Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 286 A Huge Pool of Funds and a Charity Night with Four Female Stars Gathering
Before the bull market began last year, Yan Li had already started investing in stocks, a process that had lasted for over a year.

During this period, Yan Li made various investments and acquired properties, with a significant proportion of his funds coming from the stock market.

For example, Yi'an Cinema Line's 1.5 million yuan investment all came from the stock market.

Currently, Yan Li's stock market funds are only around 2.5 million yuan. This is because, for various reasons, he has been making profits while withdrawing funds, keeping the amount of funds in the stock market at a relatively low level.

There were only a few more people coming in towards the end, but they were already preparing to leave gradually.

Throughout the entire bull market, Yan Li himself couldn't say exactly how much money he made.

Because stock market operations involve both gains and losses, although a lot of money has been withdrawn, when the market is good or at certain times, some spare funds will be reinvested.

However, it is clear that after retaining some long-term holdings and withdrawing most of the funds from the stock market, he has at least 3 million+ in cash flow.

Moreover, this cash is not all of his funds.

Yi'an has a sum of money lying in its account, and the company has been consistently profitable to date.

Although most of the funds were reinvested in the project, there was still money in the account, even with Yan Li occasionally withdrawing funds.

Yanye Capital also has money on hand; after all, it's an investment company, so it has some surplus funds.

Furthermore, although most of the companies invested in by Yanye are in the startup and growth stage, a very small number of them are able to distribute dividends. In other words, Yanye is profitable.

Not only dividends, but also shares of companies that are not viewed favorably or whose market conditions are changing can be sold or disposed of, which can also bring in funds.

In addition, Yan Li also invested a sum of money in the newly established Weibo account to support its development, which was enough to support all the initial preparations and operations.

These cash flows add up to more than 1 million, but since they involve company development, they cannot be moved lightly unless necessary.

We also have readily available cash!
During the World Cup, Yan Li invested a sum of money in Hong Kong. Considering the financial crisis, he also prepared funds to see if he could make a profit.

One of these two sums of money is a backup vault outside mainland China to facilitate operations, and the other is the chips used at the poker table.

Making a fortune during a financial crisis is not an easy task.

Many business tycoons and financial giants have died out, so even with the system's help, Yan Li wouldn't be blindly optimistic.

He has achieved what he has today, making hundreds of millions in the stock market, quietly and discreetly pocketing his profits, and with several companies developing rapidly and showing promising prospects, all thanks to one word: "stability".

So, while gambling is fine, one should still be cautious.

Yan Li set aside a special sum of money. If he made a big profit, that would be a given; if he lost money, it would be within his means and wouldn't affect his other plans.

Then there's Yan Li's personal slush fund.

It's all from scraping together bits and pieces here and there, just for my own enjoyment or to buy something. The amount isn't much, less than 2000 million.

Dong Xuan and Qin Lan, because of the so-called backup plan, had been saving some of the money Yan Li had given them.

The exact amount is unclear, but over the years, the two of them together probably have accumulated around 10 to 18 million.

However, the latter two sums of money are purely personal or family savings. If Yan Li is forced to use these two sums of money, he might as well just apply for company bankruptcy and make a comeback.

In short, Yan Li was not only cunning in matters of the heart, but also deeply understood the principle of not putting all his eggs in one basket when it came to personal finances.

Moreover, it should be noted that the above only refers to the cash flow that Yan Li himself can freely allocate.

If he were to use every means at his disposal to raise money through borrowing, loans, financing, etc., the amount of cash he could access would be terrifying.

It's no exaggeration to say that, given Yan Li's reputation and prestige, several banks would be vying to give him money if he asked.

Yan Li was a steady and cautious man. He thought three steps ahead before taking any action, considered the possibility of failure before the possibility of victory, and withdrew from a position if things went wrong.

So it may seem like a "small-scale operation", but if he goes all out and unleashes his full power, coupled with his intelligence system, even the top-ranked players will have their teeth knocked out.

...

After counting the money in his hand, Yan Li felt that his wallet was quite full, and he felt more confident.

Then, they started throwing money around.

In reality, there are only two objectives.

One is Yi'an Cinema Line, whose last two cinemas are basically completed. One is already preparing to open, and the other is in the final decoration stage.

This also officially marks the completion of all the initial construction of Yi'an's cinemas, and at the same time, the company has spent almost all of its money.

Yi'an has money in its accounts. After all, cinemas are not very profitable yet, and the film market has not yet flourished. It is necessary to reserve a certain amount of operating funds.

We don't have to build a new cinema; we can just maintain the current scale. If this money is misused, we might even have problems with salaries and utilities.

Aside from this fixed operating capital, the remaining funds are insufficient to build a new cinema of a decent standard.

If you want to expand, you have to keep investing money!

Because Yan Li wanted to expand significantly during the financial crisis, this investment didn't need to be too large, but it also couldn't be too small.

After all, the financial crisis didn't happen overnight, especially since it caused turmoil in countless industries around the world, which takes time to unfold.

We need at least a year; even if we don't develop rapidly, we can't let it go to waste.

Therefore, Yan Li's plan is to raise 1 to 1.5 million yuan to build 6 to 8 standard cinemas, and continue to build Yi An's nationwide cinema network.

Yan Li personally invested 3000 to 5000 million yuan in this investment.

In fact, considering the financial crisis, Yan Li wanted to spend less money this time so that he could repurchase the shares at a low price later.

But there's no other way. The cinemas are investing but not seeing returns. He's the one in charge, and if he contributes too little, everyone will have concerns. So, it's not just half, it has to be at least 20-30%.

Another target, which is still under discussion, is JD.com.

Before going to Europe, Yan Li met with Mr. Liu of JD.com through the introduction of Mr. Xu of Today Capital.

Yan Li's assessment of him was that he was decisive, insightful, and had a more江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) spirit than even the top students from Renmin University. He also possessed a certain personal charisma and liked to boast.

I don't know if it's just my personality or if I'm trying to attract investment.

Mr. Liu constantly paints grand visions for JD.com, frequently claiming that it will crush Taobao and Amazon.

Yan Li was very familiar with this posture. He had met many entrepreneurs, and he himself was one of them.

A founder who can't boast is not a good founder. Even if the founder can't boast, he must find a partner or executive who can.

However, there are different levels of boasting, and this Mr. Liu's boasting was particularly grandiose, and his tone was quite arrogant.

Yan Li didn't want to discuss whether his boasting was exaggerated or not.

But the fact that Mr. Liu dares to make such a bold claim means he must have a strong vision for JD.com's future. To put it bluntly, given the high cost of financing, he won't easily sell his shares at a low price.

Especially after Capital Today had already invested $1000 million, JD.com's need for funds was not that high.

Prior to the investment, JD.com's revenue was only over 60 million yuan, with fewer than 100 employees. It mainly focused on self-operated home appliances and digital products, and its logistics were still in their infancy.

If Yan Li invests money, JD.com will definitely want it; who would complain about having too much money, especially since JD.com is in a phase of rapid cash burn? But the shareholding ratio is hard to say.

So the last meeting didn't go very well, and Yan Li even considered giving up on investing in JD.com.

Until early September, Yan Li received a monthly intelligence report.

This information isn't complicated; it simply outlines JD.com's valuation for the next five years.

In 2007, which is this year, Capital Today valued JD.com at $1.5 million.

This figure is highly inflated, having benefited from the e-commerce and internet bubble, and the equity stake in Capital Today's financing cannot be calculated based on this ratio.

According to Yan Li's understanding, Today Capital's shares should be around 15%, and Mr. Liu is extremely cautious and conservative about the outflow of shares.

In particular, he knew that JD.com would be burning through a lot of money in the future, so he had to make sure he had enough shares in order to continue to raise funds.

This valuation of $1.5 million is likely due to the combined efforts of JD.com and Today Capital after JD.com received investment from Today Capital.

The valuation of JD.com that Yan Li discussed with Mr. Liu was this number.

He would have to pay $1500 million to get a 10% stake in JD.com. The key point is that JD.com, which is not short of money, will not give up that many shares, and will only accept a 5% stake at most.

Yan Li even suspects to some extent that JD.com's consideration of investing in itself is not only to provide media advertising and internet resources, but also to balance Today Capital.

With more money than shares, Yan Li once considered giving up.

However, monthly intelligence reports showing JD.com's historical valuations led Yan Li to change his mind.

Intelligence indicates that during the 2008 financial crisis, JD.com's valuation was halved, especially during periods of tight cash flow, when it faced a difficult situation and its lowest valuation did not exceed $3000 million.

This valuation was unacceptable to both JD.com and Capital Today. The two parties cooperated and managed to raise more than $2000 million in funding in 2009, which helped them overcome the difficulties and also boosted JD.com's market value, exceeding $2 million.

Following the financial crisis, the economy recovered, and coupled with a favorable industry environment, JD.com experienced rapid growth.

In 2011, its valuation skyrocketed several dozen times, raising $15 billion in its Series C round with a 25% stake, reaching a valuation of $60 billion.

In 2012, it attracted further investment, reaching a total valuation of nearly $75 billion, and began planning its IPO.

The monthly intelligence reports cover the next five years, but Yan Li only sees the present, which is already sufficient.

Not to mention, there are other bits and pieces of information that also prove JD.com has a bright future.

At the current valuation, $750 million for 5% of the shares, even with subsequent dilution, would still be worth nearly $7500 million if a way could be found to retain 1% of the shares.
Moreover, this is only in the pre-listing stage; the price will be even higher upon listing. Furthermore, Yan Li's subsequent investments may not be limited to just 1% of the shares.

Needless to say, one of Yan Li's main reasons for wanting to invest in JD.com was to prepare for a joint e-commerce collaboration with Tudou.com and Weibo.

In Yan Li's view, this deal, which could help his own company and also make money, was worth paying attention to.

However, 5% for $750 million is far less than what Capital Today offered. Even if they were the first investors, he wasn't far behind.

So we still need to talk more. Either offer less money, like $500 million, or give more shares.

Of course, Yan Li also considered giving up this investment and waiting for the financial crisis to buy at the bottom.

But he was afraid that if he didn't seize the opportunity and made a mistake, he might not be able to get on the ship and would suffer a huge loss.

Several million dollars is not something Yan Li can't afford, especially considering the extremely high future returns.

Once on board, JD.com's Series B funding round during the financial crisis will inevitably involve him, and Yan Li might even take center stage.

Moreover, Yan Li also assessed this Boss Liu's character and concluded that he could be considered a man of character.

If we get on board now, and contribute during a future financial crisis, we'll be in the same boat, and both companies will benefit from the subsequent cooperation. This combination of interests and friendship will create an even stronger bond.

If you wait until the financial crisis to buy at rock-bottom prices and then get on board, it's hard to say what kind of image you'll project. You might even be seen as taking advantage, which could affect the cooperation between the two parties.

If both Yian and JD.com were to invest, the total would be around 1 million yuan.

Yan Li still has a sufficient financial reserve to ensure the stable progress of projects such as Yi'an and Weibo, and to protect his own interests.

However, if you want to reap the greatest possible benefits, you still need to see how much of the money you put on the table can be earned.

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.

In September, "The Sun Also Rises" premiered and generated some buzz, but its box office performance was abysmal.

Yan Li's box office estimate was no more than 3000 million, which I thought was conservative enough, but judging from the current situation, it's unlikely to even break 2000 million.

Even more surprisingly, the film went to Venice with great enthusiasm, but returned empty-handed, and only won two consolation prizes at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Aside from eliciting a frenzy among a group of artsy youths and leftists, it failed at the box office and won no awards. From any perspective, it cannot be considered a successful film.

Yan Li was alright. Because of Fatty Yu's gamble and his small share and investment, he didn't lose much.

The Wang brothers felt the same way. They weren't too upset, but they became even more convinced that Jiang Wen was a jinx, and they refused to invest in his next film no matter what.

Mr. Yang, the owner of Yinghuang, had a larger share and lost more money, but he had the demeanor of a movie mogul, acting as if it were nothing and he didn't care.

Yan Li even began to wonder whether he was truly used to losing money, or whether the money he was losing wasn't actually his "money."

He had heard that Boss Yang was involved in many other businesses, with significant interests in Macau and Southeast Asia.

The most listless ones are Jiang Wen and Fatty Yu!
Jiang Wen had high expectations for this movie, but he was slapped in the face several times and was completely stunned. He privately called Yan Li several times to apologize.

Yan Li personally didn't lose much, but he brought in Huayi Brothers, Yinghuang Entertainment, and Bona Film Group. The failure of these projects had some impact on him.

Some people even spread rumors that Yan Li had been successful in film and television investments since his debut, but he stumbled on Jiang Wen, breaking his undefeated myth.

Even the Midas touch couldn't beat a box office poison!
Yan Li himself remained calm; he had thought of this the day he cast the ballot.

He can't carry the undefeated myth; no one can win forever. Putting that pressure on him would only increase the pressure. It's good to cool things down a bit.

Yan Li hasn't been wasting his years of experience; his resume and achievements speak for themselves, and this incident won't shake his foundation.

If you lose faith in someone because of one setback, they're not a good partner. Those who stay are more rational and are actually better partners.

Although Yan Li didn't care, he might as well use this matter to provoke Jiang Wen.

My buddy got ripped off because he supported you. If you're really serious about this, then go and make some money, and we'll prove them wrong.

Yan Li used a combination of reassurance and provocation towards Jiang Wen, but could only offer comfort to the fat man.

With a minimum guarantee of 1 million, Fatty Yu knew the risks were considerable, but he still poured money into buying market share and influence.

However, he himself estimated that "The Sun Also Rises" would gross at least 50 to 60 million, so even if he lost money, the loss would be within an acceptable range.

As a result, the movie's box office is now less than 2000 million, which is still much more than Yu's lowest possible target.

"Yan'er, I really regret not listening to you."

Yu Pangzi was very upset. Bona Film Group didn't make money easily. Its main business, film distribution, had low returns, while film investment was risky. It also used a "cast a wide net" approach, so it lost more money than it gained on projects.

So don't be fooled by Bona's numerous film projects each year, which seem impressive, their actual profits are far less than Yi'an's. Yan Li patted him on the shoulder and sighed, "Victory and defeat are common in war; this isn't the first time you've lost money."

"Unlike me, I've hardly ever lost money since I entered the industry. I'm not used to this kind of crash at all, and I feel like people are laughing at me wherever I go."

Fatty Yu: "..."

That bastard should just shut up if he can't comfort people. Ugh, he's feeling even worse now...

After exchanging a few casual remarks, the two got down to business: "The Sun Also Rises" flopped, and there were only two decent movies this year.

Both "Assembly" and "The Warlords" are scheduled for the Lunar New Year holiday season.

Bona's Fatty Yu plans to talk to Yan Li and try to put more effort into "The Warlords," because if they keep losing money, Bona's profits this year will look really bad.

I don't think so.

Yan Li didn't object to the prospects of the two films, but he definitely forgot about Fatty: "You forgot, there's also Ang Lee's 'Lust, Caution'."

"Wasn't it said that the content was too explicit and failed the review?"

"You're an old movie writer, don't you see this is a test? If it really doesn't pass censorship, no media will report it."

Yan Li has a wide network of connections, and even without an intelligence system, he is better informed than most people.

Ang Lee is an internationally renowned director, and his film "Lust, Caution" won the Golden Lion Award, attracting a large following among movie fans and the general public.

Therefore, the attitude of the authorities is rather hesitant. In such cases, the authorities or the production company will release some information to test the public's reaction.

If there's a strong reaction and people demand its release, passing censorship will be easy; otherwise, it will likely fizzle out.

According to the system's future intelligence, the movie "Lust, Caution" will be quite controversial later on, but at this stage, there is a high demand for its release.

Some people are drawn to it because of Ang Lee, some because of Eileen Chang, some because of Tony Leung, and some because of its explicit content.

Rumors are circulating online that the film will be shown in Hong Kong as scheduled, and in the uncut version. Some movie fans and entertainment enthusiasts are clamoring to go to Hong Kong to see the movie.

Given this level of hype and demand, if the film is of decent quality, it has every chance of reaching the 1 million mark.

Yu Pangzi was somewhat tempted by the news. Apart from Shanghai Film Group, he had not heard of any other distributors for "Lust, Caution". Bona Film Group might be able to get a share of the profits.

"Why don't you Yi'an give it a try?"

Yi An has obvious advantages, and many blockbusters love to collaborate with her. If "Lust, Caution" has any ambitions, it will definitely not exclude Yi An.

"Forget it, 'Painted Skin' is about to start filming, I'm not in the mood for it."

"Tsk, good days are coming. I'll visit the set then."

Fatty Yu is also someone who loves watching a good show; he's never seen a live version of two soldiers vying for supremacy.

"If you want to see it, you don't need to wait for a set visit."

"What do you mean?"

"Mr. Yu, you're not doing so well. You weren't invited to the Bazaar Charity Night."

"Of course I'm invited... Goodness, it seems I have no choice but to go."

...

On September 8th, the Bazaar Charity Night will be held at the China Hotel.

This event started a few years ago and has always had some influence, but it hasn't been very large-scale.

But this year, through tireless efforts, Harper's Bazaar partnered with two major companies, Huayi Brothers and Yi An Entertainment, using artists from both companies as the core, and invited some popular stars to create a star-studded gala.

Five of the four leading actresses and two leading men attended, with only Xu Cainu absent. Of the four most talked-about leading men, only Liu Huohua was absent.

Several entertainment moguls, including Wang Zhongjun of Huayi Brothers, Yu Jianhua of Bona Film Group, and Yan Li of Yi An, were present, along with several entrepreneurs such as Wang Shi. A deputy from the Ministry of Civil Affairs also attended.

There was no red carpet, but there was a photo opportunity where people stood on the autograph board. Sina, NetEase and other portal websites also sent media to cover the event.

Of all the attendees, the largest group came from Huayi Brothers, numbering more than twenty, with more than half of them being their top artists.

Such a lively occasion would naturally be incomplete without Huo Siyan. Not only did she come, but she also brought Xiong Naijin from the Teddy Sisters group.

The latter was relatively unknown and originally had no right to join in the fun, but Huo Siyan dragged her along and took her everywhere, so there was no shortage of photos of her.

This is a common practice in the entertainment industry: veterans mentor newcomers, famous people guide unknowns, and people use these events to gain exposure and free meals.

At these charity events, not everyone who attends has to spend money; helping with promotion and publicity is also a form of charity.

Huo Siyan took Xiong Naijin around, and everyone said that she wasn't popular, but that was within a certain range.

I don't have many friends, but I do have quite a few acquaintances.

Therefore, Huo Siyan felt quite at ease in such situations, and people greeted her or exchanged pleasantries with her everywhere she went.

"Third sister, is it just the two of us today?"

Xiong Naijin was asking about the sisterhood, and Huo Siyan nodded: "It should just be the two of us. Today is Huayi and Yi'an's home turf."

Since Yi An is one of the main characters, Fan Xiaopang will definitely come, and Qin Lan is too lazy to come and see him showing off.

Liu Yun from Huayi Brothers went to film a movie, and not many people from Orange Sky Entertainment came either. Li Xiaolu would definitely tell her if she wanted to join in the fun. Others like Zhao Ke and Gan Wei didn't make a move either.

"Hey, that slut is here too."

Huo Siyan nodded, and Xiong Naijin saw that Wang Ou, wearing a light white dress, had just entered the venue, with Zhang Zhilin next to him. The two were currently filming "Contract Lover" and could act together.

Su Mang, editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar, the host, warmly greeted them.

Huo Siyan was somewhat indignant. When she arrived, the man surnamed Su had only given her a greeting.

Xiong Naijin remained silent. In terms of fame, Huo Siyan was clearly lagging behind Wang Ou, who was being heavily promoted by Yi An and had even started starring in movies.

As for her position within each company, it goes without saying that Wang Ou is the legitimate second sister of Yi An.

Huo Siyan has Li Bingbing, Zhou Xun, and Ruby Lin under Huayi Brothers, and recently signed Annie Yi and Fann Wong. It's hard to say whether she can break into the top five.

Not to mention, Wang Ou also has the very influential Julian Cheung by his side, so it would be strange if Su Mang wasn't enthusiastic.

After dealing with Su Mang, Wang Ou saw Huo Siyan and came over with a pout.

"Hey shorty, why are there only two of you? Where are the rest of the teddy bears?"

"You slut, looking for trouble, huh?"

Huo Siyan was very annoyed. How dare this slut say such things in front of Qin Lan? She'd beat her to a pulp.

Wang Ou deliberately stepped forward, looking down at Huo Siyan: "Can't I just say hello?"

Huo Siyan leaned forward: "Sorry, I don't have that kind of relationship with you."

The two exchanged a glance, then simultaneously looked at a certain part of each other's bodies, snorted, and separated, a sense of unease running through their minds.

"With those short legs carrying two balls, aren't you afraid of falling to your death?"

"Her legs aren't long, her proportions are so-so, and being tall doesn't look good."

In such situations, neither of them dared to cause trouble. Even when they exchanged barbs, they did so with smiles. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were very close friends.

After a while, most of the second and third-tier celebrities arrived, and the truly influential figures began to enter.

Bazaar Charity Night doesn't have a red carpet, precisely to avoid competition for celebrities, but even so, clashes still occur constantly.

The male celebrities were fine, but the female celebrities were at a standstill for a few minutes, especially the "Four Dan and Two Bing" (referring to four top actresses and two top actresses in China), none of whom were willing to be the first to pave the way for others.

This forced Su Mang to personally go and invite someone. After exchanging words for a while, she personally took Zhang Ziyi out.

The two had a good personal relationship, and Zhang Ziyi had come to support them in previous years, so Su Mang personally invited her to accompany him, and Zhang Ziyi gave her face.

But the remaining four were still a bit of a stalemate. Even Su Mang's presence couldn't make a difference. For artists of this caliber, an editor-in-chief couldn't control them, especially since each of them had powerful backers.

Zhou and Li are backed by Huayi Brothers, Shuangbing is backed by Yan Li, and Xiao Yanzi is no pushover either.

Finally, the boss behind Harper's Bazaar stepped in to coordinate, with the two appearing in pairs to reduce friction in the order.

But no matter how they paired them up, things didn't go very smoothly.

Li Bingbing and Zhou Gongzi are not on good terms; the two soldiers dislike each other. Xiao Yanzi and Fan Xiaopang appear to be on good terms, but harbor old grudges from Huanzhu.

Finally, Zhou Gongzi and Fan Xiaopang were paired up, and Xiao Yanzi and Li Bingbing were paired up, barely reaching a consensus.

This is just the beginning; just the appearance alone is enough to nearly kill someone. What if they actually start fighting once they get to the venue?

They're overthinking it. The order of appearances is a behind-the-scenes confrontation. In the public arena, everyone is a respectable person. At most, they might engage in some minor maneuvers, but they would never openly cause trouble.

I wonder which idiot lined up there; maybe they were just trying to create a buzz.

Four actresses and two male actors, plus Ruby Lin, Sun Li, and Tao Hong at one table.

Thus, a few people staged the famous scene of nine people in twelve groups.

Everyone has people they can chat with, people they can talk to, people they can socialize with, and people they can completely ignore.

The atmosphere was particularly awkward between the four actresses and the two soldiers. It was fortunate that Sun Li and the others were there, otherwise, I can't even imagine what would have happened.

"The big bosses are here."

The people at this table were just there to make up the numbers. The relationships between the three beauties from "My Fair Princess" (Huan Zhu Ge Ge) are complicated, and Sun Li, not wanting to offend anyone, kept a low profile except for talking to Fan Xiaopang.

Tao Hong was the only one who knew these people but wasn't familiar with them, and there was no competition between them, so she was relatively more at ease. Unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere, she took the initiative to steer the conversation.

Several bosses came together; they were too lazy to wait in the main hall, so they opened a small room to chat.

Compared to the aging Wang Shi, the pot-bellied Yu Pangzi, the ordinary-looking Wang Zhongjun, and the tall and imposing Yan Li in a fitted black suit, Yan Li stands out from the crowd.

The other people's eyes unconsciously turned to Fan Xiaopang.

The latter, not feeling shy at all, waved to Yan Li generously and then turned to look back at everyone with a smug and proud expression.

My man is so handsome, you guys are so envious!

Li Bingbing suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, while Zhang Ziyi remained outwardly calm but inwardly muttered to herself.

Zhou Gongzi, Sun Li, and Tao Hong smiled kindly or made a joke, while Xiao Yanzi and Lin Xinru exchanged a surprised glance.

After all these years, how did Suo'er become such a lovesick fool?!
Yan Li saw Fan Xiaopang waving, nodded, and continued talking to Yu Pangzi.

The latter was quite concerned about that side, and said with some regret: "Why didn't a fight break out?"

"He's a big shot in the industry, yet he's gossiping like an old woman," Yan Li said irritably.

"How about you go and ask?"

Fatty Yu wasn't that clueless. He sighed repeatedly, "This Su Mang, she doesn't know how to do anything. If you put on a red carpet and each of you is holding a soldier's hand, the effect would be amazing."

Yan Li: "..."

To be honest, although Fatty Yu's idea was a bit bad, it certainly generated a lot of buzz.

Didn't Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, and Lau Ka-ling have that iconic "hand-holding for a century" moment back then? This guy is replicating that famous scene.

However, it's a bit of a waste to use this for the charity gala; we should save it for the promotion of "Painted Skin" later.

Just as I was pondering this, Su Mang came to greet me, her smile incredibly bright.

If someone were to observe Su Mang's smile today, they would find that her smiles vary in level depending on the person she is smiling at.

For those I don't know well or are just ordinary celebrities, I give them a simple, polite smile. But for those who are more famous or well-acquainted, my smile is much more friendly and warm.

When she's particularly close to someone or someone who's very famous, Su Mang's smile not only shines brighter but also exudes a sense of intimacy.

When facing industry leaders and well-known entrepreneurs like Yan Li, Su Mang not only smiled wildly, but also showed a hint of flattery and ingratiation. She even spoke in a slightly high-pitched voice with a hint of coquetry.

Yan Liwei gently pulled Fatty Yu to the front.

Yan Li has seen many women who fawn over and flatter him. Different people have different effects. Fan Xiaopang, a top-notch beauty, is a pleasure, while other pretty women are also pleasing to the eye.

While older bosses might appreciate this approach, it might be a bit off-putting to Yan Li.

Fatty Yu cursed Yan Li in his heart for being "forgetful of lust for righteousness," but fortunately, Su Mang was clearly more interested in Yan Li than he was, and after a while, Fatty Yu dragged Yan Li over again.

"This is President Yan's first time attending your charity gala, and he has shown tremendous support. You must make sure to arrange everything properly."

"Yes, yes, please give me more guidance, Mr. Yan."

Seeing Su Mang chatting warmly with Yan Li, Lin Xinru couldn't help but ask, "Bingbing, is your boyfriend alright?"

"Look at what you're saying, it's just a chat, do you think I'm that domineering?"

Fan Xiaopang didn't take Su Mang seriously at all. Even if Yan Li wasn't picky about food, he wouldn't be that hungry.

Not to mention Fan Xiaopang, even Wang Ou and Huo Siyan at other tables in the venue didn't take him seriously.

Xiong Naijin was also worried about whether Su Mang, being the editor-in-chief, had any inner beauty that might attract Yan Li, and she was concerned for Sister Lan.

Huo Siyan chuckled and said, "Don't worry, no matter how good the inner beauty is, if the outer beauty is lacking, President Yan won't be able to bring herself to kiss you."

If you're not good-looking, no matter how good or intelligent you are, Yan Li can only hope to have you as a soulmate at best...

(End of this chapter)