Chapter 264: The Hong Kong Circle Takes Notice: Yan, So Handsome and So Fierce

In mid-March, Seeing Yan Li left Hengdian for one day to attend the premiere of The Disciples.

The film was originally scheduled for release after the Spring Festival, but was delayed due to review concerns.

To put it bluntly, the film's content was quite bold—it unfolded from a cop-undercover and crime perspective, and involved the most sensitive topic in mainland China: drugs—so relevant departments remained cautious.

During this time, Seeing Yan Li intervened personally and advised the production team not to wait any longer, urging them to release it quickly to avoid further complications.

Thus, even though March was an awkward slot, The Disciples dared not delay any further after passing review.

The premiere had a strong lineup; director Derek Yee was well-connected in the Hong Kong circle, and even Big Brother Jackie Chan came specially to show support.

Seeing Yan Li learned from Jackie Chan that the latter and Derek Yee were preparing to make a film about Japanese overseas Chinese triads.

Hearing it was Cheng Long's new movie, Seeing Yan Li had initially been quite interested.

These days, there are only a handful of actors with guaranteed box office appeal, and Cheng Long is unquestionably among the top.

But when he heard Cheng Long wasn't planning to focus on action this time, and was leaning toward artistic themes, Seeing Yan Li's smile grew thin.

From an actor's perspective, he understood Cheng Long.

After decades of filmmaking, his box office was undeniable, his awards impressive, but the public still saw him as a fighter, not an actor.

At Jackie Chan's age, one must consider a career transition, and since fame and fortune are already at their peak, he naturally seeks new pursuits.

But seeking doesn't mean achieving!

Cheng Long's greatest strength is kung fu comedy—will audiences accept him in an art film?

Seeing Yan Li took a conservative stance toward Cheng Long's film, but Bo Na's Fatty Yu didn't care—he chatted enthusiastically with Cheng Long.

As always, Bo Na's strategy is to cast a wide net: bold in bets, willing to gamble, using this to secure numerous film distribution rights, enhance industry clout and influence, and pursue an IPO.

Thus, Fatty Yu and Seeing Yan Li held different attitudes toward film investment.

The latter assesses risk and leans toward profitable projects; the former prioritizes market share and corporate influence—profit matters, but not first.

Neither is right or wrong; they simply follow different development paths and styles.

Fatty Yu chatted merrily with Jackie Chan, but Seeing Yan Li wasn't without others to talk to—The Infernal Affairs director Alan Mak was also present.

This director, Seeing Yan Li had never met before; he was a typical Hong Kong filmmaker, whose works focused entirely on local themes, mostly confined to the Hong Kong circle, rarely coming to the mainland.

Alan Mak had originally worked under Andrew Lau, backed financially by Media Asia.

But judging from today's vibe, Alan Mak seemed to be getting close to Derek Yee, even showing signs of reaching out to Bo Na and other mainland company bosses.

Had there been a falling-out?

Or was Media Asia's resource supply failing?

Or had he simply endured enough in the Hong Kong market and was preparing to move north, seeking a mainland patron and backer?!

This was nearly a prevailing trend among Hong Kong directors.

The Hong Kong market was dead—or at least had no future—this had become consensus; Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia markets were also dwindling, and more Hong Kong filmmakers were heading north to make a living.

But the mainland market wasn't easy to crack, especially in film—no one could simply grab a share.

Aside from the major giants and affiliated film capital, independent filmmakers generally followed three paths.

One was to remain independent, partnering with mid- and small-sized film companies, raising investment independently or joining specific projects, and so on.

This group was the largest—some succeeded, some failed, depending on personal ability and luck.

Another was to collaborate with giants like Ying Huang, Media Asia, and An Le.

These were the core of Hong Kong's northward migration; even other paths inevitably involved cooperation with these Hong Kong giants—Hong Kong's tendency to stick together wasn't empty talk.

The third was to align with mainland bigwigs: Bo Na, Huayi, Star Beauty, and even Seeing Yan Li's Yi'an—all had Hong Kong filmmakers among their ranks.

Today's The Disciples lead actor Julian Cheung, Ju Jueliang who directed multiple Yi'an adaptations of Gu Long's novels, and Chen Jia-shang, rumored to direct Painted Skin—all were seen by outsiders as Hong Kong filmmakers aligned with Boss Yan.

Mainland bigwigs had money, resources, and channels, and treated Hong Kong filmmakers with respect—but whether one could get close enough or secure cooperation depended entirely on opportunity and skill.

Fatty Yu of Bo Na was the easiest mainland bigwig to approach, yet he preferred working with Hong Kong's major giants.

Huayi neither rejected nor embraced them, and its internal factions were too numerous and chaotic, with fierce competition.

Seeing Yan Li was a newly risen mainland bigwig—his rise had been brief, he did recruit talent, but his threshold was high; average people didn't even catch his eye.

Alan Mak, as core creator of The Infernal Affairs series, definitely met Seeing Yan Li's threshold; whether to recruit him was another matter, but if the right opportunity arose, a conversation was possible.

…

"Boss Yan…"

While networking at the premiere, Seeing Yan Li's company artist Julian Cheung came over with his wife Anita Yuen to greet him.

For reasons unknown, perhaps Derek Yee's sense of humor, after casting Julian Cheung, he had his wife play Julian Cheung's "big sister" in the film.

Notably, The Disciples included Julian Cheung's passionate scenes—no one knew if Anita Yuen had been watching during filming.

"Thank you, Boss Yan, for taking care of my Zhilin."

Anita Yuen was blunt, unreserved, and once rumored to be one of Hong Kong's "Four Evil Women" alongside Wu Junru.

In plain terms, she had a fiery temper and wasn't to be trifled with.

But even the fiercest temper must adapt to the audience—facing Seeing Yan Li, a mainland entertainment tycoon who held her husband's future in his hands, Anita Yuen's demeanor turned warm and gentle.

Seeing Yan Li had met Anita Yuen before, but wasn't close to her.

Now she was a company artist's spouse, so Seeing Yan Li naturally treated her well, even addressing her as "Liangjie," and with a few words turned her nervousness into laughter.

"My husband's right—Boss Yan is not only handsome and capable, but also knows how to speak. If you'd been born a few years earlier, Hong Kong wouldn't have had the Four Heavenly Kings."

"You can't say that today—Hua Ge is over there; he'd stop working if he heard it."

Seeing Yan Li smiled, but Anita Yuen didn't care: "Even if he hears it, I'll say it—Boss Yan is handsomer than the Four Heavenly Kings. Honey, don't you agree?"

Julian Cheung slightly rubbed his forehead—he knew his wife was famously oblivious to social cues and couldn't hold her tongue, having offended countless people.

Seeing Yan Li didn't mind at all; when words were harmless and came from someone within his circle, his tolerance was high—it was just a joke.

After chatting a while, Anita Yuen went off to catch up with another old friend; Julian Cheung was kept behind by Seeing Yan Li, who led him to a slightly secluded spot.

"You and your wife need to be careful—I've heard rumors someone's planning to target you."

Zhang Zhilin had a strong year, starring in "Disciples," and had become one of the representative artists moving from Hong Kong to the mainland.

Invisibly, this had drawn resentment and blocked the paths of others.

Zhang Zhilin looked confused, then tense: "Boss, what kind of move is this likely to be?"

"Hard to say."

Seeing Yan Li shook his head but offered a guess: "Most likely, they'll target your wife."

Zhang Zhilin wasn't a saint—he had some dirt and gossip, but the evidence was weak and lacked punch; his wife Yuan Yongyi was the real knife to use.

This woman's dark past was far more dramatic than her husband's.

When one spouse rises, both rise; when one falls, both fall. Dragging Yuan Yongyi into the mud would hurt Zhang Zhilin badly.

"Don't worry—the company stands with you."

Seeing Yan Li patted Zhang Zhilin on the shoulder; the man was Yi'an's asset, and attacking him meant attacking Yi'an—Seeing Yan Li wouldn't stand idly by.

"Thank you, Boss."

Zhang Zhilin left, grateful yet uneasy. Seeing Yan Li himself remained calm—this little storm was nothing compared to his earlier strike against Fan Xiaopang.

The entertainment industry is a battlefield of fame and fortune; rising to the top isn't easy.

Seeing Yan Li didn't even bother investigating who was behind it, because theoretically, every Hong Kong-Taiwan and mainland male actor team or company with competition could be responsible.

If it were him, and any other mainland or Hong Kong male actor ran into trouble, Yi'an would gladly fan the flames and kick them while they were down.

You can't survive in entertainment—or make business—by being a good person.

With full access to an intelligence network yet refusing to lead attacks or sabotage others, Seeing Yan Li sometimes thought he was too pure-hearted.

Speaking of which, Seeing Yan Li glanced at Zhang Jingchu, who was talking to Er Dongsheng not far away.

According to what he knew, Zhang Zhilin wasn't the only one being targeted.

She starred in Er Dongsheng's "Disciples," Gu Changwei's "Spring," and also appeared in Jackie Chan's "Rush Hour 3."

She dominated the mainland, Hong Kong, and Hollywood—more powerful than the Four Dan and Two Bing, and of course someone would envy her.

But that had nothing to do with Seeing Yan Li; in fact, if Zhang Zhilin's situation worsened, he might even use Zhang Jingchu as a scapegoat.

…

Seeing Yan Li had watched "Disciples"—this wasn't his first time; he'd seen it before, and it contained many details omitted from the theatrical release.

Personally, he thought the film's quality was solid.

Especially the female lead's role design—it was a stroke of genius, a superb anti-drug warning film.

The standout performers in the film were Li Tianwang and Zhang Jingchu; Zhang Zhilin, due to his role, delivered a competent but unremarkable performance.

Leaving aside other factors, Seeing Yan Li genuinely recognized Zhang Jingchu's acting ability from "Disciples"—that's why directors kept seeking her out.

Too bad—if she had a reliable company behind her, she might have been able to secure a Golden Horse or Golden Bauhinia Best Actress award.

Seeing Yan Li shook his head, skipped the banquet, merely instructed the distribution of "Disciples," then returned to Hengdian.

"Disciples" was high-quality, led by Li Tianwang, distributed by Bona and Yi'an; though the release window was poor, it delivered an impressive result.

Mainland opening day box office: 7.4 million RMB!

Hong Kong box office exceeded 3 million RMB.

These figures were unmatched in this year's mainland market, second only to the Hollywood blockbuster "Casino Royale," released in January.

The outstanding box office drew attention from the crew and distributors, who increased promotional spending.

Seeing Yan Li personally directed the dismantling of two piracy dens.

The creative team became more cooperative: Li Tianwang reserved more time, Zhang Zhilin and Zhang Jingchu fully participated, and even Gu Tianle, not a core lead, took leave from the set to join the roadshow.

Through collective effort, "Disciples"' box office kept rising.

15 million!

30 million!

50 million!

…!

Mainland box office is projected to hit 80 million; Hong Kong box office is expected to reach about 30 million HKD.

Don't think that's low—last year's Hong Kong box office champion, "Huo Yuanjia," barely hit 30 million HKD; only one other film, "Baby Plan," surpassed 20 million.

In other words, "Disciples" could compete for this year's Hong Kong box office championship.

The roaring success in both mainland and Hong Kong markets boosted the film's copyright sales.

Buyers from Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia were negotiating—prices varied.

Seeing Yan Li ran the numbers: Yi'an invested 8 million RMB, holding a 20% share; based on current projected returns, they'd definitely profit, but not by much—maybe a few million at most.

But as previously mentioned, Seeing Yan Li didn't invest in this film just to make money.

Testing the waters, paving the way, building connections, enhancing influence, promoting talent—these reasons mattered more; now, with a small profit on top, Seeing Yan Li was quite satisfied.

As "Disciples" surged in popularity, the anticipated and guarded event occurred.

Zhang Jingchu's old scandal resurfaced—the "director-harvester" accusation—but this time, the noise was louder, and her old rival Jiang Wenli was dragged into it.

This woman was no ordinary figure!

Among the remaining veteran Qingyi and Huadan actresses in the mainland, she was now the most successful—her momentum, popularity, status, seniority, and connections were unmatched, quietly replacing Liu Xiaoqing as the representative of the mid-generation female actors.

With her power, she might not crush the Four Dan and Two Bing, but taking down Zhang Jingchu would be easy.

In the past, veteran actresses would remain aloof, handling such matters with decorum.

No one knew whether Jiang had been provoked or whether Zhang Jingchu had been too ruthless—but Jiang Wenli left no room for face, launching an open attack.

Rumors spread that Gu Changwei's new film "Spring" had originally featured many scenes with Zhang Jingchu, but nearly all were cut—behind it was Jiang Wenli's pressure.

Zhang Jingchu was mired in scandal; Zhang Zhilin suffered too.

As Seeing Yan Li had guessed, his own dirt wasn't lethal, so they targeted his wife, exposing her past as a mistress to a wealthy man.

This wasn't really a secret—it had already blown up in 2001—but this time, because Zhang Zhilin was at the height of his fame, his influence was greater, and the backlash was directed squarely at him.

Yi'an's artist management department, prepared in advance, moved swiftly with targeted guidance and counterattacks.

The same event, analyzed and explained from different angles, yields different understandings.

Entertainment PR, to some extent, is about turning black into white.

A public secret isn't worth denying—it's better to admit it, whether by playing the victim or claiming youthful ignorance, to soften the backlash and prevent image collapse.

This was aimed at Anita Yuen, but for Julian Cheung, it was about protecting his wife, standing firmly by his spouse.

Husband and wife are birds of the same forest; the greater the hardship, the clearer the true feelings. At this moment, staunchly supporting Yuan Yongyi actually benefits Zhang Zhilin's image.

As long as he endures some mockery, he will win massive goodwill from the public and women.

A crisis is also an opportunity; some scandals can become stepping stones to success.

Of course, that alone would be too simple—the deadly problem was that the wealthy man who had once kept her came out to blab.

This guy was once a big name in the scene, keeping many female stars, but later went bankrupt and became a scoundrel, surviving for a time by leaking stories about the actresses linked to him.

Previously, Zhang and Yuan had been nauseated once by him, couldn't do anything about him, and had resorted to ignoring him, letting him rant, just to get rid of him.

Now, Zhang Zhilin's career is booming—he can't afford to ignore him anymore—but luckily, he has powerful backing.

This wealthy man had many friends in the Hong Kong circle back then; though fallen on hard times, he still had some lingering connections. Even if he offended people, with mutual protection among all parties, no one would truly destroy him—that's why Julian Cheung and Anita Yuen couldn't touch him.

But Seeing Yan Li was different—he had shallow ties to the Hong Kong circle, few entanglements, and owed no one any favors.

Whoever blocked his path, he'd crush them!

Moreover, other mainland billionaires might not have reach that long—maybe just a warning—but Seeing Yan Li had an intelligence system, so he could do far more.

So, the wealthy man's account holder suddenly began demanding repayment, beat him up first, then dug up a 1990s-old crime, and he was immediately jailed, unable to even afford bail.

In less than three days, Seeing Yan Li received a call from the famous Liu, who had some personal connection with him and came to mediate.

Seeing Yan Li showed face—he apologized and shut up. That was it.

That night, the wealthy man, freshly released on bail, apologized to the media, admitting he had deliberately sought attention for profit, harmed Zhang and Yuan's marital feelings, promised to learn from the lesson, and wished them a lifetime of happiness together.

To the general public, it was just a trivial gossip over tea and dinner.

But within the industry, especially in Xiangjiang, many were astonished by Seeing Yan Li's power—the name 【Yi'an Master Yan】 grew louder and louder in the Hong Kong circle…

(End of Chapter)