Chapter 179: The True Value of a 24-Year-Old Billionaire!

In April, both The Investiture of the Gods and The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng had been in production for over a month and were now running smoothly.

Yan Li went to the set of The Investiture of the Gods whenever he had scenes, otherwise he visited The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng, then handled his own work.

Hengdian, Yi'an Film & Television · Hengdian Production Center

This was Yan Li's replica of Tang Ren's White Building, a base he purchased and built in Hengdian, not far from the White Building.

With a total area of about 20, 00 square meters and an investment of several million, it includes multiple buildings: office areas, hotel-style dormitories, rehearsal halls, makeup rooms, storage warehouses for props and costumes, equipment rooms, post-production studios, a restaurant, and entertainment zones.

It fulfills multiple functions and needs, becoming Yi'an Film & Television's major base in Hengdian.

Of course, this is the final vision—right now it is still under construction and renovation, and only the office area and warehouse are currently operational.

Yan Li has been coming here frequently during this period—both for work and because he enjoys watching his own base gradually take shape.

Although this is only a branch base, unlike the headquarters in Beijing which he rents, every blade of grass, every brick and tile here is his own.

That deep sense of fulfillment cannot be matched by renting any office space in a skyscraper.

One day, when Yan Li has enough money, building or buying a Yi'an Tower might feel even better.

Yan Li also gave this base a name.

Tang Ren's White Building was named for its white architecture.

Yan Li's base is larger and lacks any distinct architectural feature, so he named it after his company: Yi'an Garden.

Say it quickly and it sounds like Yan Garden, homophonous with "actor"—plenty of room for interpretation.

Since it's called a garden, it must have trees; Yan Li plans to plant trees and flowers in selected spots once renovation is nearly complete, making the name more fitting.

The office area is two and a half stories tall, with a large terrace and pavilion on the second floor, serving as a rest and reception zone where employees can relax and, when weather permits, socialize.

Yan Li's office is on the second floor, less than twenty square meters, decorated even more luxuriously than his Beijing office.

After all, in Beijing he sometimes needs to appease investors, and there's constant foot traffic—he doesn't want to draw too much attention.

This base is primarily for internal use, with few clients visiting; naturally, Boss Yan should enjoy himself.

Yan Li looked at the red glow on his computer screen, smiled faintly, and calmly brewed a pot of tea.

Although the predicted 2005 bull market hasn't arrived yet, there have already been two minor rallies.

With Yan Li's capital scale, in good market conditions, he could make two or three Mercedes-Benz G-Class vehicles in a single day.

Of course, the stock market fluctuates.

Today he makes one G-Class, tomorrow he loses all four wheels, the day after he loses half the chassis, and the day after that he recovers the car plus two Santanas.

Half of Yan Li's calm demeanor was forged by the stock market's constant shocks and wild swings.

Especially as his capital grows, earning millions one day and losing tens of thousands the next is intensely stimulating—a major test of one's mindset.

Yan Li has even begun deliberately reducing his focus on the stock market.

Once accustomed to the stock market, one develops the bad habit of seeking quick profits in finance, which dulls interest in hard work and affects work ethic.

So Yan Li rarely discusses stocks with others, and even instructed his staff not to trade stocks—not even during a bull market.

This isn't something for ordinary people to touch; even with his system, Yan Li walks on eggshells.

Those under him who profit with him should just buy houses—though returns are limited, they're guaranteed not to lose.

Entering the stock market might net a small windfall, but more likely leaves one destitute, even in debt.

But regardless, riding the early signs of the bull market, Yan Li is now thriving in the stock market.

Previously, Yan Li's goal was to accumulate 50 million RMB in capital before the bull market.

That goal was exceeded after the European Championship, and the surplus now supports his other ventures.

Currently, his stock market capital is nearing 65 million RMB.

And this is even after accounting for his personal savings, real estate, investment assets, and Yi'an Film & Television's liquid funds.

Especially Yi'an Film & Television: The Seven Fairies and The Legend of Sword and Fairy are still in their profit phase, generating continuous income.

Iron Road Guerrillas and The Migrant Worker's Survival have also begun distribution; though profit margins are low, money keeps flowing back.

Add other distribution projects, scattered earnings, and Yi'an Film & Television's revenue since the start of 2005 exceeds 15 million RMB.

Add the earnings from before the Spring Festival, especially from the high-yield The Seven Fairies, and Yi'an's current book funds approach 20 million RMB.

The reason it's still this low is mainly due to investments in The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng, The Investiture of the Gods, and The Sword of Valor.

Although Yan Li has used many tricks to avoid outlay, he has still spent over 10 million RMB in total.

Besides, seeing the company's cash flow was abundant, Yan Li took some "dividends" for himself.

Otherwise, how could he afford to give away G-Class cars and Golden Hearts? As long as there's money in the stock market or company, Yan Li must siphon some into his personal stash.

He shifts funds here and there, always keeping over 5 million RMB in cash; anything beyond that goes into property or other investments.

For example, Yan Li has dipped his toes into two internet companies—since they were seed rounds, he invested little: 2 million RMB in one, 3 million in the other.

The 2-million-RMB company is essentially dead—written off as a loss; the 3-million-RMB one is barely holding on.

But Yan Li isn't discouraged; investing isn't about fearing losses, especially since one of his goals in investing in internet companies is to trigger related intelligence.

That failed 2-million-RMB internet company sacrificed one monthly intelligence report to Yan Li—

Tudou. om

Founded in April 2005, just a few years later, in 2009, its valuation reached 500 million U. . dollars—equivalent to at least 3 to 4 billion RMB.

Under such circumstances, as long as the seed round doesn't demand an outrageous price, it's guaranteed profit.

In terms of return rate, it far outpaces the stock market; Yi'an is left far behind.

So even though he lost money, Yan Li keeps digging deeper into the internet sector.

Cast a wide net, catch many fish; if he lands just one golden carp, he'll recover everything—and then some.

Although Yan Li is in Hengdian, he has already dispatched people to investigate Tudou. om; with his system's help, he's confident he can break through their door.

He even feels he's being overly cautious.

He's invested in internet companies before and found their doors weren't hard to open.

On the contrary, this is the era of rapid internet growth, with no giants yet dominating the field; every day, countless people launch startups with ideas, scrambling for investment.

The entire market is a mix of genuine and fraudulent ventures—scammers outnumber entrepreneurs, and investment firms, already scarce, are cautious with their money.

So many internet companies are desperate for cash; countless have collapsed from lack of funding.

For many internet companies, especially startups, they'll take any money offered—negotiating equity, resources, or influence is easy; they fear investors will walk away.

Besides, Yan Li isn't without resources; film and entertainment assets are a powerful advantage for today's internet companies.

Especially for Tudou. om, a content-focused video platform, Yan Li could bring in several stars and shoot some ads—results would be outstanding.

Moreover, from multiple intelligence reports, Yan Li sees that the future internet will greatly impact the film and entertainment industry.

Video websites like Tudou. om are likely to become a vital segment of future cultural entertainment; regardless of investment returns, from a strategic future perspective, it's worth betting on.

With stocks, company assets, personal savings, real estate, and other industries combined, Yan Li's net worth has now reached nearly 100 million RMB.

Crucially, a significant portion of this is actual cash, making Yan Li's billionaire status exceptionally solid.

If you include speculative valuations and potential earnings, his net worth would climb another level.

Born in November 1980, Yan Li is still over half a year away from his twenty-fifth birthday.

A billionaire self-made at age twenty-four!

Yan Li seriously considered taking screenshots of his bank account and stock portfolio and posting them on his blog, asking those netizens who mocked him: "If you were a billionaire at twenty-four, would you still be so arrogant?"

He'd just date a few girls, and for publicity, trade a few barbs with Hu Zi.

Arrogant?

Yan Li even feels his intelligence has made him too cautious.

Normally, in this situation, he'd have a gang of shady friends, party every night, indulge in luxury, and cruise the Second Ring Road in a sports car.

【I'm such a good boy】

Yan Li really wanted to post that line on his blog, but feared netizens would think he was drunk or hacked—plus, it doesn't fit his sharp, capable image.

Such private confessions must be whispered in bed, wrapped around a woman, letting her soothe him.

Fan Xiaopang won't do—she's too sharp-tongued.

Wang Ou is no better—his paternal image is too solid, it'd be awkward.

So it has to be Dong Xuan and Qin Lan, especially Qin Lan, gentle as water.

Dong Xuan used to be fine, but now that she's Teacher Dong, she unconsciously slips into teacher mode, making Yan Li revert to his rebellious student state.

After these reflections, he finished his tea and shifted into work mode.

He handled his stocks, then managed company affairs via email and phone, followed by two video conferences.

Yan Li authorized Hu Ya to use his official seal to stamp non-critical documents—equivalent to his signature.

For important documents, he prints them out, signs and stamps them personally, then sends them back via express courier.

This way, even while in Hengdian, Yan Li doesn't hinder most company operations, ensuring smooth functioning.

…

He worked until afternoon, then ended his day and returned to the hotel by car.

He had planned to buy a house in Hengdian, but found almost no decent options—most were village homes or old dormitory buildings; decent housing required going into the city.

Otherwise, Yi'an Garden wouldn't need hotel-style accommodations—it could just buy a few houses.

So he'd have to wait, or simply designate a private room in Yi'an Garden—his own property, safer than buying a house.

Back at the hotel, he saw Wang Ou, Wu Jiani, and several young male and female actors from The Investiture of the Gods heading out.

"Where are you going?"

"To karaoke."

The other young actors were somewhat reserved around Yan Li, the producer; Wang Ou, who knew Yan Li best, stepped forward to explain.

As previously mentioned, cast members film daily and need to unwind; private karaoke gatherings are common.

Not only these young actors, but even veteran performer Liu Dekai and producer Cheng Lidong have participated in or organized such gatherings.

"Oh, have fun."

Yu Yanli didn't take it seriously and turned to leave, but Wang Ou grabbed his arm: "Director Yu, if you're free, why don't you come with us? Everyone's having a good time. Last time Program Director Cheng organized it, you didn't show up—we all felt disappointed."

Wang Ou led the charge, and several young actors chimed in to help persuade him.

Yu Yanli usually films only palace interior scenes, or works at neighboring sets or Yi'an Garden; many actors from other crews have never interacted with him.

Whether Yu Yanli counts as a big shot in the industry right now is debatable, but among these young actors, he's unquestionably a major figure to flatter and curry favor with.

Private KTV gatherings help build closeness, and many ambitious actors are happy to join Yu Yanli.

"Uh… fine. I'll go back and change clothes. Send me the address."

Yu Yanli realized he hadn't gone out for fun in quite some time.

Hosting TV crew members and investors at the set doesn't count—that's still work.

For the past many days in Hengdian, his only entertainment had been playing cards, gaming, watching movies, or teasing Fan Xiaopang and Wang Ou.

When they heard Yu Yanli was coming, Wang Ou and the others were delighted; someone even suggested upgrading the venue's Dangci to avoid offending the big boss.

Unaware of the plan, Yu Yanli changed clothes and was about to leave when he remembered Fan Xiaopang and called her.

But Fan Xiaopang had a late-night shoot today—she was the female lead, with one of the top three roles in the entire drama, and sometimes had to cross over to neighboring sets; she truly had no time for leisure.

"Then keep working."

Yu Yanli had originally thought Wang Ou was orchestrating something to isolate Fan Xiaopang, but now it seemed that even if she had such intentions, Fan Xiaopang had given her the opening.

Hanging up with Fan Xiaopang's plaintive tone, Yu Yanli headed to the KTV using the address Wang Ou had given him.

He was quite familiar with the place—he'd been here several times before, for both gatherings and business dinners, making him a semi-regular.

"Welcome, Director Yu."

Inside the private room, Yu Yanli received a warm reception. Wang Ou pulled him to sit on the central sofa, taking the seat to his left, while Wu Jiani sat to his right, head bowed.

Yu Yanli glanced at Wang Ou—he finally understood why she'd insisted on dragging him out for KTV; she'd been waiting for this all along.

Wang Ou had hinted at this before, but Yu Yanli had ignored her.

Though Wu Jiani was quite appealing, he was too busy every day to flirt with young girls, and Qin Lan was about to join the cast; besides, The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng still had two spies watching for Dong Xuan—playing too recklessly could backfire.

After that, Wang Ou had said nothing more, and no further clues had triggered—he'd assumed she'd given up. But this little vixen hadn't lost heart at all.

Yu Yanli shot her an irritated glare—stick and stone breed filial daughters; Wang Ou was due for a beating.

Wang Ou wasn't afraid at all.

Yu Yanli hadn't agreed, but he hadn't firmly refused either.

This man was lazy; his home didn't lack food, so he found it troublesome to hunt for his own meals—but if meat was placed right in front of his mouth, he ate more eagerly than anyone else…

(End of Chapter)