Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 250 Fan Xiaopang Spreads Invisible Wings, Plotting to Become a Director

Yan Li and the other two were in the living room, listening to the crying and commotion coming from the bedroom for quite a while.

When the commotion subsided, Yan Li glanced at his watch and said to Dong Xuan, "It's about time. Go inside and check on Guan Yue. See if they're going home together, or if you should take them with you first."

Dong Xuan nodded, went inside for a while, and then led Guan Yue out: "I'll take Lao Guan back first."

Yan Li nodded: "I've called a car, you guys go ahead, I'll talk to Dawei."

Qin Lan raised her hand: "I'll go with them."

Yan Li hesitated for a moment: "Okay, but don't fight."

"Who fought? We just had a verbal argument and shoved each other a couple of times. Don't make things up."

In front of Guan Yue, Qin Lan still wanted to save face, so she downplayed the scene of her lying on the ground tearing hair and clothes as a minor conflict.

Dong Xuan agreed, saying that even though Guan Yue was her best friend, it was best not to talk about the embarrassing things that happened last night and this morning.

Yan Li thought that the two of them had been quite harmonious just now, and now that Guan Yue's matter was being brought up, they shouldn't cause any trouble, so he let the three of them leave together.

After the three left, Yan Li called out to the bedroom, "Alright, I'm the only one left, come out now."

Tong Dawei came out of the bedroom expressionlessly, his hair was messy, and there were faint bloodstains and handprints on his face and neck.

Yan Li tossed him a cigarette: "This isn't my fault. It was just a coincidence. Those two women were keeping a close eye on things. Otherwise, I would have told you."

Tong Dawei silently lit a cigarette, believing Yan Li's words.

It's reasonable for Dong Xuan to help Guan Yue catch her cheating. Yan Li, considering his personal conduct, social status, and the two's private relationship, wouldn't have bothered to come and join in this mess.

"I'm telling you a joke."

Tong Dawei's voice was deep and muffled. Yan Li waved his hand and said, "Last time on the set of 'Struggle,' you watched me make a scene too, so we're even."

The last time Qin Lan and Dong Xuan visited the set of "Struggle," they ran into each other, had a disagreement, and ended up fighting.

Tong Dawei was standing by and watching the fight, and he was there to help Guan Yue catch her cheating. Dong Qinyan and the other two were also involved in the previous incident.

Every drink and every bite is preordained; no one can laugh at anyone else.

Hearing this made Tong Dawei feel much better, but he still smoked in silence.

Yan Li didn't ask any more questions; there really wasn't much to ask.

A popular young actor, good-looking and with a bit of money, has women throwing themselves at him. It's understandable that he might lose control of his sexual desires.

Yan Li had experienced a lot, and he had also lost control of many things. There was nothing left for him to preach or advise, and he didn't seem to have the right to do so.

After smoking two cigarettes, Yan Li's only question was what Tong Dawei and Guan Yue planned to do in the future.

This wasn't the first time Tong Dawei had committed this offense, but last time he wasn't caught in the act, and after a period of strife, the two eventually reconciled.

After this huge fight, can the two of them still live a peaceful life together?

Guan Yue can tolerate it, but can Tong Dawei?
Yan Li, with his keen eye and sharp mind, understood that the key issue between the two was not that Tong Dawei was dishonest, but rather that he had become arrogant.

To put it bluntly, now that he's famous, he looks down on Guan Yue, his wife who has shared his hardships, or perhaps he wants to have a wife at home while keeping a mistress outside.

It has to be said that Yan Li bears some responsibility for this.

He had women on both sides, eating and sleeping in various places. Which man wouldn't envy him, and who wouldn't want to imitate him?

Tong Dawei had a good relationship with him and was also familiar with Dong Xuan. Having witnessed Boss Yan's carefree life and seen Dong Xuan's forbearance and understanding, it would be strange if he didn't have any thoughts.

Yan Li was too lazy to refute this idea.

He had advised some people before that it wasn't so simple to have such a wild time.

You need to be rich and powerful, young and handsome, generous, understand women's hearts, know how to balance and appease them, use both soft and hard tactics, and most importantly, have a cheat code system and good kidneys.

Even so, aside from the few women he cared about, Yan Li was prepared to leave the others.

Therefore, we only look at the glamorous side of the show and ignore the hard work behind it.

If an ordinary person follows his example and ends up wearing a colored hat, that's a relatively minor consequence.

Of course, Tong Dawei was quite self-aware. He didn't have Yan Li's great abilities, and he was content with just one big and one small.

But Guan Yue completely ignored him. He could let it go if he occasionally cheated on her and failed, but she would definitely not acknowledge any mistresses he kept.

Learn Yan Li (a type of etiquette)?
You only learn to play around with women like him, why don't you learn to make money and start a company like him?!

Guan Yue felt that Tong Dawei had become arrogant and cunning, a complete contrast to the honest and simple Tong Dawei who had pursued her before.

Tong Dawei felt that even if he wasn't as good as Yan Li, he was still a popular young actor. Guan Yue was just a teacher, and she was trying to climb the social ladder by associating with him. She was meddling in everything and didn't know what was good for her.

Listening to Tong Dawei's incessant complaints, Yan Li shook his head.

Therefore, it's best to avoid interfering in matters between spouses, as they each have their own thoughts and reasons, and each believes they are right.

Tong Dawei has become arrogant, but Guan Yue's outdated perspective on people also has its problems.

A woman should be firm when necessary, but also gentle when appropriate. If you're not gentle, he'll meet someone even gentler outside, and it's no wonder he'll fall for her.

Yan Li didn't offer much advice, but simply listened as a fairly good listener as Tong Dawei rambled on about his grievances for quite a while.

When Tong Dawei asked Yan Li what he should do, Yan Li hesitated for a moment.

"How you two resolve your issues is up to you, but as friends for so many years, I'll just say a few words."

"No matter what Guan Yue has done wrong, back when she was with you, you weren't a popular star. Through all these years of ups and downs, she's always been there for you."

"You need to be clear about what the people who are now sticking up to you are after and whether they will stand by you through thick and thin."

"It's normal to have contradictions and conflicts, but you can't only remember the bitterness and not the sweetness."

"..."

Yan Li had many women, but he cared most about Dong Xuan and Qin Lan. It was only when he thought of the two of them that he was nothing to them.

The same goes for Tong Dawei and Guan Yue!

Although Guan Yue was somewhat betting on a potential stock at the time, betting on a potential stock is still betting.

At that time, "Jade Goddess of Mercy" was delayed in its broadcast, and Tong Dawei was extremely anxious every day. Guan Yue comforted and encouraged him in various ways. During the Shi X Ba Mei incident, Tong Dawei was deeply mired in a negative public opinion crisis, and it was Guan Yue who supported and comforted him behind the scenes.

Don't underestimate this point. When you're feeling lost and down, facing it alone is a completely different experience from having someone steadfastly by your side.

In addition, Guan Yue has been taking care of things at home while Tong Dawei has been working away from home all these years.

Tong's father is in a vegetative state. Although his mother takes care of him, he still faces many inconveniences. Guan Yue has been a great help.

Yan Li could understand that Yan Li couldn't control his groin, but he felt that it was important to distinguish between what constituted "playing around" and who were truly one of his own.

Of course, this was Yan Li's idea; if Tong Dawei really couldn't get along with Guan Yue, he couldn't stop him.

You choose your own path, and you reap what you sow.

...

After chatting for a while, Yan Li and Tong Dawei parted ways and returned to Yangjiaodeng Hutong.

Dong Xuan was still with Guan Yue, while Qin Lan had already returned.

After all, the relationship between the two was still somewhat awkward, and Qin Lan had to catch a flight that night, so she stayed for a while and then returned early.

What did Guan Yue say?

Yan Li was a little curious, but Qin Lan shook her head: "What can she say? She'll cry. She says she wants to break up, but I don't think she'll actually let go."

Men understand men, and women understand women.

Yan Li could analyze Tong Dawei's thoughts, and Qin Lan could vaguely understand Guan Yue's intentions.

Moreover, she had experienced something similar.

When she first found out that Yan Li was having an affair, she cried in private and even considered breaking up, but in the end, she still accepted it.

Qin Lan had seen what it looked like when someone was determined to break up. Liu Yun had wanted to break up from the start, but Guan Yue was not like that.

"Nie Yuan is no good, Tong Dawei is no good either, why are all men like this?"

Qin Lan started to generalize to the whole group, but Yan Li disagreed: "Don't generalize from a few individuals. Pan Jinlian even murdered her husband. Does that mean all women are like her?"

"Besides, don't compare me to those two, we're not even in the same league."

Qin Lan sneered, "You're not even as good as them."

That's what they say, but just like how Nie Yuan's accident highlighted Yan Li's shortcomings, the fact that her girlfriends' boyfriends are all tainted is actually beneficial to Yan Li.

If their weaknesses are the same, then they should compete on their strengths; no matter how they compete, Yan Li will win.

In some ways, both Nie and Tong "abandoned their wives," but Yan Li, no matter what, always cherished the past and never let go, making him slightly better in this respect.

Last time, Qin Lan resolved the issue on her own; this time, it's Dong Xuan's turn.

Dong Xuan stayed with Guan Yue for one night. When she returned the next day, the resentment in her eyes when she looked at Yan Li had obviously dissipated a lot, and there was even a hint of dependence in them.

Yan Li took the opportunity to put his arm around her, coaxing her while showing off his marksmanship, and then steered the conversation toward Tong and Guan, thus bringing up most of the details of Xuan Lan's one-night stand.

This has made Yan Li want to start a long-term "catching cheaters" program with Tong Dawei or the "brothers-in-law" of the Teddy Sisters.

We'll settle things on our side first, and then we'll go catch them in the act.

It allows him to vent his anger and also enhances his image, making it much more effective than him having to painstakingly coax him.

Qin Lan returned to France, while Dong Xuan stayed a couple more days, mainly to spend time with Guan Yue, before also returning to Xinjiang Province.

Tong Dawei and Guan Yue haven't said they've broken up, nor have they returned to normal; they're currently in a cold war.

This is basic procedure. Everyone, calm down, cool off, and then take action. If you can turn the page, then do so; if not, then part ways.

Yan Li didn't pay much attention to the couple's affairs. Since mid-November, Yi An's new drama has finally started airing.

The Legend of the White-Haired Witch will premiere on Beijing Film and Television Channel on November 18.

Yi An's TV series distribution has been very successful in the past two years, making her arguably the best in the industry, but she hasn't achieved the feat of having every series premiere on a major satellite TV network.

To be precise, Yi'an can do it, but it's hard to say exactly how many she can sell, which TV station she can sell to, or how much money she can get back.

Therefore, apart from some dramas that can be directly broadcast on satellite TV, the standard procedure for Yi'an Distribution is to broadcast them on local channels first, and then discuss satellite TV broadcast based on the ratings.

The cast of "The White-Haired Witch" is good, and there is no shortage of TV stations to buy it, but the price has not been agreed upon.

After discussion, it was decided to first broadcast it on a local channel to assess its quality, and then talk to several interested satellite TV stations.

If the broadcast is good, the price is high.

If the broadcast quality is mediocre, the price should be discounted.

This kind of performance-based issuance is becoming increasingly common in Yi'an and even the entire film and television market.

Television stations are not fools; sometimes they are even more shrewd and difficult to deal with than private companies.

If the distributors and producers want to make more money, or even sell the product, they have no choice but to help share the risks.

It's not just TV series; similar practices exist in film distribution as well.

They can either sign performance-based contracts with theater chains to increase screenings, or sign minimum guarantee contracts with production companies to obtain distribution rights.

Especially the guaranteed minimum return contract, I don't know which bastard came up with it, it has caused a lot of trouble for a group of distribution companies.

Bona originally only distributed films, so one of the important reasons for its involvement in film investment and production was the guaranteed minimum contract.

The so-called distribution guarantee is an agreement between the distributor and the production company to guarantee a minimum amount in order to secure a film distribution contract.

For example, a popular movie has good box office prospects, and several distribution companies want to release it. In order to obtain the film's distribution rights, one distribution company is willing to sign a minimum guarantee contract with the production company.

The so-called minimum guarantee means that the production company can receive a minimum net income.

For example, if both parties agree that the film will gross at least 1 million, regardless of whether the film actually grosses 1 million, the distributor must guarantee that the production company will receive its share of the 1 million box office revenue.

To put it bluntly, it means the distributor pays out of pocket to cover the production costs.

However, the distributors aren't fools; they won't just cover the losses for nothing. Generally, if the box office exceeds 1 million, the distributors will receive a larger share.

While this approach may allow the publisher to earn more, it also carries significant risks.

Being passive, taking risks, and having to pay a deposit, companies like Bona did the math and realized that since it was all gambling anyway, they might as well invest directly and avoid being passed through a middleman.

Indeed, the longer Yan Li stays in the distribution industry, the more he realizes the importance of his involvement in the production and investment of cinemas and video websites.

No matter how prestigious the title of "King of Distribution" may sound, he's still just a middleman, always caught in the middle.

In addition to "The White-Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom", "A Battle of Wits", starring Fan Xiaopang, will also be released in late November.

Fan Xiaopang's new album, "Just Beginning," will also be released in December.

The name "Just Beginning" was chosen by Fan Xiaopang himself.

This is his first album, and it comes after joining a new record label, signifying that his career in entertainment and music is "just beginning" from this moment on.

Of course, it also implies that the journey has just begun; those who know, know.

A TV series, a movie, an album, plus the still unfinished filming of "The Legend of Yang Yuhuan," as well as some advertising activities, year-end galas, and so on.

Fan Xiaopang was incredibly busy during the last two months of 2006!

However, Yan Li didn't have time to sympathize with her; Fan Xiaopang was busy, and he wasn't much better off.

As the year draws to a close, companies need to conduct a review and summary, and then study new plans for next year.

There are also various year-end events, meetings, and awards ceremonies outside, and he, as an outstanding young entrepreneur, is always present.

To put it simply, if Yan Li wanted, from mid-November until the Spring Festival, his evenings and afternoons would be completely filled with social engagements, and he might even have to attend several events at a time.

Even now, Yan Li makes people carefully select and politely decline various offers, so there are at least 20 days a month when she doesn't have to think about going home for dinner.

Yan Li now watches TV dramas and thinks that the big bosses who go home for dinner on time every day have no life experience, and he wants to curse the screenwriters for having no life experience.

A boss who lives such a comfortable life either has his company go bankrupt or has been sidelined.

Yan Li was not actually against social gatherings; in fact, he often organized them himself.

What he really dislikes is that most social engagements are useless, or rather, of little use, with extremely poor cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

But for various reasons, you can't very well not go. Not only will it be of no benefit and a waste of time, but drinking too much alcohol will also harm your health.

Yan Li sometimes genuinely wanted to start a play and become an actor, not because he particularly wanted to act, but simply to avoid these useless social engagements.

Regardless of whether acting is "not doing one's proper job," at least it provides a clear excuse for him to stay away, allowing him to find some peace and quiet.

...

The premiere of "The White-Haired Witch" had decent ratings and positive reviews.

In short, it was neither a perfect score nor a critical hit, but slightly above average.

Yi'an was slightly disappointed, but it was still acceptable, especially since this was only the first broadcast and there would be various rebroadcasts to come.

Just like the TV series "Investiture of the Gods" during the summer vacation, although it was not a big hit when it first aired, its subsequent reruns and number of times ranked among the top of this year's many dramas.

Fan Xiaopang's popularity has soared this year, and it's not just because of the high level of related topics; the role of Daji has truly gained her a lot of fans.

As the saying goes, as long as one's reputation is protected, one's country will remain in power.

By emphasizing the advantage of "beauty," Fan Xiaopang's potential has been maximized.

Even with the current "The White-Haired Witch," the focus of all the promotional efforts is on Fan Bingbing's face.

Yan Li even said that the play could flop, but the actors had to be promoted.

A lie repeated a thousand times can become the truth. Fan Xiaopang's beauty and popularity can also be deeply rooted in people's hearts through marketing and publicity, not to mention that Fan Xiaopang was already beautiful and popular to begin with.

"The White-Haired Witch" still has a lot of potential, while the movie "A Battle of Wits" is rather mediocre.

Judging from its box office performance, this movie doesn't seem to have flopped.

With an estimated box office of over 6000 million, it is expected to break into the top five of the 2006 domestic film box office charts, and at least secure a place in the top ten.

However, the investment makes it less appealing, considering that this film reportedly had an investment of over 100 million yuan.

Even if this claim is somewhat exaggerated, judging from the current box office performance, this movie may not even break even, let alone make a profit.

Not only did it fail at the box office, but its reputation was also terrible!

To say this movie is terrible wouldn't be an exaggeration; at least it's not as insulting to one's intelligence as "The Promise."

However, the director tried to say too much, resulting in a chaotic narrative. The film also had a strong artistic flair, which clashed with the tone of a commercial film. It may not be a terrible movie, but it's still not very enjoyable.

Low-budget films, even if they're not good, can still make money; but big-budget commercial films that cost over 100 million yuan are guaranteed to flop if they're not good.

Fortunately, the movie flopped, but it had little to do with Fan Xiaopang.

Because Andy Lau is the lead actor and the person primarily responsible for the box office, followed by the director, Fan Bingbing, the female lead, should be blamed after Wang Zhiwen.

Instead of taking the blame, her team shamelessly marketed a campaign claiming her personal annual cumulative box office revenue was expected to exceed 100 million yuan.

Besides "A Battle of Wits," she also has another starring role in "Tokyo Trial" in September.

This movie grossed nearly 2500 million at the box office, and with "A Battle of Wits" expected to gross over 6000 million, the total is roughly 1 million.

Don't be afraid of losing face. How can a celebrity become famous without being shameless!
Despite the severe criticism leveled at "The Banquet," Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Xun's teams and fans still touted their idols as "carrying the box office."

Xu Jinglei, who starred in "Confession of Pain," had a less prominent presence in the film than Fan Xiaopang in "A Battle of Wits," yet she was touted as a top-tier movie star.

Li Bingbing did the same thing. In "The Knot," she was the third lead, but she overshadowed Vivian Hsu, who was the second lead, to the point of "disappearing." Even Chen Kun, the male lead and first lead, didn't have as much buzz as her. None of these popular actresses are easy to deal with.

They're adept at using tactics like vying for top billing, suppressing top billing, and letting a movie flop while they win. They tear each other apart on set, and then tear each other apart again.

The four young actresses fight amongst themselves, then the two "soldiers" fight it out again, and then the two "soldiers" join forces to put down the four young actresses who are not as good as them.

Fan Xiaopang's agent, Jia Qian, and Li Bingbing's sister, Li Xue, were practically cursing each other with voodoo dolls a few days ago, but in the following days they were constantly on the phone, talking for longer than couples in the throes of new love.

Compared to his efforts to maintain appearances in film and television, his album, which was originally just a simple copycat release, made Fan Xiaopang a big star at the end of 2006.

The album was released in December, but it started its chart promotion in November.

Neither Yi An nor Fan Xiaopang's team are particularly good at releasing music albums.

Fortunately, everyone knows the purpose of releasing an album.

Making money from album sales is secondary; the key is to expand and enhance Fan Xiaopang's fame and exposure, while also solidifying and attracting new fans.

Once you identify your main objective, things become simple.

Just pay the media and music critics to hype it up, buy a few unofficial charts and awards, and the album will be a nationwide sensation, a huge success.

However, after the chart battle began, Yi An and Fan Xiaopang's team found that they didn't seem to need to spend money to buy chart rankings or hype.

After the two main singles, "Invisible Wings" and "Cherry Blossom Grass", started to chart.

With only normal initial promotion and leveraging Fan Xiaopang's popularity, and without much effort being put into promoting them, the rankings of the two songs skyrocketed.

In particular, the song "Invisible Wings" climbed to the top of multiple charts in less than a week.

Television and radio stations actively shared the content, and downloads on some portal websites and music websites also increased rapidly.

Top ten!

Top five!

third!

First!!!

Before the release of the album "Just Beginning", "Invisible Wings" topped multiple music charts.

With consistently high online streaming and download rates, music-related searches on Baidu remain firmly in the top five, and the music has been extensively covered by numerous music media outlets and related online features.

Fan Xiaopang, who had already returned to the set of "The Legend of Yang Yuhuan" to film, was urgently called back for an autograph session and fan meeting.

Yi An gradually increased the resource level for Fan Xiaopang's album, and Yan Li even personally stepped in to coordinate multiple resources.

For example, collaborating with some internet websites to promote songs and music videos, contacting various channels through on-the-ground promotion, conducting large-scale offline operations and publicity, and engaging with various traditional media and platforms.

Traditional media, online advertising, physical channels, and offline promotions have been fully deployed, allowing this invisible wing to fly higher and farther.

...

In Nanjing, the howling wind couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the fans and music lovers.

The autograph session attracted over a thousand fans who had purchased the album, and even more bystanders.

Fan Xiaopang's singing skills may not be as good as those of professional singers, but his mental fortitude is no less impressive.

Showing no stage fright, she confidently performed "Invisible Wings" on stage, drawing applause from the audience and chanting her support slogans.

"Bingbingbangbang, Bingbingbangbang".

"Where there is ice, there is love."

"Ice reigns supreme, irreplaceable."

"..."

Since the "Super Girl" competition became popular, all celebrities have had similar fan group names.

Fan Xiaopang's fans are called "Bingbang," which is a homophone for "Bingbingbang." Some fans are also called "Bingbang," which means "Bingbing's partner/soldier."

Because Huang Xiaoming's fans created a Ming Cult, a small number of fans also created an "Ice Gang" for her, calling her the gang leader.

However, this title is not very popular, perhaps because it doesn't sound as good as "cult leader".

It's worth mentioning that Li Bingbing's fans are also called "Bingbang" (Ice Pop), and their slogan is similar to Fan Xiaopang's.

The fans of the two sides got into a fight, which felt a bit like a fight between popsicle factories.

After the performance, Fan Xiaopang started signing autographs and was busy until noon. He didn't even have time to eat because he was interviewed by several local companies. In the afternoon, he went to Suzhou for an autograph and meet-and-greet event that was even bigger than the one in Nanjing.

It wasn't until evening that Fan Xiaopang finally had some time to rest and called Yan Li.

She's been incredibly busy these past few days; she wasn't even this busy when those movies and TV series became hits.

I felt like she was surrounded by fans, with interviews everywhere, and her and "Invisible Wings" were all over the place, both online and offline.

Fan Xiaopang couldn't help but mutter, "If I had known that singing could be this popular, I shouldn't have become an actor back then. I might be a superstar by now."

"If you hadn't become an actor, you wouldn't be this famous."

Yan Li understands very well that the huge success of "Invisible Wings" is certainly due to the song itself.

However, it also requires a large investment of resources for promotion, as well as Fan Xiaopang's own popularity.

An artist's popularity is interconnected; a popular singer can boost box office and viewership ratings by acting in a movie, and a popular actor can boost album sales and make their songs popular by singing.

There are precedents for this; both Little Swallow and Zhou Gongzi have had excellent musical performances.

With her immense popularity, Xiao Yanzi's albums even outsold many popular singers, and she herself has released several albums.

Zhou Xun's masterpiece "Floating" was a blockbuster of the year, surpassing many popular singers and hit songs.

"Invisible Wings" + Popular Fan Xiaopang.

Perhaps the song quality didn't improve, but its reach and buzz were off the charts, not to mention the media mogul Yan Li, who has connections everywhere.

Fan Xiaopang asked curiously, "How many albums have been sold?"

"We've already distributed 30 units, and the price is still soaring. Reaching 50 shouldn't be a problem, but anything more is hard to say."

"so little?"

"Sister, what time is it now? Apart from fans and music lovers, who buys genuine albums? Piracy is everywhere, and you can download them anywhere online. Now there's even a ringtone feature. 50 is already a remarkable achievement."

The physical album market is currently being severely impacted by various factors.

Conservatively speaking, only a handful of albums might sell over a million copies a year, and these are mostly from top artists like Chou Chieh-lun and Tsai Yi-lin, or those Super Girls with large and loyal fan bases.

For other singers, very few can reach more than 30.

The song "Invisible Wings" became a hit and the singer became famous, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the sales will be booming.

After all, most of Fan Xiaopang's fans are movie fans and fans of his looks, not many music fans. Only one or two of the album's main songs are popular, which has affected the album's sales to some extent.

However, if the album doesn't sell well, you can make it back through ringtones.

Album sales are based on the artist, while ringtone sales are purely based on the song; whichever song is popular earns the most money.

Rumors suggest that the singer of the song "Mice Love Rice" earns over 1000 million yuan annually, and Tianyu Media raked in 4000 million yuan from the licensing of Super Girl songs as ringtones.

"Invisible Wings" is so popular right now, the ringtone sales will be great, and it can make a lot of money, maybe even more than the album itself.

Of course, compared to the album itself, Fan Xiaopang was the one who made the most money.

"Invisible Wings" are real wings, carrying Fan Xiaopang soaring high.

All advertising endorsements and other deals currently being negotiated by Yi An's artist management department have been suspended, and they are scheduled to be re-negotiated on New Year's Day.

The price increase is required to reach more than 30%, which depends on the subsequent performance of "Invisible Wings" and the album. If it is good, the price will increase further.

During the New Year and Spring Festival holidays, Fan Xiaopang received many commercial performance requests, with requests specifically for him to sing "Invisible Wings," and the price for a single performance was generally over 50 yuan.

It's worth noting that Fan Xiaopang previously endorsed some clothing and jewelry brands, earning appearance fees between 25 and 35 yuan.

According to Yi An Artist Management Department, this song "Invisible Wings" can significantly boost Fan Xiaopang's commercial performance value and market share.

It's valuable in itself, and with the addition of a valuable song, it becomes a double-threat with a premium, making it both sought-after and profitable.

Eating for a lifetime is a bit of an exaggeration, but if this song becomes popular enough, it would definitely be enough for Fan Xiaopang to live off it for several years.

Moreover, the more famous Fan Xiaopang becomes, the more valuable this song becomes.

Fan Xiaopang beamed with joy upon hearing this, and Yan Li even considered writing two more good songs for Wang Ou.

"I have a meeting with the deputy director of CCTV in a couple of days to see if I can get you on the Spring Festival Gala."

The CCTV Spring Festival Gala is definitely beneficial for Fan Xiaopang.

However, the release of "Invisible Wings" is a bit late. It's almost January now, and there are only a few dozen days left until the Chinese New Year, so it's uncertain whether it can be pushed into the market.

Fortunately, the song is currently popular, so there is still a chance.

For Fan Xiaopang, appearing on the Spring Festival Gala is not just about getting exposure, but also represents official recognition.

To be honest, Fan Xiaopang was quite popular this year, but he also faced a lot of controversy. The best way to resolve and reduce these controversies is to appear on the Spring Festival Gala, the biggest stage in the world.

Little Swallow used this trick before, and it worked quite well. Yan Li also wants to try it out.

Fan Xiaopang had been on the Spring Festival Gala once, but he wasn't that excited. Instead, he was more concerned about something else.

"If I'm on the Spring Festival Gala, will you spend the New Year with me in Beijing?"

The two met in the winter of 2002 while filming "The Treasure Basin," and although it was less than five years, they spent three Spring Festivals together.

The first time was in 2004 when the cast of "Happy Seven Fairies" celebrated the Chinese New Year; the second time was in 2005 when the Seven Fairies appeared on the Spring Festival Gala, with Bing and Fan sharing the stage; and the third time was in early 2006 when Binglan was in full bloom on set in Hengdian.

If they spend the Spring Festival together this year, it will be the fourth consecutive year that the two of them have spent the Spring Festival together, more than Dong and Qin combined.

If Fan Xiaopang hadn't reminded him, Yan Li would never have calculated it this way before.

He originally planned to take his parents to Sanya for a vacation, but considering how busy Fan Xiaopang had been this year, especially these past few months, working non-stop, he felt he really should spend time with him.

Moreover, we've spent the Lunar New Year together for three consecutive years, and it's become a habit, so it would be a shame to break it.

"Whether I'm on the Spring Festival Gala or not, I'll spend the New Year with you."

Fan Xiaopang felt a sweet warmth in his heart, then remembered something and warned, "It's just the two of us, so don't give me any of that nonsense."

After all, she had been tricked twice during the previous Chinese New Year, so she couldn't possibly be unprepared for this.

"Don't worry, I'll only serve you this year."

Yan Li did indeed want to postpone it, but he was afraid of scaring away the Spring Festival benefits. He thought it would be better to postpone it for a year, lower Fan Xiaopang's guard, and then postpone it again during the Spring Festival.

As for his parents, after the Spring Festival, he and Fan Xiaopang will have to go back to their respective homes, and then he will take them out for a trip.

...

Fan Xiaopang's new song became a hit, which also indirectly facilitated the sale of "The White-Haired Witch".

Unfortunately, "A Battle of Wits" had already passed its peak box office period and was outcompeted by "Curse of the Golden Flower," so it didn't gain much of an advantage.

In December, the most popular song was "Invisible Wings," and the most popular movie was "Curse of the Golden Flower."

As expected of Zhang Yimou, regardless of the controversies surrounding the film, its box office performance is truly impressive.

Judging from the current trend, 2 million is definitely not enough.

Moreover, it is very likely that it will break the domestic film box office record of "Hero", and it is even possible that it will surpass the record of "Titanic".

Previously, three mainland directors, Chen, Zhang, and Feng, produced three commercial blockbusters. Director Chen's film was a huge disappointment, while Feng Xiaogang's film was a complete failure.

Zhang Yimou's "Curse of the Golden Flower," despite its considerable controversy, achieved a complete victory over the previous two directors in terms of both quality and box office performance.

Yan Li was a little envious of the movie's box office and influence.

He had previously been optimistic about Zhang Yimou, and even put aside the grudge caused by the casting controversy by New Pictures, he took the initiative to seek distribution cooperation.

As a result, Mr. Zhang, the boss of New Picture, was used to eating alone and completely ignored Yan Li.

If he doesn't want to talk to him, fine, there are plenty of cases like that in the business world. But this guy's arrogant attitude made Yan Li very unhappy.

Yan Li has dealt with many of the bosses in the film and television industry, including himself. Each of them has their own shortcomings, but also their own strengths.

Even though Yan Li disliked Orange Sky Wu and the two kings of Huayi Brothers, he felt that each of them had their merits.

But Yan Li had dealt with this new boss, Mr. Zhang, twice, and each time he was more and more annoying than the last.

Seriously, it's all thanks to Zhang Yimou and the Olympic opening ceremony; otherwise, Yan Lifei would have found something to amuse him.

Damn it, I don't care about saving face.

Boss Yan is known for being petty. After returning home, he became increasingly angry and started hiring two media outlets to stir up trouble.

As a result, some "insiders" who felt indignant began to reveal various inside stories about "Curse of the Golden Flower".

For example, because of Jay Chou, Zhang Yimou and Zhang Zai had a creative conflict, and Zhang Yimou was forced to revise the script.

For example, the much-criticized "Curse of the Golden Flower" and "Chrysanthemums All Over the City" were inspired by Mr. Zhang, and the art director almost quit his job.

For example, Mr. Zhang also orchestrated a fake news story about Gong Li and Chow Yun-fat slapping each other, which angered the two big stars. Zhang Yimou was forced to take the blame and issue a public apology.

Several actors also had a lot of issues.

Chow Yun-fat demanded a luxury hotel and RV, which cost a considerable amount every day. Filming in China follows Hollywood rules, with overtime fees of tens of thousands of dollars per hour, forcing the crew to cut scenes.

Gong Li felt that the role of the Queen was too thin and demanded more scenes. Because it was inconvenient to perform in "Curse of the Golden Flower", she even refused to perform action scenes, which made the production team compromise.

Zhou Jielun's team was large, and to prevent being secretly filmed, they booked an entire floor of the hotel and did not allow outsiders to enter. They even changed the lyrics on the spot, which angered the screenwriter so much that he left the team.

Liu Huohua suffered the most, with a large number of his scenes cut. He was originally the main male lead, but he was marginalized by the two Zhou brothers.

In addition, there were anonymous reports of paint damage to staff at the Golden Palace, the airlifting of millions of pots of chrysanthemums wasting money and causing hardship, and the two directors were dissatisfied with each other and argued several times. Zhang Yimou claimed that the film was a work distorted by money, etc.

These inside stories, apart from a few that had been rumored beforehand, were all known only to members of the production team.

When the crew of "Curse of the Golden Flower" saw the leak, their first action was not to deny it, but to find the traitor.

When the attempt to catch the traitor failed, they fell into a chain of suspicion.

Several big-name actors who were exposed are suspected of being deliberately hyped by Boss Zhang, after all, he has a history of this kind of thing, and he has also had conflicts with several teams to varying degrees. He has publicly criticized Chow Yun-fat before.

Mr. Zhang suspects that Zhang Yimou is dissatisfied with him and is targeting him, since most of the revelations point to him.

Mr. Zhang, who is known for his short temper and big mouth, took the lead in firing off accusations, targeting everyone from Zhang Yimou to the actors and the crew.

Chow Yun-fat is known for his good temper. Although he didn't show up in person, his wife took his place and gave Mr. Cheung a good talking-to.

Gong Li and Mr. Zhang had a long-standing feud. When she broke up with Zhang Yimou, it was not without his interference behind the scenes, which is why she decisively joined the group.

Jay Chou remained silent, but his fans were not to be trifled with; they even crashed New Pictures' website.

Seeing this, Mr. Zhang was not afraid at all; instead, he spoke even more harshly, forcing even the good-tempered Zhang Yimou to come out and confront him, publicly admitting that some parts of the script had been interfered with.

In short, "Curse of the Golden Flower" is a mess, with various disputes constantly arising.

It actually has a certain positive effect on box office revenue, since increased popularity can attract more viewers.

However, this has had a significant negative impact on New Pictures, with many popular actors expressing their opinions about Mr. Zhang and the company.

Even if there are conflicts, you can't tear each other apart like this; that's not how things are done in this industry.

Anyone who wants to cooperate with them in the future should think twice before getting involved.

More importantly, the rift between the two is widening, and that's the most critical issue.

...

"Director Zhang, if I say too much, it might sound like I'm trying to sow discord, but really, no one would do something like this, Mr. Zhang. I really feel sorry for you. If we were to work together... I've said too much, too much."

"Haha, luckily Director Zhang didn't use me back then, otherwise, with my temper, I would have definitely started a fight with Boss Zhang on the spot."

"What? Didn't you reject me? I heard that you didn't want to use me. I understand. It's okay, I can understand."

"Director Zhang, you are my senior and one of my favorite directors. If I say something, take it or leave it."

"Boss Zhang is no pushover. If you have any other plans, be sure to keep something in reserve and be careful."

"..."

Yan Li hung up the phone call that was meant to provoke and win over Zhang Yimou.

The intention is somewhat obvious, but it doesn't matter. He's not the only one eyeing Zhang Yimou; it's better to be direct than to be secretive.

Yan Li originally just wanted to vent his anger, but he didn't expect it to be so effective. When he realized that the crack between the two was getting bigger and bigger, he couldn't help but take out a hoe.

Zhang Yimou is a true commercially successful director; he's commercially successful, prolific, and, most importantly, has a great reputation and influence.

The addition of such a renowned director is very beneficial to the company; the stock price alone could rise significantly.

At this stage, the two have not completely fallen out. Yan Li plans to lay the groundwork and communicate frequently, so that he can step forward if anything happens.

Zhang Yimou is a man of great loyalty and integrity; simply throwing money at him may not be enough. A combination of sentiment and mutual benefit is the right approach...

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.

PS: 10,000 words update (4000/7000)

(End of this chapter)