It seems to me like he would have quickly signed the agreement if it were, say, for 3 months salary. So his "I'll keep my self respect" morality argument seems

It seems to me like he would have quickly signed the agreement if it were, say, for 3 months salary. So his "I'll keep my self respect" morality argument seems a little weak. Like the joke goes, "We've already established what you are, now we're just negotiating your rates...".