Chapter 231: Crushing the Scum, the Intelligence King Shows His Might

Old Yan, Zhang Hong, and Grandma Yan left.

The couple couldn't be separated; the old lady was too hard for Yan Li to care for alone, and none of them felt at ease—so they returned to their hometown together.

After the elders departed, Yan Li instructed Yan Xin to tidy and seal off Yangjiao Lantern Alley.

Unlike his parents, who preferred living in courtyard houses, he actually favored apartments for their convenience; since his parents were staying in the sihe courtyard with him, he decided to just bunk with Qin, Dong, or Fan instead.

In early June, a moderately significant incident occurred in the entertainment industry.

A certain female celebrity named Zhang publicly exposed the industry's hidden rules, implicating renowned directors Huang Jianzhong, Zhang Da Huizi, and Zhang Da Huizi's longtime director Yu Min.

This matter had been brewing for two years already, growing larger and larger; the woman became increasingly erratic, dragging in many others and even compiling a list.

Correct—he was dragged into it too.

But he wasn't exposed by that Zhang-named actress; after all, he didn't know her at all, had never even met her.

Yet the social backlash she sparked over the industry's hidden rules drew widespread attention, prompting all sorts of "righteous individuals" to expose transactions riddled with truth and falsehood.

Yan Li's reputation was already poor, and he'd always been "flashy."

Naturally, many took notice, and with some opportunists stoking the flames, he quickly became a figure of public frenzy.

"Damn, there are plenty who've been quietly plotting to destroy me."

Though swept into the storm's center, Yan Li remained calm; his reputation in this area was already trash, so how much worse could it get?

Of course, womanizing and hidden-rule transactions were two entirely different things.

These people deliberately blurred the distinction, making Yan Li's image even more toxic.

From a scumbag to a monster, from lecher to sex fiend, they even dragged Yi'an into it, branding it the entertainment industry's "female prisoner dungeon."

The worst part? Yan Li had some undeniable truths to contend with.

Because the exposed actresses included Shuang Bing, Dong Xuan, Qin Lan, Wang Ou, Jiang Xin, Yang Xue, Wu Jiani, Hu Siyan, and Li Lin.

Clearly, these people had done their homework—each had starred in multiple films with Yan Li, maintained close ties, fitting the logic of "transactions."

Coincidentally, someone really did like to eat from the same trough; apart from Li Lin and Yang Xue, the rest weren't exactly clean with him.

And except for a few, most did have transactional motives to some degree.

But because Yan Li was generous, handsome, young, and surrounded by a halo, the whole affair didn't seem so vile; most of the actresses went along willingly, at least not resisting—offering halfhearted consent.

Of course, it was true—but should truth be spoken like this?!

Yan Li stood firm, refusing to admit the "dirty water" dumped on him, even if he had no moral high ground.

Not only did he deny it—the actresses denied it too.

Even if caught in bed, they'd admit to dating, or even to being a mistress out of momentary foolishness—but never to a transaction.

Li Bingbing, Hu Siyan, Wang Ou, Jiang Xin, Yang Xue, and others either gave interviews or delegated their companies to firmly deny the hidden-rule allegations.

Even under school pressure, Dong Xuan contacted the media; Qin Lan's agency took matters into its own hands.

In the end, only one person stayed silent: Fan Xiaopang.

She didn't need to speak; as Yan Li's official girlfriend, responding to such rumors would be self-degrading.

She'd just successfully suppressed Dong and Qin, and her mood was good—until a thunderbolt struck her.

Her dark secrets were exposed—not just hers, but her mother's too.

Panicked, Fan Xiaopang abandoned recording, rushed back to Yi'an to find Yan Li.

Yan Li remained calm, even patiently brewed her a cup of tea.

"Don't rush. I knew about this long ago."

Fan Xiaopang was stunned, unsure what he meant; he smiled.

"Can't you see? They think we're in their way."

When he'd been dragged into the hidden-rule scandal that had nothing to do with him, Yan Li already realized he'd been set up.

Yi'an had grown rapidly last year, producing and investing in multiple blockbusters, becoming the top TV distributor; this year, it expanded into film distribution.

Meanwhile, Yi'an Investment, under Yan Li's control, poured hundreds of millions into theater chains, charging forward aggressively.

Such swift growth and steady strategy couldn't help but trigger fear and jealousy in others.

Fan Xiaopang, as Yan Li's right-hand woman, was even more of a target—taking her out meant crippling one of his arms.

Of course, many had already been eyeing her.

Over the past one or two years, Fan Xiaopang had skyrocketed, dubbed the queen of both buzz and advertising; her constant exposure and earnings meant others earned less—and who wouldn't harbor resentment?

They only struck in June; to Yan Li, that was already late—they'd probably been holding back to damage "The Investiture of the Gods" and "Crazy Stone."

"So what do we do now?"

"Wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Wait for everyone to jump out."

Yan Li had no patience for endless squabbles with these people—his time was too valuable.

He wanted to use this chance to fish out every enemy of Yi'an, himself, and Fan Xiaopang, and eliminate them all at once.

Yan Li had risen too quickly; many still didn't take him seriously. It was time to flex some muscle.

Compared to "The Selling King," Yan Li's real nickname should be 【The Intelligence King】.

"Tell your aunt to hold on—I'll settle the score for her later."

Fan Xiaopang nodded, then leaned close, hugging Yan Li, her forehead pressed against his: "Don't believe those leaks—they're all made-up lies."

She'd rushed to the company not only to seek his help, but more urgently, to fear he'd misunderstand.

"Relax. I know everything."

Yan Li gently rubbed her head, reassured—thanks to his intelligence network, he could easily distinguish truth from falsehood, never deceived.

Fan Xiaopang still felt uneasy, had no heart for recording, so she stayed in his office, obediently playing secretary.

Under Yan Li's deliberate tolerance, Yi'an suffered total defeat in the public opinion arena.

More and more filth was dumped on Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang, even spreading to Yi'an and other companies.

This new powerhouse of the industry appeared on the verge of collapse.

…

The "Struggle" set

During a break, the cast chatted about the scandal; Zhu Yuchen blurted out:

"This guy's really weak—everything's been dug up. His character's trash."

Wang Luodan glanced at him: "Can't you see someone's targeting him?"

Anyone who survives in this industry isn't stupid—this massive smear campaign clearly had orchestrators.

"The worse it gets, the deadlier it is—if you can't fight back, you're just a soft target, and that's how you're finished."

Zhu Yuchen turned to the silent Tong Dawei and others: "Don't you agree?"

Tong Dawei, Ma Yi, Wen Zhang, and Li Xiao didn't respond—they'd dealt with Yan Li and didn't think he was incompetent.

Even if caught off-guard and outmatched, he wouldn't be completely powerless.

"Big Wei, is Yan Li holding back a big move?"

Li Xiao had seen Yan Li silence Dong and Qin with a single word—his every gesture radiated confidence and dominance. How could such a man just sit there and take it?

"I don't know. I called him—he told me not to worry, nothing else."

Among them, Tong Dawei had the closest personal ties with Yan Li and called him first—but got little information.

"I think he's got a plan."

Wen Zhang's opinion of Yan Li was complicated, but he too believed Yan Li wasn't the type to surrender quietly—his silence hid something.

As they talked, an actor burst in: "Holy shit, big news—Xiao Yanzi's driver was recorded beating a pregnant woman!"

Everyone was stunned—this had been a huge scandal two years ago, splashed across every headline.

"Man, she's in deep trouble now."

Last time, they barely buried it—thanks to her boyfriend. Now it's being dragged up again, deeper than ever; she'll lose more than skin.

"Wait."

Ma Yi suddenly remembered something: first Fan Xiaopang, now Xiao Yanzi—was there a connection?

Was this Yan Li's revenge—or a coordinated strike against the "My Fair Princess" cast?

They soon found out.

Xiao Yanzi's scandal broke in the morning; by night, Lin Xinru was exposed having an intimate nighttime rendezvous with a handsome man at a bar in Taiwan, leaving together—photos included.

Notably, Lin Xinru was widely rumored to be in a hot romance with director Tang Jili.

The entertainment industry exploded.

The influence of "My Fair Princess" needs no explanation; the three leading actresses were still top stars, bound by deep ties.

First Fan Xiaopang fell into scandal, then Xiao Yanzi and Ziwei were exposed on the same day—with concrete evidence. It was shocking.

But even more shocking: the next day, an account on Tianya Forum exposed four more actresses in one day.

Including messy love lives, being a mistress, hidden rules, plastic surgery, abortions, cheating—though lacking hard proof, the details were so precise and matched real-life facts that the leaks gained massive credibility.

Those who paid attention compared them to the earlier attacks on Fan Xiaopang—they weren't even in the same league.

The former were vague, ambiguous, full of subjectivity—basically, just grabbing names and making stuff up.

The latter were objective, detailed accounts with names, events, even locations and times, backed by real-world verification—like official police interrogations.

The entertainment industry descended into total chaos.

These actresses were all well-known; two were currently popular, even on the verge of becoming top-tier—now drowning in public outrage.

Meanwhile, most people had already guessed who was behind it.

One or two are coincidence, but six female stars all hit with scandals, several even linked in some way to Fan Xiaopang—if you still can't figure it out, you might as well quit.

Brutal.

And impressive.

Every top actress has powerful backers behind her; the leaks implicated several people—Yan Li's move has angered many.

What puzzles everyone most is where Yan Li got all these explosive details.

Many of these matters are highly private—not something you can buy with money. The background, methods, influence, and connections behind it are staggering.

…

Huayi Company

Wang Zhongjun had a headache: one of the exposed actresses was from Huayi, and Lin Xinru was also an artist they were actively courting.

Even if they could bury the story, they'd still suffer all kinds of fallout.

"He's gone mad, mad—he wants to burn everything down?"

Wang Zhonglei cursed, "I knew Yan Li would strike back, but I didn't expect him to go this hard—some of the leaks were clearly meant to destroy him completely."

"The net might break, but the fish doesn't have to die."

Wang Zhongjun sighed. Yan Li's stature isn't what it used to be—he's being watched on many fronts now; you can't just crush him like before.

Worse still, Huayi dug into Yi'an's background, but whether Yan Li was just skilled or handled it well, the company came out spotless.

Aside from being a womanizer, he had no other vulnerabilities—and even that one, he openly admitted himself.

Earlier, Wang Zhongjun thought Yan Li was too young, didn't know how to protect his image, and should've pretended to be polished despite his playboy ways.

Now he was slowly understanding.

This kid probably did it on purpose—he's too outstanding, too easy to be overhyped. Keeping one non-lethal flaw gives people an outlet, turns him from a "god" into a man.

Wang Zhongjun couldn't help but admire Yan Li; at his age, he still got affected by public opinion, yet Yan Li, so young, deliberately sought criticism.

Such a mindset—remarkable.

"But we can't let him get away with this. Brother, I'll reach out to a few parties and hit him hard."

"How hard? He knows TV networks better than we do—can you block him? In film, Old Han has a good impression of him; white or black, do you think he's unprepared?"

Wang Zhongjun understood: if they moved, a coalition could hurt Yan Li—but so what?

If they can't crush him, who knows what other bombs he's holding? No gain, just mutual destruction? What's the point?

Wang Zhongjun was a businessman—he acted with purpose, not like a thug competing in brutality.

Yi'an rose fast; Huayi correctly tried to suppress it early.

Yan Li fought back fiercely; Huayi got stabbed in the hand, costs outweighed gains—now they had to think carefully.

Ding ling ling~

The office phone rang. Wang Zhonglei answered, listened a moment, then erupted in curses.

"What happened?"

"News broke: Huayi used PR to smear artists—damn, it's definitely Yan Li's doing. He's gone full scorched earth—Hao Siyan slept with a dog."

Wang Zhongjun rushed online and checked—his face turned ashen: "There's a traitor."

This PR process wasn't leaked by outsiders—Yan Li couldn't know it so clearly unless it came from inside Huayi.

"Could it be Li Bingbing and Hao Siyan, those two bitches?"

Wang Zhonglei suspected the two women had colluded with Yan Li and betrayed Huayi's secrets.

"Li Bingbing had nothing to do with this. Hao Siyan rarely participates now, and they only attended banquets—they never knew the actual operational details."

"Look at how detailed this process is—it's either multiple PR staff defected, or a senior PR executive."

"Damn it, how many moles has this bastard planted in Huayi?"

Wang Zhongjun swore too. He wasn't afraid of open confrontation, but internal betrayal was deadly.

"After this is over, we do a full internal purge—every hidden traitor and mole must be cleaned out. Better to kill ten innocent than let one go."

Wang Zhonglei nodded: "Then what about Yan Li?"

"Make peace."

"But—"

Wang Zhonglei still resented it, but Wang Zhongjun said coldly: "If he knows the process, he must know client lists too—if those leak, Huayi is finished."

…

Wang Zhonglei left, bitter. Making peace wasn't easy—Yan Li still held explosive material; Huayi would have to bleed.

Huayi was drowning in PR scandals, yet suddenly, the boss of Chengtian was exposed for his affair with top star Chen Hao—and his Japanese capital background was dug up.

Additionally, Jin Yingma and two other film companies, plus two theater chains, including famous producer Zhang Dahuizi, were all exposed with plenty of dirt.

The entire entertainment circle was filthy, scandals erupting nonstop.

Forced to respond, relevant authorities publicly announced they would clean up the industry's customs, and Yan Li himself was separately summoned for questioning by several officials.

But Yan Li was innocent—what did this have to do with him? He hadn't done anything. Right now, he was busy preparing lawsuits against those who smeared him.

Regardless, he was forced to retaliate—they'd struck first.

…

Normally, whoever started it, you pick the softest target—stability matters most.

But Yan Li, though weaker, clearly wasn't a soft target—he was a porcupine, young and reckless. You couldn't make him bow—so let the seasoned ones understand the bigger picture.

So Old Han personally stepped in, invited the key players, and arranged a private dinner to negotiate.

…

Inside the private room

Yan Li arrived slightly late. As he walked in, several people glared at him with hostility.

He ignored everyone else, simply greeted Old Han, then sat down with Fan Xiaopang.

Sun, boss of a film company, snorted: "No manners."

Yan Li glanced at him and snapped: "You know manners? Can't beat me head-on, so you resort to dirty tricks—what kind of man are you?"

Chengtian and Huayi each had their backing; future cooperation was possible. As long as they didn't overstep, Yan Li wouldn't burn bridges.

This company was purely a film producer—its strength still lagged behind Yi'an's current level.

Yan Li didn't care if they'd ever cooperate again—he wouldn't coddle them.

Sun flew into a rage. Though not the strongest, his company was well-known in the industry, and he had seniority—yet Yan Li had just pointed at his nose and cursed him.

"Fine. You're tough. No need to talk. Let's keep going."

Sun threw down a challenge. Yan Li looked at him with contempt: "Keep going? Are you even worth it?"

"You've got two dramas lined up. Do you think I can't make them both flop?"

"You're incompetent—your TV dramas are trash. No network wants them. You dare not hassle the networks, so you take it out on me? Of everyone here, I despise you the most."

"Your patron's about to retire. Old man, it's hard enough for you—don't give him more trouble."

Yan Li cursed and insulted him until Sun's face twisted. Especially the last line—left him silent, sitting down, not uttering a word.

Easily crushing Sun altered the room's atmosphere. Many hostile glares toward Yan Li softened.

Old Han finally spoke: "Xiao Yan, Xiao Sun—words were too harsh. Calm down. Don't ruin the harmony."

Yan Li immediately apologized: "Sorry, Boss Sun. I'm young and impulsive, don't know how to speak. Please forgive me."

Sun forced a smile: "No problem. I was wrong too."

Old Han nodded, satisfied, then turned to Yan Li: "Xiao Yan, I've looked into this. You and Bingbing were wronged, but your actions went too far."

"Mr. Han, it wasn't me who went too far."

Yan Li's tone toward Old Han wasn't harsh, but he wasn't weak either.

"I ran my business cleanly, didn't provoke anyone. They smeared me—that's fine. But they even targeted my girlfriend, dragged in my mother-in-law. If I'd swallowed that, would I still be a man?"

"Before you, I won't say anything too ugly—but now, some things must be said."

"If you want to compete, do it openly. If you play dirty, I'll match you blow for blow. No one backs down. No one whines."

"I'm young—only 25. I've been in business only a few years. If my company fails, I'll switch careers and start over. But I wonder—how many of you, with half a lifetime of status and fortune, dare to fight me to the end?"

At the last line, Yan Li looked around at the others. Many couldn't meet his gaze—they looked away or lowered their heads.

Since childhood, Yan Li had been a troublemaker, fought often—he knew to intimidate enemies, you had to show your spirit and ruthlessness.

This society rewards strength and crushes weakness. The softer you are, the more you're bullied; the harder you are, the less people dare touch you.

Yan Li had already shown his power. Now, by standing firm, ready to burn everything down, he'd genuinely unsettled many.

"Xiao Yan, don't get worked up."

Old Han, as mediator, stepped in to calm things: "This isn't your fault, but it's gotten too big—hurts the industry and society. Let's find a middle ground to resolve this."

Yan Li still seemed simmering. Fan Xiaopang gently urged: "Old Han is here. Others don't matter—but you can't disrespect Old Han's face."

The script had been written beforehand: one played the white face, the other the red. Yan Li raged; Fan Xiaopang offered the ladder.

Thus, under Old Han and Fan Xiaopang's combined pressure, Yan Li finally calmed.

"Mr. Han, I'm doing this for your sake—I don't want to drag the industry and society into the mud. But if we fight to the end, let's see whose ass is dirtier."

Responsibility was assigned. Now came negotiations: apology and compensation.

The others now "came alive," beginning to bargain with Yan Li.

Yan Li demanded a public apology—but none were willing. That implied guilt. Everyone blamed "random bystanders"; no one wanted to take the fall.

Old Han intervened: public apology carried too much weight. Private resolution was best.

Yan Li conceded: private apology, but face-to-face. They began haggling again.

They'd caused trouble; Yan Li had struck back too. A face-to-face apology was too sensitive. They could use written or phone apologies—but no public record. In return, they could make concessions elsewhere.

Just an apology took over half an hour to negotiate; the compensation that followed was even more complicated.

They dragged it out until dawn, finally reaching a rough agreement.

Both sides ceased hostilities; each party issued written and phone apologies to Yu Yanli or Fan Xiaopang, and provided substantial compensation in film, television, advertising, endorsements, and other resources to Yu Yanli's side.

After the agreement concluded, everyone left; Yu Yanli spoke privately with Han Sanye, thanking him for his help.

Han Sanye had shown some bias toward him this time, subtly securing him many advantages, and even used excuses like "he's young" to defuse the conflict.

"You've scared quite a few people this time."

Han Sanye pointed at Yu Yanli—his displayed strength had genuinely shocked and alarmed many.

No one is purely innocent; who knows what secrets Yu Yanli might dig up?

Yu Yanli knew his actions had been overly sharp, but he was well aware: everything he revealed could be explained by reality, at most using borderline tactics.

As long as he didn't cross the line and attract attention from certain institutions, he didn't mind being feared—even that was one of his goals.

Previously, with weak influence, he dared not exert his power; now that he'd reached a certain level, he could show a bit of it—to defend himself and pressure his opponents.

Everything has pros and cons; no matter what you do, there are always side effects.

Yu Yanli preferred being feared and watched closely than being weak and plagued by endless idiots causing trouble.

After chatting with Han Sanye, Yu Yanli got in the car; Fan Xiaopang rushed over and kissed him immediately.

"You were so hot just now."

Yu Yanli was usually domineering, but rarely so aggressive; at the dinner table, facing off against all factions without yielding, even pointing fingers and cursing—he'd been utterly formidable.

Realizing much of Yu Yanli's actions were done for him, Fan Xiaopang wished he could merge into Yu Yanli entirely.

Yu Yanli was kissed for several minutes, his face smeared with lipstick, lips nearly bitten through.

"How come you're getting more and more obsessed?"

Fan Xiaopang used to be so aloof and never so clingy in private.

But now his gaze grew increasingly possessive—not just in private, sometimes even in front of others, acting like a doting little wife, leaving Yu Yanli quite uncomfortable.

"I don't know either—I just like you more and more, I can't help it."

Fan Xiaopang cupped Yu Yanli's face and kissed him again; Yu Yanli was torn between laughter and tears.

"Enough, let's go back—we still have other things to do."

"What things?"

"These people are subdued, but we can't ignore our reputations—I had hackers dig up the 'masterminds' and several black fans, to clear our names."

The masterminds were dealt with; Yu Yanli wouldn't let the underlings slip away either—clearing their names was also a warning to others.

"Not so fast—your mother-in-law is extremely grateful you stood up for us, and wants to treat you to dinner."

Yu Yanli looked confused: "Mother-in-law? What mother-in-law?"

"Playing dumb, are you? You called her so smoothly just now—now you're acting like you forgot."

Fan Xiaopang grabbed his sensitive spot: "I've played the perfect daughter-in-law for your parents for so long—can't you play the perfect son-in-law for me once?"

"We'll see."

Yu Yanli wouldn't fall for it—Fan's mother wasn't Zhang Hong; especially after this incident, she was thrilled with him.

He feared that if he stepped into her house, the two of them would immediately start planning their wedding.

Fan Xiaopang begged, wheedled, and pleaded—but Yu Yanli held firm; she couldn't force him.

As the saying goes: adversity reveals true feelings.

Though this wasn't a great calamity, Yu Yanli standing before her, defending her and speaking up, gave Fan Xiaopang an unprecedented sense of security.

Fan Xiaopang was determined to hold onto this man—she'd wait if he wasn't ready, afraid of scaring him off.

…

The next day, Yi'an held a press conference, issuing a detailed report and debunking the previous incident.

It also revealed multiple individuals and accounts, demanding those accounts and media outlets delete related posts and articles and issue public apologies—or face court.

Notably, one account repeatedly claiming to be "Fan's Patron" was run by two eighth-grade students from Xi'an, who were themselves manipulated by a certain "actress sister."

Yu Yanli's people didn't harass the two students—only asked them to write apology letters, which were then published on the post.

As for the "actress sister," she was the only person Yu Yanli didn't pursue—he merely called her and her sister to scold them for their short-sightedness.

The press conference's clarification, combined with a series of follow-up promotions, maximized the reduction of negative impact on both of them.

As for those who prefer to believe what they want to believe, Yu Yanli couldn't help them.

No one wins universal approval or support—especially he and Fan Xiaopang, who had plenty of controversy themselves; part of their earnings came from being insulted.

Overall, the swift, organized, and evidence-backed clarification had been effective.

Especially against the backdrop of other scandal-ridden celebrities, the two, lacking solid evidence against them, appeared even cleaner.

No one expected Yu Yanli to have another trick up his sleeve.

He didn't leak anything new—but he loudly and publicly cleared his name, viciously undermining a whole wave of rivals.

It was a disgusting tactic, but you couldn't stop him—the agreement didn't forbid clarification.

In fact, others were also preparing to whitewash themselves.

But they'd been dug up too deeply, some with concrete evidence—making their cleanup far harder than Yu Yanli's; some simply went silent to ride out the storm.

Compared to public gossip and discussion, the real seismic shock came from within the entertainment industry.

Yu Yanli had previously been known in the industry for his shrewdness and competence; now he'd gained two new labels.

Ruthless and fiercely protective!

Damn, provoke him a little and he'll bite hard—he's practically a mad dog.

With some people stoking the flames, Han Sanye's mediation meeting—where Yu Yanli pointed at a boss's nose, cursed him, and declared he wasn't afraid to fight even if he was young—spread widely.

True, some criticized and disapproved, but more people expressed admiration and support for Yu Yanli.

Everyone dislikes bullying the weak, but fighting back when forced is perfectly justified—and most are workers; who doesn't love a boss who protects his own?

Combined with the tangled relationship between Fan Xiaopang and Yu Yanli, this even improved Yu Yanli's reputation among women.

He was a bit of a playboy, but reliable in critical moments.

Don't underestimate that—amid this glittering, profit-driven world, men with integrity are rare; those who are both trustworthy and dependable are rarer still.

(End of Chapter)