[{"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-97":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},2260400,4411,"Chapter 97: Balancing the Bowl and the Future Starlet","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-97",97,"\u003Cp>Late June, the World Health Organization lifted its travel advisory for Jingcheng and removed it from the list of SARS-affected regions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant the battle against SARS in Jingcheng had ended, and orderly normalization was beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li and Qin Lan’s secluded two-person world would now return to reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On their final night, Qin Lan, likely spurred by this news, acted wildly, adopting a “let’s die together” stance—only to be thoroughly subdued by Yan Li, then spent the next day moaning and refusing to get out of bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li, by contrast, was full of energy, having resumed his morning exercise routine; he bought breakfast and sat by the bed calling for Qin Lan to wake up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get up. Eat, then we’re moving today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, Qin Lan had rented a separate apartment in Nongguangli, hoping to delay Yan Li’s advances and control the pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, after living together for two months, there was no need for two separate apartments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan had no interest in preserving any personal space—she only wanted to live with Yan Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she suggested canceling the Nongguangli lease and moving into Yan Li’s Guanghuali apartment—larger, and saving on rent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li hesitated slightly, found no suitable excuse to refuse, and agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he was a womanizer, he wasn’t entirely without conscience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This girl had given him her whole heart, her love deep as the sea—how could he remain unmoved? Though he hadn’t yet decided what to do, he couldn’t possibly abandon her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, just keep going—maybe over time, a way forward would appear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan couldn’t keep pretending to be lazy, so Yan Li pulled back the thin blanket, slipped his hand inside, and tickled her—she couldn’t bear it, and reluctantly got dressed and rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moving company had been arranged; their belongings were mostly packed; after eating, they contacted the landlord to finalize the move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two apartments were close; one trip sufficed to move all of Qin Lan’s possessions to Guanghuali.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then they began tidying the new place—mostly Qin Lan did the work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that Yan Li was lazy—he simply dismissed most things as useless or outdated and wanted to throw them out and replace them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan had her own ideas; aside from the kitchen, she wasn’t satisfied with anything Yan Li had touched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, unable to watch any longer, Qin Lan shoved Yan Li aside and enthusiastically took charge herself, carefully integrating her personal items into the new home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, Guanghuali had been lifeless before—Yan Li rarely visited, and it had no warmth—but after Qin Lan’s touch, it instantly became cozy and lived-in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Already unwell, Qin Lan collapsed completely into Yan Li’s arms after finishing the move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though physically exhausted, her spirit was high; she counted off items on her fingers, listing what they still needed to buy in the next two days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then her mood turned slightly melancholy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they now lived together, with SARS over, both must resume their careers—and separation loomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li was about to join the set of Hanwu Dadi; she had to participate in the promotional events for Huanzhu Gege 3—this separation would last at least one or two months, possibly longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they weren’t together before, such a long separation was already painful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, after two months of inseparable cohabitation—right in the heart of their honeymoon phase—even when Yan Li went out for breakfast, Qin Lan missed him—how much worse would this long separation be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li felt reluctant too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, with Dong Xuan, though they often stayed together, it was campus romance—they’d never cohabited this long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For over two months, Yan Li woke up every day to Qin Lan; they ate every meal together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This SARS period, beyond the occasional frustration of being trapped and the triumph of Zhengfu, most of Yan Li’s memories were warm, sweet moments with Qin Lan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even heroes fall for beauty!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beauty truly eroded his will—he decided he must abstain from sex for three months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, Qin Lan and Dong Xuan didn’t count, nor did Huang Shengyi—and if someone threw herself at him, he couldn’t be blamed…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li remembered something, rose from the bed, reached into his bag, and handed Qin Lan an item.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan looked: “Passbook? 500,000?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li sat back down, wrapped his arms around her, and explained: “This is the money you gave me—I added some myself, rounded it up. Keep it with you. Business is risky; you need a safety net.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t bear to take Qin Lan’s money outright, and buying property risked complications—so he invented this excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By handing the money to her now, letting her hold it, he could later, at the right moment, reframe it from a safety net into her personal stash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This money… I’m keeping it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan hesitated, unsure whether to accept it. Yan Li kissed her and urged:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take it. I wouldn’t trust anyone else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those words convinced her. Holding the passbook, Qin Lan, moved and happy, kissed him deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He entrusted her with so much cash—he trusted her, he loved her, and she loved him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d finally gotten past that, and Yan Li sighed in relief; kissing her cherry lips, his desire stirred again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Separation loomed; the next meeting would be long delayed—better to savor every moment now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Lan shook her head firmly, gripping him—last night had been too wild; her body still bore the toll, and she couldn’t take more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li knew this—he didn’t expect to do anything serious, but other ways could still relieve the tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he grasped Qin Lan’s soft, smooth ankle; she understood instantly, blushed slightly, and playfully spat at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pervert—why do you always fixate on feet…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li was scheduled to join Hanwu Dadi at the end of June, but a few days early, he packed and left Guanghuali.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He moved into Beiying Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BeiDian still restricted student outings, but not as strictly as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, for Beiying Village next door, Dong Xuan couldn’t stay overnight, but she could slip out before dorm curfew under the pretense of rehearsal or returning to campus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything went wrong, Guan Yue would warn her—plus the time to dress—she could be back at school in under twenty minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After two months apart, Dong Xuan was also wild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Yan Li’s strong physique could handle it easily; otherwise, Dong Xuan would’ve immediately sensed something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the storm passed, Yan Li held Dong Xuan’s soft, smooth body and pulled out another passbook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“300,000?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Xuan stared at the passbook, bewildered: “Why give me so much money?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Business is risky. Keep it with you as a safety net. I wouldn’t trust anyone else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li stroked Dong Xuan’s shoulder, repeating the same excuse he’d used with Qin Lan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew Dong Xuan—if he said it was for her living expenses or to spend freely, she might refuse, or at least not accept so much—he needed a reason she’d accept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True to form, after hearing his explanation, Dong Xuan stopped refusing, accepted the passbook, and declared firmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll keep this money safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li winced, advising: “I’ll add more later—it’s just insurance. Spend it as you need, don’t be too frugal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Xuan replied vaguely, then beamed at the passbook in her hand and suggested:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve given me plenty already, plus my own salary and allowance—why not combine them all into one account? Make it our… family passbook.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whatever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li had given up—he’d given the money, wouldn’t take it back, and didn’t care if they saved or spent it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Xuan, thrilled by his acceptance of “our family,” kissed him, then began pondering where to hide the passbook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li leaned back, watching her mutter to herself, his mind drifting slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the 500,000 he’d given Qin Lan, part was her own money—he’d contributed roughly 300,000.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he’d given Qin Lan money, he couldn’t favor one over the other—Dong Xuan, who’d been with him longer, deserved equal treatment—so he gave her 300,000 too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what happened later, for now, he’d balanced the scales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the following days, aside from occasional social engagements, Yan Li stayed mostly in Beiying Village; Dong Xuan couldn’t stay overnight due to strict dorm checks, so she skipped class to spend days with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it not been for SARS delaying summer break, she’d have wanted to join him on the Hanwu Dadi set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she filmed Snow Goddess Dragon, Yan Li had accompanied the set—acting as her agent by day, coaching her acting by night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Dong Xuan planned to become Yan Li’s assistant on Hanwu Dadi—carrying bags and water by day, warming his bed by night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Jiachuan: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who the hell is showing up to steal my job?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li declined Dong Xuan’s proposal. On Snow Goddess Dragon, he’d gone because he was worried about her being alone—he’d gone to supervise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had a good relationship with the producer, Li Peng, who turned a blind eye, and he’d left after a short time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But on Hanwu Dadi, he wouldn’t get that leniency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The set was full of people—many had left their families to work. A beautiful girl constantly coming and going around Yan Li would look bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So no assistant role—but they agreed: after summer break, Dong Xuan could visit the set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bringing a girlfriend or family member to the set for visits, though similar in effect, was entirely different from being a personal assistant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li himself might not care—but he had to protect Dong Xuan’s reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The day before leaving Jingcheng, Yan Li finally remembered Huang Shengyi and spent half a day hanging out with her at Zhiqiang Nanyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shengyi’s resentment over his long absence vanished quickly under Yan Li’s stormy “persuasion”; she lay softly against him and told him about her life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhou Xingchi’s movie casting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Li looked at Huang Shengyi strangely—if he remembered correctly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>one of the monthly future reports had mentioned Huang Shengyi was a Star Girl, and later apparently broke up with Zhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, the associate director said the crew was pleased with my photo—this is a great opportunity. I want to go to Shanghai for the audition, but flights and hotels are expensive...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yanli understood Huang Shengyi’s meaning and took out two stacks of cash he had prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take this for now. If it’s not enough, call me again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"More than enough, thank you, Senior Brother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Shengyi was overjoyed; Yu Yanli felt satisfied. See? That’s what being sensible means—take the money and spend it, ask for more when you need it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yanli had been burned too many times by Dong Xuan and Qin Lan; he wouldn’t dare casually entangle himself with girls like them again—they were too easy to trap you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Girls like Huang Shengyi were much easier to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They came together for profit, and they’d part ways for profit—no debts owed, simple and hassle-free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yanli guessed that once Huang Shengyi became a starlet and saw the glitter and noise of the entertainment industry, he, her so-called senior brother and small boss, would naturally fade out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Yu Yanli’s hands grew restless again, gently tracing over the future starlet’s backside in his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The experience card was counting down—he had to make full use of it before it expired, or he’d be losing out...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the end of June, Yu Yanli boarded a flight to Hengdian with Lin Jiachuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yanli had flown before, but this was his first time in first class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet his current composure far surpassed his former self—he didn’t fidget like Lin Jiachuan, who excitedly touched everything and stared around curiously; instead, he closed his eyes and rested, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before leaving, he took time to meet Director Qian Yanqiu of “Detective Di Renjie.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Detective Di Renjie” crew was willing to accept external investment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to “Conquest,” a modern drama with fewer episodes, the historical drama “Detective Di Renjie,” planned for thirty episodes, had a much higher production cost—roughly between eight and twelve million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although CCTV had deep pockets, it couldn’t guarantee a profit on a historical drama without big-name stars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that someone was stepping forward to share the risk, there was no reason to refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since it was a CCTV project, it would almost certainly air on CCTV, giving it a natural platform advantage—so CCTV held a stronger position in negotiations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They offered a 40% stake, requiring Yu Yanli to invest five million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Distribution rights could be negotiated, but only a 10% distribution share was acceptable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The contract wasn’t overly harsh, but it definitely squeezed Yu Yanli’s profit margin—still, he agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, Yu Yanli believed this drama would make money; even if he earned less, it was still profit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, Yu Yanli needed to build his reputation now, to attract investors and projects—even if this project didn’t earn much, as long as it became popular, he was willing to invest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third, Yu Yanli wanted to see if he could use this project to connect with CCTV—even just establishing good relations would help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this stage, CCTV was the biggest financier and platform in the TV market; the highest-selling and best-performing dramas year after year mostly came from CCTV.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All TV dramas took pride in airing on CCTV—it meant the greatest returns and the greatest fame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Yu Yanli was in the film and television industry, how could he not want to cultivate a relationship with CCTV?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But given Yu Yanli’s nature, if he didn’t get the advantage, he considered it a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after careful consideration, he accepted CCTV’s terms—but demanded to become the copyright holder of “Detective Di Renjie.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Investing in film and television didn’t mean you gained copyright!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Often, investors only received profit shares and had no say over the copyright itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially in this era, most production teams didn’t care about this—many couldn’t even guarantee a profit after filming; who cared who held the copyright as long as they got their cut?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So if investors didn’t understand or ask, they generally assumed copyright belonged to the production side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when explicitly co-producing or co-filming, and jointly registered with authorities, could one claim copyright without a clear contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yanli knew “Detective Di Renjie” would have sequels, so he planned to hold the copyright and see if he could get a share later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CCTV didn’t take “Detective Di Renjie” seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So they only required Yu Yanli to sign a “consistent action” clause ensuring he wouldn’t interfere, then agreed to let Yian Film & Television become a co-producer and copyright holder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Yanli agreed readily—consistent action was fine; he’d fully cooperate with CCTV.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Likewise, once this clause was signed, any future sequels would also require his consistent action—at least his consent...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2462,"2026-06-19T16:16:52.605Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","403a397b4683ec0c5de868329ae186d96243979abd003ff29570a06b62db9983","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-98","the-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-chapter-96",405,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-intelligence-king-of-chinese-entertainment-cover.jpg"]