Chapter 308: The Harem Pyramid Strikes Again: Yi

Mid-February, the Spring Festival holiday ended

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

One reason was to celebrate Lantern Festival; another was to soothe Qin Dong's nerves.

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

But he's their son; they had to help, and besides, as long as the wives 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, nothing happened as they'd feared; Qin and Dong took turns, with zero overlap.

The elderly couple thought 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 never mentioned Fan Xiaopang had come too, Qin and Dong both suspected it.

This deeply affected Qin and Dong; their petty grievances and disagreements melted away. The two, already on a foundation of cooperation, grew increasingly in sync, even considering celebrating Lantern Festival together to jointly charm and win over Zhang Hong.

Yan Li was delighted— he realized Fan Xiaopang was indeed a powerful card.

The more he 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 forming a tripod—the true beauty lay hidden behind Yan…

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

Sina Weibo's daily new user count once exceeded 200,000; fueled by several events, its activity surged astonishingly, becoming the hottest new website of the year's early months.

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

Tencent, having just launched its similar platform Taotao last year, temporarily held back, merely increasing resource allocation to Taotao.

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

If they moved quickly enough, by summer Sina Weibo could face its first rival platform.

By the way, Sina Weibo's explosion also boosted Fanfou; not only did its user base rise, but it attracted capital attention.

Of course, the most attention was still on Sina Weibo—investment firms 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.

Still, he didn't rush to reject those investment firms—he was open to chatting.

Even if not needed now, future collaboration might arise; and while he lacked no capital, more resources were always better—if they could bring massive benefits to Sina Weibo's growth, equity investment was negotiable.

For instance, Yan Li particularly wanted to bring in major state media groups and several telecom operators.

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

But these two were hard to crack, carrying certain risks—so Yan Li was still only in the consideration phase.

Late February, Teacher Chen announced indefinite retirement from entertainment, closing the chapter on the X-Zhao scandal.

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

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

Now one had retired, three couldn't resume normal work in the short term, and because Chen had offended an entire circle, Boss Yang was utterly overwhelmed.

Yet every matter has two sides!

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

For example, Yinhuang's mainland-signed artists, once mere sideline players, now carried far greater weight.

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

This situation stirred up Yinhuang's mainland artists.

Whoever seized the initiative first could become Yinhuang's mainland queen, even possibly replacing Zhang or Zhong.

…

Jingcheng, a Western restaurant

Wang Ou entered the dining hall wearing sunglasses, immediately greeted by Bai Bing.

"Sister Ou."

Wang Ou fixed her gaze, stepped over, 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 flew in a French chef who 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 wish you well, 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 stayed in my hometown until the tenth, then got busy these past few days."

Wang Ou explained: after "Ip Man" wrapped, she had little work, and since Yan Li wasn't around, she stayed longer in her hometown.

Back in Jingcheng, she had tasks to handle, and whenever Yan Li needed a female companion for occasional social events, she went.

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

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

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 publicly and privately.

Moreover, their personalities suited such gatherings: Fan Xiaopang could handle things alone, while Wang Ou could at least provide support.

Over time, Yan Li naturally turned to them first; only when both Fan Xiaopang and Wang Ou were unavailable, and a female companion was needed, would others occasionally fill in.

Wang Ou was very proud of this!

Yan Li's willingness to bring her signaled a certain attitude; meeting various bigwigs at these events broadened her horizons and even brought tangible benefits—like incidental advertising deals or commercial performances.

Honestly, even if Yan Li didn't pay her directly, just taking her to a few dozen social events, leveraging his reputation, could easily earn her several million a year.

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

Sure enough, Wang Ou listened with great pleasure, her tone growing warmer; after the dishes were served and she'd taken a couple of bites, she said.

"Enough. You've been keeping me busy since the New Year—this isn't just a New Year's visit. Speak up. What do you want?"

Bai Bing smiled sheepishly but didn't play coy; she'd only recently entered the industry, had limited connections, and preferred to turn to Wang Ou over other avenues.

"Sis, it's like this—our Yinghuang…"

Bai Bing gave a brief summary; Wang Ou was both enlightened and confused: "But I'm not with Yinghuang. What good would it do for you to come to me?"

"But you know Yan Zong."

Bai Bing hit the key point: "I heard from my agent that during the X-photo scandal, Yan Zong lent a lot of help—headquarters even owe him a favor. If he's willing to support me, the company will definitely take notice."

"Yan Zong helped during the X-photo scandal?"

Wang Ou was surprised—she hadn't known about this—but it wasn't surprising; Zhang, Xie, and Zhong had spoken out on Weibo, and given Yan Boss's style, there was surely some backroom dealmaking involved.

Even if there was no real favor owed, with Yan Boss's reputation, Yinghuang wouldn't dare refuse—better than Bai Bing grinding away alone.

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

"Bingbing, I want to help you, but this isn't a small thing. How am I supposed to bring it up to Yan Zong with nothing but words?"

Yan Li, idling around to give Yinghuang a heads-up to look after some minor artist—Wang Ou asking him wouldn't be impossible, but why should Wang Ou beg Yan Li for Bai Bing's sake? What's in it for her?

"Sis, you really have to help me this time. I'm out of options."

Bai Bing's face pleaded; seeing Wang Ou still hesitant, she blurted out a secret.

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

She didn't want to keep wasting time. She wanted fame. She wanted to earn more money, to become a dazzling, glamorous star.

Beyond her own desires, there was also fierce internal competition at Yinghuang, forcing her to climb higher—or else being abandoned and shelved would be the best outcome; worse still, they'd pressure her into doing things she didn't want to do.

These practices were now spreading across some mainland companies, and even more commonplace in Xiangjiang.

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

Bai Bing didn't want to be abandoned, nor did she want to do those things—so she had to climb higher.

Her agent promised to help, but every solution he offered was either too risky, too slow with low success rates, or involved paths she couldn't accept.

After Bai Bing repeatedly rejected his proposals, he said: "Aren't you acquainted with Yan Li? Maybe you can find a way through him."

The words jolted her awake!

In fact, Bai Bing had already used Wang Ou's influence to pose as someone important at Yinghuang for a year, avoiding some troubles.

But this hollow facade was unsustainable—and shattered at the slightest touch. With the current internal climate at Yinghuang, if she kept playing this game, she'd be exposed soon.

So Bai Bing sought Wang Ou's help to make this tiger skin real—even if she couldn't advance her career, having a backer would scare off the ghosts and demons.

"Sis, you don't know—before, one of our senior executives wanted to take me to meet Chairman Yang…"

Bai Bing recalled something, her voice choked as she poured out her grievances to Wang Ou, who couldn't help but scoff.

"Chairman Yang's almost seventy, for heaven's sake—how shameless."

Bai Bing's eyes reddened slightly but stayed silent; Wang Ou looked at her, hesitated.

"I'll bring it up for you—but I don't know if it'll work."

"Sis, you have to help me."

It was clear Bai Bing saw Wang Ou as a lifeline; Wang Ou's attitude grew more serious.

"Wait for my reply."

Afterward, they ate and chatted; after the meal, Wang Ou insisted on taking her home.

Bai Bing had been to Wang Ou's home once before—this was her second visit. Last time, she'd called ahead, and Wang Ou had tidied up thoroughly—the place was neat.

This time, it felt more everyday, full of details: an ashtray on the coffee table, a tea station on the balcony, men's slippers and dress shoes carelessly left by the entrance, and a slightly messy yoga mat left out.

Hmm—wait, why are there three yoga mats?

One man and one woman should only make two!

Bai Bing dared not dwell on it, sitting stiffly on the sofa; Wang Ou didn't notice, poured her water, and kept chatting.

Many things were hard to say at the restaurant, but behind closed doors at home, it was different.

Wang Ou studied Bai Bing's pure, sweet features and smiled: "No wonder your executive had improper thoughts—you really are lovely."

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

"I'm not teasing."

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

Bai Bing was half-understanding: "Sis Ou, what are you getting at?"

"My point is simple."

Wang Ou hugged Bai Bing, grinning: "The backstage rules depend on who's doing the 'seducing.' Chairman Yang? An old man? Of course women lose out—if you have any other option, you'd never accept 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 tease further, saying directly:

"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. I went from a lowly model to where I am today thanks entirely to his support behind the scenes. The car, the house, all those bags and jewelry—I either got them from him directly or earned them through resources he arranged."

"He's smart, good-natured, generous, handsome, and physically fit. The only flaw? He's a bit of a playboy."

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

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

"This industry is like this. Unless you're incredibly lucky, to climb higher, 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 brainwashing Bai Bing until Bai Bing was utterly confused.