Chapter 262: Yi

Zhejiang Province, Hengdian

Over the past two years, with the rise of mainland China's film and television market, the film city has grown increasingly vibrant.

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

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

Don't be fooled by Wanda's aggressive momentum, or the various alliances between Orange Sky and Shaw Brothers—both have made considerable noise.

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

Leveraging its industrial chain synergy and cultural-tourism ecosystem centered on Hengdian Film City, along with its own financial resources, connections, and distribution channels, Hengdian successfully expanded into cinema chains, becoming known for its 【steady, unique model, strong risk resistance】.

Wanda and other cinema chains have gradually faced various setbacks, but Hengdian has always remained "unkillable," steadily growing into a cinema chain giant.

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

But there wasn't much Yan Li could borrow from Hengdian's operations.

One reason was that he lacked a large enough film city to incubate and support his projects; another was that Hengdian Group's core business wasn't film and television—it started in electronics and electrical equipment, with numerous other industrial layouts.

Hengdian Film City serves Hengdian Group as a flagship, an advertisement, a corporate brand and influence—whether profitable or not, it receives internal funding.

Because of this, Yan Li could learn little from Hengdian, and the possibility of cooperation was low.

If Hengdian were merely investing in cinema chains, Yan Li could easily take Yi'an to negotiate with Hengdian—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, so it would never cooperate with Yi'an unless Yan Li handed over full control of Yi'an.

Therefore, after some time, Yan Li and Hengdian might become competitors.

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

"How did you even find this place?"

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

Unlike its early days of founding, after years of construction, Yi'an Garden has been fully completed.

It covers a large area with comprehensive facilities, including 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, all of Yi'an's productions in Hengdian have been relocated to Yi'an Garden; stars frequently come and go, and over time, the place became widely known, attracting dedicated fans who come to take photos and visit.

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

Besides the "The Investiture of the Gods 2" crew, Yi'an Garden is almost certainly where he'll appear—some fans have come to stake out the location.

Some are also waiting for Fan Xiaopang; unless filming on location, her makeup sessions have mostly been 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 high-end hotel suite, the conditions are far from poor.

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

Some are especially enthusiastic toward him, others are cold or even disdainful, and those who chat with him at length naturally reveal their identity.

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" aired, the numbers were even—and even slightly in his favor.

"I'm in a meeting today, probably won't come out—everyone, 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 had repeatedly talked about gifts on his blog and Tieba as well.

You can come to see me—just say hello; if I'm not busy, I'll take photos and sign autographs, but please don't bring gifts.

Letters—I genuinely have no time to read them; gifts—I have no need for anything, food I can't even finish, so I often give it away to people around me.

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

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

After several attempts, Yan Li gave up—he keeps what he can, gives away what he can't, and if all else fails, donates it.

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

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

Entering the compound, he hadn't been here in a while, so Yan Li decided to take a stroll.

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

Hengdian is bustling, but also full of mixed elements; some equipment inside Yi'an Garden is genuinely valuable, and there are various script and digital assets—security must be maintained.

Outside, there's little to see; only inside the office zone can one 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 zones for ensemble and martial scenes.

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

The prop and equipment warehouse is clean overall, with a dedicated exhibition area displaying iconic props from Yi'an Production films; Yan Li spotted the king's robe worn by King 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 refined as top chefs, it's far superior to the crew's 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 the area, 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 exhibition.

"I even feel this place looks more like a headquarters than the main office in Jingcheng."

Yan Li couldn't help teasing; Yi'an Garden, as an internal compound located in Hengdian, exudes a strong film and corporate atmosphere.

In contrast, Yi'an's main office in Jingcheng, though containing some related elements, feels cluttered due to its many diverse operations and lacks Yi'an Garden's purity.

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

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's historical dramas are relatively fewer, especially in the first half of the year, which leans more toward films and modern themes.

The main historical dramas are still under research, such as "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang 2," or the third Yi'an Gu Long drama.

In Yan Li's view, apart from The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng and The Legend of Chu Liuxiang, there weren't many Gu Long dramas suitable for screen adaptation.

The Legend of Xiao Li Feidao and The Peerless Twins were still suitable, but both faced stiff competition from earlier adaptations and posed considerable challenges.

Xiao Shiyilang, The Sword of the Heaven's Bright Moon, and The Meteor, the Butterfly, and the Sword could also work, but their story quality and original influence were somewhat weaker.

Moreover, although the Wu Xia drama boom had been raging over the past two years, and last year's Phoenix vs. Fengdiao battle had swept across half the country, the hotter it got, the more it was like pouring oil on fire—peak prosperity often meant swift decline.

Yan Li had never been overly optimistic about the Wu Xia drama market's prospects, and now he was especially cautious.

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

But that was just a passing thought.

Yan Li was, after all, a businessman who had to weigh profits: although the Wu Xia drama market carried some risk, it hadn't collapsed yet—especially since Yi'an's Gu Long dramas were in high demand; not producing them would be foolish. Besides, Zhang Zhilin and Qiao Zhenyu each had one Gu Long drama under their belts, and Deng Chao couldn't keep getting only modern dramas.

If you want Deng Chao to compete for the top spot, the company must invest serious resources.

So the next Gu Long drama, though still undecided, will most likely star Deng Chao; barring other factors, whichever story suits him better, the company will lean toward producing that one.

Speaking of which, Yan Li suddenly remembered something: "Who's been cast as the female lead in The Diamond Bachelor's Difficult Love?"

This drama was assigned to Deng Chao by Yi'an, directed by Deng Chao's teacher Tian Youliang, along with another Yi'an director.

The male lead was naturally Deng Chao; the female lead, Yi'an had originally wanted Sun Li to play.

Sun Li's status as Hai Run's top actress needed no explanation; coupled with the couple's natural chemistry and their semi-public romance, it offered great promotional potential.

But Sun Li turned it down.

One reason was her packed schedule; another was that she and Deng Chao had already collaborated on two dramas—Happy Like Flowers and Sweet Sweet—and a third collaboration, especially in a romantic role, was too frequent.

Audiences would grow tired, it might break immersion, and it could negatively affect both their careers.

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

It depends on personal preference, but given their current careers and collaboration frequency, Sun Li did not join The Diamond Bachelor's Difficult Love.

Since Sun Li wasn't in, they had to find someone else; as the female lead, many were watching closely.

Outside the company, no need to mention it—within Yi'an, or among Yan Li's inner circle, women had been fiercely competing for the role.

The most eager were Wang Ou and Jiang Xin; Dong and Qin showed little interest, Fan Xiaopang looked down on it—these two, who saw potential and wanted to climb higher, naturally wouldn't let it slip.

But both were rejected by the director, who wanted a female lead who was pure and introverted—a college girl; neither matched that image or aura.

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

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

Meanwhile, no one knew who had made the connection, but Hu 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 ingénue.

Add to that their old grudge, and Hu Siyan and Yang Rong were now locked in rivalry—Wang Ou's backlash during the promotion of The Great Qing Imperial Harem had partly stemmed from this.

Of course, besides Yang and Hu, there were other candidates, but none matched these two in closeness, fame, image, or aura.

Yan Li didn't meddle in this matter—he left it to the production team to decide. Now he thought about it, he hadn't heard any news yet; it probably hadn't been settled.

Too slow!

But understandable: both women had powerful backers, and their vague ties to Yan Li made the responsible parties dare not decide lightly.

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

The head of the Hengdian base, though not involved in The Diamond Bachelor's Difficult Love, was still a senior executive of the film and TV department and well-informed.

"Who are they planning to pick?"

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

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

Yang Rong's fame wasn't weak—her role as Liu Yinhuan in The Legend of Xue Rengui had made her widely recognized during the drama's popularity.

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

Her acting was solid too, and she had stage experience; director Tian Youliang, trained in theater, would naturally favor that background.

"Alright, call Tian Youliang and confirm her."

Yan Li approved the choice; the executive asked: "Is this your decision, or Director Tian's?"

That was a sharp question.

As boss, Yan Li could certainly decide any role—but sometimes, external pressures made that risky.

At such moments, to avoid trouble or for other reasons, someone needed to take the blame—so Yan Li, the boss, could be portrayed as "reluctantly compromising," shielding him from backlash.

"Say it's our joint decision."

Yan Li played it safe: this way, he could claim credit with Yang Rong's camp and deflect the Tai Di sisters' pressure—flexible, balanced, and advantageous on all sides.

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, a knock came at the office door. When invited in, they found Fan Xiaopang still in costume.

"Finished so early?"

The executive tactfully left; Yan Li poured Fan Xiaopang a glass of water, who carefully wiped sweat from his makeup.

"Lunch break. Heard you were here, so I came over—damn, there were so many people blocking the gate, I almost couldn't get in."

"Blocking?"

A window in the corner faced the park entrance; Yan Li went to look—earlier crowds had grown even larger, likely from rumors spreading.

"Am I really that popular?"

Yan Li felt uncertain; The Legend of Xue Rengui had been popular, but not a massive breakout, and in Jingcheng, he hadn't felt this many fans blocking him.

"This is Hengdian. Besides fans, there are people eyeing their next promotion."

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

Too many people in Hengdian want to climb higher; even more so to latch onto Yan Li, a top-tier boss—his benefits are staggering, and many will stop at nothing.

No matter how sharp Yan Li was, he couldn't fend off all the schemes aimed at him; Fan Xiaopang wanted him to stay alert and not fall for traps.

"Heh, I thought I'd really swept half the nation."

Yan Li felt a moment of clarity; if not for Fan Xiaopang's reminder, even with his system, he might have been fooled—and would surely have been swept up in arrogance for a while.

How to put it? A crowd of fans surrounding you, heaping praise, lifting you to the heavens—that kind of feeling is simply unbearable for ordinary people.

Though Yan Li had seen the world and possessed a temperament far beyond the norm, the nature of this adoration was different, and that didn't mean he could easily resist it; there were plenty of great masters who had been deified and then destroyed by such praise.

Seeing Yan Li seemed disheartened, Fan Xiaopang comforted him gently, saying that though there was some trickery involved, Yan Li still had no shortage of true fans.

She had heard of the popularity of "The Legend of Xue Rengui" even while filming on set; Yan Li's image as the white-horsed, silver-spear warrior had raised the price of white horses at Hengdian by several tenths.

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

Fan Xiaopang's face darkened, and he kicked Yan Li: "Shut the hell up, you old man."

Yan Li burst out laughing; 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 plenty of female fans watching me now. Watch out, I might get kidnapped."

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

"Then let them watch…"

—

ps: Feeling awful, still sleepy even after taking medicine; even I'm annoyed by taking a day off. Please understand. I'll keep track of the shortfall and make it up after I recover (0/45000)

(End of Chapter)