Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 235 Signing a Contract with Huang Bo, Huayi Brothers' Exclusive Public Relations Manager

After participating in the charity event, it was already evening.

Yan Li had a social engagement that evening, which would involve eating, drinking, and discussing business. As everyone knows, one can't really relax in such situations.

Feeling hungry, Yan Li dragged Ning Hao and Huang Bo to a small shop to have a bite to eat.

"This garlic-fried fish is good, as is this twice-cooked pork. I'd also like two of your restaurant's signature dishes."

Yan Li ordered a few dishes and asked Ning Hao and Huang Bo to order. Huang Bo, being of low status, repeatedly declined. Ning Hao symbolically ordered one dish, and Yan Li added another.

There were five of them, including the driver and assistant. They saw that the dishes on the next table were plentiful, six dishes should be enough for them.

How did the roadshow go?

While rinsing the bowls and chopsticks with tea, Yan Li asked Ning Hao about their conversation. The two had been in contact recently, but they had mostly talked about movie data and various promotional plans. This was the first time they had chatted casually.

"tired."

Ning Hao shared his thoughts, saying that a roadshow isn't just about going to any city, making a brief appearance, and calling it a day.

The itinerary was packed, almost one city a day, or even two cities a day.

It's not like you'll only go to one cinema in every city. If it's a box office powerhouse, going to four or five cinemas is quite normal.

It can be said that they are either doing roadshows or on their way to roadshows every day. Not only are they busy and tired, but they also can't show it. They need to be full of enthusiasm to face the audience and related media.

During this roadshow, most of Ning Hao's team members didn't get a good night's sleep.

"But it was very fulfilling."

Ning Hao sighed, then added, "Although we're physically tired, everyone's hearts are filled with joy."

As the box office of "Crazy Stone" continues to climb, the fame of its creators is also rising, and they can be seen being enthusiastically supported by local audiences wherever they go.

The pleasure of being enveloped by a constant stream of fame and fortune is more effective than any adrenaline shot.

Ning Hao is alright; after all, he's a talented and insightful director, and his mental fortitude is stronger than the average person, so he can still keep things in check to some extent.

Some of the main creators who had never experienced this before didn't feel tired at all; they were incredibly excited.

Yan Li smiled and looked at Huang Bo: "Bo'er, you've stolen quite a bit of the limelight this time."

Despite Guo Tao being the male lead in "Crazy Stone," his character and the plot make him less likable than the bumbling trio of thieves.

Among the three bumbling thieves, the most outstanding are Brother Dao and Blackie, namely Liu Hua and Huang Bo.

Leaving aside the plot, these two have already produced quite a few memorable quotes.

Phrases such as "Brand, Baleno," "I'm on the rise in my career," "You insulted my character and my intelligence," and "Call your daddy."

Because the movie was a hit, these lines even became popular phrases to some extent, which greatly increased the popularity of the two actors.

Calling Huang Bo a star now would be an exaggeration, but he's not the unknown person he used to be either. If he's lucky, he can be recognized on the street, and many production teams are willing to hire him.

This illustrates the importance of a hit film or a signature role to an actor, directly altering their career or even their entire life.

Huang Bo flashed his signature grin and raised his glass to toast Yan Li and Ning Hao.

"I am where I am today thanks to the support and guidance of Director Ning and President Yan."

This thing can talk!

Huang Bo's participation in "Crazy Stone" had nothing to do with Yan Li, but now he has suddenly become Yan Li's "benefactor".

Yan Li smiled, raised his glass and clinked it with Huang Bo's, then asked, "I remember you're from Daoshi, right?"

Huang Bo nodded, then turned to add a connection: "Yes, we're from the same province as you, Shandong."

"Then we are indeed destined to meet, as we are both alumni and from the same hometown."

Yan Li's words are pure nonsense. There are plenty of alumni of Beijing Film Academy in Shandong Province, including Huang Xiaoming. The two of them even "competed" for Qin Lan, but he never said that they were destined to be together.

The circle is only so big; you can always find your so-called "fate" by going around in circles.

Born in 1974, Huang Bo is now in his thirties and has a wealth of experience.

Her parents were government employees and her family was well-off. She loved singing and dancing from a young age, participated in singing competitions, formed a band and toured around the world, owned a factory, worked as a dance instructor, and later became an actress. She was admitted to the dubbing class of Beijing Film Academy and has been an actress ever since.

These experiences gave Huang Bo exceptional communication skills and social experience.

Upon hearing Yan Li's words, he immediately and keenly realized that Yan Li was intentionally sending him a friendly signal.

Huang Bo was not yet clear about Yan Li's intentions, but he was more than happy that a big boss like Yan Li was willing to get closer to him.

Anyway, he's just a nobody actor, nothing worth remembering. You can't really hold a grudge against him.

Don't say Yan Li doesn't like men; even if he did, Huang Bo felt quite safe.

Therefore, he actively cooperated with Yan Li's signals and continuously narrowed the gap between the two sides.

After chatting for a while, Yan Li felt it was about time and finally got to the point: "Are you interested in coming to Yi'an?"

Yi An has Julian Cheung and Zhou Yiwei, and will sign Qiao Zhenyu and Deng Chao in the future. It has no shortage of young actors, but it lacks established actors.

Zhang Songwen and Lin Jiachuan are still a bit too inexperienced. They don't seem to have the same potential to win Best Actor as Huang Bo, who is more skilled in comedy and could fill the gap in Yi An's acting abilities.

Huang Bo was a little stunned. Ning Hao, who was next to him, couldn't help but kick him under the table and frantically winked at him.

The two had a good personal relationship, and he hoped Huang Bo would be well.

Although Huang Bo has some fame now, he is not even a big name in the industry. Yi An is a well-known company in the industry with abundant resources.

More importantly, the fact that Yan Li, the big boss, personally recruited him shows that he has high hopes for Huang Bo. It would be a real shame to miss this opportunity.

Huang Bo snapped out of his daze and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Mr. Yan, I was a little startled."

"It's alright. You can speak freely if you have any concerns. After all, it's not a small matter. You can go back and think about it."

Yan Li laughed and said that today's matter was a spur-of-the-moment decision. If he hadn't run into Huang Bo, he might not have had this idea.

To be honest, it's not easy to find or promote celebrities who can become famous and make money in the industry, but there are plenty of truly talented people out there.

Yan Li himself prefers artists who can make money; signing talented artists is merely to enrich the variety of artists and enhance the company's reputation.

So it would be best if Huang Bo agreed, but it wouldn't matter if he didn't.

"No, no, no need to consider it, President Yan. Actually, I've wanted to join Yi'an for a long time. I was originally thinking of asking Director Ning to put in a good word for me, but I didn't expect you to personally invite me. Thank you so much, I will definitely do my best."

Huang Bo wasn't lying; he had indeed considered joining Yi'an, but it was just a thought.

Everyone knows that it's good to have a powerful backer, but he's not very famous and his appearance isn't outstanding, so which well-known film and television company would want him?

Yan Li's invitation gave Huang Bo a huge surprise, so much so that he was stunned and even spoke somewhat recklessly.

"If you're willing, that's good."

After reassuring Huang Bo briefly and learning that Huang Bo had previously worked independently without any contract disputes, Yan Li told him to go directly to Yi An Artist Management Department to discuss the contract. How far they negotiated would depend on Huang Bo's own abilities.

As for gifts or signing ceremonies, forget about it.

Huang Bo's fame and status are not high enough.

Especially the signing ceremony, Yi An has only held one for Fan Xiaopang so far, and may hold one for Ning Hao in the future.

A promising and talented director whose debut film (theatrical release) grossed over 5000 million yuan deserves Yi An's support.

As for Qiao Zhenyu and Deng Chao, including Zhang Zhilin who renewed his contract, the company has expressed interest, but it's still uncertain and depends on the arrangements and their performance.

A signing ceremony and all the publicity and promotion costs are considerable; to receive this treatment, you need to have the qualifications to deserve it.

Yan Li spent a lot of money on Fan Xiaopang back then, but Fan Xiaopang also made it back for the company.

The title of "Sister Yi'an" is well-deserved.

60-70% of the company's artist management revenue comes from Fan Xiaopang, with the remainder coming from Zhang Zhilin, who rose to fame with "The Legend of Lu Xiaofeng," as well as Wang Ou and Zhou Yiwei.

...

After finishing their meal, everyone went about their own business. Yan Li went back to the company to sign a few documents, then changed his clothes and took a car to a high-end restaurant.

"President Yan, come, come, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Yang from Yinghuang. This one doesn't need an introduction, right?"

Yan Li was a guest and arrived rather late. By the time he arrived, almost everyone had already arrived. Wang Zhongjun from Huayi, who was hosting, helped with the introductions.

No introduction is needed; Yan Li knows almost everyone in this private room.

The Wang brothers, Feng Xiaogang, Uncle Ge, Boss Yang of Yinghuang, and the big-nosed Jackie Chan, whom everyone in China knows.

Yan Li had dealt with the previous few people to some extent, so there's no need to elaborate.

Wang Zhongjun assumed that Yan Li didn't know Boss Yang or Cheng Long, since that's what the latter said.

But actually, it was indeed the first time that Mr. Yang and Yan Li had met, but not Cheng Long: "Brother, have you forgotten? We met backstage at the 05 Spring Festival Gala." Cheng Long and his son were also present at the Spring Festival Gala that featured the Seven Fairies, and they had met backstage.

However, Yan Li wasn't a big name in the industry back then, and Cheng Long probably didn't take him seriously.

Huo Siyan, who was also at the drinking party today, was one of the people involved and helped remind them.

"We are the seven fairies of the Spring Festival Gala. There are two Bingbing sisters among us. President Yan took us to take a group photo with the eldest brother. Your son is even in the same dressing room as us."

"Oh, I remembered."

Cheng Long didn't remember Yan Li, but he did remember Shuang Bing and the seven pretty girls. He slapped his forehead in frustration.

"I'm getting old and my memory is failing. It turns out that I've known Mr. Yan for a long time."

Yan Li understood perfectly. With a high status and great fame, there are people everywhere trying to curry favor with you, and countless people want to take photos and sign autographs. It's impossible for anyone to remember them all.

When this matter was brought up, Yan Li wasn't trying to prove anything about fortunes changing over time, but rather to find an excuse to quickly start a conversation.

In social chats, people are generally wary and defensive when they first meet.

But if it's someone you know, no matter what the first impression is, it's always better than meeting for the first time, and you'll have something to talk about.

Even if the topic is a little awkward, it's okay. With that awkwardness, everyone can "laugh it off" and develop a sense of empathy and recognition, which brings people closer together faster than in normal social interactions.

Especially for someone like Cheng Long, who has a bit of a gangster-like personality, this kind of behavior makes him feel that Yan Li is straightforward and meticulous in his work.

While Yan Li's intelligence analysis skills are indeed exceptional, his social skills are undoubtedly his own natural talent.

Of course, the system is also very important. The constant feedback of intelligence allows him to understand people's hearts more meticulously and accurately. Through a series of negotiations and social interactions, Yan Li's communication skills are constantly improving and becoming stronger.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, everyone took their seats. Besides the several bigwigs, there were also some female companions.

Huo Siyan needs no introduction. She was a figurehead at Huayi Brothers, and given her connections with Yan Li, the Wang brothers tacitly accepted that she was Yan Li's person.

There must have been a reason for inviting Yan Li; Yan Li's personal public relations manager was definitely present.

Besides Huo Siyan, Huayi Brothers also brought two female artists, one of whom was Hu Ke, whom Yan Li had met briefly in "Lucky Star Pigsy".

The other party is said to be participating in the Huayi Brothers and Zhang Jizhong production of "The Deer and the Cauldron", so it is estimated that he has been recruited.

The other one must be a newcomer; Yan Li doesn't recognize him.

After Huayi Brothers learned a lesson from Wong Jing, they signed a number of child actors and newcomers, Xiong Naijin being one of them.

However, when I asked Huo Siyan, she said that she was not an artist under Huayi Brothers, but was one of the actors in "The Deer and the Cauldron", and her name was something like... Li Feier.

Speaking of "The Deer and the Cauldron", Yan Li is really curious about one thing.

This film is produced by Huayi Brothers, so they'll definitely promote some of their own people, like Hu Ke who's here today, and Huang Xiaoming, who's rumored to be involved. They're both flirting with Huayi.

It's understandable that Li Bingbing and Zhou Xun, being big names in the industry, wouldn't want to play a concubine for Huang Xiaoming or other young actors.

Don't use "The Legend of Xue Rengui" as an example. Li Bingbing was the female lead in that drama, and the male lead was Yan Li. Not only was Yan Li of high status, but the two also had a "bond".

Whether it's repaying a favor privately or offering support outwardly as a gesture of friendship, it's all acceptable.

However, Li and Zhou are not going to act in it. Huo Siyan is currently quite famous in Huayi Brothers, but not enough to carry the show. She should be willing to act in this popular Jin Yong drama, but we haven't heard anything about it.

Hearing Yan Li say this, Huo Siyan said with a hint of grievance and resentment, "I also want to act, but Producer Zhang doesn't agree."

Yan Li raised an eyebrow: "Is there a reason for this?"

Huo Siyan bears many traces of Yan Li's influence. After all, she was the female lead in the first drama produced by Yan Li, and many people believe that Huo was made famous by Yan Li.

"I'm not sure, maybe they just don't like me."

After playing the victim, Huo Siyan started trying to make amends, but Yan Li was well aware of her little tricks.

However, he was still quite willing to cause trouble for Zhang Dahuzi and Huayi Brothers.

"Do you want to act? I'll help you get ahead."

"Really?"

Huo Siyan's eyes lit up with surprise. Yan Li nodded. It wasn't his show, and he was always happy to use other people's resources to do favors for himself.

Zhang Dahuzi stubbornly refused to give Huo Siyan a better role.

He, an "outsider," stood up for her, but Huayi Brothers didn't give him any resources. It goes without saying who Huo Siyan hated more.

This young woman is quite popular within Huayi Brothers; she might even be able to disrupt the morale of the company.

Incidentally, Yan Li also wanted to find out where Huayi's bottom line was. Now that he had the upper hand, he naturally wanted to take advantage of it.

"But I must warn you, if I stand up for you, be careful you don't become a mole for Huayi Brothers."

Yan Li warned Huo Siyan about the potential problems beforehand to avoid her regretting it, but unexpectedly, the young woman reached out her hand and groped between Yan Li's legs in an ambiguous manner.

"Wasn't I always yours?"

Even without this incident, the Wang brothers still didn't quite trust her. Since that was the case, they might as well take advantage of Yan Li's power for as long as they could.

Even if things go wrong, at worst she'll be ignored. With Yan Li around, she won't be blacklisted or sidelined.

Yan Li slapped Huo Siyan's small hand away: "You usually call your sister-in-law 'brother-in-law' so affectionately, but do you ever touch your sister-in-law like that?"

Huo Siyan said matter-of-factly, "She's not my sister-in-law. Besides, my sister-in-law is half her brother-in-law."

Goodness, if that's the case, Qin Lan has really given him a lot of work...

...

Yan Li didn't just whisper to Huo Siyan; the social conversation at the dinner table never stopped, and he even accepted a toast from the female companion brought by Boss Yang of Yinghuang.

Yan Li also recognizes this person; she is Charlene Choi (Ah Sa) from the Twins duo, and also one of the female leads in "Rob-B-Hood".

Yan Li wasn't interested in this person, so after giving him a polite response, he started chatting with Feng Xiaogang and Cheng Long.

Of all the people at the dinner, these two were the ones he was most interested in.

However, the former Wang brothers were very cautious, and the latter would occasionally interject with a few words, which is understandable. They are the cash cows of their respective companies, so he would have to be careful if he were in their shoes.

As the wine flowed freely and the atmosphere became more relaxed, the Wang brothers finally got down to business.

First, he praised "Crazy Stone," and then invited Yan Li to participate in the distribution of "The Banquet" and "Rob-B-Hood."

Yan Li did not refuse; his willingness to come proved that he was willing to cooperate.

But being willing to cooperate is one thing; how to cooperate is another.

Yan Li didn't directly state his conditions. These were all people of importance, and it wasn't appropriate to shout out prices. He wanted to reach an agreement first, and then discuss it privately later.

The Wang brothers understood this principle. Their invitation to Yan Li was not only for cooperation, but also primarily to resolve their enmity and strengthen their relationship.

The last argument wasn't very dignified. If we resolve the issues, cooperation will naturally follow.

After all, nobody would reject making money!

With the cooperation finalized, the atmosphere at the scene became even more enthusiastic, and Yan Li also took the opportunity to mention Huo Siyan.

“Siyan is particularly interested in the play ‘The Deer and the Cauldron’ and came to me for help. I treat her like a younger sister, so I had no choice but to swallow my pride and ask you two for help.”

"As you all know, I've had some conflicts with Director Zhang, and Siyan is one of your Huayi Brothers' people. It's always more convenient for you than for an outsider like me to do business with your own people."

The Wang brothers never expected Yan Li to have such a past.

Moreover, the timing was particularly opportune. The fact that the cooperation was finalized was a sign that Yan Li was giving him face by disregarding past grievances. Since he gave him face, how could Huayi not give him face in return?

Keep in mind that the cooperation was just finalized; no terms were discussed, and no written contract was signed. It's not something that can be called off so easily.

The two brothers exchanged a glance. The older brother remained silent, while the younger brother stepped forward and offered to talk to Zhang the Bearded.

We must give Yan Li face, but we can't ignore Zhang Dahuzi either. The younger brother should go and talk to him first. If the deal goes well, everyone will be happy. If not, the older brother will step in and mediate.

No wonder they're brothers who fight tigers together; they work really well together.

Yan Li didn't care whether Huo Siyan got the role or not; he silently appreciated the attitude and tacit understanding between the Wang brothers.

With Yi An's rapid rise, she will inevitably clash with Huayi Brothers sooner or later.

The two brothers had studied Yan Li quite a bit in private, and Yan Li was also using the system and rare opportunities to meet them to study the two brothers.

Huo Siyan was unaware of the lawsuit involved.

Seeing Wang Zhonglei taking on so much responsibility, I thought the role was secured. He even looked at Yan Li with a sly gaze, and kept making small movements under the table...

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.: Something came up, so I'll only be updating 10,000 words tomorrow (0/7000).

(End of this chapter)