?"
Since Leon moved to Brooklyn Heights, Bonnie had been reluctant to let go of her golden ticket.
In her heart, he was a treasure she picked up from a park bench. Like a child she raised herself, now that he was successful, she couldn't let others benefit.
In fact, she had benefited a little from Leon's fame. The footage of her twerking in the music video was played on loop on the big screen at the strip club, and her tips had risen with the tide.
Besides that, she was now a YouTube influencer with over 7,000 followers, and selling used lingerie was also making her a decent profit.
After careful consideration, Leon decided to give the job to Bonnie.
Although the girl was scatterbrained and had no work experience in this field...
The most important rule for a personal assistant is: the person must be trustworthy!
Otherwise, one day, a cup of coffee could cost you your life.
Although Bonnie's lifestyle wasn't exactly that of a "good girl" in the traditional sense, at least she didn't have a bad heart.