Chapter 128: Three Principles: Loyalty, Loyalty, and Dammit

Yan Li's physical presence and comfort were still very effective; Qin Lan's mood improved considerably.

Scolding her means she acted well—she should be proud!

The production in Su Province was still filming; Yan Li couldn't stay long, so after accompanying her for two days, he left Beijing and returned to his hometown.

Spring Festival was coming soon, and the crew had a pile of tasks; as the producer, Yan Li was the boss and couldn't abandon everyone to go home for the holiday.

So he could only squeeze in a day or two to visit his parents, then wait until filming ended to decide.

Before, when talking to his parents, he knew the family restaurant's business had been good because of the braised meat.

But seeing the actual scene of his family's restaurant upon returning home still surprised him.

It was barely four in the afternoon, when the restaurant should have been least busy, yet nearly every table was filled.

Zhang Hong saw her son's astonishment and explained to Yan Li: they only made so much braised meat each day; sales started in the morning and were usually gone by evening, so those arriving at dinner time might not get any.

This was only because they imposed limits—each table was restricted from buying too much, otherwise they'd run out by afternoon.

"Then why limit it? Just wholesale it."

Yan Li thought his parents worked too hard from dawn to dusk, serving customers; just wholesale the braised meat, sell out, and close up.

"Your dad loves running a restaurant; braised meat is the specialty, and there are plenty of regulars who come for the other dishes too."

"As long as the braised meat's well-braised, slicing and seasoning it isn't hard; when they eat it in the restaurant, add a few other dishes and drinks, we make more profit."

"The limit is mainly to avoid conflict—some buy too much, others get none; we're neighbors, kinfolk, we must take care of everyone."

"…."

Yan Li understood: he thought his parents were tired and wholesale would be easier; they thought being tired was fine, as long as they earned more.

As for why they didn't expand production or open branches to earn even more—

It was due to many considerations: too busy, market saturation, high risk, and they dared not try lightly.

In short, Yan Li's parents were rural small-restaurant owners with limited vision and courage.

For them, if the restaurant did well, they just worked harder, ran it honestly, and were content to earn a little more within their understanding.

Yan Li thought about it and said nothing.

His parents were nearly fifty, had run the small restaurant for years, had little education, and their mindset on this was fixed; no need to force a change.

If they truly expanded—opened branches or a processing plant—they'd feel uncertain, worry daily, lose sleep and appetite, and end up making things worse.

Earning money was his job as the son; his parents staying at the restaurant, having something to do each day, was fine.

Of course, the small restaurant was exhausting; Yan Li planned to persuade his parents to hire more staff to reduce their burden.

Otherwise, if they got sick from overwork, how would they help raise grandchildren later?

Yan Li, who deeply understood his parents' nature, knew other arguments were useless—this one worked: Zhang Hong and Old Yan, no matter how frugal or neglectful of their health, would move heaven and earth at the mention of grandchildren.

Learning her son would leave in just a few days, Zhang Hong had the resolve to close the restaurant for one day.

This was rare; restaurants were a hard-working trade; closing a day risked losing customers, so unless it was Spring Festival or the weather was terrible, Yan Li's restaurant never closed.

Now they closed for Yan Li—not only because they valued him, but because the braised meat was so delicious they had no shortage of repeat customers and could afford to be arbitrary.

After packing up and eating dinner with his parents, Yan Li started calling people the next day.

This trip home, besides visiting his parents, he also wanted to bring some people back to the film crew.

As previously mentioned, film crew personnel were complex, with many hidden rules.

Yan Li was young and lacked industry prestige; even though he understood the work and had authority on set, some people still didn't take him seriously.

They wouldn't openly defy him, but half-hearted efforts and small tricks weren't absent.

Of course, if Yan Li wished, with his status and position, he could easily dismantle and co-opt them, then kick out the troublemakers.

But this incident taught Yan Li a lesson.

Power flows from bottom to top; being isolated doesn't work, especially in a crew full of gangster-like vibes—just having a dozen strong young men standing there, without him saying a word, made everyone take him seriously.

Also, Yan Li now had some money and cared more about safety.

With poor public security and many criminals targeting the wealthy—robberies, thefts, kidnappings, and so on—bringing a few extra men made him feel tougher when traveling.

Last year, Yan Li had started researching this, made some contacts and selections, and had already called ahead.

So when Yan Li left his hometown, he took nineteen young men with him, all physically strong, so much so that airport police questioned them twice.

These nineteen young men included Yan Li's relatives, childhood friends, classmates, and acquaintances.

Among them, a few were worth mentioning.

Yan Xin, Yan Li's cousin, twenty-one, just returned from mandatory military service this autumn; originally working at a factory in Dao City with his classmates, now he came to join his cousin.

Yan Li's father's generation had three brothers, named after 【Sea River River】; Yan Li's generation had four brothers, named after the Confucian Five Constants: 【Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom, Integrity】.

But because "Yan Ren" was too ambiguous, the eldest cousin was named Yan Yi, Yan Li was second, Yan Zhi third, and Yan Xin the youngest.

The four cousins were close in age, so they grew up playing together and had strong bonds.

When Yan Li returned home to "recruit soldiers," his first thought was his cousins.

But the eldest cousin, Yan Yi, was married with a young child; now he and Yan Li's uncle had bought a truck and took turns hauling goods, living comfortably, and couldn't abandon family and business to follow Yan Li.

The third cousin, Yan Zhi, was the only one in the Yan family with a bachelor's degree, and he studied medicine.

He was currently attending university in Quan City and reportedly preparing for graduate school; Yan Li couldn't ask his cousin to drop out and join his film crew—his uncle and aunt would kill him.

So only Yan Xin, the cousin with no achievements and no burdens, enthusiastically followed Yan Li to seek his fortune.

Besides Yan Xin, the other person Yan Li trusted most was Wu Maowen.

He was Yan Li's childhood friend from the same village; they played together since pissing in the mud, through preschool, elementary, and middle school, nearly inseparable, until Wu Maowen dropped out of middle school to work, when they saw less of each other—but remained best brothers.

Whenever Yan Li was away from home and his parents needed help, they always called Wu Maowen to run errands.

So their bond was extremely strong; last year, Yan Li had wanted Wu Maowen to join him, but Wu Maowen's father was ill and he couldn't leave.

Now his father's health had improved, and after spending heavily on treatment, he followed Yan Li to work.

Wu Maowen was introverted, steady, quiet, and deeply loyal; Yan Li planned to make him his driver.

Besides, there were Tian Yuan and Tian Ye, two brothers who were Yan Li's classmates at the martial arts school.

The elder brother was simple and honest, but exceptionally strong; the younger one was sharp and clever, with a ruthless streak—back in martial arts school, the two of them served as vanguard and strategist for Yan Li's little gang.

These two had no proper jobs back home and just wandered the streets.

Yan Li sought them out because he knew them well and knew they were willing to fight and take risks.

These days, doing business requires a few tough guys on your side; if everyone's law-abiding, you'll get picked on easily.

As for the rest, Yan Li would decide their placements later—his three principles were simple—

Loyalty, loyalty, and damn it, loyalty!

There were plenty of outsiders, but these people hadn't made it back home, their abilities were mediocre; Yan Li didn't expect them to help him much—what mattered was obedience: they did exactly what he told them to do, staying tightly clustered around him.

…

Yan Li returned to the set with a group of men, causing some commotion.

As Yan Li said, having nearly twenty young men standing there was incredibly persuasive.

Yan Li didn't let them sit idle—he assigned them roles as production assistants, logistics staff, or background extras; whatever needed doing, they did it, and in addition to the set's pay, he gave them personal subsidies.

"Bro, all these people are under your command?"

Compared to the set's commotion, the shock felt by Yan Xin and the others was even greater.

They knew Yan Li was doing well—he'd said he was in business and ran a production team.

But hearing was one thing; seeing a crew of hundreds bustling about with operations they couldn't understand, people bowing and greeting Yan Li as they passed—it filled their eyes with astonishment, confusion, excitement, and a touch of unfamiliarity.

Was this really the mischievous, troublemaking Yan Li they knew?!

"Cough."

Yan Li squinted, slowly pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and exhaled a thin plume of smoke.

"Relieved? Good. Work hard—I'll get each of you a house and a wife."

"Yeah yeah yeah."

Everyone nodded eagerly, buzzing around Yan Li with questions, and he answered patiently.

Wealth without returning home is like walking in silk robes at night!

Similarly, showing these old friends from home what he'd achieved, feeling their admiration and shock—it brought him immense joy. Yan Li was a common man, and he thoroughly enjoyed this pleasure.

"Hey, bro, isn't that Fan Bingbing?"

"The one in green looks familiar—I've seen her on TV."

"Is the one beside her Longshen? I love her the most."

Yan Li glanced at the young man pointing at Dong Xuan and patted his shoulder.

"Pick someone else to like—she's your sister-in-law."

"Huh?"

Meanwhile, Dong Xuan and the others had noticed Yan Li's large group; Yan Li waved, and Dong Xuan walked over herself, and he introduced them.

"This is Yan Xin, my cousin; Wu Maowen, my sworn brother; Tian Yuan, Tian Ye…"

Dong Xuan brushed her hair back and said gently, "Now we're family. Traveling far from home is hard—anything you need, talk to your brother or me."

"Alright, go back. I'll take them out to eat and arrange their lodging."

"Mm, drink less alcohol."

Dong Xuan understood Yan Li's nature—she was obedient and virtuous, giving him full face, leaving Yan Xin and the others utterly stunned.

That was a TV star—and in front of Yan Li, she acted like a meek little wife. The impact was overwhelming.

Yan Li felt it was enough—he didn't want to overstimulate them or keep them awake all night. He called Lin Jiachuan, Zhou Yi, and a few loyal crew members to go out for dinner.

They were all insiders—better to get everyone on the same page so they could look out for each other later.

They drank, played, painted a thousand pies—and Yan Li gained full loyalty.

They were all young men in their early twenties, at the age when loyalty and naivety ran high.

Having an old buddy from childhood pull you out of your hometown, treat you to good food and drink, give you a job, and promise to help you earn money and settle in the big city—that feeling made you want to sell your soul to him…

————

Two days after Yan Li returned to the Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies production team, nearly all the people he brought had found positions.

Besides Lin Jiachuan, he now had Wu Maowen, a quiet man, by his side.

Aside from Dong Xuan, his wife, the other actors paid little attention—they cared more about how to celebrate the New Year.

During the Spring Festival, the crew did not take a break; actors and staff remained on set.

This was normal in the film industry; anyone who hadn't spent a New Year on a set wasn't considered a true insider.

But there were customs to the New Year—crew benefits or short holidays were matters of great concern.

Yan Li also took this seriously.

During the Spring Festival, everyone was far from home, still working hard—if handled poorly, morale would collapse, affecting filming quality and schedule, and if something went wrong, trouble would follow.

There were precedents for this in the film industry!

If the crew mistreated people or failed to relieve emotional pressure, internal resentment would build.

Actors and crew would strike, sabotage equipment and props, fight, spark conflicts—light cases halted production; severe ones could kill the entire project.

So after discussing with Wang Decai and others, they decided not to be stingy.

Yan Li gritted his teeth, scraped together some funds, and allocated them specifically for Spring Festival benefits and bonuses, granting two days off on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Don't complain—it's standard. Few productions give more than three days off; some even work on New Year's Day.

One production team staying at the same hotel as Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies did exactly that.

They didn't stop working a single day—only on New Year's Eve did they wrap up early to allow time for reunion dinner and watching the Spring Festival Gala.

Originally, many in the Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies crew complained about the short holiday—but once they heard how the neighboring crew was treated, their mindset instantly balanced out.

Yan Li was also sneaky; after learning of this, he began using the intelligence system to probe the Spring Festival arrangements of several other production teams.

Then, leveraging his strengths to exploit their weaknesses, he arranged for his own people to spread rumors—comparing dishes with Team A, bonuses with Team B, and holidays with Team C.

"Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies" suddenly became filled with joy, and Yan Li became known as a benevolent boss, praised by everyone.

January 21, 2004, New Year's Eve

Yan Li not only ordered the New Year's Eve dinner from the hotel, but also cooked personally, braising a large pot of meat that was immediately snatched up.

Fan Xiaopang gnawed on a pig's trotter, staring at Yan Li in amazement: "I never knew you were such a good cook."

"You've got no idea what else you don't know."

Yan Li frowned at Fan Xiaopang: "Eat less. I swear you've gained weight since joining the crew."

"Nonsense."

Fan Xiaopang nearly jumped up: "How could I get fat? I don't gain an ounce no matter what I eat."

Even so, her movements while gnawing the trotter slowed noticeably; she hesitated, unwilling to eat, yet unable to resist the deliciousness, glaring at Yan Li with bitter resentment.

"On such a festive day, you're just making everyone miserable."

Yan Li ignored her, picking up two pieces of meat and placing them on Dong Xuan's plate: "It's rare I braise this much—eat more."

Fan Xiaopang's eyes widened slightly: "Aren't you afraid she'll get fat too?"

"I don't care."

Fan Xiaopang was an actor hired by the crew; for the sake of production quality, he had to monitor her physique.

Dong Xuan was his girlfriend; whether she gained or lost weight didn't matter—Yan Li was simply that strictly private and public in separation.

Seeing Fan Xiaopang humiliated, those at the table—Huo Siyan, Pan Yueming, and others—snickered, only to be scolded by Yan Li.

Actors have low baseline weights; even a few extra pounds make a visible difference, so during Spring Festival, they absolutely mustn't overeat.

Even so, aside from Jiang Xin and Wu Yue, whose cases were special and who could only watch helplessly, everyone else ate just as much as ever—until finally, they were all fighting over the last bits.

Because of Yan Li's "critical hit" remark, Fan Xiaopang felt burdened and ate less.

Afterwards, she regretted it, urging Yan Li to braise more meat the next day, and gained support from others.

But Yan Li refused. He'd felt festive, so he'd made a show of it—did they really think he was their chef now?

Seeing Yan Li ignore them, the particularly greedy Fan Xiaopang and Huo Siyan teamed up to ask Dong Xuan to plead their case; Jiang Xin couldn't help but join in.

She'd nearly drooled watching it, so she desperately hoped Yan Li would braise a separate pot of beef and chicken just for them.

"It's useless to come to me."

Dong Xuan cruelly revealed the truth: "Don't believe me? Ask Yiwei and the others—Yan Li doesn't cook once every few months. If he doesn't want to, even if you prepare all the ingredients and meat, he won't lift a finger."

As she spoke, Dong Xuan showed a hint of pity: "I even suspect he set this up on purpose—to let you taste the sweetness, then keep you longing for it forever."

In the end, you couldn't resist your craving and begged him—only to be manipulated by threats and bribes…

That's Dong Xuan's routine. These people probably suffered even worse—they don't even get the chance to be manipulated by Yan Li, and can only imagine it in their memories.

"That's so cruel?"

Fan Xiaopang muttered under her breath, glanced at Yan Li again, and nodded—yes, only that bastard could pull this off.

"What's wrong?"

Yan Li was far away, but noticed her suddenly looking at him and asked. Fan Xiaopang smiled politely.

"I'm praising you for being kind-hearted."

"You're insulting me?"

Yan Li knew his own reputation—praise him for being generous, clever, or skilled at handling people, fine.

But praise him for being kind-hearted—from Fan Xiaopang's mouth? Nine times out of ten, it was sarcasm.

Fan Xiaopang: "..."

That's exactly his character—she described him perfectly!

After finishing the New Year's Eve dinner in the dining hall, everyone returned to their rooms to watch the Spring Festival Gala.

Yan Li called Dong Xuan, Lin Jiachuan, Zhou Yi, Yan Xin, and others to his room—his room was larger, and the TV was bigger.

Then Dong Xuan, feeling it was all men, invited Yang Xue and Jiang Xin, who were close to her; they, in turn, told their other friends.

Thus, one told ten, ten told a hundred.

In the end, over twenty people crammed into Yan Li's room, eating, drinking, playing—making Yan Li extremely annoyed, and he decided to sleep in Dong Xuan's room instead.

He'd planned to calmly watch the Gala and enjoy the festivities, but as soon as it started, his phone wouldn't stop ringing—another call every few minutes.

By midnight, his fully charged phone had dropped to only one-third battery.

At midnight, everyone exchanged New Year greetings; some even went downstairs to set off firecrackers.

Yan Li also handed out red envelopes he'd prepared himself—these were personal gifts, separate from the crew's bonuses.

Fan Xiaopang, shameless as ever, asked for two, then saw Dong Xuan had none and urged her to ask for a bigger one.

Dong Xuan smiled shyly: "No need—I already got mine."

This time, when Yan Li returned to the crew, he brought her a New Year gift—it was the Year of the Monkey, and he had crafted a solid gold monkey the size of an egg, weighing about 1000 grams.

【Annual Intelligence X: China's 20-Year Average Gold Price… 2004: 85/gram… 2013: 289/gram… 2020: 373/gram… 2020 peak price for gold jewelry exceeded 600/gram…】

Since seeing this annual intelligence at the start of the year, Yan Li had become especially fond of giving gold as gifts—especially to his women.

Valuable, beautiful, and holds its worth!

Gold necklaces, rings, and bracelets weighed too little, so solid gold ornaments were more practical.

Give a gold monkey for the Year of the Monkey, a gold rooster for the Year of the Rooster, a gold dog for the Year of the Dog; if it's Valentine's Day or a birthday and you're stuck, just make a solid gold heart—symbolizing heavy, weighty love.

"I actually prefer silver or diamonds—more elegant. Gold always feels a bit vulgar, but since he insists on giving it, I just accept it."

Hearing Dong Xuan's words—pretending to complain while clearly showing off—Fan Xiaopang's newly acquired red envelopes suddenly lost their charm.

This bastard might be a womanizer, but he really does spend money like water!

Buying gold from a jewelry store costs more than the average price; two taels of gold alone would cost at least 100,000.

In this drama, "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies," she worked hard for months, earning a salary of 450,000.

After deducting taxes and the company's share, plus her expenses here, what remained in her pocket might not even be enough to buy two Golden Monkeys.

No resentment, no resentment—men can't be trusted!

I want gold? I'll buy it myself, as much as I please.

Fan Xiaopang pushed himself to mentally prepare, recalling the two silver locks and the stack of embroidery he'd seen in Yunnan, gradually regaining his composure.

Money is important, but dignity and pride matter more!

At this moment, Yan Li held up an envelope: "Last one—who wants it?"

"Me."

Fan Xiaopang raised his hand extremely high……

(End of Chapter)