[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment":3,"chapter-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-54":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Intelligence King of Chinese Entertainment",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2260357,4411,"Chapter 54: Fan Xiaopang: This Guy","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-54",54,"\u003Cp>Daily Info X: Fan Bingbing was deeply dissatisfied with Yan Li’s cold treatment in the makeup room and teamed up with her assistant to launch a fierce critique, specifically saying: That bastard thinks he’s so great, treats people differently, changes his face like flipping a book…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tsk tsk, Yan Li counted roughly—no less than several thousand words’ worth—wondering how long they’d been whispering behind his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Typical petty mind!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As part of his daily running routine, Yan Li detoured on his way to the makeup room to buy a good amount of pastries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhouzhuang’s specialty is the famous Suzhou dish, Wansan Pig’s Trotter—essentially braised pork knuckle, overly sweet—and various pastries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suzhou-style pastries are already renowned; as a famed town of Suzhou, Zhouzhuang naturally boasts its share of delicacies: Wansan Cake, Haitang  Cake, Waist-Supporting Cake, Green Dumplings, Osmanthus Cake… everything you could want.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with so many pastries available, knowing which ones are truly delicious is an art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In such pastry shops, any that have been around for a decent stretch rarely serve anything truly bad—each has at least one or two signature items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This makes it easy for newcomers to mix good with bad, especially since Suzhou-style pastries are exquisitely crafted and visually deceptive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this posed no difficulty for Yan Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His intelligence system had already given him a clear list, detailing exactly which shop and which pastry were authentic and delicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even ordinary locals of Zhouzhuang, nor even professionals in the pastry trade, could match his knowledge or standards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arriving at the makeup room, Yan Li shared the pastries with everyone, thoughtfully noting which were sweet or savory and whether they contained lard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eating someone’s food softens their heart—especially when it’s this delicious—food soothes the soul, and everyone’s opinion of Yan Li improved slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, Liang Guanhua was both surprised and delighted, greatly admiring Yan Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a food lover who’d been in Zhouzhuang this long, how could he not have bought pastries before? But the overall quality and taste were far inferior to Yan Li’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Liang Guanhua truly believed: when it came to finding delicious food, Yan Li had a dog’s nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang arrived late to makeup today; upon entering, he saw everyone praising Yan Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After asking around, he understood why and couldn’t help muttering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Buying favor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li noticed Fan Xiaopang too, smiling even more warmly than yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Fan, you’re here—I just bought some pastries, try some.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No thanks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang didn’t want to accept Yan Li’s petty favors, but Liang Guanhua kept pushing beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bingbing, try it—Yan Li specifically asked locals who know their stuff, and these pastries are all especially delicious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With others urging her and everyone watching, Fan Xiaopang couldn’t refuse indefinitely; she was also slightly tempted, so she reluctantly came over to take some.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li enthusiastically recommended: “Do you prefer sweet or savory?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang didn’t hesitate: “Sweet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li wrapped several in special pastry paper he’d specifically requested; Fan Xiaopang accepted, and her impression of him improved slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s not entirely useless!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting at her seat, Fan Xiaopang stared at the delicate, beautiful pastries and felt her appetite stir; she picked one up, placed it in her mouth, and took a small bite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh? Savory?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang couldn’t help glancing back at Yan Li; he noticed and smiled at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His friendly demeanor eased her suspicion—perhaps he’d grabbed the wrong one by accident, understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She swallowed the pastry in a few bites, then picked another that looked clean and plain, assuming it must be sweet; she parted her lips slightly and bit in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still savory?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That bastard is deliberately playing tricks on her?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang turned to glare at Yan Li; he looked confused, gazing at her innocently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing, it’s delicious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang forced a smile and complimented him, but internally doubted—could he have misheard her earlier?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they had no open conflict; he wouldn’t go out of his way to mock her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could only fume inwardly, adding another mark against Yan Li: speaks without thinking, ears are bad too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li calmly took a bite of pastry—yes, fragrant, sweet, soft, and chewy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang has a petty mind; he’s no magnanimous man either—she’d written thousands of words behind his back, so his little notebook had her name on it too…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li had significantly more scenes today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were filming the scene where his character, Song Dian, competes with Shen Wansan (Zhang Weijian) and Su Bancheng (Liang Guanhua) for one woman—Fan Xiaopang’s character, Zhao Xuee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plot: Zhao Xuee’s mother, greedy for money, accepted three dowries and married one daughter to three husbands; each man refused to yield, so they took the matter to court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, the magistrate, cleverly pretending to condemn Zhao Xuee for corrupting morals, ordered the three husbands to pay for her burial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, the two villains wouldn’t want a dead woman, while the hero, deeply devoted, would ultimately win her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li had no opinion on the plot—it wasn’t clichéd, but neither was it fresh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a character standpoint, Su Bancheng was a cunning, crafty merchant, and Song Dian was a brilliant scholar who rose to become Suzhou’s chief administrator—how could either fail to see through such a crude trick?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the screenwriter wrote it, the director filmed it, so the actors had to perform it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even Yan Li, nor Liang Guanhua—who’d performed countless masterpieces at the People’s Art Theatre—could avoid turning into a loud, ridiculous villain once filming began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actors are paid to perform; they do their best to portray their roles well, and beyond that, they can’t control much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, this scene was quite interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Liang Guanhua and Yan Li leaned toward the academic school—disciplined, precise; even when playing ridiculous villains, they infused their performances with technique and design.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Weijian was different—he began as a singer, then climbed through the ranks of TVB and the Hong Kong film industry, a self-taught path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early on, his performances showed real skill; later, as he took on more comedies and his roles became increasingly homogenized, he gradually developed his own acting formula.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clever, quirky, slightly exaggerated, with a touch of cartoonish, absurd humor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Often, when he sensed a character was similar, he’d just lazily reuse this formula.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Polite term: distinctive personal style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harsh term: monotonous performance style, no ambition, content to stay in his comfort zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, most actors are like this; it’s unfair to judge too harshly—Zhang’s financial situation is unique, so he chose to earn money first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, Zhang’s style, though tiring after repeated exposure, is exceptionally eye-catching and gripping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Added to the fact that he’s the lead with the most screen time, he dominated this scene absolutely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Liang Guanhua and Yan Li weren’t passive—they each delivered, one portraying cunning, the other malice, both capturing the villains’ despicable faces; the magistrate and Zhao’s mother, veteran actors, also performed well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The least noteworthy was Fan Xiaopang—aside from her tearful, delicate crying, everything else was dull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, in two scenes, she forgot her lines multiple times, making Yan Li shake his head in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poor acting can be blamed on lack of talent or youth and inexperience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forgetting lines? That’s pure, unadulterated lack of professionalism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang’s forgotten lines caused multiple retakes; already nervous and embarrassed, she feared others would gossip—then she saw Yan Li shaking his head, bit her lip, and felt a surge of grievance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d taken this role as a last-minute favor; she’d originally been waiting to join the wuxia drama “Pingsheng Xia Ying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tight schedule, heavy workload, and her mind still on “Pingsheng Xia Ying”—she’d had insufficient private preparation time, so mistakes were inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps unwilling to be looked down upon by someone she disliked, Fan Xiaopang sought out Yan Li after wrap to explain: she had legitimate reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li nodded, looking as if he’d just understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it’s overlapping shoots—then yes, that’s a problem with attitude; her acting was mediocre to begin with, and now she’s distracted—how could she possibly portray the role well?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang sensed Yan Li’s insincerity; her eyes flickered slightly, and she cut straight to the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I feel like you’re somehow… resistant to me—is there some misunderstanding between us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li looked bewildered, then replied sincerely: “No, I really liked your performance as Jin Suo—even though she’s just a maid, your acting is average and your looks are still youthful, but you had real spirit…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fan Xiaopang: “…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether there was a misunderstanding aside, this guy’s mouth is truly annoying!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1431,"2026-06-19T16:16:52.605Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e7540095d8f5db90dd35916f88767dfa2a1d6b58d80200af3ab47df51a180a82","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-55","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-53",405,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-cover.jpg"]