Chapter 352

Seeing Yan Li's phone call was temporarily hung up, and Huo Siyan's room fell silent.

Yu Zheng's eyes visibly turned red!

Original shares must be purchased, but the price is very low—this is itself a benefit and a form of binding; if the price were especially high, the meaning would be negligible, and some simply couldn't afford it.

Taking Huayi's star capital increase as an example, the two rounds: the first was only a few jiao per share, the second less than three yuan.

Meanwhile, Huayi's target offering price has already surged toward twenty-plus yuan.

In other words, as long as Huayi goes public and doesn't crash wildly, those people's original shares will instantly surge several-fold, even tenfold or more; if Huayi's stock rises further, they'll earn even more.

Yet Yi'an's current valuation, its growth potential and prospects, are absolutely incomparable to Huayi's—this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for asset explosion.

He stopped playing mahjong, pumped up like he'd been injected with adrenaline, and rushed back to his room to figure out how to make "The Beauty's Scheme" even better.

He understood clearly: Seeing Yan Li told him this not because he was bored, but because he was blatantly dangling a carrot.

The chance to get rich is right here—if you want to make money, work hard.

Produce results, and you'll get more original shares, and earn more money.

Even though it's a carrot, this carrot is real, and it's so huge and so tempting that Yu Zheng willingly doubled his efforts.

Yu Zheng left in a hurry; the remaining Teddy Sisters, no matter how envious, couldn't taste this carrot, so they mostly just chatted about Yi'an's valuation.

Weibo's valuation alone was terrifying enough, instantly lifting Seeing Yan Li into the ranks of billionaires.

Now Yi'an is valued at 13.5 billion—Seeing Yan Li's shares must be worth at least several billion.

Isn't this supposed to be the financial crisis, with the overall environment bad?

How come, with Seeing Yan Li, money seems like it's not money at all—suddenly tens or hundreds of billions?

Huo Siyan and the others exchanged glances; even Qin Lan felt a bit dizzy.

To be honest, Seeing Yan Li's net worth has skyrocketed too fast over the past year.

Previously, although Seeing Yan Li was rich, his bigger labels were youth and high fame; his personal assets weren't especially strong among billionaires—he was a rising star.

But since launching Weibo and merging Yi'an, coupled with the financial crisis, Yi'an shot up like a rocket—his net worth has multiplied more than tenfold.

Though he hasn't yet broken into the top tier, at this point he's certainly among the most notable super-rich.

Over a billion!

Even several billion!

Qin Lan suddenly turned back—had she done nothing, just eaten and drunk like a fool, and now she'd become a wealthy socialite?

"You guys play on—I'm going back."

Qin Lan had hung up on Seeing Yan Li earlier because Yu Zheng and the others were there; now she had to call right back and chat intimately with her billionaire husband.

With Yu Zheng and Qin Lan gone, and the elder sister and producer no longer holding them back, logically the rest should have played even harder.

But sadly, everyone had their own thoughts, and the mahjong game felt dull.

After reluctantly playing a few rounds, Huo Siyan pushed her tiles forward: "Let's call it a day—take a rest, we have filming tomorrow."

The others all agreed, and soon dispersed; only Li Xiaolu, Huo Siyan's closest friend, remained in the room.

The latter raised an eyebrow at Huo Siyan: "Interview time—how do you feel?"

"Happy, of course—the stronger he is, the better our lives become."

Huo Siyan replied; Li Xiaolu pressed: "Just that? Don't you have any other thoughts?"

"What other thoughts could I possibly have?"

Huo Siyan smiled bitterly: "Why would I ruin a good life?"

These past few years, she's been riding high, but she's also offended many people; Seeing Yan Li protects her, Qin Lan backs her—no one dares trouble her. But if she offends both and loses their protection, she dares not imagine how terrible her fate would be.

"Boring."

Li Xiaolu sneered: "You're too timid—take a risk, maybe you'll rise to the top."

Huo Siyan shot back: "Why don't you take the risk?"

"Our relationship? He doesn't even notice me—I have no chance to try. Besides, if I wanted to try, would you help me?"

Help your grandma's leg!

Huo Siyan has always been wary of Li Xiaolu sneaking around her to connect with Seeing Yan Li—she's been extremely careful; if Li Xiaolu made any move, Huo Siyan would be the first to sabotage it.

"Enough. We just don't have that fate—just grab some benefits and stop thinking."

Huo Siyan saw things clearly enough, comforting Li Xiaolu, who opened a bottle of wine.

"Have some?"

"Sure, I'm just annoyed by Wang Ou—that slut. She's probably going to get a lot of benefits this time."

"Come on, you won't be worse off when Huayi goes public—I'm the one who ends up with nothing."

"But at least you're comfortable. Listen, next time…"

Just as Huo Siyan and Li Xiaolu were discussing their combo moves, Qin Lan finally received Seeing Yan Li's return call.

"I just talked with Deng Chao and Director Director Director Director Ning Hao, gave them some encouragement."

Seeing Yan Li could dangle a carrot for Yu Zheng, naturally he wouldn't leave others out—anyone who could benefit the company received encouragement and temptation.

More work, more reward; Seeing Yan Li had no objection to giving them more original shares—the better they worked, the higher the company's stock price, and the biggest winner was still him, the major shareholder.

"Is Yi'an really valued at 13.5 billion? My god, then your shares must be worth over a billion."

"After this round of financing and reserving some original shares, my ownership isn't as large anymore."

Seeing Yan Li explained: this round of Yi'an's financing plans to allocate 15%, partnering with Jingcheng Culture & Broadcasting, China Resources, and a PE fund.

These three had been mentioned before—besides providing capital, each brings official resources, commercial real estate resources, and IPO support.

Thus, this 15% of shares carries significant resource offsets; the actual funds raised amount to 1.2 billion RMB.

Even so, this sum is more than enough for Yi'an to expand massively before going public.

It can even be allocated to other Yi'an divisions—film investment, equipment upgrades, artist marketing, ground promotion staffing, technical upgrades, and more.

Besides this round of financing, Yi'an will also offer 5%~10% of its shares in a share swap and strategic alliance with Weibo.

As the major shareholder and actual operator on both sides, Seeing Yan Li must set an example and shoulder the bulk.

But don't think you're losing out—Seeing Yan Li is the major shareholder on both sides; Weibo and Yi'an's share swap means those swapped shares still remain in his hands.

More importantly, the strategic alliance between the two companies is a huge boon for both and for Seeing Yan Li himself—Seeing Yan Li is unquestionably the biggest winner, with gains far exceeding the minor loss from share swapping.

In addition, Seeing Yan Li plans to set aside an initial share pool, roughly 5~10% of total shares, to reward locked-in management and stars, similar to Huayi's scale.

But because Yi'an's situation differs from Huayi's, and with Seeing Yan Li in charge, the star strategy isn't as critical.

So, Yi'an's entry threshold is lower, more people can obtain initial shares, but individual allocations will be smaller.

In short, Boss Yan hasn't forgotten his brothers—everyone can benefit a little; senior management takes less, middle management takes more.

Yet because Yi'an's scale and prospects are superior, even if senior management takes less, they'll still earn more than Huayi.

A few might have reservations, but most still appreciate Seeing Yan Li's generosity, and it also strengthens Seeing Yan Li's control over the entire company.

Honestly, giving more initial shares to senior management and top stars might seem fair, but once fed, they become harder to satisfy and more likely to leave.

Granting favors to middle management greatly boosts company cohesion and Seeing Yan Li's personal prestige—keep these core staff steady, and the company stays stable.

For Seeing Yan Li, the latter is clearly more beneficial for him and the company.

Currently, Seeing Yan Li has a rough allocation plan for initial shares.

Management gets one scheme, stars get another—their contributions and value aren't on the same scale, so it's better to calculate them separately.

Stars bring the company more revenue and exposure, so they naturally command a premium.

Fan Xiaopang is unquestionably the first recipient of these initial shares; Seeing Yan Li plans to allocate her 1.5~2%.

Don't think it's small—based on the current 13.5 billion valuation, Fan Xiaopang's shares are worth 2~2.7 billion.

Of course, share dilution is inevitable upon listing, but Yi'an's stock price will likely rise too, so fewer shares will be worth more money.

Fan Xiaopang's wealth surge is predictable—it becomes Yi'an's new wealth myth, further boosting Yi'an's publicity.

Besides Fan Xiaopang, Director Director Director Director Ning Hao estimates he'll get around 1%, and everyone else will get much less.

Based on status, fame, contribution, achievements, and potential, they'll receive fractions of a percent, even 0.0x% or lower.

But even the smallest amount is still money—turning hundreds of thousands into millions is a rare chance to get rich, far better than a regular salary.

Qin Lan listened, half-dazed: "Just tell me how many shares you still have."

"Hard to say—right now I estimate I still hold over 60~65%. After listing, there'll be more dilution and hidden holdings; excluding indirect shares, I'll likely retain around 50% on paper."

"Still that much?!"

Qin Lan was stunned—she'd thought Seeing Yan Li's shares were scattered thin, but he was still the absolute major shareholder.

"Of course—Yi'an is my wholly owned company, and before Yi'an Cinema merged, I was already a major shareholder. If I hadn't intentionally adjusted the share structure for easier listing, my holdings would've been even higher."

Yi'an's conditions are too good, and Seeing Yan Li holds too many cards, forcing him to worry precisely because his own shares are too numerous.

He's now trying to find ways to avoid holding too much direct ownership, otherwise, being too deeply tied to Yi'an will make it hard to cash out someday.

Thinking of this, Seeing Yan Li himself couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.

Other founders, struggling with too few shares, lie awake desperate for ways to increase them and secure control—he, by contrast, finds his own shares excessive. It's darkly humorous.

Qin Lan stayed silent, counting on her fingers.

If Seeing Yan Li holds 50%, that's nearly 7 billion right now. With this valuation, after listing and a huge surge, it'll easily hit 20 billion or more—that's… over a billion.

And this is just Yi'an—Weibo's valuation and prospects are widely recognized as far superior.

Qin Lan pressed her chest: "Maybe I should go back to Jingcheng. In a week, it'll be my ovulation period."

During the New Year, Seeing Yan Li had bragged that he wouldn't dare face his son or daughter until he'd saved up a billion for the next generation.

Back then, she and Dong Xuan had teased him, thinking he was just playing around. Now, it looked like each of them could get close to a billion.

Seeing Yan Li: "..."

"Aren't you filming anymore?"

"No film matters more than my son becoming a wealthy heir."

Qin Lan declared fiercely—she was anxious; Dong Xuan was already in Jingcheng, and if she got there first, their firstborn's status would be lost.

Not just Dong Xuan—she guessed Fan Xiaopang wouldn't be able to hold back either.

No matter how important her career, nothing compared to her child becoming the first heir to a billionaire fortune.

"Conceive now, give birth next year—perfect timing for the post-2010 generation, and the Year of the Tiger—excellent omen."

Qin Lan was practically pulling out the almanac as proof. Seeing Yan Li felt uneasy but couldn't find a good excuse.

Besides, he had indeed considered having a child this year or next, stepping into a new life phase at thirty—now was the right time to start preparing.

"Don't rush. At least let me adjust—I need to quit smoking and drinking for preconception too. You keep filming, I'll finish this phase, then we'll plan."

This time, Seeing Yan Li wasn't just stalling—he'd checked, and preconception requires many precautions; it really can't be rushed.

Qin Lan agreed, but set three rules: "You won't sneak around with Dong Xuan and the others."

Seeing Yan Li: "..."

Who could say for sure? If a particularly strong sperm shows up, even the system won't help.

"Don't worry—I'll talk to them."

Qin Lan hung up, then pulled out her phone and contacted Dong Xuan and Fan Xiaopang. The moment they heard Seeing Yan Li had conceded, they immediately launched a three-way video call.

"My idea is we make a gentleman's agreement: healthy conception, healthy competition—no messy, reckless behavior, or it'll hurt everyone."

Fan Xiaopang, sipping milk, said outright: "I don't trust either of you."

"Heh."

Dong Xuan, cuddling a Ragdoll cat, mocked Fan Xiaopang as she stroked it.

"The least trustworthy is you—forget the distant past, remember when you came back with a surprise during New Year? Your integrity is already negative in my book."

Qin Lan nodded: "Exactly. You've broken promises so many times—you don't trust us, but we don't trust you either."

"If we can't trust each other, then let's settle it outright."

Fan Xiaopang put down her milk and launched into battle; Dong Xuan didn't back down: "Come on, I'm not afraid of you."

Qin Lan rushed out to mediate—she had to, since both of them were in Jingcheng, and she'd be the one to suffer.

"Don't start off hostile; some things can be discussed."

Qin Lan looked at Fan Xiaopang: "Don't act tough—Yi'an's IPO is imminent; you simply can't be pregnant right now."

For Fan Xiaopang to get pregnant at this moment, giving up her career is minor; what matters is the damage to Yi'an's IPO.

Even if Seeing Yan Li could accept it, shareholders and company staff couldn't—Fan Xiaopang would effectively cut herself off from Yi'an.

If her career is damaged and she's cut off from Yi'an, is Fan Xiaopang planning to become a housewife from now on?

Besides, she might not even get ahead of Qin Dong, and might even make Seeing Yan Li develop feelings for her.

Better to wait two years, fully reap the IPO's benefits, and delay pregnancy for the greater good—Seeing Yan Li would understand, even feel guilty for her sacrifice, which would be a major plus.

Qin Lan and Dong Xuan would also owe her a significant favor, allowing her to negotiate terms later.

"..."

Qin Lan spoke fluently, trying to persuade Fan Xiaopang, but the latter rolled her eyes.

"No matter how good your words sound, what if you pull the ladder away after I climb up?"

Having a child and not having one are worlds apart—Qin Dong is already allied; if she uses the child's momentum to betray me and push me out, I'm finished.

No matter how high the cost of childbirth, with a child, I can make a comeback.

If I'm pushed out, no matter how successful my career or how large the dividends, I'm just earning baby formula for these two.

"You have zero confidence in yourself—and in Seeing Yan Li."

Dong Xuan couldn't help but retort: Qin Lan and she hoped only to firmly suppress Fan Xiaopang, yet Fan Xiaopang herself is ready to strike herself down hard.

"Things can go wrong—we must prepare."

Fan Xiaopang's face was dead serious; Qin Lan sensed the tone—asking for the moon, then haggling down to earth.

If she truly didn't want to talk, Fan Xiaopang would've just left—right now, all her rebuttals and exaggerations of risk were just bargaining tactics.

She quietly sent Dong Xuan a text, but Fan Xiaopang spotted it: "What are you doing? Sneaking around? If you're going to play games like this, forget talking—it's pointless."

Dong Xuan and Qin Lan fell silent; the former spoke: "What do you want?"

"Simple."

Fan Xiaopang said she would not compete for the position of eldest son, but Qin Lan and Dong Xuan must transfer her numerous benefits, and guarantee her risks are minimized, so she won't be betrayed after being used.

As Qin Lan listened to Fan Xiaopang's demands, her face darkened; she sneered: "Why not just marry Seeing Yan Li and make us your bridesmaids?"

Fan Xiaopang's eyes lit up: "No need for bridesmaids, but add the marriage clause."

"Add you %&#$…"

Dong Xuan cursed, her goal in negotiation was to fight for the eldest son—but under Fan Xiaopang's terms, the two of them were reduced to beggars on their knees, and even the child became illegitimate.

Qin Lan's face blackened: "If that's your sincerity, let's just fight—I don't believe you'd really go through with it."

Dong Xuan nodded expressionlessly: "Fine, I have no objection."

Fan Xiaopang stayed silent; Qin and Dong immediately ended the video call—she sighed and reconnected them.

"The eldest son, the first heir—can't you even agree to that?"

"It's not even confirmed yet; what century are we in? Still clinging to old customs? Seeing Yan Li isn't that feudal."

"Exactly—no one knows if it'll be a boy or girl, and you're already assuming? If you're serious, talk properly; if not, hang up."

Qin Lan and Dong Xuan played their parts in perfect sync: one message—yes to some concessions for Fan Xiaopang due to various reasons, but never to her outrageous demands.

Thus began a fierce negotiation among the three!

First, they didn't discuss benefits, but Fan Xiaopang's safety—what she valued most—and Qin and Dong were willing to support it.

They never imagined Fan being ousted or refusing to bear a child—it was too difficult; delaying her pregnancy was already a major victory.

Moreover, to some extent, if all three bore children, they might compete over the children's interests, but also form a new alliance to suppress Seeing Yan Li's other women and protect their own and their children's interests.

Qin and Dong were weaker in this regard; with Fan Xiaopang joining, they could form an effective deterrent.

Only after that did they negotiate benefits—though Qin and Dong didn't support Fan Xiaopang's outrageous demands, they still let her secure many advantages.