Chapter 243

"Teddy Sisterhood?"

The next morning, Jia Laoban heard this name and listened to Gan Wei's account, his expression thoughtful.

Upon learning that Qin Lan was Yan Li's woman and had founded this sisterhood, recruiting actresses from all corners, he pondered its underlying intent.

Jia Laoban believed that with Yan Li's tactics and stature, the Teddy Sisterhood was far more complex than merely competing for attention or seeking comfort in numbers.

Celebrity effect!

It must be this—Yan Li was after the celebrity effect.

Jia Laoban suddenly understood: using Qin Lan as a link, he was binding together a large group of actresses to build influence.

This influential celebrity group, close to him and partially under his control, could at critical moments amplify his business maneuvers, even draw traffic and lend support.

The cleverest part? This celebrity group required him to invest very few resources.

Through Qin Lan, they were connected to him yet not directly tied; he needed only occasional minimal resources, yet could easily disavow them when necessary.

Brilliant!

Jia Laoban was deeply impressed by Yan Li's maneuver and briefly considered copying it.

But he quickly abandoned the idea.

The Teddy Sisterhood had come together not because a few actresses got along well, but because of Yan Li behind them.

LeShi currently had very limited resources, and Gan Wei's personal fame was insufficient—she simply couldn't gather people.

Still…

Jia Laoban thought: if he couldn't gather them himself, he could let Gan Wei infiltrate.

Once Gan Wei built connections and became familiar with them, and once LeShi rose, the Teddy Sisterhood could be turned to his advantage.

Besides, LeShi had both cooperation and competition with Yan Li.

Having Gan Wei cultivate a good relationship with Qin Lan could foster mutual trust, ensure smooth cooperation, and also serve as a spy to gather intelligence.

The more Jia Laoban thought about it, the more promising it seemed—he even gave Gan Wei a sum of money specifically for PR work.

Xiong Naijin had recommendation rights, but whether Gan Wei could join the Teddy Sisterhood still required an internal vote.

Gan Wei could use this money, through Xiong Naijin's connections, to meet more members of the Teddy Sisterhood—treat them to meals and shopping, win their favor, so that when the vote came, they'd naturally support her.

Jia Laoban specifically warned Gan Wei to mention herself as little as possible at first and to keep her posture humble, to avoid arousing Yan Li's suspicion.

Gan Wei wanted to join the Teddy Sisterhood.

Women, after all, have some vanity, and as an art student, she longed for the spotlight.

But since becoming Jia Laoban's girlfriend, she had to consider his feelings—she couldn't pick up sesame seeds and lose the melon.

In her view, the Teddy Sisterhood was perfect: she could make friends, gain exposure, it was all women so it wouldn't bother Jia Laoban's sensibilities, and she could exchange with someone like Qin Lan—a kindred spirit.

Now that Jia Laoban had given her a task, Gan Wei valued the Teddy Sisterhood even more.

A wise wife must be wise: understanding, obedient, and causing no trouble are essential; under that premise, if she can help her man, her position becomes even more secure.

Gan Wei still felt pressure under Jia Laoban—she had too few cards in hand.

She became Jia Laoban's girlfriend partly because she was still attractive, partly because of her good temperament, partly because they'd known each other a long time, and partly because Jia Laoban wasn't particularly lustful.

So Gan Wei felt a sense of crisis—she wanted Jia Laoban to become more dependent on her, to turn from girlfriend into his legitimate wife.

With personal willingness and other advantages, Gan Wei acted quickly—after Jia Laoban left for work, she immediately sought out Xiong Naijin to discuss it.

Xiong Naijin didn't know Gan Wei's true intent; she assumed Gan Wei simply wanted to join the Teddy Sisterhood to meet celebrities and expand her social circle.

Xiong Naijin, who had already wanted to actively facilitate this, immediately began planning for Gan Wei.

The so-called requirement of a vote to join the Teddy Sisterhood was merely a facade—the key was the approval of a few core members.

First was Qin Lan—if she didn't nod, no one could get in.

Then came Huo Siyan—if she wasn't won over, joining was out of the question.

Then there were Ma Yili and Li Xiaolu; both were popular and held weight—while they might not make or break a decision, they could certainly sabotage it.

There was also Liu Yun, who could pass messages to Qin Lan, but her influence was relatively limited—once the above were secured, she needn't be overly worried about.

Ma Yili was a nice person, indifferent to group affairs; as long as you didn't offend her, she wouldn't cause trouble—easiest to handle.

Qin Lan held the most weight and was approachable, but generally hard to reach; as a judge-type figure, she had too many reservations and wouldn't easily give her approval.

So the best breakthrough points were the highly active Huo Siyan and Li Xiaolu.

Both were enthusiastic about this, Xiong Naijin could connect with them, and once they were won over, persuading Qin Lan and Ma Yili would become much easier.

But these two weren't easy to please—their standards were sharp, ordinary people couldn't catch their eye, and they had to be flattered.

Xiong Naijin wasn't sure if Gan Wei, a semi-rich wife at best, could lower herself enough.

Gan Wei said she could lower herself—and she didn't even have to; just throw money at them.

Dining, entertainment, shopping—she didn't believe these two couldn't be won over.

Coincidentally, Huo Siyan was soon leaving Beijing to join the cast of "The Deer and the Cauldron," and was gathering several sisters in Beijing for a meetup—Li Xiaolu was likely there too. Xiong Naijin considered bringing Gan Wei along to make initial contact and lay groundwork.

…

Yi'an Film & Television

Today, after touring the company, Yan Li considered whether it was time to relocate.

Yi'an's staff had grown rapidly, especially after implementing the ground promotion strategy—the company now had over five hundred employees.

Of course, many employees were out filming, doing ground promotions, handling distribution, or accompanying artists—the headquarters still had one or two hundred people.

But this number was becoming cramped at the current location; if some staff returned from field assignments, there might not even be room for them.

Besides Yi'an, Yi'an Cinema's headquarters had also been steadily increasing in staff as operations progressed.

Most crucially, the locations of these companies were scattered—Yan Li sometimes had to run all over town, which was inconvenient.

So Yan Li considered finding a suitable office location to move all the companies together in one go.

He didn't need an entire floor—just one building—so he'd only need to take the elevator, not run around so much.

Moreover, Yi'an's current company base is in Haidian, which is closer to Beijing Film Academy.

Back then, we considered film and television production and cost savings; now that the company is developing comprehensively, Chaoyang—a commercial hub—is better suited for its future.

Yan Li contacted Xiao Zheng, who manages his property purchases and rentals, and asked him to keep an eye out for office buildings in Chaoyang; if anything suitable turned up, he should lease and relocate.

Back in the office, Yan Li reviewed documents and some contracts; there was a meeting approaching noon.

After the meeting ended, there would be nothing left for the company to do today.

Yan Li pondered: in the afternoon, he could invite a few newly met bosses for tea, nurture relationships, explore collaboration opportunities, and visit the two leaders who had supported him in the evening to listen to their advice—perhaps triggering some dynamics.

Yan Li didn't have to participate in these dynamics, but he couldn't afford to be unaware—Jingcheng's waters ran deep, and one must tread as if walking on thin ice.

Just as he was about to leave the company, the deputy director of the distribution department came to him, looking uneasy.

"Director Yan, could you take a look at this project?"

Yan Li assumed it was some project the distribution department couldn't decide on and needed his opinion, but when he looked at it, he chuckled.

"Huh, thick-skinned indeed."

The project was "Liu Tianxian's Marriage," starring Huang Shengyi and that Yang Dashao.

One of Yan Li's original breakout projects had been "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies," and now another project titled "Liu Tianxian's Marriage," telling the same story of the Seven Fairies, had surfaced.

The leads were still Huang Shengyi, Yan Li's "ex-girlfriend," and Yang Dashao, suspected to be Huang's current boyfriend.

From the moment the project was initiated, "Liu Tianxian's Marriage" had subtly piggybacked on the hype, and the public happily watched the spectacle.

But Yan Li had ignored it entirely, refusing to acknowledge it.

He hadn't expected them to now come directly to Yi'an demanding distribution—Yan Li didn't know whether to call Yang Dashao brazen or broad-minded.

Flipping through the materials, Yan Li asked: "What's your department's assessment of this?"

Yi'an had thresholds for distributing TV dramas; it turned down ordinary projects and only accepted those with merit.

The deputy director spoke frankly: the distribution department thought "Liu Tianxian's Marriage" was a strong project, backed by CCTV investment, with a high likelihood of airing on CCTV and promising profit potential.

Under normal circumstances, the department would have already moved forward with cooperation, but because Huang Shengyi—Yan Li's "ex-girlfriend"—was involved, they hesitated and came to consult him.

Yan Li nodded: "If it's a quality project, we can take it—but at the highest profit-sharing rate."

Huang Shengyi was already in the past, and Yan Li hadn't held her close to heart, so he didn't care about avoiding this.

But he disliked Yang Dashao—too many petty tricks, and the kind of unwise cunning—and so he'd cut him deep.

If the other side agreed to cooperate, Yan Li made more money—why not?

If they refused, Yi'an didn't lack for this one project; it saved trouble and avoided gossip that might damage Yi'an's reputation.

Yan Li didn't give the matter a second thought and went to meet people for tea; the deputy director, having received Yan Li's instructions, returned to contact the "Liu Tianxian's Marriage" production team.

They thought the profit share was too high and wanted to negotiate, but with the boss's orders, no one dared agree.

This was the price—take it or leave it.

They still weren't satisfied; Yang Dashao even found Yan Li's phone number and called him directly.

"Director Yan, we're all in the same circle—no need to be so greedy. Come on, give me a face, and we'll keep seeing each other."

Yan Li listened to the other side's casual tone and smiled: "Sorry, I don't give face to just anyone."

With that, Yan Li hung up—this leech who lived off women and threw parties, coming to him begging for face.

"..."

Yang Dashao, hearing the dial tone, turned red with rage.

He'd been in the circle for years and was at least a minor figure—always treated as "Director Yang" or "Young Master Yang"—yet today he'd been so blatantly ignored by Yan Li.

"Fuck, I'm gonna give this guy a lesson."

Huang Shengyi, standing nearby, frowned: "Don't provoke him."

Yang Dashao was displeased: "You're still thinking about your old lover."

Huang Shengyi pressed her lips together and said coldly: "It has nothing to do with that—he has power and connections in this circle that we can't fight."

By now, she understood Yang Dashao somewhat—he had some ability and capital, but not much.

His family's company was in real industry, with zero ties to the entertainment circle.

Yang Dashao himself was the youngest son, out on his own, with limited funds and resources.

He could pretend to be rich by leveraging his family's influence and his pocket money, mingling with minor stars and ordinary people—but he couldn't compete with real tycoons.

Even "Liu Tianxian's Marriage" was assembled by borrowing Huang Shengyi's fame, putting in his own money, then swindling funds from his family and investor friends, and finally attaching CCTV.

If he truly had ability, he wouldn't have to seek Yi'an for distribution—he wouldn't be embarrassed himself, and he'd fear Huang Shengyi developing other thoughts.

"I've said my piece—do as you wish."

Huang Shengyi finished speaking, grabbed her bag, and walked out; her aura was so cold that Yang Dashao didn't dare stop her.

Normally, it was fine—Yang Dashao wasn't as good as he appeared, but he was still a rich second-generation.

Even with limited cash and resources, he held shares in his family's company worth a substantial sum—at least more than Huang Shengyi had earned after years of acting—and she'd sometimes comforted herself with dreams of becoming a future wealthy madam.

But whenever she saw Yan Li's rising success—or the brilliance of his women—she couldn't stop herself from using the "what if" method, and grew increasingly miserable.

Nothing could withstand the two words: "what if."

So every time she saw Yan Li or his women shining brightly, Huang Shengyi couldn't help invoking the "what if" method, and felt worse and worse.

As a result, Huang Shengyi now deliberately avoided anything related to Yan Li, to spare herself the irritation.

But Yang Dashao not only didn't avoid it—he actively rushed forward, wanting to clash with Yan Li.

Huang Shengyi's emotions were extremely complex, bordering on giving up—let it be what it would be.

But once in the car, after careful thought, she still sent Yan Li a text message as a warning.

She hadn't realized it before, but now, looking back, although Yan Li had been somewhat cold to her, he hadn't wronged her.

After they broke up, when she sought help, he still helped—his terms weren't generous, but they were fair and complete; she'd just been foolish and hadn't listened.

And though she called herself "ex-girlfriend" and occasionally rode his coattails, Yan Li had never uttered a single harsh word.

Yan Li did not block Huang Shengyi's phone number and replied to the text message after a few minutes.

【Got it, thanks for the heads-up.】

Looking at those words, Huang Shengyi felt an impulse to text Yan Li and invite him to meet, but Yan Li did not reply again.

Huang Shengyi silently put away her phone, let out a self-deprecating laugh, and drove off.

…

After receiving Huang Shengyi's warning, Yan Li had intended to see what Gao Zhao's high-level moves were, but the evening intelligence revealed:

This guy backed down!

Or rather, he wasn't cowardly—he simply had no way to harm Yan Li; his resources and connections couldn't touch Yan Li, while Yan Li had countless ways to counter him.

So he blustered on the surface merely to save face in front of Huang Shengyi, and took no actual action.

"What a piece of trash."

Yan Li found him utterly contemptible; if this guy had truly dared to confront him directly, no matter the outcome, Yan Li would have at least respected his guts and considered him halfway decent.

But to be so all bluster and no substance, even daring not to challenge Yan Li to his face, was truly pathetic.

Yan Li dismissed him outright and became more interested in Jia Boss's scheme targeting the Teddy Sisters.

Have to say, this guy's taste really wasn't bad; Yan Li duo duo actually did carry a similar meaning.

The celebrity effect is an amplifier, with many uses in commercial operations.

But Jia Boss underestimated Yan Li's scope; the Teddy Sisters weren't a deliberate move but a casual side play, and Yan Li had far more celebrity resources than just the Teddy Sisters.

Jia Boss was half an outsider and still didn't fully grasp Yan Li's influence in the circle.

As for Jia Boss wanting his girlfriend Gan Wei to join the Teddy Sisters, Yan Li pondered this thoughtfully.

Jia Boss was watching Yan Li, and Yan Li was watching him too.

Many things he couldn't handle personally, but if Qin Lan used her connection to the Teddy Sisters as an entry point, perhaps some unnecessary trouble could be avoided.

Yan Li wasn't afraid Jia Boss would pull the Teddy Sisters away.

First, he didn't lack the Teddy Sisters; second, he knew these people fairly well—most were fickle, and as long as Yan Li remained powerful, they'd know where their loyalty lay.

———

In October, CCTV broadcast a rural-themed romantic TV drama—"Village Love."

Zhao Ben Shan led the Zhao Family Troupe as lead actor; upon airing, it swept the nation and became another successful series after "Liu Laogen" and "Ma Dashuai."

Yi An's distribution department came knocking to discuss distribution rights, but was politely refused.

At this stage, there were only a few people in China's TV drama market whose shows never had trouble selling.

Zhao Ben Shan was one of them.

He had strong ties with CCTV, deep connections in the Three Northeast Provinces, and immense influence across the entire north.

Moreover, the Zhao Family Troupe was conservative, favoring a workshop-style operation, insisting on producing and distributing their own content—even refusing to cooperate with Yi An, a household name in the industry.

But Yan Li was no ordinary man; even with the Zhao Family Troupe's rigidity, he still got his share.

You handle your own distribution fine, but I can still buy the online copyright, right?

Yan Li wanted all of them: "Liu Laogen," "Ma Dashuai," "Village Love," and even collections of Errenzhuan and skits—all of it, price negotiable.

Additionally, Yi An, which had stockpiled copyrights, intended to sign a long-term contract with the Zhao Family Troupe: for the next X years, Yi An would buy every single online copyright of their works as they were produced—one by one.

Zhao Ben Shan was shrewd, but he couldn't resist someone handing him money outright.

Between converting cash into a growing company or letting it sit in storage gathering dust, Zhao chose the former.

However, for the long-term contract, Zhao Ben Shan held firm: he could sell, but the price would be set at the market rate at the time of each transaction—Yi An agreed.

Yan Li was quite satisfied with this cooperation; Zhao Ben Shan and the Zhao Family Troupe had a large and loyal viewership.

Though their ceiling might fluctuate, their floor was solid, making them a valuable addition to Yi An's copyright strategy.

Besides the Zhao Family Troupe, Yi An also entered a long-term partnership with De Yun She, which had rapidly risen to fame in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region over the past two years.

They dispatched filming crews to record xiangsheng performances at De Yun She's small venues and special shows, then licensed them to Tudou. com.

De Yun She's current fame owed no small part to Yi An's high-definition xiangsheng recordings.

Additionally, Yi An sought to acquire copyrights from outstanding teams and artists in Sichuan's Bashu Comedy, Hong Kong's Cantonese stand-up comedy, and Shanghai's huaji theater.

As for traditional opera and drama, no moves were made yet; these regional comedies were more popular and could attract internet users.

But opera was different—few people online at this stage actually enjoyed listening to traditional opera or music.

Though Yan Li never stated it outright, Yi An's current copyright acquisitions were increasingly viewed not as a means to profit from stockpiling, but as building a 【Internet Archive】.

Striving for completeness and attracting all kinds of netizens and viewers.

Once domestic acquisitions were largely complete, and if funds remained, they would consider foreign copyrights.

As Yi An's 【Internet Archive】 grew ever larger—so vast it could determine a video website's survival—Yan Li's industrial chain could add another link.

…

In Dongcheng, near Chaoyang Gate,

Han Sanye looked at the newly installed, still-pristine sign: "Li Ming Xuan: Treat Guests with Courtesy, Transmit Emotion Through Tea. A fine name."

"Don't mock me—you know this used to be Le Ming Xuan, named after the former owner. After I took over, I kept the tradition and replaced it with my own name."

Yan Li smiled; lately, with more social obligations, he felt it was inconvenient not having a fixed place.

Opening a restaurant or club would be too noisy and costly, so he simply took over a tea house—cheap, quiet, and carrying the 【elegant】 connotation, giving it refinement.

Yan Li showed Han Sanye around; the tea house wasn't large, about two or three hundred square meters.

It had a main hall with open seating and private booths, a dedicated performance tea stage, and several private rooms, selling tea leaves and offering tea snacks.

Its positioning was confused—neither casual nor business-oriented—which was why the previous owner had failed.

Yan Li had only just taken over and hadn't made changes yet, but he had already stopped accepting walk-in customers; after future renovations, it would target high-end business networking.

Jiang Yiyan Li's connections, this tea house would never lack clients.

Even if it's underfunded, it doesn't matter—Yan Li never intended the tea room to make money; it was merely a place for social networking, and his own territory felt safer.

In the private room, the server brought tea. Yan Li and Third Master Han exchanged pleasantries for a while, after which the latter brought up the real matter.

"This time, I've come to ask for your help."

Yan Li smiled: "With your status in the circle, what could possibly stump you?"

Third Master Han shook his head: "My position may look glorious, but more often than not, I'm powerless—there are too many difficult situations."

China Film holds great power, but it isn't Third Master Han's own; from the company's and higher-ups' perspective, it's naturally unstoppable—but some matters can't use China Film's resources, so Third Master Han must step out himself to find people.

Yan Li nodded and, without waiting for Third Master Han to speak, volunteered: "If I'm not mistaken, you're here because of Jiang Wen's film."

Back when they shot "The Devils Came," rumors spread that Jiang Wen was banned from directing for five years—no one knew if it was true—but Jiang Wen kept making films these past years, only beginning to raise funds for his new movie, "The Sun Also Rises," after the five years passed.

Jiang Wen is a good director, but one who spends money without making any.

His debut, "In the Heat of the Sun," was shot on film; the normal ratio of finished product to raw footage is 1:3, but this film was 1:15.

Not only did he burn through film stock, Jiang Wen was also capricious on set—once, he hired five hundred extras, then suddenly stopped shooting and told them to take their pay and leave.

The producer at the time, Hong Kong film veteran Wen Jun, nearly went insane because of him.

The crew went over budget repeatedly; in the end, they borrowed money to finish it. Though it made money, disputes over payments and returns sparked conflicts over salaries.

When shooting "The Devils Came," the investors were Hua Yi's Chairman Dong and Hua Yi's Wang Zhongjun—they both got high blood pressure because of him.

Later, the film was banned, and Hua Yi only scraped up a little money overseas; Wang, the boss of Hua Yi, refused to work with Jiang Wen again.

For this new film, "The Sun Also Rises," Jiang Wen struggled to secure funding—until Wang Shuo stepped in and brought in Taihe.

The original investment was 30 million, but Jiang Wen burned through 18 million and hadn't even shot half the film.

Taihe deemed the risk too high and withdrew the remaining 12 million; Jiang Wen's funding chain snapped, and he was forced to scramble for money everywhere.

He and Third Master Han have a good personal relationship; back when Jiang Wen "bullied" Lu Chuan during "The Search," it was Third Master Han who backed him.

When he learned Jiang Wen's funding chain had broken, Third Master Han wanted to help.

But China Film's operations are too sprawling, funds are limited, and the film's subject matter is somewhat sensitive—so Third Master Han could only use private channels.

After searching around, he ended up at Yan Li's door—now the rising star in the circle.

"They say you're well-informed—turns out it's true."

Third Master Han was slightly surprised that Yan Li had guessed his purpose, but then remembered Yan Li's rumors and the fact that he himself had been busy for a while—Yan Li hearing whispers was only natural.

"So, can you help me out?"

As a private request, Third Master Han didn't lower his stance much, but Yan Li responded readily: "You rarely ask me for anything—I can't refuse you face. I can't promise success, but I'll certainly lend a hand."

"Straight to the point."

Third Master Han raised his thumb. He'd approached many others before, but due to Jiang Wen's notorious reputation and other reasons, everyone had politely refused.

He could pressure China Film, but he couldn't force others to invest in a film—he himself couldn't go that far for Jiang Wen.

Everyone in the circle is sharp—they know the boundaries, and they have ways to shut Third Master Han's mouth.

Even coming to Yan Li now, Third Master Han had only hoped for a chance—he knew Yan Li was cautious about investing in films and was busy with theater chains, with tight funds.

He hadn't expected Yan Li to show such face—directly agreeing to help. Though Yan Li's words were cautious, it still made Third Master Han, who'd faced many "closed doors," feel relieved.

"Alright, I'll call Jiang Wen over—we'll talk together."

Third Master Han pulled out his phone, called Jiang Wen, who was in Jingcheng seeking funds. Upon hearing news of funding, Jiang Wen quickly arrived at the tea room.

"Director Jiang."

"Director Yan."

Yan Li and Jiang Wen shook hands—they'd never met before, but weren't meeting for the first time.

Back when they were raising funds for "Huan Tian Xi Di Seven Fairies," he had sought Liu Xiaoqing to play Wang Mu.

At the time, Liu had just been released from prison and was in dire straits; Jiang Wen, as her ex-boyfriend, actively helped connect her with the crew to see her through the hardship.

Yan Li hired Liu Xiaoqing, and Jiang Wen had called him personally to thank him, even saying he owed Yan Li a favor.

Now, the favor from last time hadn't been repaid, and it seemed he'd owe another.

Speaking of old matters, Jiang Wen sighed wistfully, but Yan Li laughed cheerfully.

"There's a saying: only those who've helped you will keep helping you. Whether you call this help or not, at least it proves we're compatible—I believe in fate. Since fate has brought us together with Director Jiang, we must fulfill this connection."

After a few words drew them closer, Yan Li asked if he could see the script.

It was only proper—no investor is denied access to a script. Jiang Wen had prepared it and handed it over, giving a brief overview.

Yan Li flipped through it at a moderate pace, reading carefully—but the more he read, the tighter his brow furrowed.

He finally understood why investors had fled and why other studios stayed away.

After flipping through it, Yan Li still didn't understand the script!

Yan Li had seen Jiang Wen's "In the Heat of the Sun" and "The Devils Came"—though both contained plenty of artistic expression, the stories were at least clear.

But this "The Sun Also Rises" was genuinely obscure—Yan Li sensed faint glimmers of meaning, yet couldn't be certain.

Finally, Yan Li set the script down, looked at the tense Jiang Wen, hesitated a moment, then spoke plainly.

"Uh, Director Jiang, I didn't understand this script."

Jiang Wen had encountered this before, but few were as blunt as Yan Li.

Not understanding wasn't a problem—he could explain it.

Normally, Jiang Wen was reluctant to do so.

If you understood, you understood him; no need to say it. If you didn't, talk about something else—no need to waste time.

But now Jiang Wen needed money, and Yan Li was particular—he couldn't afford to be arrogant, so he explained his vision to Yan Li.

As Yan Li listened, he flipped through the script again, and gradually grasped Jiang Wen's intent.

How bold!

No wonder China Film refused to invest—it's so obscure. If he'd made it too simple, he'd probably get banned again.

But with this kind of shooting style, whether it can win awards is uncertain, and Yan Li truly doesn't believe in its box office potential.

Add to that Jiang Wen's high budget, and the likelihood of losing money is very great.

Yan Li fell into thought, clearly hesitating; Jiang Wen and Han Sanye did not disturb him.

The former's personality was clear—he was seeking investment, but valued mutual willingness, not the type to demand money outright.

Han Sanye was merely an intermediary, and given his sensitive status, facilitating the cooperation was enough; saying more would be overstepping.

After several minutes, Yan Li finally spoke: "Director Jiang, don't think I'm being harsh—I'm a businessman, I can't ignore profit. In my view, this film isn't a quality investment."

"It's fine, I understand. Last time…"

Jiang Wen heard this and assumed it was a rejection; he was about to gracefully end the conversation when Yan Li stopped him.

"I haven't finished speaking."

Yan Li closed the script and looked at Jiang Wen: "From a commercial investment standpoint, I won't invest in this film."

"But commercial investment isn't just about projects—it's about people too."

Yan Li lifted his teacup: "For Sanye's sake and yours, Director Jiang, I'm investing ten million."

Not investing in the film—investing in the man!

Yan Li had given his answer: he didn't believe in *The Sun Also Rises*, but he believed in Jiang Wen.

Previous annual intelligence reports had revealed outstanding films for 2010, including Jiang Wen's *Let the Bullets Fly*.

So this ten million, Yan Li was investing in Jiang Wen—and also in the future *Let the Bullets Fly*.

Jiang Wen was deeply moved. His personality especially resonated with Yan Li's style of investing in people, not projects; he felt Yan Li was a righteous, principled man.

The two toasted with tea, exchanged a cup, and soon began addressing each other as brothers.

Still, ten million wasn't enough for *The Sun Also Rises*'s budget; Jiang Wen still lacked funds.

If he was going to do a favor, he'd do it thoroughly—Yan Li asked Jiang Wen how much more funding he still needed.

Jiang Wen calculated: with Yan Li's ten million, plus his own savings, his wife's money, and his brother's contribution, he could scrape together another ten to twenty million—he still needed roughly ten to fifteen million more.

Yan Li: "..."

Damn, this really burns money.

After sipping his tea, Yan Li said: "You two don't worry about this—I'll go secure the investment for you. Just focus on filming."

When it came to securing investment, Han Sanye had no edge over China Film Group's brand; Yan Li could outmatch him single-handedly.

But in the past, when Yan Li secured investment, he delivered profits; this film might lose money, and he didn't want to tarnish his reputation, so he'd have to be upfront—meaning it would take effort.

Fortunately, the amount wasn't huge. Yan Li told Jiang Wen to return to the set and wait—he estimated he could wrap it up in about a month.

Jiang Wen was skeptical. After years of making films, he'd never once escaped financial anxiety; Yan Li's casual tone made him uneasy.

Yan Li was confident: "Relax, Brother Jiang—this time, I'll let you experience what it's like to fight a wealthy war."

(End of Chapter)