Chapter 60: Yi

"Yi'an Film & Television?"

Zhou Yi and Zhang Songwen looked at the document in Lin Jiachuan's hands, curiously at Seeing Yan Li.

"How did you come up with this name?"

"Dumb, Yi'an, Yi'an—yi—an—Yan, it's just the pinyin breakdown of Li-ge's surname."

Lin Jiachuan pointed out Seeing Yan Li's naming logic; Zhang and Zhou finally got it.

"I think Yan's Film Industry sounds more powerful."

Zhang Songwen rubbed his chin and offered his opinion; Seeing Yan Li was speechless.

"It's just a tiny shell company—we just need a name. If you call it Yan's Film Industry, it sounds like some big family conglomerate; I'd be too embarrassed to introduce it."

"Yi'an means comfort and ease; taken singly, it also suggests everything goes smoothly, safe and peaceful—great symbolism."

Zhou Yi endorsed it; Lin Jiachuan chimed in proudly.

"It's not just that—Yi'an was the pen name of the great female writer Li Qingzhao. Li-ge says using this name will borrow her literary talent and fame."

Zhang Songwen bowed formally: "Once the company is established, we'll have to call you Boss Yan."

Lin Jiachuan and Zhou Yi joined in teasing: "Boss Yan, good."

Seeing Yan Li didn't refuse—he crossed his legs, put on the boss's demeanor: "Chuan'er, come massage my legs. Xiao Zhang, go wash my clothes. Xiao Zhou, sweep and make up my bedroom."

Zhang Songwen and the others exchanged glances, then rose in unison to surround Seeing Yan Li, faces twisted in mock smiles.

"Oh my, Boss Yan is so powerful."

Seeing Yan Li sensed trouble, dropped his legs, feigned hearing something, and stood to escape: "Someone's knocking at the door."

"No need for you to worry, brothers—let's give Boss Yan a proper 'care.'"

Zhang Songwen, the eldest, gave the signal; they surged forward, the masses crushing the evil capitalist.

After a while of laughing and fooling around, they turned to serious matters; Zhou Yi asked what business Seeing Yan Li planned to run with this company.

"Main business is film and TV investment, but we don't have enough capital yet, so we'll have to do some side gigs to earn pocket money first."

Zhang Songwen's mind lit up: "You've found a job."

"No."

Seeing Yan Li shook his head, then smiled slyly: "But soon."

【Daily Intelligence x: Gao Qunshu contacted multiple friends and channels to distribute 'Conquest,' but kept hitting walls, growing anxious】

【Monthly Intelligence x: Behind-the-scenes of film and TV—Director Gao Qunshu mortgaged everything to raise 4.2 million to shoot 'Conquest,' but due to poor distribution, sold the rights for 4.5 million, netting only 300,000… while the bold boss who bet on it successfully launched the series, making it a massive hit, selling DVDs until they sold out, reaping huge profits】

Director Gao is truly my benefactor!

When I had no role, he gave me one; when I had no money, he gave me a job.

If this deal goes through, I'll get my initial capital—and maybe even carve out a path, earn money, and raise my status in the industry.

————

Seeing Yan Li didn't rush to find Gao Qunshu; the man wasn't desperate yet.

He didn't have enough funds to buy the rights to 'Conquest' outright.

So he had to wait until Old Gao was cornered, with no other options, before he'd agree to partner with a young kid like him.

Also, Seeing Yan Li knew little about TV distribution—he needed to do research, and meanwhile, try to meet and connect with insiders to make future operations easier.

So in the following days, Seeing Yan Li spent his days stock trading and his nights using his connections to contact relevant people, treating them to meals.

On the surface, he was building relationships and learning industry knowledge; in truth, he was using the system to probe the underworld, uncover secrets, and select suitable partners to deepen ties with.

Seeing Yan Li's intelligence system could trigger relevant intel through his subconscious, but it was highly random.

So Seeing Yan Li generally prepared two ways: direct contact + subconscious trigger, to improve the targeting and detail of the intel.

Besides this, Seeing Yan Li hadn't forgotten 'Emperor Wu of Han.'

The previous monthly intelligence had triggered future intel on 'Emperor Wu of Han'—Seeing Yan Li learned it was CCTV's 2005 New Year drama, with explosive ratings and major influence.

This made Seeing Yan Li, who had already been interested in the drama, even more eager.

Right now, Seeing Yan Li had connected with Hu Mei's assistant director for 'Emperor Wu of Han.'

Once Director Hu Mei returned from location scouting, the assistant director would arrange for Seeing Yan Li to meet her and secure an audition opportunity.

These days, Seeing Yan Li had not only read 'Records of the Grand Historian,' but also borrowed 'Book of Han' and related scholarly texts from the library, striving to understand the historical generals Huo Qubing and Wei Qing more deeply, to leave a strong impression on Hu Mei.

Seeing Yan Li learned this trick from Teacher Tang Guoqiang!

It's said that when filming 'Emperor Yongzheng,' Tang wasn't the first choice for Yongzheng—he was originally slated to play the Eighth Prince.

But Tang Guoqiang had always wanted to play Yongzheng, so he researched extensively, writing over ten thousand characters in character biographies.

After the originally cast Zhang Fengyi backed out to pursue a film, Tang seized the chance, approached Director Hu Mei, and passionately demonstrated his understanding of Yongzheng—finally winning the role.

These old-school directors especially respect this approach; it's not always effective, but being prepared and showing dedication is always better than doing nothing.

Lin Jiachuan wasn't idle either—Seeing Yan Li gave him a task: find out about buying internet cafe licenses.

After the Blue Speed incident in June, the internet cafe industry underwent major cleanup; many illegal cafes were shut down, and to operate one legally, you must have an 【Internet Cafe License】.

But to control the market, authorities strictly limited new license issuance, and many cities had suspended issuing them entirely.

This made Internet Cafe Licenses highly sought-after, with prices soaring.

Seeing Yan Li studied the situation and believed this was profitable—he planned to hoard a few.

Lin Jiachuan wasn't smart, but he was obedient and diligent.

Seeing Yan Li gave him a task, and he visited internet cafes one by one; after covering the central districts of Jingcheng, he planned to go to outlying districts, even considering Hebei and Tianjin.

Some Internet Cafe Licenses were transferable across cities; many speculators specifically bought them in small towns and sold them in big cities.

Lin Jiachuan pretended to be a buyer, collecting information from each one and recording it.

Then Seeing Yan Li used his account and the information to trigger the intelligence system, selecting potential partners.

Not bad—the efficiency was good; in just half a month, Seeing Yan Li had acquired two licenses.

Lin Jiachuan felt a sigh of relief that he hadn't taken Seeing Yan Li's salary, though he was still unsure.

"Brother Li, this one certificate is worth tens of thousands, and you have to pay annually—is it reliable?"

Of course it's reliable!

Seeing Yan Li doesn't act without reason; every month his intelligence reports include future information—the next few years are the golden period for internet cafes, with money flowing like water.

The value of internet cafe permits also skyrocketed, peaking at hundreds of thousands; a single permit was even worth more than an entire internet cafe.

Of course, Seeing Yan Li probably won't live to see that time, but now that permit prices are still low, he might as well hoard a few—getting in early brings peace of mind.

Whether selling them at a high price or saving capital when opening an internet cafe, he could make a decent profit.

Seeing Yan Li, who had recently lost money in the stock market and nearly lost half his fortune, became even more convinced that eggs shouldn't be placed in one basket.

Acting, starting a company, planning internet cafes—pursuing multiple paths simultaneously, blossoming everywhere, is how one achieves lasting, steady wealth…

(End of Chapter)