Chapter 32: I Have a Relative and the Ju Bao Pen

It wasn't until near evening that Cheng Lidong wearily stepped out of the bureau compound.

He hadn't expected that the new production's funding had all been secured, pre-production was in full swing, yet the review materials had been rejected.

After two rounds of revisions still failed to pass, even Cheng Lidong, if he were stupid, knew something was amiss.

So he came to Jingcheng himself, asking contacts for information while personally investigating the situation—but neither helped much.

Cheng Lidong was at his wit's end.

He started as a host for Zhejiang TV, then moved to the Zhejiang TV Production Center as a director or producer; though now semi-independent, he never resigned, and many projects still relied on his old unit.

Thus, Cheng Lidong's network remained mostly in Zhejiang—how much use it would be in Jingcheng was hard to say.

Still, it was better than him sitting here helplessly sweating it out alone.

Cheng Lidong pulled out his phone, pondering which friend or former superior to ask for help, when suddenly his phone rang.

Unknown number?

Cheng Lidong frowned, but in his line of work, knowing many people meant unfamiliar calls were common—he pressed answer.

"Hello."

"Director Cheng? This is Seeing Yan Li—we just met at lunch."

Cheng Lidong's frown deepened; he wasn't surprised Seeing Yan Li had his number—having shared a meal meant he could easily have asked for it.

He thought Seeing Yan Li wanted to flatter him, drag him out for socializing—fine normally, but right now Cheng Lidong had no mood for it.

He was about to brush him off and hang up when Seeing Yan Li's next words made his pupils dilate.

"... I noticed you seemed troubled, so I took the liberty of asking around—I've got some information. Not sure if it's useful to you?"

In a private room at a restaurant near West Second Ring Road

Cheng Lidong stood up to pour wine for Seeing Yan Li, but Seeing Yan Li wouldn't accept—he was here to offer a favor, not to show off; putting on airs did more harm than good.

After some back-and-forth, Seeing Yan Li couldn't resist Cheng Lidong's insistence, but he rose anyway, holding the cup with both hands—proper etiquette observed.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere warmed, and they were already calling each other brothers—Cheng Lidong finally brought up the matter at hand.

"Brother Yan, earlier you said you knew something about our production—could you tell me the source?"

Seeing Yan Li put down his chopsticks, his expression sincere: "Big Brother Cheng, I'm not hiding anything from you—bureaucratic channels are complicated; someone helped me, I can't betray them."

"If you insist on asking, I can only say I have a relative inside. Beyond that, I can't say more. Whether you believe the info or not is up to you—I can't help it either."

"Yes, yes, that's the way it is."

Cheng Lidong nodded in understanding—he'd worked in institutions too; some things you could do but not say. Since they weren't close, caution was wise.

Besides, the source didn't matter—what mattered was solving the problem!

Seeing Yan Li didn't drag it out—he laid out the information he'd compiled from the system.

Cheng Lidong's situation wasn't complicated, no one was targeting him—it was just bad luck.

So fixing it wasn't hard; the key was finding the right person and applying the right pressure, and it would be easily resolved.

Easy to say, but without inside knowledge, you'd hit walls, take detours, and still might not succeed.

That's why some intelligence is valuable—it's precisely here.

What Cheng Lidong had struggled with desperately, Seeing Yan Li clarified in two sentences; as long as Cheng Lidong wasn't an idiot, the rest would follow naturally.

"Good brother, thanks so much."

Cheng Lidong was overjoyed—he didn't think Seeing Yan Li was pulling a fast one.

As a bureaucrat by training, Cheng Lidong knew the ropes; Seeing Yan Li's account—the cause, the process, the logic—all fit. The people involved and the solutions were precise and well-reasoned, clearly insider info, some even obscure.

Cheng Lidong raised his glass again to toast Seeing Yan Li, then asked quietly: "Brother, may I ask—what rank is your relative?"

Seeing Yan Li smiled: "Big Brother Cheng, you're overthinking it. If I had a powerful official relative, would I still be scrambling for roles and waiting on sets? He's just a runner inside—his only real asset is being well-informed."

Before this, Seeing Yan Li had considered using a big-name relative as a shield, but felt it was too sensitive and suppressed the thought.

You could slightly elevate yourself—but too much would backfire.

Even if no unit was watching, if others came asking favors, you'd get caught in the mess—and Seeing Yan Li didn't want to get tangled in such things; the risks were too high.

This way is better: just helping to gather information, leaving the rest to them. If anything goes wrong, they can't blame him.

"Brother, you're too modest."

Seeing Yan Li spoke cautiously, but Cheng Lidong didn't fully believe him—how could someone so ordinary clarify the whole situation and offer a solution so quickly?

Even if he really was just a runner, a 【Package-Informer】 from a higher department was worth cultivating and taking seriously.

Of course, he couldn't reach the main person yet—but wasn't there still a relative?

More friends mean more paths; he might need this connection later.

Cheng Lidong's warmth grew even more, and Seeing Yan Li saw it clearly—but didn't press for further explanation.

Too vague invited misunderstanding; too clear invited scrutiny.

A mix of truth and falsehood, maintaining a little mystery, avoiding major entanglements but seizing small advantages when appropriate—that was the safest, most fitting approach for his current status.

During the meal, Cheng Lidong excused himself briefly; when he returned, he'd settled the bill and slipped Seeing Yan Li a thick envelope.

"Brother, thanks so much for your help—I can't let you go unpaid. I don't have much cash on me now, take this. When things are settled, I'll make up any difference."

Seeing Yan Li glanced at the envelope's thickness and pushed it back.

"Big Brother Cheng, I'm truly trying to be your friend—this makes you seem distant."

If he took the money, the nature of things would change—Seeing Yan Li had no desire to become an information broker.

Cheng Lidong initially thought Seeing Yan Li wanted more, so he offered more—but Seeing Yan Li still refused. After several rounds, he realized Seeing Yan Li genuinely wouldn't accept.

"Good brother—I Cheng Lidong claim you as a friend."

Cheng Lidong was deeply moved. Seeing Yan Li raised his cup: "The first time I met you, Big Brother Cheng, I had a strong impression—I've always wanted to get closer. This time, by chance, I could help— I'm truly honored."

The two men chatted back and forth, arms slung over shoulders, clearly like sworn brothers bound by loyalty.

After several more rounds of toasting, Cheng Lidong proactively asked Seeing Yan Li if he had any upcoming availability.

Clearly, Cheng Lidong wasn't foolish enough to let Seeing Yan Li help for free; if he wouldn't take money, there would be other compensation.

Seeing Yan Li perked up immediately—after all this effort, wasn't this exactly what he'd been working for?

"I just took on a new drama, preparing now—it'll shoot in August, probably wrap up in a little over a month, then I'll be free."

"What a coincidence."

Cheng Lidong clapped his hands: "Come join my crew—we're starting filming around September to October, perfect timing."

Immediately after, Cheng Lidong introduced his crew to Seeing Yan Li; their drama was called "The Ju Bao Pen," telling the story of the Ming Dynasty merchant Shen Wansan.

Cheng Lidong wasn't the director—he was the producer, and his influence on set surpassed even the director's.

But Cheng Lidong also explained that the male lead had already been cast: Zhang Weijian from Xiangjiang.

There was nothing Cheng could do about it—the investors only funded the project because Zhang Weijian was attached, and the crew later relied on him to distribute and sell the drama.

But Cheng Lidong assured him that aside from the lead role of Shen Wansan, Seeing Yan Li could choose any other male role, and his salary would satisfy him.

…

As the banquet ended with mutual delight, Seeing Yan Li didn't take a taxi after parting—he walked slowly in the cool evening breeze, reflecting on the gains and losses of the dinner.

Landing a role in "The Ju Bao Pen" was certainly welcome, but what Seeing Yan Li valued even more was forging a connection with Cheng Lidong.

Cheng Lidong's own career was progressing well, and more importantly, Seeing Yan Li could use him to expand his network further within the film and television industry.

In today's society, succeeding requires help from information, connections, money, and background.

Seeing Yan Li had an intelligence system—information was already his strength—so he focused more on cultivating connections, so he could better aid his accumulation of wealth.

Once these three elements gained momentum, background would naturally follow; one could even say Seeing Yan Li himself was the background…

(End of Chapter)