Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 233: "Crazy Stone" Released, Teddy Sisters Formed

Yan Li's so-called million-dollar reward for combating piracy of "Crazy Stone" did not attract much attention.

Because there are too many similar bounties these days.

There aren't many film production and distribution companies that publicly offer rewards; the most common ones are DVD audio-visual copyright holders, who are in direct competition with piracy and hate them to death.

The copyright holders of last year's films "Self-Entertainment" and "Kung Fu Dad" offered a reward of 200 million yuan.

Back then, the reward for discovering a pirated copy of "A World Without Thieves" was 5 cents, and the reward for reporting and assisting in the arrest of a production line was 30 yuan.

The earlier film "Hero" went even further, with two film and television companies investing 400 million yuan to offer a reward for combating piracy.

Besides those genuinely cracking down on piracy, many others are using it as a publicity stunt.

In short, offering rewards to combat piracy is nothing new, and even a million is considered "stingy".

Some pirates laughed it off and didn't take it seriously at all.

Everyone says they're offering huge rewards to crack down on piracy, but how many people have actually been caught over the years?
Regardless of whether those video companies actually paid them, ordinary people, even if they knew something, wouldn't dare to say anything. After all, playing with pirated content involves a gray area, and if the news leaked, the money they earned wouldn't be enough to cover the retaliation.

Therefore, upon seeing the news of the bounty, apart from some more cautious and timid pirates who decided to stop, other pirates continued to do as they pleased.

There were also a few who were dissatisfied with Yan Li's "provocation" and insisted on going against him. Before "Crazy Stone" was even released, they started making copies.

There are many ways movie copies can be leaked because the film production process is very complex, involving production, distribution, censorship, release, awards, and many other miscellaneous matters, all of which can be accidentally leaked or taken advantage of.

For ordinary pirates, many channels are too sophisticated, so they usually try to steal from cinemas or collude with cinema staff.

After all, there are so many cinemas across the country, with varying quality and different levels of management, so it's impossible for distributors and cinema chains to manage them all.

Therefore, there are always some parasites who cannot resist the temptation of profit and are used by pirates.

When China Film Group distributed "The Promise" before, it was extremely strict in managing the film copies to prevent this from happening, and even sent a large number of staff to the local area to supervise the copying.

As a result, less than three days after its release, pirated DVDs of "The Promise" appeared on the market.

This demonstrates the capabilities and rampant nature of these pirates.

...

Shanxi Province, a certain county town
Inside a remote and somewhat dilapidated old factory, a rudimentary production line is being used by workers to produce CDs.

In the rest area in the corner, a bald, fat man was eating watermelon and watching TV.

A moment later, a skinny man carrying a large bag of food entered the factory and said to the bald fat man.

"Big brother, I've bought the food."

"Ah."

The bald, fat man called the workers to eat, and then he and the skinny man picked out some of the better dishes, drank alcohol, and chatted as they ate.

"Have your wife come back and cook tomorrow. Buying food is too expensive."

"Yes, yes, I called her today and asked her to come back from her parents' house."

The skinny man smiled and offered a toast, then said to the fat man, "Brother, is this new disc we're working on profitable? The cost of copies and raw materials is quite substantial."

Pirates don't just steal from anyone!

Especially for newly released movies, because the risk of stealing copies is high, the price is relatively high, and there is also market uncertainty, if the movie is bad, it is very likely that a batch will be produced but not sold.

Therefore, apart from those highly anticipated blockbuster movies, pirates will strike early.

Other movies need to observe market trends first, and then see if they are pirated and how many copies are shipped.

"Don't worry, I've checked it out. The movie is getting good reviews online, and a lot of people want to see it. I've even seen people placing orders in the group. It's definitely going to be profitable, otherwise they wouldn't have offered a 100 million reward."

Pirates aren't stupid; they won't just throw money away to spite someone.

The relatively successful marketing of "Crazy Stone" not only attracted audiences but also drew in flies that smelled the aroma of meat.

"Brother, with so many bounties, won't something bad happen?"

The skinny guy hadn't been in this line of work for long, so he was a little worried. The main problem was that he had only been married for less than six months. What would happen to his wife if he went to jail?

"Do not worry."

The bald, fat man ate two large bites of cold dishes, then raised the bottle of wine and took a swig, looking disdainful.

"It's always the same, all talk and no action. We're far from the emperor's reach, we don't ship much, and we don't sell locally, so who can trace us? Even if some blind fool reports us, don't forget what my second uncle does."

The skinny man felt relieved. He had heard from the bald fat man that he had been tricked before, but because his second uncle got away with it, he only had to pay some money back.

"Eat, eat, eat, then get back to work. I watched this movie this afternoon, it was fucking good, it might actually be a hit, let's stock up on more stock."

The bald fat man was thinking that if he made a lot of money this time, he would buy a gold ring for the skinny man's wife and see if that little wench would still avoid him.
After finishing their meal, the bald, fat man was urging everyone to get back to work when a worker who had just gone to the toilet rushed in in a panic.

"Boss, there are police officers at the door."

No sooner had he finished speaking than several police officers in uniform rushed in, shouting and starting to arrest people.

"Fuck."

The bald, fat man cursed and fled in a disproportionately slow and awkward manner.

Because there weren't many police officers present, and they weren't familiar with the terrain, the bald, fat man actually managed to escape.

However, the skinny guy couldn't resist the skinny guy's loyalty. After being interrogated by the police, he learned that he could get a reduced sentence and be released sooner to see his wife. He immediately reported the bald fat guy's approximate escape route and hiding place.

Within ten minutes, the bald, fat man, who hadn't run far, was pinned down and said in a panic.

"Comrade, comrade, I'm one of them, my second uncle is..."

The two policemen exchanged a glance and chuckled: "Enough with the nonsense, we're from the XX County Public Security Bureau."

The bald, fat man's body went limp; he was in deep trouble this time. With the arrest taking place across districts, even his second uncle was unlikely to be able to bail him out.

...

Four pirates and one distributor were arrested around the same time as the bald fat man. They had all prepared copies of "Crazy Stone" in advance, ready to make a big splash.

As a result, they were targeted one by one while they were still in the preparation stage. Not only were the people arrested, but their strongholds were also raided.

However, Yan Li did not let his guard down. These few were just the beginning, and most people were observing the market.

The real battle was won after "Crazy Stone" was released and its popularity and word-of-mouth soared.

Money can move people's hearts, and it goes without saying how bold those who engage in shady dealings are.

A few pirates have been caught, but that won't scare them. We need to keep catching them until they're terrified and their faces turn pale at the mere mention of their name.

"Contact the relevant authorities to obtain as much information and photos as possible, and then notify the media to release them."

In any case, as long as someone is arrested, it will have some deterrent effect.

Yan Li's goal is not to eradicate evil completely, but to protect box office revenue, so the publicity campaign must keep up.

In addition to these pirates selling CDs, Yan Li also began to crack down on pirate websites and resources.

With the rapid development of the internet and the establishment of video websites, the proliferation of online pirated resources is now more harmful than those video and audio pirates.

For Yan Li, this is even more difficult than catching pirates.

Pirated CDs have a source, but everyone on the internet could be a source. A copied link can exchange resources, so tracing the source is useless.

Fortunately, the internet is more transparent than the piracy market. While the source cannot be traced, overt pirated resources can be eliminated.

It's impossible to completely eliminate it, but we can use various means to minimize its influence and make pirated resources less available and harder to find.

Yan Li has some experience in this area. Tudou.com, which collaborates with him, frequently combats piracy and can provide him with a lot of help.

Of course, Tudou.com didn't help for nothing; helping Yan Li was also helping themselves.

Because the official online resources for "Crazy Stone" will be available on Tudou.com.

The more popular a movie is, the more drastic the crackdown on piracy will be. Tudou.com will reap even more traffic from this movie in the future, so how could they not be proactive?

With Yan Li's support in publicity, on-the-ground distribution, and crackdown on piracy, the premiere of "Crazy Stone" finally arrived.

On June 30th, the premiere of "Crazy Stone" was held in Beijing.

Normally, there's no need for a premiere ceremony for a low-budget film like this, since it costs money.

However, Yan Li couldn't resist the fact that it was Yi An's first film, so they still held a premiere.

The event wasn't large-scale, but some celebrities and media still showed up to support it.

Some of the main creators of "Crazy Stone" also came, and they were quite excited to see the premiere.

To be honest, when this movie was being filmed, not many of the actors thought it would be a hit.

Even if the script is good, a good script does not guarantee a good movie, and a good movie does not guarantee a hit. There are many hidden gems.

The key issue is that these actors are not very famous. The highest-paid actor was the male lead, Guo Tao, who only received 8 yuan. Moreover, he was replaced twice by the director midway through the film.

The important characters are the trio of bumbling thieves. Dao Ge (Liu Hua) received 2.5 yuan, Hei Pi (Huang Bo) received 1 yuan, and the last one, Yue Xiaojun, was a cameo role played by the screenwriter who did not receive a penny.

The most famous actor was Xu Zheng, who came to the role purely to learn from the script and didn't ask for any payment.

Due to budget constraints, the crew's living conditions, while not exactly shabby, were rather simple.

With this cast and crew, it's understandable that people lack confidence.

However, as the finished film was released, Ning Hao contacted them to participate in preview screenings and roadshows, and with the continuous stream of positive reviews on online media, "Crazy Stone" really did look like a hit film.

If the movie does well, they get to be in the spotlight and naturally feel happy.

"President Yan is here. Let me introduce you."

Ning Hao was going over the process with the staff when he suddenly saw Yan Li and quickly called over several main cast members to greet him.

Interestingly, because the main creators of "Crazy Stone" were not very famous and were scattered all over the country, they arranged to go on a promotional tour together instead of meeting in Beijing.

In addition, Yan Li was very busy, so this was the first time he, as the producer and executive producer, had met everyone.

"Thanks to everyone for your hard work during this time."

Yan Li greeted them politely. Perhaps because he had seen the movie, he had a good impression of the main cast and crew. They were all good actors, and one of them was even an acquaintance.

"Mr. Yan, this is Huang Bo..."

Everyone struck up a conversation with Yan Li, including Huang Bo. As soon as Huang Bo opened his mouth, Yan Li waved his hand and laughed.

"Why aren't you calling me 'senior brother' anymore?"

The two had met once before, exactly two years ago, when Huang Bo was filming "The Migrant Workers' Survival". Yan Li visited the set and Huang Bo claimed to be Yan Li's junior from the Beijing Film Academy, which left a certain impression on Yan Li.

Huang Bo's performance in "Crazy Stone" was outstanding and left a deep impression on Yan Li.

"Senior... Senior Brother."

Huang Bo was somewhat flattered, not expecting Yan Li to still remember something from two years ago.

Although it's only been two years, he hasn't changed much in those two years; he's still a relatively unknown actor.

Yan Li, on the other hand, has developed rapidly. He went from being a boss and producer with only a little reputation to a well-known bigwig in the industry.

Even Wang Ou, who was filming "The Migrant Workers" with Yan Li and had a romantic storyline with him in the drama, was involved.

Back then, he was just a newcomer, but now he's quite famous and a star he can no longer reach.

In Huang Bo's mind, he and Yan Li had only met once and exchanged a few words. How could such a big boss possibly remember him?

As it turned out, Yan Li not only remembered himself, but also the conversation between the two of them back then, which stirred up some emotions in Huang Bo, who was used to seeing the world.

Afterwards, Yan Li had a long chat with Huang Bo, praising his performance in "Crazy Stone".

On the one hand, Yan Lizhen had a good impression of Huang Bo, and on the other hand, she felt that Huang Bo was highly professional and might be able to make a name for himself in the future.

Since there's a chance to get ahead, why not do some good deeds in advance? It's just a matter of saying a few nice words; it's beneficial without costing anything, so why not?

As Yan Li's status rose, he became increasingly adept at understanding how those in power operated.

When you are good enough, you don't even need money or resources. Just verbal affirmation and praise, giving a little emotional value, is a great honor and reward for many people.

This is especially devastating for those who are not very successful and crave recognition.

Yan Li chatted with Huang Bo for a while, and he felt a little dizzy, which earned him the envy of the other main creators.

"Bo'er, President Yan thinks so highly of you. If you rise to prominence, don't forget us."

"Not at all, my senior thought I acted well, so we just chatted for a bit."

He was modest, but Huang Bo couldn't stop smiling, and he called his senior brother so affectionately.

Liu Hua, standing next to him, pursed his lips, then his eyes suddenly lit up: "Wow, people are here, all of them are female celebrities."

Huang Bo and the others turned around and saw five or six familiar female celebrities appear together.

Leading the group is Ying Gu Qin Lan, who played the role of Ying Gu in "The Great Song Dynasty Forensic Examiner". Next to her is Huo Siyan, the Seventh Fairy in "Happy Seven Fairies". On the other side is Li Xiaolu.

There were three more women behind them, all quite pretty. Two of them looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place their names.

Yan Li also saw Qin Lan and her group. Unlike Huang Bo and his group, whom he didn't recognize, he recognized them all.

We won't discuss Qin, Huo, and Li; the remaining three are Liu Yun, Xiong Naijin, and Zhao Ke.

Seeing this scene, Yan Li's first reaction was to be thankful that Dong Xuan and Fan Xiaopang weren't there today.

The former is his "ex-girlfriend" and it's not appropriate for her to appear in public, while the latter is still following up on the promotion of "Investiture of the Gods" and starting to reap the benefits of its popularity, and is not in Beijing.

Good heavens, if Qin Lan and her men were to block him, whether it was a verbal battle or a physical fight, even a good woman would be no match for a group of women.

Yan Li stepped forward and looked the group of women over.

Qin Lan was fine, but Huo Siyan and Li Xiaolu looked around, seemingly searching for something. The former was eager to try, while the latter was extremely excited.

There was also Liu Yun, who, although he wasn't searching around, looked very eager and ready to fight.

Good grief, they're really here to fight!

"Ahem." Yan Li coughed. "Stop looking. I'm the only one here. What, you want to do something to me?"

So what if I do something to you!?

Huo Siyan wanted to make a boastful remark because she had the upper hand, but fearing that Yan Li and Qin Lan would punish her, she put on a fawning smile.

"Hehe, Sister...Ms. Yan, we came here as a group specifically to support your movie."

"Xiaolu and Naijin asked the crew for leave, and Zhao Ke specially flew back from Hengdian. I even gave up an advertisement. How about that? Pretty generous of me, right?"

Yan Li gave a thumbs up: "Excellent, thank you very much."

Liu Yun frowned as she looked at Huo Siyan, who was jumping around a bit, and then spoke up to take credit for Qin Lan.

"If you want to thank someone, thank Qin Lan. She was worried that your premiere wouldn't be lively enough, so she specifically asked us to come and boost your popularity. If we weren't so busy, there would be even more people."

Qin Lan smiled and said, "Do we need to thank you? We should thank you."

Yan Li nodded in agreement: "That makes sense. You can arrange for them to have a good meal later and express my gratitude on my behalf."

"Alright, you don't need to worry about it. Go ahead and do your work. I'll take care of things here for you."

Qin Lan told Yan Li to go about his business, acting like the lady of the house. Yan Li didn't say anything, but simply called a staff member to look after him.

Seeing the two of them singing in perfect harmony, Liu Yun's brows relaxed again, while the others smiled on the surface, but only they knew what they were thinking.

Under Qin Lan's arrangement, everyone found seats and sat down, and even accepted interviews from two reporters present, showcasing their sisterly bond.

Strictly speaking, this was the first time Qin Lan and her group had made a collective appearance.

Previously, no matter how good their relationship was, they always communicated privately, at most interacting on their blogs. This is the first time and the largest group of them have appeared together in a public setting.

After the interviews ended, everyone was very happy, as this group appearance had brought them benefits in one way or another.

Needless to say, the media exposure also showcased her personal connections, allowing her to legitimately claim that someone is her good friend, either by leveraging their influence or by piggybacking on their fame.

Qin Lan was also very satisfied. This was tantamount to publicly "showing off" her horse, displaying her muscles to Dong Xuan and Fan Xiaopang.

I have a lot of people and I'm powerful, so you better watch out!
After being happy for a while, Huo Siyan pondered something else and offered her advice to Qin Lan.

"Sister, with so many of us, we're a bit scattered. Why don't we give ourselves a formal name? It would help us stay united and also distinguish us from outsiders."

Qin Lan pondered for a moment, then looked at Liu Yun: "What do you think?"

Liu Yun nodded: "Having a title is good. These days, everyone's into fan clubs and fan names. Having an organization makes everyone more united."

Qin Lan then looked at Li Xiaolu: "Xiaolu, what do you think?"

Li Xiaolu loves a lively atmosphere: "Great idea, count me in."

Xiong Naijin and Zhao Ke both expressed their support, and Qin Lan went along with it, agreeing to form a formal group.

The first thing to do is to choose a name.

The second thing is to confirm the nature of the group, as well as everyone's position and responsibilities.

As a result, the first thing got stuck. Several people expressed their opinions, especially Huo Siyan and Liu Yun, who refused to give in to each other. Finally, they looked at Qin Lan.

"What name do you think would be good?"

I want to call it the Qin Family Army!

Qin Lan muttered to herself, but she was too embarrassed to say it. Although this small group was centered around her, it didn't mean it was her private army. It would be more appropriate to use a neutral name.

"Don't rush, let's talk slowly over dinner. Everyone, think about it. The premiere is about to start, let's watch the movie first."

It's just about coming up with a name, it's not a big deal. We can discuss it later. Nothing is more important than our own movie today.

After Qin Lan spoke, everyone quieted down, only occasionally chatting, and waited for the premiere to begin.

Some people were also observing Yan Li, watching him greet the guests who came to support him as the host, and occasionally exchanging whispers.

"That must be Mr. Yu from Bona Film Group."

"General Manager Liu of Hairun."

“Wong Pak-ming from Hong Kong is here too.”

"Goodness, Third Master Han is here too."

"..."

In terms of the star-studded lineup, "Crazy Stone" wasn't particularly luxurious, but if you count the big names who came to support it, it was definitely on par with blockbuster films.

Han Sanye wasn't even the highest-ranking official; there were other leaders in the propaganda department, but most people didn't recognize them.

Yan Li's efforts were not in vain; he ventured into the cinema industry and invested in and distributed films, attracting the attention and curiosity of many film company owners.

In addition, Yan Li recently made a splash, and many people know how capable this young man is and are interested in getting to know him and befriending him.

Watching Yan Litong chatting and laughing with a group of well-known bigwigs in the industry, his eyes, which were observing the surroundings, revealed a complex emotion.

Normally, I wouldn't feel it so deeply, but compared to a group of big shots who are at least 30 years old, Yan Li's youth is undeniable.

Moreover, he was not only young, but also exuded a spirited aura, and with his tall and heroic figure, he stood out from the crowd.

Qin Lan rested her chin on her hand, gazing at Yan Li with a slightly infatuated expression, thinking to herself that this scoundrel was becoming more and more charming.

Just as she was engrossed in watching, Qin Lan felt a poke in her waist. Turning her head, she saw Liu Yun giving her a wink.

Qin Lan followed Liu Yun's gaze and looked directly in Yan Li's direction. Not only them, but also some other female guests, audience members, staff, and even some men looked at Yan Li.

"..."

Qin Lan shook her head helplessly, then looked at Liu Yun and asked in a low voice.

Why aren't you looking?

Liu Yun snorted: "My man is handsome too."

Her boyfriend, Nie Yuan, is one of the most popular young actors right now. Although his overall qualities are not as good as Yan Li's, Liu Yun is still doing well and doesn't need to be envious of her best friend's man.

Qin Lan was annoyed that others were looking at Yan Li, and she was also a little annoyed that Liu Yun wasn't looking at him, so she started arguing with Liu Yun.

"My man is more handsome."

Liu Yun: "..."

She used to complain to herself that Yan Li always called her stupid, but now it seems Yan Li was right, she really does have a screw loose...

...

Amidst the commotion, most of the guests had arrived, and the premiere ceremony officially began.

Since the main cast didn't have many stars, and people weren't very interested, we just went up and chatted briefly before starting the movie.

A craft factory on the verge of bankruptcy discovers a priceless piece of jade while renovating a public toilet. To alleviate the factory's financial difficulties, the factory plans to hold a jade exhibition.

A local thief eyeing the jade, a construction developer wanting the jade and driving away the craft factory, and the factory's security department protecting the jade—these three forces embark on a darkly humorous power struggle.

Yan Li had seen the movie before, more than once, so he paid more attention to the audience's feedback than to the movie itself.

Yan Li glanced around and saw that everyone was watching intently, occasionally letting out a soft laugh along with the plot. His slightly fluctuating emotions calmed down again.

More than an hour later, the movie ended, and the theater erupted in enthusiastic applause.

The film's creators were invited to the stage for follow-up interviews, and the atmosphere was noticeably more enthusiastic than before.

Yan Li sat in the audience, exchanging ideas with Han Sanye and others. Many bigwigs gave the film high praise.

One producer, based on information, judged: "With effective publicity and distribution, 1500 million should be no problem."

"The investment in this movie wasn't high, probably only three to five million. With 1500 million plus other profits, it's definitely a profitable venture. Congratulations to President Yan on this great start."

Some knowledgeable people did the math and found that although the profit wasn't much, most people in the film industry lose money to gain publicity, so making a profit is a good thing.

Yu Pangzi, who had been paying close attention to Yan Li's publicity campaign, smiled and said, "15 million is too low for our CEO Yan. The publicity costs alone will be several million. It will definitely be close to 20 or 30 million."

Master Han didn't speak, but patted Yan Li on the shoulder: "Let me know if you need anything."

Although this film has nothing to do with China Film Group, the overall progress of the Chinese film industry is a good thing for China Film Group. If needed, Mr. Han will not hesitate to help.

Yan Li didn't stand on ceremony, especially since there were so many film and television company bosses present, and made a point of mentioning it.

"We've been cracking down on piracy lately, and it's been quite effective. I hope Third Master can help spread the word and give these rats a scare."

Master Han readily agreed, but Fatty Yu was curious about Yan Li's methods for combating piracy and how effective they would be.

"Let me keep you in suspense for now, you'll find out later. Speaking of which, you and Mr. Huang should probably thank me, because next month when 'Dragon Tiger Gate' is released, there will be fewer problems with piracy."

"That would be wonderful. Mr. Huang and I will treat you to dinner then."

Fatty Yu chuckled, not taking it seriously at all. He admitted that Yan Li's publicity strategy looked good, but he should forget about cracking down on piracy.

While he was fighting against pirates all these years in the industry, Yan Li was still studying in his hometown.

Even if you're lucky enough to catch a few idiots, it doesn't mean the world is at peace.

If Yan Li can control those people, he'll kneel down and call him "father"!
Fatty Yu and Yan Li had a good relationship, and even they couldn't help but mutter to themselves, not to mention the others.

They want to achieve great success with a small investment of a few million, and they're even clamoring to crack down on piracy.

Young people don’t know their place!
Don't assume that just because you're doing well in the TV drama industry, you can still thrive in the film industry. These are completely different industries. You may be making a big fuss now, but you'll be crying later.

Many people smiled on the surface, but exchanged knowing glances, secretly hoping to see this so-called rising star of the industry make a fool of himself…

...

After the premiere, Yan Li treated the cast and crew to a meal and then arranged subsequent promotional roadshows.

Yi'an provided for their food, clothing, and travel expenses. If the movie was good, they would also benefit from it, so most people were quite cooperative.

Meanwhile, Qin Lan and the others gathered together at a restaurant, chattering about the plot of "Crazy Stone" and the names they had mentioned before.

"Sis, what do you think of calling it the Teddy Sisters?"

Huo Siyan had been studying this matter and hadn't been able to concentrate on the movie, but she finally came up with a good name.

She and Qin Lan met through a Teddy bear, and they both love dogs. Xiong Naijin and Zhao Ke also own Teddy bears or were influenced to get one. Li Xiaolu had even mentioned this before.

Among everyone, only Liu Yun doesn't raise them, but that can be made up for later, or it doesn't matter.

One or two outliers won't affect the overall situation.

Huo Siyan even intended to use this incident to kick out Liu Yun, who was trusted by Qin Lan and loved to contradict her.

Prior to this, Huo Siyan had already made arrangements. As soon as she made the suggestion, she received the support of Xiong and Zhao, and Li Xiaolu did not object.

Qin Lan was also somewhat persuaded. She doted on her Teddy bear dog and thought the name suited her well.

However, she still sought Liu Yun's opinion.

Seeing this, the latter didn't come out to disagree, and it was just a title, as long as it wasn't offensive.

Thus, the Teddy Sisters Group was officially formed.

Once the name and nature of the team were decided, it became a group of best friends. Everyone would call each other sisters, help each other in life, stick together for warmth at work, share honor and disgrace, and face the storms together.

The group was arranged by age. Qin Lan, born in 79, was the oldest and was the eldest sister. Huo Siyan, born in 80, was the second sister, and Li Xiaolu, born in 81, was the third sister.

Both born in 1982, Xiong Naijin is the fourth sister because her birthday is in October, while Liu Yun is the fifth sister because her birthday is in December.

Born in 83, Zhao Ke is the youngest, naturally making her the sixth or youngest sister.

If the sisterhood recruits new members in the future, they will be arranged in order of age.

However, Huo Siyan felt it would be best to pull the younger children to the back of the line to avoid trouble.

Huo Siyan said this with ulterior motives. Now she is the second eldest sister, and nominally she is the eldest sister after Qin Lan. She doesn't want anyone else to climb over her.

Li Xiaolu thought so too. The decision to sort by age was not made on a whim; there was a lot more to it than met the eye.

Qin Lan is the core of the sisterhood, so she is the undisputed eldest sister. Li Xiaolu and Huo Siyan are more famous, so they occupy the positions of second and third sister.

Huo Siyan and Qin Lan have a good relationship, and she was the one who organized more than half of the group of sisters, so she has a slight advantage.

The three most famous are the three older sisters. Even though Liu Yun has a good relationship with Qin Lan, she is not famous enough and is also dragged down by her age, so she becomes the fifth sister.

Although they are called a sisterhood, they are still influenced by the hierarchical concepts in the entertainment industry because they are all celebrities.

Qin Lan hadn't thought that much about it before. People used to call her Sister Lan, but now that she's the eldest sister, it all feels natural.

However, since both Huo and Li had expressed their opinions, she couldn't ignore them.

Qin Lan originally wanted to bring Ma Yili in, but since Ma Yili was born in 76 and would be the eldest sister, it might cause some backlash and resistance. She wasn't sure if Ma Yili could handle the situation.

But no matter what happens in the future, the formation of the sisterhood is still something to celebrate, and everyone raised their glasses in celebration.

Qin Lan was in a great mood and happily shared the good news with Yan Li when she got home.

Yan Li was waiting for the premiere data of "Crazy Stone" when he heard Qin Lan's words, and his first reaction was...

Who came up with this name? It's awful!
I was just about to say a few words to Qin Lan about being careful around leaders when forming these little cliques, lest I be sidelined, when suddenly my computer vibrated.

Before Yan Li could speak, he immediately opened the email, which displayed the opening day box office figures for "Crazy Stone."

312 million!
Yan Li nodded slightly. It was alright, the data was within expectations, and it was worth the money he spent on publicity.

Tomorrow is Saturday, and prices will definitely rise over the weekend; it's unlikely to be able to stop it from reaching 1000 million.

This box office performance was enough to spread the word about "Crazy Stone," which would then attract a steady stream of viewers, and... pirates.

Yan Li sincerely hoped that there would be fewer people who were not afraid of death.

Two more shots were fired today, bringing the cumulative total to ten pirates taken down.

His efficiency was so high that even the anti-pornography and anti-illegal publications task force noticed him. If this continues, it might turn into a massive crackdown...

(End of this chapter)