Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 296 Each Declares Victory, Ip Man's Female Lead

The atmosphere in the private room of the hot pot restaurant was tense, but it was mostly kept to themselves.

Chairman Qin was indeed well-prepared. Regardless of whether they were on the winning or losing side, they always stood united against external forces, cooperated seamlessly, and provided cover for each other. In addition, he claimed to be the rightful heir and led an expedition against the "rebels," which gave him a formidable presence.

Compared to other options, the two-pronged approach is less effective in joint operations, partly due to insufficient preparation and deep-seated conflicts between the two sides.

Sometimes, when one person is being attacked, the other person will even deliberately let them win, just to see their "ally" have some fun.

However, a pair of soldiers is still a pair of soldiers. Although their joint operations are not very close, their individual combat capabilities are stronger.

Fan Xiaopang, in particular, was in excellent form. He held his own against two opponents in a brief one-on-two battle, and with Li Bingbing offering a little support, he was able to stabilize the situation.

The gifts were presented, and it's hard to say who would win.

There's no way to determine the winner. In a verbal argument, unless one side has an overwhelming advantage and one side is still unwilling to accept the outcome, there's no such thing as a victory. Taking action is more straightforward.

Well, in that case, he favors the double-pawn strategy.

As I said before, for non-professionals, fighting skills and physique are secondary; the key is ruthlessness.

Shuangbing is definitely one of the most ruthless people in the entertainment industry; he's absolutely fearless in a fight. Chairman Qin is still a bit lacking in that regard.

Just as he was pondering this, there was a knock on the door. Ding Feng opened the door and poked his head out: "Boss, Mr. Wang from the hot pot restaurant wants to come over and offer a toast."

"This was agreed upon earlier," Yan Li nodded and casually found a seat.

The four women also shut up. They didn't care how they argued in private, but they had to put on an act in front of outsiders.

Especially those who came specifically for Yan Li, no matter what, must give Yan Li face.

A woman who doesn't have this much self-awareness wouldn't be here.

Fan Xiaopang, who was sitting close to Yan Li, also prepared a bowl of hot pot broth for Yan Li. Qin Lan, on the other side, glared at her and poured wine for Yan Li.

When the hot pot restaurant owner came in, he saw Li Bingbing and Dong Xuan half-standing up to serve food to Yan Li.

The hot pot restaurant owner was filled with admiration.

He was so badly controlled by his wife that he didn't even dare to touch the waitress's hand. Then look at Boss Yan, who has four female celebrities accompanying him when he eats hot pot. That's what a real man, a big boss, a really awesome guy.

The hot pot restaurant owner didn't dare to disturb them too much. He had a drink with Yan Li, said a few nice words, and then left the private room.

After everyone left, Yan Li didn't get up. He continued eating the hot pot meat by himself, and as he ate, he noticed that several people were watching him.

"You can continue arguing if you want, I'm hungry, I'll eat something first."

Yan Li was genuinely hungry. He had been rummaging through the hotpot for a while but hadn't eaten. He had already served those ladies well and given them plenty of face. Now that they weren't going to fight, he decided to get back to business.

"I just know how to eat."

Fan Xiaopang muttered something, but he still put some seaweed sprouts that Yan Li liked into the pot with his chopsticks.

"You ate at your place? That's impressive. You're not even the boss's wife yet, and you're already preventing Yan Li from eating."

Qin Lan flexibly positioned herself, immediately joining Yan Li's side to attack Fan Xiaopang.

Dong Xuan immediately followed up: "This is only in front of us; who knows how much worse they would be in private."

As she spoke, she rummaged through the seaweed seedlings that Fan Xiaopang had cut down and handed them to Yan Li.

Fan Xiaopang glanced at Yan Li subconsciously, his face darkening: "Stop pretending to be a virtuous wife and loving mother and putting me down. What we do is none of your business."

Li Bingbing, biting into a hot pot meatball, remained steadfast and unmoved when allies were in trouble.

"Alright, aren't you tired after arguing all day? Eat something, or the broth will get too salty."

Yan Li tapped his fingers on the table. The timing of the hot pot restaurant owner's arrival was quite good. The group had been arguing for quite a while, and they were getting a little tired and annoyed.

But with a formidable enemy at hand, no one dared to back down first, so they all gritted their teeth and continued fighting.

So the incident with the hot pot restaurant owner gave both sides a chance to catch their breath and significantly eased the tense atmosphere.

Yan Li also sat down to eat for this reason; if things got really tense, his carefree attitude would only lead him to get caught up in it.

At the same time, Yan Li's move also seemed to further ease tensions among the group.

However, Yan Li underestimated the conflict between the group. They started arguing again over a single sentence, so Yan Li had to offer another way out.

Not only did Yan Li offer a way out, he also took the initiative to get up and serve food to the group.

To prevent the group from getting into trouble over who should go first, Yan Li used chopsticks in one hand and a slotted spoon in the other, satisfying both sides at once. He also served each person twice, shuffling the order so that no one could find fault with him.

The group, who had been arguing for a while and had somewhat calmed down, temporarily put aside their conflict under Yan Li's "attendance".

I was indeed hungry, so I ate first, and then I'll deal with those two little bitches.

Seeing this, Yan Li was finally able to eat a proper meal, and then he was "happily" fed in various ways.

The women carried their arguing into this, eating while eagerly piling food onto Yan Li's plate.

Fortunately, Yan Li had a decent appetite, otherwise he would have been stuffed by these women.

"Alright, alright, I'm full. I'm going out for a smoke."

Unable to hold back any longer, Yan Li decisively slipped away. Although he wasn't there, the others were enjoying their meal, so he probably wouldn't overturn the table.

Even so, once Yan Li stepped outside, half-full, the tension that had risen again due to their playful competition over food quickly intensified.

There are some things that are not easy to say in front of Yan Li, but since Yan Li is not around, there are no more concerns.

Fan Xiaopang slapped his chopsticks and said, "You two have been working together so well, you've been thinking about joining forces for a while now, haven't you? So, is this a short-term collaboration or a formal alliance?"

Qin Lan gently stirred the condiment bowl with her chopsticks: "Scared?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Two pieces of trash together are still trash."

Fan Xiaopang snorted, his voice sinister: "Don't think I can't do anything to you two. I'm only sparing your lives because of Yan Li. Be quiet, or don't blame me for being impolite."

Dong Xuan crossed her arms and sneered, "Do you think we're easily scared?"

“I admit you’re capable. Don’t treat us like trash. Everyone knows what Yan Li is thinking. If you push him too far, we’ll see who holds more weight in his heart.”

Qin Lan also said with a fierce look: "That's right, the entertainment industry can produce two top talents, but it can also produce two top talents. Yi An's number one sister can also be replaced. Let's see who can hold out the longest in this fight to the death."

Fan Xiaopang certainly had a lot of cards, but neither of them came to the table barefoot.

They are able to fight against Fan Xiaopang, and they dare to fight against Fan Xiaopang. Naturally, they have their own confidence, which comes from Yan Li.

Ultimately, Yan Li was looking for a wife, not a big star.

Fan Xiaopang's career has benefited, but that doesn't mean everything. If they really fight tooth and nail, it's hard to say who will win.

Even if one of them wins, it will be a mess, and someone else might benefit from it.

Li Bingbing remained silent, his eyes thoughtful.

Previously, she was somewhat puzzled as to why Fan Xiaopang, who clearly held an absolute advantage, treated Qin Dong and his two "unknowns" with such caution.

Now I'm starting to understand. These two are indeed not easy to deal with. They might not be able to defeat Fan Xiaopang, but they could take him down with them.

Fan Xiaopang wasn't unaware of this, so although he was fierce, he always suppressed Chairman Qin without actually taking action against him.

Because once she makes a move against Chairman Qin, her opponent will not be these two, but Yan Li.

From an emotional standpoint, Yan Li could not stand by and watch the two women who had followed him since he was humble begin being bullied by Fan Xiaopang.

From a selfish perspective, without Qin Dong's checks and balances, Fan Xiaopang's family will be all-powerful, and the other women will be driven out of the house by Fan Xiaopang. Yan Li's good days are over.

Realistically speaking, Fan Xiaopang is better suited for external relationships than internal ones. She may be a good partner and comrade-in-arms, but not necessarily a good wife. Yan Li is not a robot; he needs a haven, and his family needs someone to take care of them.

Similarly, although Chairman Qin knew that Fan Xiaopang wouldn't dare to fight him to the death, he wasn't sure if Yan Li would be swayed by him.

Fan Xiaopang's obvious advantages are too great. What if this sly fox succeeds in taking over? Therefore, we are always extremely wary of him.

Both sides have their own strengths and concerns, resulting in constant minor skirmishes but no major conflicts, or rather, they operate covertly.

Tsk tsk~
Li Bingbing couldn't help but shake her head. There was a reason why she stopped her sister in the first place. If they got involved, neither of them would have a peaceful life.

Although she is now also involved in some of the gossip, she is ultimately independent and can leave at any time.

Of course, deep down, this is not something to be proud of. Li Bingbing understands very well that if she could compete, she probably wouldn't be able to resist taking part in it.

Thinking of this, her thoughts drifted back to her conversation with Yan Li earlier.

Huayi Brothers is preparing for its IPO, and the two Wangs (Wang Yonghao and Wang Jinyong) have hinted to the company that they are considering allowing artists to subscribe to shares internally in order to win them over and promote the company.

She and her sister were unsure whether subscribing to Huayi Brothers stock would result in a profit or a loss. These days, the combination of celebrities and stocks as a form of capital operation hasn't taken off yet. Many artists don't understand stocks at all, and making money isn't easy, so of course they have concerns.

Yan Li then analyzed Huayi Brothers' operations for her and determined that Huayi Brothers would definitely make a fortune if it successfully went public.

Therefore, it is suggested that Huayi Brothers should give her whatever shares they want, and the two sisters should eat that amount. If they don't have enough money, they can borrow from him. It would be a loss not to take advantage of such a good deal.

At that time, after listening to Yan Li's analysis, Li Bingbing's biggest concern was not how much money Huayi Brothers stock could make, but rather Yan Li's Yi An.

Huayi Brothers made money from its IPO, but how much will Yi'an make from its IPO?
Even if Yi An is not as good as Huayi Brothers for the time being, Yan Li has a lot of shares, and once the listing is successful, his net worth will skyrocket.

Forbes previously stated that Yan Li's net worth exceeded one billion, and with his net worth skyrocketing, it might now be several billion.

The key point is that Yan Li is not even 30 years old yet!

There are so many female celebrities in the entertainment industry who marry into wealthy families, but how many of those families can compare to Yan Li's wealth? Even among those who are wealthier, few are the heads of those families.

The title of "young mistress" sounds nice, but only those who live with her know the reality. Li Bingbing once dreamed of becoming a wealthy wife, but after learning more about the inside story, she gave up on the idea.

Li Bingbing had her eye on Yan Li, but she was too old to afford to waste time with Fan Xiaopang and the others.

In a few years, Fan Xiaopang and the others will be in their early thirties, while she will be approaching forty.

I've never heard of a 40-year-old woman marrying a super-rich man younger than herself.

Even if it existed, the proportion would be too small; Li Bingbing dared not indulge in such a pipe dream.

Life is pretty good now. Yan Li helps take care of things, and my career is flourishing. Although I can't marry into a wealthy family, I earn quite a bit and live a relaxed and carefree life.

Li Bingbing has experienced hardship and knows how to be content with what he has, as well as the principles of knowing when to advance and when to retreat.

With that in mind, Li Bingbing focused on cooking and stopped getting involved in the infighting among the other three.

If it were just a simple verbal battle, she would help Fan Xiaopang, but the situation is different now. If she gets involved, she might get attacked.

As expected, Fan Xiaopang didn't seem to want her support and instead looked at Chairman Qin.

"What do you want?"

"What we want to do depends on what you want to do."

Dong Xuan said something convoluted, while Qin Lan was even more direct: "There's a limit to everything you do; eating alone can easily lead to overeating."

This refers to the recent events surrounding "Painted Skin," and also serves as a warning to Fan Bingbing not to cross the line.

Fan Xiaopang understood, but he couldn't admit defeat: "I have a big appetite, I'm not afraid of being full."

Chairman Qin was even less intimidated: "Then let's give it a try."

"Just try it."

"Come on, give it a try."

Regardless of their true feelings, neither of them wanted to appear weak on the surface, and they all made threats as if they had the other completely under their thumb.

At this moment, Yan Li, who hadn't gone far, heard the commotion and opened the door to come in. He saw several women shouting at him again, their faces red and necks thick.

"What's all the noise about now?"

“They bullied me, saying they would bring a group of people to beat me up and break my legs.”

Fan Xiaopang resorted to underhanded tactics, directly filing a false accusation, which infuriated Qin Lan and Dong Xuan.

"Stop spouting nonsense! You were the one who threatened us first."

Fan Xiaopang looked at Li Bingbing: "I have a witness."

Li Bingbing nodded seriously: "That's true."

"..."

Yan Li rubbed his forehead slightly: "Alright, we've had our fun and eaten, and now the rain has lessened. We all have work to do tomorrow, so let's all go home."

The two sides didn't actually fight, and they've already had a bit of a spat, giving them room to reveal their true feelings. It's about time to wrap things up.

"Then where are you going?"

Fan Xiaopang raised a crucial question, and Yan Li frankly replied, "I have a social engagement in the city, so I'm taking Zhenyu, Deng Chao, and Song Wen out for a while."

He claimed he had a social engagement, but his real intention was to escape. Given the situation today, he had to leave alone to avoid causing an uproar.

As for the three people mentioned, they are from three different film crews and can serve as witnesses and reassurance.

As expected, everyone was disappointed, but the other party didn't gain anything either, so it was barely acceptable.

Under Yan Li's arrangement, Shuang Bing and Qin Dong separated, and this fierce battle came to an end.

On the way back to the "Painted Skin" film set, Yang Tianzhen asked Fan Xiaopang, "Sister, are you alright?"

She realized something was wrong just now, but there was nothing she could do; Yan Li wouldn't let anyone else in.

Even if Yang Tianzhen wanted to show her loyalty to Fan Xiaopang, she dared not disobey Yan Li's orders. Otherwise, no matter how loyal she was to Fan, she would only have the option of leaving Yi An.

"It's nothing, just a chicken or a dog. Trying to cause me trouble? Don't you know your own strength? I just crushed it."

Fan Xiaopang was fairly satisfied with today's situation. After all, it was a one-against-two battle, and it was a last-minute response. Not suffering any losses was considered a success.

Moreover, forcing Chairman Qin to join forces to attack already constitutes a victory for her.

In the other car, Qin Lan and Dong Xuan were also reviewing the situation.

During his visit to the "Painted Skin" film crew, he expressed his attitude towards Yan Li, vented his dissatisfaction with Shuang Bing, and especially gave a stern warning to intimidate Fan Xiaopang.

They achieved all their objectives and built a certain level of trust, laying the foundation for future work. By any measure, they won this time!

On the way to the city, Yan Li silently pondered as he watched Deng Chao and the others discussing where to go for a bath.

Qin Dong joined forces to fight against Fan Xiaopang, which eased the somewhat out-of-control situation in the harem.

Although the various factions harbored considerable resentment during this confrontation, it also gave him an opportunity to demonstrate his abilities. Furthermore, the Qin-Dong alliance and the cooperation between the two factions made him feel that there were some exciting prospects ahead.

Well, no matter how they win, I definitely haven't lost, and not losing is winning...

...

Despite the victory, Yan Li was still busy with the cleanup in the following days.

For Yan Li, the most painful part of the chaotic situation wasn't the confrontation between a few people, but the subsequent cleanup and appeasement, which took a lot of time and effort.

However, with the system in place, he can address the root cause of the problem and skillfully utilize information asymmetry to minimize and quickly alleviate the post-war "trauma."

This is crucial. If Yan Li didn't have this ability, even if he managed to appease her temporarily, the knot in his heart would only grow bigger and bigger, and sooner or later a major conflict would erupt.

Everything has its advantages and disadvantages; there were also some benefits after the great battle.

For example, the relationship between the two actors in the "Painted Skin" crew has improved. Although they are still often sarcastic, the number of arguments has decreased significantly.

Qin Lan and Dong Xuan's relationship also began to enter a honeymoon period, but the one who benefited the most from this was not Yan Li, but Yang Mi.

Dong Xuan allowed Yang Mi and Qin Lan to associate with each other, and Qin Lan did not care about her relationship with Dong Xuan.

During this special period, Yang Mi's unique experiences made her a bridge of trust and a messenger between Dong and Qin.

This job is not easy; she might end up pleasing neither side, and no one trusts her.

However, danger also presents an opportunity. If Yang Mi can appease both sides, she will gain the joint support of Dong Xuan and Qin Lan, which will undoubtedly benefit her career prospects.

Yang Mi, who dared to take risks on both sides back then, now has Qin Dong's tacit approval and, without the slightest hesitation or cowardice, openly continues to play both sides.

This also made Yang Mi a big celebrity in the eyes of many insiders. After all, the last person who dared to do this was Yan Li.

Yan Li, of course, also noticed this audacious young girl, and unexpectedly, she actually managed to stumble out by accident.

Not to mention that she was originally one of the four rising stars of Future Intelligence, just based on her luck alone, Yan Li felt it was worth investing in.

The entertainment industry is all about luck; if someone is lucky, they can become famous without any obstacles.

Some people have good fortune, while others have bad luck.

Hong Kong, an office building

A tall, beautiful woman looked at the middle-aged woman in front of her with dissatisfaction.

"Sister Kim, didn't you say this role was definitely mine?"

"Lynn, don't rush, sit down and listen to me first."

Kim coaxed the tall woman in front of her gently; she had no choice but to. Lynn, whose Chinese name is Xiong Dailin, is currently her top lieutenant.

This year she started her own business, and many of her businesses rely on Xiong Dailin and his network of connections. If things fall apart, it won't do her any good.

Xiong Dailin sat down with a cold face. She was a model and quite famous in Hong Kong and even mainland China. Not because of her profession, but because she was the girlfriend of Aaron Kwok, one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

Although the Four Heavenly Kings are not as popular as they were in the 90s, they are still top stars in the entertainment industry.

Among them, Jacky Cheung is already married, Andy Lau is extremely low-key and cautious about his private life, while Leon Lai and Aaron Kwok still support a group of Hong Kong paparazzi.

Last year, Lynn Hung starred in Aaron Kwok's music video and successfully got together with him. Her status as a potential "Heavenly King's Wife" greatly increased her fame.

The term "preparatory Heavenly King's wife" carries a slightly derogatory connotation, but it also implies a high social standing.

The Four Heavenly Kings haven't been around for nothing all these years; getting involved with them can cause your fame, resources, and net worth to skyrocket.

Xiong Dailin used to be just a small-time model and actress who walked the runway and appeared in some music videos. She hadn't even made it into the film and television industry. After having a scandal with Aaron Kwok, her appearance fee rose to tens of thousands of yuan, and her annual income exceeded seven figures.

Don't think it's a small number. There are many Hong Kong stars, so it's not worth much. Those popular TVB actors and actresses only earn a few dollars a year.

It's not just about money; it also gives you access to resources that Hong Kong actors would kill for.

For example, Lynn Hung, with this title and Kim's help, got involved with Oriental Film Company and was once slated to play the female lead in Donnie Yen's new movie.

Donnie Yen, although he can't compare to those top Hong Kong stars, still holds a significant position in the film industry.

Last year's "Dragon Tiger Gate" and this year's "Flash Point" have both been quite successful, making them representative works in the action film genre.

Starring in her new movie is definitely a crucial step for Lynn Hung as she enters the film and television industry.

Unexpectedly, just as filming was about to begin, the production team informed her that she would be replaced and that she would have no role.

She'd already gotten the press releases out, and her girlfriends' group had already bragged about it. Now that it's all blown up, where does she put her face?

Looking at Xiong Dailin, who was full of resentment, Sister Kim smiled bitterly: "There's nothing we can do. The power is stronger than people. The important investors in the film personally sent people to call Mr. Huang directly. We couldn't stop them."

Xiong Dailin is her top lieutenant, so if possible, she will naturally support her own people.

But the other party was too powerful; not only could she not handle it, but even Young Master Huang and Boss Huang couldn't withstand it.

"Who replaced me?"

Xiong Dailin was still not satisfied. Since Kim couldn't help her, she went to ask Aaron Kwok for help.

"it's useless."

Kim saw through her thoughts and shook her head: "The actor who will replace you is Wang Ou. You should have heard of him. If you haven't, it doesn't matter. You must know Yi An, right? The one who said to replace you is Boss Yan from Yi An."

Yi Anyan is quite well-known in Hong Kong; at least Xiong Dailin knows her. She seems to be a very powerful film and television boss from the mainland, and is acquainted with many bigwigs in Hong Kong.

Let alone replacing Xiong Dailin, even replacing Aaron Kwok, who is behind her, is not out of the question.

Xiong Dailin was discouraged; only family members know their own situation.

She fawned over Aaron Kwok, and although she was still considered favored, she was only a minor character. Kwok would never stand up for a big shot like her.

Even if he is misled by himself, his agent will not allow it.

Her title of "prospective Heavenly King's wife" is just a nice-sounding title; the real sister-in-law is this woman.

Not to mention getting ahead, he's also very stingy with money. Apart from gaining some fame, Xiong Dailin didn't get much money from Guo at all, and had to earn all his own expenses.

"So, that's how it ends?"

Kim, being observant, understood that Xiong had already admitted defeat but just wanted more compensation, so she immediately expressed her opinion.

"The other side in the East is also a bit embarrassed. I'll try to help you out later. If we don't work out this time, there will be other opportunities next time."

"Moreover, from what I heard from Huang Shao, Yi An's side may have also indicated that the movie is unlikely to be made, but Yi An has a lot of TV series and advertising resources in mainland China."

It's not very ethical to snatch roles, but for the sake of their own artists' development, they have to take them when necessary. However, Yi An usually offers some resources as a form of appeasement.

It serves both to silence dissent and to leave room for maneuver.

The entertainment industry is ever-changing; who knows, today's nobody might become a national sensation in the future.

I don't expect this small favor to resolve the feud, but at least I haven't offended them to death. If there's a chance for cooperation in the future, there's something I can do to mediate.

Xiong Dailin nodded, thinking that all his hard work hadn't been in vain.

Kim, in particular, spoke eloquently, stating that moving north is an inevitable trend, and that taking this opportunity to penetrate the mainland market might just turn a bad thing into a good one.

After finally managing to coax Xiong Dailin away, Kim breathed a sigh of relief, took a sip of water, and then thought of that Boss Yan again.

She had met this man once, but unfortunately they didn't connect.

Now, more than a year later, Yan Sheng's career is flourishing.

I heard that he owns dozens of cinemas, handles thousands of episodes of TV dramas every year, and has invested over 100 million in film projects. Even ATV and TVB want to use his connections to sell their dramas to the mainland.

If I could get close to a big shot like that, I'd be rich. A simple flick of my finger would be enough to feed her and her men.

Yeah, when Lynn goes to the mainland later, I'll go with her and see what's going on. Maybe we'll run into each other.

I've heard that this woman is a womanizer; she has no other possessions but a lot of girls under her command.

By the way, it seems Janice made a good impression on Yan Sheng last time; he even gave her a generous tip. I'll take her to see the world when we go to the mainland.

...

Yan Li had no idea that he was being watched; at that moment, he was giving instructions to Wang Ou over the phone.

"Just focus on filming your own movie. I've already spoken to everyone, so no one will dare to bully a mainland actor like you. By the way, Song Wen will be going there soon too. He plays the translator."

In Yi An's entire company, there are two and a half artists who can seamlessly integrate into Hong Kong film crews.

One is Julian Cheung, who is originally from Hong Kong; another is Zhang Songwen, who is from Guangdong Province; and the third is Wang Ou.

That's right. Although Wang Ou is from Guangxi Province, she speaks Cantonese. Although her pronunciation is not standard, she can communicate normally.

Yan Li also learned from Wang Ou that many people in Guangxi Province also understand Cantonese.

There are also those who don't understand, such as Qiao Zhenyu, who is also from Guangxi Province, but he doesn't speak Cantonese very well.

Many Hong Kong films nowadays, although they are co-productions, are still mainly made up of Hong Kong crew members. Being able to speak Cantonese is a great help in the work and filming.

This is also one of the reasons why Yan Li tends to arrange for Zhang Songwen and Wang Ou to shoot these kinds of Hong Kong films.

Other artists can also be filmed, and the final result can be dubbed in post-production, but it's not as convenient during filming and work.

If they can maintain this advantage, it would be a good path for Wang and Zhang, as they could use Yi An's connections to appear in many Hong Kong films.

With Yi An's rise to prominence, it's not just artists like Fan Xiaopang and Deng Chao who are vying for top positions who benefit.

Some of the company's older employees have also benefited from the dividends.

Wang Ou had previously stated that she not only did well in the TV drama and advertising fields this year, but also took advantage of Fan Bingbing's saturated resources and the fact that newcomers had not yet posed a threat to her to secure the female lead roles in two movies, "Contract Lover" and "Ip Man".

Zhang Songwen, Zhou Yiwei, and Lin Jiachuan, these old crew members and brothers, are also doing quite well.

Zhou Yiwei has played more than one leading role, including projects like "The Last Princess" which were mainly controlled by Yi An.

Lin Jiachuan has become a well-known supporting actor for Yi An. If he wants, he will never lack roles, and it will not be difficult for him to get suitable second or third male leads.

Zhang Songwen is successful in both film and television, and Yan Li intends to cultivate him into a powerful actor, assigning him roles that are all worthwhile.

Yang Guozhong in "The Legend of Yang Yuhuan", Lu Qiaoshan in "Lurking", the male lead in one episode of "Peach Blossom Luck", and the translator in "Ip Man".

Even Huang Bo, who has had a relatively low profile since joining the company, was given a choice of comedic roles in TV dramas and was even cast as the male lead in a low-budget comedy film.

Meanwhile, Ning Hao is also preparing a new movie, in which he is very likely to play the male lead.

"One of us" isn't just a phrase; Yan Li is never ambiguous when it comes to providing resources.

"Okay, you can enjoy your birthday without worrying about me."

Wang Ou made the call mainly to wish Yan Li a happy birthday. Knowing that Yan Li was busy today, she didn't linger and hung up after chatting for a while.

Yan Li put down the phone, stepped forward and pushed open the door to the restaurant's private room. Qin Lan, along with Huo Siyan, Yang Mi, and others, greeted him and asked him to cut the cake and make a wish.

Today's birthday party may seem simple, but behind it all was a week-long power struggle between various parties.

Qin Lan and Dong Xuan joined forces for the second time to fight against Fan Xiaopang, forcing Fan Xiaopang to almost unleash his ultimate move of "two weapons at once".

In the end, Yan Li still made Fan Xiaopang withdraw. He had made plans to spend the New Year with her, and it would be too much not to let her celebrate her birthday with Chairman Qin.

Fan Xiaopang gave up, and Qin and Dong discussed it privately for a while before deciding to draw lots. This year's prize went to Qin Lan, and next year's to Dong Xuan.

There was no other way. Yan Li wanted the two of them to stay with him, but they were both afraid that he would create another "courtyard duet" and preferred to draw lots to arrange the schedule.

The two had just joined forces, which was a sensitive matter. After much consideration, Yan Li decided to hold back for now and wait for a better opportunity.

Qin Lan, who had the last laugh, was unusually flamboyant this time, inviting her friends and the Teddy Sisters and other friends to celebrate Yan Li's birthday.

However, it's unclear whether this was pre-arranged.

Fan Xiaopang, Dong Xuan, Yang Rong, Wang Ou and several others called Yan Li one after another to wish him a happy birthday, starting from the beginning of the birthday banquet. Yan Li couldn't refuse to answer, nor could he answer in front of Qin Lan and her friends, which made him "urinate frequently".

"Try this cake, I had Lao Wu bring it from Shanghai."

Qin Lan sweetly introduced Yan Li, but when she leaned close to his ear, her voice became somewhat exasperated.

"Tell those two shameless bastards not to go too far. Leave some room for maneuver, so you can meet again in the future."

That's not how you play. Don't you know you have to accept the consequences of your bet?

Yan Li patted his clothes and phone: "I turned off both phones. Let's just have a good birthday today."

Qin Lan then turned her anger into joy, took Yan Li's arm and sat down, listening to her sister's flattering blessings.

Teddy Sisters often get together, but Yan Li rarely participates in their private gatherings, let alone on such an important day as his personal birthday.

This also proves Qin Lan's place in his heart to some extent, as he calls her "Sister Lan" and "Brother-in-law" very sweetly.

Yan Li also received quite a few birthday gifts, all of which were of high quality; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to present them.

Especially the Teddy Sisters, Qin Lan had privately hinted that they could come to her for financial difficulties, but they absolutely could not embarrass her.

Putting everything else aside, Yang Mi, that little spy, is still around. If Dong Xuan finds out that her sister's gift is meager, I wonder how she'll laugh at her.

The most expensive gift came from Qin Lan, who spent nearly 30 RMB to buy Yan Li a breeding-grade Friesian horse.

Yan Li really liked this "black pearl among horses" breed, and Qin Lan went to great lengths to buy it.

Yan Li was quite happy about the gift, but not particularly surprised, because he already knew about it through the system.

Not only Qin Lan, but Fan Xiaopang and Dong Xuan also wanted to buy him horses. Fan Xiaopang was the most generous, and once planned to import star horses from Europe, but because the procedures were too difficult, he turned to setting up a small horse farm for him.

There's nothing we can do about it. Yan Li is rich, and ordinary gifts won't sway him. He also only has a few hobbies, so it's normal for him to stumble upon inspiration from others.

Thankfully, these women aren't particularly wealthy; otherwise, they might even be eyeing buying him a football club...

(End of this chapter)