The next morning, after breakfast.
"You guys should head back now. I estimate I'll be back in one or two days at most, so don't worry," Louis hailed a taxi to the airport, turning to Anna as he spoke.
Anna nodded, a hint of reluctance in her eyes.
Just a few days ago, she couldn't wait to get away from him, but now, in just a short time, she felt reluctant for him to leave.
Cicc nestled against Anna's thigh, reluctant to see Louis go. Her pouting expression was adorable, and Louis couldn't help but wish he could tie the little one to himself.
Why did it feel like a farewell to death just for going out for a couple of days?
Louis hardened his heart and didn't look at her anymore, waving his hand and then turning to sit in the taxi.
As the car pulled away, the two figures in the rearview mirror gradually became smaller. Louis closed his eyes, feeling indescribable.
This was the first time he had someone to see him off on a trip.
At 9:30 a.m., the car arrived at the airport, and Louis waited for another twenty minutes before boarding the plane to New York.
New York, a place where every inch of land is precious, and most entertainment companies' headquarters stand here. People here are used to seeing celebrities, and you can bump into one or two on the street.
There's a saying on the internet that New York is a place where stars walk the streets, and internet celebrities are as common as grass.
At 12:20 p.m., the plane arrived in New York on time, and Louis immediately felt the city's warmth as he stepped off the plane.
Compared to San Francisco, there were so many people here!
Following the surging crowd, Louis struggled to move until he reached Exit 5 and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Standing at the exit, Louis looked at the large group of people holding signs outside, searching for his own name.
He had arranged a time with Bailey before he came, and she would be waiting for him at the exit.
There were too many people holding signs at the scene, many of them were fans picking up celebrities, which made it difficult for Louis to find her. Finally, after a long search, he saw a tall woman in a professional suit holding a sign with his name on it.
Indeed, she was a professional!
Her style was completely different from Anna's. If Anna was gentle as water, then she was capable and free, exuding a kind of intellectual beauty all over.
Louis quickly walked up to her and waved.
"Hello, are you Minister Bailey? I'm Cic!" Louis said, apologizing for keeping her waiting.
Bailey looked at the person in front of her, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly concealed it.
She knew Louis was young, but she didn't expect him to be this young.
He looked like he had just graduated from college, and he had a face that was perfect for becoming a star.
Bailey couldn't help but feel a little regretful. It would have been great if she could sign him.
"Hello, I'm Bailey! I just arrived not long ago. Mr. Cic is really young!" Bailey wore a professional smile on her face and shook Louis's hand lightly before letting go.
"Let's go this way. There are too many people here. My car is parked in the underground parking lot. It's lunchtime now. Let's find a place to eat and talk in detail later?"
"Okay!" Louis nodded, walking alongside Bailey as they headed outside.
Bailey was indeed an experienced professional. She chatted with Louis as they walked, thinking that Louis, being so young, wouldn't be good at conversation. But as they talked, she found that he could keep up with her and chat confidently, not shy like other young people.
This made Bailey look at him with even more respect. Truly outstanding people are popular wherever they go.
Louis didn't know that Bailey had looked at him with more respect. If he knew, he would be speechless. With memories from two lifetimes, he was over fifty years old. If he didn't have this much emotional intelligence, he might as well find a rope and hang himself.
The two got into the car, and Louis looked at the bustling New York outside the window. Bailey occasionally introduced him to the local specialties. In just a while, they arrived at a specialty restaurant. It wasn't big, but it was said to be very authentic.
As they sat down, Bailey ordered the food. While waiting for the dishes to arrive, she finally brought up the main topic.
"I'll just call you Mr. Louis then, Mr. Louis, do you know who you're recommending this time? An amateur or a professional singer?"
"I don't know if Minister Bailey has heard of Anna? She used to be a singer, but she retired later and is considered to be making a comeback now."
Talking about business, Louis also became serious.
Bailey frowned. She had heard of Anna's songs. She was a popular rising star two years ago, with excellent singing skills. But the reason for her frown was that Anna had been forced to retire due to a relationship scandal, and it seemed like her lover was an insignificant pretty face?
This was tricky. Bailey thought for a moment, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before focusing her gaze on Louis.
"I know her. Do you have any relationship with her, Mr. Louis? Do you know why she retired before?"
Louis looked into Bailey's eyes and replied calmly, "We're spouses. She is my wife."
"Uh..."
Even Bailey, who was experienced in the field, couldn't help but be astonished by Louis's answer. Spouses? He was that rumored pretty boy? Was this some kind of joke?
Could it be that Anna had divorced and found someone else?
Seeing Bailey's expression, Louis guessed what she was thinking and couldn't help but smile wryly. "You're right to think so. I am the one who was exposed to the scandal with her and retired together."
Bailey suddenly didn't know what to say. She had heard of Anna, but she didn't know who she was with now. She naturally wouldn't pay attention to idol boy bands like Louis's group, which relied on their looks to eat. She even began to suspect if Louis had written those two songs!
Louis didn't give her much time to think. When he saw her conflicted expression, he continued.
"Is it difficult to let her join your company? If it's really difficult, I can find a way, and my request is not only for her to join your company. I also hope she can have the top resources and freedom in your company, and the contract can't be restrictive."
"In the end, it's still a matter of interest. I believe that with my help, Ocean Entertainment will take a step forward. I still hope you will consider it carefully."
Louis finished speaking in one breath and calmly took a sip of water.
Bailey's expression became serious, showing signs of being troubled. She spoke up.
"In the end, we haven't worked together. Just based on the two songs you released on TikTok, they may not have such great value. I acknowledge Anna's singing skills, but the entertainment industry values more than just singing skills. I believe you understand that. Letting her make a comeback is not difficult, but the top resources and contract freedom you want, we haven't really dealt with such things before."
"We need to discuss this matter thoroughly. It's not a small matter."
Although Bailey did not explicitly refuse, her words implied that this matter was basically impossible.
Not to mention top resources, even if they did give them to her and she managed to nurture her into a first-tier or even super-tier star, if the contract allowed too much freedom and she left, what would the company do? Whom could they turn to?
"You can discuss it. I've expressed my stance here. Apart from the problem you encountered this time, in the future, if you need songs or even scripts, regardless of the genre, as long as you ask, I can provide them."
"I still hope we can succeed in our cooperation. You invited me here this time to see my abilities, right? Now that I'm here, why not make the decision after seeing it?"
Louis said calmly, with an air of confidence.
Bailey glanced deeply at him. She had never seen such a confident person before.
Was this the rumored pretty boy?
Had the world gone blind?