[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment":3,"chapter-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-190":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Intelligence King of Chinese Entertainment",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2260493,4411,"Chapter 190: Total Sales of 1.42 Billion, King of Distribution? King of Selling Dramas!","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-190",190,"\u003Cp>Beijing Wangfu Hotel\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A screening event—more accurately, the Yi’an Film & Television Distribution Promotion Event—was held here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attendees included relevant personnel from multiple TV networks, advertisers, film and television companies and production teams, and media reporters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Cai Yinong from Tangren was led in by staff, she saw Yan Li surrounded by several people, speaking, and as if noticing her, he raised a hand in greeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, Yan Li strode over and shook hands with Cai Yinong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Yan, what a grand scene.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, just thanks to everyone’s support.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With “The Legend of Sword and Fairy” a huge hit, Tangren and Cai Yinong have risen with the tide; among today’s guests, they’re certainly weighty, so Yan Li personally hosted them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your company has been making big moves lately—‘Young Yang Family Generals,’ ‘Fairy from Beyond the Heavens’—both major projects.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tangren has been very active this year, heavily promoting the newly popular young actor Hu Ge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re currently filming and planning to invest in three dramas, covering urban romance, historical legend, and mythological tales—all starring Hu Ge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On one hand, they’re leveraging Hu Ge’s current popularity to sell more TV rights; on the other, they’re boosting him to maximize company profits, with both production and talent agency flourishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s all thanks to Director Yan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Yinong smiled and returned the compliment—she wasn’t wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tangren’s ability to launch three projects at once owes much to Yan Li’s efforts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “The Legend of Sword and Fairy” project, though unable to air on satellite channels in the short term, can only trickle in revenue slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But thanks to Yan Li and Yi’an’s operations, breaking even is already within reach; the “New Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio” project has progressed smoothly and has already turned a preliminary profit, with more income to come after broadcast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without Yan Li, Tangren would have faced severe financial pressure under its previous distribution efficiency and scale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Tangren could successfully run these projects, they’d have to give away a lot of profits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distribution of “New Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio” no longer needs attention; Cai Yinong came today merely to show face for Yan Li and to discuss future collaboration between Tangren and Yi’an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The urban romance drama is fine, but “Young Yang Family Generals” and “Fairy from Beyond the Heavens” each cost over fifty million to produce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having tasted success, Cai Yinong still felt uneasy without locking in a deal with Yan Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem, let’s chat later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did Yan Li hold this screening event? To build reputation and find projects—Tangren’s high-quality offerings were exactly what he wanted to collaborate on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d looked into Tangren’s projects; all had some selling points, especially “Young Yang Family Generals” and “Fairy from Beyond the Heavens,” both with strong potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Securing distribution rights to these two dramas would satisfy Tangren, Yi’an, and the TV networks alike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li didn’t stay with Cai Yinong long—Liu Yanming from Hai Run and a senior official from CCTV arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Cai Zong was powerful, he still had to yield slightly before these two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After much small talk, most guests had arrived, and the screening event officially began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One episode of “Bright Sword” and one of “New Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio” were screened; the rest of the dramas were only shown as edited trailers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this wasn’t a real screening—viewing was just symbolic; the rest was PPT promotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This promotion event featured eight TV dramas, including “Bright Sword” and “New Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three others—“The Mute Bride,” “Wrong Train,” and “Family of Nine Phoenixes”—had previously appeared in the 2005 Top 50 Ratings List [Annual Intelligence Report].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Notably, “The Mute Bride” was the work of Yan Li’s old acquaintance; the producer was Lu Ying, who had previously made “Snow Goddess Dragon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, when this drama was being shot, they had approached Dong Xuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Dong Xuan was filming “The Great Song Mystery: The Squirrel Switching the Prince,” which was also one of the eight dramas today, and had no availability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li placed greater importance on “The Mute Bride,” as intelligence indicated it might secure the 2005 satellite TV ratings championship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this reason, Yan Li had personally watched the finished product.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, he thought it was unappealing, but he had to admit his personal taste didn’t represent the market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of Republican-era tragic romance drama still had a massive viewership base at this stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone says teenagers are the biggest viewership guarantee, but when housewives and elderly people grab the remote, even they must yield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A large portion of tragic romance dramas specifically target this demographic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So don't be fooled by the lack of online discussion, media coverage, or star promotion—it seems to disappear quietly, yet its ratings aren't low; they even surpass some widely recognized hit dramas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actual commercial returns may not match mainstream hits or historical wuxia, but the ceiling isn’t low and the floor is high—steady, quiet profits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding Yi’an’s eight dramas this time:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Mute Bride” ranked fourth in sales revenue, with a gap to third place extremely narrow, and was among the earliest to break even.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Yan Li, doing the math, felt tempted—he considered investing in similar genres if he had spare funds later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When operated well, this genre is like main theme dramas: profits aren’t huge, but risks are extremely low—almost guaranteed cost recovery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After promoting the eight dramas and Yi’an’s distribution capabilities, the host invited Yan Li onstage to announce the total sales price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li stepped up, praised Yi’an’s distribution team, and complimented all partners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to boast further, seeing the audience growing restless, he dropped the act and announced himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To date, we’ve partnered with over sixty TV networks, covering more than a dozen provinces, including Taiwan and Hong Kong. The total sales price for these eight dramas is…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“142 million!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Yinong’s ears rang; she turned to her assistant: “What did he say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“142 million.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Yinong counted on her fingers: 142 million divided by eight equals roughly 17 million per drama.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the eight dramas’ prices varied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to confidentiality clauses in some contracts, Yan Li only revealed the total; the exact price of each drama was known only to Yi’an and each production team, including the TV networks, who only knew their own individual contracts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Yinong didn’t know the others, but she knew “New Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Market growth, Tangren’s reputation, and the influence of “Strange Tales” brought combined revenue of 28 million from two satellite channels, multiple local channels, Taiwan, and DVD sales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This figure was likely among the top two of all projects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the top one reached 30 million+, mid-tier ones 20 million+, and lower ones 10–17 million, the 140 million total seemed genuine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crucially, this 142 million was only first-round and early revenue; further sales to TV networks were still possible, plus second- and third-round income.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The total sales for these eight dramas would surely exceed 200 million, but 300 million… unlikely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Yinong’s mouth went dry; even ignoring uncollected amounts, this 142 million alone, at a normal low distribution royalty of 10%, meant Yi’an immediately earned 14.2 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yi’an would never accept such a low cut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tangren had given 14%; if Yi’an’s contract was attractive enough, weaker production teams might agree to 20%.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At a realistic market rate of 15% for a strong distributor like Yi’an, these eight dramas brought in nearly 20 million at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the eight dramas eventually sold for 200–250 million, Yi’an’s distribution royalty alone would reach 30–38 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was only half a year; with this launch, if they secured another eight to ten dramas in the second half, they’d earn millions more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Yinong’s eyes turned red with envy—Tangren worked itself to exhaustion on several projects a year and earned how much? She even considered switching to distribution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li didn’t know Cai Yinong’s thoughts; if he did, he’d have refuted her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s not as easy as she imagined!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Distribution may be low-cost, but it’s not without expenses—team travel, accommodation, salaries, bonuses, PR, and miscellaneous costs, plus taxes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What actually reached Yan Li’s hands was only 60–70%; for high-expense projects, it might be barely half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More crucially, Yi’an’s scale couldn’t handle as many projects as Cai Yinong imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All eight projects required long-term follow-up—at least half a year each—demanding substantial time and manpower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Add in scattered quality projects and Yi’an’s own productions, and their remaining capacity was truly limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t something you could solve by simply expanding the team; even if you expanded, TV networks couldn’t absorb all the projects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With just a few dramas, Yi’an could carefully pick only those with good reputations, ethical standards, and prompt payments, securing satisfying prices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if projects multiplied, they’d inevitably have to partner with less scrupulous TV networks, forced to make concessions—leading to endless complications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blind expansion equals disaster!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li hadn’t been blinded by distribution profits; he still chose steady, gradual growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, while Yan Li was cautious internally, Yi’an’s public messaging for promotion was deliberately eye-catching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eight dramas’ early revenue: 142 million; target total revenue: 250–300 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secretly bribed media outlets openly declared Yi’an the “Number One Distributor in Mainland TV,” and Yan Li himself was dubbed the “King of TV Drama Distribution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, some would disagree!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for now, excluding state-owned enterprises like China Film and CCTV, among private companies, few in TV distribution could match Yi’an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Companies like Hai Run might have similar figures, but upon closer inspection, none were as impressive as Yi’an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, “Bright Sword” wouldn’t have been led by Yi’an; even Hai Run had considered offering some projects for collaboration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But awkwardly, Hai Run had its own distribution team—they wouldn’t give up good projects, and Yi’an wouldn’t touch the bad ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a high-quality, overlooked gem like “Bright Sword” could spark a distribution partnership between Hai Run and Yi’an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the screening event, related reports were released, lavishly praising Yi’an and Yan Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yi’an Screening Event Sells for 142 Million; Yan Li Estimated to Earn at Least Ten Million”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“King of Distribution Born: Yan Li Aims to Earn 300 Million from Eight Dramas”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Compared to the Genius Producer, the Genius Distributor Is Yan Li’s True Face”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since 2003’s ‘Conquest,’ Yan Li Has Distributed Over Ten TV Dramas, Total Revenue Approaching 500 Million”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the news broke, ordinary people unaware of industry secrets assumed the 142 million was Yan Li’s personal profit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this Yan guy a reincarnated god of wealth? He makes money faster than printing bills!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some people understood the situation, knew that Yan Li was in sales, and others on Tianya had posted explanations and analyses, roughly calculating Yan Li’s earnings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although not entirely accurate, it was far more reliable than media speculation and netizens’ wild guesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some insiders combined media reports, industry leaks, and Yan Li’s various career records to uncover that his core foundation was his exceptional sales and public relations skills—still today, Yan Li and Yi An’s key advantage in the industry is distribution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The title “King of Distribution” for Yan Li may be exaggerated, but it’s not without basis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, outsiders knew Yan Li was powerful and good at making money, but they only half-understood how he made it and rose to prominence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The explosive success of this screening truly gave many people a deeper understanding of Yan Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone—whether a Tieba netizen or a Tianya netizen—gave Yan Li a humorous nickname: “King of Selling Films.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This title was far louder and more widely spread than “King of Distribution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, ordinary netizens didn’t understand what “distribution” meant, but they certainly understood what “selling films” meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, Yan Li, the subject himself, was deeply dissatisfied with this nickname.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was too vulgar!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once imposing title had been reduced to making him seem like the general agent for bootleg DVDs sold on street corners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most infuriating part was people showing up on his blog asking when Teacher Wu Xilan’s new film would be released.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How outrageous—didn’t they know she retired in 2004?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Online and in the public eye, most were just watching the spectacle; many simply ignored it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People wanted to see which girl this bastard was chasing, not how much money he’d made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, the industry was far more shaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, there had been debate over whether Yan Boss counted as a big shot in the circle, mainly because his rise had been too rapid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after this screening, consensus was largely reached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li’s investment in just a few dramas meant many actors had to curry favor—but plenty still refused to give him face, simply choosing not to act in his projects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this unmatched distribution ability meant many film and TV company bosses and industry heavyweights had to smile at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, going against the “sales champion” was going against money itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li’s status and influence within the industry rose sharply, especially in television drama—he became increasingly known as “Boss Yan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once a person becomes famous, trouble follows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Hong Kong, Huang Shengyi returned home from the company and began wiping away tears, holding her phone and hesitating among several numbers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Nailiang was good at comforting people, but useless in practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Young Master Yang seemed confident and articulate, but his looks were lacking, and he was stingy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shengyi looked at the last number—her senior brother was best; he would surely help me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gathered her emotions, carefully choosing her words, then dialed the number—after a busy tone…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry, the number you dialed is currently out of service…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2281,"2026-06-19T16:16:52.605Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","949bbb3abb6eedbcaf7d91b1de54bb76f9a60c4a57a5cd08dfe93f8714c58498","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-191","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-189",405,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-cover.jpg"]