Chapter 108: Millionaire Net Worth Exposed: Twin Weapons Merge?

In September, as the list of the Seven Fairies was largely finalized.

The production team of "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" also began targeted promotion, vigorously launching an online vote for the Seven Fairies.

As well-known mythological figures, the Seven Fairies still held some influence, and with the gimmick of a beauty pageant, they attracted many netizens to participate.

Unsurprisingly, the votes for those popular young actresses led by a wide margin.

Actresses such as Xiao Yanzi, Lin Xinru, Zhou Young Master, Zhang BaiZhi, and A Jiao all had large fanbases and public support; regardless of suitability or whether they could be secured, the voting couldn't be lost.

The production team's internally selected candidates also showed strong voting performance.

Li Bingbing, as a popular young actress, even if slightly less popular than the above group, still had considerable support.

Li Lin's stunning performance in "Shang La Hua Jiao Jia Dui Lang" left many with a strong impression, regarding her as a goddess of ancient costume dramas, so her vote count was high.

What surprised Yan Li slightly was that Hao Lei also received some votes—though not particularly many, she ranked among the top among the undecided candidates.

It seemed that her role as Wuyunzhu in "Young Son of Heaven" had earned her considerable admiration from viewers and netizens.

Others like Jiang Xin, Yang Rui, Yang Xue, and Dong Xuan currently had little fame, so their low vote counts were expected.

At the same time, Yan Li also noticed several individuals with relatively low fame but some netizen support.

Liu Tianxian, the actress who portrayed Wang Yuyan in "Demigods and Semi-Devils," Yan Danchen, a 1996 classmate from Beijing Film Academy who also starred in "Young Son of Heaven," Hao Lei, who likewise appeared in "Young Son of Heaven," and Yin Zhao, who had just risen to fame through "The Historical Sky."

Surprisingly, Dong Jie, whom Yan Li had expected to receive high votes, performed disappointingly.

Perhaps because of "Golden Powder Family," people's impression of her leaned more toward the Republican and modern eras.

Yan Li had originally considered considering candidates who performed well in open auditions.

But after discovering that apart from Yan Danchen, there were no particularly suitable candidates—or those who wouldn't accept the offer—he simply ignored them.

As for Yan Danchen, her appearance and aura were fine, but like Sui Junbo, she had the drawback of being too mature—she could only play the earlier roles and wasn't suitable as a younger sister.

Li Bingbing and Dong Xuan couldn't be changed, Li Lin was already settled, so they could only regretfully miss the opportunity and wait for another chance.

With the online voting and media promotion, "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" also attracted considerable external attention.

Not only did numerous print media reach out for interviews, but some television programs also showed interest in the production team.

Some astute individuals turned their attention to Yan Li, such as "Southern Metropolitan Daily."

This media outlet, known for its sharp instincts and sensationalism, after some investigation, keenly discovered that the overall producer of "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" was in fact a young man in his twenties.

Initially assumed to be a rich second-generation playing around, further digging revealed that this boss of Yian Pictures seemed to have started from nothing, was also an actor, and had graduated barely over a year ago.

The increasingly enthusiastic "Southern Metropolitan Daily" soon conducted a full background check on Yan Li and produced a front-page article.

"A Beijing Film Academy Graduate, One Year Out of School, Earns Millions in the Film Industry—Is This Young Actor an Entertainment New Elite?"

The subtitle added Li Bingbing's gossip—【In Business, He Succeeds; In Love, He Succeeds Too—Li Bingbing Suspected to Be Infatuated with "Huo Qubing"】

"Southern Metropolitan Daily" gathered quite detailed information.

Including Yan Li's hometown and background, they didn't crudely label him as a 2000 class student of Beijing Film Academy's Performance Department, but specified he was from the vocational class.

His specific resume, due to his low fame and unreleased works, mainly focused on "Conquest" and "Emperor Wu of Han."

Especially "Conquest"—no one knew how the reporter found out, but they reconstructed the entire situation fairly accurately.

Yan Li acted in "Conquest," met Gao Qunshu, purchased the rights from him for five million yuan, then pitched it to various TV stations, making a substantial profit.

The exact amount earned was not uncovered by "Southern Metropolitan Daily," but through market estimates, they judged Yan Li had earned at least ten million yuan.

They also interviewed Jin Ling Television and another unnamed drama purchaser, obtaining their evaluation of Yan Li.

【He speaks with competence, is shrewd, possesses outstanding business negotiation skills—almost certainly one of the most difficult distributors they've ever encountered.】

The most absurd part was that these people actually discovered Yan Li also traded stocks, and used this to explain where his initial capital for acquiring "Conquest" came from.

Honestly, after reading this article, Yan Li himself found it unbelievable.

The "Conquest" affair was known to many, involved many people, so some information being uncovered was understandable.

But the stock trading—Yan Li did it entirely at home, known only to a few close associates and some securities firm staff.

The former wouldn't betray him; the latter protected client privacy.

So Yan Li strongly suspected "Southern Metropolitan Daily" fabricated the stock trading story to enhance his rags-to-riches image—and just happened to stumble upon the truth by accident.

Later, through intelligence channels, Yan Li realized he was only half right.

"Southern Metropolitan Daily" had indeed guessed, but not by accident.

During the groundbreaking ceremony for "Emperor Wu of Han," Yan Li invited a group of reporters to praise him.

During conversation, because one reporter also traded stocks, they casually exchanged a few words—and the reporter wrote it down.

The essence was simply to highlight Yan Li's distinction from ordinary actors; this practice had become standard, a form of promotion.

Enjoying niche hobbies like racing, opera, calligraphy, and ice skating was normal enough.

Even stranger quirks—collecting animal carcasses, dead people's photos, stealing things, wearing the same pair of socks for ten years—were all about standing out and grabbing attention.

Actors trading stocks wasn't new, especially among Xiangjiang stars, many of whom nearly jumped off buildings during the financial crisis.

At the time, that reporter heard Yan Li had made money from stocks and wanted to compliment him on his financial acumen and economic insight, so he added that line—no one paid attention then, and Yan Li himself didn't notice.

But this article caused "Southern Metropolitan Daily" to dig it up again.

Then, half-truthfully, they gave Yan Li the title "Little Stock God," further emphasizing his legendary rags-to-riches story.

Thus, in the article, Yan Li's path to wealth was presented clearly.

He started with the stock market, bet on the neglected "Conquest," turned it from trash to treasure, made a fortune, amassed a net worth of ten million, then, while winning the heart of a beauty (Li Bingbing), invested in and produced "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies," with a promising future.

"Southern Metropolitan Daily" also attached a photo of Yan Li, using the exact still from "Conquest."

Yan Li portrayed Wu Tian, slicked-back hair, a fitted black shirt with the collar open, his eyes disdainful as he looked at Zhou Guoquan, his rugged, handsome face exuding charm with a touch of arrogance.

Paired with the article's content, a sharp, highly capable business star leapt into view.

…

"Tsk tsk tsk."

Yan Li, holding the newspaper, thought about giving the reporter a red envelope as a token of appreciation.

He specifically checked the byline: the chief reporter was Pang Yidian, and a secondary assistant was Wei Yang.

Good!

Yan Li memorized both names; next time he needed a promotional soft article, he'd hire them.

Afterwards, Yan Li arranged for Deputy General Yue and Wang Decai to spend money and find ways to amplify the article's momentum online and offline.

Since it had been exposed, and it wasn't something shameful, there was no point hiding it.

Make the commotion bigger; Yan Li would enjoy the thrill of fame, but most importantly, it would boost "Huan Tian Xi Di."

As always, Zhang Dahuji knew how to stir up hype—and so did Yan Li.

Moreover, Zhang Dahuji was old-looking and ignored; he could only hype actors. Yan Li, however, could promote himself directly.

A young tycoon who rose from nothing, a new entertainment elite, was far more attractive than an old man with a beard.

In today's society, economic development surged, social attitudes gradually shed conservatism, success theories ran rampant, and young people yearned to rise above others, seeking overnight fame or fortune; everyone slowly turned toward money.

At this moment, someone who built wealth through stock trading, became a millionaire within a year after graduation, sparked gossip with a female star, and transformed from a minor actor into a producer—

Pick any one of these, and it would attract countless eyes; combine them, and Yan Li's name rapidly appeared on every major news front page.

Yan Li had imagined becoming famous through acting, or through scandalous photos—but never expected he'd become famous simply for being rich.

He was both amused and exasperated, overwhelmed by a flood of media interview requests.

Online and offline, there were those who praised and admired him, many who questioned the hype, and numerous so-called "insiders" leaking all sorts of rumors—it was chaos.

Yan Li arranged for Yi'an Film & Television to issue an official clarification statement, while selecting two platforms for interviews.

His top choice was CCTV, but perhaps due to its news nature, or uncertainty over authenticity, CCTV never sent an invitation.

So Yan Li accepted interviews from the Southern Metropolis Daily and Sina. com—one print media, one portal site.

Sina. com sent a full production team, planning a video interview; they took it very seriously.

The Southern Metropolis Daily sent two people: one fat, one thin—the very reporters who had written the earlier report, Pang Yidian and Wei Yang.

During this interview, Yan Li officially responded to some claims in the article and online criticisms.

"My first fortune truly came from stock trading; the capital was my salary from my first drama and some side earnings. I got lucky and made some money."

"I don't think 'Conquest' was luck—I believed in this drama from the start, certain it would become popular, which is why I secured the rights."

"Actually, 'Conquest's' profits were even higher than reported; I won't state the exact number, but being a millionaire was certainly justified."

"I and Bingbing are just friends; that so-called gossip was a misunderstanding. We were having dinner, and her agent Wang Jinghua was there too—they've already clarified this."

"'Huan Tian Xi Di' is our next major project at Yi'an Film & Television—huge investment, top-tier costume, makeup, set design, and special effects teams; the Seven Fairies' cast was selected from the very best…"

Yan Li spent only half the interview answering questions about himself; the rest of the time was spent discussing "Huan Tian Xi Di."

He also casually mentioned "Snow Goddess Dragon" and "Conquest," both currently profitable, and his own secured advertising slots—why not use them?

After the interview, Yan Li followed protocol and gave the interview team a token of appreciation, then arranged for Pang Yidian and Wei Yang to go to a bathhouse to relax that evening.

He'd noticed earlier: those two kept sneaking glances at the reception desk and the Sina female reporter.

Clearly lecherous!

To deal with men like this, take them to a bathhouse or nightclub, put a girl in their arms—it worked far better than cash envelopes.

True enough, when they heard Yan Li's arrangement, their faces lit up with smiles, especially the leader Pang Yidian, whose fat cheeks practically oozed joy.

"Director Yan, rest assured—we'll write the news article beautifully for you."

"Thank you, gentlemen. I have another meeting. This is my assistant—he'll handle any requests you have."

Yan Li could pay for the token of appreciation, but accompanying them wasn't necessary; these two were beneath his level—Lin Jiachuan could handle them.

After seeing them off, Yan Li returned to his office, took a sip of water—and his phone buzzed.

【Dong Xuan】: Still working late today? The bathtub arrived—I tried it, two people should fit fine.

【Qin Lan】: Finished your business trip? I miss you. By the way, I bought a new DVD—we can watch and learn together~

Yan Li typed replies on his phone. Since the Southern Metropolis Daily exposed his situation—even after he claimed some details were fictional and tried to soothe them—

the effect was minimal; Dong Xuan and Qin Lan's sense of crisis skyrocketed, terrified Yan Li would be lured away by some outside seductress.

They competed daily to satisfy him in every way possible; Yan Li was both happy and troubled.

The happiness needed no explanation; the trouble was how strictly they now monitored him.

If Yan Li hadn't held firm, and immediately used "sleep therapy" whenever things looked suspicious, these two women would've already grown suspicious.

Besides these two troubles, other girls he knew also became more enthusiastic and forward after hearing the news.

Huang Shengyi, already selected as a Star Girl, had grown slightly cold toward Yan Li—but after seeing the report, she instantly turned back into his beloved "Big Brother."

If she hadn't been busy filming and couldn't get away, she would've rushed back to Jingcheng and used every trick to please Yan Li.

Even Li Bingbing, though experienced and not prone to groveling, had considered whether to stir up gossip with Yan Li.

Gossip with a minor actor would hurt her—no benefit to her career.

But gossip with a promising young businessman? That was a perfect match—talented man, beautiful woman—perhaps even bringing her advantages.

But Li Xue absolutely blocked it!

She feared Li Bingbing might fall for the act, and feared that if Yan Li and her sister sparked gossip, she'd have zero chance left.

Otherwise, if the scandal of sisters competing for a man broke, it would be a super scandal neither her sister nor Yan Li could withstand.

What surprised Yan Li most was Fan Xiaopang—this woman had previously sworn they'd go their separate ways.

Now that she saw his net worth was ten million and he had many projects, she acted as if nothing had happened, asking when he'd start filming "Fu Xing Gao Zhao Zhu Bajie."

She even claimed that when media asked her about Yan Li, she'd praised him lavishly—and told him to treat her to dinner later.

With such casual, intimate tone, Yan Li almost forgot they weren't truly close friends.

No wonder you're a nine-hundred-millionaire—you can pick up and put down, your face is truly thick.

But Fan Xiaopang's friendly overture sparked another thought in Yan Li.

Could he also bring Fan Xiaopang into the "Huan Tian Xi Di" cast?

If Fan Xiaopang plays the role, who else but the Fifth Fairy, the most beautiful woman in the Immortal Realm, could possibly take it?

Yan Li kept thinking and increasingly felt there was still some room to maneuver here.

At this stage, Fan Xiaopang isn't hard to recruit—she's played the female lead in "Pingsheng Xia Ying," but she's also taken many supporting roles, even far more supporting roles than leads.

If she could land the lead in "Mobile Phone," it would be fine, but after losing to Li Bingbing, the gap between her and the top-tier young actress is still substantial.

So now, although Fan Xiaopang doesn't take just any role, she's been hopping between dramas to build connections.

If others can get by that way, Yan Li counts as one connection too.

Although the Fifth Fairy in "Huan Tian Xi Di" is a supporting role, if Fan Xiaopang takes it, Yan Li will owe her a favor; later, when a suitable female lead role comes up, he can consider her—mutual assistance, after all.

The only difficulty is her relationship with Li Bingbing.

After "Mobile Phone," the gap between them widened; no one knows if they're still willing to act together.

But then again, Yan Li managed to get Li Bingbing—who's more popular than her—to play a supporting role; Fan Xiaopang's willingness to take a supporting role would likely be even higher.

The benefits are obvious; whether he can persuade and reconcile the two depends entirely on Yan Li's own ability…

(End of Chapter)