Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 269 How to play a domineering CEO? The battle for the title of the number one mainland actor?
In Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, Yan Li attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the local Yi'an Cinema.

As mentioned before, apart from a few first-tier cities, Yi'an Cinemas mainly operates in Shandong Province, Shanxi Province, the Beijing area, and Shenzhen, the home base of China Resources.

While Northeast China is not the primary development target, Yi'an, in partnership with China Resources, has still established a cinema in Harbin, an important region in China.

The original plan was to open it in Liaoning Province, specifically in Shenyang or Lianyungang.

Later, we felt that it was too close to Wanda Plaza, the competition was relatively fierce, and we were an isolated force that was easily surrounded, so we moved to Harbin.

Yan Li wasn't very familiar with the Northeast region, but considering some rumors, he still made a special trip to check things out. He made sure to get all the necessary arrangements in place so that his subordinates could get things done more easily.

After spending two days in Harbin, Yan Li made a detour to Lian City on his way back to Beijing.

The crew of "The Difficult Love of a Diamond Bachelor" filmed on location in this area and the island city.

When Yan Li arrived at the film set, they were filming a scene where the male lead, Meng Hao, was having a meeting with his subordinates.

In the drama, this character is a real estate tycoon in Xinghai City. He is young, returned from studying abroad, has a net worth of over 100 million yuan, and is handsome. He is the dream lover of many women in Xinghai City.

However, this eligible bachelor falls in love with the female lead at first sight and goes so far as to force himself on her, thus beginning a tragic love story.

How should I put it? It's a bit like an idol drama, but it also has some realistic elements mixed in.

This kind of subject matter is actually not easy to film. If you film it well, you'll get exposure on both sides; if you film it poorly, you'll suffer losses on both sides.

Yan Li watched for a while on set, his brows furrowing slightly. Director Tian Youliang, who had been observing his boss, immediately asked him a question.

"Mr. Yan, something's not right."

Yan Li hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Deng Chao's acting is a bit too overt. In a normal meeting, there's no need for this... well, this pretentiousness."

This scene is meant to showcase Meng Hao's strong abilities as a billionaire, his high company prestige, and his status as an outstanding business elite.

Furthermore, to elaborate further, he is not as charming as he appears to the outside world; deep down, he has a strong possessive and controlling nature, and is somewhat irritable and autocratic.

It's clear that Deng Chao tried very hard to portray the domineering and capable nature of a business elite, but his temperament and understanding were lacking, making his performance seem rather unconvincing.

And I don't know what he's thinking, but he always subconsciously tries to show off.

They like to add little details to their expressions, such as raising their eyebrows, smirking, tilting their heads, and varying the intensity of their tone.

It's not that these actions are wrong, but they are a bit too frequent and inappropriate, making them seem out of place.

To put it bluntly, he doesn't look like a self-made tycoon; he's more like a rich second-generation who picks fights and curses. Wearing a dragon robe doesn't make him look like a prince.

Upon hearing this, Tian Youliang stopped filming, called Deng Chao over, and explained the situation. The latter was somewhat bewildered.

"I learned this from you, Mr. Yan."

Although he hasn't officially joined Yi An yet, he's made frequent trips to Yi An through opportunities like participating in Yi An projects.

Especially after being cast as Meng Hao, he claimed that he would imitate and learn Yan Li's every move every time he met him, and that he played Meng Hao completely in Yan Li's style.

Yan Li: "..."

Bullshit! When have I ever been so flamboyant?

Yan Li admitted that he occasionally made empty promises and shouted slogans to his subordinates, and sometimes he would put on an act, but he would never do it in the manner of Deng Chao.

It's a good thing he came. If this guy goes out and spouts nonsense after his performance, saying he's copying him, wouldn't that just tarnish his reputation?
"Never mind, isn't this a meeting? I'll act it out for you, and you can see."

Yan Li rolled up his sleeves, intending to personally demonstrate for Deng Chao. He glanced at the script and then arranged for the featured actors and extras to come over and rehearse.

Since it's not a formal shoot, and Yan Li wanted to demonstrate a normal boss-like demeanor to Deng Chao, the filming might not follow the script, and he and the actors could improvise freely.

Yan Li sat in the main seat, and Deng Chao simply found a seat as well, wanting to better experience the learning process.

Director Tian Youliang secretly instructed the cameraman to continue filming, not to record the main drama, but to use it as behind-the-scenes footage and Easter eggs, or at worst, to let Deng Chao review later.

"Okay, everyone's here, let's start the meeting."

After rehearsing the scene, Yan Li immediately got into character, and his state seemed no different from before, with a rather calm tone and expression.

An actor playing the vice president stood up and gave a perfunctory report on the situation.

Aside from the beginning, there were no lines afterward. It was just a matter of reciting "one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four," and he automatically skipped over it after about ten seconds.

"Chairman, I've finished speaking."

Yan Li flipped through the documents, jotted down two words in his notebook, and without even looking up, said, "Next."

Another extra went through the same process as before. This time, Yan Li nodded and continued.

"next."

There were only two scenes, and they weren't long. There was nothing special about them, but for some reason, watching Yan Li calmly listen to the report, the actors on set and even the staff watching couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Originally, everyone was somewhat entertained by Yan Li's demonstration, but for some reason, these lighthearted and playful scenes became less and less frequent, and the overall atmosphere turned quiet and even a little bit oppressive.

The third extra stood up to report, but Yan Li suddenly stopped him halfway through.

"The company expected to complete this project in 90 days, but it has been two months now, and the progress is still less than halfway complete."

The extra was a little nervous, stammering as he recited his lines: "Something went wrong..."

Yan Li looked up for the first time and glanced at him: "I don't want an explanation, I just want to know if the project can be completed smoothly and on schedule."

"This……"

Yan Li lowered his head again: "I understand. The relevant departments are selecting a new person in charge, and it would be best if they could start working this afternoon. As for you, go find HR yourself."

The extras tried to explain, but Yan Li ignored them and turned the page: "Next."

The atmosphere on set became even more subdued, and the next extra was even more nervous, his voice trembling as he gave his report.

After Yan Li finished speaking, she looked up again and smiled, "Your department did a great job this quarter. I'm very satisfied. I hope you'll keep up the good work."

"Thank you, Mr. Yan."

The extra revealed his real name, but Yan Li didn't mind. He gestured for him to sit down and then continued.

"next."

Another guest actor appears, this time with more screen time. He plays a board member in the drama, and his role is also a minor clash between the companies, showcasing Meng Hao's abilities and personality.

The plot is not complicated: he questions Meng Hao's decision, Meng Hao insists, and eventually he forcefully subdues him, allowing the decision to be implemented and achieving great success.

During the filming just now, Deng Chao appeared rather impatient and somewhat deliberately mysterious when faced with questions and provocations.

To put it simply, it tried to showcase the abilities of an elite individual while also highlighting the negative aspects of the character, but it didn't strike the right balance.

Since Yan Li is a role model, he can't just follow his own style entirely; he also has to fit the character of Meng Hao.

So when he heard the question, he frowned slightly, his eyes flashing with displeasure at being disobeyed, but he did not lose his composure. His tone remained largely unchanged, and he patiently explained his reasons.

However, the other party was determined to oppose it, and Yan Li finally became a little impatient: "Project XX is imperative. If Director Wu has any objections, let's wait for the board of directors to discuss it again."

The actor complained: "Kunpeng Company (Meng Hao's company in the drama) doesn't belong to you alone."

"But I am the founder, chairman and largest shareholder of Kunpeng."

Yan Li looked at the other party calmly, his tone domineering and resolute, leaving no room for doubt: "No one can stop my decision at Kunpeng."

"..."

Several more scenes were added, including a scene where Deng Chao and Yan Li rehearsed their lines, and Yan Li asked Deng Chao how he felt after the performance.

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but I always felt that President Yan was sitting there, with few movements or expressions, but he was incredibly intimidating and had a very strong presence."

"Aura originates from within."

Yan Li gave Deng Chao some advice: "Anyone who can start from scratch and achieve success, regardless of their personality, must have confidence. You must keep that confidence in mind."

"Another point is stability. I understand that we are in a TV series, and the characters cannot be played too flatly. They need some outward expressions, but you can put these in the emotional storyline and be more reserved and steady in the business storyline. At the same time, this will also differentiate the female lead and the second male lead."

To put it bluntly, this drama is about a rich man "playing with" a couple.

In this situation, the wealthy need to distinguish themselves, at least initially. If they act like young people, vying for attention and showing no class or rationality, then their so-called character traits are lost.

Yan Li and Deng Chao talked for quite a while.

Well, this guy is handsome and became famous for playing emperors and sons of high-ranking officials, but in private he's a bit of a goofball, always laughing and joking, and very outgoing. I heard he preferred acting in comedies in college.

With this kind of personality, playing introverted and composed roles requires some shaping and contemplation.

This is somewhat the opposite of Huang Xiaoming. If he were to play a character like Meng Hao, he would probably do a great job, but for more unconventional characters, he would feel out of place.

Both "New Shanghai Bund" and "The Deer and the Cauldron" intend to collaborate with Yi An, and Yan Li watched some trailers for both dramas.

The former acted well, while the latter was rather poor.

Huang Xiaoming is currently riding high and is one of the most outstanding young actors in mainland China. Huayi Brothers is doing a lot of promotion for him.

Deng Chao wants to compete for the title of the top male actor in mainland China, and he can't avoid this person. He should learn from his strengths and make up for his own weaknesses.

At this point, Yan Li also mentioned something to Deng Chao: "The company is preparing to talk to your former employer to terminate the contract early and then sign a new one."

Deng Chao's contract with his former employer expires in July, and Yi An now wants to sign it in advance.

Deng Chao had no objection to this. The resources were used up, and subsequent projects had been arranged. If he went back on his word now, Yi An could kill him.

Signing a contract early would give him peace of mind, but he had one concern: his former employer was reluctant to let him go and wanted to renew his contract.

After all, Deng Chao is now considered a popular young actor with a string of works, and he has even acted in a Feng Xiaogang film, so his future looks bright.

Such a cash cow was something the old employer was naturally reluctant to let go of, especially since Deng Chao, as a newcomer, had a contract with a very favorable ratio to the company.

Deng Chao had previously communicated with his former employer, including Yi An, but his former employer either pretended not to notice or ignored him. Deng Chao wasn't stupid; he knew people in the company and heard that his former employer wasn't planning to let him go.

His contract did indeed have a priority renewal clause, but what's worse, his former employer knew a bit about his private affairs.

If the former employer is determined not to release him, and takes him to court, accuses him of being ungrateful, and stirs up some trouble, it will have a significant impact on the rising Deng dynasty.

"You don't need to worry about that, I'll take care of it."

If Deng Chao could find out, Yan Li would know even more, including the early termination of the contract, which was also a way to cut the Gordian knot.

As for Deng Chao's former employer, it was indeed a bit troublesome, but it wouldn't be a problem for Yan Li.

The other party is also a well-known company in the industry. If it were Huayi Brothers or Hairun Media vying for the talent, there would likely be some disputes, and it might even lead to a bitter fight.

But Yi'an was different; she controlled the TV series distribution channels, which gave her a crucial advantage over the other party.

Besides, he might have some information about Deng Chao, but Yan Li has an intelligence network and also has information about the other side. If things really escalate, it won't be a stalemate where both sides suffer heavy losses, but rather Yi An pulling the other side in and giving them a sound beating.

Conversely, if the other party releases the person, Yi'an can consider offering some cooperation and resource compensation. If the other party has a suitable project, Yi'an can even have Deng Chao repay a favor to his former employer.

Having done this much, Yan Li could be said to have done everything he could, even to the point of being somewhat kind.

After all, Deng Chao didn't run away halfway through the contract; it was just that the contract had expired. Even if they had been involved before, that's common practice in the industry, and in many people's minds, it wouldn't be considered poaching.

Yan Li was also considering his reputation and didn't want the rapidly developing Deng Chao to get bogged down in contractual issues; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so understanding.

A big stick in one hand, and sweet dates in the other!
Yan Li has already laid out his choice; if he encounters someone stubborn as a mule, then there's nothing he can do but smash them.

Yan Li desires fame, but he will not be burdened by it. He prefers to resolve things peacefully, but when it is necessary to kill, he will not hesitate to do so.

Deng Chao doesn't need to worry about these things. All he needs to do is develop his business, make a lot of money, drive projects, and give back to the company.

"If all goes well, we should be able to finalize your contract in April. That should also be the signing ceremony between Huang Xiaoming and Huayi Brothers. How about it, do you want to challenge them?"

Deng Chao seemed to be thinking: "You mean...?"

"Yi An's top female star and Huayi's top female star are two weapons. Huang Xiaoming is aiming for Huayi's top male star. If you want to be Yi An's top male star, you can't do it without going up against him."

Compared to the immense popularity of the "Four Dan and Two Bing" (a term referring to four actresses and two male actors), mainland actors seem somewhat "laid-back."

Despite several attempts to create the "Four Little Male Stars," the team influence of the "Four Little Female Stars" has not materialized.

There are many reasons, such as the suppression by male artists from Hong Kong and Taiwan, which means that mainland actors can only struggle in the TV drama market, and their status and prestige are not high enough.

Many young actors are fighting their own battles, not really into the "Four Little Heavenly Kings" (a term referring to four popular young male actors), and they don't like to engage in infighting or fighting. Occasionally, one or two of them will fall behind and become outdated.

For example, of the original four young male stars, Hu Bing dropped out after just making up the numbers, Huang Sanshi switched to stage plays and a career change, Lu Yi's career hit a bottleneck, and Li Yapeng simply spent all his time doing business with his wife, and is almost retired from the entertainment industry.

Yan Li started out by hyping things up and extorting money, and he single-handedly orchestrated the rise of two powerful figures. Now he's set his sights on Huang Xiaoming.

The competition for the top male lead at Huayi Brothers, the top male actor in mainland China, the top new generation male actors at Beijing Film Academy and Central Academy of Drama, and even the competition for Sun Li.

If they're willing to look, they can always find topics to keep Deng Chao and Huang Xiaoming engaged.

Deng Chao's status and popularity are currently lower than Huang Xiaoming's. If the two are linked and become competitors, Deng Chao, even if he is not as good as Huang Xiaoming, will soon be on the same level as him.

As the saying goes, the entertainment industry often relies on hype.

The more it's hyped and talked about, the more the false becomes true, and Deng Chao and Huang Xiaoming become sworn enemies.

Huayi Brothers and Yi An even joined forces to stir up trouble, creating a competition for the title of the number one male lead in mainland China, directly widening the gap with other popular male leads and making him one of the "most popular" male leads in mainland China.

If two people aren't enough to overshadow the others, add two more with achievements and backgrounds, and the four of them will dominate the top tier of mainland actors.

"Can I?"

Deng Chao was mesmerized. Yan Li had promised him a bright future before, but he thought it was just a recruitment tactic. He didn't expect Yan Li to be so helpful, directly planning to make him one of the most popular young actors.

The pie was too big and too tempting, making Deng Chao both excited and a little guilty.

Deng Chao is somewhat self-aware; at this stage, his advantages are not obvious, and he doesn't even have a girlfriend, Sun Lihong.

"If you can't do it, there's still the company. If the company says you can, then you can do it even if you can't."

Yan Li patted Deng Chao on the shoulder: "Just tell me, do you want to be the most popular young actor in mainland China?"

Deng Chao nodded excitedly: "I want to."

"If you want to be one, you have to follow the arrangements, and there will be plenty of hype and infighting. So, are you in or not Huang Xiaoming?"

Deng Chao's face flushed red: "Get him."

He was not fond of Huang Xiaoming, especially since Huang had been rumored to be having an affair with his girlfriend while filming "New Shanghai Bund." Although he knew it was fake and just for publicity, he was still somewhat annoyed by Huang.

No one rises to power without stepping on a few stepping stones. The Deng dynasty is no exception; it's not all good and virtuous. With Yan Li's support, they just went for it.

Yan Li nodded: "When I get back, I'll talk to the company about your signing ceremony. Try to get as close to Huang Xiaoming as possible, and then create some buzz."

"Other things don't matter. It's normal to encounter some public opinion storms. The company will tell you about the situation and how to deal with it. However, if the two of you have a conflict, 'New Shanghai Bund' probably can't avoid it. You should talk to Sun Li and be prepared."

Yan Li was a little embarrassed to use Deng Chao's girlfriend as a topic of discussion, but once the Huang-Deng dispute started to gain traction, Sun Li, who happened to be working with Huang Xiaoming, would find it hard to avoid the issue for the time being.

Even if Yi An doesn't cause trouble, Huang Xiaoming's side is still quite particular, but there's still a group of onlookers to watch.

The rivalry between two soldiers is so captivating, and the spectacle of two men and one woman is equally entertaining.

So Yan Li's words were meant to convey Deng Chao's message to Sun Li, but actually meant to prepare him mentally.

Of course, Sun Li also needs to be dealt with. She has her own career and may not be willing to get involved. If Deng Chao is not appeased, there may be hidden dangers.

...

After chatting for a while, Yan Li's visit to the set ended, and he left the crew. It's unknown whether he returned to the capital, but the female lead, Yang Rong, took the afternoon and tomorrow off.

Director Deng Chao and director Tian Youliang were unsure about Yang Rong's background.

However, she also starred in "The Legend of Xue Rengui" and "The Imperial Palace of the Qing Dynasty", and became the female lead in "The Difficult Love of a Diamond Bachelor". I heard that she has other dramas as well.

Given the level of resources available, and the fact that he's not known to be an artist from Yi An, combined with Yan's reputation and public image, it's quite alarming.

Deng Chao had a lot of ideas to share with the director after watching Yan Li's demonstration, but he had something else on his mind at the moment, so he said something and called his girlfriend first.

Sun Li is also filming a period drama, a Republican-era drama invested in by Hairun Media, directed by renowned director Stanley Kwan, and filmed in Hengdian.

Deng Chao's first call was answered by his assistant. After waiting for more than ten minutes, Sun Li, who was free after filming, finally called back.

She knew that Yan Li was back today and Deng Chao was visiting the set to ask him how he was behaving in front of the new boss.

Deng Chao briefly recounted his conversation with Yan Li, and Sun Li's eyes lit up.

"That's great! President Yan really values ​​you a lot."

Given that both Julian Cheung and Qiao Zhenyu are doing well, directly arranging for Deng Chao and Huang Xiaoming to compete against each other clearly shows the intention to promote them.

Deng Chao nodded: "President Yan has truly been incredibly kind to me."

If "Assembly" was a clever move, then "The Difficult Love of a Diamond Bachelor" was a genuinely well-resourced production.

In addition, he was also cast as the lead in a Gu Long drama and Cao Baoping's film "Li Mi's Conjecture".

Even for the company's biggest commercial blockbuster, "Painted Skin," Yan Li hinted that if the role and schedule were suitable, he would be considered for the second or third male lead.

Deng Chao wasn't stupid; Yan Li told him to challenge Huang Xiaoming, so he went all out.

He listened to Yan Li because he had seen firsthand the support Yan Li mentioned from the company. With these resources, Deng Chao felt confident enough to challenge Huang Xiaoming.

"but……"

Deng Chao was still somewhat troubled by Sun Li's situation, while the latter was quite easygoing. There were too many rumors and gossip in the entertainment circle, and taking everything too seriously would only make one furious.

She also thought of something else: if a similar dispute were to arise, she could use it as an opportunity to show off her affection with Deng Chaoxiu.

Not only will the young couple gain exposure, but they can also help Deng Chao smear Huang Xiaoming.

Deng Chao's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "You're pretty good."

Sun Li said with a hint of smugness, "Don't you know who I am? When I was famous, you were still nobody. Learn from me."

"Learn from Teacher Sun."

Deng Chao chuckled and echoed Sun Li. He had a good point: although he was competitive in his career and subtly rivaled his girlfriend, he was not ashamed of it and could accept that Sun Li was more famous than him.

This is not easy for two people with similar careers. Many strong alliances do not end well, sometimes because they both want to be superior to each other.

After a while, Sun Li started interrogating Deng Chao about whether he had been dishonest.

Deng Chao felt wronged: "Heaven and earth bear witness, I won't say anything before, but Yang Rong has connections, how could I dare to do that?"

As he spoke, he mentioned in a low voice that Yang Rong had asked for leave, feeling that it was yet another strong piece of evidence.

"Don't say I'm not interested. Even if I am, everyone in this crew is one of President Yan's people. If they try to poach his people, they'll kill me."

"That's pretty much it."

Sun Li nodded in satisfaction. One of the key reasons she supported Deng Chao going to Yi'an was that Yan Li had taken all the women in his neighborhood, leaving Deng Chao with nothing to eat.

In retrospect, her decision was correct. With Yan Li in charge, Deng Chao, even if he had lustful thoughts, didn't have the guts to act on them.

However, she did not let her guard down. Besides the female lead, there were also female supporting characters, and it was impossible for them all to be related to Yan Li. She still needed to give them a warning.

After finishing her rounds, Sun Li was about to hang up the phone when she suddenly remembered something.

"It seems my company has signed me up for the movie 'Painted Skin'."

"Painted Skin?"

Deng Chao was confused. Wasn't it supposed to be a double-soldier performance? He hadn't heard about any changes in the cast. Sun Li explained to him, and Deng Chao then realized that there was another female lead with some screen time.

Given Sun Li's status, it's not shameful for her to play a supporting role to Shuang Bing. The main issue is that Hairun Pictures has very few film resources, so Sun Li is trying to grab as many as she can.

"Yi An and so many others connected to President Yan, can you win them over?"

Deng Chao didn't think highly of Sun Li. He knew that there were several actresses who could play the role, and it was unlikely that his girlfriend would get the chance.

"Are you stupid? You're only thinking about President Yan and have forgotten about Shuang Bing. With those two around, would an ordinary person dare to approach them?"

Sun Li smiled. Those ladies who were once favored by Yan Li both rose and fell because of him. With two people working together, any third party interfering would be courting death. Therefore, outsiders who had no connection with Yan Li had a greater chance of taking over.

She has considerable fame and status, and with her connection to Deng Chao, she actually has a significant advantage.

"If you have the chance, could you give me a shout-out and we could act in 'Painted Skin' together? That would be a good publicity stunt."

Deng Chao hesitated for a moment: "I'll give it a try."

He doesn't have a strong foothold in Yi'an and his connections are limited, so it's uncertain how much help he can provide.

Sun Li felt she should also put in some effort. She had another advantage she hadn't mentioned: she was Deng Chao's girlfriend and a woman under Yan Li, so Yan Li wouldn't dare to lay a hand on her.

In this situation, Yan Li's women will lower their guard and increase their favor towards him.

It would be best if she could get one of them to speak up for her; using her would be safer than those women who might be trying to seduce Yan Li…

　Book recommendation: "Chinese Entertainment: I'm already a top star, and the system is only now showing up?"

　　Reborn into this world, Lin Yi easily achieved financial freedom thanks to his precognitive abilities, living a life where food and clothing were provided for him. Little did he expect... that he would only receive the system after becoming a top star.
　　(73000)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)