Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 226 Yan Li: I'm a rough man, not good with words.

Barbecue restaurant

Li Chen couldn't help but peek into the shop, and Li Xiaolu tapped him with a skewer.

"What are you looking at?"

"Didn't see anything."

Li Xiaolu looked at Li Chen with a half-smile: "I saw your thieving eyes darting around Fan Bingbing just now. What, you want to steal the big boss's woman? If you have that thought, just say so. Let's break up. Don't drag me down with you if you're looking for trouble."

"How dare I."

Li Chen smiled ingratiatingly and declared his loyalty to his girlfriend: "Besides, there's no one else in my eyes but you."

In their relationship, Li Xiaolu clearly has the upper hand.

The two met while filming "Thirteen Princesses". At that time, Li Xiaolu was already a Golden Horse Award winner and had become famous for the TV series "It's All Because of Angels".

Although Li Chen was somewhat famous at the time, he was far less well-known than Li Xiaolu. In addition, the latter had three generations of connections in the entertainment industry, which made the gap even greater.

So Li Chen pursued her for quite a while before finally winning her over, and he had to pamper and spoil the somewhat princess-like Li.

To please Li Xiaolu, Li Chen even got the character "路" (Lu) tattooed on his thigh.

Li Chen licked her lips repeatedly until Li Xiaolu's expression gradually softened.

She is playful and sometimes likes to seek thrills, but that doesn't mean she likes to seek thrills every day.

On the contrary, having been pampered since childhood, she usually prefers to be indulged and pampered in all kinds of ways, and to have everything done her way. That's why she was with Li Chen, who always catered to and flattered her.

Seeing that Li Xiaolu had calmed down, Li Chen explained that he was just curious about Yan Li and didn't understand how his girlfriend knew him.

The two had been dating for several years and even lived together. Previously, there had been no known connection between Li Xiaolu and this rising bigwig.

“We’ve known each other for a while, but we only recently became close. I did him a small favor.”

Li Xiaolu began to show off her connections, including Tong Dawei and Ma Yili from the "Struggle" drama crew, and her good friends Qin Lan, Huo Siyan, and Dong Xuan.

Anyone you pick out is a well-known figure in the industry, and they're all more famous than Li Chen.

Of course, the one mentioned most often was Yan Li.

The others are all actors, at most minor or major celebrities. Yan Li may not be particularly famous among the general public, but he is a genuine billionaire. More importantly, Yan Li not only has money, but also various resources.

Yan Li is indeed a big shot, but his status varies depending on the level of the artist.

For example, top-tier superstars are not easily offended, but they are not overly fearful or apprehensive either; some can even be treated as equals.

They are all top-tier celebrities, but they each have their own strengths and rely on each other. They respect and are friendly, but if they have no demands, they don't need to fawn over each other.

The situation changes after that; you either can't afford to offend them, or you want to curry favor with them.

For example, Li Xiaolu is considered a popular young actress, but not all young actresses are the same, otherwise she wouldn't have played a supporting role to Ma Yili in "Struggle".

Their family has connections, but connections are not the same as capital. Helping to connect with some film crews and directors is fine, but directly promoting someone is a different story.

In other words, Yan Li was considered a top-tier connection by Li Xiaolu.

Li Chen, needless to say, is just a relatively unknown actor in the industry. Yan Li can easily provide him with some resources to help him advance his career.

Therefore, both of them were quite enthusiastic when talking about Yan Li. Li Xiaolu was keen to show off her connections, while Li Chen was more interested in building connections.

"Do you think we should go and offer a toast or something?"

Li Chen was itching to offer a toast, but Li Xiaolu rolled her eyes at him: "Didn't you see? People are annoyed by your meddling. Instead of offering a toast, you should just pay the bill."

"Right."

Li Chen thought it made sense. A barbecue wouldn't cost much, and if he could gain the favor of a big shot, it would be well worth it.

He got up to find the owner to pay the bill, and came back with a slight complaint: "They really have money, this meal cost more than 600 yuan."

This was in 2006. Even though prices were high in Beijing, spending 300 yuan per person on a barbecue was a bit of an exaggeration.

"This is nothing. A bottle of slightly better wine costs several hundred."

Li Xiaolu, however, didn't take it seriously. She thought that for ordinary people, eating like that was wasteful and showed a lack of financial management skills, but for billionaires, it was a sign of good household management.

Let alone 600+, even if a meal costs 66 million, they can afford it.

"..."

Li Chen stopped talking. These days, money is everything.

As long as you have money and love to eat shit, people will praise you for your unique taste and extraordinary character.

The two arrived early and finished eating even earlier, but they didn't leave. They even moved their seats to a more conspicuous spot near the entrance.

After a long while, Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang came out of the store wearing masks. Sure enough, they saw them immediately and came over to greet them.

"Thank you for spending so much money."

"Hey, it's just one meal, as long as you're satisfied, Brother Yan."

Li Xiaolu was very generous. After chatting for a few minutes, Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang got into the G-Class that the driver had brought and drove away slowly.

"Tsk, when will I be able to drive a G-Wagon?"

Li Chen was somewhat envious. No man dislikes cars, especially Li Chen, who had been a race car driver and loved cars even more.

Although he's not famous, he does get acting roles, has some savings, and his family is relatively well-off. He could easily afford a luxury car worth millions if he sold everything he owned.

But what if you buy it all?
Life goes on, the mortgage has to be paid, there's a girlfriend who's spoiled rotten and spends money like water, and the new car depreciates as soon as you get it, plus routine maintenance is expensive.

He can afford to buy it, but he can't afford to play with it!
Li Xiaolu looked down on Li Chen's unambitious appearance: "So what if you can afford it? You treat a G-Class as your dream, but for others it's just a means of transportation. Driving the same car doesn't mean you're in the same class."

You can't tell the difference without comparing them. Others might not know, but Yan Li giving Fan Xiaopang a G-Wagon is well-known news. What did Li Chen give himself?
Heart-shaped stone!

She was young then and thought it was quite romantic, but now, compared to others, she feels a little uneasy.

Of course, Li Chen had given her other gifts as well, but all the things they had given her over the years of dating couldn't even compare to half a Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

"..."

Starting today, Li Chen has been criticized by Li Xiaolu for using Yan Li to put him down several times, which has made him somewhat unhappy.

But he didn't dare to talk back, otherwise Li Xiaolu would make an even bigger scene. He could only hold his temper and say that he had finished his business and should go back.

Finally, the two went to the owner to settle their bill. Since they had been waiting for Yan Li, it wouldn't be convenient for them to take up a seat while settling the bill, so they didn't pay their own bill.

The owner said that someone had already paid their bill and even topped up their membership card with 1000 yuan, so they could just use the card to make purchases next time.

Li Chen took the membership card in a daze, while Li Xiaolu muttered, "What a shrewd person, not even owing a favor for a meal."

What sentiment can be expressed over a meal?

In the G-Class car, Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang talked about what had just happened, and Yan Li shrugged.

If so many people invite him to dinner and want to invite him, and he owes them a favor for every meal, then his favors are practically worthless.

Although Yan Li's status is more evident within the entertainment industry, he is still very famous outside the industry and is considered one of the most well-known businessmen.

When going out to eat or have fun, it's common for friends, people who want to make friends, or people who simply like to admire someone to help pay the bill. It's also common for restaurant owners to give away free food and drinks.

Not to mention Yan Li, Fan Xiaopang sometimes receives similar treatment if he is recognized.

This is the benefit of fame; many people are willing to support it.

It's just a meal. I'll go back and brag to my friends about how I treated so-and-so to a meal, and I'll feel proud.

So, if it were just Yan Li alone, he would accept the invitation, exchange a few polite words, and then that would be the end of it.

But with Fan Xiaopang around today, the latter felt that Li Xiaolu was being overly attentive.

Another popular young actress, another one calling her "Brother Yan" so sweetly, and another one who even offered to pay the bill—considering Yan's reputation, she had to be wary.

So, when Fan Xiaopang discovered that the two Lis hadn't settled their bill, he returned the favor by treating them to a meal. He even topped up his membership card to cover the difference in the bill, just to show his attitude.

Let's stay away from this!

Yan Li felt that Fan Xiaopang was being a bit too sensitive: "She has a boyfriend, okay? Am I that kind of person?"

"Hehe, a wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine is not as good as a stolen one. The food in someone else's bowl is the most delicious, and someone else's wife is the most tempting. I know all the tricks of you men."

Fan Xiaopang rolled his eyes at Yan Li. Yan Li has no shortage of women now; he can have women throwing themselves at him with a wave of his hand. It's hard to say whether he's deliberately looking for a thrill.

Besides, having a boyfriend doesn't mean you can't break up with him.

Judging from the way Li Xiaolu's eyes lit up when she saw Yan Li, it's not impossible that one day she'll kick that Li guy out of the way and come running to Yan Li's leg.

People often see the phenomenon of people looking down on the poor and marrying into wealth, let alone in the entertainment industry, a place rife with fame and fortune.

She's heard of countless women who decisively break up with their boyfriends or girlfriends to climb the social ladder, driven by benefits and advantages. She's even heard of women who actively send their boyfriends/girlfriends to other men's beds in order to advance their careers.

"Tighten your belt, what's so great about a skinny little matchstick girl?"

Seeing Fan Xiaopang getting jealous and belittling Li Xiaolu, Yan Li found it amusing and couldn't help but tease her.

"She's a bit thin, but she doesn't look particularly flat, and she's quite fair-skinned."

"You still say you're not thinking about her?!"

Fan Xiaopang got impatient and blurted out, "It's so small, aren't you afraid of stabbing someone through?"

Yan Li: "..."

Li Xiaolu isn't particularly short, about 1.6 meters tall with shoes on, but she's thin, which makes her appear exceptionally petite.

Unlike Yang Rong or Huo Siyan, who are not tall but have good figure, she simply appears short. She is not as frail as Li Xiaolu, who looks like a Barbie doll.

But then again, aside from Huo Siyan, Yan Li really didn't have much interaction with petite women.

Barbie dolls are so thin and small... I wonder if they're fun!

"Cough cough."

Coming to his senses, Yan Li looked at Fan Xiaopang, who was staring at him menacingly, and pinched her cheek.

"Alright, I was just kidding. To tell you the truth, Li Xiaolu is on good terms with Qin Lan, and she's also familiar with Dong Xuan. If I mess with her, they'll both eat me alive."

Yan Li meant to explain, but Fan Xiaopang's eyes lit up when he heard his words.

"This little girl has quite a network of connections."

"..."

Seeing her like this, Yan Li knew she was up to no good, even though he didn't know what she was thinking.

Adding to Qin Lan and Dong Xuan's schemes, he really doubted whether Li Xiaolu's small frame could withstand it.

But Yan Li was too lazy to care. As long as these three women didn't bother him, he could let them do whatever they wanted. If things got really bad, he would give Li Xiaolu some compensation in private.

When they arrived at Fan Xiaopang's apartment, Yan Li went to take a shower, while Fan Xiaopang went to the bedroom to tinker, indicating that he had a surprise for him.

When Yan Li came out, the latter was still busy. More than half an hour later, Yan Li had finished watching an episode of a TV series, and the bedroom door was finally opened.

Fan Xiaopang's hair was piled high in a bun, decorated with gold hair accessories, paired with matching earrings. Her makeup was exquisite, with beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and alluring lips.

She wore a gorgeous orange-red Tang-style strapless long dress with smooth lines that perfectly showcased her graceful figure. The vibrant color also made her neck and chest appear even whiter and more delicate, making her look elegant, noble, and dazzling.

Fan Xiaopang, with a reserved expression, confidently took two steps toward Yan Li with ladylike steps and looked at Yan Li.

"How do I look? Am I beautiful?"

Yan Li looked at her for more than ten seconds, nodded, and said from the bottom of his heart, "Beautiful."

Although the two had known each other for quite some time, and Yan Li had seen Fan Xiaopang in various beautiful poses on many occasions, he was still inevitably stunned to see her dressed up so elegantly today.

"Are you still thinking about that matchstick girl?"

Fan Xiaopang started digging up past grievances, but Yan Li, tempted by her beauty, decisively shook his head: "I have you, why would I be thinking about her?"

"Am I pretty and is she pretty?"

"There's no comparison at all."

"Am I more beautiful, or are those with the surname Qin or Dong more beautiful?"

“You are the most beautiful.”

"Then say Yan Li loves Fan Bingbing the most, say it three times."

"It's not over?"

Seeing that Fan Xiaopang was getting more and more arrogant with her good looks, Yan Li pulled her into his arms and silenced her with a kiss.

Fan Xiaopang refused and broke free, saying, "This is unfair! I carefully prepared these clothes, please give me a break."

"What do you mean you prepared this? Do you think I don't know?"

Yan Li tugged at her skirt: "The costume for 'The Legend of Yang Yuhuan'—I paid for all of these clothes and jewelry, and I also contributed to the production."

Fan Xiaopang retorted, "I was born beautiful, what credit do you have for that?"

"Beauty is not only due to being born well, but also to being well cared for."

Yan Li said matter-of-factly, "They serve me the best food and drink, and work tirelessly day and night to provide the essence. They contribute both money and effort. Do you think I deserve credit for that?"

"..."

Fan Xiaopang felt that Yan Li's words were not without reason.

Since following Yan Li, her career has improved, her popularity has increased, her economic conditions have improved, and all aspects of her life have been perfect. She has found emotional support, and her sex life is also harmonious. Apart from a few problems, almost everything is going smoothly.

In this state, Fan Xiaopang is radiant and full of energy every day.

A good mood and state of mind can lead to improvements in physical health and temperament. There are similar claims in related medical fields: the better a person lives, the more beautiful they become.

"Then aren't you the one enjoying it?"

Fan Xiaopang stubbornly insisted, but Yan Li didn't refute him. Instead, he picked her up.

"Then I'll enjoy it."

"No, first tell me you love me."

"This humble general is a rough man and not good with words. Your Majesty, please see my real skills."

"..."

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.

In mid-May, Yan Li arrived in Shenzhen, first to inspect the construction of the Shenzhen flagship store of Yi An Cinemas, and then headed to Hong Kong.

"Yan Sheng, you've finally arrived! We've been waiting for you."

"Mr. Huang, you flatter me. I'll have to rely on you a lot this time on your turf."

Yan Li exchanged pleasantries with Huang Baiming, who had come specifically to pick him up, and also met Huang's son, Huang Ziheng, a senior executive at Oriental Films, or simply "Young Master Huang".

Although he has the character "小" in his name, Huang Ziheng is actually two years older than Yan Li.

This was also a slightly awkward situation for Yan Li.

They start their businesses too quickly, often having to cooperate on equal footing with seasoned businessmen who have been in business for many years.

As the older folks get older, many of them are grooming successors, often bringing their nephews and nieces out to broaden their horizons and expand their networks.

The old folks introduced themselves to each other, calling each other "uncle" and "grandpa," which was very convenient. But when it came to Yan Li, things got a bit complicated.

Being a little younger is actually fine; Yan Li doesn't mind being called "brother."

But the problem is that some second-generation rich kids who are older than him but not by much are not suitable to call him Brother Yan, it's awkward to treat them as equals, and using an official title would seem too distant.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people like this.

After all, Yan Li is only twenty-five years old. Those younger than him either haven't graduated or are still exploring their careers in companies.

Those who are mentored by their elders, especially those aspiring to be successors, have all undergone some training and are at least twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with many being over thirty.

At times like this, I always have to struggle a little with how to address someone.

Especially when dealing with those who value rules, there's even more to argue about. Yan Li has encountered people his own age or older being forced to call him "uncle" more than once.

Yan Li didn't know whether this was making friends or making enemies.

You parents aren't afraid; you can act all high and mighty like elders. He'll just be annoyed by the resentment and complaints of the younger generation.

However, we didn't encounter many members of the Huang family this time. Their thinking was somewhat Westernized, and since we weren't familiar with them, we addressed them as "Master Yan" and "Master Huang the Elder and Younger."

After exchanging pleasantries, a welcome dinner was held at the Peninsula Hotel. After the meal, Huang Baiming, being of similar age, accompanied Yan Li to relax.

That's why the father and son are doing so well in both Hong Kong and the mainland, and they even thought about the generation gap issue.

Since he was a guest, Yan Li wanted to get closer to the Huang family father and son, so he decided to just have some fun.

He has a lot of important business to attend to tomorrow and the day after, so he might not even have time to build connections.

Xiao Huang led Yan Li to a well-known nightclub in Hong Kong.

Influenced by Western culture, Hong Kong has a thriving nightclub culture, which has even attracted many celebrities. Edison Chen, Nicholas Tse, Cecilia Cheung, Shawn Yue, and some TVB actors and actresses are all regulars at these nightclubs and bars.

"In Hong Kong, you can bump into a celebrity even while shopping at a wet market. Nobody goes to nightclubs without a celebrity's support."

Once inside the nightclub, influenced by the loud music and lights, Mr. Huang became noticeably excited.

Yan Li outwardly complied, even swaying to the melody from time to time, but his eyes held a wary look.

One should always be wary of others. Even if the Huang family father and son don't cheat him, one shouldn't be careless in such a mixed place. What if they put something in his drink? That would be the end of him.

Therefore, Yan Li doesn't like going to nightclubs much; they're noisy, there are all sorts of people there, and it's not safe.

He prefers high-end clubs. It's not that these places are necessarily safe, but they have higher entry requirements and screen many people, so they are relatively more secure.

After dancing for a while, Yan Li took the initiative to find a booth to rest.

Seeing that he didn't seem too interested in nightclubs, Xiao Huang thought about the information his father had given him about the other person and then spoke a few words with a bartender he knew.

Not long after, a woman with long, wavy hair came over and greeted them with a bright smile.

"Young Master Huang, it's been a while since you last visited. Lina has been missing you."

"Stop being so verbose."

Mr. Huang pointed at Yan Li: "This is my honored guest. Call all your prettiest girls over. Money is no object."

"no problem."

The woman with the big waves took out a walkie-talkie, spoke a few words, and soon brought several girls with her.

Young Master Huang looked at Yan Li: "Mr. Yan, what do you think?"

Yan Li was a little distracted thinking about the World Cup, and he didn't expect Boss Huang to act so quickly.

Not wanting to refuse someone's kindness, Yan Li glanced at them a few times and forced a smile.

"not bad."

They weren't bad-looking, and their figures were decent, but they all wore heavy makeup, dyed hair, tattoos, and dressed scantily, with a nonchalant and sleazy air about them.

Yan Li felt taken advantage of by someone of this caliber even just touching her.

Mr. Huang wasn't stupid; he noticed Yan Li's disdain. Come to think of it, it made sense. Yan Li was known for his womanizing ways in the mainland entertainment industry, always dating top actresses; he had very discerning taste.

"Change."

The woman with the big waves glanced at Yan Li, and even after several different people came over, Yan Li still gave polite evaluations.

"Change again."

After changing three batches, Yan Li didn't like any of them and felt embarrassed. He was ready to just pick one at random, but Xiao Huang wouldn't allow it.

This is no longer a simple matter of cooperation; it also carries a hint of regional conflict.

He refused to believe that there wasn't a pretty girl in all of Hong Kong who could satisfy Yan Li!

"Aren't you known as the 'Chicken Queen of Causeway Bay'? If you can't find anyone today, just take down your signboard."

The woman with the big waves in her hair didn't look good either, but there was nothing she could do in the service industry. After thinking for a moment, she called an old friend.

"Kim, we've run into a difficult customer. Do you have any capable models? Send a couple over."

"Please help me out! I'm telling you, the person who's looking for someone is Young Master Huang from Oriental Films. The client is from mainland China, and he looks familiar to me. He seems to be some kind of celebrity. Didn't you want to make connections with people in the entertainment industry? This is a perfect opportunity."

“The other party is very picky, and I feel that he dislikes people who have been in the business for a long time. You should bring someone who is just starting out.”

The woman with the big, wavy hair, a seasoned veteran of the nightlife scene, has a keen eye. She can probably guess why Yan Li is so critical and picky.

However, she didn't have any clean and high-quality ones available, so she had to find outside help.

About half an hour later, Kim, who had called, rushed over with two girls, much to the dissatisfaction of the woman with the big waves in her hair.

"so little?"

"You're pushing me so hard and have such high standards. Where am I supposed to find so many people all at once? These are the only two I've found. I even begged them by claiming I have connections in the entertainment industry. Are you sure you're not lying to me?"

"I'm not sure about the mainland one, and I don't even know Young Master Huang. Do these two of you meet the criteria?"

Kim pointed to two slender, youthful girls behind him: "These two are not even eighteen yet. If they're not good enough, you can look for someone else."

"Okay, let's go."

As the group walked toward the booths, Kim suddenly stopped when they were three or four meters away. Her eyes lit up as she looked toward Yan Li and grabbed the woman with the big waves in her hair, asking him a question.

"Is that the guy?"

"it's him."

"We've come to the right place, we've run into a big fish."

Kim was somewhat excited, but looking at the two people behind him, he was still a little hesitant. Could these two newcomers handle a man of this caliber?
However, this is a rare opportunity, so we can't give up. Let's give it a try.

With that thought in mind, Kim quickly gave him a few words of advice: "That tall and handsome guy is a rising star in the mainland entertainment industry, worth hundreds of millions, with plenty of resources. Make sure he performs well."

The two girls exchanged a glance and said in their clear, sweet voices, "Okay, Sister Kim."

The group approached Yan Li and Xiao Huang, chatted for a few minutes, and then pushed the two young girls forward to introduce themselves.

"Hello Yan Sheng, I am AngelaBaby."

"Hello Mr. Yan, I am JaniceMan, and my Chinese name is Wen Yongshan."

Yan Li looked up at the two of them. They were decent-looking, and more importantly, they had a clean and honest demeanor.

She looks a bit too young, isn't she? Is she even an adult yet?
He has always been law-abiding and would never touch the flowers of the motherland…

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.: Writer's block, I'll add 2000 words later.
(End of this chapter)