The More Tragic I Act, the Stronger I Get — My Fans Beg Me to Stop Killing Off My Roles-Chapter 7: The domineering screenwriter presents an A-level contract!

Lin Wan didn't even lift her eyelids, completely ignoring him.

The man's face fell with embarrassment: "Don't act so high and mighty! Are you free tonight? Big brother will take you for a drive?"

Jiang Ci's brows instantly furrowed tightly.

Where did this idiot come from?

Just as he was about to say something, the golden halo that he had thrown into the corner to gather dust suddenly lit up without any warning in his mind!

[Warning! Player Identification Aura activated!]

[Detected high concentration of player energy!]

[Target locked: Unknown male (Mercedes owner)]

[Danger level: C (Beginning fisherman, casting wide net phase)]

[Hunting mode: Activated]

Jiang Ci: "???"

No way?

It just... triggered?!

He subconsciously looked at the man in the Mercedes beside them.

The next second, an even more absurd scene appeared.

Above the man's head, several semi-transparent text labels that only he could see were clearly floating!

[Conversation technique: Street pickup template 1.2 (Show-off wealth version)]

[Micro-expressions: Pupils rapidly scanning, currently evaluating target's appearance, temperament, and vehicle value]

[Next action prediction: Request contact information, add to 'fish pond' candidate list]

Holy shit!

This damn halo... is actually real?!

And its functions are this overpowered?!

This is basically a human-shaped self-propelled scumbag scanner plus tactical prediction system!

Just as Jiang Ci was shocked, the traffic light turned green.

The Mercedes S-class guy wanted to keep blabbering, but Lin Wan had already floored the accelerator.

"Idiot."

Lin Wan's red lips parted slightly, coldly spitting out two words.

Jiang Ci was still in a state of immense shock.

Looking at that golden halo now, he suddenly found it much more pleasing to the eye.

Although it was forced upon him, this thing... doesn't seem to be useless after all!

In the future, if any clueless player dares to approach his friends, he can detect it immediately, and then...

Then what?

Jiang Ci fell into contemplation again.

He couldn't just read out the labels above people's heads, right? Then he'd become the crazy one.

It seems the proper way to use this halo still requires deeper research.

The car soon drove into the old, run-down neighborhood where Jiang Ci lived and stopped steadily downstairs.

"We're here." Lin Wan said.

"Thank you, Teacher Lin." Jiang Ci quickly unbuckled his seatbelt, preparing to make a quick exit.

"Wait."

Lin Wan stopped him, taking a thick document folder from the glove compartment and handing it over.

"What's this?" Jiang Ci looked completely confused.

"Your contract." Lin Wan's tone was as calm as if she were talking about the weather, "A-grade contract, the highest treatment the industry can offer newcomers."

She looked at Jiang Ci and added, "I've already had our company's legal department draft it. If there are no issues, my assistant will come to the set to find you the day after tomorrow. He'll handle the follow-up procedures."

Jiang Ci took the heavy document folder, his mind completely blank.

A-grade contract?

Highest newcomer treatment?

And, company?

He thought Lin Wan was just a top-tier screenwriter, but he never expected she actually had her own company!

And... she's just directly signing him like this?

Jiang Ci pinched the edge of the document folder, the touch firm and real.

He pulled out the contract.

Black text on white paper, the words "Artist Signing Contract (Grade A)" came into view.

Signing company: Spark Media.

Legal representative: Lin Wan.

His fingers trembling, he flipped to the compensation terms.

Contract duration: Three years.

Annual salary: Five hundred thousand (pre-tax).

Following were densely listed resource allocation clauses.

For a film student who was still poor and nearly starving yesterday, there was no reason to refuse.

"Teacher Lin..." Jiang Ci looked up, his throat extremely dry, "Can I ask a question?"

"Speak." Lin Wan was sparing with her words.

"After signing, how much autonomy will I have in script selection?"

This was what concerned him most.

His life was tightly bound to "tragic" roles. If the company forced him to play some sunny, cheerful, naive character, he wouldn't even have a place to cry.

Lin Wan seemed to have anticipated this question.

She restarted the car, her gaze fixed ahead, her tone indifferent: "Spark Media can't compare to those entertainment giants, but we don't lack top-tier script resources in the industry."

"As long as you can deliver the same performance as today, the company will use all resources to help you get whatever role you want to play."

"Of course, the prerequisite is that the script quality must pass muster."

"In my company, I don't keep useless people, and I certainly don't keep garbage."

"Moreover, I am the industry's gold-medal screenwriter myself!"

Jiang Ci understood.

Lin Wan had given him the utmost respect and freedom.

"I have no more questions." He solemnly put away the contract, "Thank you, Teacher Lin."

Lin Wan said nothing more.

Jiang Ci pushed the door open and got out, standing downstairs and waving at Lin Wan in the car.

The black Cayenne didn't pause for even a moment, quickly disappearing into the night.

Jiang Ci stood in place, the evening breeze blowing past, making him shiver as he finally came back to his senses completely.

He looked down at the document folder in his hand.

Then looked up at the old, small building without even an elevator in front of him.

Everything felt so unreal.

Returning to the rental room of just over ten square meters, he locked the door behind him, slapped the contract onto the table.

He picked up his phone, took a deep breath, and dialed a number.

The phone rang twice before being answered.

"Hello? Son, calling so late, are you out of money again?" His mother's familiar voice came through, filled with concern.

Jiang Ci's usual silly, playful demeanor completely vanished at this moment.

His nose suddenly stung with emotion.

"Mom."

"Oh, what's wrong?" Mother Jiang was immediately frightened, "Did something happen? Did you get treated unfairly outside? Tell mom, don't be afraid!"

"No." Jiang Ci quickly adjusted his emotions, forcing a cheerful voice, "Mom, it's incredibly good news!"

"I... I got a role in a big-budget production! Playing a really important character!"

Though he called it an important role, it actually had less than three scenes in total.

"Really?!" The voice on the other end was filled with disbelief and delight, "I knew my son would make something of himself! What kind of role is it? Is it very demanding?"

"Not demanding." Jiang Ci leaned against the cold wall, then added, "Mom, I... also signed with a company."

"Annual salary, five hundred thousand."

The other end of the phone instantly fell into silence.

So long that Jiang Ci thought the signal had dropped.

"Hello? Mom? Are you there?"

"...I'm here."

Mother Jiang's voice was thick with nasal tones, accompanied by sobs she couldn't suppress no matter how hard she tried.

"Good... good... my son... has finally made something of himself..."

"Mom, don't cry." Jiang Ci couldn't bear to hear this, immediately panicking.

"I'm not crying! I'm happy!" Mother Jiang sniffled, forcing herself to sound strong, "Your dad... if your dad were still here, seeing you like this today, how happy he would be..."

The word "dad" was something he hadn't heard in a long time.

In his mind, that cold countdown seemed to be ticking again.

He couldn't die.

If he died, what would happen to the woman who loved him most in this world?

"Mom, don't worry."

Jiang Ci's voice was firm.

"From now on, everything will be better."

"I'll earn lots and lots of money, buy you a big house with an elevator, and never let you work so hard again."

Mother and son talked for a long time.

Only when the phone became almost burning hot did Mother Jiang reluctantly hang up.

Jiang Ci put down his phone and let out a long sigh.

He walked to the table and picked up the Grade A contract again.

His gaze fell on the signature area, on those two sharp characters: "Lin Wan."