Chapter 262: Yi

Zhejiang Province, Hengdian

Over the past two years, with the rise of the mainland film and television market, the film and television city has grown increasingly prosperous.

The combination of the film and television industry and tourism has quietly established Hengdian's reputation as "China's Hollywood."

The Hengdian Group, building on this foundation, has begun turning its attention toward cinema chains and distribution.

Don't be fooled by Wanda's aggressive momentum or the close ties between Orange Sky and Shaw Brothers—both are making a lot of noise.

But in terms of cinema chains, Hengdian is the one quietly making big profits.

Leveraging its industrial chain synergy and cultural-tourism ecosystem centered on Hengdian Film and Television City, along with its own capital, connections, and distribution channels, Hengdian successfully expanded into cinema operations, earning a reputation for being 【steady, uniquely modeled, and highly resilient】.

Wanda and other cinema chains have repeatedly faced setbacks, but Hengdian has always "survived," steadily growing into a cinema giant.

In past years, intelligence reports occasionally mentioned Hengdian; though brief, these reports greatly benefited Yan Li.

But there's little Yan Li can borrow from Hengdian's methods.

One reason is he lacks a large enough film and television city to incubate and support operations; another is that Hengdian Group's core business isn't film and television—it started in electronics and electrical equipment, with numerous other industrial investments.

Hengdian Film and Television serves as Hengdian Group's brand symbol, its advertisement, its corporate identity and influence—whether profitable or not, it receives internal funding.

Because of this, Yan Li has little to learn or emulate from Hengdian, and cooperation is unlikely.

If Hengdian were merely investing in cinema chains, Yan Li could easily negotiate with Hengdian using Yi'an—equity and resources would be easy to discuss, and both sides could profit together.

But Hengdian's goal is a complete industrial chain and brand influence; it won't cooperate with Yi'an unless Yan Li surrenders control of Yi'an.

So, after some time, Yan Li and Hengdian may become competitors.

Shaking his head, Yan Li arrived at Yi'an's Hengdian base, Yi'an Garden, and immediately encountered fans who had come to visit the set.

"How did you even find this place?"

As Yan Li got out of the car and signed autographs for fans, he asked curiously; they replied that Yi'an Garden had long been famous.

Unlike its early days, after years of construction, Yi'an Garden is now fully completed.

It covers a large area with full facilities: office zones, hotel-style dormitories, restaurants, makeup rooms, rehearsal halls, prop and equipment warehouses, and post-production studios.

As a result, over the past two years, nearly all of Yi'an's productions in Hengdian have moved to Yi'an Garden; stars frequently come and go, and over time, it became widely known, attracting dedicated fans who come to take photos and tour.

Yan Li's participation in "The Investiture of the Gods 2" in Hengdian isn't a secret.

Aside from the "The Investiture of the Gods 2" crew, Yi'an Garden is likely where he'll appear; some fans have come to stake out the location.

Others are waiting for Fan Xiaopang—unless filming on location, her makeup sessions are mostly held at Yi'an Garden, and sometimes she even stays in Yi'an's dormitories.

As Yi'an's top actress, Fan Xiaopang has a dedicated dormitory at Yi'an Garden; though not as luxurious as a hotel suite, the conditions are far from poor.

Fan Xiaopang's fans are easy for Yan Li to recognize.

Some are especially enthusiastic, others cold or even disdainful; add to that their habit of chatting with him, and their identities are instantly revealed.

In the past, when Yan Li encountered such situations, his fan count was usually crushed by Fan Xiaopang's fans.

Today, whether due to organized efforts or his rising popularity after "The Legend of Xue Rengui," their numbers were even—and even slightly ahead.

"I'm in a meeting today, probably won't come out. It's cold—go home early. Bye."

After signing autographs and waving to everyone, Yan Li went inside; assistants and security handled letters and gifts.

Yan Li has repeatedly talked about gifts—on his blog and also on Tieba.

You can come to see me—just say hello. If I'm not busy, I'll take photos and sign autographs. Please don't send gifts.

I truly have no time to read letters; I don't lack anything for gifts, I can't even eat all the food, and often I just give them to people around me.

Doing this feels like letting fans down, so Yan Li's view is: better not to send anything at all.

But his words fall on deaf ears—fans insist on sending gifts, and won't take no for an answer.

After several attempts, Yan Li gave up: keep what you can, distribute what you can't, and if all else fails, donate.

He learned this from Fan Xiaopang—selling fan gifts easily turns sour; donating doesn't.

Charity and philanthropy pass fans' love to those in need; neither fans nor the public object.

After entering the compound, having not been here in a while, Yan Li decided to take a stroll.

It was just after the Lunar New Year; the flowers and grasses planted in the compound were bare. In one corner, several large dogs were kept.

Hengdian is bustling but also chaotic; some equipment inside Yi'an Garden is genuinely valuable, and there are various script and asset clouds—security must be maintained.

There's little to see outside; only inside the office zone can you truly appreciate Yi'an Garden's charm.

The rehearsal hall is spacious and bright, with dedicated areas for small-scale literary scenes, as well as specialized spaces for ensemble and martial scenes.

There are two makeup rooms—one large, one small—sufficient to serve an entire production crew at full capacity.

The prop and equipment warehouse is clean overall, with a dedicated exhibition area displaying iconic props from Yi'an productions; Yan Li spotted the king's robe worn by the Emperor Zhou in "The Investiture of the Gods."

The office zone can accommodate over a hundred employees, including multiple meeting rooms, reception rooms, and offices.

The restaurant serves three meals a day, prepared by professional chefs—though not as good as top chefs, it's far superior to production crew meal boxes.

The hotel-style dormitories provide comfortable rest and lodging, offering strong logistical support for the compound's operations and production crews.

After touring, Yan Li took a photo in the corridor, where photos from Yi'an's productions and moments of glory lined both sides—like a company history exhibit.

"I even feel this place looks more like a headquarters than our Beijing office."

Yan Li couldn't help teasing; Yi'an Garden, as an internal compound located in Hengdian, is saturated with film and television atmosphere and corporate elements.

In contrast, Yi'an's Beijing office, though it has some related elements, is cluttered due to too many business lines and lacks the purity of Yi'an Garden.

Back in his office, Yan Li held a meeting with the team stationed there.

Currently, the only production filming in Hengdian under Yi'an is "The Investiture of the Gods 2," but that doesn't mean there's no other work.

Fan Xiaopang's upcoming Republican-era drama will most likely be filmed in Hengdian and is already in preparation; "Painted Skin" also has some scenes being scouted here.

Yan Li came here not only to film his scenes in "The Investiture of the Gods 2," but also to oversee the location scouting for "Painted Skin."

This year, Yi'an has relatively fewer costume dramas, especially in the first half, leaning more toward films and modern themes.

The main costume dramas are still under study, such as "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng 2," or the third Yi'an Gu Long drama.

In Yan Li's view, beyond "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" and "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang," there aren't many Gu Long novels suitable for adaptation.

"The Little Li Flying Dagger" and "The Peerless Twins" are still suitable, but both have strong predecessors, making adaptation difficult.

"Xiao Shi Yi Lang," "The Moon and the Blade," and "Meteor, Butterfly, Sword" could work too, but their storytelling and original influence are weaker.

Moreover, although the wuxia craze has been boiling these past two years, and last year's "Phoenix vs. Dragon" battle lit up half the sky, the hotter it gets, the more it's like oil on fire—peak inevitably leads to decline.

Yan Li never had high hopes for the wuxia drama market; now he's even more cautious.

He once seriously considered ending Yi'an's Gu Long dramas after finishing "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang 2."

But that was just a thought.

Yan Li is a businessman—he must think in terms of profit. Although the wuxia market carries some risk, it hasn't collapsed yet, especially since Yi'an's Gu Long dramas are in high demand; not producing them would be foolish. Besides, Zhang Zhilin and Qiao Zhenyu each have one Gu Long drama, and Deng Chao can't keep relying on modern dramas alone.

To make Deng Chao the top actor, the company must invest resources.

So the next Gu Long drama, though not yet decided, will most likely star Deng Chao; if no other factors intervene, whichever story suits him better, the company will favor that one.

Speaking of which, Yan Li suddenly remembered something: "Who's been chosen as the female lead for 'The Difficult Love of a Diamond Old Man'?"

This drama is a project assigned by Yi'an to Deng Chao, directed by his mentor Tian Youliang, along with another Yi'an director.

The male lead is naturally Deng Chao; for the female lead, Yi'an originally wanted Sun Li.

As the top actress of Hai Run, her fame needs no explanation; coupled with the couple's natural chemistry and their semi-public relationship, it could be used for promotional hype.

But Sun Li turned it down.

One reason is her busy schedule; another is that she and Deng Chao have already collaborated twice—"Happiness Is Like Flowers" and "Sweet Sweet"—a third collaboration, especially in a romantic role, is too frequent.

Audiences grow tired; it risks breaking immersion and could negatively impact both their careers.

So often, actor couples avoid co-starring in the same drama, though some don't mind—or even enjoy—acting together.

It depends on personal preference, but considering their current careers and collaboration frequency, Sun Li did not join "The Diamond Old Man."

With Sun Li out, others were sought; as the female lead, many were watching.

Outside the company, no shortage of contenders—but inside Yi'an, or among Yan Li's circle of women, fierce competition erupted.

The most aggressive were Wang Ou and Jiang Xin; Dong and Qin showed little interest; Fan Xiaopang looked down on it—these two saw the opportunity and wouldn't let it slip.

But the director rejected both; he wanted a pure, introverted college girl, and their images and temperaments didn't fit.

Jiang Xin reluctantly withdrew; Wang Ou, having no chance herself, recommended Yang Rong and Wu Jiani.

Especially Yang Rong—her gentle, quiet personality and appearance won the director's approval.

Meanwhile, someone had put in a word—Huo Siyan had also set her sights on the role; though she'd changed her style these past two years, she could still play the innocent girl.

Add to that their old grudge, and Huo Siyan and Yang Rong clashed—Wang Ou's backlash during "The Qing Dynasty Harem" promotion was partly due to this.

Of course, there were other candidates, but none matched these two in closeness, fame, image, or temperament.

Yan Li didn't meddle—he left it to the production team to decide. Now he thought about it, he hadn't heard any news yet—probably still undecided.

Too slow!

But understandable—both have powerful backers, and their ambiguous ties to Yan Li make the responsible parties hesitant to decide.

"I heard it's about to be settled—production starts soon, they can't delay any longer."

The head of the Hengdian base, though not involved in "The Diamond Old Man," is a senior executive in the film department and well-informed.

"Who are they leaning toward?"

Yan Li asked curiously; the man didn't play coy: "I heard they're leaning more toward Yang Rong."

Yan Li tapped the table; the result didn't surprise him much.

Yang Rong isn't unknown—after "The Legend of Xue Rengui" became popular, her portrayal of Liu Yinhuan boosted her visibility.

In appearance, aside from being short, she's more than adequate to play a pure college girl.

Her acting is solid, and she has stage experience; director Tian Youliang, a theater director by training, would naturally favor that.

"Alright, call Tian Youliang and confirm her."

Yan Li approved the candidate; the producer asked, "Is this your decision, or Director Tian's?"

That was a well-phrased question.

As the boss, Yan Li could certainly decide on a role, but he was often influenced by various pressures.

At such moments, to avoid trouble or for other reasons, someone needed to take the blame—Yan Li, the boss, would "reluctantly compromise," so no blame would fall on him.

"Let's say we decided together."

Yan Li played it safe: this way, he could claim credit with Yang Rong and appease the Teddy Sisters, moving freely in either direction.

As for Tian Youliang, Yan Li had invested in him and let him choose his preferred leads; taking a small blame was nothing.

As they spoke, someone knocked on the office door; when invited in, they found Fan Xiaopang still in costume.

"Off so early?"

The producer took the hint and left; Yan Li poured Fan Xiaopang a glass of water, and the latter carefully wiped the sweat from her makeup.

"Lunch break—I heard you were here, so I came to check. Wow, there were so many people blocking the entrance, I almost couldn't get in."

"Blocking?"

A window in the corner faced the park entrance; Yan Li went to look—and found more fans than before, likely drawn by the news.

"Am I this popular now?"

Yan Li felt uncertain. "The Legend of Xue Rengui" was popular, but not a massive breakout hit; in Jingcheng, he hadn't felt this many fans gathering for him.

"This is Hengdian. Besides fans, there are people eyeing their chance to climb up."

Fan Xiaopang cruelly exposed the truth: "Watch yourself—some extra actors might pretend to be your fans, bump into you 'by accident,' and latch on."

Too many people in Hengdian want to rise, let alone cling to someone like Yan Li—a top-tier boss—with rewards so enormous, many will stop at nothing.

Even Yan Li, sharp as he was, couldn't fend off so many schemers; Fan Xiaopang hoped he'd stay alert and not fall for traps.

"Heh, I thought I'd really become a sensation."

Yan Li suddenly understood: if not for Fan Xiaopang's warning, even with his system to protect him, he might still have gotten carried away for a while.

How to put it? A crowd of fans surrounding you, lavishing praise, elevating you to the heavens—that feeling was something ordinary people simply couldn't withstand.

Though Yan Li had seen the world and possessed a mind far beyond the average, the nature of this adoration was different—it didn't mean he could easily resist it. Many top figures had been deified and then destroyed by such worship.

Seeing Yan Li look slightly disheartened, Fan Xiaopang gently comforted him, saying that while there were fakes, he still had plenty of true fans.

She'd heard the buzz of "The Legend of Xue Rengui" even on set; Yan Li's image as the white-horsed, silver-spear hero had even raised the price of white horses in Hengdian by several percent.

Yan Li looked at her and shook his head: "I'm not thinking about that. I'm thinking about what these women would be willing to pay to climb up—can they stack it?"

Fan Xiaopang's face darkened; she kicked Yan Li angrily: "Stack your damn self."

Yan Li laughed heartily—he wasn't a pure entertainer; popularity and fan count merely fed his vanity, and weren't that important.

"Be nicer to me—there are so many female fans watching you now. Watch out, I might get kidnapped."

Yan Li teased Fan Xiaopang, who huffed and dragged him to the window near the park entrance, crouching down.

"Then let them stare…"

—

ps: Feeling awful. Still drowsy even after taking medicine. Even I'm annoyed by taking a day off—please understand. The shortfall is recorded (0/45000).

(End of chapter)