[{"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-342":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},2260645,4411,"Chapter 342","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-342",342,"\u003Cp>When Yan Li returned, the atmosphere was tense, but not overly oppressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three of them automatically divided tasks, each busy with their own, or chatting with Zhang Hong and Granny Yan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Friction had its limits; turning into the target of everyone’s ire during the New Year would benefit no one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything needed had been mostly prepared beforehand; the hustle was just for show—only Old Yan, the cook, was truly doing the work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been monitoring the kitchen alone for a long time; all dishes were ready, and when it came time to cook, he barely needed help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li occasionally ran errands for him, then returned to the main house to listen to the women chat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang was boasting about his experience on the Spring Festival Gala.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, if it came to discussing ratings, box office, or income rankings, Zhang Hong and Granny Yan didn’t understand much, nor did they grasp the ins and outs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Spring Festival Gala, as a household name, especially in the north, carried immense prestige—and today being New Year’s Eve made it even more topical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Xuan couldn’t stand it: “It’s just the Spring Festival Gala—like she’s never been on it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang sensed Dong Xuan’s mood and began emphasizing her second appearance on the Gala.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had appeared twice: once as one of the Seven Fairies, like Dong Xuan, and once solo singing “Invisible Wings”—in both frequency and program significance, she was far ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan focused intently on shelling nuts; since she’d never been on the Gala, she declined to join the topic and spare herself humiliation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, this year’s Gala team approached me too—my song ‘Painted Heart’ was pretty popular, but I thought it didn’t fit, and appearing on the Gala is exhausting, so I turned it down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Qin and Dong’s moods sour, Fan Xiaopang delivered another blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t lying—this year’s Gala team really did approach her, but in the end, it wasn’t her refusal; the negotiations fell through over some issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Fan Xiaopang’s current status, she had reached the pinnacle of female entertainers in the domestic industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who knew her didn’t need the Gala to recognize her; those who didn’t know her wouldn’t gain much from appearing on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she hadn’t appeared before, she might still yearn for this grand stage—but she’d already been on it twice, achieved the relevant credentials, and reaped all the benefits; the Gala’s appeal to her had greatly diminished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If conditions were ideal or necessary, she might consider appearing once—but otherwise, in ordinary years, forget it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, she wasn’t a singer but an actress, and now she was even preparing to step behind the scenes; she didn’t care about the title “Spring Festival Gala Regular.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Granny Yan and Zhang Hong felt a bit regretful—watching their daughter-in-law or granddaughter-in-law appear on the Gala, then returning home to eat the New Year’s Eve dinner together, would have been utterly delightful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then again, among the three daughters-in-law, one on the Gala and two busy at home wasn’t ideal; upon reflection, things were safer this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan truly didn’t want to listen to Fan Xiaopang brag, so she shifted the topic to others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This year’s Gala has Zhou Jielun, Cheng Long, and Chen Yixun—there must be plenty of good acts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Xuan picked up the cue: “Too bad Fan Wei and Song Dandan aren’t appearing this year; Zhao Ben Shan is carrying it alone—will he manage?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if he carries it alone, he’s still Zhao Ben Shan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li chimed in: “Besides, this time he’s bringing his own Zhao Family troupe disciples—all these Errenzhuan performers are skilled; if they perform well, it could be spectacular.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other acts were uncertain, but Zhao Ben Shan’s skit triggered one of Yan Li’s monthly intelligence reports.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of this, Yan Li had known in advance that this year’s Gala would produce a red-hot sensation—so popular even Lao Mouzi was forced to cast him as the male lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, this guy’s style didn’t align with Yi’an’s usual projects, and Zhao Ben Shan probably wouldn’t hand his cash cow over to Yi’an to manage; Yan Li figured he’d just have to watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang popped a pistachio: “You’re so busy—how do you have time to care about Gala news?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can ignore everything else, but not the Gala.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past two years, Yan Li hadn’t paid much attention to the Gala’s behind-the-scenes unless one of their own artists was appearing—just watching the show was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This year, he was paying close attention because Weibo planned to harvest the Spring Festival traffic from this stage watched by hundreds of millions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, when people watched the Gala, the dominant voices came from traditional media; although internet voices were growing more important, they remained scattered and disorganized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Weibo has risen as the hottest, most explosive real-time social platform, leading the frontlines of information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It can not only consolidate the previously scattered internet voices, but also directly enable countless netizens to engage in face-to-face discussions via Weibo and trending topics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the Spring Festival program ends—or even while it’s still airing—netizens’ evaluations and discussions have already begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weibo even gave this Spring Festival strategy a bold codename: “The Whole Nation Watches the Gala,” continuing the legacy of last summer’s “The Whole Nation Watches the Olympics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these circumstances, Yan Li naturally had to pay attention to the Gala.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By afternoon, it was finally time for the three of them to contribute—the family began making dumplings, but the real work was still done by Granny Yan and Zhang Hong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These three women weren’t skilled cooks; they could make dumplings, but they were nowhere near as good as Zhang Hong and the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching them ruin the dough and filling, Zhang Hong started shooing them out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go out and take a walk—stroll around the alleyway, then come back for dinner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s freezing outside—what’s there to see?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li didn’t want to go, but Fan Xiaopang and the others were eager—they’d been sitting with the elders long enough, and some fresh air sounded good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One reason was the cold; another was fear of being photographed—they were bundled up tightly, barely showing a single eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their relationships were public knowledge, so they weren’t worried about being caught together—but two people were fine; four together during the New Year was still sensitive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li didn’t want to compete with the Gala for trending topics during the New Year—he preferred to keep a low profile and enjoy a quiet holiday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the Spring Festival, and the neighborhood was still lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A group of kids ran around playing; as they walked, every household was busy preparing the New Year’s Eve feast—the smells of meat, fried food, and sweets lingered thickly in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li watched this scene and felt unusually cheerful—perhaps because this year, more family had come, and everyone was together; the Spring Festival felt more festive than ever before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang, usually swamped with work, hadn’t had such a leisurely rest or stroll in a long time; she was also in high spirits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad the two light bulbs weren’t gone—if only it were just her and Yan Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coincidentally, Qin Lan and Dong Xuan thought the same thing; the tension, slightly diluted by the festive atmosphere, flared up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the entrance, an old man still had his stall selling candied chestnuts and candied haws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan bought a portion of candied chestnuts and three skewers of candied haws—one for Yan Li, one for Dong Xuan, one for herself—and none for Fan Xiaopang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who cares.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang pulled out her wallet, took out several bills: “Old man, let me help you pack up early.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She bought everything—including the straw rack holding the candied haws—and made Yan Li carry it while she held two large handfuls, smugly glaring at Qin Lan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you even eat that much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I can’t eat it, I’ll give it away—I’ve got money, and I like spending it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Fan Xiaopang handed out candied haws to passersby; at first, some refused or hesitated, but soon a group of children spotted her and claimed them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang didn’t give them away for free—after handing out the haws, she made a request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Say the sister is beautiful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The children, holding their haws, happily complied; Fan Xiaopang laughed loudly, then pointed at Qin and Dong:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which is prettier—the sister, or these two aunts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The children couldn’t see their faces, so they praised whoever gave them the haw; Dong Xuan quickly adapted: “Anyone want candied chestnuts? The sister will treat you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ones who couldn’t get the haws switched sides immediately; many children defected, and Dong Xuan bought up all the remaining candied chestnuts, returning Fan Xiaopang’s earlier move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li stayed out of it, hands in his pockets, watching the three women engage in childish squabbles while handing out treats to the kids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fight on!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kids are benefiting now—soon it’ll be his turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After wandering outside for half an hour, Yan Li “paid up” again, buying them all sorts of strange toys and snacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, Fan Xiaopang subtly gained some advantages; she was delighted, while Qin and Dong were the opposite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back home, after a short rest, dusk fell, and the New Year’s Eve dinner was nearly ready.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let’s eat!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, Old Yan always became the most noticeable—he got carried away, drank a few extra cups with his son, and before the Gala even started, he was half-asleep, stumbling off to lie down in his bedroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang and the others had also drunk quite a bit, but they knew their limits—lightly tipsy, not drunk; after dinner, they set up a mahjong table while watching the Gala.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Granny Yan didn’t understand mahjong, so Zhang Hong and the three daughters-in-law played; after one round, Fan Xiaopang quit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin and Dong had no shame—they teamed up against her, willing to block their own wins just to ruin her game, making it utterly unpleasant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under her protest, Yan Li took Qin Lan’s place and played with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan sat beside him, but instead of advising him, she peeked at his cards and quietly told Zhang Hong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li didn’t care much, so he essentially became a cash machine, losing every round.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong had the best luck—thanks to Qin Lan’s cheating and Fan Xiaopang and Dong Xuan feeding her good cards, Madame Zhang was wiping the floor clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came Fan Xiaopang—her luck today was genuinely good; she kept drawing strong hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she won fewer rounds than Zhang Hong, because her hands were better, she actually earned more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li didn’t care about the money—he treated it as entertaining his mother and the wives; he lost all his cash and even borrowed “usury” from Fan Xiaopang.\u003C\u002Fp>",1807,"2026-06-19T16:16:54.562Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c925656704f615a1808f72be50908561ed7df9d4b5cc80f459975acab06c3f72","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-343","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-341",405,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-cover.jpg"]