Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 194, "Soldiers' Assault," discusses the company's ambitions for listing and its socialites.
Yi'an Film and Television, Conference Room
Ning Hao, the producer and director of "Crazy Stone," reported the location scouting photos and some budget outlines in Chongqing to Yan Li.

Although the investment was only 300 million yuan, Yan Li still attached great importance to it as the first film produced by Yi An Films.

In addition to funding, there are also media promotion resources to generate buzz for the film. If a suitable actor cannot be secured, the company will also step in to help.

A low-budget film of 300 million yuan, with not much pay for the actors, might not matter to some.

But for a film backed by a newly established well-known company, it's not just about the actors' salaries.

Ning Hao didn't mention any specific requirements for the actors, as he had already found most of them, and they were cheap and inexpensive.

We need the company's help with media resources and some local issues related to Chongqing.

Especially the latter, when film crews go there to shoot, they may encounter some problems with the locals and encounter difficulties.

Yan Li nodded: "I'll help you coordinate this, don't worry."

Chongqing is not like Beijing; he doesn't have as many connections, but he does know some people, after all, he has cooperated with Chongqing TV more than once or twice.

"Crazy Stone" is a filming location, not a raid on a mountain. Getting the TV station on board is enough. At most, they can introduce some other people. It's not a big problem.

"That's all."

Ning Hao found the collaboration with Yi An very pleasant, as neither the boss Yan Li nor the producer sent by him interfered much with the film itself.

What they care about most is where the money is spent and why it is spent.

He didn't need to worry about anything else—publicity, local connections, and even subsequent distribution—Yi An handled everything. He only needed to make a good film.

All I'm responsible for is making movies in a down-to-earth manner!

This sounds like the most normal thing for a director, but usually only one in ten can actually do it.

In the early years when major film studios dominated, things were alright. But after the turn of the century, capital has had a growing influence on the mainland film industry, especially in commercial films, and directors' voices have been increasingly suppressed.

Feng Xiaogang and Zhang Yimou are arguably the two most successful commercial directors in mainland China, but they still have to make concessions to investors and other stakeholders on many issues.

Besides the interference with the filming process, the director also had to handle many other things, to the point that filming became a secondary matter.

This is one of the reasons why some art-house film directors look down on commercial directors and their works.

They believe that films are works of art, not projects or commodities.

Ning Hao is currently a fledgling young director, not yet 30 years old, and still carries some "simple" directorial sentiments. At least for now, he still likes this collaborative model.

"Director Ning."

After the meeting, Yan Li got up and came to Ning Hao's side, calling out "Director Ning." Ning Hao quickly stood up, flattered and surprised.

"President Yan, please don't address me like that. Just call me by my name."

"Haha, let you get used to it first. Do a good job. This movie is good. After it's released, Ning Hao will be Director Ning. I'll help you build some momentum so we can become a leading figure among the sixth generation of directors."

Yan Li's persuasive skills are getting better and better; he speaks in a way that tickles the other person's sore spot.

Upon hearing his words, Ning Hao repeatedly said he wouldn't dare, his face turning bright red, and he grinned from ear to ear.

Young directors, especially those who are not yet very successful, crave success and to prove themselves.

Yan Li praised him a bit more, showing him importance and expectations, which made Ning Hao feel like he had been injected with chicken blood, with inexhaustible energy.

In a few years, when the young people become seasoned veterans, this tactic will be less effective. You'll need to use real money and benefits to win them over, or find other ways to address the problem.

Watching Ning Hao leave full of fighting spirit, Yan Li sighed with some emotion: "It's good to be young."

Hu Ya, the secretary standing next to her boss, looked at her speechlessly at what he had said.

Ning Hao was born in 1977, and Yan Li is a few years younger than him.

However, considering his abilities, at least within the company, few people regard Yan Li as a young man.

Normally, it's not uncommon for company managers in their thirties and forties to be reprimanded by Yan Li, and because there are reasons for it and Yan Li's words are targeted, most of them are convinced by what they've been told, and some even admire Boss Yan even more.

Hu Ya spends all her time at the company. It's hard to say about other things, but the people in the marketing department treat Yan Li like he's a god.

Even when projects didn't go smoothly or Yan Li made occasional mistakes, they all felt it was their fault for not carrying out Yan Li's orders properly.

Other departments sometimes complain that the marketing department is a pyramid scheme department, a bunch of brainwashed people who have been brainwashed by Yan Li.

However, it must be said that the marketing department is one of the most envied departments in the company.

Those bastards are really making money!
The eight dramas, led by "Bright Sword", have accumulated sales of over 2 million yuan, with some of them already airing or planned for broadcast on satellite TV.

According to the issuance terms negotiated by Yi An, the distribution share of this 2 million yuan issuance will be more than 3000 million yuan.

The commissions for the marketing department vary, depending on the specific project contract and contribution.

However, it is generally not less than 5% of the issuance revenue, and is usually around 5 to 10%. If the contribution is large, it will be more. In addition, there are some other methods such as underwriting, profit sharing, and guaranteed minimum.

In short, the more you work, the more you earn; the more you make, the more you get!

Salary, bonuses, performance bonuses, plus some extra gray income, such as falsely reporting surplus public relations expenses, are all standard practices. As long as it's not excessive, no one cares.

All things considered, this wave of 3000 million in revenue will surely pocket at least several million for the marketing department.

This was in 2005. Even in Beijing, a monthly income of 5000 yuan was considered a high salary.

Those bastards in the marketing department, even the lowest earners make tens of thousands of yuan, which is equivalent to many people's annual salary.

Moreover, the company has more than just these eight dramas; there are other projects generating revenue later on. As long as one isn't particularly incompetent, earning 100,000 yuan a year isn't difficult at all.

Apart from some management and another key member of the film and television department with a good bonus, who in the company isn't envious?

If they went to the marketing department, they'd be making tens or hundreds of thousands in commissions, and they'd have to treat the boss like their own father.

Hu Ya sometimes couldn't help but feel envious.

However, although she may not earn as much as the managers in the marketing department, Yan Li did not treat her unfairly.

Furthermore, as Yan Li's secretary and one of the executors of his remote command, Hu Ya held a position in the company roughly equivalent to the Grand Eunuch and the Director of Ceremonial Affairs. Despite her lowly status, she wielded immense power, and even the company's vice president and several core executives had to greet her with smiles.

In front of Yan Li, she is Secretary Hu; in private, she is a sycophant, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her Vice President Hu.

"God back."

Just as she was pondering this, Yan Li waved his hand in front of Hu Ya's eyes and asked, "What's the deal with that 'Soldiers' Assault'?"

"Uh."

Hu Ya realized what was happening and quickly said, "Boss, the situation is a little complicated."

Yan Li raised an eyebrow: "Speak."

"The project had just started, and director Kang Honglei and his team preferred to work with the August First Film Studio."

"One reason is that they had previously collaborated on 'The Passionate Years,' and the other is that military-themed films like this are inevitably produced by the August First Film Studio."

"There is another matter. Kang Honglei is currently filming 'A Needle to the Heart,' which is produced by Tianyi Film and Television. The boss, Wu Yi, has a very good personal relationship with Kang. They also worked together on the 'Soldiers Sortie' project."

"And this Wu Yi is said to be very close to Huayi Brothers. There are also rumors that Huayi Brothers is going to make a big push into the TV drama market in the future and is preparing to win over many TV producers, one of whom is Wu."

After listening to Hu Ya's report, Yan Li understood.

Let's not even talk about the August First Film Studio. Nowadays, film studios are all struggling, and foreign projects basically only provide a name or a small amount of funding.

"Soldiers Sortie" will definitely need to attract investment from outside the August First Film Studio.

However, Wu Yi and Huayi Brothers are on good terms and are even preparing to engage in in-depth cooperation. It is impossible for Huayi Brothers not to support his project, so there is no need for them to approach Yan Li.

"Pity."

Yan Li felt a little disappointed, after all, it was a popular drama that appeared in the monthly intelligence report, but it wasn't something to be ashamed of.

There are countless film and television projects; Yan Li cannot possibly snatch them all.

If it's a good opportunity, I'll take the picture; if not, then it's just bad luck. I'll wait for the next one. As for Yi An now, she doesn't need another "Soldiers' Assault".

Compared to "Soldiers Sortie," what Yan Li values ​​more is Huayi Brothers' major foray into the TV drama market.

Huayi Brothers used to produce TV dramas, but its main focus was still on movies. Starting this year, Huayi Brothers has begun to increase its investment in TV dramas.

Yan Li had only heard of a few of the major historical dramas from the Qing Dynasty, such as "The Legend of Jiaqing" and "Midnight Song," written and directed by Huang Sanshi and starring Barbie Hsu, Peter Ho, and others. It also seemed that Huayi Brothers had invested in Tangren's "Young Warriors of the Yang Clan."

In this situation, how can the Wang brothers afford to attract a group of TV drama producers and directors?
It's not that Yan Li looks down on the Wang brothers, but those two really aren't that rich.

Feng Xiaogang's "The Banquet" was a huge hit, with Colombia being the major investor.

The film "Mo Gong," which involved a significant investment, was primarily produced by a company based in Hong Kong.

The boss's name is Tsui Siu-ming, the boss of "Fearless". He was a senior executive of ATV and Emperor Entertainment. The financial backer of the company he participated in "A Battle of Wits" is also a Hong Kong media group.

So Huayi Brothers claims to be a one-stop shop for film investment, production, and distribution, but in reality, it leans more towards the latter two, and its share is not even as much as what Yan Li tricked coal mine owners into eating.

Therefore, Huayi Brothers has a great reputation, abundant resources, and strong capabilities, but its profit margin and available funds are hard to predict.

However, it's far from enough to support so many projects, and it's highly likely that it will still be a case of false advertising.

The producer used Huayi Brothers' name to deceive people, while also leveraging some of Huayi Brothers' channels and resources.

Huayi Brothers used its brand resources and channels, along with a small amount of capital, to share a portion of the project's profits, while simultaneously enhancing the company's influence and strength, thus creating a frenzied "expansion" momentum.

Yan Li planned to use intelligence to investigate the situation. If Huayi's model worked, Yi An could also imitate it.

In some respects, Yan Li has a much greater advantage than Huayi in this regard.

Attracting investment and distributing TV series are his strengths!
At the last screening, eight dramas were sold and released simultaneously, which showed the entire industry Yi'an's strength, and Yan Li also figured out some benefits.

If Yi'an can unite multiple producers, directors, and film and television companies to form an alliance with Yi'an Distribution at its core, it can roughly integrate all the dramas awaiting broadcast and conduct relevant negotiations with television stations.

The best dramas produced internally are scheduled to be released at different times to avoid cannibalizing each other, and they can even cooperate in promotional activities.

Even worse, some companies force TV stations to make concessions, such as setting deadlines for final payments, raising prices, buying a good drama and pairing it with a bad one, or giving up advertising revenue; otherwise, they threaten to blacklist or even launch a coordinated attack.

"Cough cough."

Yan Li coughed lightly, calming down somewhat. Which provincial TV station was easy to mess with? If they provoked public anger, who knew who would blacklist whom?

If the law doesn't punish everyone, then target the ringleader; when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.

However, we shouldn't push too far, but appropriate negotiation and pressure are still acceptable. We can test the waters slowly to find the right balance.

Yan Li had previously made a similar idea: if the middleman becomes too big, he can profit from both ends.

Back then, it was just a boast when we were just starting out, but now, as Yi'an continues to develop, this boast may actually come true, or at least a small part of it.

Besides distribution and integration, Yan Li could also persuade those investors to establish a film and television investment company.

Then, the company's money was used to invest in film and television projects. After making a profit, in addition to distributing dividends to some shareholders, the profits could be further invested.

With ample investment in one hand and strong issuance in the other, they also pooled other resources.

At least in the TV drama sector, Huayi Brothers has to obediently bow down to Yan Li.

At the same time, Yi'an's rapid expansion in the film and television market and continuous enhancement of her influence can still attract the favor and trust of the capital market.

Yan Li knew what Huayi Brothers wanted to do, and if the timing and conditions allowed, he also wanted to take Yi An to try her luck in the stock market.

Yi Anke is his wholly-owned company. If the valuation were converted into real cash stock, his net worth would skyrocket.

Of course, this requires ensuring Yan Li's say and profit in the company.

If going public makes more money, then go public. If going public doesn't make as much money as staying private, then stick to doing things your own way.

Yan Li, who started his business in stock trading, has a much more thorough understanding of stocks and the financial market. He only focuses on practical benefits and won't blindly pursue an IPO for the sake of an IPO...

Speaking of stock trading, Yan Li suddenly realized that he seemed to have been a bit lax about it these past few days.

After having Hu Ya organize the meeting minutes and handle some miscellaneous tasks, Yan Li had lunch and then took a car to a small office in an office building in Chaoyang.

This is the headquarters of the stock trading team hired by Yan Li.

When his stock market funds reached tens of millions, the scale and complexity of the operation were beyond what Yan Li could handle alone.

He initially worked with a team from a securities company, but as his funds increased, Yan Li began to build his own exclusive stock trading and investment team.

The team consists of nearly ten people, and the person in charge is Cai Shen, the investment director, who is a veteran in the industry with many years of experience. He has participated in a lot of research and projects not only in the mainland market, but also in Hong Kong stocks and US stocks.

Besides Director Cai, there are two analysts, two traders, one risk controller, one technician, one legal counsel, and one logistics staff.

Yan Li valued Cai Shen and entrusted him with the formation and management of the entire team.

Besides the auspiciousness of Cai Shen's name, it's also because he was experienced and cautious.

With his intelligence network, Yan Li doesn't care much about so-called investment acumen, keen judgment, or decisiveness. What he really needs is a reliable, thorough, and meticulous executor and manager.

Which stocks to buy, how to adjust positions, and when to enter and exit—Yan Li decides all of these.

Cai Shen and his team only need to use professional methods to accurately and safely fulfill his requirements.

"Don't worry about me, you guys are busy."

Yan Li greeted the team members who were busy outside, and then went to Cai Shen's office to hear about the situation over the past few days.

Since handing it over to a professional team, there are more accounts to manage. It's too much trouble for Yan Li to check them all on the computer by himself. Some information can be sent by email, but it's still not as convenient as face-to-face communication.

"Okay, for now, we don't need to make too many adjustments to the others. Only these two stocks should be sold off within a week at most. As for this one, we can consider adding to our position..."

Cai Shen nodded and took notes. Yan Li wouldn't tell him why he was selling or buying, nor would he ask.

Only at times would he offer his professional advice, whether Yan Li listened or not was another matter.

"..."

Yan Li glanced at the total value of his stocks with satisfaction. Since the bull market began in June, there had been a mini-boom, and he had just managed to bet on a good stock, making a hefty profit. His funds had been snowballing, now approaching the 80 million mark.

Even if you do nothing and just follow the bull market upwards, you can easily make a hundred million within a few months by making a steady profit and incurring small losses.

His dream of establishing Yi'an Cinema Line certainly doesn't lack initial funding, but how much depends on the subsequent stock market and investor feedback.

Next year, next year will be the time for Yi'an Cinemas to make a stunning debut!
Yan Li was very much looking forward to it. The two guys from Huayi Brothers were eager to squeeze into the TV drama market, but when they looked back, Yan Li had already started to take over their escape routes.

I wonder how those two guys will feel then!

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.

By August, the conflict between Wang Jinghua and Huayi Brothers was escalating, leaving the Wang brothers in a state of utter chaos.

Fortunately, "The Banquet" is progressing smoothly. The large-scale production with an investment of over 100 million yuan has prevented Huayi Brothers from losing its footing in its main film business, and the outside world is optimistic about it.

There are even rumors that Huayi Brothers intends to leverage the popularity of "The Banquet" to recruit top talent.

Zhang Ziyi, Zhou Xun, Huang Xiaoming, and others who participated in "The Banquet" are all potential targets of his.

In particular, Zhou Xun's contract with Rong Xinda is about to expire, and he will soon be a free agent. Some people speculate that "The Banquet" is an invitation from Huayi Brothers to Zhou Xun.

This rumor was a powerful boost to Huayi Brothers, which was going through a tough time, but it also added some chaos.

Among them, the most vehement reactions came from Li Bingbing and her sister!
Goodness, after losing Fan Xiaopang, two of the four little actresses have arrived. Will Huayi's top female star be able to sit still?
The negotiations between Huayi Brothers and Li Bingbing were already on the verge of collapse, but then another unexpected event occurred.

The Wang brothers were very annoyed, while Li Bingbing and her sister, relying on the special circumstances and the fact that they had someone backing them up, were unusually assertive.

Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Xun are not so easy to poach. One has a great international influence and is not short of film resources, so she has enough confidence. The other is being tried hard by Rong Xinda to retain her, and there are other companies eyeing her covetously.

Moreover, even if they could poach one, Huayi Brothers would still suffer a loss if Li Bingbing, whom they had personally nurtured, left.

There was no other way but to keep coaxing her, even resorting to hints and promises of Li Bingbing's top status and related privileges.

This is not a good thing. The four young actresses are now more popular than Li Bingbing. If Li Bingbing is overshadowed, which one can tolerate it? If the balance is not maintained, it will be a fierce battle.

While Huayi Brothers' top executives and leading artists were locked in fierce competition, the company recruited some new artists to fill the gaps left by Wong Jinghua's group.

Leading the group was Huo Siyan, a rising star who gained immense popularity from "Happy Seven Fairies".

According to insiders, Huayi Brothers plans to replace Fan Bingbing with her, and their target is Huayi's second or third sister.

Huo Siyan felt that she was finally going to be able to hold her head high!
Despite being the female lead in "Happy Seven Fairies," she was overshadowed and ostracized. While the other sisters shared a deep bond, Yan Li could act freely, leaving her a lonely ghost.

Now that I've latched onto Huayi Brothers, my rise to prominence is just around the corner.

When the time comes, she'll teach those bitches who bullied her, and that blind Yan Li a lesson.

Make that bastard kneel down and call me "sister"—no, "mom"—and beg for mercy while crying…

Just as she was feeling happy, her agent came over to say, "Siyan, Mr. Wang has a dinner party tomorrow night. You'll have to go with him."

"Oh."

Huo Siyan was a little unhappy. When she joined Huayi Brothers, she was so proud of herself that she showed off her drinking capacity.

Now things are great. Mr. Wang praised her for her high alcohol tolerance and likes to bring her along to drinking parties.

The advantages of having a beautiful, sensible, and high-drinking-capacity female celebrity at such a business dinner are self-evident.

Huo Siyan has only been with Huayi Brothers for a short time, hasn't filmed any movies yet, and doesn't have many gigs, but she's certainly been drinking a lot.

She doesn't even know if she's considered an artist or the head of Huayi Brothers' public relations department...

The following afternoon, Huo Siyan found Mr. Wang's assistant and prepared to go to the drinking party with him.

The latter glanced at her and objected, "Siyan, isn't your attire a bit conservative?"

"Isn't that enough?"

Huo Siyan glanced at herself. Knowing her role at this drinking party, she deliberately changed into a tight T-shirt and tight jeans, which already showed off her figure.

"How should I put it, the person we invited today is rather charming and young. Ideally, he should be more outgoing and sexy."

Huo Siyan frowned. Accompanying someone for drinks is one thing, selling one's body is another, but going too far is yet another.

Most people in the entertainment industry are not in control of their own destiny; some sacrifices are inevitable if they want to rise to the top.

Huo Siyan was mentally prepared for this, but she also had her own "bottom line." She would tolerate flirting and groping, but when it came to serious matters, it depended on who the person was and what price they were willing to pay.

A social butterfly is still a flower, the key is socializing, the focus is on being a flower. If she doesn't discriminate between meat and vegetables and accepts everyone who comes, then she becomes a weed, and weeds are worthless.

"Don't worry, I won't mistreat you."

The assistant pushed Huo Siyan to change clothes, thinking to herself that things were better now.

Back when Wang Jinghua was around, it was incredibly difficult to get Li Bingbing and Fan Xiaopang to attend a drinking party; that old woman was fiercely protective of her own.

Now that Wong Jing-hua has left, all the new artists, except for a few big names, have to follow the company's arrangements. The company's control and the artists' obedience have increased dramatically.

After a while, Huo Siyan changed her clothes, wearing a dark dress and a braid, looking pure and lovely.

However, the low neckline, the skirt hem that barely covers the hips, and the fair skin that contrasts sharply with the color of the skirt add a lot of charm and allure to her innocent look.

After getting into the car with her assistant, Huo Siyan realized that in addition to the young CEO Wang, the older CEO Wang had also arrived.

Generally, because the Wang brothers have different roles, they usually attend drinking parties separately. When the two brothers are together, it's either a gathering or for important guests.

"Mr. Wang, who is the other party?"

Huo Siyan couldn't help but ask, and Wang Zhonglei smiled and said, "You'll know when we get there. He's an old acquaintance of yours."

An old acquaintance?!

Huo Siyan dared not ask any more questions, wondering to herself who it was. The journey was not far, and she soon arrived at the destination.

The Wang brothers led her to the private room, and the guests arrived in about ten minutes.

"Chairman Wang, General Manager Wang, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Haha, we arrived early."

Huo Siyan's eyes widened as she watched the young man exchanging pleasantries with the Wang brothers.

Why is it him!

Yan Li also saw Huo Siyan and couldn't help but glance at her chest.

Big and white!
He had actually known about Huo Siyan's advantage for a long time.

When filming "Happy Seven Fairies", this point was specially highlighted in the Seven Fairies' prison costume, with the dress being low-cut.

However, the Seven Fairies are of a pure and innocent type, so it's not appropriate to be too explicit. They only touched on the surface and didn't really bring out Huo's characteristics.

What's going on? Now that you've joined Huayi Brothers, are you starting to transform from an innocent, pure girl into a sexy, alluring woman?
"Come here, Siyan, I don't need to introduce this person, right? President Yan is your mentor."

Despite her boastful attitude, Huo Siyan was merely comforting herself; in reality, she understood the vast gap between herself and Yan Li.

Even if she becomes the top female star at Huayi Brothers, she's still not on the same level as industry heavyweights like Yan Li.

Seeing how polite the Wang brothers were to Yan Li, he became even more obedient, bowing respectfully in greeting.

"President Yan, it's been a long time."

"Red aura is good for people, and the swiftlet is much more beautiful now that it's on fire than before."

Yan Li praised her, and he wasn't wrong. Huo was a bit rustic during the "Happy Seven Fairies" era, and coupled with being ostracized, her eyes and brows showed a hint of depression.

Now that she's famous, she's more confident, in better shape, and her fashion sense, skincare, and makeup have all improved, making her much more radiant than before.

However, every advantage has its disadvantages.

She's got star quality, but she's lost much of the innocent, pure charm she once had. Her eyes and brows betray her ambition, and she even has a touch of worldliness.

It's good, though. Huo Siyan's personality is really not what you'd expect from someone innocent. Her early transformation has saved her from the so-called collapse of her public image.

However, a complete transformation into a sexy and glamorous image is not a good idea. The market is too competitive, and Huo's own strengths are not obvious. She should combine her previous innocent style with a wave of "innocent yet seductive" charm, showing that she can be both pure and alluring, and create her own unique style.

Uh……

Yan Li felt that after planning the route for the two soldiers, he had some lingering effects.

Whenever I see a female celebrity, I want to offer some advice. Not long ago, I discussed with Qin Lan and thought she could try a style that is intellectual, elegant, gentle, and resilient.

It not only fits the actor's image and personality, but also continues several representative roles, while also extending to other categories of characteristics. It is not only likable, but also has a wide range of acting skills.

Well, there's a subtle yet satisfying sense of nurturing a female celebrity who is designed, packaged, and cultivated by herself and loved by countless people.

It would be even more satisfying to completely exploit the goddesses that everyone loves, and for some to even become dependent on and worship them.

Therefore, Yan Li prefers to promote female celebrities.

Making male celebrities famous might bring some sense of accomplishment, but that's about it. Let other big shots take the lead.

For example, I've heard that Mr. Wang is quite fond of being a talent scout for male celebrities.

Thinking of this, when Yan Li sat down, he deliberately sat next to Wang Zhongjun, separating Wang Zhonglei, while Huo Siyan was arranged to sit next to Yan Li.

One of the main topics of discussion at the meeting between the Wang brothers and Yan Li was Fan Xiaopang's contract.

As the former owner, Huayi Brothers generously let go, wanting to give Fan Xiaopang a grand "marriage" to Yan Li.

Yan Li expressed his gratitude verbally, but he didn't really take it seriously.

He's already lured people to his home; whether Huayi agrees or not is irrelevant.

To put it bluntly, the Wang brothers just wanted to do a favor: firstly, to prevent Wang Jinghua from getting away with it, and secondly, to stop Yan Li from harming Li Bingbing.

Fan Xiaopang and his group should be lenient. If Yan Li were to poach Li Bingbing again, it would be extremely unethical.

Thirdly, turn enemies into friends and win over Yan Li to prevent him from being drawn into Orange Sky's scheme and surrounding Huayi Brothers.

"President Yan, what kind of person is this Wu you're talking about? He's backed by the Japanese to come and seize territory in China. Isn't he the traitor who didn't lead the way decades ago?"

"..."

Yan Li almost lost his composure. Wu has Japanese capital behind him. Isn't Huayi Brothers also in hot sparring with Columbia Pictures?

The largest shareholder of Colombia is Japan's Sony Group.

This is a fight between the puppet army and the puppet regime; don't even mention the traitors.

However, among the dwarfs, Huayi Brothers is still a domestic company and has a cooperative relationship with Columbia Pictures, while Orange Sky is indeed a legitimate Japanese-owned enterprise.

According to Yan Li's intelligence gathering, some people in higher-ups and related units, as well as some people in the industry, are wary of Orange Sky.

Is the Japanese behind China's largest entertainment and film company?!
The implications of this are terrifying.

Regardless of what others think, Yan Li simply cannot accept it. He would rather cooperate with Huayi Brothers, no matter who wins or loses in the future, at least the benefits will remain.

Therefore, he simply stated that only the Chinese people can be in charge of Chinese-language films.

The older generation, who risked their lives to straighten the backs of the family, must not bend again.

"What President Yan said is inspiring."

Wang Zhongjun slammed his fist on the table. He was a child of a military compound and had served in the army. Although he had lost much of his original aspirations, he could still distinguish right from wrong in some matters.

Both publicly and privately, Huayi Brothers and other companies would never allow Orange Sky to ride roughshod over them.

After reaching an agreement, the atmosphere became more lively, and Yan Li also showed his sincerity and strength by taking out a folder.

"Rumor has it that someone is planning to target your company. Chairman Wang, you should be on high alert."

Wang Zhongjun took the folder, his face immediately darkening, and then growing darker with each glance. He handed the folder to Wang Zhonglei, whose mental state was far worse than his brother's. He broke out in a cold sweat and asked Yan Li in a trembling voice.

How did they know?

Yan Li calmly took a bite of sea cucumber: "President Wang will have to investigate this himself. I'm just giving you a heads-up."

Wang Zhonglei was about to say more when his brother stopped him, whispered a few words to him, and hurriedly left.

After he left, Wang Zhongjun raised a glass of wine, stood up, and solemnly thanked Yan Li.

Whether Yan Lizhen heard the rumors and warned them, or she discovered Huayi's loopholes but didn't take action, she did help Huayi escape a disaster. Otherwise, Huayi would have suffered a serious setback, if not a major one.

"Mr. Wang, you're too kind. It's just a matter of helping each other out."

Yan Li drank it with a smile. Wang Zhongjun gave him a deep look, thankful that he had refrained from making a move. The kid was indeed no pushover.

With a sudden thought, Wang Zhongjun, while instructing Huo Siyan to pour wine for Yan Li, spoke up again.

"Shouldn't we still let Fan Bingbing play the female lead in 'A Battle of Wits'? I think she's more suitable."

Tsk, is he stunned or trying to make amends?

That's quite wasteful.

Yan Li did not agree rashly, but he did not object either, saying that he would go back and discuss it with Fan Xiaopang.

The movie "A Battle of Wits" had a large investment, and regardless of its box office performance, it certainly boosted Fan Bingbing's star power.

These days, if you haven't been the lead actress in a big-budget movie, you're not even qualified to be called a top-tier actress.

But even if the box office flops after the performance, the star power will still be elevated, even if the effect isn't as good.

Just look at Huo Siyan standing next to her; seeing Yan Li get Fan Xiaopang the female lead in "A Battle of Wits," she was practically drooling with envy, her eyes practically burning with desire as she looked at Yan Li…

(End of this chapter)