Chapter 51

Yan Li spent two more days accompanying Qin Lan, and finally left Jingcheng to shoot "The Ju Bao Pen," despite her reluctance.

The crew had already been filming for over a month; if not for Yan Li's limited role and Cheng Lidong's protection, they'd have called him long ago to get moving.

Compared to his earlier trip to Hengdian to film "Heroes of Sui and Tang," Yan Li now had far more financial flexibility.

Considering the exhaustion from the train ride to Hengdian last time, Yan Li tried air travel for the first time in his life.

Although economy class wasn't particularly comfortable, the speed was truly fast—what took over ten hours by train took less than two by plane.

But Yan Li hadn't realized Suzhou had no airport; he first had to go to Magu, then take a car to Suzhou.

Zhouzhuang Ancient Town

A famous tourist attraction in Suzhou, renowned for preserving a large number of Ming and Qing architectural styles, it has attracted several film and television crews, including the "The Ju Bao Pen" crew.

Of course, another reason is that Zhouzhuang is the hometown of Shen Wansan, and much of "The Ju Bao Pen"'s plot takes place in Suzhou.

Filming local figures and local stories in their own place counts as promotion, and often brings some degree of preferential treatment—or even subsidies.

Upon arriving at the crew, Yan Li first reported to Cheng Lidong, the producer of "The Ju Bao Pen."

Back in Jingcheng, Yan Li had helped Cheng Lidong out, and the two had become sworn brothers, with Yan Li constantly calling him "Brother Cheng."

Now that he was on Cheng's home turf, Yan Li didn't casually come forward to cling to their relationship; instead, he adopted a more formal address and showed great respect.

"Director Cheng, I have little filming experience—please take good care of me."

Cheng Lidong was very pleased with Yan Li's attitude—he hadn't misjudged the boy; this kid understood boundaries and knew how to behave.

Yan Li had indeed helped him, and it was true he had connections in a certain bureau.

Cheng Lidong acknowledged this favor and was willing to cultivate a good relationship with Yan Li.

But their statuses were undeniably different, and this was his own crew—if Yan Li flaunted his favor and acted disrespectfully, Cheng wouldn't turn hostile, but they wouldn't get along long-term.

Now that Yan Li had voluntarily shown the right attitude, Cheng knew he was perceptive and wouldn't cause trouble, so he became warmer, feigning annoyance.

"What's this 'Director Cheng' nonsense? Call me Brother Cheng—are you treating me like a stranger?"

Yan Li's earlier behavior was both due to his naturally cautious nature and information he'd received from the system about Cheng Lidong's thoughts.

Seeing Cheng's reaction now, he knew he'd passed the test, and naturally switched back to his old, familiar, brotherly tone with a chuckle.

"I was just worried you'd have a hard time—privately, we can do whatever we want, but on set, we need to be formal."

"You little rascal, so cunning."

Cheng Lidong laughed and scolded, pulled out cigarettes, and handed one to each; Yan Li swiftly produced a lighter and lit his.

The two smoked and chatted warmly, and Yan Li extracted some insider information about the "The Ju Bao Pen" crew from Cheng.

Having joined several crews, this time Yan Li had the strongest backing—he could stay safe and worry-free as long as he didn't bother anyone, with Cheng Lidong watching over him.

…

After strengthening ties with Cheng Lidong, Yan Li left to find the production supervisor and collect his hotel room key.

Going through back channels was great—not only did he get a private room, but the size, decoration, and amenities were excellent.

This was due both to Cheng Lidong's connections and because "The Ju Bao Pen" had a larger budget than "Conquest" or "Snow Goddess Dragon."

After all, the lead actor of "The Ju Bao Pen" was Zhang Weijian.

After falling out with TVB, Zhang Weijian moved north and went on to star in hit dramas like "Young Fang Shi Yu," "Xiao Bao and Kangxi," "Clever Little Bud," "Young Zhang Sanfeng," and "Fang Miao Detective."

Currently, Zhang Weijian is among the most box-office-drawing actors in mainland China's television market.

Even if rumors say he's taking every role he's offered due to his company's bankruptcy and debt, he's not someone you can hire for just any price.

According to Yan Li's system, Zhang Weijian's salary alone nearly equaled half the entire crew's actor budget.

Notably, Yan Li's salary ranked among the highest in the "The Ju Bao Pen" crew.

He earned 2,500 per episode, with about fourteen episodes, totaling roughly 35,000 yuan.

Considering Yan Li had no fame and played a supporting role, receiving this salary was almost certainly due to Cheng Lidong's deliberate favor.

Yan Li had refused Cheng's red envelope and chosen a minor role; Cheng likely felt embarrassed and, still remembering Yan Li's "connections," made up for it with the salary.

After traveling half the day, Yan Li was tired; he washed up, lay on the hotel's comfortable bed, and sent text messages to Dong Xuan and Qin Lan to let them know he was safe.

Hmm, I need to buy a new phone and change my number—otherwise I'll keep texting the wrong people…

…

The next morning, Yan Li woke early, put on his sportswear, and went out for a run.

For days, Qin Lan had blocked his door every morning, leaving him little time to exercise; now that he was on the "The Ju Bao Pen" set with light duties, he could finally strengthen his physical fitness.

The body is the foundation of all achievement—never slack off!

After running several laps and practicing martial arts in a quiet spot, Yan Li went for breakfast.

His daily intelligence update that morning mentioned a shop in Zhouzhuang serving breakfast and lunch, famous for its Wansan Noodles—he followed the directions and found it.

As soon as Yan Li entered and ordered, he heard a distinctly Jingcheng accent.

"Boss, one bowl of Wansan Noodles, double toppings, one bowl of tofu pudding, two fried dough sticks…"

Yan Li turned around and grinned—it was Zhang Damin, the talkative one!

"Teacher Liang."

Liang Guanhua, seeing a handsome, martial-looking young man greeting him, looked puzzled on his chubby face.

"Sorry, who are you?"

"I'm Yan Li, from the 2000 class at Beijing Film Academy. I once attended your lecture, and now I'm also on the 'The Ju Bao Pen' crew."

To the general public, Liang Guanhua is best known today for the drama "The Happy Life of Talkative Zhang Damin."

But in the Jingcheng performing arts world, Liang Guanhua still held considerable influence—one of the middle-generation pillars of the Beijing People's Art Theatre, with countless stage plays to his name, and the actor who portrayed Wang Lifa in the new version of "Teahouse."

Especially among students of the acting departments at Zhongxi and Beidian, almost none had never seen the Beijing People's Art Theatre's signature play "Teahouse."

As for Yan Li's claim of attending his class—it was actually just a single lecture Liang gave at Beidian during Yan Li's sophomore year; it wasn't a proper course, and Yan Li was simply using it to flatter.

"Oh, you're the one playing Song Dian, right?"

Liang Guanhua had heard Yan Li's name; as soon as Yan Li introduced himself, he recognized him.

"Come on, Teacher Liang, join us for a meal."

Yan Li was extremely warm—though Liang Guanhua wasn't widely famous, as a representative of the People's Art Theatre, his colleagues and friends included Song Dandan, Pu Cunxin, Feng Yuanzheng, and He Bing; his network in the circle was not to be underestimated.

But Yan Li himself now also had some connections; he didn't need to court Liang Guanhua just to land roles.

Liang Guanhua's own connections in this area were limited too, otherwise he wouldn't have only become famous in film and television near the age of forty.

Yan Li's attentiveness was primarily directed at Liang Guanhua's professional ability; Yan Li had personally watched his plays and especially loved and admired his performances, so this rare chance to shoot a drama together, he must take time to learn from him properly.

"This…"

Liang Guanhua hesitated slightly, but couldn't resist Yan Li's enthusiastic invitation, and sat down to eat with him.

Yan Li was young and strong with a big appetite; Liang Guanhua, seeing his round, plump figure, naturally ate quite a bit too.

A food lover met a food hog—it was like spotting a prized catch, meeting too late.

Eating happily, chatting merrily, Liang Guanhua even praised Yan Li for his good taste and keen nose.

He had spent over a month in Zhou's Shop before finding a decent place, yet Yan Li had found it on his very first day.

At first Liang Guanhua thought Yan Li was just lucky, but after talking about food, he realized Yan Li spoke with deep knowledge—he'd met a kindred spirit.

This couldn't be summed up as mere luck; it had to be real talent!

"If you talk about other things, I'll be modest, but when it comes to finding good food and fun, I truly have a gift."

Yan Li was extremely confident—the System's recommendations, whether for food or entertainment, had never once failed.

"Then use your sharp eyes often—I'll gladly benefit from your finds."

Liang Guanhua was delighted; many people liked to eat, but those who could find truly good food were rare—a food lover meeting a gourmet radar was like Bo Ya meeting Zi Qi.

The friendly atmosphere was slightly spoiled at bill time, as both men insisted on paying, struggling over it for a long while.

In the end, Liang Guanhua couldn't match Yan Li's strength and was outmaneuvered; Yan Li paid the bill, muttering he'd treat him tomorrow.

Returning together to the hotel, they hadn't even reached the floor when they met two beautiful Misses stepping out of the elevator.

Seeing Liang Guanhua and Yan Li, the girl on the left, with a sweet face and dimples on her cheeks, merely smiled and nodded.

The girl on the right, with delicate features, fair skin, large eyes, and an oval face, smiled warmly and greeted them.

"Teacher Liang, good morning."

Liang Guanhua beamed: "Good morning, Bingbing."

(End of Chapter)