Chapter 110: Fuxing Gao Zhao Zhu Bajie, Goodbye Fan Xiaopang

The production of "Emperor Wu of Han" began in March this year, and by September, when filming the grassland scenes, it had already lasted half a year.

Thus, the grassland scenes were also the final filming location for the "Emperor Wu of Han" crew.

Yan Li joined the crew in September and wrapped up in early October.

His role was relatively minor; there were still scenes to shoot with generals like Wei Qing, Li Guangli, and Li Ling, as well as the Xiongnu side.

For example, Lu Shuming portrayed Li Guang, including not only his middle-aged campaigns and eventual death in battle, but also youth scenes from the reign of Emperor Jing of Han fighting the Xiongnu.

Yan Li estimated that after he wrapped, the crew would still need to shoot for several more days.

Thus, the actual total shooting time for "Emperor Wu of Han" exceeded eight months; when accounting for costume, makeup, set preparation, location scouting, and additional filming, it was at least a year.

It is said the script and creative development for "Emperor Wu of Han" took a year, with over a thousand named characters on the cast list, and with an estimated 60 episodes, post-production would take another half year.

Rounding off, "Emperor Wu of Han" is a high-quality historical epic that took three years to complete.

Considering the cost and cast of "Emperor Wu of Han," though not officially stated, many guessed it would be a strong contender for CCTV's 2005 New Year drama.

Others were guessing; Yan Li already had the official word.

Not only did he receive future information through his intelligence network, but he had also personally seen CCTV personnel visit the set.

The CCTV personnel concealed their identities, but they couldn't fool Yan Li, who had an intelligence system—he even learned CCTV's minimum purchase price for "Emperor Wu of Han."

The price per episode was 650,000 to 700,000 yuan, with the total aiming to stay around 40 million yuan.

But the "Emperor Wu of Han" team's target price was only 600,000 yuan per episode, and they'd be satisfied if the total reached roughly 35 million yuan.

This price gap of 5 million yuan made Yan Li anxious.

But anxiety was useless—this drama was produced by China Film Group Production; they would never hand the distribution rights to him.

Still, Yan Li felt a bit envious of "Emperor Wu of Han."

Big-budget productions require high investment, but they also make huge profits!

"Emperor Wu of Han" originally planned for a 30-million-yuan investment, but as filming progressed, they found it insufficient, so the producer added more funds, claiming a 50-million-yuan budget, though the actual amount was around 45 to 48 million yuan.

CCTV alone would recoup more than half its investment; DVD rights were also being negotiated and expected to exceed 10 million yuan, potentially breaking the TV drama DVD licensing record.

With these two parties together, "Emperor Wu of Han" would essentially break even!

Additionally, dramas of this caliber could negotiate some advertising revenue sharing, and China Film Group Production had overseas export channels.

Moreover, if ratings after CCTV's broadcast were strong, subsequent reruns wouldn't be priced too low.

Yan Li calculated that the total profit of "Emperor Wu of Han" would be no less than 30 million yuan.

Don't think that's small—it seems even less than the returns Yan Li earned from "Conquest."

"Conquest" was too accidental: low cost, high ratings, high returns—a black horse among black horses, with only two or three such hits per year.

Not to mention Yan Li's system had given him an edge; someone else distributing "Conquest" would have struggled to sell it so well.

As always, film and television investment carries high risk; losses and minor setbacks are common, and total write-offs are not rare.

Most productions are lucky to make a few million; projects like "Snow Goddess Dragon," which might profit over 10 million, are high-quality ventures.

"Emperor Wu of Han" not only stands to profit tens of millions, but crucially, it's almost guaranteed to turn a profit—without China Film Group Production behind it, every company would fight over it.

Even with his system's advantage, Yan Li couldn't claim any of his projects were guaranteed profits.

Bringing in investors was necessary due to insufficient funds, but it also shared the risk.

For example, with "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies," Yan Li invested nothing; even if the drama flopped, he only lost time and energy, and could even recover some of his share of the capital.

Dishonest… cough, a good businessman transfers as much risk as possible to others and keeps only the profits.

Honestly, Yan Li felt his talent for business was indeed superior to his talent as an actor…

————

Compared to before, Yan Li now had a bit more status on the "Emperor Wu of Han" set—at least he received flowers upon wrapping.

But Yan Li, who preferred to keep a low profile, didn't make a fuss; he simply greeted the director and a few acquaintances and quietly left the set.

He didn't return to Beijing; instead, he went directly to Dali in Yunnan Province, the filming location for "Huan Tian Xi Di Zhu Bajie."

Almost as soon as he arrived, Yan Li entered negotiations with producer Fan Xiaotian.

"Fan Zong, I'm truly grateful for this opportunity, but as you know, my own project has just started and I'm extremely busy."

"Niu Mowang has too many scenes—I don't have the schedule. Could you assign me a minor role? I won't take any pay—I'll do it as a favor."

"What nonsense."

Seeing Yan Li's firm stance, Fan Xiaotian couldn't force him, so he compromised.

"I'll find you a distinctive role, but I won't let you act for free—you'll get screen time."

"Thank you, Fan Zong, for your understanding."

Yan Li toasted Fan Xiaotian, who then asked about "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies."

Since it was also a mythological drama, he was very interested and even hinted at wanting to invest.

But Yan Li wasn't short on money, and his project shares were already fully allocated, so he dodged the question and shifted to asking about the distribution rights for "Huan Tian Xi Di Zhu Bajie."

Fan Xiaotian's Fu Na had been established for years and was a well-known company in the industry, with considerable reputation and connections.

So they had their own distribution team and typically handled production and distribution in-house, never giving away profits to external distributors.

But Yan Li still tried to negotiate.

After all, he wasn't an ordinary distributor; even if he took a portion of the profit, he could sell more, benefiting the production side.

Yet since Yan Li had only distributed two dramas so far, and because money was involved, many details couldn't be openly discussed, Fan Xiaotian—who prided himself on his strong distribution team—wasn't very interested.

Yan Li wasn't particularly disappointed; it was just a shot in the dark—better if he got the deal, but no loss if he didn't.

…

After meeting with Fan Xiaotian, Yan Li bought two bottles of fine wine, planning to wait until director Meng Ji finished shooting, then talk with him.

He had previously mentioned the directorial position for "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies."

Meng Ji hadn't refused, but hadn't agreed either—he was still hesitating. Yan Li's primary reason for coming to the "Huan Tian Xi Di Zhu Bajie" set was to persuade him.

They didn't catch Meng Ji, but ran into two actors finishing work, one of whom was an acquaintance.

The acquaintance was Huang Haibo, who played Zhu Bajie in "Fortune Be With You, Zhu Bajie," and had once starred in "Years of Passionate Flame."

The other, Yan Li, though he'd never interacted with him, recognized him immediately—the host of "Joyful Total Mobilization," Hu Ke.

Yan Li nodded to Hu Ke, then shook hands with Huang Haibo: "Senior brother, long time no see."

Huang Haibo was from the Class of '97 at Beijing Film Academy; when Yan Li enrolled, Huang was already in his senior year, so they'd met on campus.

They weren't particularly close.

Back then, Yan Li and his classmates were just freshmen, unfamiliar with acting and unsure how to rehearse skits, so during exams, they had to seek advice from senior students.

Early on, Zhang Songwen had a strong accent and often went alone to the playground to practice Mandarin, where he met a senior female student who also liked practicing there.

That senior student was then called Huang Yi, but later changed her name to something like Haiqing.

Haiqing and Huang Haibo were close friends, so through this connection, they became acquainted.

When Yan Li and his dorm mates rehearsed plays in their first year, they invited these two senior students to help guide them a few times.

By the second semester of Yan Li's freshman year, Huang Haibo was nearing graduation and busy with auditions, so they basically stopped seeing each other.

Now, it had been nearly three years, and he never expected to run into him again on the set of "Fortune Be With You, Zhu Bajie."

Compared to Yan Li recognizing Huang Haibo at a glance, Huang's impression of him was fainter.

He simply assumed Yan Li was a fellow Beijing Film Academy junior, nodded and mumbled a few polite greetings, and didn't even recall Yan Li's name.

Yan Li felt slightly hurt, but he could understand.

Not to mention juniors—he himself struggled to remember classmates from Dong Xuan's undergraduate class; he'd only met Huang a few times, and their time together was brief. It was normal not to remember after years.

As for that article in the "Southern Metropolis Daily," it wasn't a world-shaking news story—far more people hadn't read it.

The star from Xiangjiang had jumped to his death over half a year ago, and many still didn't know or hadn't noticed.

The "Southern Metropolis Daily" article and interview did generate some buzz at first.

Aside from a few attentive people and those who knew Yan Li, most were surprised for a moment, then forgot about it entirely—perhaps only remembering the gossip about his rumored romance with Li Bingbing.

He'd built his fortune from nothing, worth tens of millions, but didn't give anyone a single cent; yet the scandal of him dating a movie star was perfect for idle gossip and teasing.

Yan Li wasn't so shameless as to boast about who he was or how well he was doing now—he politely chatted a few more words, then took his leave with good sense.

The female actress accompanying him, however, gave Huang Haibo a strange look after Yan Li left.

"You don't recognize him?"

Huang Haibo replied: "Of course I do—he's a junior from Beijing Film Academy."

Hu Ke opened her mouth but held back; young female actresses tended to be more perceptive about Yan Li.

The reason was that "Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Xian Nu" had loudly held auditions, and many young actresses had submitted resumes—including Hu Ke.

Although she hadn't even passed the preliminary screening, she still knew about the production team and Yan Li, so she'd recognized him just now.

After all, he was the producer of a project investing tens of millions—considered a big shot by non-popular actors—and Huang Haibo's attitude had been so dismissive.

Are all Beijing Film Academy seniors this arrogant?!

…

Unaware of the situation, Yan Li searched for Meng Ji in vain, then wandered back to the hotel. Shortly after entering his room, someone knocked on the door.

Yan Li opened the door and paused slightly—it was Fan Xiaopang, along with Han Xue, whom he'd met at a dinner party.

"What are you…?"

"Han Xue has something to ask you. She's shy, so I brought her to knock."

Fan Xiaopang explained briefly. Yan Li nodded and gestured for them to enter: "Come in and talk."

Han Xue glanced at Fan Xiaopang, then nodded quietly: "Sorry to disturb you, Producer Yan."

Fan Xiaopang stepped forward to enter, but Yan Li blocked him: "She's here to see me—why are you coming in?"

"Huh?"

Fan Xiaopang was stunned, then saw the smile on Yan Li's face and realized he was joking—he rolled his eyes and shoved him aside.

"That girl's so beautiful—what if you lose control? I can't leave you alone with her."

Yan Li shook his head, closed the door, and poured Han Xue a glass of water. Fan Xiaopang stared at his empty hand.

"Is this how you treat guests?"

"I'm afraid you'd suspect I drugged it and wouldn't drink—help yourself."

Yan Li threw his own words back at him. Fan Xiaopang muttered under his breath, didn't drink, and instead opened a bottle of the hotel's complimentary drink.

Han Xue watched the two of them strangely. Earlier, Fan Xiaopang had told her they weren't on good terms and had even clashed on a previous set.

But when she mentioned wanting to meet Yan Li, Fan Xiaopang had volunteered to arrange it.

Now that they'd met, their interaction wasn't warm, but carried a sense of familiarity and casualness—more like friends than enemies.

In truth, Han Xue had misunderstood.

They'd once been more enemies than friends, but now both wanted reconciliation—one wished to befriend a rising star, the other wanted to recruit him.

To directly apologize and yield would be too embarrassing, especially with Han Xue present.

But their old grudges weren't so easily erased—at least, Yan Li felt like teasing Fan Xiaopang whenever he saw him, and Fan Xiaopang didn't find Yan Li particularly likable either.

Thus, they'd settled into a state of sharp-tongued banter, never quite breaking the surface, like rivals who enjoyed mocking each other.

Not to mention, they'd once clashed over "Ju Bao Pen," giving them some mutual understanding; and once they saw the other had value, they immediately wanted to reconcile and befriend—plus, their personalities were similar.

So their rapport was quite good; a few exchanges, and they instantly understood each other.

Yan Li didn't rush to cozy up to Fan Xiaopang—he focused on Han Xue, wanting to get her out of the room first.

From the moment he saw her at the door, he knew her purpose—especially since Fan Xiaotian had hinted at it before.

She was here for "Huan Tian Xi Di Qi Xian Nu"!

To put it simply, Han Xue's appearance was decent—youthful, pretty, and sweet; she'd suit the roles of the sixth or seventh fairy perfectly.

However, Yan Li, who had figured out the other party's situation the last time they met, knew this one was rather complicated.

Although she didn't have that big a background, it wasn't appropriate to bump heads with her either. Yan Li didn't want to curry favor with her, nor did he need to, so there was no need to bring back a young lady to worship at home and cause trouble for himself.

Therefore, Yan Li quickly made an excuse that the roles were full and politely declined Han Xue's self-recommendation.

Han Xue was a little disappointed, but there was nothing she could do. Fan Xiaotian's company was in Su City, which happened to have connections with her family.

But once outside the Su City area, her family's influence wasn't that easy to use. Since Yan Li didn't want to play along, she could only accept it.

Han Xue and Fan Xiaopang left. Yan Li picked up his phone and sent a text message.

A few minutes later, the door was knocked again. Yan Li opened it, and Fan Xiaopang slipped inside.

Yan Li forced a smile: "I thought you wouldn't dare come."

"Afraid of you? You gonna eat me alive?"

Fan Xiaopang was acting tough, but her hands honestly waved, signaling Yan Li not to try anything funny—she could call for people or even call the cops in a heartbeat.

This time Yan Li personally poured Fan Xiaopang a glass of water. Fan Xiaopang didn't drink it, just held the cup and asked.

"You said you wanted to chat with me. Chat about what?"

"Of course, about cooperation."

Yan Li looked at the fair-skinned, beautiful, plump and curvaceous Fan Xiaopang and wanted to chat about other things, but given her fiery little chili personality, he was afraid that once he finished speaking, she'd jump up and scratch his face all over……

(End of chapter)