Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 301 Giving you face means calling me Director Feng; not giving you face...

The film "Assembly" is one of only two major films featuring an all-mainland cast.

The other one is "Painted Skin," which just finished filming.

However, unlike "Painted Skin", "Assembly" is a work by Feng Xiaogang. With this great director at the helm, the actors' presence and importance are secondary.

In addition, the main creators lacked film expertise, so the film's promotion and distribution were primarily handled by Feng Xiaogang.

Deng Chao, as the second male lead, is also a major selling point.

After joining Yi An and becoming one of the top four male stars, Deng Chao's status and fame skyrocketed. Although he still lacks some foundation, he is comparable to Huang Xiaoming and others in the industry, and is already showing signs of being among the top tier of mainland actors.

Compared to Zhang Hanyu, who was relatively unknown before, and Ren Quan, who was semi-retired, Deng Chao was the main force behind the promotion of "Assembly".

However, Deng Chao didn't seem to care much about promoting "Assembly".

It's not that he doesn't care, but he's too busy. Filming for "Painted Skin" had just wrapped up, and the company had given him a bunch of other work.

Also, the relationship between Huayi Brothers and Yi'an is somewhat complicated, as they each have their own ideas, making cooperation and contact less convenient.

In addition, in conjunction with Weibo, and taking advantage of the upcoming release of "Assembly", Deng Chao's team and Sun Li's team planned a publicity stunt, officially announcing their relationship on Weibo.

The fact that the two were dating had actually been photographed long ago. For various reasons, they neither denied nor avoided the topic, but they never gave a direct response.

This official announcement not only boosted Weibo's popularity but also officially established their relationship, while simultaneously increasing their exposure.

Yi An is the top male star, and Hairun is the top female star; they are both popular young actors and actresses.

Even though it was already an open secret, this official announcement still had a significant impact, becoming one of the hottest entertainment news stories at the end of 2007.

In fact, this wave of popularity also helps "Assembly". Deng Chao is the lead actor in the film, so the film can naturally share some of the popularity.

However, director Feng Xiaogang was very dissatisfied, believing that Deng Chao's words were an insult to his work.

This is a movie, this is art, what are you trying to steal the spotlight with your stinky gossip?

Coupled with Deng Chao's "uncooperative" behavior during the promotional tour, the film's box office performance was strong. Feng Xiaogang, whose temper became increasingly arrogant and irritable, publicly attacked Deng Chao during one of the promotional tours, making him extremely embarrassed.

Not satisfied with that, Feng Xiaogang went to Sina Blog to spout nonsense.

This incident also dragged Yan Li into it.

It seems that Yan Li is using "Assembly" to hype himself up and manipulate Weibo, resorting to all sorts of extreme measures, and his promotional schemes have tarnished his film.

Yan Li was dumbfounded. What the hell are you pretending to be so high and mighty for? Which movie release doesn't involve some gossip and hype?
Huayi Brothers is well aware of these plans. If they were not satisfied, they should have said so in advance. Now that the movie's box office is doing well and they feel confident, they're putting on airs like artists.

Yan Li remained silent with a gloomy face, then called Deng Chao and invited Huayi and Feng Xiaogang to dinner.

When the two Wangs from Huayi Brothers received the call, they sensed that something was wrong.

They'd dealt with Yan Li more than once or twice. That little bastard might seem carefree and easygoing, but when he gets arrogant, he's terrifying.

Not only is he protective of his own, but he's also petty and unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss. Feng Xiaogang has both embarrassed Deng Chao and subtly insulted him, yet he's not willing to let it go.

This is most likely a trap!

Feng Xiaogang didn't take it seriously. "Assembly" performed extremely well at the box office and was poised to become the box office champion of 2007.

Let alone mainland directors, in the entire Chinese film industry, only Zhang Yimou can consistently outperform him in terms of box office performance.

Even ordinary people would get arrogant with this kind of achievement, let alone Feng, who has a rather frivolous and impetuous personality.

Now, he's fawned over everywhere, and he's so arrogant that he's practically looking down on everyone. Otherwise, he wouldn't have done something like publicly humiliating Deng Chao.

With the movie "Assembly" showing in theaters, it's his turn to shine. Why should Deng Chao and Lao be meddling in his Weibo posts?

Even when Yan Li invited him this time, he felt that Xiao Yan was afraid things would get too tense, so she held a banquet to mediate and make peace.

Therefore, Feng Xiaogang did not take the two kings' reminders seriously.

Yan Li is also in the film industry. He'd be eager to collaborate with his cash cow, so how could he possibly turn against him?

Feng Xiaogang decided to attend the meeting with pleasure. Although he was arrogant, he wasn't so arrogant that he lost his mind. Otherwise, he wouldn't have just been implying politeness; he would have been directly naming names and cursing.

Yan is a big shot in the film industry, so we should try not to offend him too much. If Yan Li offers a way out and we say a few kind words, it will be over.

Seeing Feng Xiaogang's confidence, the two Wangs were still a little worried and decided to accompany him.

In case of a conflict, the two of them can still keep things under control.

Not only did the two of them go, but they also invited several of Huayi Brothers' leading artists, including Ge You, Zhou Xun, Ren Quan, and Huang Xiaoming. The more people there were, the less likely it was to cause a scene.

Huo Siyan, Yan Li's exclusive PR representative, was not spared either. She had just returned from filming in Hengdian and was working overtime urgently.

Yan Li arrived a little late that evening, with only Deng Chao by his side. As they approached the door, he gave Deng Chao a few more instructions.

"In a moment, just do what I tell you to do, and don't worry about anything else."

Deng Chao's expression wasn't good. He nodded, though he felt a bit resentful. But as an actor, it was good that the conflict could be resolved peacefully.

"Sorry everyone, I was late because of traffic."

As soon as Yan Li entered, he apologized in a gentle voice. Huo Siyan was the quickest to act, and she stepped forward to help Yan Li take off his coat and hang it on the coat rack in the private room. This made the two kings of Huayi Brothers and some of the Huayi artists' eyelids twitch slightly.

So you're not even going to act anymore?!

The two kings of Huayi Brothers were both born from drinking parties, and most of the remaining artists are also seasoned veterans, such as Ge You and Huang Xiaoming, who are known for their excellent interpersonal skills.

A person who is good at making friends, regardless of their personality, can quickly create a lively atmosphere with a few words from one person and another from the other.

Many people breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Yan Li smiling and raising his glass; it seemed that he was trying to make peace.

Sure enough, after exchanging pleasantries, Yan Li gestured for Deng Chao to get up and serve wine.

"Deng Chao did miss the promotional roadshow for 'Assembly'. Although there were reasons for it, it was still wrong. Chao'er, toast Director Feng."

Deng Chao pursed his lips, but still managed a smile: "Director Feng, it's my fault for not arranging my time well, which has delayed my work and caused you trouble."

Feng Xiaogang glanced at Yan Li and the others, feeling extremely proud.

Deng Chao is considered a prominent figure in the industry, and Yan Li is even more remarkable. After losing face, they still dutifully held a banquet.

He sat there with a smile, raising his glass: "I acted impulsively too, Chao'er, please don't take offense."

After Deng Chao finished his toast and sat down, the others wanted to say a few auspicious words to create a good atmosphere, but Yan Li raised his hand to indicate that they should wait a moment, and then stood up to personally take a cup of wine.

"This glass of wine is for Director Feng."

"Mr. Yan, you're too kind."

Seeing this, Feng Xiaogang couldn't sit still any longer. He could put on airs in front of Deng Chao, but he was still guilty in front of Yan Li. So he stood up as well. Even the others were about to stand up, but Yan Li stopped them and said that he wanted to toast Feng separately.

Looking at the smiling Feng Xiaogang, Yan Li said, "Since this has happened, no matter what, there must be things that I and Yi'an did not do well enough, so I would like to express my apologies to Director Feng."

"Where."

Feng smiled like a chrysanthemum, the white patches on her face trembling. She publicly insulted Yan Li and even made me drink with her. I just want to ask, who else is doing this?

After everyone took their seats, Feng Xiaogang wondered if he should also offer a toast in return, so that everyone would save face. He also felt that doing so would be fine, as it would show off his prestige as the great director Feng.

Just as she was feeling pleased with herself, Yan Li, who had sat down over there, spoke up again.

"I've offered the toast and expressed my apologies, but I still have something I'd like to ask Director Feng."

"explain."

Feng Xiaogang was very straightforward, looking like he didn't understand what I was teaching him, but Yan Li's next words made him lose his smile.

"I want to ask Director Feng, how did I, Yan Li, offend you?"

Upon hearing this, everyone realized something was wrong. Grandpa Ge wanted to speak, but Yan Li stopped him with a look.

At this moment, Yan Li was no longer the polite and friendly person he had been just moments before. His face was dark and his brows were furrowed, and his entire demeanor was filled with suppressed anger.

Is Yi An the distributor of "Assembly"?

Is Weibo a promotional partner of the movie "Assembly"?

Was Huayi Brothers informed of Deng Chao's plan to announce his relationship beforehand?

Yan Li asked three questions in a row. Sensing something was wrong, Feng Xiaogang remained silent with a dark face. Wang Zhonglei stepped in to smooth things over.

"President Yan..."

Yan Li coldly retorted, "Did I ask you?"

Holy crap, I'm also the second-in-command at Huayi Brothers, you know! Who are you trying to lecture?!

Wang Zhonglei was very dissatisfied, but looking at Yan Li's imposing aura, he didn't dare to challenge him and swallowed his words.

Seeing that the Wang brothers remained silent, Feng Xiaogang knew the others were even less daring and could only bite the bullet and reply.

"It seems...so."

"Really? Then why the hell are you trying to show off to me?!"

Yan Li cursed loudly: "You think you're so high and mighty? You think you're an artist? You're going to renege on what we agreed on? Do you think I, Yan Li, am easy to bully?"

"You made two movies and you think you're all that. You think you're something special? Even if you are, you can only eat if Mr. Wang and I let you eat."

"Let me tell you, I'm only being polite by calling you Director Feng. If I'm not, you'll still be Wang Shuo's lackey, the one running errands for him."

"..."

Don't hit someone in the face, and don't respond to insults!
Yan Li's insults were too harsh. The first few sentences were fine, but the last two were like stabbing Feng Xiaogang in the heart.

Feng Xiaogang had thought he had made it big, but Yan Li's single sentence brought him back to reality.

The phrase "Feng Kuzi, who runs errands for Wang Shuo" was particularly hurtful, exposing Feng's deep-seated shame and causing the white patches on his face to turn black with anger.

"You little brat, how dare you curse me..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yan Li smashed the teacup in his hand at him: "So what if I curse you? I'll still get back at you. Let me tell you, this isn't over. If I don't teach you a lesson, you'll think I'm a pushover."

After saying that, Yan Li looked at the two Wangs: "Presidents Wang, you have both seen what happened. It's not that I, Yan Li, am abusing my power, it's that guy surnamed Feng who is shameless."

"I'll do you a favor and discipline your men. If Huayi has any objections and wants to stand up for them, I'll take on the task."

"Chao'er, retreat."

After saying that, Yan Li got up and left. Deng Chao, who was thoroughly enjoying himself, gave a loud "Hey!" and even glanced at Huang Xiaoming.

Look at the boss we work for, he's really inspiring!

The two had just stepped out the door when, before anyone else could react, Huo Siyan stood up abruptly.

"Um, I need to use the restroom."

Then, he followed her out in small, quick steps, and Wang Zhonglei couldn't help but smash the bowl.

Huo Siyan, who hadn't fully left the house yet, heard the sound but didn't react. She just pouted and continued chasing after Yan Li.

I made an excuse to leave only after Yan Li and the others left; it was already a big favor that I didn't follow them off on the spot.

After Huo Siyan left, the atmosphere in the private room was so oppressive that you could hear a pin drop.

Feng Xiaogang, panting heavily, said, "Damn it, I'm not done with him yet."

If you have that much energy, why didn't you smash the teacup back earlier?

Several people were secretly grumbling, but no one spoke up. They focused on studying the dishes and plates in front of them, including Feng's old friend, Uncle Ge.

It's not that he's inconsiderate; whether he speaks or not is irrelevant. It's simply not something he can interfere with.

Finally, it was the two Wangs who spoke up. Wang Zhongjun said in a deep voice, "Xiao Gang, don't worry. The entertainment industry is not a place where Yan Li can run wild. The company will definitely help you get revenge."

Wang Zhonglei also said, "That's right, we have to fight him and let him know how many eyes Lord Ma has."

Regardless of the circumstances, Feng Xiaogang is Huayi Brothers' top director, and those present were all key members of Huayi Brothers. Yan Li's actions were simply too much.

Huayi Brothers must make a statement, at least outwardly, and be very firm, otherwise who will want to work with Huayi Brothers in the future?

Feng Xiaogang snorted and walked away. He had lost face today and really didn't want to waste any more time here.

The others also took their leave. Nobody was stupid. The two kings had remained silent in front of Yan Li, but now they seemed determined to fight Yan Li to the bitter end. It was quite unsettling.

Some people even envied Deng Chao and Fan Xiaopang. No matter what, Yan Li is really protective of his own.

Feng Xiaogang is considered a big shot in the industry. He pointed his finger at Deng Chao and cursed him to his face in order to stand up for him.

No wonder Huo Siyan's heart was with Liu Bei even though she was in Cao Cao's camp. Compared to the two bosses Wang, boss Yan was indeed more worthy of her service...

After everyone had left the private room, Wang Zhonglei drank a glass of wine and looked at his older brother.

"Brother, what should I do?"

"It's not necessarily a good thing, but it's not necessarily a bad thing either."

The two kings were certainly dissatisfied with Yan Li's behavior, but deep down they were also secretly pleased.

In the past two years, Feng Xiaogang has indeed become somewhat arrogant, and sometimes he doesn't even take the two Wangs seriously. However, he is Huayi Brothers' biggest cash cow right now, so the two Wangs have no choice but to fawn over him.

In a sense, Yan Li is also giving Feng a warning today, letting him know who the real boss is.

Previously, with phrases like "You can only eat if Mr. Wang and I let you eat" and "Your subordinates," Wang Zhongjun outwardly appeared angry, but inwardly he wanted to applaud Yan Li.

They and Yan Li didn't get along at all, but from the boss's perspective, they were all on the same level, and Feng became the enemy.

Of course, Yan Li didn't have anything good in mind either.

These two sentences, while meant to be a warning, also carried a hint of sowing discord, and were directed not only at Feng Xiaogang, but at everyone present.

Yan Li only brought Deng Chao with him, and Deng Chao had just stood up for him, showing utmost loyalty. It's hard to say what will happen to Huayi Brothers.

"Damn it, nothing good ever comes of Huayi Brothers running into him," Wang Zhongjun said, scratching his head and cursing Feng Xiaogang.

"You're out of your mind. Why would you provoke him for no reason?"

Huayi Brothers isn't afraid of Yan Li, but the key issue is that Huayi is currently in a sensitive period, preparing for its IPO. Neither side is easy to deal with, and who knows what kind of uncontrollable situation might arise, potentially affecting the IPO. Wang Zhongjun felt that Yan Li, that bastard, had calculated this perfectly, which is why he dared to confront Feng Xiaogang so brazenly in front of the two brothers.

"Let's see what tricks that guy surnamed Yan will pull first. We can't pretend to be deaf and dumb. If it doesn't have much of an impact on Huayi, we'll let them know and make a big show of it."

Wang Zhonglei understood. The man surnamed Yan was sensible. They would play along, with Huayi taking the lead on the surface to give an explanation internally, and then they would leave everything else to their own devices.

It's good that Feng Xiaogang got a lesson; he'll learn his place and become more disciplined. After offending Yan Li, he'll work even more diligently for Huayi Brothers.

The two brothers agreed to leave the private room, but were stopped by a waiter: "Sir, the bill for this private room hasn't been settled yet, you see..."

The two kings: "..."

That guy surnamed Yan is a real scoundrel. He promised to host a banquet, but he actually skipped out on the bill.

...

Palm Springs International Apartments

Yan Li sneezed, then suddenly remembered something. He had been so focused on venting his anger and showing off that he seemed to have forgotten to pay for the meal.

Okay, I'll have my assistant fill it in tomorrow. If Huayi Brothers has already settled the matter, then forget about it.

You made me so angry, what's wrong with treating me to a meal?!

Huo Siyan, who was busy at work, looked up and asked, "Why are you sneezing? Is the heating not working properly?"

Since Yan Li doesn't come often to Palm Springs, some of the setups aren't quite right, which is understandable.

"It's okay, just go about your business."

Yan Li shook his head, signaling Huo Siyan to continue with her work. The latter obediently worked, glancing at Yan Li every now and then, her eyes almost brimming with tears.

Just now, when Yan Li pointed at Feng Xiaogang's nose and cursed him in the private room, Deng Chao wasn't the only one who felt extremely satisfied.

Huo Siyan hurriedly caught up with Yan Li and left, partly out of habit and public relations instinct, partly because she was dazzled and impatient, and partly because she needed to change her clothes.

Yan Li has been learning dance from Wu Jiani these past few days, so he decided to change things up and also give Huo Siyan some pointers on how to use Weibo.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Huo Siyan got up, coughed twice, and went to open the door.

As soon as Li Xiaolu, dressed in light clothing, entered the room, her eyes lit up, and she took the initiative to replace Huo Siyan's work.

Huo Siyan didn't argue with her. Instead, she stuck close to Yan Li and talked to him. Her actions, such as bringing Li Xiaolu into the group and helping with Weibo, significantly improved her standing with Yan Li.

This is also why she took the initiative to tell Yan Li to call Li Xiaolu over today; she needs Li to help her consolidate her position.

On the other hand, with Li around, Yan Li will treat her better.

For example, you'll cherish your favorite car when you drive it, while you'll take extra care of your everyday car, even if you don't love it as much.

There are also some cars that are only temporarily stored and may be transferred in the future. For those cars, the focus is not so much on the vehicle itself, but on the driving experience.

For cars that will definitely be transferred to the owner later, and may not even be considered private cars, people will naturally do whatever makes them happy.

It's hard to say what kind of car Huo Siyan is, but Li Xiaolu is definitely the last one.

She herself doesn't care, and in fact, she wants extreme and violent driving; she won't do anything too gentle.

However, Li Xiaolu did have some opinions.

After driving, she complained that Yan Li rarely contacted her, and he ignored her when she tried to reach him.

Before Yan Li could speak, Huo Siyan spoke up to cover for her, saying that Yan Li was too busy, and she had been through the same thing before, and that her little sister needed to settle down.

She was quite satisfied with the current situation. She would make arrangements for Yan Li's needs. It wouldn't be a good thing if Li Xiaolu bypassed her.

Yan Li thought so too. He didn't trust Li, at least not as much as Huo. Besides, he wasn't short of food; he only needed to try something new occasionally. He didn't need Huo to make arrangements, but he didn't need Huo to stop him.

perfect!

Moreover, even with Li and Huo working together, they could barely manage. If it were Li alone, ending up in the hospital would be a much bigger problem.

Li Xiaolu was somewhat unwilling. The number of times was too few, satisfying her cravings but not her hunger. However, Yan Li did not express his opinion, and Huo Siyan kept pulling and blocking her way, so she couldn't do anything about it.

Glancing at Yan Li's large hand that never left Huo Siyan, and then looking at himself, he thought to himself, "Why don't I also go to Japan and South Korea to level up?"

After a while, Yan Li went to take a shower, while Huo Siyan chattered and boasted to Li Xiaolu about Yan Li's previous prestige.

"real or fake?"

Although Li Xiaolu was excited and beaming with joy upon hearing such a bombshell, she also had some doubts.

That's Feng Xiaogang, one of the most renowned directors in mainland China!
"So what if he's a big director? Even a big director has to watch Yan's face. Just wait and see, there might be more excitement to come. Then you'll see that his power isn't just limited to this."

Huo Siyan's words had a bit of a fangirl vibe, but that's normal. Her personality is such that she likes to fawn over the powerful and belittle the weak. The more domineering and imposing Yan Li is, the more she admires and likes him.

As they were talking, she didn't know what triggered her, but she forced herself to get up and ran to the bathroom to scrub Yan Li's back.

Li Xiaolu also wanted to go, but she was too exhausted, having sustained too many injuries earlier.

Lying in bed recalling Huo Siyan's words, I suddenly thought of my ex-boyfriend, Li Chen.

"Soldiers Sortie" boosted his career considerably, and he landed the lead role in a movie and a TV series, making him a promising young actor that Huayi Brothers values ​​highly.

Not long ago, I invited friends to a gathering to see her. It seemed like I wanted to get back together, but more than that, I felt like I wanted to show off.

It's as if she misjudged him, leaving him back then. Now that he's made it big, does she regret it?

Li Xiaolu certainly doesn't regret it, but she still harbors some resentment because her ex-boyfriend is doing well. However, she has suddenly come to terms with it now.

Having followed a lion, why would I care whether it's a rabbit or a sheep eating grass?!
It doesn't matter what her relationship with the lion is, or whether the sheep or the rabbit is showing off; it's meaningless and pointless.

Thinking of this, Li Xiaolu frowned, got up, and went to the bathroom. She didn't have the energy to scrub her back, but washing her hair would do...

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.

Yan Li's harsh words weren't just empty threats. Since he had already offended him, he would teach him a lesson once and for all.

From the moment Yan Li left the hotel, negative information about Feng began to circulate on the internet.

This guy has never been clean over the years. Yan Li doesn't even need to use the system to investigate; his subordinates alone have collected a huge amount of information.

Besides himself, Yan Li also targeted the TV series "Assembly".

This movie is of good quality, but it's biased, and in a very sinister way.

There's a joke circulating online about the recent Lunar New Year films—

"Lust, Caution" tells us that women are unreliable; "The Warlords" tells us that brothers are unreliable; "Assembly" tells us that... are unreliable.

It's not that no one is revealing the truth, but the current atmosphere on the internet is dominated by dissidents and public intellectuals.

"Assembly" gave them an opportunity to make a fuss over something, and any clarification they made was ignored and suppressed by them.

Even Yan Li didn't make a high-profile announcement, because that would provoke a fierce backlash from all sides.

There's no way around it; that's just how things are these days. There are too many spineless people, and even more who are misled and follow the crowd. It wasn't until the rise of the new generation that they regained their voice.

Therefore, Yan Li could only stand firm in his position, but many things could not be said openly.

We can't do it openly, but we can fan the flames and set the pace, which can still expose the flaws of "Assembly".

Even if it causes controversy, that's bad enough!

These days, the cultural front is relatively loosely managed, but that doesn't mean it doesn't care.

Some things, if you don't weigh them, they're nothing; but once you put them on the scale, they're incredibly heavy.

Huayi Brothers and Feng Xiaogang were directly summoned for questioning by the Film Bureau. Although "Assembly" was not taken off the screens, it gave up a lot of screenings to "The Warlords".

"Assembly" was originally a patriotic film, but it seems to be less popular than "The Warlords".

Master Han also specifically sought out Yan Li. Feng Xiaogang and "Assembly" were suddenly targeted by a dirty trick; even a fool knows what happened.

Master Han was very unhappy about this.

Yan Li can teach Feng Xiaogang a lesson, but making "Assembly" is like smashing a plate.

More importantly, the approach is too sensitive. If it attracts scrutiny from higher authorities, the impact on the entire industry would be immeasurable.

"You've gone too far this time."

Han Sanye is now close to Yan Li, but he only speaks words of reproach. If it were anyone else, he would have already started cursing.

Yan Li remained calm and poured Third Master a cup of tea: "Third Master, I'm in the same line of work. I don't want to do things like smashing plates or putting labels on people. If things get out of hand, I won't be able to escape the consequences."

"But think about it carefully, did I really do it first?"

Master Han was taken aback: "You mean..."

"No matter what industry you're in, you can't just think about your own little corner of the world. You have to consider the big picture. What time is it now? The economy is booming, the Olympics are about to start, everything is thriving, but then the hottest movie of the year says... it's unreliable."

Yan Li had already thought of how to deal with this since he dared to do it, and looked at the somewhat stunned Third Master Han.

"Third Master, there's nothing wrong with developing the economy and the market, but you have to be careful. If things are fine now, what will happen if things turn out badly later?"

"You can see the voices online. Although there are many unreliable people, it's not like no one has pointed them out. 'Assembly' is said to be unreliable, and 'Lust, Caution' has been criticized as a traitorous film."

"Third Master, I don't know what you and the bureau are thinking, but I feel extremely uneasy when I see such statements."

“You say I’m sabotaging things, but I think that cutting myself now, no matter what, is the point of making my stance clear. If those people continue to do things with impunity, it might not just be sabotaging things, it could be a major purge.”

"..."

Many creators in the industry have criticized the censorship system. Although Yan Li also complained, he still felt that it was better than nothing.

With censorship, at least there's a line drawn. Even dancing with handcuffs, you can still manage to dance.

Without review, there will always be some idiots who cause huge disasters and ruin everyone else's lives.

Yan Li felt that if things continued like this, sooner or later they would go from one extreme to the other. Right now, the bias is crooked, but then the bias will be right.

It's both an inevitable trend and a way of paying back debts and making a statement...

As someone working within the system, Master Han was quite sensitive. It would have been better if Yan Li hadn't brought it up, because the moment he did, he realized the seriousness of the matter.

"Damn it, it would be so much better if they filmed some comedies or period dramas. They just keep giving me trouble."

Han Sanye cursed and hesitated for a long time before dragging Yan Li to a meeting, where even more people started cursing.

No matter what you're thinking, if you point it out and then pretend to be clueless, then you're truly a fool.

"Assembly" cannot be taken down directly, as that would easily trigger public opinion. Therefore, a low-key approach is best: reduce screenings and publicity, and then quietly remove it from theaters.

Then there's a meeting to study, and Feng Xiaogang has to attend. He also has to be interviewed and express his feelings, and his attitude has to be correct.

While this move may attract some controversy, the key point is that it dealt with Feng and expressed a stance.

However, it's just learning, and the handling is rather superficial. There's also internal discussion about whether to ban it.

Feng is a big director, so he's quite sensitive. Although "Assembly" was a bit skewed, it received good reviews and was handled well. It was a bit of a borderline film, but most of the movies portrayed a positive image. It would be a bit too strict to take it too seriously.

At this point, someone suggested that they shouldn't use movies as a pretext, since there's still a lot of dirt on them.

Furthermore, there's no need to explicitly ban directors; anyone who wants to make a film can do so, but whether it gets approved for release is another matter.

The meeting was not kept strictly confidential, so a lot of information leaked out, and Huayi Brothers was almost frantic with worry.

The current lukewarm reception of "Assembly" is already a headache for Huayi Brothers; if they drag Feng Xiaogang into this mess, Huayi Brothers might as well give up.

Even a two-year ban on directing wouldn't work; they're in a rush to go public!
The two Wang brothers went around seeking divine intervention and then asked someone to mediate with Yan Li to make peace.

If Yan Li doesn't hold them back, the two brothers might be able to handle it. But if Yan Li continues to stir things up, Feng Kuzi will be badly injured, if not killed.

Of course, the Wang brothers were also pushed to the limit this time. They considered fighting Yan Li, but the key was that they didn't have any serious information about Yan Li.

To make a fuss about Yan Li's womanizing and having multiple relationships is no different from scratching an itch for Yan Li.

Yan Li didn't care if they targeted the artists under his management. He would take down a few, and he would retaliate with a few. It was a lively affair, and it also boosted the traffic on Weibo.

They finally managed to get someone to come and try to take action against the other party from an official standpoint, but before they could even make a move, Yan Li came to their door to invite them to dinner, along with colleagues and superiors.

As soon as the event ended, the phone rang to the two Wangs, saying, "Sorry, the risk is too high. Let's find someone else."

He tried to get his business friends to help him out, but they just said, "We're all brothers here, what's all this fuss about?"

Some politely declined, some tried to mediate, and the most infuriating were those who turned around and questioned why they were bullying young people, warning them not to act recklessly.

Who's bullying whom?!
Wang Zhonglei paced around the office in anger, while Wang Zhongjun sighed repeatedly before finally saying...

"Just admit defeat. I'll ask Third Master to step in. After all, it's not a major conflict, and we still have cooperation. If we bleed a little, he won't go so far as to kill us."

Doing business is all about making money. It's just a battle of wits, not a blood feud. Once Yan Li has humbled himself and given benefits, there's no need for him to fight Huayi to the death.

If they're really pushed to the limit, Huayi Brothers and Feng Xiaogang will go all out, and Yan Li won't fare any better.

"But Xiao Gang is still angry..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Zhongjun's eyes widened, and all the pent-up frustration from the past few days welled up inside him. The usually good-tempered man could no longer contain his emotions and roared out.

"He's the one who caused all this trouble. I've been cleaning up his mess, and he's even slapped all over the place. He's still furious. Am I the boss and is he the boss?"

“He’s spoiled. Tell him exactly what to do: obey him now or he’ll be in big trouble.”

"Damn it, if I can't handle Yan Li, can't I at least handle him?"

While they may praise him in general, it doesn't mean the two Wangs can't do anything about Feng Xiaogang.

The information Yan Li released was merely enough to ruin Feng's reputation, but what he possessed could cause Feng to be utterly disgraced, or even suffer a worse fate.

Since things have already come to this, we might as well take this opportunity to teach Feng Xiaogang a lesson and make him understand that Huayi Brothers belongs to the Wang family, not the Feng family…

　Book recommendation: "The Tumultuous Year of 1984: Starting with Reselling Television Sets"

　　The historical fiction is well-crafted, capturing the essence of the era. The story of how the protagonist builds his fortune and later embarks on entrepreneurial ventures is also quite compelling.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)