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

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

As previously mentioned, Yi'an Cinema Chain primarily operates in Shandong, Shanxi, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and Shenzhen—the core base of Huarun—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, they planned to open in Liaoning Province, targeting Shenyang or Dalian.

Later, they felt it was too close to Wanda, with intense competition and isolated positioning, making it vulnerable to being surrounded, so they moved it to Harbin.

Yan Li wasn't familiar with the Northeast, and considering some rumors, he made a special trip to check things out personally—having made all the necessary introductions, his subordinates could work more smoothly.

After spending two days in Harbin, on his way back to Beijing, Yan Li made a detour to Dalian.

The cast and crew of "The Hard Love of a Diamond Old Bachelor" were selecting locations and shooting in this city and Daoshan.

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

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

Yet this diamond old bachelor 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 shoot—do it well, and you please both sides; do it poorly, and you alienate both.

Yan Li watched for a while, 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 show 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 isn't as refined as he appears—deep down, he's possessive, controlling, and carries a touch of volatility and authoritarianism.

Clearly, Deng Chao has tried hard to portray the authority and competence of a business elite, but his demeanor and understanding are off—he's performing too hollowly.

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

He adds little mannerisms—eyebrow raises, cold smirks, head tilts, shifts in tone.

It's not that these gestures are wrong, but they're too frequent and ill-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 a fight, wearing a dragon robe but not acting like a crown prince.

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

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

Although he hasn't officially joined Yi'an, he's visited Yi'an often through opportunities like acting in their projects.

Especially after landing the role of Meng Hao, he's claimed that every time he meets Yan Li, he imitates his every move, modeling his entire performance of Meng Hao 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 performs a bit—but never like this.

Thank goodness he came in person; if this guy finishes filming and goes around blabbing that he learned from Yan Li, wouldn't that smear his reputation?

"Forget it, you're having a meeting, right? Let me demonstrate for you."

Yan Li rolled up his sleeves, ready to demonstrate personally; he checked the script and gathered the supporting actors and extras to rehearse.

Since this wasn't official filming, and Yan Li wanted to show Deng Chao what a normal boss looks like, they wouldn't strictly follow the script—both he and the actors could improvise.

Yan Li sat in the main seat; Deng Chao, eager to learn, found a seat nearby to observe closely.

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

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

After going over the lines, Yan Li stepped directly into character—his demeanor and expression were calm, no different from before.

An actor playing the vice president stood up and gave a pretentious report.

Aside from the opening line, the rest had no dialogue—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 in his notebook, never looking up: "Next."

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

"Next."

Just two short scenes, nothing special—but for some reason, watching Yan Li calmly listen to the reports, the actors and even the onlookers felt a growing tension.

Initially, everyone had watched Yan Li's demonstration with a sense of amusement, but somehow, the lighthearted, playful atmosphere faded, replaced by quietness, even a faint sense of oppression.

The third extra stood up 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 excuses. I only want to know if the project can be completed on schedule."

"This..."

Yan Li lowered his head again: "I understand. Relevant departments will select a new lead—preferably on duty by this afternoon. As for you, go see HR yourself."

The extra tried to explain, but Yan Li ignored him, turned a page: "Next."

The atmosphere grew even heavier; the next extra was more nervous, his voice trembling as he reported.

Yan Li waited until she finished, then looked up with a faint smile: "Your department performed well this quarter—I'm satisfied. Keep it up."

"Thank you, Director Yan."

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

"Next."

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

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

In the previous filming, when faced with challenge and provocation, Deng Chao's performance was impatient and slightly pretentious.

How to put it? He wanted to show the elite's competence while highlighting the character's flaws—but failed to strike the right balance.

Since Yan Li was demonstrating, he couldn't just act entirely in his own style—he had to fit Meng Hao's character.

So when hearing the challenge, he slightly furrowed his brow, his eyes flashing annoyance at being defied—but he didn't lose composure; his tone remained calm, patiently explaining his reasoning.

Yet the actor stubbornly opposed; Yan Li finally showed impatience: "The XX project is non-negotiable. Director Wu has objections? Let the board discuss it again."

The actor complained: "Kunpeng Company isn't yours alone."

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

Yan Li looked at him coolly, his tone unshakably dominant and resolute: "My decisions at Kunpeng cannot be blocked by anyone."

"..."

A few more scenes were added, including a direct scene between Deng Chao and Yan Li; after finishing, Yan Li asked Deng Chao for his impression.

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but when Director Yan sits there, with few gestures or expressions, he still exerts immense pressure—his aura is overwhelming."

"Aura comes from within."

Yan Li advised Deng Chao: "Anyone who built their success from nothing, regardless of personality, must have confidence—hold onto that confidence."

"Second, be steady. I understand this is a TV drama, so the character can't be too flat—he needs some outward expression—but you can reserve that for the romantic subplot; in the business storyline, stay restrained and composed, and clearly differentiate him from the female lead and the male second 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. If he behaves like a jealous teenager, lacking dignity and reason, his character's essence vanishes.

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, but privately he's goofy, cheerful, and extremely outgoing—he reportedly loved comedy in college.

Such a personality needs careful shaping to portray a restrained, steady character.

This is almost the opposite of Huang Xiaoming—if he played Meng Hao, he'd nail it, but for more eccentric roles, he'd feel out of place.

"New Shanghai" and "The Deer and the Cauldron" both expressed interest in collaborating with Yi'an; Yan Li reviewed clips from both.

The former was well done; the latter was weak.

Huang Xiaoming is currently on a strong rise, the most prominent young actor on the mainland, with Hua Yi pushing him hard.

Deng Chao wants to compete for the title of mainland's top young actor—he can't avoid this guy; he must learn from his strengths and fix his weaknesses.

Speaking of which, Yan Li mentioned something to Deng Chao: "The company will approach your former agency to negotiate an early contract termination and sign you on."

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

Deng Chao had no objections—he'd used up his resources, and future projects were already arranged; if he backed out now, Yi'an could crush 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 young actor, with hit after hit, and he's 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 stupid—he had contacts inside and heard rumors the agency had no intention of releasing him.

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

If the agency stubbornly refused to release him, dragged him to court, slapped him with a label of betrayal, and stirred up rumors, it would severely damage Deng Chao's rising career.

"Don't worry about it—I'll handle it."

If Deng Chao could find out, Yan Li certainly could—even the early termination and signing was meant to cut the Gordian knot swiftly.

As for Deng Chao's old agency, they were indeed troublesome—but not a match for Yan Li.

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

But Yi'an was different—it controlled TV distribution channels, directly gripping the agency's lifeline. Moreover, while the agency might have some dirt on Deng Chao, Yan Li had his own intelligence network and held dirt on them 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 offer cooperation and resource compensation—and if the agency had suitable projects, Yi'an could even let Deng Chao do them as a favor to his old agency.

Having done this, Yan Li had gone above and beyond—indeed, he was almost generous.

After all, Deng Chao didn't walk away mid-contract; his contract simply expired. Even if there had been prior flirtations, that was industry norm—not considered poaching in many people's eyes.

Yan Li acted out of concern for his reputation and to prevent Deng Chao's rapidly growing career from getting mired in contract disputes; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so understanding.

One hand with a club, the other with a sweet date!

Yan Li had laid out the choice plainly. If someone still refused to budge, then he'd crush them.

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

Deng Chao didn't need to worry about any of this. All he had to do was grow his career, make big money, drive projects, and repay the company.

"If everything goes smoothly, we should finalize your contract by April. At that time, it'll also be Huang Xiaoming and Huayi's signing ceremony. How about it? Ever think about challenging him?"

Deng Chao pondered: "You mean…?"

"Yi'an's top female and Huayi's top female are a pair. Huang Xiaoming is aiming straight at Huayi's top male. If you want to be Yi'an's top male, you've got to face him off."

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

Several attempts to crown the "Four Little Masters" failed to generate the same team impact as the "Four Little Flowers."

Reasons were many: pressure from Hong Kong and Taiwan male stars, mainland actors forced to scramble in TV dramas, lacking sufficient status and clout.

Many of these young actors fought alone, rarely embraced the "Four Little Masters" label, disliked public feuds, and occasionally one or two would fall behind and fade.

Take the original "Four Little Masters": Hu Bing was just filler and dropped out; Huang Sanshi shifted to theater and reinvented himself; Lu Yi hit a career bottleneck; Li Yapeng basically spent his days running businesses with his wife and was nearly retired.

Yan Li built his reputation on hype and opportunism—he single-handedly launched the "Two Bing." Now he's set his sights on Huang Xiaoming.

The battle for Yi'an vs. Huayi's top male, the fight for mainland's number one young actor, the contest among new-generation male actors from Beijing Film Academy and Central Academy of Drama—even the rivalry over Sun Li.

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

Deng Chao's status and popularity currently lag behind Huang Xiaoming's. But if they were linked in rivalry, even if Deng Chao remained inferior, he'd quickly rise to the same tier.

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

The more you hype, the more you talk, the more false becomes true—Deng Chao and Huang Xiaoming become sworn rivals.

Even if Yi'an and Huayi jointly stoke the narrative, turning it into a battle for mainland's number one young actor, they could pull far ahead of other popular young actors and become one of the "most popular."

If two weren't enough to suppress others, add two more with achievements and backing—four in one tier, dominating the top tier of mainland young actors.

"Am I capable?"

Deng Chao was dazzled. Yan Li had painted him a picture before, but he thought it was just recruitment flattery. He never expected Yan Li to be this powerful—laying out a direct path to top young actor status.

The pie was too big, too tempting—it made Deng Chao's blood boil, yet left him feeling uneasy.

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

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

Yan Li patted Deng Chao on the shoulder: "Just tell me—do you want to be mainland's most popular young actor?"

Deng Chao nodded eagerly: "Yes."

"If you want it, you follow orders. You'll need hype, you'll need feuds. So—will you take on Huang Xiaoming?"

Deng Chao's face flushed red: "I'll take him on."

Opposites repel—he didn't like Huang Xiaoming, especially after rumors swirled that Huang had an affair with his girlfriend during the filming of "New Shanghai Beach." He knew it was fake—just promotional noise—but still found it irritating.

Who rises without stepping on a few stepping stones? Deng Chao hadn't gotten here through pure goodness. With Yan Li's backing, he'd just go ahead and fight.

Yan Li nodded: "I'll inform the company about your signing ceremony—try to schedule it close to Huang Xiaoming's, then build momentum."

"Other things don't matter. Some public backlash is normal. The company will brief you on the situation and how to respond. But if you two clash, you can't avoid 'New Shanghai Beach.' Tell Sun Li to prepare."

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

Even if Yi'an didn't stir things up, Huang Xiaoming's side would be cautious—but there were always plenty of onlookers.

Everyone loved watching the "Two Bing" rivalry. A two-man-one-woman drama wouldn't be any less entertaining.

So when Yan Li told Deng Chao to inform Sun Li, he really meant: prepare yourself mentally.

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

…

After chatting for a while, Yan Li finished his visit and left the set. Whether he returned to Beijing or not was unknown—but the lead actress, Yang Rong, took the afternoon and tomorrow off.

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

Yet she had starred in "Xue Rengui Legend" and "Great Qing Imperial Harem," and now she was the lead in "The Difficult Love of a Diamond Old Man," with rumors of other roles too.

Such resource power—and yet no one said she was an Yi'an artist. Combined with Yan Li's reputation, the implications were chilling.

Deng Chao had originally planned to discuss ideas with the director after watching Yan Li's example—but now another matter weighed on his mind. He excused himself and called his girlfriend first.

Sun Li was also filming—a Republican-era drama funded by Hai Run, directed by the renowned Guan Jinpeng, shooting in Hengdian.

Deng Chao's first call went to his assistant. After waiting over ten minutes, Sun Li finally returned the call after finishing her scene.

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

Deng Chao recounted his conversation with Yan Li. Sun Li'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: the intent was to push him hard.

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

If "Assembly" was a lucky break, "The Difficult Love of a Diamond Old Man" was real, tangible resource support.

Beyond that, they'd already lined up a leading role in a Gu Long drama, and offered him the male lead in Cao Baoping's film "The Mystery of Li Mi."

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. If Yan Li told him to challenge Huang Xiaoming, he'd challenge him.

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 still hesitated about Sun Li. She, however, was unfazed. In this industry, rumors flew constantly. If you took every one seriously, you'd die of anger.

Besides, she'd thought of something else: if a feud arose, she could publicly show affection with Deng Chao.

It would boost both their exposure—and help Deng Chao step on Huang Xiaoming.

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

Sun Li smirked: "Don't forget who I am. When I was famous, you were still somewhere unknown. Learn from me."

"I'll learn from Teacher Sun."

Deng Chao laughed and agreed. He had one good trait: though competitive in his career and quietly vying with his girlfriend, he felt no shame—and accepted that she was more famous than him.

This was rare among two people with similar careers. Many strong partnerships failed simply because both wanted to dominate the other.

After joking around, Sun Li began interrogating Deng Chao again—asking if 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—another strong piece of evidence.

"I don't even have the urge. Even if I did, every person on this set is Yan Li's man. If I tried to steal his woman, he'd kill me."

"That's more like it."

Sun Li nodded approvingly. One key reason she supported Deng Chao's move to Yi'an was that 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 desire—but no courage.

Still, she didn't lower her guard. Besides the lead actress, there were supporting roles too—not all could be tied to Yan Li. She'd still need to warn him.

After finishing her inspection, Sun Li 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 the "Two Bing" project? He hadn't heard of any cast changes. Sun Li explained—he learned there was also a significant female third lead.

For Sun Li's status, playing a supporting role in the "Two Bing" film wasn't beneath her. The real issue was Hai Run's lack of resources—she had to grab any chance she could.

"Yi'an has so many people connected to Boss Yan. Can you even get it?"

Deng Chao wasn't optimistic. He knew at least half a dozen actresses who could play that role—his girlfriend had no chance.

"You're clueless. You only think of Boss Yan, but you forgot the 'Two Bing.' With those two involved, who dares push forward?"

Sun Li smiled. Those actresses owed their rise to Yan Li—and their fall too. With the "Two Bing" collaborating, any third party trying to intrude was asking for death. So outsiders with no ties to Yan Li had a better shot.

She had high fame and status, plus Deng Chao's connection—she actually had strong advantages.

"If you get a chance, give me a little push. If we both star in 'Painted Skin,' it'll be a great publicity hook."

Deng Chao hesitated: "I'll try."

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

Sun Li felt she should push too. She had another advantage she hadn't mentioned: she was Deng Chao's girlfriend—a subordinate's woman. Yan Li wouldn't target her.

Under these circumstances, Yan Li's women would lower their guard toward her—and even grow fond of her.

If she could get one of them to speak up for her, that'd be best. Using her was safer than trusting women who might be sleeping with Yan Li…

(End of Chapter)