Chapter 359

"Switching to a Maybach can also trend on hot search."

Yan Li looked at the #YanLi, Maybach# topic rapidly climbing to number one on the hot search list, shook his head—high attention had its pros and cons.

Other billionaires buying private jets for parties go unremarked, yet changing a car lands him on hot search—if he took a girl out shopping, he'd instantly top the headlines.

Yan Li didn't remove the hot search, but asked Weibo to blur the license plate, though he found the effect was mediocre.

There weren't even a few Maybach 62s in Jingcheng altogether, and the car's features were unmistakable—anyone who knew cars could spot it at a glance.

Yan Li thought for a moment, then decided to just let it be.

He couldn't spend tens of millions on a car just to lock it in the garage; he'd be discreet in certain situations, swap vehicles when needed, but otherwise, no need to change his routine during work.

Besides, his car didn't travel far—it mostly stayed in Jingcheng, had excellent safety features, even added bulletproofing and a satellite emergency phone; unless a hundred-ton monster or a raid squad showed up, they couldn't kill him in a hurry.

This even led some Jingcheng Weibo users to start a minor trend of check-ins.

Go to Zhichun Road where Weibo is headquartered or Dong Sanhuan where Yi'an is located, and see if you can "accidentally" spot Yan Li's car, then take a photo and post it on Weibo.

Yan Li always knew many people were idle, but he hadn't expected them to be this idle.

Meanwhile, Yan Li's hot search topic also gave Maybach a slight breakout, making many who didn't know cars aware of the name.

Mention "Yan Li's same model" and "worth tens of millions," and everyone instantly understood and grasped its value.

Netizens joked that this year's best car advertisement and tagline were from "Snail House" and Song Siming's line: "Every man with backbone wants a Land Rover."

The best spokesperson was Yan Li, who single-handedly turned Maybach into the ultimate luxury car symbol in countless hearts.

This made Yan Li want to go ask Maybach for advertising fees—even if they just gave him two new cars for free, that'd be fine.

But Yan Li truly dared not ask—he feared if he did, Maybach might actually give them to him.

Not exaggerating, Fan Xiaopang even called him.

Said the car product placement brand for "Du La La's Promotion" had approached her, proposing Yan Li cameo as their driver: base fee 2 million, close-up shots extra 1 million, and if he spoke related lines, another 2 million.

This was because the brand was mid-range positioning—if it were a luxury car brand, they'd gladly spend tens of millions on placement.

Most often, luxury brands assign value to people, but Yan Li's level of status and influence could assign value to luxury brands.

…

In June, the Magnolia Awards were held in Shanghai.

"Infiltrator" achieved great success; male lead Sun Honglei and female lead Jiang Xin both won Best Actor and Best Actress, plus the Golden Award for Best TV Series.

Deng Chao from "The Righteous Path of Humanity" won the Most Popular Male Actor award; screenwriter Jiang Qitao won Best Screenwriter.

Meanwhile, another major contender, "My Commander My Regiment," won only the Most Audience-Interested Award.

The stark contrast in outcomes was called Yi'an's crushing blow to Huayi, further seizing discourse power in the Chinese-language film and television industry.

This was overstated—it was just the Magnolia Awards.

More importantly, Huayi had never held discourse power in Chinese-language awards; otherwise, Feng Kuzi wouldn't have been ranting two years ago.

"My Commander My Regiment" lost for reasons.

Its style was unappealing on one hand—it had high critical acclaim but lacked sufficient public support.

"Infiltrator" and "The Righteous Path of Humanity" were not only popular but also received high public ratings, with almost no obvious flaws.

"My Commander My Regiment" carried controversy.

Those who liked it loved it; those who didn't found it preachy, slow-paced, and overly theatrical.

Moreover, although "My Commander My Regiment" wasn't politically biased, in this special year of tribute productions, it certainly didn't gain points like dramas centered on the Party.

Finally, there was Yi'an's backing and support.

In terms of awards, Yi'an had never placed special emphasis on them before, and its productions leaned commercial; now, aiming to become an industry leader, it naturally intensified efforts here.

This year, Yi'an even established a dedicated PR team to leverage its multiple A Quality Productions and shine brightly across major awards.

The Magnolia Awards were just one of them—they had plans for the Feitian and Golden Eagle Awards, had already secured the Hundred Flowers Award for film, and were now targeting the Huabiao and Golden Horse Awards.

All of the above were only top-tier awards; lower-tier ones weren't even worth mentioning—they were taking every award they could.

Sun Honglei was fine—he'd won a Magnolia before—but Jiang Xin was thrilled.

Magnolia Best Actress!

Though its value now didn't surpass the Golden Eagle or Feitian, it was still a Best Actress award—one of the highest honors in television, the dream of countless actresses.

Truly, since "Infiltrator" premiered, Jiang Xin truly felt she was living a dream so intoxicating.

The TV series went viral, her popularity exploded, she instantly rose to the level of top-tier stars, then signed a contract with Yi'an; in just over a month, her endorsements, commercial deals, and ads exceeded double digits, and she made a fortune.

Before the high of fame and fortune had even worn off, she was handed another Magnolia Best Actress trophy.

Weibo was already buzzing, dubbing her the first 80s-born Magnolia Best Actress and the youngest ever.

Had Sun Li not won the Golden Eagle Best Actress back in 2004 with "Jade Amulet," Jiang Xin's titles could have been even richer.

Even so, Jiang Xin, having just turned 26, deserved to be celebrated for winning Best Actress—Hairen and Yi'an both intended to mold her into a powerhouse leading actress.

After years of acting, Jiang Xin finally experienced what it meant to be super-viral.

It even gave the other Seven Fairies a bit of free publicity; someone noticed that among the Seven Fairies, only Yang Xue had interacted to congratulate Jiang Xin.

The already publicly acknowledged rift among the Seven Fairies had another concrete piece of evidence.

Even as the matter trended on hot search, only Li Bingbing and Li Lin spoke up—Fan Xiaopang, Dong Xuan, and Huo Siyan remained silent.

Coincidentally, a reporter visited the set of "Beauty's Scheme" and interviewed Huo Siyan on the matter; she claimed she had sent a text message to wish Jiang Xin well.

But then, in a Weibo exclusive interview, Jiang Xin revealed that Fan Xiaopang and Dong Xuan had both sent her congratulatory texts—but she never received Huo Siyan's.

Huo Siyan nearly exploded—people's lives are hard enough, we're all supposed to be decent—don't you understand the rules?

She was forced to post a Weibo congratulating Jiang Xin and try to save face in the comments, claiming she might have sent the message to the wrong number.

Netizens concluded: if she hadn't sent it, their relationship was clearly bad; if she sent it to the wrong number, it meant they had no private contact—not even saved each other's phone numbers.

Huo Siyan: "..."

Yan Li found this whole affair intriguing; after Jiang Xin returned to Jingcheng for a meeting, he specifically asked her about it.

"Did Dong Xuan and Bingbing really send you congratulatory messages?"

Both of them now basically know Jiang Xin is connected to him; given his understanding of their personalities, he doubted they'd be that generous.

Sure enough, Jiang Xin shook her head: "Neither sent one. I made it up."

"Then why did you only expose Seeing Huo Siyan?"

Jiang Xin blinked: "Those two I can't afford to provoke, but I can handle her."

Yan Li: "..."

You say this woman's sharp—she stirs up trouble right after going viral; you say she's not sharp—yet she knows to pick the softest persimmons to squeeze.

Jiang Xin still pushed back: "Did that Hu woman come to you complaining? You can't play favorites."

Yan Li had no interest in meddling in these two women's squabbles, but he still offered a reminder.

"You're alone, but she's got a whole crew."

Seeing Huo Siyan is easy to provoke, but the Teddy Sisterhood isn't—no matter how fake their internal bonds are, they stick together against outsiders.

If it weren't for Seeing Huo Siyan bringing shame upon herself, the Teddy Sisterhood might've already launched an attack; even now, with Jiang Xin's popularity surging, one tiger still can't fight off a pack of wolves.

"If they dare attack me, I'll go to Sister Xuan and surrender—I don't believe Sister Xuan won't pull me back."

Though their relationship had cooled over the past two years, the foundation of their friendship still existed; if Jiang Xin truly lowered her pride and begged for help, Dong Xuan might not just stand by.

"That's ancient history. Before, Dong Xuan helped you because of Qin Lan; now, she might just help clean house."

Yan Li's circle of women all had some level of contact with each other; since Jiang Xin and Dong Xuan grew distant, Jiang Xin was one of the few completely outside the network.

The Qin-Dong Alliance, Wang Ou and others had vague awareness of it, but Jiang Xin still believed the two were at odds.

Compared to Qin Lan, who fought alongside her, Dong Xuan might not help Jiang Xin—who she saw as a traitor—and might even join in to vent her anger.

"Then I'll go to Sister Bingbing."

Jiang Xin realized her mistake and, unusually, added "sister" to her address of Fan Xiaopang.

But Yan Li immediately shattered her illusion: "You forgot how they humiliated you during the filming of 'The Legend of Yang Yuhuan'? Why would she even acknowledge you?"

Fan Xiaopang wouldn't take one of Yan Li's women as a little sister—she'd have done it long ago if she'd wanted to, especially since their relationship had been bad before.

"..."

Jiang Xin did the math: damn, she'd offended all three powerhouses—she had almost no place left to stand.

"Um... is Wang Ou from your company easy to get along with?"

Jiang Xin turned her thoughts to Wang Ou—though Yan Li had never confirmed it, the industry widely accepted her as his woman; Jiang Xin had even heard rumors that Wang Ou held considerable status at Yi'an and was highly valued.

She had no personal ties or conflicts with Wang Ou—why not reach out, form an alliance, and protect herself?

Yan Li's eyes narrowed strangely—this one had a fiery temper, and the other wasn't gentle either; if they got mixed together, they'd definitely clash.

Relying on others isn't real strength. You're famous now—you've got confidence. The right path is to build your own team and go solo.

Yan Li believed Jiang Xin and Wang Ou would never get along—both refused to take a backseat. Wang Ou was the leader of her own clique; Jiang Xin would never accept being second-in-command. So the best solution was to go independent.

"Pfft!"

Jiang Xin couldn't help spitting, pointing at Yan Li: "Are you still thinking about Li Lin? Afraid to let Fan Xiaopang find out, so you dumped her on me—and Yang Xue too. Of the Seven Fairies, you haven't gotten her yet, so you're counting on me to help you complete the set?"

Yan Li: "..."

What the hell is this? Is he really like that?!

"I meant you should make some friends, form a small team—where did your mind go? And..."

Yan Li suddenly narrowed his eyes at Jiang Xin: "I remember last time Yang Xue came to me, she said something strange, all jumbled up. I was busy then and didn't think much of it—but now you've brought it up, it's ringing a bell. Did you say something to her?"

"Uh..."

Jiang Xin, who had been furious moments ago, instantly wilted—this bastard had such sharp instincts, he could piece things together from a single sentence.

It wasn't that Yan Li reacted quickly—he'd been informed by his intelligence network. Back then, he'd thought it wasn't serious and planned to settle accounts later; now it had resurfaced.

"Be honest—if I suspect anything, I'll call Yang Xue right now. If your story doesn't match, you're done for."

Watching Jiang Xin stammer and shift her eyes, Yan Li knew she was fabricating excuses and immediately applied pressure.

Hearing this, Jiang Xin grew compliant: "I was just curious about your relationship with her, so I asked her—nothing else."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"You didn't mention Li Lin? Yang Xue brought her up when she came to me—if you didn't say anything, why would she mention Li Lin out of nowhere?"

Yan Li pressed further. Jiang Xin hesitated, then replied with uncertainty and guilt:

"I only mentioned it twice—didn't reveal much. Could she have figured it out?"

"Your mouth—don't call yourself Jiang Xin anymore. Call yourself Jiang Loudspeaker."

Yang Xue had indeed figured it out—Jiang Xin had approached her with the implication that Yang Xue was the only one of the Seven Fairies who wasn't involved with Yan Li; for Yang Xue not to deduce it would've been strange.

But Yang Xue wasn't like Jiang Xin—she kept her mouth shut tight, telling no one, not even Yan Li. Just now, Yan Li had been bluffing.

Casting Jiang Xin as Cui Ping in 'Infiltration' was casting her true self—no, even Cui Ping had better discretion.

Jiang Xin realized she'd messed up and rushed over to massage Yan Li's shoulders and pound his back.

"I'll talk to Yang Xue. She won't blab."

"I'm not worried about Yang Xue—I'm worried about you letting it slip."

Yan Li scoffed, then turned serious: "My reputation's already trash—it doesn't matter. She's divorced and single; even if it leaks, it's just another rumor, maybe just make Bingbing mad at me."

"I don't care—but Li Lin might not withstand the gossip. She's starting a new life. Raising a child alone is hard enough—don't add salt to her wounds."

Jiang Xin muttered under her breath: "You know she's raising a kid, yet you still won't let go."

Hey!

Yan Li laughed bitterly—this woman had been famous for barely a few days and was already getting arrogant. Give her an inch and she takes a mile. She needs a good beating.

Without another word, Yan Li picked her up and carried her inside—to properly teach her how to keep her mouth shut...

…

The next day, Yan Li was kicked out by Jiang Xin; she could accept being scolded, but this bastard had dirtied her White Magnolia Award.

Yan Li felt wronged—it was Jiang Xin who had voluntarily brought it over as a prop.

Still, chatting with the newly minted White Magnolia TV Queen left Yan Li in good spirits.

Li Bingbing had won the Hundred Flowers Best Actress twice and the Huabiao Best Actress once; Jiang Xin now added a White Magnolia TV Queen title—hopefully other women would work harder, so Boss Yan could complete a full sweep of Chinese film and TV awards.

Yan Li figured he'd never win many Best Actor awards in his life, so he'd soothe his wounded soul with the achievements of these Best Actress and TV Queen ladies.

His good mood lasted until the afternoon, when, at the signing ceremony for Sun Li, Hu Ge, and Yi An (for film and commercial contracts), Yan Li was asked a question by a reporter.

"How do you view yourself being called one of the Four Young Masters of Jingcheng?"

"Huh?!"

Yan Li was stunned: "Am I even in that group?"

Since this year, media outlets had begun promoting the so-called "Four Young Masters of Jingcheng," with Weibo among the behind-the-scenes promoters.

The combination of second-generation rich kids and female stars drew the most attention, so the media hyped it relentlessly.

But the term "Four Young Masters of Jingcheng" had not yet solidified—there were multiple versions.

The most popular version was the Weibo version: the four individuals Yan Li had originally intended to promote—Wang Dashao, Wang Ke, Wang Le, and Wang Xiaofei.

Wang Dashao had sufficient clout and an impressive record: he'd drawn massive attention through two generations of Xiao Yanzi; this year, after his current girlfriend passed away, he attended her funeral as her boyfriend, fully cementing his image.

Wang Le stood out for his willingness to spend lavishly—he had a celebrity stepmother, rumors linked him to female stars like Niu Mengmeng, he frequently associated with Fang Zuoming, the son of Jackie Chan, and this past April he was exposed for cohabiting with Young Master Zhou, boosting his fame significantly.

By comparison, Wang Ke and Wang Xiaofei lacked comparable status, but one was married to Liu Tao, and the other was dating Zhang Yuqi, a Starlet.

More importantly, both were extremely active on Weibo; considering traffic, Weibo gave them extra exposure, allowing them to form the "Four Young Masters of Jingcheng" alongside the first two.

Besides this most famous version, there were other candidates.

They still primarily had ties to the entertainment circle, but weren't limited to Jingcheng—for instance, the Ho family from Xiangjiang, the boastful powerhouse Yang Dashao, Hu Jing's husband, a Malaysian tycoon, and Little S's husband, among others.

He never expected he'd get dragged into this too, leaving Yan Li both amused and exasperated.

"Uh, my parents run a small town restaurant; my family's background is standard peasant class—hardly worthy of the title 'Young Master.'"

Yan Li's reply wasn't exactly polite—he was genuinely annoyed.

Most of those people relied on their fathers or brothers; he had built everything from scratch.

Even their parents might be on equal footing with Yan Li—or perhaps even lower in status—and lumping him in with them turned him, a businessman, into a playboy, which was effectively an insult.

After replying, Yan Li ignored the media and went to speak with Sun Li and Hu Ge.

After "Infiltration" became a hit, Yi An signed Sun Honglei and Jiang Xin under a split-contract system and sought to expand further.

He contacted many stars—the progress was mixed.

Some artists refused—they didn't want to leave. For example, Nie Yuan felt comfortable at Ciwen and had little interest in entering the film industry, so he politely declined.

Others were held back by their companies—for instance, Tong Dawei: unlike Hai Run, which had grown complacent and focused on television, Orange Sky, after acquiring Shaw Brothers, still had ambitions.

Under these circumstances, Orange Sky would never allow its top star to sign with Yi An.

Moreover, as a top-tier company, Orange Sky still possessed some film and commercial resources that could satisfy part of the artist's needs, so they ultimately retained Tong Dawei.

Yan Li understood this—he knew everyone had their own aspirations and difficulties, and he had prepared for this; he didn't force anyone.

There were refusals, naturally, but also those willing to cooperate—Sun Li and Hu Ge were prime examples.

Hai Run had already let go of Jiang Xin; letting go of Sun Li was no big deal.

They couldn't refuse anyway—Sun Li was married to Deng Chao, and they knew Yi An's strength better than anyone; Hai Run couldn't compete.

If Hai Run refused to release her, Sun Li might truly leave—and Yi An was perfectly willing to sign her.

Because Sun Li had a good relationship with Fan Xiaopang, and the latter accepted her signing with Yi An, this resolved certain internal issues.

Meanwhile, Sun Li had Deng Chao as her husband—providing internal support and forming a power couple, which brought additional benefits to Yi An, a key advantage.

Hai Run was now eyeing an IPO and naturally didn't want to lose a pillar like Sun Li.

Allowing her and Jiang Xin to sign split contracts with Yi An was a compromise to retain them.

If Hai Run could do this, Tang Ren had even less reason to resist.