Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 192: The Second Battle of Two Soldiers for Fame – Who Will Be the Future Boss Lady of Yi'an? [8000-Word Chapter]

KTV private room
At first, Wu Jiani was a little reserved and danced relatively slow and gentle dances with small movements.

But as they drank and chatted, they gradually relaxed, and when Yan Li asked her to dance again, the level of intimacy increased considerably.

For example, when she saw that Yan Li seemed to really like the hot and alluring Latin dance, she danced a few more segments.

After the dance ended, Wu Jianni took a couple of light breaths, sat back on the sofa, her brows furrowed slightly, and asked Yan Li a question.

"Does it look good?"

"nice."

Yan Li nodded. Being formally trained makes all the difference; his expressiveness is superb, and his dancing is captivating. He looks much better overall.

So, sometimes picking up girls is like drinking alcohol.

While gulping down a cup of water is certainly refreshing and thirst-quenching, savoring it slowly and appreciating its flavor gradually offers a different kind of delight.

Yan Li wasn't particularly thirsty today, and since it was his first time with Wu, he didn't want to be too rough, so he planned to add some romance.

"I also want to learn to dance, like slow tango. Can you teach me?"

"sure."

Wu Jiani readily agreed, and the two stood on the open space in the private room. She taught Yan Li how to stand, how to coordinate, and the order of the dance steps.

Yan Lixue was quite serious. He put his arm around Wu Jiani's waist, held her hand, and slowly swayed his body under her guidance.

"Mr. Yan, your physique is good, but it's a bit too stiff. You need to be more flexible."

Wu Jiani suggested that Yan Li was a semi-trained martial artist, with formal training and a good physical foundation. He was also intelligent and could learn quickly, but he couldn't easily break some of his old martial arts habits.

From a teacher's perspective, Wu Jiani is a good teacher, conscientious and responsible, but Yan Li has never been a good student.

He was fine when I first started teaching him the moves, but as we practiced more, he started adding his own little additions to the dance, with a lot of hand gestures.

"Um……"

Wu Jiani let out a muffled groan and softly nestled in Yan Li's arms, where he gently rocked her while holding her.

With a blush spreading across her face, Wu Jianni said with a hint of coquettishness, "President Yan, is this how I taught you?"

"I think this kind of jumping can better engage both parties' emotions."

Yan Litian, shameless, slightly lifted the hand holding the other's slender waist, lowered his head slightly, and kissed her twice.

"You teach me to dance, and I'll teach you to act, okay?"

"what?"

Wu Jiani was a little confused; how did things get so far down the topic of performance?

"The most important thing in acting is the dialogue; the pronunciation must be clear..."

As Yan Li, who loved to teach, spoke, he pried open the mouth of the somewhat bewildered Wu Jiani, and his teaching changed from eloquent to vague.

"..."

A few hours later, Yan Limei, who had just finished showering with Wu Jiani in her arms, lit a cigarette.

He felt that the portrayal of King Zhou in this adaptation of "Investiture of the Gods" was truly worthy of the name and exceptionally successful.

He conquered Daji, the chick spirit, the pipa spirit, the three demons of Xuanyuan, and Empress Jiang, both on and off screen.

He's better at playing tyrannical rulers; he'll want to play one again if he has the chance in the future…

A pleasant cell phone ringtone sounded, and Wu Jiani struggled to get up.

"My phone."

"I'll get it for you."

Yan Li took the initiative to get out of bed to help Wu Jiani get her phone. The main reason was that he couldn't help but try out the newly acquired "108 Heavenly and Earth-Turning Techniques" earlier, and Wu Jiani, who was not used to his strength for the first time, had just cried.

It wasn't the kind of crying Qin Lan was having; it was genuine crying from unbearable pain. Yan Li felt a little guilty and felt some pity for her.

"Uh, it's your sister Ou on the phone."

Yan Li glanced at the caller ID, handed the phone to Wu Jiani, who was embarrassed and awkward. After hesitating for a few seconds, she still chose to answer.

"Jiani, how's your relationship with President Yan going lately?"

When Wang Ou's concerned voice came from the other end of the phone, Wu Jiani couldn't help but glance at Yan Li, who was back in bed embracing her, and stammered.

"……Okay."

"Don't worry, I'll help you find a solution when we get back to the capital."

"What can I do?"

Yan Li asked a question, and Wang Ou, not yet understanding what was being said, blurted out, "I'll invite President Yan to my house for dinner sometime, and you can come too, we..."

As they were talking, Wang Ou realized something was wrong and shut his mouth. Yan Li took the phone from Wu Jiani and said quietly.

"What are you doing? Keep talking!"

"Ahem... Jia Ni, my signal is a bit bad. Hello, hello, I can't hear you. I'll call you back later."

Wang Ou pretended to be stupid and tried to slip away, but Yan Li sneered, "I'll settle the score with you later."

Although Wang Ou was trying to secure benefits for him, and he didn't object, he still needed to give this young woman a warning for acting on her own initiative. Otherwise, she might do something rash and cause trouble for him again.

After ending the call, Yan Li looked down and saw that Wu Jiani was now filled with shame and indignation, burying herself in the blanket like an ostrich.

Climbing into someone's bed is one thing, but being caught by the person in question plotting how to do it is another.

Wu Jiani had no idea that Yan Li had an intelligence network; she always thought that in Yan Li's eyes, she belonged to the pure and sweet type.

This time, too, it was a case of "feelings running high" and "uncontrollable passion." At most, it's because President Yan is very charming, and she has feelings for Yan Li and admires him, so it's understandable that she was more proactive and enthusiastic.

However, discussing with Wang Ou in private how to seduce him would be too damaging to one's image and would be quite embarrassing.

Yan Li originally wanted to tease Wu Jiani, but seeing her expression, he didn't say anything more.

Wu Jiani is different from Wang Ou.

The latter has been exposed to the harsh realities of life since childhood and started working hard at a young age. He has strong mental resilience and ambition. This kind of personality needs to be suppressed, otherwise he is prone to becoming arrogant.

He had some understanding of Wu Jiani's personality through intelligence reports; she was a normal girl, but relatively delicate.

He wasn't as open-minded about climbing into her bed and fawning over her as Wang Ou had initially thought. He still had some lingering concerns, so he needed some time to adjust and save face for Wang Ou.

So Yan Li simply let the matter drop and instead played with her phone.

"This model is a bit outdated. I'll buy you a new phone tomorrow."

Compared to painstakingly crafting sweet nothings, Yan Li is becoming increasingly adept at throwing money around.

Of course, although Wu Jiani is not famous and does not earn much, she is not so poor that a new mobile phone is enough to satisfy her. The mobile phone is just an appetizer.

"What are your plans after filming wraps up?"

Seeing that Yan Li didn't mention Wang Ou, Wu Jiani calmed down a little and replied in a low voice.

"The company didn't say anything, but it seems like they're going to introduce me to an audition for a film crew."

"What film crew?"

"It's from the Tang Dynasty, it seems to be something like 'Young Warriors of the Yang Clan'."

Yan Li's hand, which was caressing Wu Jiani's smooth back, paused, feeling somewhat amused and exasperated.

This circle is really small!

"Forget about the interview, I'll arrange it for you later."

Besides "Young Warriors of the Yang Clan," Tangren's "The Little Fairy" could also be a good opportunity to cast a character, and Zhou Yi seems to have a new drama that could also be used to fill a role.

Yi An plans to film "The Legend of the White-Haired Witch" and "The Legend of Xue Rengui" in the second half of the year, so Wu Jiani is not without a chance.

By the way, Wang Ou is joining the cast of "Detective Dee 2," and there should be a female lead role in one of the episodes. These two sisters get along well, so it's a good opportunity for them to deepen their relationship.

Before I knew it, Yan Li had a deeper understanding of why Wu Jiani was conflicted yet still insisted on clinging to him.

With the resources Yan Li currently controls, even a small actress like Wu Jiani could make a living just by letting them slip through her fingers.

Moreover, the above are just a few of the companies that Yan Li has been involved with or has had a deep collaboration with.

If he gives his full help, he can choose from more production teams, and even getting a leading lady role wouldn't be difficult.

Yan Li really needs to get used to this brand new title of "industry bigwig"...

Yan Li arranged two highly regarded projects in the industry at once: "Young Warriors of the Yang Clan" and "Detective Dee".

The others are pending, but she's definitely one of them, and none of them are minor, insignificant supporting characters.

Wu Jiani was overjoyed. Sister Ou was right. President Yan was indeed very generous and never treated his followers unfairly.

It's just that in that aspect it's a bit...too much, too torturous.

She had always thought that Wang Ou pulled her into this mess in order to curry favor with Yan Li and secure his favor, but now she realized that he might also have been looking for reinforcements to divert attention.

Thinking back to the "miserable" scene just now, Wu Jiani seriously considered Wang Ou's suggestion for the first time.

...

The hotel where the crew of "Detective Dee 2" stayed.
After hanging up the phone, Wang Ou paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, recalling the conversation.

It's unclear whether Yan Li just happened to be next to Wu Jiani, or if the two have already started an affair.

The former is manageable; at worst, Yan Li will deal with him, it's not like it's the first time.

As for the latter, Wang Ou felt she needed to reassess Wu Jiani; she seemed to have underestimated this somewhat shy and timid girl.

When she tried to persuade Wu Jiani before, the other party hesitated and was very shy, and was extremely conflicted.

She's only been away from Hengdian for a short time, and she's already seizing every opportunity to have an affair.

She needs to be aware of her own limitations, lest she fall into a trap later and lose sight of what's important. She'll go from being "Sister Ou" to "Little Ou"...

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Yan Li finished filming his scenes for "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng". Although he did not leave Hengdian, his focus has shifted from the film set to Yi'an Garden, where he spends most of his time working.

Wu Jiani originally planned to wrap up filming and leave the crew, but considering that she had just found a powerful patron, she decided to wait and see.

I don't know how they convinced the company, but anyway, they stayed in Hengdian.

When there are no dramas, she follows Yan Li, takes over her position as Sister Ou, and serves as Yan Li's personal assistant, taking turns serving her day and night.

Yan Li didn't use her for nothing.

They upgraded his phone and computer to the latest models, and his daily allowance was not small either. The project for "Detective Dee 2" was also finalized.

However, because she started speaking too late, the cast was basically finalized, so she couldn't get the lead role in the episode and could only play a supporting role, although it's said that her role would be quite substantial.

As for "Young Warriors of the Yang Clan," it is still in preparation. Yan Li has already made arrangements, and the roles will be determined based on the opinions of the production team and the director during the casting process.

Wu Jiani herself accepted it well.

Firstly, he's not a big star, so he'd be happy with any role. Secondly, Yan Li has other big projects lined up.

She wasn't familiar with "The Legend of the White-Haired Witch," but she knew about "The Legend of Xue Rengui" because Yan Li had discussed the project with her at work the other day.

With Yan Li's permission, I glanced at the script and discovered that there were several significant female characters.

The female lead, Princess Zhaoyang, is a princess of the Bohai Kingdom. She made many contributions to Xue Rengui's rise to power and has the most screen time in the entire series.

The second female lead, Liu Yinhuan, is Xue Rengui's first wife. She married Xue Rengui when he was poor and destitute, and later waited for her husband who went out to fight for more than ten years. She also has a certain amount of screen time in the early and middle-to-late stages of the story.

The third female lead, Zhang Meiren, is a vicious villain who causes trouble for Xue Rengui in order to avenge her father and brothers.

In the original script, this character had a role comparable to the female lead, but after the script was significantly revised, her role was reduced considerably. However, she is still very important and has some highlight moments. In fact, she is more outstanding than the second female lead, Liu Yinhuan.

The fourth female lead, Toya, was not in the original script. She was created because the new script added scenes about the conquest of the Uyghurs.

After all, there was Princess Zhaoyang and Tie Shiwen's wife before, but there are no female generals later on, which makes it seem a bit empty.

So we added one, who is one of the leaders of the nine Uyghur tribes, and also a female general, and there is a scene where she and Princess Zhaoyang fight each other.

This is a common trope in storytelling and historical dramas: female generals versus female generals. It shows that from ancient times to the present, people have enjoyed watching women fight.

This Toya was later subdued by Xue Rengui and, along with the nine tribes of the Uyghurs, submitted to the Tang Dynasty. She also became his confidante.
The show didn't explicitly say whether or not it was accepted, but the audience all understood.

This is Yan Li's personal idea; the screenwriter initially intended to pair him up with Xue Rengui's good brother, Zhou Qing.

Yan Li felt that since he had already recruited a foreign princess in the first half of the story, it would be even more exciting to recruit a foreign chieftain and female general in the second half.

After all, Liu Yinhuan and Princess Zhaoyang are already sisters, so what's wrong with having another one?

As we all know, a triangle is the most stable structure.

Zhou Qing, a good friend, can arrange for Tuoya's subordinates and sister, and even add an actor and filler scenes.

Yan Li is the male lead and the biggest investor. In addition, this change in the plot does have its advantages. It just makes Xue Rengui seem a bit scumbag, but it was common for people to have multiple wives and concubines in ancient times.

Since Yan Li, the actor who plays the role, isn't afraid of affecting his image, what are they afraid of?

Wu Jiani also had her eye on this Toya.

Princess Zhaoyang has a lot of screen time, but she's not very famous and might not be able to compete with others. Liu Yinhuan is more gentle and dignified, which doesn't quite suit her, and she doesn't really want to play a villain. So, Tuoya is the best choice.

Moreover, this character appears aloof on the surface but is actually arrogant and proud. Known as the "Flower of Tianshan," she is captured and released three times by Xue Rengui, but she never gives up and gradually falls in love with him.

The character setting is quite appealing, and although she has less screen time, she feels more likely to stand out.

Yan Li was fully aware of Wu Jiani's thoughts, but he never revealed them.

He is planned to play the male lead in the TV series "The Legend of Xue Rengui".

In terms of fame, Yan Li has made headlines quite a bit in the past six months due to various hype surrounding his rivalry with another soldier and his immense wealth. He is quite confident in his own popularity.

But fame in the gossip section doesn't necessarily translate to attracting viewers to support the dramas he acts in.

The roles in "Emperor Wu of Han" and "Happy Seven Fairies" have given Yan Li a lot of exposure, but whether he can carry a drama remains to be seen.

After all, this drama has a considerable investment, with a planned cost of approximately 2600 to 3000 million yuan.

If you become blindly arrogant and cause a project to collapse or earn less, it will be too late to regret it afterwards.

Therefore, while you can boast to the media and investors, you should be more cautious in private, especially since this is Yan Li's first leading role in a drama.

Otherwise, if the boat capsizes, it will be incredibly embarrassing.

Therefore, in order to increase popularity and raise the release price, the production team of "The Legend of Xue Rengui" planned to find a female star with enough weight to anchor the show, or to find several well-known young actresses to co-star.

If conditions permit, they could even arrange for a popular young actor to play the second male lead or make a cameo appearance. Currently, they are still in the research and development stage. Before any clear indications emerge, Yan Li doesn't want to create trouble for himself; he wants to play it safe and have options for both advancement and retreat.

Besides, as I said, if we keep them in suspense a bit, Wu Jiani will be able to perform well in private. Once the cards are out in the open, her enthusiasm will naturally wane...

...

While Yan Li was busy with work and waiting for the filming of "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" to wrap up.

Wang Jinghua finally confronted Huayi Brothers, saying she wanted to leave with her staff. The news caused an uproar both inside and outside the industry.

Media flocked to Huayi Brothers for interviews, even though the Wang brothers repeatedly claimed that the situation was under control.

All the artists are signed with the company and won't leave. Apart from those two brothers, Huayi Brothers can do without anyone else.

But soon, with Orange Sky Entertainment signing with Wang Jinghua, a series of Huayi Brothers artists announced their defection, and Xia Yu publicly stated, "We all listen to Sister Hua."

As the situation continued to deteriorate, the major earthquake that had struck Huayi Brothers could no longer be concealed.

The Wang brothers' tone also changed, from confident to panicked—"We can't talk about this right now, we're in a meeting to discuss it."

According to Yan Li's "insider" Li Xue, the Wang brothers underestimated Wang Jinghua's ruthlessness and her influence among artists.

They knew Wang Jinghua was leaving and were prepared for her departure. They even made targeted efforts to retain some artists, so they felt that Wang Jinghua wouldn't be able to take many people with her.

But Wang Jinghua slapped the two Wang brothers hard in the face with the facts.

They almost emptied Huayi Brothers out of business in one fell swoop—no, strictly speaking, they already have.

Aside from singers from music companies, Huayi Brothers has very few actors left, and even those who remain are wavering and have an ambiguous attitude.

This forced the Wang brothers to make desperate promises to win over key personnel and elites, sparing no expense to retain them.

Now it's not just about economics, but also about "politics."

If Orange Sky and Wong Jing really poached everyone from Huayi Brothers, not only would they be unable to explain themselves to the shareholders, but Huayi Brothers would also be finished. After all, investors and partners don't want to deal with a "useless company".

As Huayi Brothers' flagship artists, Shuang Bing is naturally a key target for the Wang brothers' public relations efforts, and their future is also attracting much attention.

Gossip media and rumors are flying everywhere.

One minute they say both soldiers left, the next they say both stayed, and then they say the two had a fight, one left and the other stayed.

Li Bingbing and Li Xue were instigated by Yan Li to make exorbitant demands on Huayi Brothers and are currently waiting for a better offer, without responding yet.

Fan Xiaopang doesn't need to worry about that.

Wang Jinghua led the way in leaving Huayi Brothers, and her job-hopping was not as noticeable as it seemed, or at least not as egregious.

Therefore, it is best to respond now, lest you come out again after a while, when things have settled down, and become the target of public criticism.

Furthermore, considering her relationship with Li Bingbing, she might be manipulated into believing that Li Bingbing kicked her out of Huayi Brothers, making her look inferior to him.

Therefore, when asked about this matter by reporters, Fan Xiaopang, who had just joined the cast of "Tokyo Trial", clearly stated that he would leave Huayi Brothers.

However, when reporters later asked whether she would join Orange Sky Entertainment and what her opinion was on Chen Hao, who was previously signed by Orange Sky, it hinted at whether the two were competing for the top spot.

Fan Xiaopang smiled slightly: "Who said I was going to Orange Sky?"

The reporter's eyes lit up. Was there a third party involved in the Orange Blossom dispute?
However, when pressed by reporters, Fan Xiaopang did not respond further, saying that it was enough to simply not go to those two companies, and there was no need to drag Yi An into the conflict.

However, although Fan Xiaopang didn't say it explicitly, the media and netizens aren't stupid. Judging from the way she and Yan Li were flirting, who else could it be?

Fan Bingbing is suspected of ending up with Yi An, marking another "couple team" in the entertainment industry.

The battle for the two weapons takes another turn as Yan Li intervenes and steals the spoils.

An insider revealed that Li Bingbing is also going to Yi'an; her sister and agent, Li Xue, declined to comment.

"The Second Battle of Two Warriors: Who Will Be the Future Boss Lady of Yi'an?"

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; Huayi Brothers suffers repeated blows."

Yan Li admits to poaching employees: Specific details are still under discussion and will be announced later.

"..."

Beijing, Huayi Brothers

Wang Zhonglei cursed, "It's one thing for the Wu guy to have Japanese capital backing him, but a mere lad in his twenties dares to provoke us."

"Brother, if we can't deal with Orange Sky, let's make an example of this brat."

Wang Zhonglei's eyes were fierce. After so many years of development at Huayi Brothers, this was the first time the two brothers had suffered such a big setback. They were very frustrated and naturally wanted to find someone to vent their anger on.

"If they dare to flirt with you, they're not afraid of you taking action."

Wang Zhongjun's expression wasn't good, but he remained composed: "Don't let his youth fool you, this kid is no pushover."

"He's just a country bumpkin from Shandong province, there are plenty of ways to deal with him."

Wang Zhongjun hated Wang Jinghua and Yan Li intensely.

The former poached most of the artists, while the latter directly targeted the remaining two star performers; they're both incredibly ruthless.

"How could a country bumpkin build his business to this extent in just two or three years? How could a country bumpkin have connections with dozens of TV stations and sell a few dramas for hundreds of millions? How could a country bumpkin send Song Zhude to jail so easily?"

Wang Zhongjun's question, using a series of parallel sentences, stumped his younger brother, who was unwilling to give up: "We've inquired through connections in the compound, and we haven't heard anything about this kid having any powerful connections."

"So, that makes it even more terrifying."

Wang Zhongjun narrowed his eyes. Either Yan Li had an extremely powerful background that they couldn't find out, or he was a ruthless person with exceptional abilities.

Their background is incredibly powerful, so there's no need to elaborate; they're definitely not someone you can afford to offend.

If someone is a top performer who has carved out their own path through sheer ability, and can support such a large operation, especially one in the publishing business, how could they possibly be unconnected in every aspect?

Moreover, according to rumors circulating in some small circles, this kid is well-informed in relevant units and is definitely not some lucky naiveté.

Even though Yan Li's rise to power was short-lived and his foundation was still shallow, he couldn't compete with these privileged kids from the compound.

However, Huayi Brothers' own connections and wealth are not those of a small company like Karami. If pushed to the brink and forced into a desperate battle, can Huayi Brothers emerge unscathed?

It was fine before, but now is a time of great uncertainty. Orange Sky is eyeing us covetously, and other companies are eager to make their move. There's no need to make a mortal enemy.

“Fan Bingbing is close to him, so he probably can’t be kept. As for Li Bingbing, I don’t think she really wants to leave. I guess she’s just using her as a bargaining chip.”

Wang Zhongjun quickly made a decision: to keep one and remove the other, retaining the most valuable Li Bingbing.

"Furthermore, I arranged to have dinner with him in my name. Fan Bingbing's contract is still with Huayi Brothers. She's leaving, and I can't leave this favor to Wang Jinghua."

Wang Zhonglei frowned: "Brother, what do you want?"

“That’s right. Cheng Tian is the biggest enemy right now. This guy is quite strong and we can win him over. At the very least, we can’t let him side with the Wu family.”

Compared to Yan Li, who was taking advantage of the situation, Wang Zhongjun was most concerned about Orange Sky. Orange Sky was powerful enough and had its sights set on the film market, posing a direct threat to Huayi Brothers.

"He poached our people, and we even treated him to dinner?!"

Wang Zhonglei trembled with anger, while Wang Zhongjun said with a serious expression, "Even Han Xin suffered the humiliation of crawling between someone's legs. What is this compared to that? A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years. We'll settle accounts with this kid after we deal with Orange Sky."

"But……"

Wang Zhonglei was still unconvinced, but Wang Zhongjun had already made up his mind: "Do as I say."

"……understood."

Although the younger brother, Wang Zhonglei, appears in public more often, the eldest brother is the one who truly makes the decisions. No matter how much Wang Zhonglei disagrees with what the eldest brother decides, he will obediently follow his orders.

...

Hengdian, hotel room

[Daily News 3: The Wang brothers of Huayi Brothers have decided to focus on winning over Yan Li for the time being...]

Yan Li clicked his tongue with a slight regret. These old foxes were indeed cunning, each one able to bend and stretch.

It's a pity about the intelligence he triggered not long ago. He was originally thinking that if the Wang brothers caused trouble for him, he could throw it out to muddy the waters and hand Orange Sky a knife.

It's useless now, but it will be a waste if the information becomes outdated later.

No, it's not that he can't use it. Didn't Wang Zhongjun invite him to dinner? He'll give him the intelligence then.

It serves as both a deterrent and a way to curry favor and gain some benefits.

Yan Li disliked both Orange Sky and Huayi Brothers, and wished they would fight to the death so he could reap the benefits. Therefore, he would not take action against either party unless they provoked him, so as not to let the other party benefit for nothing.

From the current perspective, Huayi Brothers is in a weak position, and Orange Sky's cinema layout has certain competitive conflicts with its own.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and Yan Li is actually more inclined to talk to Huayi Brothers right now.

Of course, Yan Li knew exactly what the Wang brothers were thinking; they wanted to calm him down before dealing with him.

But Yan Li wasn't holding back either; otherwise, he wouldn't have been secretly instigating Li Bingbing and her sister. Once he had enough power, Huayi Brothers, which was standing in his way, would also be his target.

The eldest brother won't talk about the second brother; we'll see who's truly capable when the time comes!

After some thought and gathering the daily intelligence, Yan Li took out his phone and called Li Bingbing.

Li Bingbing, who was at home with a face mask on, discussing negotiations with Huayi Brothers with her sister and team, removed the face mask and stepped into the bedroom.

Li Xue glanced at her sister with some confusion, wondering if there was some phone call she needed to answer in private.

Uh, glancing at the rest of the team, I guess I'm avoiding them.

After entering the bedroom and closing the door, Li Bingbing lowered his voice and said, "Hey."

Yan Li asked in surprise, "You're still awake at this hour?"

Li Bingbing rolled her eyes and said irritably, "You care whether I'm asleep or not, and you're calling me at this hour?"

"..."

Yan Li changed the subject, complaining bitterly: "You two sisters have really screwed me over this time. I just received news that Wang Zhonglei is plotting against me."

"It shouldn't be."

Li Bingbing was taken aback. When she and her sister saw that Fan Xiaopang had publicly announced his intention to switch companies, they discussed riding the wave of popularity and using Yan Li as a pretext to force Huayi Brothers to make concessions.

They've studied it, and now Huayi Brothers is being relentlessly pressured by Orange Sky Entertainment, leaving them overwhelmed and unable to attend to anything else.

Anyway, Yan Li has already offended Huayi Brothers by poaching Fan Xiaopang, so it doesn't matter if he adds another charge. Consider it a big favor the two sisters owe Yan Li, and they will definitely make it up to him later.

Yan Li agreed and even cooperated in creating momentum, but unexpectedly, Huayi Brothers made a mistake.

"There was no other way. I dug up two at once, which really angered those two guys. They probably think I'm easy to bully and can't afford to mess with Orange Sky, so they're going to make an example of me."

Yan Li's tone was low and anxious, which made Li Bingbing very uneasy. Yan Li had meant well in helping, and if she were to be dragged into this mess, she would be doing him a disservice.

"What should I do? Should I go and talk to those two brothers?"

"It's no use. It's not just your problem, it's also Xiao Fan's. If you go over there to plead for him now, you'll only make things worse."

Yan Li's voice gradually became calmer: "You continue according to the original plan. We can't let them see through our true intentions. I'll be back in the capital the day after tomorrow, and we'll meet there to discuss things further."

"it is good."

Li Bingbing had no idea what to do and instinctively followed Yan Li's arrangements, but couldn't help feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry, I've dragged you into this."

"Hi."

Yan Li didn't take it to heart: "Like I said, it's not just your business, and I was the one who suggested the idea of ​​messing around with Huayi Brothers. Besides, I'm not taking the blame for nothing. Didn't you agree to my role?"

Li Bingbing disagreed with Yan Li's statement: "No matter what, you did it to help me. I owe you a huge favor this time, and acting alone can't make up for it."

"Let's talk about personal relationships when we get back to Beijing. Stay calm and let's communicate anytime if there are any problems."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, Li Bingbing felt heavy-hearted. He wanted to call his sister over to discuss it, but considering that Yan Li was involved, Li Xue might not be calm, so he swallowed his words.

Meanwhile, Yan Li held his phone and pondered for a moment before dialing Fan Xiaopang's number.

"Sister, this time I've really offended those two guys from Huayi Brothers because of you..."

Unfortunately, things are tense right now, and it's not easy for the two soldiers to meet. Otherwise, Yan Li might have thought of making the Wang brothers sound even more wicked and terrible, and playing the victim a bit more. Maybe then he could have a chance to relive the time when the two soldiers were on the same side.

On July 22, filming of "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" finally wrapped up after more than four months.

Yan Li arranged a lavish wrap party to reward all the cast and crew.

A significant portion of this group will return to Hengdian with "The Legend of the White-Haired Witch" in a few months.

Although the production team hasn't started preparations yet, as the core group trained for Yi An's martial arts dramas, they will inevitably be used in future martial arts dramas.

In addition to the production team, the director of "The White-Haired Witch" has also been agreed upon, namely Ju Jueliang.

However, Wang Xinmin did not participate. As an old-school director, he did not like Yi An's approach of centering on the producer.

Although Wang Xinmin has left, Chen Yongge, who worked with him on several dramas and can be considered his half-apprentice, will be Ju Jueliang's partner.

Although Chen Yongge's portrayal of characters in hard-boiled martial arts and urban chivalry is not as good as Wang Xinmin's, action design is his forte.

Other aspects of a martial arts drama can be poor, but the action scenes cannot be bad.

With Ju Jueliang and Chen Yongge, plus a whole team of experienced professionals, handling a project like "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng," which has lower requirements than "The Legend of the White-Haired Witch," should be no problem.

As for "The Legend of Xue Rengui," Yan Li hasn't decided which director to hire yet. He didn't like the Taiwanese director recommended by producer Li Silin.

Currently, the director he is most familiar with is Feng Xiaoning, the one who directed "Purple Sun" and "Yellow River Love".

Although he became famous for his anti-Japanese war art films, he also starred in historical dramas like "The Beiyang Fleet," which were well-received and achieved good results.

Most importantly, monthly reports indicate that his film "Zhu Yuanzhang" has received positive reviews.

Yan Li knew about this project; this script and "The Legend of Xue Rengui" were submitted to Yi An around the same time.

However, Yan Li felt that both versions were too weak and was willing to make major revisions to "The Legend of Xue Rengui". The two parties collaborated, but the project was later abandoned, apparently because a new investor was found.

Knowing that the script is weak, if the film can be successfully made without major script changes, then the director deserves a lot of credit.

If Feng Xiaoning can make a good film about Zhu Yuanzhang, then there's even less reason why he shouldn't make a good film about Xue Rengui, which has a better script, more funding, and better conditions in all aspects.

...

After the wrap party, Yan Li returned to the capital. Before that, Wu Jiani had already gone to find her Sister Ou at the set of "Detective Dee 2".

As soon as the plane landed, Yan Li turned on his phone and was bombarded with invitations from all sides. He ignored them all and told his driver, Wu Maowen, to drive him home.

"Uh...which home to go back to?"

(End of this chapter)