Chapter 364: Yan Li: One Opened Eye, Three to Four Thousand Employees Eating, Drinking, and Using the Toilet

The box office performance of "Night Club" was decent, with its opening weekend nearing 14 million, though subsequent daily earnings declined to a few hundred thousand each day.

At this trend, reaching 30 million should be no problem, with a chance at 35 million.

That's already good enough—after all, the cast was there: aside from Xu Zheng and Yang Mi, who had just surged in popularity, there was nothing else noteworthy.

The film's quality itself wasn't particularly outstanding, it was a low-budget production with limited appeal, and it faced multiple strong competitors in the same period.

Without Yian's backing, it's questionable whether it could have even reached 20 million.

Although the box office was low—even lower than "Chase Escape"—the film "Night Club" had a tiny investment.

With just a small supermarket setting, the lead actors Xu Zheng and Yang Mi had low salaries, and the rest of the cast were even cheaper.

Combined with its modern setting and a few minor product placements arranged by the advertising department, the final production cost was squeezed to around 1.5 million.

Of course, additional funds were later poured into promotion and marketing, but after deducting these costs and factoring in box office dividends and other revenues, Yian's profit from production and distribution reached nearly ten million, not counting Yian's theater chain revenue.

A ten-million profit, while nowhere near the earnings of blockbusters, was still real, tangible profit and a high-return project.

Investors and the stock market love these underdog stories—turning a million into ten million, earning ten or even dozens of times the investment.

So although "Night Club" was insignificant among Yian's many projects, its story potential made it a key promotional focus.

It continued Yian's established image of small investment, big returns, annually producing dark horses—emphasizing sharp vision, strong execution, and willingness to back new directors.

In contrast, Huayi found itself in an awkward position.

This summer, Huayi was also low-key, focusing more on National Day and New Year releases, but still invested in and distributed one film.

It was "Chase Shadow," self-directed and self-starring by Qiao Zhenyu, with a title similar to "Chase Escape," and a solid cast: Wu Peici, Xie Na, and Crown Prince Long.

But its performance was abysmal.

It ran into competition from "Chase Escape" and another Hollywood film, earning less than ten million.

The studio publicly claimed a 20-million investment, likely inflated, but given its historical setting, it probably wasn't exaggerated too much.

With box office under ten million, the rights couldn't fetch a high price—the project was definitely a loss.

This was common in the industry; why film had such a high barrier was precisely because it was easy to lose money—most people couldn't afford it.

Yan Li, who was hailed as a business prodigy, had also stumbled on Jiang Wen and several other films—though they didn't lose money, they barely earned anything, just scraping by at break-even, like "Chase Escape."

Although Huayi wasn't as powerful as Yian, its film projects still had a high profitability rate; occasional small failures on non-critical projects weren't a big deal.

In the past, such situations wouldn't have drawn harsh media criticism, but now there was Yian.

During the New Year season, Huayi's "If You Are the One" took first place; although "Crazy Stone" preserved face, and with films like "Ip Man," Yian's total box office was still higher.

But Yan Li still felt a bit annoyed.

This summer, Huayi's project flopped while Yian produced a dark horse—if Yan Li didn't take a shot at them, he wouldn't be Yan Li.

Even if he didn't win, he'd still win; if he won, he'd win big.

Thus, "Chase Shadow," which had flopped silently, suddenly gained fame after its box office collapse, dragging Huayi down with it.

Wang Zhongjun was forced to personally come out and deny rumors, stating Huayi was merely one of the investors with limited input—implying the losses weren't severe.

He had to explain; Huayi was preparing for its IPO, and whether a project made or lost money was a sensitive topic.

This incident infuriated the two Wangs, who were determined to make a comeback during the National Day season.

This year's National Day season was a group effort of tribute films: besides the star-studded "The Founding of a Republic," Yian's "The Message" and Huayi's "Dawn 1949" would clash head-on.

Many were eagerly anticipating this direct confrontation—whichever side lost would suffer great humiliation.

Especially Huayi, whose IPO was planned for late October; the National Day results could directly impact its stock price.

Because of this, Huayi internally was divided: many hoped to avoid direct confrontation with Yian, fearing the cost of a loss would be too high.

But others saw it as an opportunity—if they won, it would be a major boon for Huayi.

After much deliberation, Huayi decided to fight this battle.

The risk was high, but constantly avoiding conflict meant Huayi would be increasingly trampled by Yian.

Considering Yian's current scale and strategy, Huayi didn't aim to win outright—but occasionally reclaiming a small victory and staying close enough to threaten Yian was a valuable industry positioning.

The top dog can sit on Taishan calmly; the second must hustle—otherwise, everyone will lump the second, third, fourth, and random players together.

Huayi preferred being a repeatedly defeated second-place contender over companies with no presence at all.

Yan Li supported Huayi's strategy.

Without opponents, how could there be exposure? If the entertainment industry were a stagnant pond and Yian ruled alone, it might sound great—but it was bad for the company and commercial development.

When Huayi jumps, Yian has someone to compete with, which highlights its own brilliance, fuels internal motivation and urgency, enlivens the industry, and makes storytelling more credible.

Why did many unified dynasties have less influence than the small state of Shu Han? Because Shu Han had drama, had compelling highlights.

For the National Day season, Huayi was willing to gamble, and Yian was willing to match them blow for blow.

If they won, no need to say more; if they lost, Yian's core wouldn't be harmed.

According to plan, Yian wouldn't go public until next year—plenty of time to absorb any negative impact.

Moreover, unlike Huayi, which relied solely on film production and star strategy—both vulnerable to fluctuations—

Yian had theater chains as a safety net, plus two major strategic partners: Weibo and Tudou.

As long as the theater market didn't collapse and Weibo and Tudou remained stable, Yian could recover even after a string of over a dozen flops.

Yan Li even called Wang Zhongjun directly to discuss the details of this National Day battle.

If they were going to fight, they'd fight well—otherwise, bungling it would waste such a good opportunity.

In Huayi's office, Wang Zhongjun hung up the phone with a look of confusion; his brother beside him asked:

"Brother, what did Yan Li mean?"

Yan Li's first call, Wang Zhongjun dared not answer—he had his brother and several Huayi executives gather, then returned the call with speakerphone on, so everyone could listen.

Wang Zhongjun shook his head: "Hard to say."

In the call, Yan Li's message was simple: let's fight a civilized battle; since these are tribute films, many tactics are off-limits, so both sides should make a gentleman's agreement—not to cross lines over box office rivalry.

Additionally, Yan Li stated that if Huayi lost, he wouldn't pursue them relentlessly—he'd stop at the point.

The first part was clear to Hua Yi's team, but the latter remark left them puzzled.

Insult? Unnecessary—and Yan Li spoke with genuine sincerity.

A truthful statement, but why would Yan Li do this?

One executive pondered for a while, then said: "Could Yan Li not want Hua Yi's stock to drop?"

Another executive questioned: "How's that possible? We're rivals—Hua Yi falling only makes him happier."

"Why not?"

Wang Zhongjun suddenly understood: "You're only watching our feud with each other, but ignoring the entire industry landscape."

At these words, some suddenly grasped it, others still half-understood; Wang Zhongjun continued explaining.

"Yan Li always thinks big. He never limits his perspective to one city or one battle—he sees from the whole picture, from the future, taking one step while looking ten ahead."

"When Yi'an was first founded, everyone wanted to make movies—he went the opposite way, risking everything to build cinema chains."

"Back then, people laughed at him for being foolish, called him overreaching—but now? Yi'an's merger instantly filled its weak spots, connected the entire industry chain, and achieved a shortcut to overtaking the competition."

"So his thinking can't be judged by ordinary logic."

"We see only the fight between Hua Yi and Yi'an, thinking only about who wins or loses—he sees the entire industry, pondering total victory or total defeat, or how Yi'an can win even bigger."

"Think about it: if Yi'an is certain to surpass Hua Yi, the higher Hua Yi's market value, the higher Yi'an's ceiling becomes; conversely, if Hua Yi's stock falls, Yi'an will inevitably be affected too."

"In this sense, Yan Li might even hope Hua Yi's stock surges more than we do."

Wang Zhonglei's eyes lit up: "If that's true, then let's lower our stock price…"

Before he finished speaking, he slapped himself.

If Hua Yi's stock is low, Yi'an can compensate in other ways—but we lose real gold and silver.

Wang Zhongjun didn't get angry; Hua Yi had suffered too many losses at Yan Li's hands, giving both brothers a psychological wound—once they imagined making Yan Li swallow a bitter defeat, they forgot everything else.

Sighing, Wang Zhongjun murmured: "This is another trait of Yan Li—he excels at using open strategies."

Even if you figure out how he's planning, you still end up following his path.

One side offers mutual gain; the other, killing him eight hundred while losing three thousand five hundred—anyone with a functioning brain picks the former.

Wang Zhongjun has clashed with Yan Li more than most, understands him better than most—and thus, the more they fight, the more his morale crumbles.

In the past, when Yi'an was weak, Yan Li used underhanded tricks—but now that he holds clear advantage, he simply crushes with raw power.

This style is the most infuriating!

The key is, Yan Li is sharp and alert—any underhanded trick you try, he easily dismantles and counters, then drags you into open combat, where he pounds you with sheer strength.

Originally, Hua Yi entered this National Day box office battle with high spirits—win or lose, they'd show Hua Yi's fighting spirit.

Now, they saw that whether they won or lost, Hua Yi gained less than Yi'an—purely making clothes for someone else's back—and morale was already fraying.

Seeing the complex expressions on their faces, Wang Zhongjun quickly composed himself, set aside the feud with Yi'an, and shifted focus to their own strategy.

With the IPO imminent, Hua Yi will soon have money—and must act boldly.

Besides Feng Xiaogang's earthquake epic, there's Xu Laoguai's historical epic, plus a joint all-star blockbuster with several top stars.

Also, they must expand into cinema chains and the internet.

Yi'an's model—film + cinema chains + internet—has become the standard answer for every film company.

Orange Sky's acquisition of Shaw Brothers focused heavily on cinema chains; Hua Yi, BoNa, and others are all drafting cinema investment plans.

If you have the ability, build your own; if not, partner or take equity; if even that's impossible, just hang your name on a theater—either way, you must have a cinema chain division.

As for the internet, everyone can see how vital Weibo is to Yi'an.

But this isn't like cinema chains—fail in cinema strategy, and you still have actual theaters standing, losing little; the internet is too deep, and ordinary attempts are just throwing money away.

Hua Yi's strategy is to cling to a big leg—they've already clung to Jack Ma, and can still talk to Tencent.

Yi'an has its own internet system; neither Tencent nor Alibaba can penetrate it—perfectly leaving an opening for Hua Yi.

Also, while imitating Yi'an, Hua Yi will explore real-world entertainment, music, and gaming.

Music is one of Hua Yi's strengths, and the only area where they can surpass Yi'an—so they must invest heavily.

Gaming is a business the Wang brothers favor; if done well, it could become a cash flow source.

Real-world entertainment means cultural theme parks built around film IPs.

In plain terms, it's a disguised Disneyland or Universal Studios—developing film-related merchandise and integrating culture with tourism.

The Wang brothers felt they couldn't surpass Yi'an in cinema chains, so they'd forge a new path—combining real-world entertainment to build Hua Yi's unique physical advantage.

This way, they could both leverage and establish Hua Yi's unique strengths, while avoiding direct competition with Yi'an.

Though unspoken, the Wang brothers felt a tinge of fear when facing Yan Li.

Yet they didn't know that Hua Yi's entire strategic development plan had long been known to Yan Li.

Diversify beyond film, build a broader entertainment ecosystem.

Hua Yi's strategy was sound—film carries high risk, is asset-light, and faces a powerful rival like Yi'an; anyone would seek to expand new businesses and build moats.

But the right direction doesn't guarantee success.

Disney's template is right there—who doesn't want to replicate an Eastern Disney? But can anyone truly copy it and hold their ground?

Yan Li had considered real-world entertainment, but quickly abandoned it.

The film market, at least for the next decade, remains in an upward phase—even an explosive one; cinema chain investment is the风口, with clear prospects.

Real-world entertainment is uncertain—it's not just entertainment, but also tourism and commercial real estate: huge investment, far more complex competition, and unclear prospects.

Moreover, Yi'an already has cinema chains—a money-sucking beast—so Yan Li temporarily abandoned real-world entertainment.

He didn't fully abandon it, because the industry still has potential—he could wait and watch; if one day Yi'an has spare cash, he could try it, or partner with some company.

Once a company reaches a certain scale, it doesn't always need to operate businesses directly—investment is a major profit model for large firms.

Similarly, the gaming industry—everyone knows games make money, but the key is whether you can outcompete.

Tencent, NetEase, Shanda, and Giant all started in gaming; other internet firms and investors have also dabbled in gaming companies and projects.

Never mind other things, Yan Li's Yan Ye Capital had invested in two game companies, with losses and profits alike.

Know this: even without future intelligence to warn him, Yan Li used daily intelligence to dig into the foundations of most of his major investments, allowing him to understand and judge each project more directly and precisely.

Even so, losses were still losses.

This is an industry where winners take all: companies like Penguin earned vast fortunes, while beneath them lay the piled bones of the defeated.

Thus, under Yan Li's influence, Weibo and Yi'an, though also exploring game-related businesses, adopted a relatively conservative stance, prioritizing stability.

As for music, Huayi had gotten this wrong.