Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 270: New TV Series Adaptations of the Four Great Classical Novels and the Rise of "Soldiers"

After finishing filming "The Investiture of the Gods 2", Yan Li's work has been rather scattered.

Meetings, work, social engagements, attending events, visiting/inspecting sets, being interviewed, and all sorts of other miscellaneous tasks sometimes leave Yan Li wondering what she's busy with.

But that's how work is; you can't always be socializing, you can't always be at the office, and you can't always be away on business trips.

Fortunately, there are only so many events and film crews to attend and visit, and after some selection, there aren't many interviews left. Specific work and social engagements are unavoidable, but after a while, things gradually stabilized.

In early April, Yan Li went on a business trip to participate in the recording of an episode of the program "Dream of the Red Chamber".

"The Dream of Red Mansions" is a casting variety show for the new "Dream of Red Mansions," organized by Beijing TV and the company behind the new "Dream of Red Mansions."

One of the people in charge of the program is Hu Mei, the director of "The Dream of Red Mansions".

Yan Li did this out of respect for Hu Mei, who was considered his mentor and helped him get the role in "Emperor Wu of Han".

Although Yan Li had already gained popularity by then, and Hu Mei's reputation as a talent scout was somewhat questionable, there was still a bond between them, and Yan Li always respected Director Hu.

Director Hu asked him to help out at the event, and Yan Li took the opportunity to show his face since he had some free time.

However, after arriving, he realized that Hu Mei's invitation to him wasn't just for him to make an appearance as a variety show guest.

Yan Li had also heard of the project "New Dream of the Red Chamber".

It's somewhat similar to the previously mentioned "Red Cliff," with a large investment, wide scope, and complex internal and external structure.

It is said that as early as 2001, someone wanted to promote this project, but it was not until 2003 that the relevant authorities officially authorized it. After that, there were various preparations and disputes, and it was not until 2005 that it was finally launched.

In early 2006, because talent shows were all the rage, the production team of "The Dream of Red Mansions" wanted to jump on the bandwagon and hold a talent show-style casting.

This plan is actually quite good; the 87 version of "Dream of the Red Chamber" also had a bit of a talent show element to it.

The actors were recruited nationwide, and after several rounds of screening using various methods, they underwent intensive training and finally produced the most classic version of "Dream of the Red Chamber".

Times are different now. The basic conditions are much better than they were back then. At the same time, it's possible to make money and promote TV dramas.

But there is one prerequisite: that the selection must be genuine and the selected items must be genuinely used.

More importantly, this premise does not exist.

It may have existed at the beginning, but as the program started and gained a certain influence, it inevitably became affected by various parties, and the whole program changed its flavor.

According to Yan Li, Hu Mei, as the chief director, had many disagreements with the production company and Beijing TV over casting, which led to some conflicts between the two sides.

The production company and Beijing TV considered replacing the actor, and director Hu Mei also declared that she would start afresh and bring her favorite actors to film "The New Dream of the Red Chamber".

Yan Li was invited not because Hu Mei wanted him to solicit investment, but rather because it was somewhat of a way for her to intimidate and warn the production company.

After all, Yi'an has people, money, and connections, and Hu Mei has her team and actors. If the two sides cooperate and smooth things over, they might actually be able to snatch the project away.

However, they were overthinking it; Yan Lizhen had no interest in the "New Dream of the Red Chamber" project.

One reason is that it's too complex, involving too many aspects, and it's been operating for several years.

If Yan Li were to be taken, setting aside reputation and other issues, the price to pay and the number of people to offend would be too high, making it a completely unprofitable and pitifully low-value proposition.

Another point is that he himself is not very interested in the subject of "Dream of the Red Chamber".

This can be seen from Yan Li's personality and experience. He has read all four classic novels, but "Dream of the Red Chamber" is the only one he has not finished reading. Of course, the original work itself is not "complete".

This project involves a large investment and a wide range of issues, so Yan Li cannot simply be a hands-off manager.

But if he himself isn't enthusiastic about the subject matter, how can he possibly do a good job with the project?

Another reason is that, considering Yan Li's reputation, if he gets involved in these original works and dramas with many actresses, who knows what rumors might emerge.

Ultimately, it's entirely possible to transform "Dream of the Red Chamber" into "Dream of Yanlou" and the Twelve Beauties of Jinling into the Twelve Rouge Beauties.

Yan Li never doubted the ability of online gossip-loving netizens and haters to spread rumors on this matter.

Therefore, all things considered, the project of "New Dream of the Red Chamber" would be a thankless task for Yan Li, and he would not and could not get involved.

If you're really envious of the influence of the Four Great Classical Novels, there's more than just "Dream of the Red Chamber."

In fact, Yan Li had already considered the Four Great Classical Novels project last year.

Even Yongle's side brought it up earlier than him, because of the success of "Investiture of the Gods", Cheng Lidong had his eye on "Journey to the West".

Yan Li didn't compete with him. Yan Li felt that "Journey to the West" was difficult to film, it was hard to promote the actors, and it was easy for others to compare it with the 86 version of "Journey to the West".

Perhaps we could participate a little or two, and send in a few actors, but there's no need for us to take the lead in the project, and Yi'an is already too busy.

Therefore, Yan Li set his sights on "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Water Margin".

Promoting someone is definitely more effective than making "Journey to the West" with a wig, but whether promoting them has commercial value is debatable.

But Yan Li is certain that with sufficient investment, a work of this influence would be highly sought after by television stations and could even become a drama that breaks market ceilings.

Moreover, such large-scale productions bring many benefits to the company itself.

Including production experience and talent pool, as well as the company's influence both externally and within the industry, to put it bluntly, producing this kind of drama can generate more impressive financial statements for a company going public.

However, even with just two dramas, Yi An couldn't finish them all.

It's not that we can't handle it, but rather that it's neither possible nor necessary for one person to bear all the funds and risks; bringing others on board is essential.

In Yan Li's mind, if he really wanted to film these two dramas, and the production quality was acceptable, 1 million yuan would be the minimum.

Even a large-scale war drama like "The New Romance of the Three Kingdoms" would probably cost more than 1 million.

In today's TV drama market, where 5000 million is considered a big production, a project of this scale cannot be decided on a whim.

Yan Li only had plans and ideas, but whether to film it or not, and how to film it, all needed to be discussed and planned.

Just look at the current situation of "The Dream of Red Mansions". This is probably the one with the lowest investment cost among the Four Great Classical Novels, but it has ended up being a complete mess.

The other four great classical novels cover a wider range of topics and have a greater impact; the things they contain are quite complicated.

...

Although he was well aware of the intrigues in the new Dream of the Red Chamber, Yan Li was unwilling to get involved, so he resorted to feigning ignorance.

He knew nothing and was completely unaware of anything; he simply came to support Hu Mei.

If there are any rumors, he should clarify and explain them as necessary.

Then, his old friendship with Director Hu was pretty much over, and Yan Li wouldn't be so quick to ask for his help again in the future.

Honestly, Yan Li's current status and fame have been the result of various forms of exploitation and manipulation, and he's actually gotten used to it.
But he came to help out of kindness, remembering our past friendship. You should at least have given him a heads-up beforehand.

I don't know what others think, but Yan Li himself felt quite uncomfortable.

After the show was finished, Hu Mei wanted to invite Yan Li to dinner, but Yan Li politely declined with an excuse.

Before they had gone far on their way back, another phone call came in. After hesitating for a moment, Yan Li told the driver to change routes.

A restaurant

Yan Li shook hands with a short, middle-aged man: "Director Sun, which deity invited you here as a persuader?"

"An acquaintance, an acquaintance."

Sun Si led Yan Li into a private room, and Yan Li was delighted to see the two people sitting there.

"Who do we have here? You even managed to get Director Sun involved. Director Wang, you and I are old acquaintances, why are you doing this?"

Director Wang of Beijing TV is mainly responsible for film and television investment and production. He is also an old colleague of Sun Si, who originally worked at Beijing TV before moving to the propaganda department.

Yan Li and Sun Si had dealt with each other quite a bit, and Director Wang was also acquainted with them. Normally, if there was something to discuss, they would just make an appointment directly, without needing to find a middleman.

After seeing the other person, Yan Li roughly understood what was going on. He knew the other person; he was a senior executive at Hualu Baina.

Hualu Baina may not be a well-known name, but it is actually extremely powerful. It is backed by state-owned enterprise investment and can be described as having money and influence. At the same time, it is also the largest producer of "The Dream of Red Mansions".

Yan Li himself was a little surprised by his own intimidating power; the other party had come knocking on his door right after the show was recorded.

However, Yan Li didn't care. He had nothing to hide. He wasn't afraid of ghosts knocking on his door if he hadn't done anything wrong. He would just tell the truth and wasn't afraid of being tested or schemed against.

Yan Li even had his eye on the senior management of Hualu Baina.

Since they have the money to invest in "The Dream of Red Mansions," I wonder if they are interested in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" or "The Water Margin"?

Yi An's production team and resources are far superior to Hu Mei's.

Yan Li was already quite clever, and with all the training he had received over the years, this kind of occasion was no problem for him at all.

He distanced himself from the situation with just a few words, making it clear to them that he didn't want to get involved, while leaving no room for criticism. How they interpreted it was their business, and he said nothing.

Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, the atmosphere became even more lively, and after dinner, they even went on to have two more parties.

In addition to the original few, there was also the director of "Dream of the Red Chamber" and some more ambitious contestants.

Yan Li was convinced. He had heard that many talent shows were quite chaotic behind the scenes, but he didn't expect "Dream of the Red Chamber" to be the same. How could they possibly select Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai from such contestants?

The contestants were also surprised to see Yan Li there, which fueled their already high level of motivation.

When it comes to big shots, no one here can compare to Yan Li!

Even if the talent show for "Dream of the Red Chamber" fails, as long as you get involved with this person, you'll still have plenty of opportunities to become famous.

Only a few contestants showed up. Three girls squeezed around Yan Li's side, and there was even a guy.

Yan Li was particularly impressed by two people. One was Lan Yan, a graduate of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, who, like Bai Bing, was a member of Yinghuang.

Yinghuang is probably connected to this drama, otherwise she wouldn't have brought in so many newcomers for the talent show.

The other one was named Yao Di, and Yan Li remembered her for two reasons.

One reason is that he had heard about her from a previous recording of a program, where she performed very well and was considered a popular contestant.

Another one was Yao Di, who immediately called him "senior." Only after being reminded by Yao Di did Yan Li remember that he seemed to have seen her at school when he was in school. After asking, he learned that she was a student in the 2001 vocational class of Beijing Film Academy.

Yan Li only stayed at the Beijing Film Academy for two years, so the female students he actually met at school were from the class of 2001.

However, at that time, Yan Li's attention was mainly focused on Dong Xuan, and a small part on Huang Shengyi. He really didn't have much of an impression of this junior.

Putting everything else aside, as a rare talent show focusing on acting skills at this stage, the contestants of "Dream of the Red Mansions" are truly of high caliber.

There are many students from top art schools such as Beijing Film Academy, Central Academy of Drama, and Shanghai Theatre Academy, as well as other art schools such as PLA Academy of Arts and Communication University of China. Some of them have studied dance, opera, guzheng and other musical instruments since childhood.

Many of the contestants have even acted before and have performance experience, but they are not very famous.

These people are all hoping to take advantage of this nationally acclaimed blockbuster to soar to fame and become famous overnight.

Yan Li was once again grateful that he had a system that gave him a cheat code; otherwise, he might have been one of them.

He might have even been screened out beforehand, after all, with his looks and physique, he really couldn't play Jia Baoyu.

Perhaps it was the scenery that stirred his emotions, or perhaps Yao Di, Lan Yan, and the others weren't his type, but Yan Li ignored their ambitions, chatted casually for a bit, and then left when he found an opportunity.

Yao Di and Lan Yan were both very discouraged. A golden opportunity had slipped through their fingers, and they hadn't even gotten his contact information. Wasn't this guy supposed to be a womanizer?
When Lan Yan got back, she even called her agent, Lina, to complain. Before, Yao Di was somewhat reserved and embarrassed, but Lan Yan was very enthusiastic.

She even tried to touch him, but Yan Li remained unresponsive and spoke to her less than Yao Di did.

Could it be that she was too proactive? Does Yan Li prefer a passive type?

But Yao Di was passive; aside from chatting a few more times, he didn't do anything else.

Lina was used to it; no matter how lecherous Yan Li was, he was still an entertainment mogul, a young billionaire, and had seen it all.

Although they were decent-looking, they were all newcomers who hadn't yet established themselves in the industry. They dressed in a rustic and unfashionable way, not much different from ordinary people, making it difficult for them to catch Yan Li's eye.

"If you really want to get close to this guy, you can start with the Stormtroopers."

Lan Yan's agent, Lina, is also Bai Bing's agent. Both of them are newcomers at Yinghuang and both participated in "Dream of the Red Chamber", so they have the same team.

Previously, Lina learned from Bai Bing that he knew Yan Li, so she encouraged her to be brave and take action.

But whether Bai Bing was unwilling or Yan Li was indifferent to her, Lina didn't hear any sound.

Since that's the case, why not let Lan Yan give it a try? At least she's willing to take the plunge, and with today's groundwork, contacting her wouldn't be too abrupt.

The resources and energy in Yan Li's hands are too tempting to pass up; it's worth the risk.

Upon hearing about this, Lan Yan went straight to find Bai Bing. The two worked for the same company and were both recording programs in Beijing, so they were staying at the same hotel.

Bai Bing was already asleep when Lan Yan woke him up. Upon hearing that she wanted Yan Li's phone number, Bai Bing frowned slightly.

"How did you know I had Mr. Yan's contact information?"

"What do you think? Of course, it's Sister Lina."

Both were newcomers, and Lan Yan was slightly inferior to Bai Bing in terms of fame and status. Knowing that Bai Bing might not agree to her request without her knowledge, she brought out her agent.

Sure enough, Bai Bing hesitated as soon as Lan Yan mentioned her agent, but he still tried to refuse by saying that he shouldn't give his number to strangers.

"I'm not a stranger. I was just having drinks with President Yan. It's just that I was a little too late and didn't get his number. Don't worry, I won't sell it to you."

Yan Li's phone number wasn't exactly a major secret.

If Lan Yan really wanted Yan Li's phone number, it might not be easy, but it wouldn't be too difficult either. However, the number she got might not be Yan Li's private number.

After all, it's quite normal for someone of Yan Li's level to have several mobile phones and phone numbers.

While you can still talk about personal matters on a work phone, the nature and effectiveness are far inferior.

Lan Yan didn't know if Bai Bing's number was Yan Li's private number, but she felt it was more reliable and direct than asking around.

"You had drinks with President Yan?"

Bai Bing was very surprised by this. She remembered that Lan Yan had gone out to socialize with the program crew.

I called her then, but Bai Bing disliked such occasions and, considering himself to have connections, couldn't be bothered to respond.

"Yes, Mr. Yan is here too. He didn't come to our program team today; the TV station probably arranged for him to be entertained. This has happened before."

"..."

Bai Bing was speechless. Why did the production team have to keep everyone so tight-lipped? If Yan Li were there, would she not go?

Of course, the production team kept their mouths shut, otherwise all the contestants would probably have gone.

In that kind of situation, having a lot of people is useless; having ambition is what matters!
"Hey, are you going to give it to me or not?"

Seeing the change in Bai Bing's expression, Lan Yan couldn't help but urge him on. Bai Bing, feeling annoyed, snorted.

"No, if you're so capable, go get it yourself."

After saying that, he ignored Lan Yan and closed the door. Lan Yan was left feeling humiliated and went to complain to her agent, Lina.

Lina's call came quickly, but it wasn't to reprimand the White Soldiers; instead, it was a friendly and persuasive conversation.

"If you don't take any action yourself, you can't stop others from making progress. If Lan Yan really gets in touch and benefits from it, I won't let her forget you."

Bai Bing may ignore Lan Yan, who is also a newcomer, but he doesn't dare to offend the agent.

However, Bai Bing still didn't want to benefit Lan Yan. Not only was her relationship with Lan Yan just so-so, and she didn't want her to gain power, but even for Wang Ou's sake, she couldn't let her good older sister's backyard be set on fire.

However, they couldn't disregard the feelings of their agent, Lina. They could refuse, but they had to give a plausible reason.

"Sister Lina, let me tell you the truth. I've been in contact with President Yan recently, and things are looking promising. Giving his number to Lan Yan would only cause me trouble, wouldn't it?"

Bai Bing understood that the agent, Lina, wanted her artists to get involved with Yan Li in order to rise in the ranks and gain some benefits.

As for who got involved, it didn't really matter to Lina.

Lan Yan was sent up because the enemy soldiers didn't make any moves, and they didn't want to waste the opportunity. But if the enemy soldiers made any moves, then Lan Yan wouldn't be needed.

Sure enough, Lina perked up after hearing Bai Bing's words: "Really?"

"Well, I'm not sure, and I'm a little embarrassed, so I didn't tell you. Sis, please keep it a secret for me."

"Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret."

While Lina said this, she considered it in her heart. It was normal for Bai Bing to lack confidence because conquering Yan Li was difficult.

I understand her apologies; after all, she's a latecomer to the field and hasn't been in it long, so it's understandable that she's having trouble adjusting her mindset. Therefore, her words do have some credibility.
Of course, it's also possible that the Stormtroopers were lying to her, and the chances are quite high.

After all, there had been no movement for a long time, but as soon as Lan Yan made a move, it immediately indicated that something was about to happen. It was possible that this was just an excuse from Bai Bing.

But Lina didn't intend to expose him. Compared to letting Lan Yan try, she was more optimistic about Bai Bing, since Bai Bing was the one who had contact with Yan Li and had his contact information.

This shows that Bai Bing had a good impression of Yan Li, which increased his chances of success.

Her support for Lan Yan just now was partly to avoid wasting the opportunity, but it was also perhaps meant to provoke Bai Bing.

Now that the White Soldiers have been provoked, they've started spouting nonsense, revealing their true thoughts.

Then she can get the medicine according to the prescription, and have a reason to urge or even arrange some things.

Lina is a pragmatic person; she immediately abandoned Lan Yan and began to offer advice to Bai Bing.

Yan Li came to record a program today and also met Bai Bing. Bai Bing can use this as an excuse to chat with him and at the same time extend the topic to the drinking party in the evening.

Bai Bing missed the social gathering and Yan Li, which seemed like a loss, but from another perspective, it turned out to be a good thing.

For people like Yan Li, lacking ambition is boring, while being too ambitious makes them seem frivolous.

Bai Bing could easily put Lan Yan and the others down, instead of portraying them as lotuses rising from the mud unsullied. At least it would let Yan Li know that she is relatively clean, thus increasing her attractiveness and value.

Bai Bing was completely bewildered as he listened to Lina's eloquent speech over the phone.

At first glance, this seemed reasonable, but it just sounded awkward. Lina's demeanor didn't seem like that of a manager, but rather... a madam.

Shaking his head, Bai Bing dismissed his thoughts and awkwardly dealt with his agent.

Bai Bing, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, was now worried about something else. Lina was quite concerned about this matter, and Bai Bing couldn't keep giving her the runaround; she had to show her the results eventually.

But no matter how she got this result, she didn't have the ability to get President Yan to act with her.

Hmm, looks like I'll have to ask Sister Ou for help.

Thinking of that kind older sister, Bai Bing felt relieved. She had taken the bullet for her, and Sister Ou wouldn't stand by and watch her die.

Bai Bing put down his phone, intending to go back to sleep, but for some reason, he just couldn't fall asleep.

After thinking about the routine Lina had just taught him, Bai Bing gritted his teeth, pulled up Yan Li's number, and edited a greeting text message.

She didn't mean anything by it; she just disliked Lan Yan and was simply trying to sow discord between her and Lan Yan…

...

Fuli City

Yan Li, who had just finished showering, glanced at the screen, replied with two casual words, and continued looking at Qin Lan.

"and then?"

"Then I listed them as alternate members. How about that? In order to pave the way for Gan Wei to join the group, I also brought in Ying Cai'er, who was recommended by Liu Yun. This way, it's not abrupt and it's balanced."

Jia Yueting, the founder of LeEco, set his sights on the Teddy Sisters group and sent his girlfriend, Gan Wei, to try and infiltrate them.

Upon receiving this task, Gan Wei spent half a year working on it, using her best friend Xiong Naijin to win over Huo Siyan and Li Xiaolu, which cost a considerable amount of money.

Then, through the three of them, they got in touch with Qin Lan, and after a period of cultivating their relationship, they finally got Qin Lan to agree to join the Teddy Sisters group.

Of course, Gan Wei is currently a reserve member and has a so-called observation period, but barring any unforeseen circumstances, she will become a formal member after a while.

Old Jia and Gan Wei were very happy, but what they didn't know was that Qin Lan's agreement to let Gan Wei join the group was under Yan Li's guidance.

As mentioned before, although LeEco ultimately failed, it still reaped considerable benefits during its development.

Yan Li sometimes finds it inconvenient to publicly disclose these benefits. He can use Qin Lan, through the Teddy Sisters group, as a front, to act as his pawns. Whether they profit or lose, it will be unrelated to Yan Li and his company on the surface.

You could call it burying your head in the sand, but often, it really is necessary to do just that.

Qin Lan didn't know what Yan Li meant, but she did whatever he said.

As for Ying Cai'er, she was someone Liu Yun met on the set of "The Deer and the Cauldron," and they had a good relationship. She also got along well with Huo Siyan and gradually became familiar with the Teddy Sisters.

Qin Lan had a good impression of her and felt that they got along well. In order to bring Gan Wei into harmony and balance Huo Li's power, she also brought her into the sisterhood.

The Teddy Sisters group has grown from seven to nine members, and it's almost breaking into double digits.

Yan Li didn't care how many people were in the Teddy Sisters group; he just knew that Gan Wei had joined.

As for Gan Wei's attitude, Yan Li also told Qin Lan not to take it too seriously and to treat her normally.

This is considered a secondary move; it's uncertain whether it will be useful or how long it will take to use it.

Qin Lan nodded to indicate that she understood, but seeing Yan Li fiddling with his phone every now and then, she couldn't help but ask him a question.

"Who are you chatting with?"

Yan Li calmly replied, "Bingbing."

Qin Lan was annoyed by those two words and didn't bother to find out if the surname was Li or Fan. She pestered Yan Li to stop paying attention to the other party, and Yan Li complied and threw his phone away.

"I'm ignoring her, you're ignoring me."

Qin Lan regretted it a little. This bastard had been drinking today, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn't run away, so she had to do everything she could to suffer less.

So she reached behind her back...

　(75000)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)