Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 245 The Celebrity Effect and "The Sun Also Rises"

"Teddy Sisters?"

The next morning, when Boss Jia heard the name and Gan Wei's story, he seemed to be deep in thought.

Upon hearing that Qin Lan was Yan Li's woman and that she had founded this sisterhood, attracting actresses from all walks of life, he began to ponder the purpose behind it.

Mr. Jia believes that, given Yan Li's skills and level of expertise, this group of Teddy Sisters is definitely not just about fighting over love and sticking together for mutual support.

Celebrity effect!

That must be it; Yan Li did it for the celebrity effect.

Mr. Jia suddenly realized that he could use Qin Lan as a link to attract and bind a large number of female stars and gain a certain influence.

This influential group of celebrities is close to him and to some extent used by him. At crucial moments, Yan Li can leverage the celebrity effect of this group to enhance his business operations and even attract more traffic.

The best part is that this group of stars doesn't require him to invest too many resources.

Through Qin Lan, he had connections with these people, but not with them. He could use their resources whenever he needed them, and also distance himself from them when necessary.

Absolutely!
Mr. Jia was very impressed with Yan Li's actions and even wanted to imitate them.

But he quickly abandoned the idea.

The key to the Teddy Sisters' ability to come together is not how well the actresses get along, but rather the charisma behind them.

LeEco has very limited resources at the moment, and Gan Wei's personal fame is not enough to gather people.

but……

Boss Jia thought that since he couldn't gather the people himself, he could let Gan Wei infiltrate the group.

Once Gan Wei makes friends and gets to know people, and LeEco rises, the Teddy Sisters group can also be used by him.

In addition, LeEco and Yan Li have both cooperation and competition.

By cultivating a good relationship between Gan Wei and Qin Lan, they can gain each other's trust, ensuring smooth cooperation, and also serve as spies to gather information.

The more Mr. Jia thought about it, the more he felt it was a good opportunity, and he even gave Gan Wei a sum of money to do public relations.

Xiong Naijin has the right to make recommendations, but whether Gan Wei can join the Teddy Sisters group still needs to be decided by an internal vote.

Gan Wei could use this money to get to know more members of the Teddy Sisters group through Xiong Naijin's introduction, treat them to meals and shopping, and win their hearts. Then, they would naturally vote to join.

Boss Jia also specifically instructed Gan Wei to mention himself less at the beginning and to keep a low profile so as not to arouse Yan Li's suspicion.

Gan Wei is willing to join the Teddy Sisters group.

Women, more or less, have some vanity, especially since she studied art and craved the limelight.

However, after following Boss Jia, she had to consider his thoughts and couldn't lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains.

In her opinion, the Teddy Sisters were pretty good. They could make friends, get exposure, and since they were all girls, it wouldn't affect Lao Jia's impression. Plus, there was Qin Lan, a "like-minded" person, to exchange ideas with.

Now that Boss Jia is assigning her tasks, Gan Wei is paying even more attention to the Teddy Sisters.

For a wife to be considered "virtuous," it's important that she is sensible, obedient, and doesn't cause trouble. If she can also help her husband, her position will be even more secure.

Gan Wei is under a lot of pressure following Boss Jia, as she has very few cards to play.

She became Mr. Jia's girlfriend for several reasons: she was fairly pretty, she had a good temper and personality, they had known each other for a long time, and Mr. Jia wasn't particularly lecherous.

Therefore, Gan Wei felt a sense of crisis and wanted Boss Jia to become even more dependent on her, turning her from a girlfriend into a legitimate wife.

Since she was willing and there were other benefits, Gan Wei acted quickly and immediately contacted Xiong Naijin to discuss it after Boss Jia went out to work.

Xiong Naijin was unaware of Gan Wei's true purpose, only assuming that Gan Wei wanted to join the Teddy Sisters group to meet celebrities and expand her social circle.

Xiong, who had always wanted to actively promote this matter, immediately began to plan for Gan Wei.

The so-called requirement for a vote to join the Teddy Sisters group is actually a ruse; the key is the consent of a few core members.

First, there's Qin Lan; no one can come in without her approval.

Then there's Huo Siyan. If you can't handle her, you can forget about getting into the troupe.

Then there are Ma Yili and Li Xiaolu. These two are currently popular and their words carry weight. They may not accomplish anything, but they can certainly cause trouble.

There's also Liu Yun, who can relay messages to Qin Lan, but his role is relatively limited. Once the above-mentioned people are dealt with, there's not much to worry about.

Ma Yili is a nice person and doesn't care much about things in the troupe. As long as you don't offend her, she generally won't cause you any trouble, and it's the easiest thing to resolve.

Qin Lan has the most influence and is easy to talk to, but she is generally not a good match. Moreover, because she is a referee, she has many concerns and will not easily give in.

Therefore, the best breakthrough point is the very active Huo Siyan and Li Xiaolu.

These two are enthusiastic about this, and Xiong Naijin can also get in touch with them. Moreover, after winning over the two, it will be much easier to persuade Qin Lan and Ma Yili.

However, these two are no pushovers either. They have very discerning eyes, and ordinary people don't even meet their standards. In fact, people have to fawn over them.

Xiong Naijin wasn't sure if Gan Wei, who was also considered a wealthy woman, would be willing to bend down like that.

Gan Wei said she was willing to bend over backwards, and that she didn't necessarily have to; she could just throw money at it.

She indulged in eating, drinking, having fun, and shopping; she refused to believe that these two people wouldn't have a good impression of her.

Coincidentally, Huo Siyan was about to leave Beijing to join the filming of "The Deer and the Cauldron". She invited several of her sisters in Beijing to a gathering. Li Xiaolu was probably there as well. Xiong Naijin considered bringing Gan Wei along to get to know her first.

...

Yi An Film and Television
Yan Li, who walked around the company today, is considering whether it's time to move offices.

Yi'an has more and more employees, especially after implementing the ground promotion strategy, the company has recruited a lot of people, and the total number of employees of Yi'an has now exceeded 500.

Of course, many employees need to film, promote, distribute, and follow artists, etc. The head office has one or two hundred employees.

However, this number is already a bit cramped at the current company location. If some employees return to the company after business trips, it may not be enough to accommodate them all.

Besides Yi'an, the number of employees at the Yi'an Cinema chain headquarters has also been increasing as the project progresses.

Most importantly, the locations of the companies are not the same, so Yan Li sometimes has to travel around, which is inconvenient.

So Yan Li considered whether to find a suitable office location and move all the companies together at once.

He doesn't need to go to a whole floor; as long as it's in the same building, he can just take the elevator and won't have to go anywhere else.

Moreover, Yi An's current company is located in Haidian District, which is relatively close to the Beijing Film Academy.

At the time, the focus was on film and television and affordability. Now that the company is developing in a comprehensive and diversified manner, a commercial center like Chaoyang is more suitable for the company's future.

Yan Li contacted Xiao Zheng, who had bought and rented the property for him, and asked him to keep an eye out for office buildings in Chaoyang District. If a suitable one was found, he would rent and move there.

Back in his office, Yan Li reviewed the documents and some contracts. There was a meeting around noon.

After the meeting, there's not much to do at the company today.

Yan Li pondered that he could meet with a few newly acquainted bosses for tea in the afternoon to build rapport and explore potential collaborations. In the evening, he could visit the two leaders who had taken care of him to seek their guidance, which might trigger some positive developments.

Yan Li may choose not to participate in these developments, but he cannot afford to be unaware of them. The capital is a treacherous place, and he must tread carefully.

However, just as he was about to leave the company, a deputy director from the distribution department came to him with some difficulty.

"Mr. Yan, I have a business opportunity you'd like to consider?"

Yan Li thought it was a project that the distribution department was unsure about and asked him for his opinion, but when he took a look, he smiled slightly.

"Wow, that's shameless."

It turns out this project is "The Fairy Couple", starring Huang Shengyi and that young master Yang.

One of Yan Li's original projects was "Happy Seven Fairies," and now another one, "The Fairy Couple," has emerged, which also tells the story of the Seven Fairies.

The main characters are still Yan Li's "ex-girlfriend" Huang Shengyi and Yang Dashao, who is suspected to be Huang's current boyfriend.

So much so that when the project was first launched, "The Fairy Couple" seemed to be subtly trying to ride on the coattails of the trending topic, and the general public was happy to watch the spectacle.

Yan Li simply ignored him.

Unexpectedly, he now directly approached Yi'an seeking his help to publish the book. Yan Li didn't know whether to call this young master Yang shameless or broad-minded.

After flipping through the documents, Yan Li asked, "What does your distribution department think of this evaluation?"

Yi An has high standards for distributing TV dramas; she doesn't look at ordinary projects, only those with merit.

The deputy director frankly stated that the distribution department believed the "Fairy Couple" project was good, and with CCTV's investment behind it, the possibility of it being broadcast on CCTV was very high, and the profit prospects for distribution were considerable.

Normally, the distribution department would have already contacted them for cooperation. However, because it involves Huang Shengyi, Yan Li's "ex-girlfriend," they are concerned about Yan Li's opinion and are therefore inquiring.

Yan Li nodded: "Since it's a high-quality project, we can take it, but we'll take the highest percentage of the profits."

Huang Shengyi is a thing of the past, and Yan Li didn't really care about her, so there's no need to avoid this topic.

However, he didn't like Young Master Yang. He thought Yang was too clever for his own good, and in a way that wasn't very clever. So he decided to take advantage of him.

If the other party is willing to cooperate, Yan Li can make more money, so why not?

If the other party is unwilling to cooperate, Yi'an doesn't need this project. It saves her from trouble and avoids any gossip that could damage her reputation.

Yan Li didn't take the matter to heart at all, and invited people out for tea. Meanwhile, the deputy director, following Yan Li's instructions, went back and contacted the "The Fairy Couple" production team.

The other party felt the profit split was too high and wanted to negotiate the price, but given the boss's orders, who dared to agree?

This is the price. Take it or leave it.

Still unwilling to give up, Young Master Yang even managed to get Yan Li's phone number and asked him to resolve the matter.

"Mr. Yan, we're all in the same business, no one's asking for such an exorbitant amount. How about this, give me some face, and let's keep in touch."

Yan Li chuckled at the nonchalant tone on the other end of the line: "Sorry, I don't give face to everyone."

After saying that, Yan Li hung up immediately. This big bad wolf who relies on women to make a living and organize parties was shamelessly asking him for face.

"..."

Young Master Yang's face turned red with anger as he listened to the busy tone on the phone.

He's been in the industry for a while now, and he's considered a big shot. He's always been fawned over by President Yang and Young Master Yang when he goes out, but today he was so ignored by Yan Li.

"Damn it, we'll teach this guy a lesson."

Huang Shengyi, who had been standing nearby, frowned and said, "Don't provoke him."

Young Master Yang said with dissatisfaction, "You're still thinking about that old flame."

Huang Shengyi pursed his lips and said coldly, "That has nothing to do with it. His strength and connections in the industry are beyond our ability to deal with."

Now that things have come to this, she has a certain understanding of Young Master Yang. He has some skills and resources, but not many.

His family's company is in the manufacturing industry and has absolutely no connection with the entertainment industry.

Young Master Yang is the youngest son in his family, and he has limited financial resources as he ventures out on his own.

With the help of their family's influence and their own cash, they can pretend to be rich with a bunch of minor celebrities and ordinary people, but they can't compare to real millionaires.

Even the TV series "The Fairy Couple" was made possible by leveraging Huang Shengyi's fame, investing some of his own money, and then getting some more from his family and friends who were investors. He also got involved with CCTV to put the project together.

If someone truly had the ability, they wouldn't need to go to Yi An to distribute it. They wouldn't mind themselves, but they'd be afraid that Huang Shengyi would have other ideas.

"Anyway, I've said my piece; whether you listen or not is up to you."

After Huang Shengyi finished speaking, she picked up her bag and left. The atmosphere was so tense that even Young Master Yang didn't dare to stop her.

He's usually fine. Although Young Master Yang isn't as good as he seems on the surface, he is indeed a rich second-generation.

Even though her cash and resources are limited, she still owns shares in a company in her hometown, which are worth a lot of money—more than Huang Shengyi could earn in many years of acting. Huang Shengyi herself would comfort herself and dream of becoming a wealthy wife in the future.

But whenever Huang Shengyi encounters Yan Li, whose career is becoming increasingly successful, he can no longer "fool" himself.

Nothing can withstand the power of the word "if".

So whenever Huang Shengyi sees Yan Li or his woman shining brightly, he can't help but start using the "What If" technique, and then he feels more and more uncomfortable.

As a result, Huang Shengyi now deliberately avoids anything related to Yan Li to avoid getting upset.

As a result, Young Master Yang not only did not dodge, but also took the initiative to approach and even wanted to bump into Yan Li.

Huang Shengyi's mentality was extremely complicated, and he was somewhat resigned to his fate, thinking "whatever will be."

But after getting into the car, Huang Shengyi thought it over and over again and still sent Yan Li a text message to remind him.

Huang Shengyi hadn't realized it before, but now, looking back, she realized that although Yan Li was somewhat cold-hearted towards her, he hadn't mistreated her.

Even after we broke up, he was willing to help me when I needed it. The conditions he offered weren't particularly generous, but they were more than enough. It's just that I was too confused to listen.

Moreover, she referred to herself as her "ex-girlfriend" and would occasionally try to gain attention, yet Yan Li never uttered a single harsh word about her.

Yan Li did not block Huang Shengyi's phone number, and replied to the text message a few minutes later.

【Understood, thanks for reminding me】

Seeing these words, Huang Shengyi felt a surge of impulse and sent a text message to Yan Li, wanting to meet him. However, Yan Li did not reply to the text message.

Huang Shengyi silently put away his phone, gave a self-deprecating smile, and drove away.

...

Yan Li, reminded by Huang Shengyi, originally wanted to see what tricks this young master Yang had up his sleeve, but the intelligence that night revealed...

This guy chickened out!

Or rather, it wasn't that he was cowardly, but rather that he simply couldn't do anything about Yan Li. The resources and connections he had couldn't harm Yan Li at all, while Yan Li had countless ways to retaliate.

So this guy was just making a fuss, but actually he didn't take any real action because he didn't want to lose face in front of Huang Shengyi.

"What the hell is this?"

Yan Li was quite disgusted. If this guy really clashed with him, no matter what, Yan Li still thought he had guts and backbone, so he reluctantly gave him a second glance.

But such bluster and cowardice, not even daring to challenge Yan Li himself, is truly pathetic.

Skipping over that, Yan Li was more interested in Boss Jia's scheme to seize the Teddy Sisters group.

It has to be said that this guy has a good eye; Yan Li does have a similar feel to him to some extent.

The celebrity effect acts as an amplifier, proving extremely useful in business operations.

However, Mr. Jia underestimated Yan Li's potential. The Teddy Sisters group wasn't intentional; it was just a casual move. Yan Li has access to more than just the Teddy Sisters group of celebrities.

Mr. Jia is somewhat of an outsider and doesn't quite understand Yan Li's influence in the industry.

As for Boss Jia's desire for his girlfriend Gan Wei to join the Teddy Sisters group, Yan Li seemed thoughtful.

Boss Jia had his eye on Yan Li, and Yan Li actually had his eye on him too.

There are many things he can't do himself, but if Qin Lan uses the Teddy Sisters' relationship as a starting point, could that avoid some unnecessary trouble?

Yan Li wasn't afraid that Boss Jia would bring the Teddy Sisters over.

First, he doesn't lack another Teddy Sisters group. Second, Yan Li knows the Teddy group quite well; most of them are opportunistic and will keep their distance as long as Yan Li remains powerful.

---

In October, CCTV broadcast a rural-themed romance drama called "Country Love".

Led by Zhao Benshan and starring the Zhao Family Troupe, the series became a nationwide sensation upon its release, becoming another successful series after "Liu Laogen" and "Ma Dashuai".

Yi'an's distribution department even approached them to discuss distribution matters, but were politely declined.

Currently, there are a few actors in the Chinese TV drama market who have no trouble selling their shows.

Zhao Benshan is one of them.

It has a partnership with CCTV, extensive connections in the three northeastern provinces, and is highly influential throughout northern China.

In addition, Zhao's team is relatively conservative and prefers workshop-style operation, insisting on producing and distributing their own products, and refusing to cooperate even with the well-known Yi An in the industry.

But Yan Li was no ordinary person; even though the Zhao family troupe was so rigid, he still managed to get some meat.

You can publish it yourself, no problem, but I can at least buy the online rights, right?

I need all the details of the TV series "Liu Laogen", "Ma Dashuai" and "Country Love", as well as some Errenzhuan and sketch comedy compilations. The price is negotiable.

Furthermore, Yi'an, which has been hoarding copyrights, intends to sign a long-term cooperation contract with Zhao Benshan's troupe. Over the next X years, Yi'an will purchase all the online copyrights of Zhao Benshan's works, buying each one they produce.

Zhao Benshan was a shrewd man, but he couldn't resist the temptation of people offering him money.

Faced with the choice between exchanging money to develop the company and letting the money gather dust in the warehouse, Zhao chose the former.

However, Zhao Benshan secured a deal regarding the long-term cooperation contract: it could be sold, but the price would be determined according to the market at the time, to which Yi'an agreed.

Yan Li was quite satisfied with this collaboration, as Zhao Benshan and the Zhao Family Troupe had a considerable audience and regular viewership.

While the upper limit may fluctuate, the lower limit can be guaranteed, which is a good complement to Yian's copyright strategy.

Besides Zhao Benshan's troupe, Yi An has also established a long-term cooperation with Deyun Society, which has rapidly gained popularity in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in the past two years.

They dispatched filming teams to record crosstalk performances at their small theaters and special shows, and then authorized Tudou.com to do so.

The current fame of Deyun Society owes much to the high-definition crosstalk videos recorded by Yi An.

In addition, Yi An will also try to acquire the copyrights of some excellent teams and artists for comedies from Sichuan and Chongqing in Southwest China, stand-up comedy from Hong Kong and Guangdong, and slapstick comedy around Shanghai.

As for traditional folk arts and dramas, there are no plans for the time being. The local comedies mentioned above are quite popular and can attract some internet users.

But traditional opera is different; currently, there aren't many people who can access the internet and enjoy listening to opera.

Although Yan Li did not explicitly state it, Yi An's current copyright acquisitions are no longer primarily aimed at making money through copyright hoarding, but are increasingly taking on the perspective of an "internet film library".

The goal is to be as comprehensive as possible and attract a wide variety of netizens and viewers.

Once we've acquired most of the domestic copyrights, if we still have funds, we'll also consider acquiring some overseas copyrights.

As Yi'an's "Internet film library" grows larger and larger, to the point where it can determine the life or death of a video website, Yan Li's industry chain can have another link added.

...

East of the city, near Chaoyangmen.

Looking at the newly installed, somewhat brand-new signboard, Master Han said, "Limingxuan, treating guests with courtesy and conveying feelings through fine tea, what a good name."

"Please don't be so modest. This place was originally called Le Ming Xuan, which was named after the owner. After I took over, I just changed the name to my own."

Yan Li smiled. He had been socializing a lot lately and felt it was inconvenient not having a fixed place to meet people.

Setting up a restaurant or club would be too much of a hassle and require too much investment, so it's better to just rent a teahouse. It's cheap, quiet, and has an elegant feel to it, making it seem classy.

Yan Li showed Han Sanye around. The tea room wasn't very big, only about two or three hundred square meters.

There is a large hall with some open seating and booths, as well as a dedicated tea stage for performances, and then there are several private rooms that sell tea and offer tea snacks.

The positioning was somewhat confusing, neither casual nor business-oriented, which is why the previous boss couldn't continue the business.

Yan Li has only been in charge for a short time and hasn't made any changes yet, but he has already stopped accepting walk-in customers. After the renovation and adjustments, he will move towards a high-end business and social networking approach.

With Yan Li's connections, this teahouse will never lack customers.

Even if there are shortages, it doesn't matter. Yan Li didn't expect the teahouse to make money; it was just a place for social gatherings. He felt more at ease with his own territory.

Upon arriving at the private room, the waiter served tea. Yan Li and Master Han exchanged pleasantries for a while before the latter got down to business.

"I've come to ask for your help this time."

Yan Li smiled and said, "Given your status in the industry, what could possibly be difficult for you?"

Master Han shook his head: "My status may seem glamorous, but I'm often not in control of my own destiny, and there are many difficult things to do."

China Film Group is powerful, but it doesn't belong to Han Sanye himself. From the perspective of the company and higher-ups, it is naturally invincible, but there are some things that cannot be done using China Film Group's resources, so Han Sanye has to find people himself.

Yan Li nodded, and before Han Sanye could speak, he took the initiative to say, "If I'm not mistaken, you're looking for me because of Director Jiang Wen's movie, right?"

Back when he filmed "Devils on the Doorstep," rumors circulated that Jiang Wen was banned from directing for five years. Whether this was true or not is unclear, but Jiang Wen continued to make films during those years until five years later when he began preparing to film his new movie, "The Sun Also Rises."

However, Jiang Wen is a good director, but he is a director who can spend money but not make money.

His debut film, "In the Heat of the Sun," was shot on film. The ratio of finished product to raw footage in a normal film is 1:3, but in this film it was 1:15.

Not only did Jiang Wen burn film, but he was also capricious when filming. It is said that once he hired 500 extras, but Jiang Wen refused to film and told them to take their money and leave.

The producer at the time was Manfred Wong, a Hong Kong film producer, who nearly drove him to the brink of collapse.

The production team repeatedly exceeded its budget and ultimately had to borrow money to film it. Although it made money, disputes arose over actor salaries due to issues such as payment collection.

The filming of "Devils on the Doorstep" was produced by Dong, the boss of Huayi Brothers, and Wang Zhongjun of Huayi Brothers. They were also driven to high blood pressure by him.

The film was later banned, and it only made a small amount of money overseas. After that, Wang Jianlin of Huayi Brothers never worked with Jiang Wen again.

For his new film, "The Sun Also Rises," Jiang Wen had a tough time securing investment; it was Wang Shuo who stepped in and brought in Taihe Investment.

The original investment was 3000 million, but Jiang Wen spent too much money and ended up spending 1800 million, without even filming half of the movie.

Taihe felt the risk was too great, so they stopped investing the remaining 1200 million. Jiang Wen's cash flow dried up, and he had to look for money everywhere.

He had a good personal relationship with Master Han. Back when he "bullied" Lu Chuan in "Looking for a Gun", Master Han was there to back him up.

Upon learning that Jiang Wen's cash flow had dried up, Third Master Han was willing to help.

However, China Film Group's operations were too large and its funds were limited. In addition, the subject matter of this film was somewhat sensitive, so Han Sanye had to use his private channels.

As they searched, they found Yan Li, who is now very successful in the industry.

"Everyone says you're well-informed, and it's true."

When Han Sanye saw Yan Li reveal his purpose, he was slightly surprised. However, considering the rumors surrounding Yan Li and the fact that he had been busy for a while, it was normal for Yan Li to have heard rumors.

"Then do you think it's convenient for you to help me out?"

When asked for a private request, Third Master Han was not arrogant. Yan Li readily agreed, saying, "It's rare for you to ask me for help, so I can't refuse you. I wouldn't dare say I'd just leave it at that, but I'll definitely do my part."

"happy."

Master Han gave a thumbs up. He had approached many people about this before, but they all declined because of Jiang Wen's notorious reputation and other reasons.

Han Sanye of China Film Group is powerful, but he can't force people to invest in movies. He himself wouldn't go to that extent for Jiang Wen.

People in this circle are all shrewd and know how to handle things; they have plenty of ways to shut up Master Han.

Even when Han Sanye came to see Yan Li this time, he was just trying his luck. He knew that Yan Li was very cautious about investing in movies and was busy with theaters, so he was short of funds.

Unexpectedly, Yan Li was so accommodating and readily agreed to help. Although he spoke somewhat conservatively, it made Han Sanye, who had been turned away many times, feel comfortable.

"Okay, I'll call Jiang Wen over, and we can talk together."

Master Han took out his phone and called Jiang Wen, who was in Beijing looking for money. Upon learning that there was news about the funds, Jiang Wen quickly came to the teahouse.

"Director Jiang."

"President Yan."

Yan Li and Jiang Wen shook hands. It was their first time meeting, but not their first time interacting.

When he was preparing to film "Happy Seven Fairies", he asked Liu Xiaoqing to play the Queen Mother.

At the time, Liu had just been released from prison and was in a difficult situation. Her ex-boyfriend, Jiang Wen, actively helped her contact film crews to help her through the crisis.

When Yan Li employed Liu Xiaoqing, Jiang Wen made a special call to thank him and said he owed Yan Li a favor.

As a result, before the favor from last time could be repaid, it seems we'll be indebted to someone else this time.

Speaking of the past, Jiang Wen sighed, but Yan Li laughed heartily.

"There's a saying that only those who have helped you before will continue to help you. Whether they helped last time or this time, it at least proves that we get along well. I believe in fate. Since I have a connection with Director Jiang, I must make the most of it."

After exchanging a few words to ease the distance, Yan Li asked if he could take a look at the script.

This is to be expected; there's no rule against letting investors see the script. Jiang Wen had prepared it and showed it to Yan Li, giving him a brief overview.

Yan Li didn't flip through the pages quickly, but he read them quite attentively, though his brows furrowed more and more as he read.

He now understood why investors ran away and why other film companies stopped getting involved.

After flipping through the script for a while, Yan Li still couldn't understand it!
Yan Li had read Jiang Wen's "In the Heat of the Sun" and "Devils on the Doorstep." Although there was a lot of artistic expression in them, at least the stories were understandable.

However, this film, "The Sun Also Rises," is rather obscure. Yan Li can vaguely sense something, but he is not quite sure.

Finally, Yan Li put down the script, looked at the somewhat nervous Jiang Wen, hesitated for a moment, and then told the truth.

"Uh, Director Jiang, I didn't understand this script."

This wasn't the first time Jiang Wen had encountered this situation, but few people were as straightforward as Yan Li.

It's okay if you don't understand; he can explain it to you.

Normally, Jiang Wen wouldn't be willing to do that.

If you understand, then you understand me; we all know what's going on. If you don't understand, let's talk about something else and not waste time.

But Jiang Wen was short of money, and Yan Li was particular, so he couldn't put on airs. He explained his ideas to Yan Li.

As Yan Li listened, he flipped through the script and roughly understood what Jiang Wen meant.

That's incredibly bold!

No wonder China Film Group didn't invest in it, and the film is so obscure. If it had been too simple, it might have been banned again.

However, with this kind of filming style, it's hard to say whether it can win awards, and Yan Li really doesn't think it will do well at the box office.

In addition, Jiang Wen's budget is high, so there is a high possibility of losing money.

Yan Li fell into deep thought, clearly hesitant, and Jiang Wen and Third Master Han did not disturb him.

The former's personality is what it is; although he is seeking investment, he values ​​mutual consent and is not the type to demand money outright.

Master Han is just a middleman, and given his sensitive position, it's enough that he can facilitate the cooperation; saying anything more would be going too far.

A few minutes later, Yan Li finally spoke up: "Director Jiang, please don't mind my harsh words, but I am a businessman and it's impossible for me not to consider making money. In my opinion, your movie is not a high-quality investment project."

"It's okay, I understand. Last time..."

When Jiang Wen heard this, he thought it was a rejection and was about to end things gracefully when Yan Li stopped him.

"I haven't finished speaking yet."

Yan Li closed the script and looked at Jiang Wen: "From a business investment perspective, I won't invest in this movie."

"But commercial investment involves not only investing in projects, but also in people."

Yan Li picked up his teacup: "For the sake of Third Master and Director Jiang, I'll invest 1000 million."

Invest in people, not movies!
Yan Li gave his answer: he was not optimistic about "The Sun Also Rises," but he was optimistic about Jiang Wen.

In previous years, the news reports had revealed the outstanding films and television series of 2010, including "Let the Bullets Fly" directed by Jiang Wen.

So Yan Li invested 1000 million yuan in Jiang Wen, which can also be seen as an investment in the future "Let the Bullets Fly".

Jiang Wen was very moved. He particularly admired Yan Li's straightforward and principled style, and thought Yan Li was a righteous and considerate person.

The two toasted each other with tea instead of wine, and later simply addressed each other as brothers.

However, 1000 million was still not enough to meet the budget of "The Sun Also Rises", and Jiang Wen was still short of money.

"If you're going to do someone a favor, do it to the end," Yan Li asked Jiang Wen, inquiring about the remaining funding gap.

Jiang Wen calculated that with Yan Li's 10 million, he, along with his wife and younger brother, could raise 10 to 20 million, but he would still need about 10 to 15 million.

Yan Li: "..."

That's a real money-burner.

After taking a sip of tea, Yan Li said, "You and Third Master don't need to worry about this. I'll go and get you some investment. Just focus on making the film."

When it comes to attracting investment, Han Sanye doesn't have the brand of China Film Group, and Yan Li can easily beat him.

However, in the past, Yan Li was able to help people make money when he attracted investment. This movie is likely to lose money, and Yan Li doesn't want to ruin his reputation, so he will definitely have to explain this in advance, which will take some effort.

Fortunately, the number was not large, and Yan Li told Jiang Wen to go back to the film set and wait, estimating that it should be done in a month.

Jiang Wen was somewhat skeptical. In all his years of making movies, he had never been free from worrying about money. Yan Li's relaxed tone made him feel a little uneasy.

Yan Li said confidently, "Don't worry, Brother Jiang, this time I'll let you experience what it's like to fight a war of plenty."

(End of this chapter)