Chapter 24: Heinz Commercial

While Yesan and Raymond were still debating between the two record companies, Ethan was already at Apollion's Lion Advertising Company, listening to the latest news with Jimmy and Maroni.

"Our luck is really good!" Apollion lounged on the sofa, his round belly propped up on the armrest. "Guys, that picky old man at Domino's is extremely satisfied with our advertisement. Now, all over the U.S., they're displaying the billboard that Ethan came up with the idea for!"

"Thank God!" Maroni, the manager of the advertising company and Apollion's friend, was responsible for basic tasks and advertisement proposals. He wore a dark gray suit, a pink tie, and had light yellow hair, giving him a rather flamboyant look in Ethan's eyes.

Jimmy also joined in the applause to celebrate.

Dudley wasn't among them because since the last party, he had been entangled with a girl he measured with his hands on set, who refused to let go, even dragging him to meet her parents.

Upon hearing this unfortunate news, Apollion and Jimmy expressed their condolences, noting that entering the marital trap so early meant one should not handle women lightly.

Therefore, Ethan had taken over the photographer role, and Jimmy was in charge of lighting and art, which suited him well.

Once everyone had finished celebrating, Ethan asked, "So, sales must be skyrocketing now."

"Of course!" Apollion's eyes widened, arms spread wide. "I heard Domino's is even expanding delivery to Glacier Bay in Alaska. I hope the delivery staff don't freeze while delivering."

Apollion referred to Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska, known for its vast wilderness and tall coastal mountains, an area sparsely populated.

"Maybe they can deliver pizzas on seals! Hahaha," Maroni's hearty laugh echoed in the meeting room, making everyone else laugh as well.

"Now, after the success of the Moragan ad, a new company has immediately extended an olive branch to us. Look at this," Apollion said, picking up a red ketchup bottle made of glass from the table.

"Familiar. Isn't this Heinz ketchup?" Jimmy pointed out. "We buy it often at home."

"Me too," Apollion nodded. "It's a national brand, well-known."

"So why would they come to us?" Although Lion Advertising had shone with Domino's, Heinz Group should have no shortage of advertising companies.

Maroni explained, "It's not that they only contacted us, but that they need us to compete. We and five or six other ad agencies need to submit our proposals to their company. If we pass..."

He snapped his fingers, his mouth curving into a smile, "Then we can land this ad, and future ads won't be an issue either!"

"Sounds good."

"Of course, it's great! Especially the advertising fees!" Maroni's eyes lit up when talking about money. "If we can secure it, the continuous ad revenue will let each of us live comfortably!"

"Wow!" Jimmy was also excited.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. This was undoubtedly the best opportunity to escape poverty. Even if the MV earned money, he had no share in the profits.

On the other hand, as the creative planner and photographer for Lion Advertising, he could make more money.

Just as he was thinking this, Apollion looked at Ethan and said, "Ethan, in fact, I hope you can provide the creative concept for the Heinz ad."

"What do you mean?" Ethan straightened up.

Maroni added, "Simply put, we hope you can be one of the planners for this ad."

"One of?"

"Yes, I'm also a planner," Maroni said with a smile, crossing his legs. "I was busy communicating with clients. Otherwise, I would have been in charge of the Domino's project."

"Okay, I understand. But how is the salary arranged?" Ethan picked up on the underlying message: if he was involved, the project wouldn't be his.

"As for the salary, you can get 5% of the after-tax ad fee after deducting the shooting costs. Jimmy would get 3%. How does that sound?"

Maroni proposed his plan, but Ethan shook his head without speaking.

"Too little!" Jimmy exclaimed. "We should get 8% for both of us. The Domino's ad wasn't calculated like this."

Apollion looked a bit troubled and said, "Don't be so harsh, Maroni. We're friends, brothers."

"Alright, alright." Maroni backed down. "But Apollion, the company can't only have friends and brothers. As the manager, I have to be responsible for the whole company. So, 10%, that's the best I can offer. The company needs to operate, and there are many expenses, you know."

Apollion reassured them, "Maroni is right, Jimmy. This is already the best condition."

"Okay, then let's have a pleasant cooperation!"

Jimmy wanted to argue further, but Ethan directly agreed to the terms and picked up his glass.

"Cheers to our cooperation!" Everyone raised their glasses in celebration, leaving Jimmy a bit sulky.

After leaving Lion Advertising and getting back into the car, Jimmy couldn't help but ask, "Buddy, why do I feel like something's off?"

"What?"

"You're not being honest! This isn't like you, brother! They're taking advantage of us!" Jimmy noticed some underlying tension in Ethan's expression.

Ethan smiled and said, "You're right; they're indeed taking advantage of us, but it doesn't affect our cooperation, does it?"

"This time? What do you mean? Is there no next time?" Jimmy, being Ethan's good friend, could guess Ethan's thoughts from his expressions and tone.

"Simple, Jimmy. Listen to their reasoning. The company can't just have friends; the best conditions. In fact, if it weren't for me, the Domino's project wouldn't have satisfied Monaghan, and the Heinz offer would be even more unlikely." Ethan's tone grew more serious. "But they see us merely as ad planners and lighting technicians. Ten percent for two people—what a joke!"

"Exactly! So we need to fight for more!" Although Jimmy was close to Apollion, he was pragmatic about money. He didn't understand why Ethan agreed so hastily.

"No, Jimmy. So why don't we strike out on our own?" Ethan spread his hands. "You and me, we start our own advertising company, with all the shares in our hands. Isn't that better than working for someone else?"

Jimmy looked at him in surprise. "Yeah, I see. So that's what you were thinking."

"Exactly. That's why we need connections, Jimmy. We need a ladder. And the Heinz project is the best ladder. We need to hold onto it."

"What about Apollion?"

"Don't worry, I know what you're thinking..." Ethan tapped his knee with his finger. "He's a good guy. I hope we can part on good terms.