Chapter 273

Yi'an Company, conference room

Yan Li walked in, and Vice President of Distribution Xiao Guan, along with the Director of the Distribution Department and several managers, all stood up to greet him.

"Director Yan."

"Everyone, sit."

Yan Li motioned for them to sit and walked straight to the head of the table, where he took his seat; others followed suit one by one.

"Oh, new faces here."

Yan Li looked at the two people at the far end of the table; the Distribution Department was his own creation, and he had dealt with them extensively, so nearly all senior and mid-level staff were familiar to him.

A boss who can't remember the faces and names of his core subordinates doesn't necessarily harm management, but it loses some positive impact.

Yan Li had a good memory and cared about this aspect.

He made special note of company talent and standout employees, even memorizing their resumes.

Often, when he met unfamiliar subordinates and had a chance to chat, he would proactively praise their achievements—this motivational effect was more powerful than a salary raise.

It not only boosted morale but also consistently enhanced his personal prestige and reputation among both key personnel and frontline staff.

Minor internal mistakes were often interpreted by subordinates as failures by the vice presidents or directors—neglecting Director Yan's trust, being unfit for their positions, and so on.

The Director of the Distribution Department stepped forward to introduce the two as newly promoted managers.

Yan Li looked at the one with longer hair: "Yang Qu, you're a veteran, right? I remember you were here during 'Chinese Paladin.'"

Yang Qu, surprised Yan Li remembered him, stood up excitedly: "Yes, Director Yan. I joined at the end of 2004. 'Chinese Paladin' was my first project."

Yan Li joked: "Then you've climbed fast—keep it up. Give Xiao Zong and the Director some pressure."

Yi'an was growing fast, and internal promotions were equally swift.

The company was registered at the end of 2002, officially launched in early 2003, truly entered its growth phase starting in 2004, and rose sharply in 2005.

Including Yan Li and Lin Jiachuan, not a single employee had been with the company for over five years.

Yang Qu had been with the company for less than three years and was promoted to a manager responsible for independent distribution projects—barely mid-level, not exceptionally fast, but not slow either; he was clearly a promising talent within Yan Li's radar.

The other newly promoted manager beside him looked at Yang Qu with envy.

His seniority was similar to Yang Qu's, but his luck was poor—he hadn't worked on many projects directly overseen by Yan Li, so Yan Li had only a faint impression of him.

Still, Yan Li didn't ignore him; he offered a few casual words of encouragement, but clearly without the same recognition as Yang Qu.

Management often requires balance, and sometimes it's appropriate to create deliberate differences.

Differences generate satisfaction and desire, allowing both to be leveraged for your benefit.

Yeah, basically being a jerk.

The two new managers could only wait anxiously for Yan Li to speak, responding when prompted; if they couldn't reply easily, they just smiled awkwardly.

Xiao Guan, as a senior executive and Yan Li's trusted subordinate, didn't need to be so cautious—he took advantage of Yan Li's joke to complain.

"You keep pushing everyone like this, making these kids stare at me all day—I've even started growing white hairs from late-night overtime."

Yan Li glanced at Xiao Guan's hair; if he remembered right, this kid had already had some gray hair when he first joined.

"If you're really under pressure, why not take a break?"

Xiao Guan's expression turned serious: "I love overtime. I thrive on challenges."

He couldn't bear to let anyone take his position as Vice President of Distribution at Yi'an.

Beyond base salary and bonuses, as the direct superior of the Distribution Department, he received a share of its performance bonuses.

Moreover, as Yan Li personally took on fewer major projects, many key ones were now under Xiao Guan's charge—success meant additional bonuses.

Besides money, as Yi'an's overall head of distribution, he constantly interacted with major production teams and studios, making him a notable figure in the industry.

He had money, he had clout—his life was incredibly comfortable.

But in Xiao Guan's mind, he harbored a quiet ambition: as Yan Li's empire expanded and his portfolio of companies grew, his attention would inevitably shift.

Yi'an's current president is Yan Li; someday, he might step down from the role—or create a new position to manage the company in his absence.

Without doubt, Xiao Guan was one of the top candidates, and he longed to become the leader of this entertainment giant.

Break?

He'd rather sleep at the office to show Yan Li his unwavering loyalty.

"Alright, no more joking—let's get down to business."

When meeting with longtime subordinates, especially in non-critical meetings, Yan Li liked to joke around to lighten the mood and build rapport.

Familiar subordinates and veteran staff were used to it—but the previous topic was likely sensitive, even the Director of Distribution didn't dare chime in.

Yan Li could tease, Xiao Guan could mock himself, but if he joined in, he might end up on someone's radar.

Realizing the joke had gone too far, Yan Li smoothly moved on and began the formal meeting.

The Director of the Distribution Department turned on the conference room's TV screen and began presenting the department's performance over the past few months and the progress of key projects.

"..."

Yan Li listened quietly; though less than a quarter had passed since the Spring Festival, Yi'an's rapid growth meant daily changes.

Two consecutive years of brilliance in 2005 and 2006 had given Yi'an an absolute leading advantage in TV drama distribution.

According to incomplete statistics, among TV dramas currently in production:

Aside from those scams, money-laundering, or low-quality filler shows, nearly one-third of serious TV drama teams—especially those aiming for national broadcast—would reach out to Yi'an.

The remaining two-thirds either had backing from studios or TV networks, or wanted to work with Yi'an but couldn't wait in line.

That's right—except for hot titles, many mid-to-high-tier dramas had to wait in line to collaborate with Yi'an.

As previously mentioned, Yi'an's distribution strength was impressive, but not supernatural.

Currently, Yi'an plans to distribute about 20 to 30 TV dramas per year.

As the company grows, the number will increase, but they deliberately keep the growth rate moderate.

One reason is manpower, but more importantly, too many dramas would overwhelm Yi'an's stable distribution channels.

Moreover, ordinary or slightly better dramas don't command high prices, yield modest profits, carry reputational risks, and are generally low-value choices with poor cost-effectiveness.

Thus, despite industry demand, Yi'an sticks to a premium strategy, favoring collaborations with popular production teams.

Popular teams have strong viewership potential, many buyers, negotiable prices, and create a win-win-win scenario for the production team, TV network, and Yi'an—higher profits with less hassle.

But hot projects aren't easy to secure.

Too many interests are involved; even if Yi'an can earn more, not everyone bows to them.

For example, Huayi and Hai Run might collaborate with Yi'an, but only on a few high-return projects to squeeze out extra profit—they won't partner comprehensively.

The reason is simple: handing TV drama distribution to Yi'an means letting Yan Li control a vital lifeline.

Tang Ren and Zhou Yi had no choice—they lacked strength. But Huayi and Hai Run could distribute independently; even if they earned less, it was better than being at Yi'an's mercy.

Some subsidiaries or centers with TV network backing also wouldn't seek large-scale collaboration with Yi'an.

One reason is they already have their own channels; another involves personnel and influence.

Even if they perform poorly, it must be handled by insiders—they can't outsource or eliminate these roles.

Add in all other factors, and Yi'an can't possibly secure only premium, hot projects—they must also take on ordinary or slightly better ones.

But such projects are everywhere in the industry, and many want to work with Yi'an—so they must wait in line; if they can't wait, they find someone else.