The Streamer’s Choice

Chapter 142: The Birth of CMG

As the boisterous laughter over 'Big Spender Rosy's' soul floating through the ceiling finally subsided, the atmosphere in the living room began to shift from comedic to strictly business.

Jessica cleared her throat softly to command the room's attention. She retrieved the sleek, silver-framed glasses tucked into her blouse collar and slipped them on. Though merely clear, non-prescription lenses, the moment they rested on her strikingly sharp features, the facade of the clingy girl who loved snuggling with Owen evaporated. What remained was the intimidating, razor-sharp aura of a 'Financial Expert' secretary.

Her slender fingers tapped lightly on the iPad screen, bringing up a performance graph to display in the center of the group.

"Alright, let's get down to business," Jessica swept her gaze over everyone through her lenses. "The individual income tax system in this country operates on a 'progressive' scale. Simply put... the more money you make, the higher the percentage you have to hand over to the government. It scales to the point where it could ruthlessly snatch away almost half of your total income."

On the center sofa, Rosy, who had just barely pulled her consciousness back into her body, was sitting curled up into a tight ball, hugging her knees. Her pretty face was buried in her arms as she muttered in sheer agony.

"The money I worked so hard for—destroying my back and screaming my lungs out for viewers all night... is going to be snatched away for free by those old men in the tax office? That's so unfair!"

"That's exactly why I had Owen call everyone for a meeting today," Jessica continued in a calm yet unwavering tone. "Because if we let each of you file your year-end taxes as an individual taxpayer... some people in this room would definitely end up coughing up blood when the tax bill arrives."

The moment she finished her sentence, Jessica intentionally glanced over Owen's shoulder, her eyes locking onto 'Clara' for just a split second... It was a knowing look shared exclusively between them.

Flinch...

Clara, busy maintaining her gentle lady persona, jolted slightly in her heart. She knew better than anyone that her $180,000 monthly income from OnlyStar was the most massive in the group. If the tax authority investigated and traced the source of this money... not only would she have to pay an exorbitant amount of tax, but her OnlyStar secret could also be exposed to Damien through a notification letter sent directly to their home.

But despite knowing this, Clara forced a tender smile, lifting her teacup to take a sip to conceal her trembling lips.

Owen, sitting in the middle, secretly chuckled at Clara's guilty reaction. Meanwhile, Julian and Rosy (who mistakenly assumed Jessica was referring to Rosy) were nodding vigorously in serious agreement. They were completely oblivious to the fact that the 'real millionaire' was sitting right next to them, sweating bullets while sipping tea.

"Then... what should we do?" Julian asked anxiously. "I don't want Rosy to lose that much money to the government for nothing. I'd rather spend all that cash on gacha games with a 0.000001% drop rate!"

Jessica drew everyone's attention back to the iPad screen, her lips curving into a confident smirk. "The ultimate solution is what's known as the 'Rich Man's Shield'... We are going to register and establish a 'legal entity'—a 'corporation'."

"A corporation?" Rosy lifted her head from her knees, looking at sister Jessica with renewed interest.

"That's right!" Jessica continued, her eyes sparkling. "This is the magic of tax deductions... If we operate as a corporation, we can use almost all work-related expenses as 'business costs' to massively reduce our taxable income. Whether it's the electricity bill, internet, those three high-spec PCs you just bought, Julian's pro-level audio mixer, all those cosplay outfits... or even the luxury designer bags and dresses Clara buys for her 'modeling gigs'—all of it can be written off as corporate expenses!"

Whoosh!

The moment she heard the words "tax deductions," Rosy's large, round eyes flew wide open, sparkling brighter than neon lights.

"Wait a minute! Does that mean the $10,000 I just blew on renovating the new streaming studio can be claimed for taxes too!?"

"Exactly! Every single cent," Jessica confirmed.

"Kyaaa! You're the best, sister Jessica! I love you so much!"

Overjoyed to the point of forgetting herself, Rosy sprang up from the sofa. She tried to lunge across Owen's broad lap to give Jessica an overly enthusiastic hug. But before she could even reach her, Jessica raised a hand and firmly planted it against the girl's forehead. This abruptly halted the collision mid-air, creating a comical sight that made Owen let out a soft chuckle.

"Hold on, calm down there, rising star," Jessica pushed Rosy's head back to her seat while smoothing out her own clothes. "I do have one condition, though... Opening three or four separate companies for each of you would make me, your accountant, spin out of control until I die under a mountain of paperwork."

Jessica met Owen's eyes knowingly before turning back to propose the actual organizational structure.

"Therefore, we are going to consolidate everyone under 'one single company.' This entity will act as the 'Agency' that receives all streams of income into a central pool. Whether it's streaming revenue from Rosy or Owen, or Clara's modeling fees..."

She drew a circle in the air with her finger to simulate the flow for everyone to see.

"From there, I will handle deducting all expenses and pay taxes under the corporate entity, which benefits from a fixed, significantly lower rate. Then, I will distribute the 'net income' back into your individual pockets based on the proportion you brought in... By doing this, my job gets easier, and you guys just get to sit back and enjoy your legally clean money. It's a win-win for everyone."

Jessica's flawless proposal plunged the living room into a brief, contemplative silence before everyone nodded in unanimous agreement without a single doubt.

For Julian and Rosy, they felt immense relief having an expert manage the headache-inducing numbers so they could focus entirely on creating content.

For Clara... she could barely hide her overflowing smile. This structure was the 'perfect smokescreen'! Her massive OnlyStar income would be seamlessly blended and camouflaged with the company's other revenues. This ensured Damien would have no way of knowing its true origin. She could easily continue deceiving everyone into thinking it came from generic modeling gigs and social media sponsorships.

And for Owen... the young man leaned back against the sofa with ultimate satisfaction.

His sharp gaze swept over his comrades (and harem members) in this room. The network of personnel he had painstakingly built was finally going to be systematically organized into something concrete. It wasn't just about opening a company to avoid taxes. It was laying the foundation and driving the very first pillars for his official 'Empire'!

Tap... Tap...

The sound of the stylus tapping lightly on the iPad screen pulled everyone's focus back to the beautiful secretary. Jessica adjusted her clear-lens glasses, her eyes flashing with absolute seriousness.

"Alright, since we've agreed to open a company together..." Jessica swept her gaze across each member. "The first and most indispensable requirement for registering a legal entity is the 'figurehead' who will act as the legal representative, the major shareholder, and the ultimate decision-maker for the company."

She paused for a heartbeat before asking the crucial question. "Who does everyone think... should be the CEO?"

Following the beautiful secretary's question, the living room fell into a dead silence for a brief moment. There was no debate, no nominations, and not even a sliver of hesitation.

As if prearranged, all four pairs of eyes—Clara holding her teacup, Rosy hugging her knees, Julian pausing mid-chew on his cookie, and even Jessica herself—turned in unison to stare squarely at 'Owen.' A unanimous visual consensus was handed over to the young man in the middle without a single vote needing to be vocalized.

As for Owen, who was suddenly stared down by four pairs of eyes as if he were a target, he didn't feel surprised in the slightest. He merely shrugged, naturally accepting this resolution.

"Sure..." Owen accepted in an even tone. "I'm already the one tying up loose ends, planning, and managing all the backend headaches for everyone these days anyway. Tacking on the title of company president won't make much of a difference."

"Excellent. Then it's settled," Jessica smirked with satisfaction, having secured the big boss exactly as expected. Her slender fingers rapidly typed information into the iPad to get the organizational structure in order.

"Owen will be the CEO and major shareholder. Meanwhile, I will take on the role of CFO, or Chief Financial Officer. I'll be the one clashing with the tax office, managing the accounts, and handling all the tax planning," Jessica explained her role articulately. She then turned to the other three. "As for you guys... Clara, Rosy, and Julian. Legally speaking, you will hold the status of 'Employees' and 'Talents' contracted by the company."

Jessica laid out the rules clearly: all revenue would flow into the company's central pool to offset various costs. Then, the net income, taxed at a corporate rate, would be divided and distributed back to each person according to the channels they brought it in from. The company merely acted as a 'giant umbrella' to shield them from the rain and manage the backend. Everyone in the room nodded in understanding. The image of their organization became crystal clear in their minds.

"Alright... now we arrive at the final agenda, which is just as important," Jessica smiled broadly. "What should we name this company?"

The moment this topic was opened, the formal atmosphere vanished. The chaotic instincts of the two teenagers in the room were triggered into overdrive. Rosy and Julian's eyes lit up, competing to raise their hands and pitch names like elementary schoolers vying to answer a teacher's question.

"Me, me, me! I have a suggestion!" Julian adjusted his glasses excitedly. The soul of the young gamer and producer blazed brightly. "It needs to be a name that sounds epic, mystical, and grand! Something like... 'Epic Loot Productions' or maybe 'Dragon Nest Media', how about that! Sounds incredibly cool, right!"

"Ew! That's so tasteless, Julian!" Rosy immediately grimaced, curling her lip at him in disgust. "What era are we in? You can't just name it like a 2010 online game guild! Something like this needs a name that feels dark, mysterious, and alluringly charming... Like 'Dark Rose Studio' or 'Nightfall Entertainment'! Now that will appeal to teenagers!"

"Whoa, your names are totally cringe, Rosy! Who uses a black rose studio name? It's painfully cheesy!" Julian argued back relentlessly.

"Your dragon nest guild isn't any different!"

A fierce verbal war between the two college kids erupted. Jessica, feeling a headache coming on from their chaotic energy, turned to Clara to seek the opinion of the adult who likely possessed the most maturity in the room.

"What about you, Clara... do you have any suggestions for a name that sounds more mature and formal?"

Clara, who had been thoroughly enjoying the kids' debate, paused for a moment before offering a tender smile and slowly shaking her head at Jessica.

"I'm so sorry, Jessica..." she said in a warm voice. "When it comes to numbers or naming things, I really have zero ideas in my head. I'll leave it to the youngsters." To Clara, the name didn't matter at all, as long as it could get her tax deductions.

Politely rejected, Jessica was out of options. She quickly turned to stare at the only remaining young man... the last hope of the village.

"And you, Owen?" Jessica raised an eyebrow. "As the CEO, do you have any ideas?"

Owen clasped his hands on his lap, pretending to think deeply, even though he felt the exact opposite inside. He was simply enjoying the simple yet chaotic atmosphere in this living room. He loved watching Julian and Rosy bicker, seeing Clara smile at him periodically, and watching Jessica play the role of the immaculate secretary, even though she was really just a clingy, cheeky girl in private.

Therefore, he hadn't been thinking about it as seriously as his facial expression suggested. He was just trying to come up with a simple name that seemed logical.

"Hmm..." Owen hummed in his throat, keeping his face as deadpan and serious as possible. "The main goal of setting up this company is to properly manage streaming taxes and finances, right?"

The young man nodded at his own flawless logic before uttering the name in a firm tone.

"Then name it 'StreamTax Solutions'... Straight to the point, easy to understand, no beating around the bush."

Crickets...

The moment Owen's overly literal name dropped, Rosy pulled a sour face like she had just bitten into a tart lemon. Julian facepalmed in absolute despair. As for Jessica... she simply closed her eyes and let out a massive sigh through her nose.

It was the driest, most depressing, and utterly unimaginative company name they had ever heard!

"Okay, we should just skip the CEO's opinion entirely." Jessica shook her head in exasperation. She instantly flipped the switch to shut off Owen's input, causing the young man's eyebrow to twitch violently.

'What? My name was so straightforward and practical,' Owen grumbled inwardly.

Jessica wasted no time. She swiped across the iPad screen again and turned it around to show everyone in the center of the table. It displayed a logo of three English letters, designed with sleek minimalism that showcased true corporate creativity.

"Our company in the future will have to deal with sponsors, major brands, and maybe even the Awakened Association," Jessica explained with a firm tone, radiating absolute professionalism. "We need a name broad enough to cover all lines of work, not just limited to game streaming or modeling. And it needs to be a name that sounds credible when spoken."

She pointed her fingertip at the screen. "I propose the name... 'Creator Management Group', or CMG for short."

The words 'Creator Management Group' echoed in the living room. Everyone paused to think about Jessica's words... It was a name that didn't restrict itself to just gamers, cosplayers, or OnlyStar models. Instead, it was a hub for managing 'creators' of all forms. It sounded grand, trustworthy, and ready for scaling up to something much larger.

"Whoa! CMG? Sounds like a public corporation right in the business district," Julian muttered in awe.

"I'll admit it... this name is a little bit cooler than my Dark Rose." Rosy shrugged, surrendering to the CFO's professionalism.

Seeing that everyone nodded in unanimous acceptance, Owen curled his lip into a satisfied smile. He nodded slowly, giving the final seal of approval.

"Then it's settled. Jessica, prepare the company registration documents under the name CMG."

Amidst the late morning sunlight streaming in, the atmosphere in the living room was filled with smiles of hope and excitement... Just a few days ago, they were merely streamers and ordinary people struggling to make a buck. But today...

Creator Management Group (CMG) was officially born. And this was the first step of a media empire—one that would inevitably rise and shake the power structure of Titan City’s surface world.

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