Chapter 104: No Wonder Everyone Likes to Con Coal Bosses

Jingcheng, Yi'an Film & Television

Yan Li led several people into the company, walking as he introduced: "Boss Jin, Young Qian, General Bao, this is our company."

Young Qian was a fat man in his twenties; he glanced at the setup and looked slightly disappointed.

"It's not very big."

Yan Li's expression didn't change: "Young Qian, you don't understand— we're in cultural industry, light-asset, don't need so many staff; in all of Jingcheng, you can count on one hand the film companies with over a hundred employees."

General Bao was a bald man in his thirties, with a fearsome appearance.

If he swapped his shirt for a flashy T-shirt and added a gold chain, anyone would believe he was a crime boss.

Yet his manner was refined, his voice soft and gentle: "General Yan, so young, started from nothing, reached this level in just one year—truly admirable."

"The market is booming, I'm just riding the wave—I can't compare to General Bao's vast enterprise."

Boss Jin was the oldest, in his forties or fifties, with an ordinary face and a faint Shanxi accent.

"Your company's already sizable. The other film company I visited the other day—ten-odd people crammed into a residential building; that boss kept bragging how great he was. If he were really great, how could he not even afford an office?"

Yan Li nodded in agreement: "Boss Jin's right—this industry is full of sharks and frauds; project investments must be chosen with care."

After showing them around the company, seeing the packed, bustling workstations, all three secretly nodded in approval.

It really looked legitimate!

Yan Li's office was small, so he led them to the conference room, which he'd pre-arranged to be set up as a reception lounge.

Secretary Hu Ya came over to pour tea; Yan Li continued introducing his company.

"Since Yi'an Film & Television was founded, we've produced or participated in multiple film and TV projects."

"You all know 'Conquest'—it's our company's most successful work to date."

"It recently aired on Jingcheng TV, ranked number one in its time slot, second in overall viewership for Jingcheng TV's dramas this year; before that, 'Conquest' already topped Tianjin TV."

"For this project alone, we've already earned over thirty million yuan; future revenue streams include various copyright sales, with nationwide influence."

"Besides that, we have two other projects: 'Detective Di Renjie' and 'Snow Goddess Dragon.'"

"'Detective Di Renjie' is a collaboration with CCTV; it's very likely to air in CCTV's prime time, with total investment exceeding twenty million yuan—we alone have invested nearly ten million."

"For 'Snow Goddess Dragon,' we didn't invest—we're handling distribution only."

"So far, we've reached agreements with over a dozen local channels and established contact with two satellite TV networks; preliminary estimates suggest we'll help the production team earn at least twenty million yuan."

"…."

Yan Li had previously mocked Sima Qian's biased historiography; now he outdid Sima Qian in embellishment and selective omission.

After hearing his introduction, it sounded as if every Yi'an project was a money tree dripping gold, and Yan Li himself was a living god of wealth—just invest and you're set.

Faced with Yan Li's flattery, Boss Jin and the other two's eyes gleamed with desire.

Yan Li didn't pick his investors randomly.

With his intelligence system, he could select to some degree and understood his investors' circumstances intimately.

All three were genuine coal bosses, still owning several mines each.

Boss Jin had little education, so he craved what he lacked.

Thus he liked to squeeze into the cultural circle; before investing in film and TV, he had been a major backer of multiple art exhibitions, exhibitions, and book publications.

Most impressive—he'd even funded avant-garde theater.

In his own words, though he didn't understand it, he felt it was sophisticated, so he was willing to support art.

For Boss Jin, whether these investments made money didn't matter—he cared about boosting his "cultural depth," shedding the crude image of a coal boss.

But he realized these investments were too niche, too obscure, circulating only within small circles, failing to reach the public scale he wanted.

In short—he found bragging unsatisfying.

So Boss Jin wanted something high-end, famous, something people had heard of and understood, something that would earn him admiration and praise.

Thus, Boss Jin began investing in more easily famous film and TV projects; before meeting Yan Li, he'd backed three projects: two films, one TV drama.

The films were both art-house; neither hit theaters; the directors claimed they'd entered international festivals, but it was just a free trip abroad with no impact.

The TV drama only aired on a few county-level stations, then got shelved and forgotten.

Boss Jin lost a lot of money—and worse, it was useless: no one had heard of his projects, his money was wasted.

Since then, Boss Jin had become cautious—losing money was fine, but being a fool he wouldn't tolerate.

Yan Li connected with Boss Jin solely thanks to the prestige of 'Conquest.'

Boss Jin had watched 'Conquest'; so had many of his friends and acquaintances.

So Boss Jin trusted Yan Li—if 'Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies' became as popular as 'Conquest,' he'd have something truly impressive to brag about.

Young Qian had needs similar to Boss Jin's.

Boss Jin wanted to brag, to show he had culture and taste—not some crude tycoon.

Young Qian wanted to prove he wasn't a lazy, wasteful heir, and also to make bragging easier; if he could date one or two female stars, even better.

His family also started in coal, but now he invested in other local industries; his wealth was substantial.

Before this, Young Qian had never invested in any film or TV project, barely even came to Jingcheng; Yan Li only connected with him through the system.

Despite his complaints, Young Qian had the strongest investment desire of the three; his visit to the company was just a formality.

Put it this way: before Yan Li reached him, Young Qian was the type who had money and wanted to invest in film and TV, but hadn't found the right path.

Any other production team he contacted could've drained his wallet—or at least conned him out of a million or two.

And among the three, the last one, General Bao, had the simplest motive—

To make money!

General Bao was originally a coal boss too, but now he had no mines; he held a lot of cash and began investing everywhere.

The film industry was one he favored; he'd previously invested in several dramas, with mixed results, and had relatively rich experience.

This time, he was willing to invest because Yan Li's track record impressed him and he saw potential in the 'Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies' project.

To be honest, although the previous landowner and foolish young master were easier to fool and more generous with their spending, Yan Li actually preferred to collaborate with this wealthy and discerning Boss Bao.

Knows the business, recognizes value, doesn't cause trouble!

As long as he can make money, he's your most loyal supporter.

Leaving the first two aside, if possible, Yan Li hopes to make this Boss Bao a long-term partner.

…

Returning to the project "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies," Yan Li was also lying with his eyes wide open to secure investment.

"... For the Seven Fairies, we plan to invite multiple popular young actresses to form an all-star cast, including Li Bingbing, Fan Xiaopang, Jiang Qinqin..."

Cai Shaofen raised his hand: "Can we invite Qing'er from 'Huanzhu Gege'? I love her the most."

Yan Li hesitated: "That's difficult. After all, she's quite famous, her schedule is tight, and her fee is a problem."

Cai Shaofen slammed the table: "If you get Qing'er, I'll add another three million on top of the original five million, as her fee."

Yan Li cleared his throat: "I can try."

Wang Yan's current status hovers between first- and second-tier; her market rate should be around 20,000 to 40,000 per episode.

"Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" has 38 episodes total; each Fairy appears in roughly 20 to 30 episodes. Her fee, even at the maximum, won't exceed one million. With good negotiation, we can wrap it up for five to seven hundred thousand.

Worth a try!

But Yan Li casually reminded Cai Shaofen: "Wang Yan—that's Qing'er—she's married, and her husband is quite wealthy."

"Huh?"

Cai Shaofen was stunned.

Yan Li shook his head; he figured this guy was just a fake fan—staring at the TV drooling, never bothering with gossip, unaware his goddess was already someone else's wife.

Without pressing further about whether the three million would still be invested, Yan Li gave Cai Shaofen time to recover and continued discussing the project with Jin Laoban and Boss Bao.

Jin Laoban didn't ask for anything specific—just wanted his name in the credits, so he could take photos with the main creators later and brag about it.

No problem at all; Yan Li placed great importance on the investor experience.

He guaranteed Jin Laoban's name would appear prominently as producer, large and lasting; if needed, special thanks could be added at the opening and closing credits.

Jin Laoban laughed heartily; the five-million investment was no longer uncertain—it was practically secured.

Boss Bao was more practical—he cared about how much equity he'd get for his five million.

"Boss Bao, here's how it is: our total planned investment for this drama is thirty-five to forty million."

"The TV station takes one share; we don't have a broadcast license, so we must pay to air it. Plus there are other investors, and we must account for distribution costs. Our company has worked tirelessly on this for so long—we need to make some profit too."

"For your five-million investment, I can give you at most twelve percent equity."

"Too little."

Boss Bao refused: "Don't think I'm clueless. Your estimated investment figures are inflated. Five million? Minimum twenty percent equity."

"Impossible."

Yan Li replied firmly: "Since you understand the business, you know equity prices vary—would the price for the same percentage be the same in the angel round as in the A round?"

Boss Bao argued back: "Twelve percent is too little—even if we profit, it's just a taste."

Yan Li refused to budge, insisting there simply wasn't that much equity to give; what they were being offered was already squeezed out of thin air.

If Yian Pictures weren't stretched thin managing multiple projects, this surefire profitable venture would never seek outside investment.

The more Yan Li refused—even appearing unconcerned—the more Boss Bao wanted to fight for more equity, and he convinced Jin Laoban and Cai Shaofen to back him.

Those two weren't fools; though their main goal wasn't profit, why not earn more if they could?

The interests of the three investors were aligned—they must stand together.

So the three united in pressuring Yan Li, who, unable to withstand, finally gave in, slamming his hand on the table with gritted teeth.

"All three of you chip in another five million together—total twenty million—and fully support my authority on set. I'll handle the other investors for you."

Jin Laoban and Cai Shaofen turned to Boss Bao, who hesitated for a moment, then whispered with the two for a minute or two before nodding in agreement.

"Fine."

Yan Li sat down reluctantly on the table, unable to suppress a sigh.

Twenty million was enough to cover all production costs for "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies."

It meant he spent nothing, yet gained full control of the project and the lion's share—over half—of the remaining equity.

No wonder everyone loves conning coal bosses—pulling off a free ride really is satisfying...

————

PS: 9,000 words. Please vote for monthly tickets, and feel free to suggest actor candidates for the Seven Fairies—I'll consider them.

(End of Chapter)