Chapter 141: Lure the Nine-Hundred-Millionaire Businesswoman to Work for Me

After leaving the set of "The First Under Heaven," the seven women chattered excitedly over their recent victory.

Fan Xiaopang still grumbled: "Old Three's too timid—just now, if we'd all charged together, we could've beaten that little bitch into submission."

Hu Siyan, who had feigned cowardice earlier, now perked up: "I was even ready to take off my shoes—these are thick-soled today, perfect as weapons."

Wow!

Dong Xuan couldn't help glancing at her—this girl clearly had plenty of fighting experience.

Jiang Xin also rolled up her sleeves, loud and boastful: "Just those few guys? I could take on two by myself."

Among the Seven Fairies, she was the tallest and most curvaceous; had a real brawl broken out, she'd have been an absolute frontline warrior.

Li Bingbing, who had been dazed earlier, had now clarified the situation on the way and was enthusiastically reviewing the events.

"The short girl was unknown, but the other two were probably from Hong Kong—they wouldn't help. Split them up, block Gao Yuanyuan and the short girl, and the rest of us could easily overwhelm them five-to-one."

At this stage, the cast from Hong Kong/Taiwan and mainland actors weren't sharply divided, but mostly kept to themselves.

Factors like habits, experiences, and language differences played a role, along with some ideological clashes.

Within the same production, examples of Hong Kong/Taiwan actors looking down on mainland actors were everywhere; meanwhile, on the mainland side, due to various reasons, group bullying of newcomers was also common.

In short, if colleagues on the same set didn't get along, they just went their separate ways.

Plus, "The First Under Heaven" had just started filming—these people likely didn't even know each other, so they certainly wouldn't lend a hand.

Li Lin and Yang Xue exchanged glances but said nothing.

Now everyone's talking big—where was all that courage when it counted? If you'd slapped one of them, wouldn't the others have stood by and watched?

Dong Xuan didn't dampen their enthusiasm; having just confronted Huang Shengyi, she was in high spirits and even found Hu Siyan more tolerable.

"Thanks for your support, sisters—I'm treating everyone to dinner."

Fan Xiaopang rubbed her hands: "Rare chance to treat Yan Li's wife—we won't be polite."

Hearing "Yan Li's wife," Dong Xuan's heart soared: "No need to be polite—order whatever you want. After dinner, we'll go sing karaoke—I'll cover everything."

She had money!

Though the salary for "The Seven Fairies of Joy and Happiness" was tight, it wasn't trivial—Dong Xuan had no company backing her; after taxes, everything was hers.

Not to mention Yan Li was generous, occasionally tossing her stacks of cash for clothes and groceries.

Moreover, Dong Xuan still held onto the "backup fund" Yan Li had once entrusted to her—she hadn't touched it much, and sometimes even added to it.

Now, all told, she wasn't quite a millionairess, but she was close.

Not to mention treating six of them to meals and drinks for months wouldn't even strain her…

Tomorrow they still had filming, so they didn't go downtown—instead, they found a good restaurant near the film studio, ate well, then went to karaoke and played until past eleven.

Yan Li, having been called, finally couldn't take it anymore and arrived at the karaoke room.

There he saw Shuang Bing hugging shoulders, singing "Jiu Gan Tang Mai Wu," while Dong Xuan, Jiang Xin, and others clapped rhythmically.

Everyone seemed fine—clearly they'd drunk a lot—but only Yang Xue and Li Lin, with weaker tolerance, were slightly dizzy; the rest were merely more animated, and Dong Xuan was only slightly flushed, her eyes bright and clear.

After all, she was footing the bill—if Dong Xuan got drunk, they'd all be stuck paying for all those expensive drinks…

Yan Li relaxed slightly—these women weren't completely foolish; they knew their limits and had called him ahead.

But still, they were bold—this place was full of shady characters, with no men around to protect them—what if they ran into some troublemakers?

Three days without a beating, and they're tearing the roof off!

Yan Li pondered how to punish Dong Xuan later, but in front of the women, he said nothing—only tapped his watch.

"Sisters, shouldn't you be wrapping up?"

Normally, Yan Li the producer's authority carried weight, but now, with everyone drunk, their courage had grown.

"It's not even twelve yet—why rush? The night's just beginning."

"Exactly! We hardly ever get together like this—don't ruin the fun."

"Yeah, the shoot's almost over—we won't all be together again for a long time. This is basically a farewell party."

"…"

The women's chatter—some cooing, some whining—was starting to wear on Yan Li.

Besides, they weren't wrong—the shoot was nearing its end, and some actors would leave before the final day.

For instance, the more famous Shuang Bing, especially Li Bingbing—last month they'd both taken two days off, and both had already said: as soon as their scenes wrapped, they'd leave immediately.

So the odds of all Seven Fairies gathering for the wrap party were slim, and future promotions were uncertain—considering their personal bonds too.

This might truly be their last private gathering.

Realizing this, Yan Li stopped urging them to leave—instead, he said: "Have fun—I'll just sit here and guard the door. No men around—I'm not comfortable leaving you alone."

"Alright, alright."

The women didn't argue—indeed, with Yan Li present, they felt less worried and could enjoy themselves more.

He casually grabbed a bottle of Budweiser, listened to the music, drank, then pulled out his phone to play Snake.

Dong Xuan felt uneasy, fearing Yan Li was angry, and wanted to go explain—but Fan Xiaopang and the others pulled her back for more drinks.

Earlier, they'd held back on her because no one was paying—now that Yan Li was here, they had no reason to hold back.

"…"

While playing his phone, his beer was suddenly bumped—he looked up to see Li Bingbing.

She leaned back on the sofa, took a sip, and sighed with melancholy: "I'm getting old—I can't keep up with these girls anymore. Back in my youth, I'd dance all night in nightclubs and be fine; now, singing a few songs in karaoke leaves me exhausted."

"That's not aging—it's maturity. Your needs have evolved; you're chasing different things now."

Yan Li could somewhat understand this mindset—he used to love going to internet cafes during college, pulling all-nighters more than once.

Now he was about to open his own internet cafe, yet he'd lost interest in going to one.

Sometimes, he'd rather play Snake on his phone than dive into online games.

Li Bingbing rolled her eyes: "Maturity just means getting old—you're just saying I'm old and out of touch with the young."

"…"

Yan Li didn't argue—he simply praised: "Don't stress about age—I think you look better now than ever before."

Li Bingbing scoffed: "Don't use those flattery tricks meant for girls on me."

"I'm not lying."

Yan Li's tone was sincere: "Vitality nourishes the face. Compared to last year, I truly feel your features have become more refined—you look more confident, more captivating."

This wasn't just flattery—he genuinely believed it.

Stars, especially female ones, clearly change in presence depending on their fame.

For someone like Li Bingbing, with her strong, masculine aura, the effect was even more pronounced.

When she wasn't famous, she was just a plain girl; when she became famous, her aura surged, allowing her to rival—even dominate—more beautiful women like Fan Xiaopang.

Yan Li had personally watched the Seven Fairies' ensemble scenes—Li Bingbing wasn't the prettiest, but she was undoubtedly one of the most striking.

Paired with the Second Fairy's dominant, cold, and resilient persona, Yan Li couldn't say this role would become Li Bingbing's signature, but it would surely stand out as a dazzling highlight in her career.

"Pfft, smooth talker."

Li Bingbing complained aloud, but her eyes flickered with pleasure—whether or not Yan Li's words were true, they felt good to hear.

She had some insecurity about her looks—she knew she wasn't among the most beautiful in the industry—so praising her beauty alone felt hollow, while praising her aura seemed like an insult.

But Yan Li tied his praise to her current career success—layering compliments with substance—he hit her sweet spot perfectly.

Hmph, no wonder my little sister's completely smitten with this bastard.

Li Bingbing glanced at Fan Xiaopang, who had started singing again, then leaned closer to Yan Li.

"Feng Dao's 'No Thieves' will start filming by month's end."

"I heard."

Yan Li looked at Li Bingbing: "What? Didn't they already cast you?"

Last month, Huayi had apparently wanted to generate buzz for the film and staged a rivalry between Shuang Bing for the role.

Yan Li had even helped promote it, fueling the competition further.

But according to Yan Li's knowledge, "No Thieves" originally planned to cast a Hong Kong actress—first choice was the late Mei Yanfang.

After Mei Yanfang's health declined, they considered others; within Huayi, Wang Jinghua's faction proposed casting both Shuang Bing—Li Bingbing as lead, Fan Xiaopang as second lead.

But after much deliberation, Huayi ultimately chose the "milk tea sister" as lead, Li Bingbing as supporting actress to Liu Ruoying, and Fan Xiaopang was left out.

This decision upset Li Bingbing; Fan Xiaopang was even angrier—Wang Jinghua outright quarreled with Huayi's young boss.

Li Bingbing came to Yan Li about this: "Can you help me take the lead role from that Liu woman?"

"Cough—!"

Yan Li nearly choked on his beer: "Sis, you really think I'm a god?"

The lead in "Cell Phone" was a perfect storm of timing, opportunity, and luck—Li Bingbing was already a top contender, and her rivals were weak, so he simply gave her a nudge to secure it.

"No Thieves" was far more complicated than "Cell Phone."

That "milk tea sister" wasn't easy to deal with—she had Hong Kong/Taiwan capital backing, and even Ge Daye was playing supporting actor to Liu Tianwang—clearly Feng Xiaogang and Huayi held strong control over this project.

Li Bingbing should count herself lucky just to keep the second lead—he'd even assumed it was meant for Fan Xiaopang.

"Can't you help me and Xiao Fan? This is also Hua Jie's wish."

Li Bingbing wasn't giving up—she invoked Fan Xiaopang and Wang Jinghua.

On this matter, their interests aligned: Li Bingbing as lead, Fan Xiaopang as second lead, and Wang Jinghua's two actresses promoted.

"Even Hua Jie herself couldn't sway them—I'm not refusing to help, I just can't."

Yan Li spoke honestly—he was pragmatic, but not purely profit-driven; Shuang Bing were his friends, and if he could help, he would.

But this time, he truly couldn't.

Li Bingbing sighed helplessly: "Our own film, our own artist playing second fiddle—it's suffocating."

Don't complain—you at least got a decent role; the real sufferers are over there.

Yan Li nodded toward Fan Xiaopang; he'd been left out of two consecutive Feng Xiaogang films, not even landing a second female lead, so you could imagine how he felt.

If this keeps up, he might turn against them!

Yan Li, however, welcomed this prospect—even wanted to stoke the fire further. Wang Ou had good conditions, but his foundation was too thin and his skills unpolished.

This future nine-hundred-millionaire woman was different—she excelled in every aspect, a clear top-tier prospect, bold and relentless, with fierce ambition.

If it weren't for Hua Jie treating him well, he'd have poached him long ago.

But if Fan Xiaopang firmly decided to leave Huayi, Yan Li would wield his shovel without a shred of guilt.

Though he wasn't as powerful as Huayi now, he had one advantage: resources went first to his own people.

If Fan Xiaopang earned a lot, Yan Li would prioritize her resources ahead of Qin Lan and Dong Xuan.

As for Li Bingbing…

Yan Li also wanted to poach her, but his resources were barely enough to satisfy her.

More importantly, Huayi could barely contain both Bingbings; Yan Li now couldn't hold either one. If he brought both to Yi'an, they'd be fighting daily like a boiling cauldron.

Li Bingbing didn't know Yan Li's thoughts, but thinking of Fan Xiaopang's worse situation lifted her spirits considerably.

"Didn't you say she's young? Young people need to endure more."

Yan Li: "..."

Just moments ago she was hugging and singing with her, acting like a close sister; now she's gloating.

As they spoke, Dong Xuan finally broke free from the group, noticing Li Bingbing and Yan Li chatting alone, and approached uneasily.

"What are you talking about?"

"Private matters. Ask him."

Li Bingbing's tone was suggestive; she winked at Yan Li, then drifted away. Yan Li, seeing Dong Xuan's uneasy expression, pulled her waist close and kissed her.

"Ignore her. We were talking about 'No Thieves in the World'—she's stirring up trouble."

"Why does every woman want to sow discord?"

Dong Xuan was annoyed; Yan Li replied confidently: "Go ask her yourself. If I've said even half a word wrong, you can punish me however you like."

Yan Li passed the ball back, then countered: "By the way, I heard you visited the 'First Under Heaven' set. How was it?"

At this, Dong Xuan felt a flicker of guilt.

Scolding Huang Shengyi felt good, but it had been impulsive and slightly damaged her image.

She feared Huang, or the others present, might stab her in the back by whispering poison into Yan Li's ear.

So Dong Xuan hesitated, then decided to strike first: "It was fun at first, until I ran into your junior sister, who came over out of nowhere to greet me..."

Well, Huang Shengyi had started it—she was innocent.

Not only innocent, but calm and restrained, bearing humiliation, leaving with the others in anger; even the banquet was to soothe everyone's emotions.

Dong Xuan's acting had improved slightly; Yan Li almost believed her—until he remembered the system's intelligence update from just after midnight.

【Daily Intelligence 1: Yesterday, Dong Xuan led Jiang Xin, Fan Bingbing... and others to intimidate and pressure Huang Shengyi on the 'First Under Heaven' set. Exact dialogue as follows...】

"Really? That's too much."

Yan Li "flew into a rage," picked up his phone: "I'll call people right now to go to 'First Under Heaven' and demand she apologize to you."

Dong Xuan froze, waving frantically: "No, no, I won't hold a grudge."

"You won't, but I will. My woman won't be bullied."

Yan Li shouted into the phone: "Tian Yuan, Tian Ye, gather all the brothers. I'll text you the address. Yes, bring the tools..."

Dong Xuan was truly panicked—if they confronted each other, it'd be bad enough, but if violence broke out and Yan Li got hurt, it'd be a disaster.

"I just lied to you—I wasn't wronged..."

Dong Xuan blurted the truth. As she spoke, she noticed Yan Li's expression was calm, utterly devoid of his earlier fury. She wasn't stupid—she realized she'd been tricked.

"You bullied someone behind my back, went out drinking with that crowd, and lied to me."

Yan Li listed Dong Xuan's "crimes" one by one, then crossed his legs: "So, how do you plan to fix this?"

Dong Xuan knew she had to pay a price; after hesitation, she leaned close and whispered a few words.

Yan Li nodded slightly: "Acceptable. But not enough."

Dong Xuan bit her lip and whispered more; Yan Li still wasn't satisfied: "Still short."

"That's enough."

Dong Xuan snapped: "I didn't hit her or yell at her—we just talked! Besides, what's she to you? Why are you so protective?"

Yan Li refused to fall into the trap: "That's not the point. The point is you lied to me, deceived my feelings."

"Didn't you ever lie to me?"

Yan Li replied confidently: "Don't change the subject. We're talking about your issue."

Dong Xuan glared at him twice, then relented: "Fine. I'll play 'Three Immortals Battle Jin Zha' with you once."

Playing at home was fine, but bringing the costume back to the hotel room on set—if anyone saw, it'd be too humiliating.

"Seven times. And I want different immortals each time."

Dong Xuan wanted to bite him: "You've been scheming this all along, haven't you?"

Yan Li smiled without answering. Dong Xuan thought of an excuse: "I won't wear costumes others have worn—they're disgusting."

"Funny."

Yan Li had anticipated this. Wearing someone else's costume was too perverse—he knew she'd resist.

"I had extra sets made just in case they weren't enough. None have been worn—brand new."

Dong Xuan stomped on his foot in fury, but didn't refuse. Yan Li chuckled, then remembered something.

"The Queen Mother's costume might have a new one too..."

"Pfft."

Dong Xuan spat at Yan Li, then tried to pour beer on him. He dodged and explained.

"That one's really a spare."

Dong Xuan ignored him, shoved him away, and sent him back to sing with Jiang Xin and the others.

Yan Li was about to carefully review today's daily intelligence when Fan Xiaopang appeared out of nowhere, speaking in a melancholy tone.

"I just heard 'Queen Mother.' What were you talking about?"

Yan Li's expression didn't change: "Hmm. I'm dissatisfied with the Queen Mother's final scenes—I plan to revise them."

Fan Xiaopang stared at him for a few seconds, saw nothing unusual, raised her beer and clinked it with his.

"This collaboration with Yan Zong has been pleasant. Next time you have a project, think of little sister."

"Of course."

Yan Li nodded cheerfully, chatted a bit, then brought up 'No Thieves in the World'—the wrong topic.

"Oops. My bad."

Seeing Fan Xiaopang's face darken, Yan Li pretended to slap his own mouth, then added:

"But honestly, your company's handling of this is questionable. 'Cell Phone' went to Bingbing—now it's your turn."

"I'm not stirring up trouble, but I really think your company doesn't value you enough."

"If it were me, I'd design a project just for you."

"Oh, too much talk—let's drink, let's drink."

"..."

Watching Fan Xiaopang's shifting expression, Yan Li took a sip of beer.

If he could really poach this nine-hundred-millionaire to work for him, he'd become a multi-billionaire... maybe even a hundred-billionaire...

(End of Chapter)