Chapter 308: The Pyramid Scheme Harem Strikes Again: Yi

Mid-February, the Spring Festival holiday ended.

Fan Xiaopang reluctantly returned to Hengdian to continue filming "Yanzhi Xue," while Yan Li took his parents back to Jingcheng.

One reason was to celebrate Lantern Festival; another was to use his parents to ease the tension between Qin and Dong.

The elderly couple were speechless—they felt like they'd become balance weights in their son's backyard.

But he's their own son; they had to help, and besides, as long as the daughters-in-law didn't gather together, the atmosphere was still harmonious.

Last year Yan Li was too busy to return home often, so the couple wanted to spend more time with their son, even if it carried risk—they came anyway.

After arriving in Jingcheng, none of the things they feared occurred; Qin and Dong took turns visiting, with zero overlap.

The couple assumed Yan Li had arranged it well, but in truth, Qin and Dong had negotiated it themselves.

This time, Yan Li publicly claimed he was taking his parents to Sanya for the New Year; though he didn't mention Fan Xiaopang was also there, Qin and Dong both suspected it.

This incident greatly shook Qin and Dong; their minor grievances and disagreements faded, and the two, already building a foundation of cooperation, grew increasingly in sync. They even considered celebrating the Lantern Festival together, teaming up to flatter and win over Zhang Hong.

Yan Li was delighted to see this—he realized Fan Xiaopang was indeed a useful card.

The more Yan Li valued Fan, the tighter Qin and Dong's alliance became; and conversely, the tighter Qin and Dong's alliance became, the more pressure it put on Fan Xiaopang.

Qin and Dong resisting Fan, the three-way standoff—the most beautiful part was still hidden behind Yan…

While constructing this backyard triangle, Yan Li didn't neglect his work.

Weibo's daily new user growth once exceeded 200, 00; aided by several events, its activity surged astonishingly, becoming the hottest new website of early this year.

If earlier internet companies had merely paid attention, now that Weibo had exploded like this, if they still took no action, they might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes.

Tencent, having launched Taotao—a similar platform—last year, temporarily took no action, merely increasing resource allocation to Taotao.

Sohu and NetEase began discussing preparations; Sina moved fastest, already initiating the project.

If they acted quickly enough, Weibo could welcome its first rival by summer vacation.

By the way, with Weibo's explosion, Fanfou also benefited; not only did its user base grow, but it attracted capital attention.

Of course, the most attention was still on Weibo—investment institutions had already begun reaching out.

But Yan Li wasn't short on money; at least in this early stage, he could fund it independently and didn't want to sell shares at a low price so soon.

Of course, he didn't rush to reject those investment institutions—he was open to chatting.

Even if he didn't need them now, future cooperation might arise; and while he wasn't short on capital, more resources were always better—if they could bring substantial benefits to Weibo's growth, equity investment could be discussed.

For example, Yan Li particularly wanted to bring in some official media groups and those major telecom operators.

The former could provide official endorsement, credibility, and authoritative content; the latter possessed massive user pools and could aid future mobile internet deployment.

But these two were hard to chew through, and carried certain risks, so Yan Li was still only in the consideration phase.

Late February, Teacher Chen announced an indefinite withdrawal from the entertainment industry, effectively closing the chapter on the X-Zhao scandal.

But this "closing" was clearly wishful thinking; the scandal's impact would not vanish quickly—it dealt a massive, irreversible blow to the careers of those involved and the entire Hong Kong entertainment circle.

Especially Yinhuan—several key figures involved were their artists, among their most valuable and profitable.

Now one has withdrawn, three cannot resume normal work in the short term, and because Chen offended an entire circle of people, Boss Yang was utterly overwhelmed.

But every coin has two sides!

The X-Zhao scandal was a huge disaster for Yinhuan and the Hong Kong circle, but for other artists within Yinhuan and elsewhere in the Hong Kong circle, it revealed opportunities for promotion.

For instance, Yinhuan's mainland-signed artists, once mere afterthoughts, now carried far greater weight.

Coupled with Yinhuan's existing intent to expand mainland cooperation, these newcomers could very well become pioneers in opening new markets.

This situation stirred up Yinhuan's mainland artists.

Whoever seized the initiative first could become Yinhuan's mainland queen—and possibly even replace Zhang and Zhong.

…

Jingcheng, a Western restaurant

Wang Ou entered the dining hall wearing sunglasses and immediately received a greeting from Bai Bing.

"Sister Ou."

Wang Ou looked over, stepped forward, and Bai Bing eagerly pulled out her chair.

"Sister, I'm offering late New Year greetings."

"Lantern Festival's already passed—what's the point of New Year greetings now?"

Wang Ou removed her sunglasses, glanced around, and nodded: "This place is good."

"Right? Just opened. Heard they brought in a chef from France—he's won awards."

Bai Bing praised the restaurant a bit, then returned to the earlier topic: "Don't blame me for late greetings—I wanted to pay my respects, but you were never available."

This Spring Festival, Bai Bing returned to Jingcheng on the fourth day of the new year and tried to connect with Wang Ou, but the latter never responded.

"I was in my hometown the whole time, only arrived on the tenth, then got busy these past few days."

Wang Ou explained: after "Ip Man" wrapped, she had little work, and since Yan Li was away, she stayed longer in her hometown.

After returning to Jingcheng, she had some work to handle, and whenever Yan Li had occasional social events requiring a female companion, she went.

Yan Li's female companions for public events were now relatively fixed: Fan Xiaopang was first choice, then Wang Ou.

Qin and Dong generally didn't attend non-private gatherings—partly because they were uncomfortable, partly because it was hard to explain.

But Fan Xiaopang and Wang Ou, apart from their personal ties to Yan Li, were legitimate Yi'an artists; a boss bringing his own artists to social events was perfectly legitimate, both professionally and personally.

Moreover, their personalities suited such events: Fan Xiaopang could handle things alone, Wang Ou could at least assist.

Over time, Yan Li naturally reached out to them first; only when both were unavailable and a female companion was needed did others occasionally fill in.

Wang Ou was proud of this!

Yan Li's willingness to bring her represented a certain attitude; attending those events, she met powerful figures, broadened her horizons, and even gained benefits—like incidental advertising or commercial performances.

Honestly, even if Yan Li didn't pay her, just taking her to a few social events, leveraging his reputation, she could easily earn hundreds of thousands a year.

Bai Bing, seeing this, flattered her a bit; they'd known each other for a year and understood each other well—Wang Ou liked to hear praise.

Sure enough, Wang Ou felt comfortable, her tone grew warmer; after the dishes arrived and she took a few bites, she said:

"Enough with the New Year greetings since the holiday—there's more to this. Speak up, what do you want?"

Bai Bing smiled sheepishly but didn't play coy; she'd been in the industry briefly, had limited connections, and preferred to turn to Wang Ou over other paths.

"Sister, it's like this—our Yinhuan…"

Bai Bing explained briefly; Wang Ou was both understanding and confused: "But I'm not with Yinhuan—what good is it if you come to me?"

"But you know Boss Yan."

Bai Bing hit the key point: "I heard from my agent that during the X-Zhao scandal, Boss Yan helped a lot—the company owes him favors. If he's willing to help me, the company will definitely take notice."

"Boss Yan helped during the X-Zhao scandal?"

Wang Ou was surprised—she hadn't known—but it wasn't surprising; Zhang, Xie, and Zhong had spoken out on Weibo, and given Boss Yan's style, there was likely some behind-the-scenes maneuvering.

Even without any real favor, with Boss Yan's reputation, Yinhuan wouldn't dare ignore it—far better than Bai Bing grinding it out alone.

Thinking this, Wang Ou glanced at Bai Bing, stirred her drink, and hesitated:

"Bingbing, I want to help you, but this isn't small—it's just words. How do I even bring it up to Boss Yan?"

Would Yan Li, bored out of his mind, bother calling Yinhuan to look after a minor artist? Wang Ou could ask him—but why should she? What did she gain?

"Sister, you really have to help me—I'm out of options."

Bai Bing pleaded, and seeing Wang Ou still hesitant, she spilled some secrets.

Compared to a year ago, Bai Bing had lost some of her college-girl innocence; her mindset had changed from being battered by society and tainted by the industry.

She didn't want to waste time anymore; she wanted fame, she wanted to earn more, to become a dazzling star.

Beyond her own desires, Yinhuan's fierce internal competition forced her to climb higher—or risk being abandoned and shelved, worse still, pressured into doing things she hated.

These practices were now spreading among mainland companies, and were commonplace in Hong Kong.

If you refuse, the company has countless ways to force you—or slowly chip away at your boundaries with soft knives.

Bai Bing didn't want to be abandoned, didn't want to do those things—she had to climb higher.

Her agent promised help, but the options were either too risky, too slow with low success rates, or involved paths she couldn't accept.

After she repeatedly refused, her agent said: "Aren't you acquainted with Yan Li? Try asking him."

A single sentence woke her from her dream!

In fact, using Wang Ou's influence, Bai Bing had already pretended to be connected for a year, avoiding some troubles.

But this hollow facade was unsustainable—and easily punctured. With Yinhuan's current situation, if she kept playing this game, she'd soon be exposed.

So Bai Bing wanted Wang Ou's help to make this tiger skin real—even if it didn't advance her career, just having her as a shield could scare off demons and spirits.

"Sister, you don't know—before, one of our company executives wanted to take me to meet Boss Yang…"

Bai Bing recalled something, her voice choked as she confided in Wang Ou, who couldn't help but scoff:

"Boss Yang's nearly seventy—jeez, shameless."

Bai Bing's eyes reddened, silent. Wang Ou looked at her, hesitated.

"I'll mention it to him—but I don't know if it'll work."

"Sister, you have to help me."

Clearly, Bai Bing saw Wang Ou as a lifeline; Wang Ou's attitude grew serious.

"Wait for my reply."

Afterward, they ate and chatted; after the meal, Wang Ou invited her over to her place.

Bai Bing had been to Wang Ou's home once before—this was her second visit. Last time, Wang Ou had cleaned up in advance; the place was tidy.

This time, it felt more everyday—details everywhere: an ashtray on the coffee table, a tea station on the balcony, a pair of men's slippers and shoes carelessly left by the entrance, a slightly messy yoga mat not put away.

Hmm, wait—why are there three yoga mats?

One man and one woman should only make two!

Bai Bing didn't dare to think deeply; she sat nervously on the sofa. Wang Ou didn't notice, poured her some water, and continued chatting.

Many things were hard to say at the restaurant, but once home and the door was shut, it was different.

Wang Ou studied Bai Bing's pure and sweet features and smiled: "No wonder that executive had improper thoughts—your looks are truly appealing."

Bai Bing shook her head: "Sis, don't tease me."

"I'm not teasing."

Wang Ou waved her hand, speaking more seriously: "For women, one of our most important weapons is our appearance and figure. Being beautiful is our advantage. The unwritten rules aren't good, but frankly, some women would kill for the chance."

Bai Bing was half-confused: "Sis Ou, what are you trying to say?"

"My point is simple."

Wang Ou hugged Bai Bing, chuckling: "The unwritten rule depends on who's doing the favoring. An old man like Boss Yang? Women always lose out. If there's any way out, no one would want it."

"But if the man is young, handsome, and outstanding? In my view, that's not exploitation—it's a pleasure."

"You mean…"

Bai Bing guessed something, but wasn't sure. Wang Ou didn't drag it out—she said it outright.

"Bingbing, we've known each other for a year—we understand each other. I trust you."

"Actually, I think you've guessed already. Yes, I'm Yan Zong's mistress."

"Yan Zong treats me well. From a minor model to where I am today, everything was backed by him—the car, the house, even all the bags and jewelry I own—he either paid for them or arranged resources for me to earn them myself."

"He's smart, good-tempered, generous, handsome, and physically strong. The only real flaw is he's a bit of a womanizer."

"As long as you're loyal and straightforward with Yan Zong, resources and money come without you asking. If you want to leave, that's fine too—just say it clearly, part ways amicably."

"Bingbing, I can help you for now, but not forever. To escape your predicament and keep Yan Zong's support long-term, you can't rely only on me—you have to work at it yourself."

"This industry is like this. Unless you're lucky, to climb up, you need someone behind you. Better to choose Yan Zong than those old men and ugly bastards—even if you don't like him, you won't hate him."

"…"

Wang Ou kept hammering the idea into Bai Bing's mind until Bai Bing was completely dazed.