Chapter 361

Yan Li truly felt his luck had been terrible these past two months, nothing but mishaps piling up.

But Sun Honglei had just signed with Yi'an, and had specifically called to beg him for help—he couldn't just ignore it.

Some contracted artists were willing to join Yi'an not only because of its vast resources and influence, but also because Yan Li was famously protective of his own, offering them a powerful backer.

Yan Li had built his reputation on this persona of loyalty, so he wouldn't ruin his own name—he had to step forward when needed.

Even apart from that, Sun Honglei and he had long-standing ties; over the past two years, he'd grown close to Yi'an, and their relationship was good—when Sun came begging for help, Yan Li couldn't just stand by.

Gansu Province, Zhang City

Yan Li originally planned to solve it with a phone call, but after thinking it over, he decided to come in person.

Sun Honglei, his agent, and a producer from "Three Guns Shock" came together to meet him.

Yan Li noticed Sun Honglei's arm was still bandaged, and couldn't help asking.

"Did Xiao Shen Yang really hit you?"

It wasn't unreasonable for Yan Li to doubt it—in his mind, Sun Honglei was the type of hard man who played Liu Huaqiang with restrained ferocity, yet he'd been beaten by the "sissy" Xiao Shen Yang.

This contrast was like Pan Changjiang knocking out Da Yao in basketball with a block.

Sun Honglei stayed silent, but his agent explained: "Director Yan, at the time, Honglei had drunk too much, and Xiao Shen Yang had trained in martial arts."

The producer beside him also clarified, which Yan Li translated as:

Sun Honglei looked intimidating, but he was terrible in a fight; Xiao Shen Yang, though he played effeminate roles, had trained in martial arts and was a veteran of the Northeastern night scene—fierce in brawls.

That said, to be fair, Sun Honglei's arm wasn't broken by Xiao Shen Yang—it was accidentally injured by broken beer bottles during the shoving match; their actual conflict wasn't that severe.

But because Xiao Shen Yang's master, Zhao Ben Shan, was present, Sun Honglei felt intimidated, so he asked Yan Li to come and lend weight.

Yan Li understood the situation and turned to Sun Honglei's agent: "What's your boss Zhao's position?"

Sun Honglei wasn't just signed with Yi'an—he was strictly speaking an artist of Xinbaoyuan.

Even Sun Honglei's involvement in "Three Guns Shock" owed much to Zhao Baogang; how this matter was resolved required Yan Li to consult Zhao Baogang.

"We couldn't get tickets, but Boss Zhao will arrive this afternoon—he already instructed us that whatever you decide, Xinbaoyuan will fully cooperate."

Yan Li immediately understood what was going on.

Zhao Baogang was indeed a big shot in Beijing's circle, but his influence was limited to Beijing—and even there, only within the arts and film/TV circles.

In contrast, Xiao Shen Yang's master, though primarily known for film and TV, was involved across all industries and wielded nationwide influence, let alone in the Northeast.

Plainly put, Zhao Baogang couldn't match Zhao Ben Shan.

Seeking help from other Beijing big shots was possible, but time might not allow it, and they might not want to risk angering Zhao Ben Shan.

That's why Sun Honglei urgently begged Yan Li—only Yan Li was the real powerhouse, dominant in this circle and beyond.

"Honglei, what do you want to do?"

Yan Li understood Xinbaoyuan's intentions and asked Sun Honglei again; after a pause, Sun replied:

"I just want to put this behind me and focus on filming."

"Understood."

Yan Li nodded—he didn't promise to take revenge on Xiao Shen Yang for him.

He was the boss, not his father.

In this fight, Xiao Shen Yang was wrong, but Sun Honglei wasn't entirely clean either.

Yan Li was always cautious; before coming, he'd checked through channels and found Sun Honglei bore significant responsibility.

After "Invisible Forces," Sun Honglei became wildly popular and inevitably grew arrogant, his attitude becoming loose.

Then he joined the "Three Guns Shock" set, where he was constantly overshadowed by Xiao Shen Yang.

In status, Xiao Shen Yang was the lead; he was the supporting actor. In popularity, he still lagged behind Xiao Shen Yang, who had truly become a national sensation after the Spring Festival Gala.

Meanwhile, Sun Honglei, a conservatory-trained veteran who'd struggled for years, looked down on Xiao Shen Yang's folk opera-style acting, seeing it as heretical nonsense plus dumb luck.

As a result, Sun Honglei resented Xiao Shen Yang; at that gathering, drunk, he made some sarcastic remarks.

Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal—actors on a set often disliked each other, exchanged bitter words, even had minor clashes—it was routine.

But Sun Honglei got arrogant, and Xiao Shen Yang was even more so; Sun was annoyed, but Xiao Shen Yang didn't even regard him—so they directly clashed.

Both were from the Northeast; once they started arguing, tempers flared, and fists flew.

Even at this point, it could've been contained—fights among cast members weren't unheard of; they were always settled internally, big issues minimized, small ones vanished.

But Zhang Yimou's crew had too many eyes watching; media heard the news and leaked it outright.

Both were top stars, and their image contrast made the incident explosive.

Now even "Three Guns Shock" couldn't contain it; Xiao Shen Yang called his master for help, which made Sun Honglei overthink everything and start rallying his own allies.

Yan Li had come precisely to resolve this peacefully—he didn't want to clash with the Northeast's king of crosstalk.

If Sun Honglei thought having Yan Li meant he could challenge Zhao Ben Shan and force the master and disciple to bow and apologize, Yan Li really should consider booking his return ticket.

But Sun Honglei knew his place—he genuinely wanted to resolve this without making Yan Li's life harder, and only then would Yan Li help him.

"Don't worry, with me here, you won't get hurt or taken advantage of."

Yan Li gave his assurance—he wouldn't help Sun Honglei bully others, but he wouldn't let others bully Sun Honglei either.

When he stood up for Deng Chao against Feng Kuzi, Yan Li had first tried diplomacy, then force.

If Feng Xiaogang had had any sense back then, said a few soft words, smoothed things over, and given Yan Li proper face, and offered Deng Chao some explanation, it never would've escalated that far.

Upon arriving, Yan Li first called Zhao Baogang, then asked:

"Where are they? Take me there."

"Aren't we waiting for Boss Zhao?"

What good would waiting do? Would he dare slam the table? Or throw a punch?!

Yan Li shook his head, but added a bit of grace for Zhao Baogang: "I'll go first and size up the situation."

Sun Honglei had no choice but to lead the way, but then Zhang Yimou called, saying everyone was waiting for them in the set's conference room, so they changed course toward the production office.

Arriving at the location, Yan Li saw several big men smoking in the parking area below; the two leaders looked somewhat familiar to him.

Gangzi and Ahao from "Ma Dashuai."

Sun Honglei introduced them as Zhao's bodyguards, also famous as knife-and-gun men.

"Whoa, this setup—did I bring too few people?"

Yan Li had come light this time, with only one assistant, Ding Feng, and two bodyguards; this setup was sufficient for daily outings, but for today's occasion, it looked plainly shabby.

Ding Feng leaned over: "Boss, should I call someone?"

Yan Li took security seriously; even if he couldn't say for sure, a single phone call could easily summon twenty or thirty bodyguards—all ex-soldiers, professionally trained.

These were his direct bodyguards; if he used connections or paid, he could effortlessly gather a hundred or more—bodyguards, enforcers, loyalists, hardcases—all willing to fight, even to use serious or lethal force.

"You think this is a gangster movie?"

Yan Li didn't take these so-called knife-and-gun men seriously—he didn't believe Zhao would dare touch him.

On this land, the underworld was always lowlife; if they so much as touched one of his fingers, he could destroy the entire Zhao Ben Shan Media.

Even as he walked, Yan Li saw those men looking over—he stopped everyone dead in their tracks and calmly declared:

"Tired. Let's rest a bit."

He stuck a cigarette between his lips but didn't light it, standing there calmly, joking with Sun Honglei and the others.

"You think if I stare at them, they'll come beat me up?"

Sun Honglei gave a dry laugh: "Boss Yan, we're just standing here."

"We won't stand long—someone'll come soon… Ah, here they are."

A group emerged from the office area; the leader was Lao Mouzi, the other wore a baseball cap—Zhao Ben Shan.

"Boss Yan, it's so hot outside—why not come inside?"

"Director Zhang, Zhao Laoshi."

Yan Li greeted them with full courtesy, then nodded slightly toward the men.

"It's not that I won't go in—these guys look like demons. I'm scared. I came all the way to Gansu just to get beaten? That'd be a waste."

Zhao Ben Shan knew this was Yan Li picking a fight—he immediately pointed at the men and scolded:

"Who told you to stand here? You're just causing trouble. Get the hell out."

Then he sincerely told Yan Li: "Boss Yan, I'm sorry—my subordinates acted foolishly. I apologize to you."

"Oh, so that's it? I thought Zhao Laoshi was trying to intimidate me."

Yan Li couldn't tell if he was sighing or mocking, but the sight of these men standing there annoyed him.

Intimidation by force?

What did they take him for? A child to scare?

Zhao Ben Shan was getting impatient—he never meant to escalate things; he'd planned to team up with Lao Mouzi to suppress the matter. But Sun Honglei got scared, called Yan Li over, and now everything had become complicated.

He was powerful, yes—but his main influence still centered in the Northeast.

Beyond the Shanhai Pass, find Zhao Ben Shan; but once you pass the Shanhai Pass, you've got to play by the rules.

This time, with Xiao Shen Yang exploding in popularity, Zhao Ben Shan was planning to take his disciples south to open new markets—the Jingcheng Liu Laogen Grand Stage had only opened two months ago.

If he clashed head-on with Yan Li, this film-and-internet magnate with vast connections across all sectors, the trouble would be enormous.

Never mind other things—right now, Xiao Shen Yang was popular, but also highly controversial; if Yan Li stirred things up on Weibo, his reputation could flip overnight.

Moreover, Yan Li wielded huge influence in the film and TV circles; if he spoke out against the Zhao Family Troupe, they'd suffer badly.

TV dramas were manageable—they still had CCTV and several major IPs—but films were finished; a single scheduling decision could crush all of Zhao's film projects.

So Zhao Ben Shan raised his voice further, barking at the men still lingering:

"Get out—every one of you. Go back. Lao Liu, you go with them. Don't let them come back."

Then he added, even more sincerely: "Boss Yan, don't misunderstand—these kids are just close friends. They're probably worried about Xiao Shen Yang, waiting here for news. There's no other intention."

Yan Li gave no reply: "Then let's go inside and talk."

Lao Mouzi, as host, personally led the way; Zhang Weiping didn't show up—no one knew if he was too busy or otherwise.

Inside a conference room in the office area, Lao Mouzi, Yan Li, and Zhao Ben Shan sat down; the others stood.

Lao Mouzi spoke first, offering some polite formalities, then got to the point: "Now that Boss Yan is here, let's discuss how to proceed."

Zhao Ben Shan immediately followed: "I'll state my position first—since this incident happened in the crew, and my disciple was involved, no matter what, I as his master failed to manage him properly. I've caused trouble for Director Zhang and Boss Yan."

Seeing this, Yan Li softened his tone: "I don't know the full details, but Hong Lei is our company's artist—he was injured on set, and rumors are spreading everywhere. I came here specifically to see what happened."

The phrase "calling in people" sounded confrontational; Yan Li stepped back, saying he'd come out of concern for his artist amid public pressure.

The three exchanged words, all aiming to reduce tension.

Then Zhao Ben Shan brought in the other party, Xiao Shen Yang, along with those who had attended the drinking session.

Lao Mouzi said: "Boss Yan is here now. Tell us exactly what happened that day. Don't hide anything, don't exaggerate, don't leave anything out."

To avoid self-serving embellishments from the two parties and bias from Zhao's other two disciples, the main accounts came from neutral third parties.

Through the reconstruction, everyone gained a clearer picture of what had occurred.

The incident started with Sun Honglei; Xiao Shen Yang was the first to curse, and he was also suspected of making the first physical move.

Sun, being a veteran in the industry, knew some limits; Xiao Shen Yang, young and arrogant, was more impulsive.

Of course, Sun Honglei's insults were brutal too—constantly calling him "Second Chair"—which triggered Xiao Shen Yang's breakdown and attack.

Yan Li felt the account matched what he'd heard; he looked at Sun Honglei, who nodded, confirming the description.

A slight silence settled over the room.

Yan Li planned to hold firm—no matter what, Sun Honglei had been beaten and injured; he couldn't be the first to back down.

Zhao Ben Shan spoke of his disciple's fault, but inwardly still favored his own; as a master, if he didn't protect his disciples, morale would collapse—so he stayed silent.

Lao Mouzi glanced between them, then broke the silence himself: "Gentlemen, I'll speak frankly—this has gone too far. I believe both parties share some responsibility."

"But I also think this isn't a big deal—men drink alcohol and fight now and then; conflicts happen, but they can be resolved."

As the director, everyone else could avoid it, but Lao Mouzi couldn't dodge it—he had to step in and mediate.

Fortunately, neither side wanted to escalate things; Lao Mouzi's words served as a face-saving gesture, and the atmosphere clearly improved.

Zhao Ben Shan glanced at his disciple, then at Sun Honglei's injured hand, and spoke first.

"Shen Yang did wrong here—how could he resort to violence? He even hurt Honglei's hand, and they're both from Northeast China."

"Shen Yang, apologize to Honglei."

Little Shen Yang had clearly been prepped—he immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply to Sun Honglei in apology.

Yan Li glanced at Sun Honglei, dropped his aloofness, and criticized him briefly: "Honglei made a mistake too—he drank too much and let his mouth run loose. You must learn from this."

Sun Honglei knew his place and immediately took blame: "Yes, yes, yes, I'm wrong too. Right here, before Director Yan, Director Zhang, and Zhao Laoshi, I apologize to Shen Yang."

His goal wasn't to vent anger—he just didn't want to be targeted by the Zhao Clan. Mutual apologies gave everyone face, and he felt at ease.

Indeed, Zhao Ben Shan was pleased with this outcome and clapped his hands: "No fight, no friendship. You two should understand each other, spend more time together—maybe this bad thing turns into a good one if you become friends."

Then he instructed his disciple to bow to Yan Li.

"After the Spring Festival Gala, how much did Director Yan promote you? He said, 'From now on, who in the world doesn't know you?'—how much face did he give you? He kept promoting you on Weibo. Without his support, where would you be today?"

"Yet you've repaid him with nothing, and even made him travel all this way—this is truly unacceptable."

Sun Honglei feared being targeted by the Zhao Clan, and Zhao Laoshi worried his disciple would be remembered negatively by Yan Li—this speech was about rebuilding ties and reviving old goodwill, helping Little Shen Yang restore his image in Yan Li's eyes.

Little Shen Yang responded promptly: "Director Yan, I was immature. I've long wanted to pay my respects to you, but this incident brought us together in the worst way—I've caused you trouble, please forgive me."

Bowing to Sun Honglei, Little Shen Yang still carried a hint of resentment; bowing to Yan Li, however, was no issue at all.

Not only had Yan Li once promoted him—he owed him that favor—but more importantly, their status gap was undeniable.

No matter how famous he became, he still had to earn his living under Director Yan's hand.