Chapter 196

Yi'an Film & Television, conference room

Producer and director Ning Hao of "Crazy Stone" reported to Yan Li the location scouting photos from Chongqing and a preliminary budget outline.

Although the investment was only 3 million, as Yi'an Film & Television's first film, Yan Li still gave it considerable attention.

In addition to funding, the company would provide media promotion resources to build momentum; if they couldn't secure suitable actors, the company would step in to help.

For a 3-million-budget indie film with modest actor fees, some actors might not care.

But for a film backed by a rising, well-known company, it's no longer just about the fee.

Ning Hao didn't mention any actor requirements—he'd already found nearly everyone he needed, and they were low-cost and affordable.

What he needed help with was media resources and some local issues in Chongqing.

Especially the latter: if the crew couldn't handle local matters while shooting there, trouble would arise.

Yan Li nodded: "I'll coordinate this for you. Don't worry."

Chongqing isn't Jingcheng—he didn't have that many connections, but he knew a few people, given he'd collaborated with Chongqing TV more than once.

"Crazy Stone" was going to shoot, not storm a fortress; getting the TV station on board was enough, and at most, they'd introduce a few others—no big deal.

"Then there's nothing else."

Ning Hao felt working with Yi'an was pleasant—whether it was Boss Yan Li or the producer assigned, neither interfered much with the film itself.

The only thing they cared about was where the money went and why it was spent that way.

Everything else—promotion, local connections, and even post-production distribution—he didn't have to worry about; Yi'an handled it all. He just needed to shoot the film well.

Just focus on shooting the film properly!

To a director, this sounds perfectly normal—but very few actually manage it.

Back when major studios dominated, it was fine; after the new century, capital's influence in mainland cinema grew ever larger, especially in commercial films, steadily eroding directors' authority.

Feng Xiaogang and Zhang Yimou were already the two most powerful commercial directors on the mainland, yet they still had to compromise with investors and other parties on many things.

Beyond interference in shooting and creativity, directors had to handle countless other tasks, even making filming secondary.

Some art-house directors looked down on commercial directors and their works for this very reason.

They believed film was an art form, not a project or commodity.

Ning Hao was now just a young, inexperienced director, under thirty this year, still carrying a certain "naive" director's idealism—he still very much liked this kind of collaboration.

"Director Ning."

After the meeting, Yan Li stood up and walked over to Ning Hao, calling him "Director Ning." Ning Hao immediately rose, flattered and astonished.

"Boss Yan, I can't accept such a title—just call me by my name."

"Haha, get used to it. Do a good job. This film's great. After it releases, you'll be Director Ning. I'll help build your momentum—we'll make you a leader of the Sixth Generation."

Yan Li's persuasion skills had grown stronger—he spoke directly to the other's deepest desires.

Ning Hao, though saying "I can't," his face flushed red, teeth bared in a wide grin.

A young director, especially one not yet successful, craved success and proof of himself most.

A few words of praise and expectation from Yan Li sent Ning Hao into overdrive, brimming with energy.

In a few years, when this young man became a jaded veteran, this trick wouldn't work anymore—you'd have to hit him with real money and incentives, or find another targeted approach.

Watching Ning Hao leave full of determination, Yan Li sighed: "It's still good to be young."

Nearby, his secretary Hu Ya stared at her boss, unimpressed.

Ning Hao was born in 1977—Yan Li was even a few years younger.

But considering this man's abilities, few in the company saw Yan Li as young.

It wasn't rare for Yan Li to scold middle-aged managers into trembling messes—and because his reprimands were justified and targeted, most accepted them willingly, even growing more devoted to Boss Yan.

Hu Ya worked daily in the company; aside from other things, the marketing team viewed Yan Li like a god.

Even when projects failed or Yan Li made occasional mistakes, they blamed themselves for failing to execute his orders properly.

Other departments sometimes mocked marketing as a cult—full of brainwashed fanatics.

Yet, undeniably, marketing was one of the most envied departments in the company.

These bastards really made money!

With "Bright Sword" as the lead, the eight series had now generated over 200 million in cumulative sales, with some projects already broadcast nationally or planned for broadcast.

According to Yi'an's distribution terms, the 200 million in sales would yield over 30 million in revenue share.

Marketing's bonuses varied by project contract and individual contribution.

But they never fell below 5% of distribution revenue—typically 5% to 10%, more for major contributors, plus other methods like bulk buyouts, profit splits, and guaranteed payments.

In short: more work, more pay; more profit, more earnings!

Salary, bonuses, performance pay, plus some extra gray income—like falsifying leftover PR expenses—were standard practice, as long as they didn't go too far, no one cared.

Altogether, from this 30-million windfall, the marketing team would pocket at least several million.

This was 2005—even in Jingcheng, a monthly salary of 5,000 was considered high.

These bastards in marketing—even the lowest earner made tens of thousands, matching many people's annual income.

And the company had more projects beyond these eight series—other future earnings, too. As long as you weren't utterly incompetent, earning 100,000 a year wasn't hard.

Aside from some managers and key staff in the film department—who also had great bonuses—who in the company wasn't jealous?

If they switched to marketing, got tens of thousands in bonuses, they'd worship Boss Yan like a father.

Hu Ya sometimes couldn't help but envy them.

Still, though she probably didn't earn as much as the top marketing managers, Yan Li hadn't shortchanged her.

As Yan Li's secretary and one of his primary executors of remote command, Hu Ya was effectively the Chief Eunuch and Head of the Imperial Court—low rank, immense power; vice presidents and core executives all greeted her with smiles.

In front of Yan Li, she was Secretary Hu; behind closed doors, wielding Yan Li's authority, calling herself Deputy Director Hu wasn't an exaggeration.

"Snap out of it."

As he was pondering, Yan Li waved his hand in front of Hu Ya's face: "What's going on with 'Soldiers' Sortie'?"

"Uh."

Hu Ya snapped out of it and hurried to say: "Boss, the situation is a bit complicated."

Yan Li raised an eyebrow: "Speak."

"The project just started, and Director Sun Honglei and his team prefer to collaborate with the August 1st Film Studio."

"One reason is they previously worked together on 'The Burning Years'; another is that military-themed content can't bypass the August 1st Film Studio."

"Also, there's another matter: Sun Honglei is currently shooting 'One Shot, One Kill,' whose production company is Tianyi Pictures. Boss Wu Yi has an extremely close personal relationship with Sun, and 'Soldiers' Sortie' is also a project they developed together."

"And this Wu Yi is said to be very close to Huayi Brothers. Rumors even claim Huayi Brothers plans to aggressively enter the TV drama market and is courting numerous TV producers—one of whom is Wu."

After hearing Hu Ya's report, Yan Li understood clearly.

As for the August 1st Film Studio, it's no secret that all production studios are struggling now; outside projects are mostly granted only their name or minimal funding.

Outside the August 1st Film Studio, 'Soldiers' Sortie' will definitely need additional investment.

But since Wu Yi is close to Huayi Brothers and even preparing for deep cooperation, Huayi Brothers won't fail to support his project—so there's no real need to come to Yan Li's side.

"A pity."

Yan Li felt a touch of regret—it was after all a hot drama appearing in his monthly intelligence reports—but not enough to pound his chest in despair.

There are countless film and TV projects; Yan Li can't intercept them all.

If it's suitable, intercept it; if not, it's just not meant to be—wait for the next one. Today's Yi'an doesn't lack a single 'Soldiers' Sortie.'

Compared to 'Soldiers' Sortie,' Huayi Brothers' planned aggressive entry into the TV drama market is what Yan Li truly cares about.

Huayi Brothers had made dramas before, but still focused primarily on films; starting this year, they've begun significantly increasing investment in TV dramas.

Just from what Yan Li has heard, there's the Qing-dynasty historical epic 'The Legend of Jiaqing,' Huang Sanshi's self-written and self-directed 'Midnight Serenade,' starring Da S and He Rundong, and Tang Ren's 'Young Yang Family Warriors' also seems to have Huayi Brothers' investment.

Under these circumstances, can Wang's brothers possibly sustain enough capital to court so many TV producers and directors?

It's not that Yan Li looks down on the Wang brothers—they simply don't have that much money.

Feng Xiaogang's 'The Banquet' was hyped to the skies, but the bulk of its investment came from Columbia.

Even 'Mo Gong,' with its substantial investment, had a company from Xiangjiang as its Lead Producer.

Its boss is Xu Xiaoming—the same boss behind 'Huo Yuanjia'—a former senior executive at ATV and Emperor Entertainment, whose company's backer in 'Mo Gong' is also a Xiangjiang media conglomerate.

So while Huayi Brothers claims to handle film investment, production, and distribution as a full chain, in reality, it leans more toward the latter two, and its share is still far smaller than what Yan Li tricked the coal bosses into giving him.

Thus, Huayi Brothers has great reputation, abundant resources, and strong strength—but its profit margins and available capital are another matter.

It simply can't sustain so many projects; it's almost certainly relying on the old trick of selling dog meat under the label of a sheep's head.

Producers go out using Huayi Brothers' name to deceive others, while leveraging Huayi's channels and resources.

Huayi uses its brand, channels, and minimal capital to take a cut of project profits, while boosting its corporate influence and hard power, creating a frenzied "expansion" momentum.

Yan Li plans to use his intelligence to probe deeper; if Huayi's model works, Yi'an could imitate it too.

In fact, to some extent, Yan Li has far greater advantages in this area than Huayi Brothers.

Raising investment and distributing dramas? Those are his strengths!

At the last screening meeting, eight dramas were sold together in a concentrated release, showing the entire industry Yi'an's strength—and Yan Li had already sensed some benefits.

If Yi'an could unite multiple producers, directors, and film companies into an alliance centered on Yi'an's distribution, integrating all its upcoming dramas and negotiating collectively with TV stations,

internal quality dramas could stagger their air dates to avoid cannibalizing each other, and even coordinate promotional campaigns.

Worse still, they could force TV stations to concede—setting deadlines for final payments, raising prices, bundling good dramas with bad ones, transferring advertising revenue—or face blacklisting or collective suppression…

"Cough."

Yan Li cleared his throat, calming down slightly—no provincial station is easy to provoke; if he roused widespread anger, who would be blacklisted by whom?

The law doesn't punish the many—so target the ringleader; when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.

But don't push too hard; some negotiation and pressure are still acceptable—the timing and balance can be tested gradually.

Yan Li had previously conceived something similar: when a middleman grows large, he eats from both ends.

But back then, when Yi'an was just starting out, it was just empty boasting; now, as Yi'an continues to grow, this boast might actually become feasible—at least partially.

Besides distribution integration, Yan Li could also persuade those investors to establish a film and TV investment company.

Then use that company's capital to invest in film and TV projects; after earning profits, distribute dividends to shareholders and reinvest the rest.

One hand holding ample investment capital, the other holding powerful distribution, while uniting other resources.

At least in the TV drama sector, even if Huayi Brothers comes, it will have to bow to Yan Li.

Meanwhile, Yi'an's frenzied "expansion" in the film and TV market, continuously increasing its influence, will still attract capital market favor and trust.

Yan Li knows exactly what Huayi Brothers wants to do; if timing and conditions allow, he too wants to take Yi'an to the stock market.

Yi'an is his wholly owned company—if its valuation becomes real gold and silver stocks, his net worth will skyrocket.

Of course, this requires guaranteeing Yan Li's authority and profit share within the company.

If going public brings more profit, go public; if not, stick to running the business himself.

Yan Li, who started with stock trading, understands stocks and financial markets far more thoroughly—he cares only about actual returns, never blindly going public for the sake of going public…

Speaking of stock trading, Yan Li suddenly realized he'd been neglecting it these past few days.

He told Hu Ya to organize the meeting minutes, handled some miscellaneous tasks, ate lunch, then rode in a car to a small office in a building in Chaoyang.

This was the base for Yan Li's hired stock trading team.

When his stock market funds reached tens of millions, the scale and complexity of operations were no longer manageable by Yan Li alone.

Originally, he collaborated with securities company teams; but as his capital grew, he began building his own dedicated stock investment team.

The team has nearly ten members, led by Investment Director Cai Shen, a veteran with years in the industry who has studied and participated in projects across mainland, Hong Kong, and U. S. markets.

Besides Director Cai, there are two analysts, two traders, one risk controller, one technician, one legal officer, and one logistics staff.

And the reason Yan Li chose Cai Shen—and entrusted him to build and lead the entire team—is because…

Besides Cai Shen's name being auspicious, it was because he was experienced and cautious by nature.

Yan Li, who possessed an intelligence network, cared little for so-called investment insight, sensitive judgment, or decision-making boldness; what he truly needed was a steady, thorough, diligent, and meticulous executor and manager.

Which stocks to buy, how to adjust them, when to enter or exit—Yan Li decided all of it.

Cai Shen and his team only needed to professionally, accurately, and safely carry out his instructions.

"Don't worry about me, you all keep busy."

Yan Li greeted the team members outside who were busy, then went to Cai Shen's office to hear reports on recent developments.

Since handing operations over to the professional team, the number of accounts managed had increased; it was cumbersome for Yan Li to check each one on his computer himself. Some data could be sent via email, but face-to-face communication was still more convenient.

"Fine. For now, no major adjustments are needed for the others. Only these two stocks—sell them all within a week at most. And this one—consider increasing your position slightly…"

Cai Shen nodded and took notes. Yan Li never explained why he sold or bought, and Cai Shen never asked.

Occasionally, he would offer his professional advice—but whether Yan Li listened was another matter entirely.

"…"

Yan Li glanced with satisfaction at the current total value of his stock holdings.

Since the bull market began in June, there had been a minor surge; coincidentally, he had correctly bet on a strong stock and made a hefty profit. His capital kept rolling over, now nearing the 80-million mark.

Even if he did nothing else, just riding the bull market's rise, with some steady gains and minor losses, he could easily surpass one hundred million within a few months.

His long-desired Yi'an Cinema Chain certainly wouldn't lack initial funding—but how much it ultimately amounted to would depend on future stock market performance and investor feedback.

Next year, next year is when Yi'an Cinema Chain will make its dazzling debut!

Yan Li looked forward to it: Hua Yi's two brothers were straining to squeeze into the TV drama market, only to turn around and find Yan Li had already begun circling behind them.

What would their feelings be then!

————

By August, Wang Jinghua's conflict with Hua Yi had intensified, leaving the Wang brothers utterly overwhelmed.

Fortunately, production of "Night Banquet" progressed smoothly; its hundred-million-yuan investment ensured Hua Yi's core film business remained stable, and the outside world maintained a positive outlook.

Rumors even spread that Hua Yi intended to leverage the momentum of "Night Banquet" to recruit top talent.

Zhang Ziyi, Zhou Young Master, Huang Xiaoming, and others involved in "Night Banquet" were all potential targets.

Especially Zhou Young Master—his contract with Rongxinda was about to expire, and he would soon regain his freedom. Some speculated that "Night Banquet" was Hua Yi's invitation to him.

This rumor served as a powerful morale boost for Hua Yi's internal staff during their difficult times, but also introduced new chaos.

Among them, the most vehement reaction came from Li Bingbing and her sister!

Good heavens, they'd just gotten rid of Fan Xiaopang, and now two of the Four Little Fairies were arriving—could Li Bingbing still sit comfortably as Hua Yi's number one?

Negotiations between Hua Yi and Li Bingbing had been nearly finalized, but now new complications arose.

The Wang brothers were frustrated; Li Bingbing and her sister, sensing the special timing and sensing hidden backing, were unusually defiant.

Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Young Master weren't easy to poach—one had major international influence, didn't lack film opportunities, and had ample leverage; the other was being desperately retained by Rongxinda, with other companies also watching closely.

Moreover, even if they managed to poach one, losing Li Bingbing—whom they had nurtured from the start—would still be a loss for Hua Yi.

There was no choice but to continue coddling them, even resorting to implied promises of Li Bingbing's status as number one and priority rights.

This wasn't a good thing at all: the Four Little Fairies were now more popular than Li Bingbing. Letting her overshadow them? Who could tolerate that? Poor balance would lead to fierce rivalry.

While Hua Yi's top executives and leading artists clashed fiercely, to fill the void left by Wang Jinghua's faction, Hua Yi recruited new artists.

Leading them was Huo Siyan, whose fame had surged from "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies."

According to insiders, Hua Yi planned to position her as Fan Xiaopang's replacement, targeting the role of second or third lead actress.

Huo Siyan felt she was finally about to rise above it all!

In "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies," she had been the lead, yet her spotlight was stolen, she was isolated and excluded—everyone else bonded as sisters, Yan Li's scenes were performed carelessly, while she wandered alone like a lost soul.

Now, she had secured Hua Yi's backing; her rise to prominence was just around the corner.

Then, she'd make those who bullied her—those little bitches—and that blind fool Yan Li regret it.

Make that bastard kneel down and call her sister—no, call her mother—begging and crying for mercy…

While she was lost in these pleasant thoughts, her agent came over: "Siyan, tomorrow night there's a banquet with Young Master Wang—you're coming."

"Oh."

Huo Siyan was slightly displeased. When she first joined Hua Yi, she had been overjoyed and showed off her drinking capacity.

Now, Young Master Wang praised her drinking ability and liked bringing her to banquets.

Having a beautiful, well-behaved, and high-capacity female star at such business banquets had obvious advantages.

Huo Siyan had been with Hua Yi for only a short time, hadn't filmed anything yet, and had few official assignments—but she'd drunk plenty.

She didn't even know whether she was an artist or Hua Yi's PR department head…

The next afternoon, Huo Siyan found Young Master Wang's assistant, preparing to join the banquet.

But the assistant glanced at her and raised an objection: "Siyan, isn't your outfit a bit too conservative?"

"Isn't this enough?"

Huo Siyan looked at herself. She knew her role at these banquets and had specifically changed into a tight T-shirt and tight jeans—she was already showing off her figure.

"The guest tonight, how to put it, is quite flirtatious and young. You should dress more bold and sexy."

Huo Siyan frowned. To drink with guests was one thing; selling one's body was another; going further than that was entirely different.

Most people in the entertainment industry were powerless; climbing up required sacrifices.

Huo Siyan had prepared herself mentally for this—but she had her own "bottom line." Flirting and light groping were acceptable; actual physical acts depended on who it was and what price was offered.

A courtesan is still a flower—key is socializing, focus is charm. If you're indiscriminate, accepting everything, you become weeds—and weeds are worthless.

"Don't worry, you won't be shortchanged."

The assistant pushed Huo Siyan to change clothes, silently marveling how much better things were now.

When Wang Jinghua was still around, getting Li Bingbing and Fan Xiaopang to attend even one banquet was incredibly hard—she protected her protégés fiercely.

Now that Wang Jinghua has left, all new artists, except for a few big names, must follow the company's arrangements; the company's control and the artists' compliance have risen sharply.

After a while, Huo Siyan changed her clothes—a dark skirt, a single braid—and looked pure and lovely.

But the low neckline, the hem barely covering her hips, and the stark contrast between her fair skin and the skirt's color added considerable allure to her innocence.

Following the assistant into the car, Huo Siyan discovered that not only Little Wang Zong, but Big Wang Zong had come too.

Under normal circumstances, the Wang brothers, due to their different roles, attended separate banquets; for both to be present meant either a gathering or the arrival of a VIP.

"Wang Zong, who is the other guest?"

Huo Siyan couldn't help asking. Wang Zhonglei smiled: "You'll know when we get there. He's an old acquaintance of yours."

An old acquaintance?!

Huo Siyan dared not ask further, muttering to herself who it could be. The journey was short, and they arrived soon.

The Wang brothers brought her to the private room; barely ten minutes passed before the guest arrived.

"Director Wang, Manager Wang, sorry for keeping you waiting."

"Haha, we arrived early."

Watching the young man chatting with the Wang brothers, Huo Siyan widened her eyes.

How is it him!

Yan Li also saw Huo Siyan and couldn't help glancing at her chest.

Big and white!

Huo Siyan's advantage in this regard, he had known long ago.

When filming "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies," he had specifically emphasized this in the Seven Fairies' prison attire, designing the dress with a low neckline.

But the Seven Fairies were a pure image, so it couldn't be too revealing—just a hint, not fully showcasing Huo's strengths.

So now, having come to Huayi, she's switching from pure girl to sexy seductress?

"Come on, Siyan, no need for me to introduce this man—Manager Yan is your mentor."

Huo Siyan might be putting on a show inside, comforting herself, but she fully understood the gap between herself and Yan Li.

Even if she became Huayi's top star, she was still on a different level from a giant like Yan Li.

Seeing how respectfully the Wang brothers treated Yan Li, she became even more obedient, bowing politely to greet him.

"Manager Yan, long time no see."

"Good fortune nourishes people—Siyan, now that you're famous, you look much better than before."

Yan Li spoke truthfully: during "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies," Huo still had a rustic air, and with being ostracized, her eyes carried a hint of gloom.

Now that she's famous, she's more confident, in better condition, her Style has improved, and her skincare and makeup have upgraded—she's far more radiant than before.

But every advantage has its downside.

She now has star quality, but the lingering pure, innocent flower-like aura has diminished; her eyes now betray unhidden ambition, even a touch of worldly weariness.

Still, it's better this way—Huo Siyan's personality never suited purity; an early transition avoids the collapse of a false image.

But fully switching to sexy and glamorous is not ideal—the market is too crowded, and her own advantages aren't distinct enough. She should blend her former pure style into a "pure seductress" image—capable of both innocence and allure—to carve out her own signature.

Uh…

Yan Li realized he'd developed residual habits after planning routes for the two Bings.

Seeing a female star, he couldn't help giving advice—just recently he'd discussed with Qin Lan, suggesting she try an intellectual, elegant, gentle yet resilient style.

It fits her image and personality, extends her signature roles, and adds other distinctive traits—not only likable but also broadening her acting range.

In short, designing, packaging, and crafting a female star beloved by countless people brings a quiet, nurturing satisfaction.

And when the goddess everyone adores becomes entirely yours—even dependent on or worshipping you—it's even more thrilling.

So Yan Li prefers to promote female stars.

Promoting male stars might bring some satisfaction, but only that—leave it to other giants.

For instance, Little Wang Zong is said to enjoy being a mentor to male stars.

Thinking of this, when Yan Li sat down, he deliberately sat beside Wang Zhongjun, separating Wang Zhonglei, while Huo Siyan was seated next to Yan Li.

One of the main topics of this meeting between the Wang brothers and Yan Li was Fan Xiaopang's contract.

As the former agency, Huayi generously let go, intending to "marry off" Fan Xiaopang to Yan Li in grand style.

Yan Li thanked him verbally, but in truth, he didn't take it seriously.

He'd already lured the man into his own home—whether Huayi approved or not didn't matter.

In short, the Wang brothers wanted to do a favor: first, not to let Wang Jinghua benefit; second, to prevent Yan Li from targeting Li Bingbing.

If they showed leniency toward Fan Xiaopang, then for Yan Li to poach Li Bingbing afterward would be utterly unethical.

Third, turn an enemy into an ally, win over Yan Li, and prevent him from joining Chengtian and surrounding Huayi.

"Manager Yan, this guy named Wu—what is he? Backed by Japanese devils coming to China to snatch territory? A few decades ago, he'd be a traitor leading the enemy!"

"…."

Yan Li nearly lost his composure—Wu is backed by Japanese capital, but isn't Huayi also cozying up to Columbia?

Columbia's largest shareholder is Japan's Sony Group.

This is like the collaboration army fighting the peacekeeping council—don't call one side traitors.

Still, among dwarfs, one is taller—Huayi is at least a domestic company, cooperating with Columbia, while Chengtian is genuinely Japanese-funded.

According to intelligence Yan Li obtained, some officials and industry insiders are wary of Chengtian.

China's largest entertainment and film company backed by Japanese?

The implications are terrifying.

Regardless of others' thoughts, Yan Li simply couldn't accept it—he'd rather cooperate with Huayi; no matter who wins or loses later, at least the meat stays in the pot.

So he plainly stated his position: the masters of Chinese-language films must be Chinese.

The upright spines of the older generation, who sacrificed themselves to uphold them, cannot bend again.

"What Mr. Yan said really lifts the spirit."

Wang Zhongjun slammed the table—he was a big courtyard kid, had served in the military, and though his original ideals were long gone, he still knew right from wrong on certain matters.

Publicly and privately, Huayi or any other company would never let Chengtian ride over their heads.

After reaching an agreement, the atmosphere grew warmer; Yan Li also showed his sincerity and strength by pulling out a folder.

"Rumor has it someone's targeting your company—Chairman Wang, you must raise your guard."

Wang Zhongjun took the folder, his face darkening immediately, then growing darker as he read, before handing it to Wang Zhonglei, whose composure was far worse than his brother's—he broke out in cold sweat on the spot and cried out to Yan Li.

"How did they find out?"

Yan Li calmly ate a sea cucumber: "That's something you, Director Wang, must investigate yourself—I'm just giving you a heads-up."

Wang Zhonglei was about to speak again, but his brother stopped him, whispered a few words, and they left in haste.

After they left, Wang Zhongjun raised a cup of wine, stood up, and solemnly thanked Yan Li.

Whether Yan Li had genuinely heard rumors and warned them, or had uncovered Huayi's vulnerabilities but chosen not to act, he had indeed helped Huayi avoid disaster—otherwise, Huayi would have lost skin or taken a serious fall.

"Chairman Wang, you're too kind—it's just mutual assistance."

Yan Li smiled and drank, and Wang Zhongjun gave him a long, deep look, relieved he had held back his hand—the kid was clearly no good soul.

His thoughts shifted; as he signaled Hu Siyan to pour more wine for Yan Li, Wang Zhongjun spoke again.

"How about letting Fan Xiao play the female lead in 'Mo Gong'? I think she's still the best fit."

Hmph—was he stunned, or trying to win favor?

That's a hefty price to pay.

Yan Li did not rashly agree, but neither did he refuse—he said he'd discuss it with Fan Xiaopang.

The film 'Mo Gong' carried a substantial investment; box office aside, it would boost Fan Xiaopang's status.

These days, if you haven't been the female lead in a major production, you don't even deserve to call yourself a top-tier leading actress.

But after playing it, even if the box office flopped, your status would still rise—only the effect wouldn't be as strong.

Just look at Hu Siyan beside him—her eyes burned with envy at the thought of Fan Xiaopang landing the female lead in 'Mo Gong,' her gaze at Yan Li practically scorching…

(End of Chapter)