Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 207 The Strongest Advertisement in the A-Share Market: A Battleground During the Spring Festival

Is Yan Li's claim of a net worth exceeding 1.8 million yuan a publicity stunt or the truth?

This is a hot post that just appeared on Tianya. Not only on Tianya, but also on Douban, blogs, and Tieba, there are similar discussions on this topic, with supporters and opponents arguing fiercely.

[Of course! Didn't you see the news? He directed "Happy Seven Fairies" and "Bright Sword," and "The Return of the Condor Heroes" and "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" also grossed tens of millions. Yan Li's net worth is definitely more than 1.8 million.]

[You don't know anything. He's just one of the investors, his share is limited, and after deducting costs, how much actually ends up in his hands?]

[That's right, this guy is a master of hype. He's probably just using this opportunity to create buzz. "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" should be airing soon, right?]

[Idiot, can you say you were just browsing the internet? Yan Li made his fortune in stocks, and with the current bull market, his net worth is definitely skyrocketing.]

[Exactly! These people are just jealous and unwilling to admit that Yan Li is better than them.]

Even if Yan Li's net worth is a publicity stunt, 1.8 million is still a figure published by Forbes. A net worth of 1.8 million at the age of 25 is nothing short of a business prodigy.

Even if he had 180 billion, would he give you a single penny? You bootlicker.

[Envious dog, full of sour grapes. So impressive online, does he even have 1.8 in his savings account?]

[You overestimated him; it's questionable whether he even has 18 yuan left for internet renewal.]

【…】

The internet is in an uproar, with everyone holding their own version of events.

There are many different opinions about Yan Li's net worth, but he is generally recognized as an undisputed billionaire.

This is completely different from the public opinion that Yan Li personally admitted about half a year ago that his net worth had exceeded 100 million.

At that time, the so-called king of selling movies was not yet known to the public, and hit shows such as "Bright Sword" had not been broadcast. Because of the hype surrounding Shuangbing, a considerable number of people believed that he was just a marketer.

However, as the second half of the year progressed, various events continued to validate Yan Li's strength and financial resources.

Forbes, a reputable organization in the field, personally verified Yan Li's net worth at 1.8 million, definitively confirming his wealth.

Aside from extreme haters, even some people who dislike Yan Li have to admit this fact.

Instead, they criticized Yan Li for making money through sheer luck or cleverness, and argued that his arrogance after making a little money meant he would eventually fail.

Yan Li's supporters, following his own account, began to promote his wealth.

A conservative estimate was given as 3 million, while fans gave estimates of over 5 million.

Radical, brainwashed fans, or those who have no concept of money, have already estimated Yan Li's net worth to be in the tens of figures.

Rupert Hoogewerf, president of the Hurun Rich List, also jumped on the bandwagon, taking a jab at rival Forbes.

The 2005 Hurun Rich List was published earlier than Forbes.

However, their figures are the publicly announced 100 richest people in mainland China, while Forbes lists 400, and there are quite a few discrepancies between the two lists.

For example, Huang, the owner of Gome, is the richest man on the Hurun Rich List, but he only ranks fourth on the Forbes list, while Rong, the richest man on the Forbes list, ranks sixth on the Hurun list.

Only five people ranked in the top ten of both lists: Rong from CITIC Group, Yi Ding from Gome, Chen from Shengda, and Zhu from Hopson Development, who is not very well-known.

Both lists want to prove that they are more authoritative and accurate than the other. Since someone involved has questioned Forbes, Hurun naturally has to help.

During a business event, Rupert Hoogewerf stated that they had also investigated and assessed the assets of Yan Li, who has recently gained prominence, and believed that what Yan Li said was true.

"...According to some sources, this Mr. Yan has assembled a dedicated securities service team, has achieved considerable success in the stock market, and has invested in several internet companies, including the currently popular Tudou.com..."

Yan Li's scheme could not have been kept secret from everyone, especially from well-informed financial information companies like Hurun.

They make a living from this. While the so-called rankings aren't entirely accurate, they're not entirely baseless either, as there are many sources of information.

Leaving aside his stock trading, Yan Li has never hidden it from outsiders; otherwise, it would be difficult to explain the source of his funds.

Everyone knows he's a stock market enthusiast, and he can use the stock market to his advantage, making money and hiding it, allowing him to be rich or poor, and to advance or retreat as he pleases.

Yan Li had no intention of hiding anything from Tudou.com; in fact, he was keen to strengthen the relationship between the two companies and increase Tudou's influence. At the same time, establishing a persona as an "investment expert" would also benefit his future business operations.

Including cinemas, Yan Li had previously kept a low profile for various reasons.

But now that the cinema chain is in talks to acquire it and is about to make a public appearance, there's nothing left to hide. Media exposure might even give them a boost.

However, because the cinema chain operates in a low-key manner, with few core executives and investors, none of this information has been disclosed to the public.

Therefore, Hurun couldn't find out the specifics, and fearing he might appear ignorant, he vaguely covered it up with the statement "and has other ventures in the film and television industry."

Of course, the important thing is not the theater chain, and the outside world is not concerned about Yan Li's plans. What people care about most is how much money he has.

Rupert Hoogewerf understood this point well, and after a lengthy explanation, he gave an estimate of 3 to 3.5 million yuan, which was almost double the figure from Forbes.

Some busybodies went to ask Yan Li again, but this time he did not respond.

Given Yan Li's previous criticism of Forbes' low valuation, many people believe that Hurun's estimated net worth is close to Yan Li's actual net worth. It is also possible that Yan Li realized he had been too high-profile before, so he stopped speaking out.

3-3.5 million!
It doesn't feel like there are that many. At least the top 400 richest people on the Forbes list all have a net worth starting at 5 million.

But to say there are few, there aren't many who qualify.

In 2006, a net worth of 3 million yuan was enough to be considered a tycoon. Many families would go bankrupt and sell their houses and land, but they still might not be able to scrape together 300 yuan. There were also quite a few people whose entire lives were changed by 30 yuan.

If you add prefixes like "from a humble background," "25 years old," and "three years of entrepreneurship" to this number, it becomes somewhat legendary.

The famous business interview program "Wealth Life," which has interviewed a number of business tycoons, also broadcasted an interview with Yan Li that was recorded in Hengdian.

...

Jiangsu Province, a certain residential community
He Ming came out of his bedroom with his laptop and invited his roommates and business partners to watch Yan Li's interview on "Wealth and Life".

He Ming, a recent graduate leading a small startup team, enjoys watching interviews with successful business leaders to learn from and encourage himself.

Later, he not only watched it himself, but also dragged several partners to watch it together, ostensibly to cheer them on and enhance team cohesion.

He Ming had been looking forward to Yan Li's episode ever since he saw the preview.

Although Yan Li's wealth and achievements are not comparable to those big shots, he is the same age as them and started from scratch, which makes him more relatable to these young people.

Today's Yan Li, tomorrow's them, full of energy!
At He Ming's urging, his other two roommates, Lü Dongliang and Shi Jing, came out of the room, with Lü Dongliang bringing his girlfriend, Zhang Xue.

After setting up the computer on the coffee table in the living room and arranging the seats for everyone, He Ming clicked play.

Because it was an off-site recording, the venue was a meeting room in a hotel in Hengdian, where Yan Li and Lai Dandan, the host of "Wealthy Life," sat facing each other.

"He's quite handsome."

Looking at Yan Li on the screen, Zhang Xue couldn't help but sigh.

Because he was filming, he needed to wear a wig, so Yan Li cut his hair short. He had a handsome face and regular features. He was wearing a black casual suit and sat casually on the sofa. Every move he made showed his strong and upright figure.

Zhang Xue had previously watched a few episodes of "Wealthy Life" or other interviews with her boyfriend.

In terms of appearance alone, Yan Li is definitely one of the best among those entrepreneurs.

His aura is also quite impressive; he possesses both the confidence and composure of a business elite, as well as the vigor and ambition of a young person.

Zhang Xue had seen Yan Li act in dramas, including "Bright Sword", "Happy Seven Fairies", "Emperor Wu of Han", and "Conquest".

The characters he played each had their own characteristics, but upon seeing him in person today, I found that Yan Li himself was more charming than most of the characters he played.

"Tsk, what a showpiece."

Lu Dongliang felt a pang of jealousy as he watched his girlfriend's eyes light up. Shi Jing, standing next to him, patted him on the shoulder.

Stop arguing, or you'll only humiliate yourself.

In the program, the opening sequence briefly introduced Yan Li's identity and achievements, and after the host's opening remarks, the interview officially began.

After a few brief pleasantries, the host, Lai Dandan, asked the first question.

Many people are curious about your first pot of gold. Some media reports say that you earned your first pot of gold in the stock market?

"That's it."

Yan Li did not deny it, but added: "Strictly speaking, before I started investing in stocks, my acting fees plus other miscellaneous income were the first money I earned, and I used that as capital to make a profit in the stock market."

The host asked, "How much was your initial capital when you started investing in stocks?"

"It should be several thousand yuan, maybe even tens of thousands, because it wasn't all invested at once, but rather in installments, so I can't remember exactly how much."

Host: "What year was that?"

"In the second half of 2002, I had just graduated and didn't have many acting opportunities. I was struggling to make ends meet, so I thought I'd try my hand at stocks to earn some money to help support my family."

puff--

Lu Dongliang couldn't help but spit out the water in his mouth, while Shi Jing next to him looked utterly speechless and exasperated.

"So, you're saying that subsidizing household expenses can create a billionaire?"

He Ming, however, exclaimed with fervor: "Three years after graduation, a net worth of hundreds of millions? That's legendary, that's amazing!"

Despite being a girl, Zhang Xue keenly noticed the key point, her gossip-loving spirit burning brightly.

The fact that it was for household expenses, rather than living expenses, suggests that Yan Li was likely not living alone at the time, but rather had a girlfriend living with him, hence the household expenses.

At that time, Yan Li probably didn't know Fan Xiaopang or Li Bingbing, so it must have been one of his two ex-girlfriends.

Dong Xuan or Huang Shengyi?

The group discussed Lenovo, and the topic of the interview shifted to the next topic.

Host: "We all know you studied acting and started out as an actor, so why are you focusing on business now?"

"Because actors don't earn as much as business people."

Yan Li made a half-joking remark, then said, "Money is indeed an important factor, but my own personality and some abilities also played a role."

The host asked curiously, "Could you elaborate?"

"Well, how should I put it? I have a rather assertive personality, and the acting profession often puts you in a passive position. I'm not used to this passivity, so I wanted to change it, and slowly I started to step behind the scenes."

"In terms of ability, I personally think that I have a better talent for business than for acting."

"I'm a pretty pragmatic person; I'll choose whichever is more advantageous."

Host: "So, from your heart, do you prefer doing business and starting a business, or acting and making movies?"

Yan Li hesitated for a moment and said, "The latter feels more relaxing and less complicated."

Host: "Can I understand it this way: acting is your ideal career, while doing business is your realistic choice?"

Yan Li nodded: "The description is a bit exaggerated, but you could say that."

The host, revealing his true intentions, asked the crucial question: "So, does the current choice mean that reality has defeated ideals?"

No, I'm still filming.

Yan Li denied it, then continued, "You're only forced to make a choice when you have no other choice. I try my best to give myself options, so of course..."

He stretched out a hand, which Yan Li grasped firmly, his eyes filled with confidence tinged with arrogance.

"Want them all!"

Children make choices; adults want it all!

This is a "golden quote" that Yan Li saw in the intelligence report, and it's a quote that he deeply agrees with. Now he's modified it and using it.

This statement resonated with and was endorsed by He Ming, Lü Dongliang, and others.

That's right. Who says you can't have both ideals and reality? It's just that some people can do it and some can't.

He Ming even imitated Yan Li's gesture of opening his hand and clenching his fist, trying to feel that spirited and domineering attitude.

Unfortunately, her temperament and appearance couldn't match, and her attempt to imitate others backfired, drawing ridicule from Shi Jing and others.

Zhang Xue remained steadfast in her gossip: "He wants both ideals and reality, so what about his girlfriends...? Does he think the same way?"

Thinking about it this way, it suddenly makes sense that he was two-timing with two women, still had lingering ties with his ex-girlfriend Dong Xuan, and was also having affairs with other actresses.

That bastard is a glutton who only cares about what he can eat!
Zhang Xue was really looking forward to the host asking this question, but unfortunately, "Wealth and Life" is a high-end financial interview program and doesn't delve into gossip.

The later questions focused more on Yan Li's personal thoughts and personality, as well as his judgments on business operations and related industries.

Yan Li didn't mince words, firmly expressing his optimism about China's entertainment industry.

At the same time, I also briefly discussed the Internet, which is currently one of the hottest business trends.

It's not new to see the internet as a hot trend; it's a consensus that most people already know.

However, Yan Li views the internet from the perspective of an entertainment company owner and firmly believes that the cultural and entertainment industry will continue to deeply integrate with the internet in the future, resulting in a major transformation that will affect the entire cultural and entertainment industry.

Some of the later interviews were a bit tedious, but the group watched them very attentively, especially He Ming, who even took out a notebook to take notes.

Lü Dongliang looked at Shi Jing: "Do you think what he said is reliable?"

He Ming, who was starting to become a die-hard fan of Yan Li, immediately said, "Given his wealth and status, he can definitely see further than we can."

“That’s right, Yan Li is absolutely right.”

Zhang Xue also voted in favor: "Many young people now watch TV series and movies and listen to music online. As the Internet develops better and better, this trend will become stronger and stronger."

"Computer games eliminated arcade games, DVDs eliminated video rental stores, MP3 players and Walkmans eliminated tape recorders... If you can't keep up with the times, you'll be eliminated."

Shi Jing was more composed and served as the strategist for the group. He also had a more macro-level perspective on the issues.

"Yan Li is young, which not only means that he has a promising future, but also that he will be more familiar with new things, which may be Yan Li's biggest advantage."

Chicken Blood King He Ming seized the opportunity: "This is also our advantage. The old folks have outdated ideas, unlike us young people who have flexible and open-minded thinking."

These words were met with unanimous praise.

Among them, Shi Jing was smart, Lü Dongliang was skilled, and Zhang Xue was meticulous. However, they chose the impetuous and rash He Ming to lead the group because he was passionate.

Passion is essential for this kind of startup team.

Many companies succeed not because they have more advantages than their competitors, but because they have more drive.

Of course, He Ming's family is wealthy, making him the largest shareholder in their small team, which is also a crucial reason.

At this point, the episode of "Wealthy Life" was coming to an end, and the host asked Yan Li the final, and familiar, question.

"Many young people now regard you as an idol. Do you have any successful experiences to share with them?"

Yan Li shook his head: "Everyone's success is hard to replicate. My so-called experience of success may be useless or even a hindrance to another person. If I really want to share something, I'll give you a poem."

"Which poem?"

"There will be times when the wind will be strong and the waves will be broken, and the sails will be hoisted to cross the vast ocean!"

clap~
He Ming applauded enthusiastically and even wanted to change that sentence into his QQ signature, while Lü Dongliang curled his lip.

This poem was written by Li Bai, but it's being presented as if it were Yan Li's original work...

That being said, Lü Dongliang himself also pondered reciting a few lines of poetry.

If I ever succeed someday, and the media comes to interview me, I can just throw out a line like that, and my status will instantly rise.

...

"Wealth Life" isn't a particularly popular show, and it has its own specific audience, but this time, because of Yan Li, it has gained some mainstream attention.

Yan Li has given many interviews, mostly as an actor and producer, and they are mainly media reports, leaning more towards entertainment news.

This was Yan Li's first time participating in a high-end personal interview program like "Wealthy Life," which focuses on business wealth.

After the program aired, many people who were curious about Yan Li gained a new or more understanding of him.

I used to think Yan Li was arrogant, but after watching the interview, he doesn't seem as domineering as I thought.

I've never thought Yan Li was arrogant; I'm more inclined to believe he's just confident and proud. His few "outrageous remarks" seem more like publicity stunts or something the media deliberately created to grab attention.

Are we watching the same show? Making a fortune out of household expenses – isn't that outrageous?

I don't think it's arrogant, it's more like domineering, that kind of domineering aura of wanting everything.

[Damn it, that show-off is so annoying, I'll just punch him a few times.]

[They have the ability to show off, and besides, Yan Li has martial arts skills; who knows who might get punched by whom?]

I didn't mean anything by it, Mr. Yan, could you recommend a few stocks?

[The strongest advertisement in the A-share market: Damn, the market is rising!]

[Uh, it did rise more than yesterday, I wonder if that's part of the reason.] [That bastard is really handsome, my girlfriend used to call him a womanizer, but now she's cheated on me.]

Money gives a hero courage; with enough courage and a strong presence, plus good looks, how could he not be handsome?

No wonder I was able to take down two enemy soldiers! My soldier soldier!

[Cavalrymen, charge!!!]

Holy crap, the person upstairs is a genius!

【…】

The heated discussions among netizens and the concentrated media coverage have made Yan Li a rising star.

Yan Li's personal Baidu Tieba followers and blog traffic surged rapidly, and a promotional video he filmed for Tudou.com also quickly surpassed 10 views.

Even Hong Kong, Taiwan, and some Asian media outlets have reprinted and reported on some of Yan Li's news.

There are also rumors that a Hong Kong film company wants to adapt his story into a movie, and the title has already been chosen: "Entertainment Tycoon." It is said that they plan to cast Nicholas Tse and Edison Chen in the film.

This rumor sparked a wave of criticism.

TM Yan Li himself is an actor, so changing his story and finding another actor to play him is just pointless.

Even Yan Li himself was speechless. He was only twenty-five years old and had already started making his own movies. Wasn't he afraid that he would go bankrupt in a couple of years?

Well, knowing these people as he does, he'd probably be hoping they go bankrupt so he can make a sequel...

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.

Aside from accepting an interview with Fortune Life magazine, Yan Li has not paid any attention to other media outlets.

It's fine to show off a bit while helping with business, and having a big reputation can bring many benefits, but everything in excess is bad. Constantly showing off does more harm than good.

In the past few days, Yan Li has been accompanied by a noticeably larger entourage while filming and traveling. In addition to his brothers from his hometown, there are also two carefully selected veterans.

He also called home, temporarily halting the restaurant's business, and arranged for his cousin Yan Xin to take a few people back to their hometown to look after the place.

With an intelligence network in place, Yan Li wasn't really afraid of any bad gangs targeting him.

But it's better to be safe than sorry, just in case you encounter someone who acts on impulse.

With the Spring Festival just around the corner, many people are short of money to go home for the holidays, and many are willing to take risks. It's always good to be on guard.

Because of safety concerns, and given the recent surge in attention, Yan Li was unusually well-behaved for a while.

Aside from filming and working, he doesn't wander around much and stays well-behaved on set.

His honesty angered several women.

Besides their dissatisfaction with the reduction in "welfare," the most crucial issue is that they are caught in a prisoner's dilemma, not believing that Yan Li is honest on his own, but suspecting that he has been tricked by other women.

Li Bingbing, who was in the same production crew as Yan Li, became a prime suspect.

Li Bingbing was wronged.

Because Yan Li didn't run around and stayed obediently in the "Legend of Xue Rengui" crew filming, she did indeed have the best chance to make a move.

Unfortunately, they were unlucky, as it was almost Chinese New Year. Li Xue, the younger sister, couldn't bear to see her older sister alone on set, so she came to keep Li Bingbing company for the New Year.

Li Bingbing was held up by his younger sister and had no chance to interact with Yan Li alone.

Yan Li noticed what the others were thinking, but didn't pay much attention to it.

With the Spring Festival approaching, the acquisition of the cinema chain has made significant progress. He has been busy paying attention to it these past few days, and has even handed over the New Year's arrangements for the film crew to his subordinates.

It wasn't until he received the film crew's New Year's Eve holiday plans that Yan Li suddenly realized there was a problem.

The production teams of "The Legend of the White-Haired Witch", "The Legend of Xue Rengui", and "The Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty" are planning to spend the Chinese New Year together.

From the production team's perspective, this choice was flawless.

Yi'an was the main controlling party, and the various production teams kept in touch with each other, sharing some teams and personnel.

This year, each of the three families set aside a portion of their budget for the Lunar New Year, resulting in more money and a more lively celebration.

But when it came to Yan Li, things got a bit complicated.

If three film crews are spending the Lunar New Year together, won't those women run into each other?
Yan Li asked if the plans could be changed, but the venue, banquet, and other arrangements were already mostly finalized. With so many people involved and the Lunar New Year approaching, changing the plans would be extremely troublesome.

"........."

Yan Li had no choice but to arrange the banquet for the group to be further away, and he would try to avoid it himself. It was the New Year, so a fight shouldn't break out.

New Year's Eve arrived quickly. The three film crews were given a holiday, and as evening approached, people began to arrive at the hotel where the New Year's Eve dinner was to be held.

In addition to arranging a New Year's Eve dinner, the hotel also provided some entertainment activities, so it wasn't boring at all.

Wang Ou arrived early, originally intending to take advantage of the fact that the others hadn't arrived yet and try to be the first to arrive.

When they arrived, they found that Yan Li hadn't come; it seemed he had some urgent work to attend to.

Yang Rong, who came with her, couldn't help but mutter, "Does he really have a job, or is he just avoiding trouble?"

Wang Ou thought it was the former; if Yan Li were really afraid of this, he wouldn't have arranged for three film crews to spend the New Year together.

"However, keep a low profile for a while and don't cause any trouble."

She reminded Yang Rong, who looked at her strangely and said, "What does it have to do with me? I have nothing to do with President Yan."

Wang Ou put his arm around Yang Rong and chuckled, "You and President Yan have nothing to do with each other, but everyone knows you're one of my people. Be careful not to get caught alone and get dealt with."

Yang Rong said helplessly, "I've gotten myself on a sinking ship."

"It won't be a wasted trip; I'll take you on a wild ride later."

Wang Ou winked at Yang Rong in a suggestive way, which made Yang Rong unable to resist kicking her.

Since sharing their secrets, Wang Ou and Yang Rong have become increasingly close.

After sensing that Yang Rong was outwardly quiet but inwardly secretly passionate, Wang Ou liked to tease her from time to time, saying that he wanted to share things with his best friend.

Although Yang Rong was embarrassed and angry, and firmly stated that she would not comply, she never turned against him, and even seemed to be secretly enjoying it.

As they were talking, Wang Ou heard someone call her. She turned around and saw that it was Wu Jiani. She quickly waved for her to come over.

Wu Jiani hugged Wang Ou affectionately, and couldn't help but look at Yang Rong.

Previously, she and Wang Ou had a better relationship in "The Legend of the Gods" and "Detective Dee". They even formed a subtle alliance.

But this time, when Wang Ou was filming "The Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty", Yang Rong suddenly appeared, and the two developed a relationship by leaps and bounds. Yang Rong, who was originally Wang Ou's good friend, became a bit of an outsider.

This made Wu Jiani feel a little threatened!

Wang Ou might be thinking of changing partners... If Wang Ou gives up cooperating with her and chooses to ally with Yang Rong, she will be fighting alone, and life will be even more difficult.

Yang Rong slightly sensed Wu Jiani's hostility, but didn't pay much attention to it.

Wang Ou and she can talk about almost anything now. Although he didn't explicitly mention Wu Jiani's matter, he hinted at it, and she even guessed what Wang Ou was thinking.

Yang Rong didn't want to comment on their actions, but she was certain she wouldn't get involved.

Don't be fooled by how lively her conversations with Wang Ou seem; it's mostly about seeking thrills and getting a good ear. Daring to think doesn't necessarily mean daring to do it, and daring to do it doesn't mean doing it together.

Wang Ou was unaware of the undercurrent between the two. She had a good relationship with Yang Rong, but her relationship with Wu Jiani was not bad either.

Who says you can only have one best friend? Maybe she caught Yan Li's taste for it too, she likes to have two women on either side of her.

Under her guidance, Wu and Yang, who had previously interacted with each other, put aside their concerns and had a fairly good chat.

All three of them studied dance from a young age. Wu Jiani went on to study at the Beijing Dance Academy, Yang Rong went to the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and Wang Ou's experience was more complicated. She first became a dancer, then a model, and finally an actress.

But regardless, they all come from a dance background and are now actors, so they still have a lot in common.

As they were chatting, Yang Rong suddenly tugged at Wang Ou. The group glanced over and saw Qin Lan and Huo Siyan each carrying a dog as they entered.

"withdraw."

Wang Ou made a decision immediately, and the three of them quickly made their escape. On the other side, Huo Siyan, who had also seen Wang Ou and the other two, reminded Qin Lan.

"Sis, is that slut here too?"

Qin Lan gently stroked the dog: "Ignore her, she's not our opponent today."

Huo Siyan nodded, hesitated for a moment, and asked curiously, "Sister, you brought the dog here, you're not planning to let it bite them, are you?"

Qin Lan: "..."

She's gone mad from raising these Teddy dogs. She really thinks highly of these two little rascals. If she expects them to do anything, they'll just kick them to death. She might as well go and bite them herself.

As they were talking, Huo Siyan whispered a reminder: "The man surnamed Fan is here."

Qin Lan turned her head and saw that Fan Xiaopang had come with Li Lin. The latter was carrying a child and had left first, while Fan Xiaopang was making a phone call not far away.

Huo Siyan was eager to say hello: "Sister, say hello."

Qin Lan remained silent, but Huo Siyan understood and stepped forward to exchange pleasantries with Li Lin.

Both of them acted in "Happy Seven Fairies". Although their relationship wasn't particularly good, they weren't enemies either.

Compared to Dong Xuan's gang and the two soldiers, Li Lin was the only one among the Seven Fairies who treated Huo Siyan a little better.

Li Lin, holding the child, glanced at Qin Lan, nodded in acknowledgment, and then spoke to Huo Siyan.

At this moment, Fan Xiaopang finished his phone call and walked over. Seeing this scene, he raised his eyebrows slightly.

"What's wrong, blocking the road?"

Huo Siyan was somewhat dissatisfied: "Can't you speak properly? It's none of your business whether I'm catching up with Li Lin or not."

"Yo."

Fan Xiaopang's smile flickered slightly: "It's really different when you've latched onto a powerful figure; he even dares to swagger in front of me now."

Huo Siyan couldn't stand Fan Xiaopang's contemptuous attitude. What was he pretending for, acting like he was innocent? Didn't he still steal Dong Xuan's girlfriend?

If she were alone, she wouldn't dare to challenge Fan Xiaopang, but now that Qin Lan is backing her up, Huo Siyan is much bolder.

"This place isn't yours to rent out, I can do whatever I want with it."

"Cow."

Fan Xiaopang sneered, staring at her sharply: "You think that because you have someone protecting you, I can't do anything to you, right?"

Huo Siyan felt a little weak in the face of Fan Xiaopang's aura. At this moment, Qin Lan came over carrying the dog, her voice calm.

"Try touching her!"

Huo Siyan felt as if she had been granted a pardon and retreated behind Qin Lan, while Fan Xiaopang gave a disdainful snort.

"waste."

Qin Lan frowned: "Watch your mouth."

"You're still protecting her."

Fan Xiaopang rolled his eyes: "They follow all sorts of lousy people and have no brains at all."

Qin Lan said angrily, "Who are you calling brainless?"

"I'm talking about you, so what?"

Fan Xiaopang didn't back down at all: "I thought I was in 'Investiture of the Gods'? Let me tell you, times have changed. Don't try to act tough with me."

"Just because I held a signing ceremony for you, you think you're some kind of boss lady from Yi'an?"

Qin Lan had previously suppressed Fan Xiaopang, giving her a psychological advantage: "Let me tell you, a vixen is a vixen. As long as I'm still around, you'll never be able to rise to prominence."

Fan Xiaopang glared at him, then suddenly smiled brightly: "Think about it carefully, which of us isn't on the table?"

"..."

Qin Lan's expression changed slightly, and Fan Xiaopang keenly sensed that the attack was effective, so he frantically followed up with more attacks.

"So what if she's a fox spirit? Empress Jiang was still played to death by Daji. Life is like a play, and a play is like life."

"Whether it's you or anyone else, everyone outside now knows that I am Yan Li's real girlfriend."

"Behave yourself and I'll turn a blind eye. If you don't know what's good for you, I'll make you suffer in the play, and I'll make sure you get lost in real life too."

"..."

Qin Lan was mocked so directly that she was trembling with anger, and she almost smashed the dog in her hand into Fan Xiaopang's face.

Fan Xiaopang was smug, but he was also wary of Qin Lan making a move and was ready to respond at any time.

However, before Qin Lan could speak, Li Bingbing and her sister, who had somehow appeared in front of her, clapped softly.

Li Bingbing sighed, "They've taken over someone else's place and they're still so shameless. How can people be so shameless?"

Li Xue chimed in, "If you encountered someone like that in our hometown in Northeast China, you'd be drowned."

Qin Lan didn't understand why the Li sisters were helping her, but she resolutely joined the group: "Before being thrown into the river, we have to be stripped naked and swam around the streets a few times."

"Fellow villagers help each other."

Fan Xiaopang faced three opponents alone without fear, first confronting Li Bingbing and her sister: "What are you pretending to be good people for? You two old fogies, you have no chance in any kind of nest."

Then he retorted to Qin Lan: "You're not convinced that you're brainless. These sisters are united, and they'd even help you count the money after selling you out."

"I'd rather be sold than not kill you, you shameless bastard."

Qin Lan retorted, but as she said it, she unconsciously distanced herself from Li Bingbing and her sister.

She wasn't easily swayed by Fan Xiaopang's words; she had always been quite wary of Li Bingbing.

Especially considering Li Bingbing's recent behavior, the fact that she didn't go along with Fan Xiaopang's criticism was already a sign of respect for the two Li sisters' help earlier.

Li Xue was somewhat dissatisfied with Qin Lan's ungrateful behavior: "Ungrateful, no wonder she's being bullied."

Qin Lan was only giving face to the Li sisters when they helped her earlier; she didn't consider them as family, and upon hearing this, she immediately retorted.

"Huh? What 'huh'? You two have forgotten, haven't you? According to the customs of our hometown, she wasn't the only one who was drowned and paraded through the streets."

Li Bingbing narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze icy: "Who do you think you are?"

"Should."

Fan Xiaopang, always eager for drama, mocked the Li sisters, saying, "You've been trying to win their favor, haven't you? They don't even look at you."

"You've become arrogant and smug. It's not like you used to call me 'sister' anymore. You still have Shuangbing. Without my sister leading you, would you be where you are today?"

Li Xue started to confront Fan Xiaopang, who retorted without hesitation: "I treat you as my older sisters, but what do you treat me as? Don't think I don't know what happened with 'Cellphone,' and those news articles that smeared me, you two sisters were part of the credit, weren't you?"

"I did benefit from the double-soldier situation, but you two sisters also got a lot out of it. You're not stupid, so don't try to pressure me with this."

Qin Lan scoffed: "That sounds nice, but you're still just relying on someone else's influence."

"What's it to you?"

Fan Xiaopang was rude to Qin Lan, and Li Bingbing also held a grudge against Qin Lan's words, speaking hurtfully.

"Yan Li was the one who recommended Shuangbing. He's so good at planning and marketing, how come you're not famous?"

Fan Xiaopang and Fan Xiaopang worked together seamlessly, briefly unleashing a double attack: "Can't be helped up, huh?"

"..."

Qin Lan, Fan Xiaopang, and the Li sisters chatted back and forth in a friendly manner, and the atmosphere was so lively that no one dared to get close.

This created a large open space around them, with them at the core.

Although we couldn't hear what they were talking about because we were far away, it didn't stop us from making up all sorts of things in our minds, which was even more exciting than watching the Spring Festival Gala.

The person secretly peeking at Wang Ou and his companions from the corner was extremely anxious, muttering to themselves.

"Stop just talking! Fight!"

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.

P.S.: I broke my promise, I only wrote 9000+ words, I'll update with 10,000 tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)