Chapter 268: How to Play a Dominant CEO? The Battle for China

In Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, Yan Li attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Yi'an Cinema.

As previously mentioned, Yi'an Cinema Chain primarily operates in Shenzhen—the headquarters of Huarun—as well as Shandong, Shanxi, and the Beijing metropolitan region, aside from a few first-tier cities.

Northeast China is not a primary development target, but as an important domestic region, Yi'an partnered with Huarun to establish a cinema in Harbin.

Originally, the plan was to open in Liaoning Province, either in Shen Yang or Dalian.

Later, it was deemed too close to Wanda, with intense competition and isolation risking being surrounded and crushed, so the location was moved to Harbin.

Yan Li was not familiar with the Northeast, and considering certain rumors, he made a special trip to inspect the area personally—having already made all necessary introductions, his subordinates could operate more smoothly.

After staying in Harbin for two days, on his return to Jingcheng, Yan Li made a detour to Dalian.

The production team of "The Difficult Love of the Diamond Old Five" was selecting locations and filming in this city and Dao Island.

When Yan Li arrived at the set, they were filming the scene where the male lead, Meng Hao, holds a meeting with his subordinates.

In the drama, this character, Meng Hao, is portrayed as a real estate tycoon in Xinghai City—young, returned from studying abroad, worth over a hundred million, and strikingly handsome, making him the dream man of many women in Xinghai City.

Yet this Diamond Old Five falls instantly in love with the female lead and resorts to force and coercion to claim her, launching a torturous romance.

How to put it? It has the flavor of a idol drama, yet blends in some realistic elements.

This genre is actually hard to film—do it well, and you satisfy both sides; do it poorly, and you lose on both fronts.

Yan Li watched for a while on set, his brow slightly furrowed; Director Tian Youliang, constantly observing his boss, immediately asked.

"Director Yan, what's wrong?"

Yan Li paused, then spoke: "Deng Chao is overacting. In a normal meeting, no one would be this… uh, showy."

This scene aims to demonstrate Meng Hao's strength as a billionaire, his high authority in the company, and his excellence as a business elite.

Additionally, it subtly foreshadows that he is not as refined as he appears externally—deep down, he possesses strong possessiveness and control, with traces of volatility and authoritarianism.

Clearly, Deng Chao has tried hard to portray the domineering air and competence of a business elite, but his temperament and understanding fall short; his performance feels hollow.

Moreover, I don't know how he's thinking, but he keeps unconsciously trying to show off.

He adds trivial expressions—eyebrow raises, cold smirks, head tilts, shifts in tone and emphasis.

It's not that these gestures are wrong, but they're too frequent and poorly timed, creating a sense of dissonance.

In short, he doesn't look like a self-made boss—he looks more like a rich kid looking for trouble, wearing a dragon robe but not acting like the Crown Prince.

Upon hearing this, Tian Youliang halted filming and called Deng Chao over to explain; the latter looked bewildered.

"I'm learning this from you, Director Yan."

Although he hasn't officially joined Yi'an, he's frequently visited Yi'an under the guise of participating in Yi'an projects.

Especially after being cast as Meng Hao, he claimed he imitates every move Yan Li makes every time they meet, modeling his entire performance of Meng Hao entirely on Yan Li's style.

Yan Li: "…"

Bullshit. When have I ever been this flamboyant?

Yan Li admits he occasionally paints pies for subordinates, shouts slogans, and sometimes puts on performances—but never in Deng Chao's manner.

Thank goodness I came in person; if this guy finishes filming and goes around blabbing that he learned from me, won't that smear my reputation?

"Forget it. Since it's a meeting, let me demonstrate for you."

Yan Li rolled up his sleeves, ready to demonstrate personally for Deng Chao; he glanced at the script and summoned the extras and supporting actors to rehearse.

Since this wasn't official filming and Yan Li intended to demonstrate the normal demeanor of a boss, they wouldn't strictly follow the script—both he and the actors could improvise freely.

Yan Li sat in the main seat; Deng Chao, eager to learn, found a seat nearby to better experience it.

Director Tian Youliang quietly instructed the cinematographer to keep filming—not for the main drama, but as behind-the-scenes footage or an Easter egg, or at least for Deng Chao to review later.

"Alright, everyone's here. Let's begin the meeting."

After reviewing the lines, Yan Li stepped directly into character—his demeanor and tone were as calm as before.

An actor playing the vice president stood up and pretended to report the situation.

Aside from the opening, there were no lines—just "one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four"—he recited for ten seconds, then skipped ahead automatically.

"Chairman, I'm done."

Yan Li flipped through documents, scribbled two characters with his pen, never looking up: "Next."

Another extra followed the same procedure; this time Yan Li nodded slightly, then continued.

"Next."

Just those two brief scenes, no special elements—but for some reason, watching Yan Li calmly listen to the reports, the actors on set and even the onlookers among the crew felt a growing tension.

Initially, everyone watching Yan Li's demonstration had a casual, amused attitude, but inexplicably, the lighthearted, playful atmosphere faded; the overall mood grew quiet, even slightly oppressive.

The third extra stood to report; halfway through, Yan Li suddenly stopped him.

"This project was scheduled for completion in 90 days. It's already been two months—why is progress still under half?"

The extra grew nervous, stammering his lines: "There were complications…"

Yan Li looked up for the first time, glancing at him: "I don't want explanations. I only want to know whether the project can be completed on schedule."

"This…"

Yan Li lowered his head again: "I understand. The relevant department will select a new lead—preferably on duty this afternoon. As for you, go find HR yourself."

The extra hurried to explain, but Yan Li ignored him entirely, turning a page: "Next."

The atmosphere on set sank further; the next extra was even more nervous, his voice trembling as he reported.

Yan Li waited until she finished, then raised his head, offering a faint smile: "Your department performed well this quarter—I'm satisfied. Keep up the good work."

"Thank you, Director Yan."

The extra blurted out her real name; Yan Li didn't mind, gestured downward with his hand to signal her to sit, then continued.

"Next."

Another supporting actor stepped forward—he had more screen time, portraying a board member, involved in a minor corporate clash to demonstrate Meng Hao's ability and character.

The plot was simple: he questioned one of Meng Hao's decisions; Meng Hao insisted, forcefully overruled him, implemented the plan, and achieved great success.

During the previous filming, Deng Chao's performance was impatient and slightly pretentious in the face of skepticism and provocation.

How to put it? He wanted to showcase the elite's capability while highlighting the character's negative traits, but failed to strike the right balance.

Since Yan Li is demonstrating, he can't follow his own style entirely—he must also align with the character of Meng Hao.

So, when hearing skepticism, he slightly furrowed his brow, a flicker of displeasure at being defied crossing his eyes, yet he did not lose composure; his tone remained emotionally neutral, instead patiently explaining his reasoning.

But the other party was determined to oppose, and Yan Li finally showed slight impatience: "The XX project is inevitable. If Director Wu has objections, let the board discuss it again."

The actor is unhappy: "Kunpeng Company (Meng Hao's company in the drama) isn't yours alone."

"But I am Kunpeng's founder, chairman, and largest shareholder."

Yan Li looked at the other calmly, his tone authoritative and resolute: "No one can stop my decisions at Kunpeng."

"…"

Several more scenes were added, including a direct scene between Deng Chao and Yan Li; after finishing his performance, Yan Li asked Deng Chao how he felt.

"Can't quite put my finger on it, but whenever Yan Zong sits there, with few gestures or expressions, he exerts immense pressure—his aura is too powerful."

"Aura comes from within."

Yan Li gave Deng Chao advice: "Anyone who built success from nothing, regardless of personality, must have confidence—you must nail that."

"Second is stability. I understand this is a TV drama, so the character can't be too flat—he needs some outward expression, but you can channel that into the romantic subplot; keep the business arc restrained and steady, and it will also differentiate him from the female lead and the second male lead."

Put bluntly, this drama is about a wealthy man "playing with" a couple.

Under these circumstances, the wealthy man must stand out—especially early on, he must be distinct. If he acts like a young boy, jealous and petty, lacking any dignity or reason, his character traits vanish.

Yan Li and Deng Chao talked for a long while.

How to put it? This guy is handsome, rose to fame playing emperors and high-ranking officials' sons, but privately he's goofy, always laughing and joking, very outgoing; I heard he preferred comedy roles in college.

With such a personality, portraying a restrained, steady character requires deliberate shaping and refinement.

This is almost the opposite of Huang Xiaoming—he'd likely nail a role like Meng Hao, but would feel unnatural in a more eccentric role.

"New Shanghai" and "The Deer and the Cauldron" both wanted to collaborate with Yi'an; Yan Li watched clips from both dramas.

The former was well done; the latter was weak.

Huang Xiaoming is currently on a strong rise, among the most prominent male leads on the mainland, with Hua Yi promoting him heavily.

Deng Chao wants to become the top male lead on the mainland—he can't avoid this guy; he must learn from his strengths and compensate for his weaknesses.

Speaking of which, Yan Li told Deng Chao something: "The company plans to negotiate with your old agency to terminate your contract early and sign you on."

Deng Chao's contract with his old agency expires in July; Yi'an wants to sign him ahead of time.

Deng Chao had no objections—he'd used up his resources, and future projects were already scheduled; if he backed out now, Yi'an could destroy him.

Signing early would bring peace of mind, but he had one concern: his old agency didn't want to let him go and wanted to renew his contract.

After all, Deng Chao is now a popular male lead, with hit after hit, and he even starred in Feng Xiaogang's film—his prospects are bright.

Such a cash cow, his old agency naturally didn't want to let go, especially since Deng Chao, as a newcomer, signed a contract extremely favorable to the company.

Deng Chao had hinted his intentions to his old agency, and Yi'an had also reached out, but the agency kept pretending ignorance or ignoring them; Deng Chao wasn't foolish—he had contacts within the company and heard rumors the agency had no intention of releasing him.

His contract did include a priority renewal clause, and worse, the old agency held some private information about him.

If the old agency stubbornly refused to release him, took him to court, slapped him with a label of ingratitude, and stirred up public sentiment, it would severely damage Deng Chao's rising career.

"You don't need to worry about this—I'll handle it."

If Deng Chao could find out about this, Yan Li certainly could—even the early termination and signing was meant to cut through the chaos swiftly.

As for Deng Chao's old agency, they were indeed troublesome, but not beyond Yan Li's reach.

They were a well-known company in the industry; if Hua Yi, Hai Run, or others tried to poach him, there'd surely be disputes, even open warfare.

But Yi'an was different—it controlled TV distribution channels, precisely gripping the agency's lifeline. Moreover, they might have some dirt on Deng Chao, but Yan Li had an intelligence system and held their dirt too.

If things escalated, it wouldn't be a mutually destructive stalemate—it would be Yi'an crushing them.

Conversely, if they released him, Yi'an could consider offering cooperation and resource compensation; if they had a suitable project, Yi'an could even let Deng Chao take it to repay his old agency a favor.

At this point, Yan Li could be said to have gone above and beyond—even been generous.

After all, Deng Chao wasn't deserting mid-contract; his contract was expiring. Even if there had been prior overtures, it was industry norm—not considered poaching in many people's eyes.

Yan Li acted this way for his reputation and to prevent Deng Chao's rapid rise from sinking into a contract quagmire; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so considerate.

One hand with the club, one with the sweet date!

The choice was laid out plainly—should anyone stubbornly refuse, they'd be crushed.

Yan Li wanted his reputation, but wouldn't let it bind him; peaceful resolution was best, but when he had to strike hard, he wouldn't hesitate.

Deng Chao didn't need to worry about any of this—he only needed to develop his career, make money, drive projects, and repay the company.

"If everything goes smoothly, we should finalize your contract by April. By then, Huang Xiaoming's signing ceremony with Hua Yi will also be happening. How about it? Interested in challenging him?"

Deng Chao pondered: "You mean…?"

"Yi'an's top female lead and Hua Yi's top female lead are a pair. Huang Xiaoming aims to become Hua Yi's top male lead. If you want to be Yi'an's top male lead, you must face him off."

Compared to the fiery "Four Dan and Two Bing," mainland male leads seemed somewhat "Buddhist."

Several attempts at naming the "Four Little Male Leads" failed to generate the team influence seen with the "Four Little Female Leads."

Reasons were many: pressure from Hong Kong and Taiwan male artists, mainland male leads forced to rely on TV dramas, lacking sufficient status and prestige.

Also, many male leads operated independently, rarely embraced the "Four Little Male Leads" label, disliked fighting or drama, and occasionally one or two fell behind and faded.

For example, the original "Four Little Male Leads": Hu Bing was a filler who dropped out, Huang Sanshi shifted to theater and changed paths, Lu Yi hit a career bottleneck, and Li Yapeng simply spent his days running businesses with his wife—he was nearly retired.

Yan Li rose to fame through hype and controversy, personally orchestrating the "Two Bing" phenomenon, and now he had his eyes on Huang Xiaoming.

The battle for Yi'an vs. Hua Yi's top male lead, the mainland's #1 male lead, the new generation of actors from Beijing Film Academy and Central Academy of Drama, even the Sun Li rivalry.

As long as you looked, you could always find a topic to pit Deng Chao and Huang Xiaoming against each other.

Deng Chao's status and popularity were currently lower than Huang Xiaoming's; if they were linked in competition, even if Deng Chao remained behind, he'd quickly reach the same tier.

As always: in the entertainment industry, much depends on the word "hype."

The more it was hyped and the more it was said, the more the false became true, and Deng Chao and Huang Xiaoming became sworn rivals.

Even Huayi and Yi'an joined forces to stoke the momentum, turning it into the battle for the top young male lead in mainland China, directly distancing themselves from other popular young leads and becoming one of the mainland's "most popular" young male leads.

If two weren't enough to suppress the others, add two more with achievements and backing—four in a group—to dominate the first tier of mainland young male leads.

"Am I capable?"

Deng Chao listened, dazzled and entranced; Yan Li had once painted him a pie, but he'd thought it was just recruitment talk, never imagining Yan Li would be this powerful, laying out a direct path to the most popular young male lead in one breath.

The pie was too big, too tempting, making Deng Chao's blood boil yet leaving him with a twinge of guilt.

Deng Chao still had some self-awareness—his advantages at this stage weren't obvious, not even a girlfriend like Sun Lihong.

"You can't? The company says you can—then you can, even if you can't."

Yan Li slapped Deng Chao on the shoulder: "Just tell me—do you want to be the most popular young male lead in mainland China?"

Deng Chao nodded eagerly: "I do."

"If you want it, you follow the plan—and you can't avoid the hype and the fights. So, are you in against Huang Xiaoming?"

Deng Chao's face flushed red: "I'm in."

Opposites repel—he didn't care for Huang Xiaoming, especially after rumors swirled that Huang had dated his girlfriend during the filming of *New Shanghai Beach*. Though he knew it was fake, just promotional stunt, he still felt annoyed.

Who rises without stepping on a few stepping stones? Deng Chao hadn't gotten here through pure goodness—he had Yan Li's backing, so he'd just go ahead and crush Huang Xiaoming.

Yan Li nodded: "I'll go back and tell the company about your signing ceremony—try to get as close to Huang Xiaoming as possible, then build the momentum."

"Other things don't matter—some public backlash is normal; the company will brief you on the situation and how to respond. But since you two are clashing, *New Shanghai Beach* can't be avoided—talk to Sun Lihong, get ready."

Yan Li felt awkward using Deng Chao's girlfriend as bait, but once the Deng-Huang rivalry started, Sun Lihong—who had collaborated with Huang Xiaoming—couldn't be sidestepped.

Even if Yi'an didn't stir things up, Huang Xiaoming's side would play it cool—but there were still plenty of onlookers ready to fan the flames.

Everyone loves a two-man rivalry; a two-man-one-woman drama won't lack excitement.

So when Yan Li told Deng Chao to inform Sun Lihong, he was really telling him to brace himself mentally.

Of course, Sun Lihong herself had to be handled—she had her own career and might not want to get dragged in; if Deng Chao didn't soothe her properly, there could be trouble.

…

After chatting for a long while, Yan Li finished his visit and left the set, though no one knew if he returned to Jingcheng—anyway, the female lead Yang Rong took the afternoon and tomorrow off.

Deng Chao and director Tian Youliang weren't sure about Yang Rong's background.

But she'd starred in *The Legend of Xue Rengui* and *Great Qing Imperial Harem*, and become the female lead in *The Difficult Love of Diamond Old Five*, and rumors said she had other dramas lined up.

With this level of resources, and no word that she was an Yi'an artist, combined with Yan Boss's reputation—it was chilling to think about.

Deng Chao had originally had many ideas to discuss with the director after watching Yan Li's demonstration, but now another matter weighed on his mind—he said a quick word and called his girlfriend first.

Sun Lihong was also filming—a Republic-era drama funded by Hairen, directed by the renowned Guan Jinpeng, shooting in Hengdian.

Deng Chao's first call was answered by her assistant; after waiting over ten minutes, Sun Lihong finally returned his call after finishing her scene.

She knew Yan Li had come to visit Deng Chao today and asked how he'd performed in front of his new boss.

Deng Chao briefly recounted his conversation with Yan Li; Sun Lihong's eyes lit up.

"This is great—Boss Yan clearly values you deeply."

With Zhang Zhilin and Qiao Zhenyu both doing well, directly pitting Deng Chao against Huang Xiaoming left no doubt about the intent to promote him.

Deng Chao nodded: "Boss Yan really has my back."

If *The Assembly* was a lucky break, *The Difficult Love of Diamond Old Five* was real, tangible resources.

Beyond that, they'd already reserved a leading role for him in a Gu Long drama, and cast him as the male lead in Cao Baoping's film *Li Mi's Guess*.

Even for the company's biggest commercial blockbuster, *Painted Skin*, Yan Li hinted that if the role and schedule fit, they'd consider him for second or third male lead.

Deng Chao wasn't stupid—he'd go all-in against Huang Xiaoming the moment Yan Li told him to.

He followed Yan Li because Yan Li's promises were real—he'd seen the resources firsthand; with these behind him, Deng Chao had the confidence to stand up to Huang Xiaoming.

"But…"

Deng Chao was still uneasy about Sun Lihong's situation, but she was remarkably relaxed—rumors like this were everywhere in the industry; if you took every one seriously, you'd die of anger.

Besides, she'd thought of something—if such a conflict arose, she could use it to show off her affection with Deng Chao.

Not only would the couple gain exposure, but it would also help Deng Chao step on Huang Xiaoming.

Deng Chao's eyes brightened: "You're brilliant."

Sun Lihong smirked: "Don't forget who I am—I was famous before you even knew where you were hanging out. Learn from me."

"I'll learn from Teacher Sun."

Deng Chao laughed and joked along with Sun Lihong—he had one good trait: though he wasn't willing to lose in his career and subtly competed with his girlfriend, he didn't see it as shameful and could accept that she was more popular than him.

That was rare for two people with similar careers; many strong-power unions ended badly, often because both wanted to dominate the other.

After some banter, Sun Lihong began interrogating Deng Chao again about whether he'd been unfaithful.

Deng Chao protested: "I swear on my life—I already told you, Yang Rong has connections, how would I dare?"

He added in a low voice about Yang Rong taking leave, seeing it as further proof.

"I don't even have the urge—if I did, every person on this set is Yan Boss's man; trying to steal his woman would kill me."

"That's better."

Sun Lihong nodded satisfied—she'd supported Deng Chao joining Yi'an partly because Yan Li had already devoured all the nearby grass—he had nothing left to eat.

Now it seemed her decision was right: with Yan Li watching over him, Deng Chao might have the desire, but not the courage.

Still, she didn't lower her guard—there were supporting actresses too, and not all of them could be connected to Yan Li; she'd still need to warn them.

After finishing her inspection, Sun Lihong was about to hang up when she suddenly remembered something.

"Our company seems to have registered me for *Painted Skin*."

"*Painted Skin*?"

Deng Chao was stunned—wasn't this supposed to be a two-man rivalry? He hadn't heard of any change—Sun Lihong explained, and he learned there was also a supporting female role, the third female lead.

At Sun Li's level, playing a supporting role to Shuang Bing isn't shameful—mainly because Hai Run Films have so few resources; if Sun Li can grab one, she should grab it.

"Yi'an has so many people connected to General Yan—can you really land it?"

Deng Chao didn't think much of Sun Li's chances; he knew of several Xiao Yanzhi actresses who could play the role, and it wouldn't even come close to his girlfriend.

"You're naive—you're only thinking about General Yan and forgot about Shuang Bing. With those two involved, who dares even get close?"

Sun Li smiled; those Xiao Yanzhi actresses rose because of Yan Li and fell because of Yan Li—Shuang Bing's collaboration meant any third party trying to insert themselves was asking for death, so outsiders with no ties to Yan Li had a better chance.

She had considerable fame and status, and with Deng Chao's connections, she actually held considerable advantage.

"If you get a chance, give me a little push—we could star together in 'Painted Skin'; it'd be quite a publicity hook."

Deng Chao hesitated: "I'll try."

He had shallow roots in Yi'an and limited connections—he wasn't sure how much help he could really offer.

Sun Li felt she should also push harder; she had another advantage she hadn't mentioned: she was Deng Chao's girlfriend, one of Yan Li's subordinate women, and Yan Li wouldn't likely target her.

Under these circumstances, Yan Li's women would lower their guard toward her and even grow more favorable.

If she could win over even one of them to speak for her, that would be best—using her was safer than those uncertain women who might be scheming to seduce Yan Li…

(End of Chapter)