Chapter 223: You Subdue the Crimson Flame Dragon, I Tame the Carmine Tiger

Yi County Warring States City, The Mo Gong film crew

Although this drama has Huayi's investment, they mainly handle distribution; the primary production and funding party is actually a company from Xiangjiang.

The crew composition includes director Zhang Zhiliang, lead actor Li Tianwang, and multiple key positions and actors are all from Xiangjiang.

It is well known that Xiangjiang film professionals tend to stick together; crews dominated by Xiangjiang personnel often carry a degree of isolation and exclusion.

Fan Xiaopang's treatment is relatively good.

After all, she is the female lead, has name recognition, and isn't without connections, so no one dares to pick on her.

But no one picks on her, neither does she receive special treatment; sometimes she even faces cold shoulders.

Not long ago, due to Yan Li's parents, Fan Xiaopang took leave and left the set early and late, making the director very unhappy—he even found an excuse to publicly scold Fan Xiaopang.

Fan Xiaopang accepts it, since she truly disrupted the production.

Being publicly scolded is already lucky; other actors without fame or background have no chance to request leave—if they make a mistake, they're directly cursed at by the director or assistant director, or even kicked out outright.

The vast majority of actors are at a disadvantage when dealing with a film crew.

Even at Li Tianwang's level, despite many privileges, he sometimes still has to compromise and yield to the crew or behind-the-scenes financiers.

For a while, Fan Xiaopang followed Yan Li to film Yi'an's dramas, indulging in the role of "boss's wife," being pampered everywhere on set, which bred some arrogance and casualness.

This time on The Mo Gong, she's finally felt the old grind again.

However, after Yi'an Cinema publicly appeared, Fan Xiaopang suddenly sensed a shift in the crew's attitude.

If before she only vaguely sensed it, not quite certain, on the day Yan Li visited the set, Fan Xiaopang witnessed firsthand what "face-changing" meant.

"Director Zhang, thank you for taking care of Bingbing on set."

Yan Li smiled warmly as he shook hands with director Zhang Zhiliang—a notable figure in Xiangjiang directing, though not widely known, his signature work is The Last Eunuch of China.

His background is varied—he's been a company boss, director, producer, screenwriter, and even participated in the acclaimed masterpiece Back to Back, Face to Face.

Still, Yan Li doesn't quite understand why The Mo Gong, a commercial film, hired Zhang Zhiliang as director.

It's not that Zhang Zhiliang is incompetent; his signature works are all delicate, introspective art films obsessed with human nature and philosophy.

Hiring an art film director for a commercial blockbuster—even one like The Mo Gong, which is anti-war and anti-hero—is clearly risky.

Don't bring up Chen Da or Lao Mouzi, who also started in art films; their market pull is nothing compared to Zhang Zhiliang, whose name barely registers in Xiangjiang.

In plain terms, The Mo Gong's entire selling point rests on Li Tianwang.

These past two years have been Li Tianwang's career peak: Heaven's Gate, House of Flying Daggers, and earlier Infernal Affairs—all box office hits with solid critical reception.

But this doesn't mean Li Tianwang's drawing power rivals Jackie Chan or Stephen Chow.

Infernal Affairs was the recent pinnacle of Hong Kong cinema; its success wasn't Li Tianwang's alone. Heaven's Gate and House of Flying Daggers? The directors' contributions were primary.

Beyond these box office successes, Li Tianwang has starred in many other films over the past two years that vanished without a trace.

Dragon and Phoenix, released between Heaven's Gate and House of Flying Daggers, earned less than 15 million RMB in mainland China; both of his 2005 films failed to break 10 million.

Clearly, Li Tianwang's star power isn't easy to leverage—even with The Mo Gong's commercial blockbuster boost, Yan Li doesn't have high hopes for this project's prospects.

Of course, this has nothing to do with Yan Li—he didn't invest a single cent in this film.

Fan Xiaopang just needs the commercial blockbuster's publicity to raise her profile and get some screen exposure.

"Mr. Yan, you're too polite—we look out for each other. Bingbing has performed excellently."

Zhang Zhiliang treated Yan Li warmly and politely; he'd heard of this young man before but hadn't taken him seriously.

So what if he's the King of Selling Films? He doesn't make TV dramas; though both are in the entertainment industry, film and TV are actually two separate fields.

Of course, Yan Li has money, Yi'an is doing well—maybe someday he'll enter the film industry.

But that's none of his business; there are plenty of rich people, plenty of film company bosses—no personal connection exists, so why should he fear or flatter a young man?

But now it's different: Yan Li has entered the film industry—not by producing or distributing films, but by directly entering cinema chains, and with a substantial move.

Now things are settled.

As a film director, you can avoid dealing with other film companies or ignore a distributor, but you can't ignore a cinema chain of any significant scale.

If you don't want to deal with them, they have plenty of ways to deal with you.

Although Yi'an Cinema has just started, Zhang Zhiliang doesn't need to grovel for Yan Li—but knowing the man has power, why not cultivate a good relationship instead of holding his head high or provoking him?

Old hands who've made it in the Xiangjiang entertainment industry all know how to bend and stretch.

Zhang Zhiliang directly apologized to Fan Xiaopang in front of Yan Li, half-jokingly.

"Bingbing, the set's been too busy and chaotic, and sometimes I get impatient during filming—it's all professional, please understand, don't go tattling to Mr. Yan about me."

Fan Xiaopang of course wouldn't put on airs, but she also didn't lower herself—she replied half-jokingly.

"Then Director Zhang, you'll have to treat me better, be gentler—if not, I'll go home and tell tales."

Zhang Zhiliang laughed heartily: "Oh no, you've caught me by the throat."

Yan Li also smiled: "Director Zhang, don't worry—if she misbehaves, you tell me, I'll deal with her myself."

They exchanged a few half-serious, half-joking remarks, effectively putting the earlier unpleasantness behind them.

At the same time, Fan Xiaopang's days on The Mo Gong set would now be considerably easier.

After chatting with the director, Yan Li went to meet Li Tianwang, who was very courteous.

Or rather, this man is generally courteous to everyone; his personal conduct is impeccable—even when he needs to play the villain, his team handles it for him.

In Fan Xiaopang's words, Brother Hua is a good man, but his assistants and makeup crew sometimes act like arrogant superstar entourages.

She once tried to ask Li Tianwang for his phone number, but was subtly and overtly blocked—as if she had some improper intentions.

But today, while chatting with Li Tianwang, Yan Li met several members of his team and found them all quite amiable.

Without Yan Li even speaking up, Li Tianwang proactively exchanged phone numbers with him, and no one intervened.

Afterwards, since Li Tianwang still had filming to do, his personal executive agent personally saw Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang off, speaking warmly and friendly, even handing out his business card and saying they could contact him anytime, blah blah.

After he left, Fan Xiaopang couldn't help complaining: "I've been filming here so long, I've never seen her smile at me as much as she did with you in these few minutes."

Yan Li glanced at her and said calmly: "It'll be different from now on—she'll smile at you more and more."

「……」

Fan Xiaopang looked around left and right, saw no one nearby, hugged Yan Li's head and kissed him repeatedly, then happily clung to his arm.

"I knew I picked the right man—totally boosts my morale."

"Get some ambition."

Yan Li pinched Fan Xiaopang's nose: "This is nothing. When you're the one giving orders to directors, and kings and queens beg you for your phone number with smiles, that's when you'll have real clout."

"Can you really make that happen?"

Fan Xiaopang's eyes sparkled. Today's scene had already thrilled her; the scenario Yan Li described, she'd never even dreamed of.

"I don't know, but you've got to have dreams. I'll work hard and try my best to make your dream come true."

Fan Xiaopang tiptoed and kissed Yan Li again: "We'll work hard together."

…

This visit to the set, Yan Li had originally just come to check on Fan Xiaopang, give her some support, then leave.

But Fan Xiaopang wouldn't let him go; she insisted he wait until she finished shooting, then take her out to taste Yixian's cuisine.

Yan Li knew whether she meant eating food—or eating him.

But after thinking it over, since Fan Xiaopang had been away filming nonstop, he made a few calls and stayed.

While Fan Xiaopang filmed, Yan Li waited nearby—or wandered around—and ran into an acquaintance.

Zhang Li, who played Dapeng in The Conquest, was also in this production.

They'd gotten along decently during The Conquest, but hadn't kept in touch since.

Times had changed: Zhang was still a minor actor, while Yan Li had become a big name in the industry. So when Yan Li greeted him, Zhang was momentarily stunned.

Yan Li offered him a cigarette and chatted casually with Zhang, who was on standby.

Thanks to The Conquest, he was at least recognizable; combined with his natural tough-guy look, though he wasn't top-tier, he kept getting roles—even more movies than TV dramas sometimes.

Since they were old acquaintances, Yan Li gave Zhang his number; future roles in Yi'an productions would need plenty of vicious villains—better to use someone familiar than a stranger.

When Fan Xiaopang finished filming and came to find Yan Li, she saw him chatting with Zhang Li and paused, slightly startled.

When Yan Li shot The Conquest, they didn't know each other. She'd watched the drama later, but mainly paid attention to Yan Li or the main leads; she had no memory of Zhang Li, a minor supporting actor.

After Yan Li introduced him, Fan Xiaopang realized: "Oh, so he's one of us! I'm done shooting—let's all eat together tonight."

Zhang Li wasn't stupid—he wouldn't be a third wheel. He made an excuse and left. Fan Xiaopang patted Yan Li approvingly.

"Good job. I thought you'd try flirting with some female actress."

Yan Li sighed: "With you here, which actress could possibly catch my eye?"

"Pfft. The sweeter your mouth, the filthier your heart."

Fan Xiaopang changed clothes, and the two disguised themselves and went to eat at a distinctive donkey meat restaurant in Yixian.

While ordering, Yan Li noticed someone in the next private room ordered "Donkey Three Specialties," said to be delicious and highly nourishing, and wanted to try it too—but Fan Xiaopang refused outright.

Not eating meant one live donkey; eating meant adding donkey to donkey—how could she get up tomorrow?

Yan Li felt disappointed and planned to buy a portion after the visit ended, to take back and test on Dong Xuan or Qin Lan.

Nah, better to ask Jiang Xin—she's tough, and he doesn't feel too bad for her.

After dinner, they checked into a hotel. As soon as they entered, Fan Xiaopang unleashed her passion.

Clearly, Yan Li's special trip to support her, and all the changes he brought, had deeply affected Fan Xiaopang.

On set she'd held back, but alone together, there were no more inhibitions—she alternated between screaming "I love you to death!" and "I'm dying for you!" and used every trick she had to finally exhaust Yan Li single-handedly.

…

After the battle ended, Yan Li wrapped his arm around Fan Xiaopang's smooth, pale shoulder and brought up her album.

The Conquest won't take much longer to shoot; movie production cycles are generally short, even if the scale and complexity are larger.

The Legend of Yang Yuhuan is still in preparation, so after The Conquest wraps, Fan Xiaopang won't join another set immediately—she'll be busy with advertising campaigns and releasing an album.

"I've secured two great songs for you this time. Promote them hard—doesn't have to be a blockbuster album, but at least you'll get some visibility, and have signature songs for award shows and commercial gigs."

Fan Xiaopang could sing decently; Yan Li had heard her sing often, and she loved singing privately too.

Her level couldn't match powerhouse vocalists, but she'd trained and studied—definitely far beyond average KTV kings.

"Does releasing an album mean shooting a music video?"

But Fan Xiaopang's thinking differed from Yan Li's; she wasn't focused on the songs, but on the MV.

Well, that made sense—she was an actress, especially one famous for her beauty; compared to singing, she was more enthusiastic and confident about MVs, where she could show off.

"We'll definitely shoot one. Your album targets fans—can't have them spending money on DVDs just to listen to songs."

"Then who'll play the male lead in the MV?"

Fan Xiaopang's almond eyes fluttered at Yan Li, who sighed: "I really might not have time."

Yi'an Cinema was newly launched; Yan Li had to oversee it. His workload at Yi'an was heavy, and he couldn't be absent.

Meanwhile, Crazy Stone was about to be released, and Yan Li planned to use this momentum to expand into film distribution.

He was also contacting film companies and channels in Xiangjiang—to increase his film investments and use Xiangjiang as a springboard to secure overseas TV distribution channels.

Plus, there were countless other matters. Yan Li wasn't overwhelmed, but his schedule was tight.

The roles originally reserved for him in Yi'an's upcoming The Legend of Yang Yuhuan and The Legend of Chu Liuxiang had all been turned down by Yan Li.

"At least do one. The MV is simple—it'll take a day or two at most."

Fan Xiaopang pouted and schemed: once she lured Yan Li in, if he starred in just one or two MVs, she wouldn't need any other male leads—she'd openly flaunt their love.

That way, she'd further solidify her image as Yi'an's boss lady—and give Dong Xuan and Qin Lan a little jab.

Hmph, what's so great about pleasing family? I've got Yan Li right in my palm—the ultimate winner is still me.

"... I'll think about it."

Yan Li knew Fan Xiaopang well—he could tell at a glance that this woman was plotting something again.

But since he couldn't yet figure out what the man was up to, Yan Li chose to play it safe, giving no clear yes or no, waiting until he understood the other's scheme.

Fan Xiaopang grumbled but had no way to force Yan Li.

This dog of a man was too shrewd, yet she simply liked his dominance and cunning.

As mentioned before, women have a desire to conquer, but they also have a desire to be conquered.

The latter is more complex, with no clear definition—it involves admiration for strength, the thrill of surrendering emotional initiative, seeking dependence and security, and more.

In short, women sometimes crave being controlled and conquered by a powerful opposite-sex partner.

It's not just women—men feel the same, otherwise why would so many adore dominant women and queens? Whoever's on top wins.

Fan Xiaopang and Yan Li's occasional mind games had a similar flavor.

One wanted to subdue the Crimson Flame Dragon, the other sought to tame the Vermilion Tiger; subduing them brought joy, but being subdued by the Dragon and Tiger held its own sweet flavor…

————

After returning to Jingcheng from Yi County, Yan Li went to Jinmen to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the first five-star premium cinema of Yi'an Cinema Chain in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

As for Jingcheng's flagship theater, Yan Li surveyed several options but ultimately decided to partner with the Da Yuecheng under construction in Xidan.

So it was placed in the second batch—groundbreaking wouldn't begin until the second half of the year, with an expected opening next year alongside Da Yuecheng.

Afterward, Yan Li returned to Jingcheng and arranged a meeting with Yu Pangzi from Bona.

Currently, Bona is the largest private film distribution company, involved in many Hong Kong films and co-productions; as a cinema operator, Yan Li couldn't avoid dealing with Bona.

Many believe the most glamorous part of the film industry is production, and the most powerful is the cinema chain.

In reality, the distribution companies, often overlooked, hold considerable power.

If a distribution company reaches a certain scale, controls multiple film releases, and holds sufficient distribution channels, it can force production houses to pay higher distribution fees and provide more support resources, while also pressuring cinema chains to compromise on screening schedules.

Of course, this applies to mid- and small-sized film companies, independent crews, and small independent cinema chains.

Major studios have their own distribution channels and aren't subject to distributors' control.

Large cinema chains needn't even mention it—if they threaten, your films won't screen at all.

So becoming a cinema chain operator doesn't make you the supreme ruler of the film industry.

You must at least reach a level capable of shaking the box office before you can walk with arrogance; otherwise, the west wind often overwhelms the east wind, and small cinema chains frequently suffer humiliation from big production houses and powerful distributors.

Yan Li had studied Wanda and Enlight Media's development histories through annual intelligence reports, which cited similar examples.

Wanda, as China's largest cinema chain, once made distributors and producers kneel to offer tribute.

Meanwhile, Enlight Media, as a distribution giant, could easily manipulate film companies and crews lacking deep connections; mid- and small-sized cinema chains and independent theaters often suffered humiliation at Enlight Media's hands, unable to voice their grievances.

Yan Li's Yi'an Cinema Chain was just beginning; he still couldn't put on airs with Yu Pangzi.

But Yu Pangzi didn't put on a superior act toward Yan Li either.

At twenty-five, he was still running errands at the Beijing Film Studio, yet now he was worth hundreds of millions—who knew what Yan Li's future might hold?

Even now, though Bona held considerable clout in the industry, its profits were limited due to its focus on distribution; Yu Pangzi's personal wealth truly didn't match Yan Li's.

Each had their own leverage, both wanted to cultivate goodwill, and both came from distribution backgrounds—smooth-talking and skilled at networking.

So after chatting awhile and drinking a few glasses, they clapped each other on the shoulders, calling each other "brother."

Yan Li had come to see Yu Pangzi for two reasons.

One was to lay groundwork for future distribution-cinema chain cooperation; the other was to learn about distribution—or rather, to covet Bona's connections in Xiangjiang.

Yu Pangzi had his own agenda: he wanted to maintain good relations with the heavily invested Yi'an Cinema Chain and also sought investment for his own films.

Previously, Bona had focused solely on distribution, but over the past two years, due to thin profits, lack of control, associated risks, and corporate growth constraints, it had begun investing in film production.

Yan Li had money, people, and resources—he was an ideal partner.

Film investment was far more complex than TV drama investment, especially commercial cinema films—money alone wasn't enough.

"Big Yu Ge, I'm truly delighted today. Let's get together again next time."

"No problem, we're a perfect match—call anytime."

"…"

After two drinking sessions, it was nearly dawn when Yan Li and Yu Dong reluctantly parted.

Back at the Beijing Film Studio compound, Dong Xuan was already asleep; she woke at the noise and poured him honey water.

"Why did you drink so much today?"

"Met someone who could drink."

Yan Li sipped the honey water; he'd already learned via the system that Yu Pangzi was infamous for his drinking, having built his early distribution network entirely through alcohol.

Today's encounter proved it true—he'd downed two rounds and even he felt slightly drunk.

"How did the talks go?"

"Old fox—he's slippery. Won't open up unless he tastes the sweet."

On the other side, when Yu Pangzi got home, he was completely drunk, carried upstairs by his driver.

His Lady, Cang Lili, seeing him so thoroughly incapacitated, scolded him yet grew curious, asking the driver how many people he'd drunk with.

Yu Pangzi had a strong tolerance; unless under special circumstances, he rarely got this drunk—Cang Lili suspected he'd been ambushed.

"No, just one person—Yan Zong from Yi'an."

One-on-one?

Cang Lili became intrigued, asking the driver many questions; the next day, when Yu Pangzi sobered up, she teased him about it, mocking his famed drinking prowess.

"Damn, these young guys are too fierce—I lost yesterday."

Yu Pangzi admitted defeat outright; if they'd been evenly matched, he'd have resisted, but Yan Li was clearly in far better condition.

Still, he saved face: "I'm older now—I don't drink to the point of collapse. Ten years ago, who knows who'd have won?"

Cang Lili was intrigued by Yan Li and asked how the evening went; Yu Pangzi pursed his lips.

"Little fox—he won't act unless he sees the rabbit. Sweet talk alone won't cut it."

Cang Liliu smiled: "Someone so young with such a big business certainly isn't someone easy to deal with."

Yu Pangzi was about to say more when his phone rang; he gestured to his wife and answered it.

"Young Brother Yan, no problem, thanks for thinking of me—let's get together tonight… or maybe tomorrow? I've got a meeting today. Fine."

After hanging up, Yu Pangzi couldn't help cursing: "Calls me Yu Ge, Yu Ge, but's trying to drink me to death."

In Beiying Community, Yan Li hung up and sneered at Dong Xuan.

"I even praised him—this old bastard backed down today."

Business banquets and drinking contests on New Shanghai aren't good habits, but often they aren't about drinking for drinking's sake—they serve a purpose; behind the clinking cups and glasses lies a battle of wills and probing.

Whoever backs down, whoever loses their momentum, will find their negotiating power weakened afterward.

Yan Li pondered how to squeeze even more out of Yu Pangzi…

————

ps: Yesterday was my dad's birthday, I rushed to make up the update + my sister wasn't off, so I moved it to today—I still owe 2000 characters, I'll make it up tomorrow

(End of Chapter)