[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment":3,"chapter-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-32":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Intelligence King of Chinese Entertainment",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2260335,4411,"Chapter 32: I Have a Relative and The Treasure Basin","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-32",32,"\u003Cp>It wasn’t until near dusk that Cheng Lidong wearily stepped out of the General Bureau compound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t expected that the new production’s funding had all been secured and pre-production was already in full swing, yet the review materials had been rejected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After two rounds of revisions still failed to pass, even Cheng Lidong, if he were foolish, would know something was amiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he came to Beijing himself, asking contacts for information while personally investigating the situation—but neither approach yielded much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lidong was at his wit’s end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He started as a host for Zhejiang TV, later joined Zhejiang TV’s Production Center as a director or producer; though now semi-independent, he never officially resigned, and many projects still relied on his old unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, his network remained mostly in Zhejiang—how much influence he could exert in Beijing was uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it was better than sitting here helplessly alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lidong pulled out his phone, pondering which friend or former superior to ask for help, when suddenly his phone rang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unknown number?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lidong frowned, but in his line of work, knowing many people meant unfamiliar calls were common—he pressed answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Cheng? This is Yan Li. We just met at lunch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lidong’s frown deepened—he wasn’t surprised Yan Li had his number; if they’d eaten together, of course he could get it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d assumed Yan Li wanted to flatter him, invite him to social events—fine under normal circumstances, but right now, Cheng Lidong had no patience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to give a brief reply and hang up when Yan Li’s next words made his pupils dilate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I noticed you seemed troubled, so I took the liberty of inquiring a bit—I’ve got some information. Not sure if it’s useful to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a private room at a restaurant near West Second Ring Road\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lidong stood up to pour wine for Yan Li, who refused to accept it—he was here to offer a favor, not to show off; putting on airs did more harm than good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some back-and-forth, Yan Li couldn’t resist Cheng Lidong’s insistence, but he rose and held the cup with both hands, showing proper respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several rounds of toasts, the atmosphere grew warm, and they were already calling each other brothers—Cheng Lidong finally brought up the matter at hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Yan mentioned earlier you knew something about our production. Could you tell me the source?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you insist on knowing, all I can say is I have a relative inside. Beyond that, I can’t tell you anything. Take the info if you believe it; if not, I can’t help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, yes, that’s the way it is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lidong nodded understandingly—he’d worked in institutions too. Some things you do but don’t speak of; since they weren’t close, caution was wise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, the source didn’t matter—what mattered was solving the problem!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li didn’t drag it out—he laid out the information he’d compiled from his system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Cheng Lidong’s situation wasn’t complicated, and no one was targeting him—he was just unlucky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So fixing it wasn’t hard; the key was finding the right person and applying the right pressure, and it would be easily resolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Easy to say, but without inside knowledge, you’d hit walls, take detours, and still might fail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why some intelligence is valuable—it’s precisely here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Cheng Lidong had struggled desperately to accomplish, Yan Li clarified in two sentences; as long as Cheng Lidong wasn’t stupid, the rest would follow naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good brother, thanks to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lidong was overjoyed—he didn’t think Yan Li was fooling him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a man from the system, Cheng Lidong knew the score: Yan Li’s account—the cause, sequence, logic—all fit. The people involved and the solutions were precise, clearly insider knowledge, some even obscure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lidong raised another toast to Yan Li and asked quietly: “Brother, may I ask—what rank is your relative?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li smiled: “Big Brother Cheng, you’re overthinking it. If I had a powerful relative, would I still be scrambling for roles? He’s just a runner in there—his only real asset is being well-informed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before this, Yan Li had considered using a big-name relative as leverage, but felt it was too sensitive and suppressed the thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can subtly elevate yourself—but too much is dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if no agency noticed, if others came asking favors, you’d get caught out—and Yan Li had no desire to get tangled in such things; the risks were too high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This way is better: just helping to gather information, leaving the rest to them. If anything goes wrong, they can’t blame him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, you’re too modest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li spoke cautiously, but Cheng Lidong didn’t fully believe him—how could someone so ordinary uncover the situation and offer solutions so quickly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he were just a runner, a [bureau informant] in such a department was worth cultivating and taking seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he couldn’t reach the main person yet—but wasn’t there still a relative?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More friends mean more paths; he might need this connection later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lidong’s warmth grew even stronger; Yan Li saw it clearly but didn’t press for clarification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too vague invited misunderstanding; too clear invited scrutiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mix of truth and falsehood, maintaining a little mystery, avoiding major entanglements but seizing small opportunities when fitting—that was the safest, most appropriate way for his current status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the meal, Cheng Lidong excused himself briefly; when he returned, he’d settled the bill and slipped Yan Li a thick envelope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, thanks for your help this time. I can’t let you work for free. I don’t have much cash on hand—take this. When things are settled, I’ll make up any difference.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li estimated the envelope’s thickness and pushed it back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother Cheng, I’m truly trying to be your friend—you’re being too formal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he took the money, the nature of things would change—he didn’t want to become an information broker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lidong initially thought Yan Li wanted more, so he offered more—but Yan Li still refused. After several exchanges, he realized Yan Li genuinely didn’t want it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good brother, I Cheng Lidong claim you as a friend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lidong was deeply moved. Yan Li raised his cup: “The first time I met you, Big Brother Cheng, I had a strong impression of you. I’ve always wanted to get closer. This time, being able to help is a real honor for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They chatted back and forth, arms slung over shoulders, like true sworn brothers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several more rounds of toasts, Cheng Lidong casually asked if Yan Li had any upcoming schedules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Cheng Lidong wasn’t foolish enough to let Yan Li help for free—no money, so there’d be other compensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li perked up—he’d been working hard all day for exactly this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just took a role, preparing now—filming starts in August, should wrap in a month or so. After that, nothing lined up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perfect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lidong clapped his hands: “Join my production! We start filming around September to October—perfect timing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Cheng Lidong introduced his production: their drama was called The Treasure Basin, about the Ming Dynasty merchant Shen Wansan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lidong wasn’t the director—he was the producer, with more authority than the director.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he explained: the male lead was already set—Zhang Weijian from Hong Kong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t change that—the investors only funded the project because of Zhang Weijian, and the production relied on him for distribution and sales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he assured Yan Li: besides the lead role of Shen Wansan, he could choose any other male role, and the pay would satisfy him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the meal ended happily and they parted, Yan Li didn’t take a taxi—he walked in the cool evening breeze, reflecting on the gains and losses of the dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Landing a role in The Treasure Basin was welcome, but what Yan Li valued more was forging a connection with Cheng Lidong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Lidong’s own future prospects were promising, and through him, Yan Li could expand his network further within the film and TV industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In today’s society, success requires information, connections, money, and background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li had his intelligence system—information was already his strength—so he focused on cultivating connections, to better aid his wealth accumulation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once these three elements gained momentum, background would naturally follow—indeed, one could say Yan Li himself was the background...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1413,"2026-06-19T16:16:52.605Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","852c185b11b7d172dd2b83399975d434123dd867ca970ae572a9e879d5b57c15","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-33","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-31",405,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-cover.jpg"]