Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 221 The Perfect Lover Template: Loyal and Sensible Ou Ou

Although both "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng" and "The Return of the Condor Heroes" have finished their initial broadcasts, their reruns and popular airings on local channels still allowed these two dramas to dominate the April television market.

After a period of time, the actors from both dramas continued to appear in public, and their fame and influence increased dramatically.

Julian Cheung, who starred in "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng," has become one of the most popular Hong Kong actors in the current television drama market.

He was also lucky. Cheung Wai-kin, who was originally a leading figure among Hong Kong television actors in mainland China, was greatly affected by the assault controversy surrounding "The Little Fish and the Flower Without Flaws".

Julian Cheung rose to fame with "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng," which coincided with this lull in his career.

Although the two actors have different acting styles, Julian Cheung has a better image and has also acted in comedies, including Lu Xiaofeng, which has a humorous touch. He can be both serious and funny, and immediately gained the favor of many TV stations and production teams.

As mentioned before, Hong Kong people tend to stick together, and many Hong Kong directors and producers who have moved north are particularly willing to use Hong Kong actors.

If the other party is also recognized by the market, TV stations, and investors, then they will prefer to use it even more.

Therefore, after Julian Cheung became famous, he received more film offers than advertising and commercial endorsements.

At his peak, he could receive three or four scripts a day, all of which were for leading roles, and the pay was considerable.

Yi An, who originally held a three-year management contract with Julian Cheung in mainland China, wanted to help him earn more business opportunities.

But later they found that shooting commercials was not as lucrative as shooting movies, and Julian Cheung himself was also quite enthusiastic about acting.

So after discussing it, we adjusted our strategy, only accepting short and quick advertisements to save time and directly arrange for Julian Cheung to join the production team.

Yi An didn't exploit Zhang Zhilin to the point of exhaustion, but instead squeezed him dry to make money, choosing high-quality roles from high-paying ones to maintain his popularity.

Well, Julian Cheung has a lot of potential right now and is expected to succeed Cheung Wai-kin as the leading actor in Hong Kong dramas.

If both parties have a good working relationship, then it's not impossible to renew the contract after the three-year term expires; in fact, given the current trend, the possibility is quite high.
Julian Cheung isn't stupid. Yi An rose to prominence so quickly and has abundant resources in mainland China. Instead of clinging to a good partner, he was determined to endure hardship with Wong Yat-king.

Moreover, as mentioned earlier, the resources that Wang Mojing's Jet Tone Films provided him were just so-so.

Since Julian Cheung has the potential to become a long-term cash cow, we can't exploit him too much; we need to be mindful of sustainability.

As for Ren Quan, who became a sensation with "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng," he didn't take the opportunity to accept various acting roles and advertisements.

Aside from "The White-Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom," it seems she only took on one period drama, and then she was busy... opening a restaurant.

This person started investing in the catering industry very early on, but he wasn't very famous at the time. Later, he started investing in and founding a Sichuan cuisine chain called Shudi Spicy Fish.

It is worth mentioning that Ren Quan's partner is the father-in-law of his classmate Li Xuetao.

That's right, he's Li Lin's father from "Happy Seven Fairies".

The two had a slightly awkward encounter while filming "The Bride with White Hair," because Li's father and Ren Quan had a disagreement over business and went their separate ways, each running their own business, only sharing the same signboard.

Currently, Li's father's business is not doing well, while Ren Quan's restaurant business is booming due to his excellent management skills and celebrity effect.

Therefore, while other stars might be thinking about making more films and earning more money after the huge success of "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng," Ren Quan was thinking about taking this opportunity to attract investment and expand his business.

They even explored the possibility of combining restaurants or dishes with Huamanlou to capitalize on its popularity.

In comparison, the male and female leads in "The Return of the Condor Heroes" are more normal and more popular.

Julian Cheung and Ren Quan are both older, 71 and 73 respectively, both over 30. The former is married, while the latter is "not doing his job properly".

Huang Xiaoming and Liu Yifei, one in his prime and the other in her youth, are both publicly single and deeply rooted in the entertainment industry, naturally making them more sought after.

At the time, due to the numerous controversies surrounding "The Return of the Condor Heroes," the male and female leads were also embroiled in public opinion storms.

But since it wasn't some fatal negative publicity, this high-intensity exposure actually boosted their fame to some extent.

Huang Xiaoming, already one of the four rising stars in mainland China, is showing signs of challenging for the title of the most popular mainland actor.

His fans, the Ming Cult, launched various attacks, making Huang Xiaoming's name increasingly well-known.

Liu Yifei, needless to say, is popular with both men and women. Her title of "Fairy Sister" rivals that of the "Four Little Actresses," and all the popular young actresses have to avoid her.

The lead actors shone brightly, gaining both fame and fortune, while the supporting actors also garnered considerable popularity.

Especially those who were previously unknown, suddenly rose to fame with a hit drama, and if they perform well, they might even become a minor celebrity.

For example, Yang Mi, who played the young Guo Xiang in "The Return of the Condor Heroes," received a lot of praise for her lively and beautiful appearance and successfully gained recognition.

Wang Ou, who starred in "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng," has also seen his fame grow rapidly recently and has gained considerable recognition.

However, Wang Ou's fame does not come solely from "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng," but rather from the combined success of several popular dramas, including "New Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" and "The Legend of the Mirror."

Although Wang Ou's roles in these dramas weren't particularly numerous, her frequent appearances made many viewers remember her gentle, sweet, and slightly alluring face.

Then, in late April, "Detective Dee 2" was broadcast and became a ratings hit.

As the female lead, Wang Ou gained a lot of exposure, and combined with her previous achievements, she experienced a small breakthrough, with her popularity soaring.

Yi'an Second Sister is finally no longer just a "second" sister, but a true "sister".

...

"Ruyan, please sign your name for me."

"Ruyan, I especially like your portrayal of Ouyang Qing."

"Oh, this is Euler, go for it!"

"..."

Wang Ou participated in a group interview on CCTV with the cast and crew of "Detective Dee 2". After the interview, there was a signing and photo session with fans and audience members, showing that Wang Ou is quite popular.

Wang Ou took a photo with two fans who called themselves "Oula," which is her fan name. She smiled on the surface, but she was secretly very pleased with herself.

After finishing the autograph session, Wang Ou did not attend the gathering because he had an event to attend later. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, he left first.

Afterwards, Wang Ou went to shoot a magazine with his executive agent before he finally had time to go home.

As soon as she entered the room, Wang Ou kicked off her high heels and the first thing she did was turn on her computer to check how many followers her personal Baidu Tieba and blog had gained. Then she called Yang Rong to brag about it.

"Rongrong, look at my number of followers on Tieba, I'm about to catch up with you!"

"You said that yesterday, let's talk about it after we catch up."

Yang Rong was a bit annoyed. This little vixen called every day to show off, and it just wouldn't stop.

"This time it's really close, just 127 more followers, I'm sure to win."

Ignoring Yang Rong's complaints, Wang Ou repeatedly emphasized her victory. The two had made a bet about this back in Hengdian, and now it seemed she was sure to win.

Yang Rong was being a bit cheeky: "Back then we were talking about 'The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng,' but now there's 'Detective Dee 2,' so you're cheating."

"I'm just asking you, is 'The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng' still being rebroadcast? And did I surpass you in the number of followers on Tieba during this period?"

Wang Ou slammed his fist on the table: "If you dare to deny it, I'll go to Shanghai right now and strip you naked."

"..."

Yang Rong sighed helplessly, "Fine, fine, I give up. I'll grant you one request, but make it clear, don't get involved in any of that messy stuff."

"Stop talking nonsense, if you lose, just behave yourself."

Wang Ou didn't consult with Yang Rong, and then routinely urged Yang Rong to come to Beijing to visit her.

After filming wrapped up in Hengdian, the two had been separated for more than half a month and had not joined any new productions, so they decided to get together.

"I'm not going to Beijing, I'm afraid you'll sell me out. I want to bring you to Shanghai instead."

Yang Rong always suspected that Wang Ou was setting a trap for her. Once she was on the other side's territory, if something happened, she wouldn't be able to escape.

“I have work to do here. Although I have time, I can’t go far. You don’t have any work in Shanghai and are just sitting at home all day. Shouldn’t you come to Beijing to find me?”

Wang Ou's reasons are very valid.

Yi An's artist management department is quite capable. With the addition of Wang Ou and Xin Hong, although they are not extremely busy, they are constantly doing small and miscellaneous jobs, making it impossible for them to take long vacations.

"Don't you have Wu Jiani? Just ask her to play with you."

Yang Rong made various excuses, which made Wang Ou anxious: "Do you have someone else in your life? You're only thinking about your new love in Shanghai and have forgotten about me, your old flame in Hengdian?"

"If you dared to be so unreasonable with Yan Li, you wouldn't be thinking about me every day."

Yang Rong's sharp criticism left Wang Ou somewhat withdrawn: "You shouldn't insult someone by pointing out their weaknesses. You've gone too far."

"Hehe, alright, seeing how pitiful you are, I'll go to the capital to see you in a couple of days."

Yang Rong felt a bit bored in Shanghai, so she thought it wouldn't hurt to go to Wang Ou's place for a few days and take advantage of this "rich woman".

While the two were on the phone, Wang Ou showed off his newly bought car to Yang Rong.

After listening, Yang Rong couldn't help but advise, "I know you're not short of money, but you should think more about the future. You don't have much savings right now, so you can just buy a car for getting around. There's no need to spend hundreds of thousands on a Jaguar."

She knew that Wang Ou was determined to be Yan Li's lover and had no other intentions.

Even if Wang Ou himself doesn't have any, what if he gets old and loses his looks and gets dumped by Yan Li someday? He still needs to develop the good habit of saving money.

"I understand."

Wang Ou wasn't ungrateful: "But he said that if you're buying a car, you shouldn't skimp on money. He specifically transferred 20 yuan to me and introduced a friend, which saved me tens of thousands more. So I didn't spend much on this car myself."

Moreover, Wang Ou had his own logic: he didn't spend the money he was given, but deliberately saved it, which made him think about his future. Yan Li was also likely to overthink things.

Therefore, she didn't want to save too much money. She wanted to entrust her financial lifeline to Yan Li and rely on him for a living, so that Yan Li would feel at ease.

She had learned this from the film crew beforehand; in the early days, it was common for Hong Kong tycoons to keep mistresses or actresses in this way.

Women can spend money as they please; they can buy clothes, bags, jewelry, and cars whenever they want. But they won't give much cash. Women have seen the extravagant lifestyle and can't go back to the past. Since they don't have any money of their own, they'll just let them do as they please.

Even worse, some resort to credit card scams, where women borrow money freely, wealthy men help repay the debts, and if they dare to disobey, the loan is cut off.

The woman either begs for forgiveness or is financially ruined by the loan.

Compared to those seasoned veterans, Yan Li, this newly rich "country bumpkin," was clearly too naive and preferred to give money directly.

Of course, it's also related to the fact that he doesn't care much about most women; if there's a problem, he breaks off the relationship and settles the matter once and for all.

Yan Li has a system, so he's not too worried about being tricked or deceived.

Wang Ou was unaware that Yan Li had gained supernatural insight, so she voluntarily allowed Yan Li to control her economic lifeline, leaving herself little room for retreat, in order to show her loyalty.

In addition, she was an artist under Yi An's company, and her personal finances, career and work were all controlled by Yan Li.

This almost defenseless loyalty was quite effective; Yan Li was very generous to Wang Ou.

Wang Ou once tested Wu Jiani, and the two were treated on completely different levels.

In some ways, Wu Jiani's relationship was more like a transaction, a one-time settlement, while Wang Ou's was a genuine long-term arrangement, and the prices were completely different.

After listening to Wang Ou's slightly smug description of his "brilliant move," Yang Rong didn't know how to describe her feelings.

Aren't you afraid he'll dump you someday?

"I'm so obedient and don't fight or compete, why would he kick me? You can tell from that guy surnamed Dong that he's sentimental."

“Even if we break up in the future, he won’t treat me badly, given his personality. Besides, all the things I’ve accumulated over the years are worth some money. I also have a career and an income.”

Wang Ou isn't a naive girl; she has her own little thoughts.

In any case, she has a safety net, so she might as well go to an even more extreme level.

If they're all like those women who want everything and are always scheming, they probably won't stay by Yan Li's side for long, nor will they gain his trust.

Yang Rong remained silent for nearly two minutes before quietly saying, "Your twisted logic always leaves me speechless and shocked, yet I have to admit you're quite capable."

Wang Ou snorted proudly, "Even fallacies are valid."

Just then, Wang Ou suddenly heard a noise at the door. He quickly got up and looked through the peephole. It turned out that Yan Li had arrived and was trying out the key.

Why didn't you let us know you were coming?!
Wang Ou quickly straightened his clothes and informed Yang Rong, "He's here. Don't hang up the phone, and don't record it."

"I********"

Yang Rong was furious. What did they take her for? Who wants to listen to the nonsense between you two?

That's what she said, but she didn't press the hang-up button with her phone in her hand. She comforted herself by saying that she was waiting for Wang Ou to greet her, otherwise it would be impolite to hang up first.

Because there were too many keys, Yan Li didn't get a chance to try the key before Wang Ou opened the door.

Wang Ou didn't ask Yan Li why he came without her noticing. Instead, Yan Li explained that he saw Wang Ou, his executive agent, returning to the company and knew she was home, so he stopped by to see her.

Since returning from Hengdian, he and Wang Ou haven't seen each other privately except when they meet at the company. He really misses that little vixen.

In addition, Wang Ou sent him a multimedia message saying that she had bought a new toy and he wanted to give her some advice.

"Shhh."

Wang Ou saw Yan Li glance at the phone in her hand, show him the screen, and Yan Li sighed.

Yang Rong, that little vixen, is really addicted, isn't she?!
Yan Li took the phone and said to Yang Rong on the other end, "I don't object to you using me to liven things up, but you can't just let me do all the work for nothing."

Upon hearing Yan Li's voice, which sounded accusatory, Yang Rong hurriedly hung up the phone.

Wang Ou said with some regret: "Look, she hung up as soon as you spoke. She's too shy."

Yan Li didn't quite understand how these three words were related to Yang Rong's behavior, but it didn't matter.

"It's okay, I'll call again later. I won't hang up if I ignore her."

Yan Li now understands Yang Rong better than Wang Ou does. Every time this young woman makes a phone call, her biggest dilemma and frustration, besides whether or not to hang up, is whether or not to record the call.

She didn't record the conversation to find any evidence against him, but rather to pass the time when Wang Ou wasn't calling.

Sure enough, while Yan Li and Wang Ou were examining the toys, Wang Ou called Yang Rong. She hung up the first time, but answered the second time and then kept calling.

After finishing, Yan Li picked up his phone and joked, "You'll have to reimburse me for the phone bill later. A call from Beijing to Shanghai takes more than an hour and the cost isn't cheap."

Yang Rong didn't reply and hung up immediately. Yan Li then sent her a text message.

[If there was a recording, it has been deleted.]

With the recording, what if he doesn't answer the phone next time? He and Wang Ou also need some entertainment.

Wang Ou was afraid that Yan Li would provoke Yang Rong, so he quickly grabbed his phone to check and breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't worry, she won't record it. Besides, I have something on her."

Wang Ou wasn't the type to recklessly seek thrills; he had already made arrangements.

Not to mention that the two are now inseparable best friends, even if they were to fall out one day, they would be mindful of each other and not fight to the death.

The system hadn't triggered this, so Yan Li genuinely didn't know. He couldn't help but wonder what the leverage was, but Wang Ou wouldn't say.

After being disciplined by Yan Li, Wang Ou only revealed that it was a photo, but refused to show it to Yan Li no matter what.

"If you want to see it, I have to ask her; it won't work if she doesn't agree."

"Then you showed her my photos without even asking if I agreed."

Yan Li couldn't help but complain about Wang Ou's double standards. Yang Rong had seen his photos and even broadcast them to her several times, so why couldn't he see her photos?

Wang Ou was taken aback: "How did you know?"

"..."

Yan Licai realized he had misspoke. He knew that Wang Ou had his photos, but under normal circumstances, only the two of them should know that Wang Ou had shown them to Yang Rong.

"Uh, guess."

Yan Li's usual "guess what" game made Wang Ou frown. She definitely hadn't discussed this with Yan Li; it was...

"Are you two having something going on in private?"

Wang Ou was so angry that she gritted her teeth. She knew it! That little bitch listened so enthusiastically all the time, how could she be indifferent? She pretended to be so convincing on the surface, but secretly did something behind her back.

Yan Li neither admitted nor denied it, letting the two best friends settle the accounts themselves.

Wang Ou didn't believe Yang Rong's statement. Yang Rong might also think that Wang Ou was up to something new, and that he might be able to take advantage of the situation.

Speaking of this, Yan Li put his arm around Wang Ou's waist: "Didn't you say you'd give me a surprise when you got back to the capital? Where's the surprise?"

"Almost there, almost there, just a little bit more."

Wang Ou was also anxious about this matter, but the key point is that this is not something that can be rushed.

Yan Li rested his chin on her shoulder, intending to lend Wang Ou a hand.

Have you considered starting a side hustle?

"sideline?"

Wang Ou was a little confused. How did this get to side hustles? Besides, she was supported by Yan Li and didn't lack money. She was also filming a movie. Why would she need a side hustle?
"I heard that Jia Ni has a little dream, which is to open a dance studio and teach dance when she's not filming. You're her good friend, so you can help her make arrangements."

Wang Ou looked at Yan Li in surprise: "Really?"

It's a shame that this little girl calls her "sister" every day, yet she doesn't tell her about this kind of thing, but she doesn't hold back at all when facing Yan Li.

Immediately, Wang Ou understood Yan Li's meaning: Wu Jiani had a dream, so he would help her realize it, and the surprise would be within easy reach.

"However, isn't the investment a bit too large?"

Wang Ou felt a little distressed, as a high-end dance studio is not cheap.

Wu Jiani is clearly on the verge of collapse. With a little effort, she could make this happen without spending any money. At most, Yan Li could arrange some resources.

Yan Li looked at Wang Ou: "Count your share, you two can split it."

That’ll be fine!
Although Wang Ou doesn't care about side businesses, he figured he might as well take advantage of the free business and experience being a boss.

Lying in Yan Li's arms, Wang Ou was already thinking about how to use this card to win over Wu Jiani. Yan Li stroked her skin and suddenly added a sentence.

"Ask Yang Rong; if she's interested, she can be brought in too."

Three ways to cook a fish?
Wang Ou sized up Yan Li, and Yan Li had the nerve to say that nothing was wrong between the two of them. Yan Li was very frank.

“Running a business together will give you common topics to talk about and will also help your relationship as sisters. Don’t worry about how well it goes. If you lose money, I’ll take responsibility. Just treat it as a game.”

Wang Ou couldn't quite figure out Yan Li's plans, but he understood that the dance studio was a bait for him.

Wu Jiani definitely couldn't hold back, and Yang Rong couldn't say for sure either.

After all, Yang Rong is also a dancer, so she has some passion for dance. In addition, her current income is not high. If the conditions are good, and given Wang Ou and Wu Jiani's connections, the possibility of her getting involved is extremely high.

Once a fish has taken the bait, can it escape?
Wang Ou hesitated for a moment. Wu Jiani was there voluntarily; at most, she was just adding fuel to the fire. But Yang Rongzhen was hard to say. The two had a good relationship, and Wang Ou didn't want to go against her wishes.

However, considering Yang Rong's usual behavior and the fact that she seemed to have private contact with Yan Li, Wang Ou nodded.

"I'll talk to her about it later."

Yan Li gave Wang Ou a kiss of satisfaction; he was becoming more and more pleased with this young woman.

He's obedient and sensible, doesn't cause much trouble, and even tries to get him benefits.

In fact, whether it's Wu Jiani or Yang Rong, it would be much more convenient and faster for Yan Li to come in person than for Wang Ou.

Yan Li prefers to be passive and doesn't have the time or energy for it. With Wang Ou doing it for him, he can save himself the trouble and just enjoy himself.

The only pity is that there are too few people like Wang Ou who are willing to dedicate themselves to service.

People like Li Bingbing and Jiang Xin are all lone wolves, purely using Yan Li to relieve boredom and for transactions; they wouldn't and wouldn't stoop to doing such things.

Dong, Qin, and Fan shouldn't even think about it. If Yan Li dares to speak, these three women will bite him to death. Even if they can't do anything to Yan Li, they will find a way to sabotage him.

Huo Siyan was a good candidate, but because Qin Lan was involved, both she and Yan Li had their own concerns and dared not make a move.

Therefore, Wang Ou's advantages suddenly became apparent, and he became increasingly favored by Yan Li.

So much so that the next day, Yan Li not only didn't leave, but also took Wang Ou to a small party.

This gathering was organized by Fatty Yu. Among the attendees were mainland business owners, some Hong Kong and Taiwan film company owners or directors, and a few celebrities or their female companions.

Some notable figures include Huang Baiming, the owner of Hong Kong Oriental Films; a senior executive at Sil-Metropole Organisation; and a senior executive at Media Asia Films.

Hong Kong directors Tsui Hark, Derek Yee, Andrew Lau, and Wilson Yip.

Also included are Hong Kong actors Donnie Yen and Shu Qi, and Andy Lau, whom Yan Li recently encountered in "A Battle of Wits".

Many of his female companions were also in the entertainment industry. Two of them looked somewhat familiar to Yan Li, while others were unfamiliar faces.

However, Yan Li didn't care about them; he mainly chatted with the bosses, executives, directors, and big names.

Fatty Yu is quite particular, mainly because Yan Li is not easily fooled, so the connections he makes are all respectable or of interest to Yan Li.

Of course, this introduction wasn't done for nothing; Yan Li also had to "spend money" to deal with these bosses and directors.

Everyone understood each other implicitly. Thanks to the fat man acting as a go-between, they introduced a few projects during their casual conversation.

The project directed by Andrew Lau is "Confession of Pain," which is backed by Bona Film Group, Sil-Metropole Organisation, and Media Asia. The lead actors are Tony Leung and Kim Sung-go, and Shu Qi is also in the cast.

The movie is scheduled to start filming next month, supposedly due to a lack of funds, but Yan Li guesses he wants to bring in people to share the risk.

He wasn't very interested in the project; the actors and everything else had already been cast, so Yi'an could only invest.

Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen's project is "Flash Point," which is still in pre-production. Currently, only Bona Film Group and Huang Baiming's Oriental Films are involved in the investment, and the cast has not yet been finalized.

Yan Li is fairly interested in this project; it seems promising, but how much profit he can make is questionable.

The project between Derek Yee and Andy Lau is called "Protégé". However, the project is still under discussion, and Andy Lau has not confirmed his participation, but he is inclined to join, so he came here to help support the project.

The reason why many film crews look for celebrities first is because they need celebrities to attract investment.

If directors like Derek Yee or Wilson Yip, who don't have that much box office appeal, come along and talk a lot without any substance, investors might not care.

But if you bring in Donnie Yen and Andy Lau and say they're starring in a new movie, the effect will be much better.

Yan Li was most interested in this book, "The Disciple".

Although he doesn't quite believe in Andy Lau's box office appeal, he's currently at his peak and is definitely more reliable than Tony Leung and Donnie Yen.

However, Yan Li is most interested in Tsui Hark, even though the latter's "Seven Swords" has been a huge flop and is currently disliked by many people.

However, Yan Li had a system, and more than one piece of information from various angles revealed that this person would later turn his fortunes around.

If given the chance, Yan Li would be willing to offer help in times of need.

However, Xu Laoguai was just here to join in the fun; he didn't have any projects of his own, and Yan Li could only express his simple admiration for the Lala relationship.

...

After chatting at the party, they started playing golf, gathering in twos and threes. Yu Pangzi took a moment to ask Yan Li about his preferences.

"So, which project have you chosen?"

Yan Li had played golf twice, but he wasn't particularly skilled at it, and he wasn't very interested in it; he mainly played it for social occasions.

After taking a swing, Yan Li smiled and said, "Please give me some time to think about it. It's an investment of several million or tens of millions. Can't we just have a chat before making a decision?"

"It's natural."

Fatty Yu understood this principle, of course, and didn't let Yan Li make a decision immediately, but at least he let slip a hint.

For example, he can make arrangements based on which project he is interested in, whether there are any projects he is interested in, or whether a project is not feasible.

"Let's skip 'Confession of Pain' and think about the other two."

Yan Li revealed this to Fatty Yu, who said he understood and that as long as today's work wasn't a complete waste, it would be fine.

but……

Fatty Yu watched Yan Li swing the club by himself and said, "You asked me to connect the lines, and I did it, but you weren't very enthusiastic. Weren't these several people you specifically recommended?"

Yan Li smiled and said, "Brother Yu, I do want to cooperate with some of them, but it depends on how we cooperate."

“I have cinema chains, resources, and funds in mainland China, and the focus of the film market is currently in mainland China. So, when it comes to cooperation between the two sides, should I beg them, or should they beg me?”

Fatty Yu paused for a moment, then gave a thumbs up: "You're awesome."

As mentioned before, Yan Li's intelligence system also has a great function: it gives Yan Li a vision and confidence far ahead of his time.

At present, the mainland's economic development has not yet fully taken off, and many aspects of the country are lagging behind. Coupled with the advocacy of a group of public intellectuals, many people believe that the grass is greener on the other side.

The mainland film and television industry also tends to lack confidence when facing Hollywood or even its counterparts in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

In previous years, it was one thing, but in the last two years, the mainland film market has risen rapidly, and a large number of Hong Kong film companies have moved north. Many people still have the advantage of local dominance and still can't change their mentality.

Of course, mindset is only part of the reason.

Many mainland film companies rely on Hong Kong production teams or lack sufficient funds, requiring Hong Kong companies to participate in investment, which is also an important reason.

For example, Yu Pangzi, Bona has limited funds and needs to cooperate with Hong Kong companies. Its main business is the issuance of shares, and it is also deeply tied to several Hong Kong companies.

Being controlled by others, he couldn't be assertive even if he wanted to.

In contrast, Yan Li is wealthy and doesn't care about funds from Hong Kong. While Hong Kong may be helpful to his business, it doesn't provide any checks and balances.

Remarkably, Yan Li gave up on cooperating with Hong Kong, slowly cultivated a mainland film crew, exchanged resources with mainland and Taiwanese film companies, and explored other overseas channels. Giving up altogether wouldn't have too much of an impact.

At the same time, Yan Li has cinema chains and numerous channels in mainland China, and he can also speak to some government departments and organizations.

So, let alone being controlled, Yan Li can completely retaliate. Even if he can't send the person back to Hong Kong, he can still make them feel like they're in heaven.

Therefore, Yan Li himself had confidence and a broad vision, so his cooperation with Hong Kong would naturally not be "self-degrading".

Directors like Tsui Hark can be courted and won over by "lowering one's status" so that they can make money for him.

However, business cooperation between companies is a different story; they try to seize the initiative.

As they were talking, Yan Li glanced at Huang Baiming, who was walking towards them, and chuckled lightly at the fat man.

"Look, here it comes."

Huang Baiming walked up to him with a beaming smile: "Mr. Yu, Mr. Yan, what are you chatting about so happily? Count me in."

Yan Li fiddled with the golf clubs for a moment: "I told Brother Yu that golf is easy to learn but hard to play. Does President Huang have any tips to share?"

"no problem."

In Hong Kong, very few business people don't understand horse racing and golf. Huang Baiming may not be an expert, but compared to Yan Li, a novice, he is definitely a connoisseur.

Yu Pangzi made an excuse to leave, and Yan Li and Huang Baiming started by talking about golf, gradually moving on to other topics.

Cooperation can be short-term or long-term. Short-term cooperation involves discussing projects, exchanging pleasantries and testing the waters before getting straight to the point.

Long-term cooperation is different; everyone is more patient and first establishes personal relationships.

Then, during this period, you help me and I help you. If there are any good projects, we will naturally reach a cooperation agreement. If the cooperation goes well, there will be a second and a third time.

Just like Yan Li and Fatty Yu, they prefer this kind of long-term cooperation, and Huang Baiming, who came along, also intends to follow this path.

For Yan Li, Huang Baiming is a good partner.

Hong Kong giants like Media Asia and Yinghuang have extensive networks and channels, which Yan Li cannot control at present. Yindu is a state-owned enterprise, not to mention.

The weaker Hong Kong company couldn't offer much help, and even if they tried to curry favor, Yan Li wouldn't take them seriously.

Huang Baiming's Oriental Films is quite powerful, ranking among the top film companies in Hong Kong, second only to a few giants. His own experience and connections in the Hong Kong film circle are also sufficient to help Yan Li without allowing Yan Li to take over.

Besides Raymond Wong, Yan Li also chatted with senior executives of Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd., Tsui Hark, Andy Lau, Wilson Yip, and others, and gained some insights from each.

Shu Qi didn't chat, but the other party took the initiative to come over and exchange contact information after the event.

Wang Ou, standing to the side, had mixed feelings. She was willing to help Yan Li get benefits, but that didn't mean she wasn't jealous, especially of people she didn't know well; her hostility was hard to hide.

Normally, Yan Li would pretend not to see Wang Ou's attitude, or simply say a few words of comfort. But today, in front of Wang Ou, he deleted the phone number of Shu Qi that he had just saved.

This guy... he just can't bring himself to kiss him!
Wang Ou was somewhat flattered; after all, Shu Qi was a big-name star in the industry.

Yan Li deleted the other person for her sake, which moved Wang Ou, who was used to being humble. That night, he tried all sorts of ways to satisfy Yan Li, and his phone ran out of battery and shut down when he called Yang Rong.

An apartment in Shanghai
Yang Rong clutched the phone she had just hung up, her cheeks flushed as she recalled Wang Ou's outburst. She wondered to herself if he was on drugs, and started playing a Gold Miner game...

　I broke my promise, I apologize, I will definitely make it up to you tomorrow or the day after.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)