Chapter 29: Stay Humble, Stay Calm, Don

【Daily Info 1: Qin Lan recharged 100 yuan onto Yan Li's phone, vowing that if he didn't call her again, she'd come to Jingcheng after filming wrapped and bite him to death, that bastard.】

Hey, why are you cursing?

Yan Li grumbled, but what he really wanted to complain about was that Qin Lan had actually recharged his phone.

He'd called her before—he'd called from Jingcheng to let her know he was safe, and then only a couple days passed before she got this worked up?

【Daily Info 2: Dong Xuan and her best friend Guan Yue spent the whole night cursing Yan Li as a faithless lover, fickle and cold-hearted; after threatening to break up with him for good, she still hoped he'd come find her—she hadn't seen him in over a month and missed him terribly.】

Cough, cough. Yan Li glanced at the fan beside his bed—he should find time to pay her back soon.

【…】

Daily Info 5: Guan Yue and her romantic interest Tong Dawei recently had a falling out; yesterday, Tong Dawei tried to reconcile with Guan Yue, but he saw her enter Yan Li's rented apartment and stay inside for a long time—his mind filled with misunderstanding…

Yan Li read the last piece of info and couldn't help but laugh and groan.

He knew Guan Yue had a passionate romantic interest—a student from the Shanghai Theatre Academy, probably this Tong Dawei.

They'd even planned to have dinner together once Guan Yue confirmed her relationship with him, with Yan Li and Dong Xuan joining.

But before they could meet, he broke up with Dong Xuan; now that he and Dong Xuan had been apart for a while, this guy was still chasing her.

Even crazier, these two dragged him into their messy, dragging-out drama with no resolution.

He planned to remind Guan Yue later, but for now, Yan Li set it aside and called Zhou Yi to meet Gao Qunshu.

Director Gao wasn't satisfied with Zhou Yi—he looked too young and soft.

After all, he was under twenty, his face wasn't as rugged or dignified as Yan Li's, and his aura was plainly nervous and immature—a raw greenhorn.

Still, he was a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, his acting was passable, and with Yan Li's influence, they finally gave him the role of a young police officer.

This role actually appeared quite often—even more than Yan Li's character Wu Tian.

But it had no personal scenes—just background responses or set dressing, with almost zero presence.

Any extra could play this part; it was nutritionless.

But what could Zhou Yi do? He had no other gigs, and with Yan Li on set, he happily took it.

Compared to Yan Li, Zhou Yi's pay was far lower—only about a thousand yuan; if the production didn't provide meals and lodging, he'd be losing money after filming for a while.

Zhou Yi, flush with cash, wanted to treat Yan Li to dinner, but Yan Li stopped him.

He was treating Gao Qunshu to build connections—it was strategic. Between brothers, no need for such formality; he hadn't earned much anyway, and home-cooked meals saved more.

Zhou Yi readily agreed—he wasn't stingy, but after tasting Yan Li's braised pork, he was utterly awestruck by his cooking.

Two plates of braised pork, two more dishes stir-fried by Yan Li—Zhou Yi found them far more satisfying than most big restaurants in Jingcheng.

After slicing meat, stir-frying dishes, and buying wine, the two brothers ate and drank while discussing what came next.

"Conquest" was expected to start shooting no earlier than August, leaving less than a month free—too short to chase other sets, since schedules might clash.

Odd jobs weren't always available, and they were messy—most directly, you often didn't get paid.

Small artists getting ripped off was far too common.

Many Beijing drifters struggled not because they had no work, but because clients refused to pay after the job was done.

Not even famous stars were safe—countless lawsuits over unpaid fees and endorsement money were filed every year.

But sitting idle for half a month wasn't an option.

Yan Li was a cautious, forward-thinking type; an empty wallet made him uneasy.

So he decided to study his lines for "Conquest" at home while selling braised pork with Zhou Yi—some income, and a chance to observe the market.

Thus, Yan Li and Zhou Yi divided tasks: one braised pork at home, the other sold it at the market.

Since they weren't making this their livelihood—just earning rent and living expenses—Yan Li didn't plan to make much braised pork; if sales were steady, selling occasionally would suffice.

This was the plan he'd made with Zhou Yi; separately, Yan Li also intended to study stocks.

Since acquiring the information system months ago, Yan Li had spent considerable time pondering how to profit from it.

Anchored to himself, the system's ceiling was high—in theory, it could touch many industries.

But for Yan Li now, even with the system's aid, most industries were beyond his capital and capability to enter.

After research, he decided playing stocks was a good path.

Stocks demanded strong information—perfect for maximizing the system's function; returns were high and fast, allowing rapid capital accumulation; the operations were flexible and didn't interfere with other activities—a win-win.

But the stock market was unpredictable—high returns, high risk.

Yan Li had lost money on lotteries before; he knew the system wasn't infallible—if he grew reckless or arrogant, he'd eventually crash hard.

Moreover, he'd never touched stocks before and knew almost nothing about them.

So he planned to study thoroughly, then make small test trades; once he made profits, he'd gradually increase his stakes.

With the system as his ultimate weapon, Yan Li believed he wouldn't lack opportunities to get rich—he was young, and his future held endless time.

Thus, Yan Li repeatedly reminded himself: stay humble, stay calm, don't rush, don't be greedy—only by seeking stability could he stand invincible…

————

That night, Yan Li had Zhou Yi stay home while he wandered to the residential complex where Guan Yue and Dong Xuan lived.

Neither Guan nor Dong had given him the address, but it wasn't just Dong Xuan who could plant spies—Yan Li had his system too.

Standing before the building, hesitating whether to knock or call Dong Xuan, Yan Li suddenly heard voices arguing near a flowerbed nearby.

Curiosity piqued, Yan Li crept closer and realized it was someone he knew.

Guan Yue, furious, was arguing with a bright, Zhou Zheng-looking young man: "I've told you several times—I'm not involved with him."

The young man was equally agitated: "I saw you go into that door myself…"

Yan Li listened for a few moments and knew who this guy was.

Damn, slow to chase a girl, slow to realize the misunderstanding, but fast to show up and fight—no wonder he couldn't win Guan Yue over.

"Cough, cough."

Yan Li cleared his throat, startling them; seeing him, Guan Yue, who had been angry and anxious, lit up with relief.

"Yan Li, come over and talk to him— we're just friends, but he won't listen to me."

Yan Li nodded, stepped forward, looked at Tong Dawei's hostile face, and spoke with sincere expression.

"Buddy, I truly love Yueyue— just let us be together..."

Before he finished speaking, Yan Li dodged Guan Yue's furious kick, his face split by a mischievous grin.

"You get to push me to break up with Dong Xuan, but I can't pull one over on you?"

Just then, Dong Xuan, who had been watching from upstairs, rushed down and grabbed Yan Li, giving him a reproachful slap.

"Don't kick him when he's down."

Then Dong Xuan explained to Tong Dawei: "Yan Li is my boyfriend..."

Yan Li interrupted to correct: "Ex-boyfriend."

Dong Xuan fell silent, bit her lip lightly, her beautiful eyes glistening with tears, turning to Yan Li with a look that was both reproachful and wounded; he awkwardly turned his face away.

"Go on."

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ps: A new week begins—I want to climb a bit higher on the new book ranking, so please vote for monthly tickets and keep reading. Thank you, author.

(End of chapter)