Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 309 "October Siege": Teddy Sisters Join New Members?

Beijing, Film Bureau
In the small conference room, Yan Li was chatting with Fatty Yu. The old man had been riding high lately.

Of the two blockbuster films released during the Lunar New Year holiday, "Assembly" was forced to be pulled from theaters early, and its box office revenue was less than 1.5 million yuan.

"The Warlords" emerged as the ultimate winner, surpassing 2 million yuan at the box office and becoming the highest-grossing film of 2007. Bona Film Group, as a co-producer and distributor, was naturally delighted.

Two movies that were popular during this year's Spring Festival were "CJ7" and "Kung Fu Dunk".

The former, also co-produced and distributed by Bona Film Group, is expected to gross over 2 million yuan at the box office, which will definitely earn Yu Jianlin a lot of money.

More importantly, in today's film market, by producing and distributing two films that grossed over 2 million yuan, Bona Film Group has once again demonstrated its capabilities as the leading film distribution company in mainland China, greatly reducing the pressure from Huayi Brothers and Yi An Film Group.

Yu Pangzi's Bona is thriving, and Yan Li's Yi An is actually quite good as well.

Yi An was one of the distributors for films like "Assembly" and "The Warlords," and she was the main distributor for the mainland China version of "Kung Fu Dunk."

Bona Film Group is a well-known name, but Yi An's resume wasn't built on nothing.

With its participation in the distribution of several blockbuster films and the success of low-budget films such as "Call for Love," Yi'an Film's distribution business has continued to rise in the industry.

Film production teams have already approached Yi An for collaborations, with Yi An handling independent distribution or as the primary distributor.

The same applies to "Kung Fu Dunk". Raymond Wong's Oriental Films facilitated the distribution, with Oriental handling Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas markets, and Yi An handling mainland distribution.

It's worth noting that when "Kung Fu Dunk" was released, it was during the snowy season, which was actually very unfavorable for the film's release.

However, Yi An overcame various difficulties and, through her own characteristics and channels, combined with the advantages of film, boosted the box office of "Kung Fu Dunk" in mainland China to 1.3 million yuan, making Jay Chou, the lead actor in the film, the new most sought-after star in the film industry.

Such a series of performances, while not enough to compare with industry leaders such as Bona Film Group and Huayi Brothers, are even less likely to rival state-owned enterprises such as China Film Group, Shanghai Film Group, and Huaxia Film Distribution.

However, it successfully made its way onto the table and began competing with various distribution companies in the distribution market.

The two were chatting when Zhang Weiping from New Picture came in, plopped down next to them, and didn't say a word.

Fatty Yu winked at Yan Li, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice, and whispered, "Why would he come to a meeting if he's not making a movie?"

Since the release of "Curse of the Golden Flower" at the end of 2006, Zhang Yimou has been busy with the Olympic opening ceremony, and now, more than a year later, the production of new films has come to a complete standstill.

Yan Li shook his head: "You mean New Pictures doesn't lack money or manpower, so you're just going to keep waiting?"

He understands that New Pictures relies on Zhang Yimou, but he doesn't want to fight him to the death. It would be more beneficial for the company to consider other developments.

"Hmph, to put it nicely, it's a company; to put it bluntly, it's Director Zhang's personal studio. The whole company revolves around Director Zhang's projects. They're used to making money hand over fist, so they have neither the motivation nor the guts to mess around with other projects."

Fatty Yu was somewhat disdainful of the new visuals, or perhaps a little jealous.

The other film companies, regardless of their performance, are all legitimate businesses, while New Pictures is simply clinging to Zhang Yimou's coattails for a living.

Yan Li had this idea to some extent, but he must have also understood New Pictures' approach.

Why take risks when you can make money lying down? Besides, without Zhang Yimou, people might not buy into their schemes.

Yan Li is cautious and suspicious by nature. He would never place the hopes of a company on one person, as it would be too risky and limit its development.

It's hard to say about Mr. Zhang; he might be confident that he can work with Zhang Yimou for life.

After a while, everyone gradually arrived. At last year's meeting, six private film companies attended: Huayi Brothers, Bona Film Group, Stellar Media, New Pictures Film Studio, Orange Sky Entertainment, and Yi An Film Studio.
A new person joined this year: Mr. Wang, the owner of Enlight Media.

In fact, Enlight Media began to lay out its film business in 2006, but at this time last year, it had not yet gained a certain influence, so it was not included in the list.

However, in 2007, Enlight Media invested in and distributed several films, which performed quite well.

In addition, although Enlight Media is a newcomer to the film industry, it is strong in itself and actively seeks to align itself with the organization, thus becoming the seventh private film company at the Film Bureau meeting.

It is foreseeable that with the booming development of the film industry, the number of companies holding meetings in the future will likely increase.

It's just that with the market constantly changing, some of the older people sitting here in this meeting might suddenly "disappear" one day.

The meeting was uneventful, mostly the same old stuff. Then we discussed several key projects of the company and talked about the tribute film for next year.

Oh, and this time the issue of scale and buttocks was also specifically mentioned.

Many people present turned to look at Wang Zhongjun, who had come to the meeting, while some glanced at Yan Li.

There are insightful people in the industry who know how things went wrong with "Assembly".

Some people support Yan Li's actions. Others dislike Yan Li's troublemaking, but most people still treat this promising young man with a smile.

However, Wang Zhongjun of Huayi Brothers seemed quite unfazed, and even invited Yan Li to dinner after the meeting.

Yan Li did not refuse. Huayi Brothers had been relatively quiet lately, so he wanted to investigate and see if they were plotting against him behind his back.

Seeing Yan Li and Huayi Brothers having a gathering, Fatty Yu also went, and Boss Qin from Xingmei also came to join in the fun. As a result, the other companies couldn't go alone, so they pulled together a few heads of cinema chains for a small get-together.

Industry gatherings naturally include discussions about the current film market.

Last year, a total of three Chinese-language films grossed over 100 million yuan at the box office: two during the Lunar New Year holiday, "Assembly" and "The Warlords," and "Lust, Caution" was also released very close to the Lunar New Year holiday.

This year, before March, there were already two movies that grossed over 100 million yuan: "CJ7" and "Kung Fu Dunk".

In addition, there are several other films that have good potential.

"President Yan, your Yi An's 'Painted Skin,' President Wu's Orange Sky's 'Red Cliff,' President Wang's Huayi Brothers' 'The Forbidden Kingdom,' and Director Chen's 'Forever Enthralled,' these four films are all guaranteed to gross over 100 million."

Fatty Yu listed several of this year's hottest films, all of which are recognized as blockbusters, and some are even predicted to break the box office record of "Curse of the Golden Flower".

Yan Li shook his head: "Brother Yu, your information is outdated. Huayi Brothers is preparing to have Director Feng direct a comedy. This is Director Feng's forte, and it will easily break 100 million."

Boss Qin from Xingmei also chimed in, saying, "I remember Yi An also has a movie called 'Peach Blossom Luck,' which has a good cast. The first two movies in the 'Call Transfer' series were good. Are you going to make a third one? If you are, he's a promising talent."

Several other bosses also gave some examples, and Mr. Wang from Guangxian laughed.

"If you calculate it this way, this year is going to be a big year for box office revenue. Maybe all the top ten will break 100 million. The market is booming."

Everyone beamed with joy; regardless of whether things would go smoothly, it was certainly a good omen.

We all make a living this way; when the market is good, everyone benefits.

However, Mr. Zhang, the owner of New Pictures, suddenly sighed: "It's a pity that 'The Kingdom and the Beauty' flopped, otherwise there would have been another film that grossed over 100 million."

Upon hearing this, Fatty Yu immediately turned hostile.

Bona Film Group has been riding high these past few months, but it hasn't been without its setbacks, as exemplified by "The Kingdom and the Beauty".

The film "An Empress and the Warriors" had an investment of over 100 million yuan, with Bona Film Group as the primary producer. It featured many Hong Kong stars, including Kelly Chen, Donnie Yen, and Leon Lai, but the box office only exceeded 40 million yuan, resulting in a huge loss.

I don't know if Boss Zhang simply has low emotional intelligence, or if he sees that the other bosses are making money and can only watch with displeasure, or if he just overheard Fatty Yu and Yan Li's whispers.

Anyway, this stab broke through Fatty Yu's defenses. If the occasion hadn't been inappropriate, he probably would have started cursing.

Yan Li and Fatty Yu were on good terms, so Yan Li wouldn't stand up for him, but he would help smooth things over and change the subject.

"Speaking of which, there's a Hong Kong director named Teddy Chan who's been going around trying to get investment. Have you guys heard of him?"

"They contacted me."

Ms. Qin, the owner of Xingmei, spoke up: "However, this person's appetite is too big. Will they be able to recoup their investment of over 2000 million US dollars?"

Fatty Yu also said, "I've heard about this project before. It's said to have been going on for several years, and they've been trying to attract investment. Apparently, there have even been some legal disputes along the way."

"Ah."

Yan Li explained that the project was first mentioned in the late 90s, but the investment was too large and no one paid attention to it. After waiting for several years, they finally found an investor, but then things went wrong.

The reason this project is back on track is that Teddy Chan asked Chen Kexin for help. Chen Kexin served as the producer and brought in Shanghai Media Group to create a Hong Kong-style city.

Although "The Warlords" lost money, it was actually quite successful and made Chen Kexin a household name.

The projects he spearheaded still have a considerable following.

For example, when Xingmei heard that Chen Kexin was involved, Boss Qin was somewhat tempted, and Fatty Yu also seemed thoughtful.

"President Yan, Yi'an has also invested."

Yan Li smiled without saying a word. Yi An did not participate in the investment, but Juxin, which he led the investors to establish, did participate, and Yi An thus obtained the distribution rights for this film.

To be honest, he was somewhat optimistic about this movie, but not so optimistic.

Moreover, he felt that the investment was not cost-effective, so he asked Juxin Investment to invest.

It's not that Yan Li is trying to rip off the investors. He believes the show is still profitable, but he's not sure how much. Yi An has limited funds and doesn't need to invest in these other shows.

The reason why they preferred to invest in "Bodyguards and Assassins" rather than Yi An's own films was mainly related to the ideas of some financial backers.

These big spenders entrusted their money to Juxin and had Yan Li manage it, indeed for the purpose of making money, but many of them also had a need for face and to show off.

Therefore, many of these people are big movie fans, admiring those blockbuster movies with a large cast of stars, feeling that participating in such projects is exciting. Some, who are more interested in making money, also feel that big movies are safer when looking at the box office charts.

Although Yan Li has considerable control over Juxin's funds, he cannot ignore the thoughts of the investors who provided the capital.

Therefore, he tends to use the funds from Juxin to invest in big-budget films and productions, both to alleviate the financial pressure and to meet the demands of investors.

As for those projects that don't seem very promising on the surface but actually have a higher rate of return than blockbuster movies, Yi An has to handle them herself.

There's no way around it; big spenders don't care about small investments. They prefer projects that require hundreds of millions in investment and generate hundreds of millions in box office revenue. They don't care how much they make; the key is that it's fun and prestigious.

Of course, Yan Li was unaware of any other private needs or operations.

In any case, Yi An and Ju Xin's contracts are all legal and compliant, and everything is clear. What they did in private is their personal behavior and has nothing to do with Yan Li.

Although Yan Li invested some money in "Bodyguards and Assassins", it was still not enough, so today I'll take this opportunity to advertise and see if I can find a partner.

Fatty Yu was somewhat tempted, but when he heard that the distribution rights had gone to Yi An, his interest waned considerably.

Mr. Qin from Xingmei was quite enthusiastic and even made a special appointment, while Mr. Wu from Chengtian hesitated for a moment but remained silent.

Wang Zhongjun of Huayi Brothers remained silent throughout.

It's clear that Yan Li was deeply involved in the "Bodyguards and Assassins" project. He secured the distribution rights, and the actors will likely get a share as well.

In this situation, Bona Film Group and Stellar Media are fine, as they can provide assistance in distribution and theaters, in addition to funding.

Orange Sky and Huayi each have a large number of artists, and their other businesses are highly similar to Yi An's. Unless Yan Li really can't attract investment, there is no need for him to cooperate with them.

With Feng Xiaogang on board and numerous other film collaborations, Huayi Brothers naturally sits firmly in its position.

Aside from "Red Cliff," Orange Sky doesn't have many other notable film projects, so it's understandable that they're tempted.

Unfortunately, Yan Li and Boss Wu did not get along, and the latter was too embarrassed to admit it.

Old Wang of Enlight Media, unaware of the inside story, played it safe and took no action, while Boss Zhang of New Pictures remained indifferent.

After the gathering, everyone went home, or went to the next one in twos and threes.

Boss Qin from Xingmei wanted to take him to Heaven on Earth again, and Fatty Yu eagerly went to enjoy himself, but Yan Li politely declined.

It's novel once or twice, but after a while it gets the same. No matter how many so-called top courtesans there are, they can't compare to real female celebrities.

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 arrived at the Palm Springs Apartments by car, where Huo Siyan and Li Xiaolu, who had been notified in advance, were already waiting.

He's been busy with work lately, and he's been feeling irritable and restless. He wanted to go racing, so he sought out Li Xiaolu, who enjoys being raced.

Huo Siyan wasn't just a side effect; this young lady has been working in the internet industry, and her comprehension has improved dramatically. She can always grasp new demands, solve new pain points, and address user problems comprehensively without any blind spots. From time to time, she can also offer innovative suggestions for new strategies.

One is for enduring injuries, and the other is for novelty, allowing Yan Li to enjoy himself while maintaining a sense of freshness.

In the period after the New Year, Yan Li visited them much more often than he had in the entire previous year.

As the storm subsided, Li Xiaolu, as usual, was completely out of it. Yan Li stroked Huo Siyan's mole and asked a question.

"Tell me honestly, have you deleted the photos?"

Women like Yan Li are quite cautious about keeping souvenirs occasionally, and those like Jiang Xin who consider the future never touch such things.

Wang Ou and Huo Siyan had the most fun. The former was alright; at least she had some sense of propriety, taking pictures but not showing her face. The latter was unrestrained; she was practically ready to set up a camera.

Yan Li didn't care before, but now he knows how serious it is. He deletes what needs to be deleted and hides what needs to be hidden, and he is very cautious.

He had previously asked Huo Siyan to handle it, and she agreed. However, the system showed that the young woman had hidden some more.

This must have aroused some of Yan Li's suspicion, as he was unsure what Huo Siyan intended to do with these things.

Threaten him?
With Teacher Chen's fate looming before his eyes, Yan Li couldn't help but think things through. Moreover, some of the photos involved Li Xiaolu, which was suspected of being illegal.

Huo Siyan sensed a hint of dissatisfaction in Yan Li's tone and quickly tried to explain.

"No, I didn't mean anything by it."

Huo Siyan glanced at Li Xiaolu, then whispered in Yan Li's ear, "I always felt she was too crazy. Who knows if she might cause trouble one day? Leave something behind just in case."

Fearing Yan Li wouldn't believe her, Huo Siyan even analyzed it for him, saying that the photo included Yan Li but also her.

Yan Li hadn't done anything to wrong her, so she didn't need to keep this as a backup plan. If the photos were really leaked, Yan Li might do something terrible, and her life would be over.

The purpose of targeting Li Xiaolu is not to release the photos, but simply to serve as a threat and deterrent.

If Yan Li still doesn't believe her, she can hand over the photos to him to process, to prove her innocence.

"No need to give it to me, I've already deleted it."

Yan Li waved his hand, he didn't care if Li Xiaolu would provoke him, he was confident he could hold her down if she dared to touch him, this photo was meaningless and too vulgar.

"Okay, I'll delete it when I get back."

Huo Siyan nodded. Yan Li glanced at her. This time, if she listened, all would be well; if not, their relationship was over. Regardless of her true feelings, if she repeatedly disobeyed and insisted on leaving things open to misunderstanding, then Yan Li shouldn't blame him for getting angry.

As for the photos, they're easy to handle.

If it's stored online, Yan Li can directly access her account and password to delete it herself. If it's a physical photo, he can also access it to find out where the item is hidden. Once he gets the person to come out, Yan Li has plenty of people under his command who can break in and pick locks.

After a while, Huo Siyan got up to take a shower, and Li Xiaolu, who had been lying down, suddenly got up.

"Damn it, I treated her like a best friend, and she schemed against me like this behind my back."

Yan Li smiled enigmatically: "I remember you also saved a copy of the photo. Do you have another one?"

Li Xiaolu's face paled, and she stammered, "I just wanted to keep it as a souvenir. Don't worry, I've hidden it very well."

Despite the serious consequences of the sex tape scandal, one or two people still didn't think things through.

"deleted."

Yan Li gave the same instructions, and Li Xiaolu responded with an "oh," sounding somewhat perfunctory.

Unlike Huo Siyan, Li Xiaolu was not as afraid of him.

This woman was only after pleasure from the beginning and had no intention of making it last. They rarely met, and her desires outweighed her feelings. She was wealthy, not enthusiastic about her career, and had a somewhat crazy personality. Yan Li didn't have much control over her.

"Forced suppression is not impossible, but it's unnecessary and would cause too much of a commotion," Yan Li thought for a moment and said.

"If this thing is in your hands, it will become a ticking time bomb sooner or later. If your boyfriend or husband sees it in the future, it won't just be me who will be affected."

Li Xiaolu may be crazy, but she's not ungrateful. She has thought about getting married and having children in the future.

In this way, these photos were indeed a burden and a ticking time bomb for her.

"I will delete it."

After saying that, Li Xiaolu looked at Yan Li again, with a hint of doubt: "You asked us to delete it, but you didn't keep a copy for yourself and then come after us."

Yan Li smiled and pinched her cheek: "To deal with you, I need these."

Li Xiaolu thought about it and realized that her behavior just now was a bit offensive. Fearing that Yan Li would be unhappy, she bent down to try to please him.

Yan Li stopped her; this girl's addiction was too strong for him to handle, and he really didn't dare to let her play freely.

Li Xiaolu was somewhat unwilling, but she knew that Yan Li was doing it for her own good. She rolled her eyes and took the initiative to suggest it.

"Next time you come, I'll wear pigtails."

motorcycle?!

Yan Li's eyes lit up slightly. Although it was a small car and wouldn't last long, there was still Huo Siyan.

The next day, Li Xiaolu, who had just recovered, kept pestering Yan Li, so Yan Li could only drive for a while.

Halfway through the process, she couldn't keep going, and with Yan Li stuck in the middle, Huo Siyan was forced to step in.

After Yan Li finished showering and went to work, Huo Siyan complained to Li Xiaolu: "Why are you showing off when you can't do it? My back is about to break, and I have an appointment today."

"Hmph, I would have believed you if you had kept your voice down."

Li Xiaolu still harbored resentment towards Huo Siyan for her scheming, but she herself was not clean either, and she relied on Huo Siyan to help her, so she never confronted her directly, only responding with a retort.

Huo Siyan ignored her, stayed in bed for a while to rest, and then went to take a shower.

"I'm going back to change my clothes. Are you staying here or coming with me?"

"wait for me."

Li Xiaolu quickly washed up, and then the two of them left in Huo Siyan's car. Li Xiaolu didn't go home either. The two were close, and each of them had some clothes at the other's place, so they could just go to the other's house to change.

As for the Palm Springs apartments, they are cleaned daily, so it's not very convenient to leave clothes there.

That's just the surface explanation. More importantly, Yan Li is treating this like a hotel. Who knows who he might bring back and see the clothes?

Upon arriving at Huo Siyan's home, Li Xiaolu went to the bedroom to change clothes. Huo Siyan hesitated for a moment, then found an envelope in a hidden corner of the storage room. She then went to the bathroom, boiled water in a basin, and flushed it down the toilet.

Afterwards, she sent Yan Li a text message, and he replied with two sentences.

A while later, she received a text message with her bank account number; Yan Li had transferred 20 yuan to her to buy clothes.

Huo Siyan understood that this was Yan Li's way of affirming her obedience.

Yan Li's guiding principle was to punish those who made mistakes and reward those who obeyed. Moreover, he was good at understanding people's hearts, and his little tricks could hardly be hidden from him. Huo Siyan had experienced this several times, so she dared not disobey Yan Li's orders and did whatever he asked her to do.

The initial sense of regret vanished instantly upon Yan Li's affirmation and reward.

20 yuan may not seem like a lot, but it's not a small amount for her either. The most important thing is that she got it for free, without having to work hard filming.

Overjoyed, Huo Siyan pulled Li Xiaolu, who was changing clothes, out of the room: "Don't change anymore, let's go shopping and buy new clothes, it's on me."

Li Xiaolu asked in confusion, "Have you taken the wrong medicine? Why are you suddenly being so generous?"

"When has my sister ever done anything wrong? Let's go."

Huo Siyan is really not stingy. She is willing to spend money on food, drinks and entertainment. Among the various gatherings of the Teddy Sisters, apart from Qin Lan, the eldest sister, she spends the most money.

Of course, now there's another younger sister, Gan Wei, who is also very generous and is somewhat stealing Huo's thunder.

"Alright, it seems like a new store has opened in Guomao. Let's go check it out."

It's no wonder that Huo and Li can get along so well. They're both people who love to have fun. The mere mention of shopping and they instantly perk up, even when they're tired.

The two didn't return until the afternoon. After putting away their bags and changing their clothes, they went to attend the evening party.

Since the Lunar New Year, the Teddy Sisters have been trying to get together, but not everyone has been able to attend, so it's always been a small get-together until now.

Since most people were in the capital, Qin Lan used the excuse of celebrating Zhao Ke's birthday, which had recently come up, to throw a big party and also introduce a new person.

When the two arrived at the private room for the party, most of the people were already there, and Qin Lan hurriedly called Huo Siyan over.

"Silk Swallow, why are you so late?"

Normally, Huo Siyan would be the most proactive in this situation, even running around to make arrangements for Qin Lan, but today she almost arrived late.

"Uh, something came up."

When Huo Siyan saw Qin Lan, she looked somewhat uneasy. Usually, she would avoid seeing Qin Lan for two days before meeting her, but this time she had no choice but to bump into her, and she felt extremely guilty.

Li Xiaolu also felt guilty. After saying hello, she went to chat with Gan Wei over there. Huo Siyan was doomed and could only endure it.

Ying Cai'er is also a crazy woman. She put her arm around Huo Siyan's shoulder, pinched her cheek, and grinned.

"Sister Lan, look at Third Sister's condition, is there any need to ask? She had an event last night."

Upon hearing this, the others cast gossipy glances at her, and Li Xiaolu quietly shrank into a corner.

Huo Siyan secretly wished she could tear Ying Cai'er's mouth apart.

When they arrived, she and Li Xiaolu checked each other's makeup and even put on heavy makeup, just in case they were found out. But Ying Cai'er was so sharp-eyed that she noticed right away.

Huo Siyan panicked and remained silent for a moment, while Ying Cai'er, who was smiling and hugging her, was taken aback.

"No way, something's really going on?"

She's not a god who can see through something at a glance; she just noticed that Huo Siyan's behavior today was different from usual, so she made a casual joke.

This is also a common joke among sisters. Men talk about women, and women talk about men, and it's common for them to have a little bit of suggestive banter.

Normally, Huo Siyan would have retorted long ago, but today she couldn't help feeling guilty and was tricked out of her secret by Ying Cai'er's casual remark.

"Third brother, you really looked for someone? Is it someone from our circle? Why didn't you say so?"

Ma Yili is very attentive. Many of the Teddy Sisters are currently in relationships, but their families rarely come to the gatherings.

Qin Lan's boyfriend Yan Li is too busy, as is Gan Wei's boyfriend Boss Jia. Even though the Teddy Sisters group has been around for a long time, there are still a few who have never seen him.

Liu Yun and Ying Cai'er both have partners, but because their relationships have been short-lived and they are unsure about the future, they haven't introduced their partners to the entertainment industry yet.

Therefore, among the entire Teddy Sisters group, only Ma Yili frequently brought her boyfriend to parties.

The idea of ​​one person facing an army of women might sound like wishful thinking, but it's not like that at all. These women are all incredibly capable, cunning, and sharp-tongued.

Facing Yan Li, the big boss, they sometimes dared to make noise and joke around, not to mention Wen Zhang, the little man.

Anyway, Wen Zhang gets a headache whenever he hears about Teddy Sisters gatherings, and he avoids them if he can.

But Ma Yili felt that the Teddy Sisters were useful and wanted to bring him along. She also couldn't bear to see her boyfriend being attacked, so she especially hoped that two more family members would come to help share the fire.

Huo Siyan was pressed by Ma Yili and the others, and since she couldn't escape the questioning and had no way to tell the truth, she quickly came up with an excuse.

"I recently met a guy who's in business. We haven't started a relationship yet. To be honest, I don't have a good feeling about him, and I'm not sure if it will last, so I haven't told him yet."

If you can't hide it, then create one.

Huo Siyan is in her prime, and it would be a bit unreasonable for her not to be dating or looking for a man. Several of her friends had previously offered to introduce her to potential partners.

It's better to make a shield; use it when it's useful, and "break up" when it's not, which can also avoid some trouble.

Why doesn't it last?

Qin Lan pressed her for details, as she supported Huo Siyan dating, and felt uneasy that her good friend was always single.

"Yes."

Following the gossip, Ying Cai'er glanced at Huo Siyan and winked, saying, "Could it be that your new brother-in-law is impotent?"

No way? He's got it covered!

Huo Siyan, fearing that saying too much would lead to trouble and shift the blame, said: "Alright, alright, we'll talk about it later. Didn't we say we'd celebrate Lao Qi's (Zhao Ke's) birthday? Don't just ask me. Lao Qi, when are you going to find someone?"

This time, Li Xiaolu didn't just watch the show; she chimed in. When the others saw that Huo Siyan really didn't want to talk, they assumed something was wrong. In addition, given Huo and Li's high prestige within the group of sisters, they jokingly shifted the topic to Zhao Ke.

Qin Lan, however, remained unaffected and, concerned for her good friend, was about to ask more when Huo Siyan quickly ended the conversation.

"Sis, didn't you say you were going to introduce a new person? Where is she?"

"She's almost there. She has work today, so she'll be a little late."

As they were talking, Qin Lan's phone rang. She gave them the location of the private room, and a moment later, a girl with long hair pushed the door open and came in.

"Yang Mi?!"

The others were fine, but Huo Siyan, who was close to Qin Lan, looked at her with some shock.

What do you mean?
Wasn't she supposed to be Dong Xuan's student? They actually poached her?!

Qin Lan didn't explain. Instead, she pulled Yang Mi aside and introduced her, without mentioning Dong Xuan. She simply said that Yang Mi was her close little sister and emphasized that Yang Mi was about to sign with Yi An.

This is very important. Despite Teddy Sisters' close relationship with Yan Li, none of them are actually signed artists with Yi An.

Yang Mi's signing with Yi An makes her a close associate of the company, and coupled with her relationship with Qin Lan, the implications are self-evident.

In terms of fame, Yang Mi is considered to be in the middle range in today's gathering. With two powerful backers, her future looks bright. However, she adopted a very humble attitude at the party, implying that she was young and asked the older sisters to take care of her.

After the introductions were finished, everyone relaxed, and Huo Siyan took the opportunity to ask Qin Lan a question.

"Sis, what's going on?"

"A bridge for communication, a hostage, an anchor for peace—you can interpret it however you like."

Huo Siyan only half understood, but her attitude showed her resistance and distrust towards Dong Xuan and Yang Mi, reminding Qin Lan to be careful.

Qin Lan remained noncommittal. The current situation is that the two sides are united against Fan. If they want to cooperate closely, they must show some sincerity to each other. They also need someone who can communicate with both sides and satisfy the interests of both sides.

To put it more bluntly, Yang Mi is her and Dong Xuan's joint spokesperson in Yi'an.

However, this kind of thing is easier said than done, and only Chairman Qin and his associates know the truth; even Yang Mi, the person directly involved, only has a vague understanding of it.

Qin Lan wouldn't tell anyone else, including her best friend Huo Siyan.

Considering the old grudges between Huo and Dong, Qin Lan did not give any prior notice. Now, Yang Mi's integration has been entrusted to Liu Yun, Ma Yili and others who are less related to Huo.

Seeing that Qin Lan remained unmoved, Huo Siyan and Li Xiaolu huddled together and whispered amongst themselves.

The Teddy Sisters group isn't recruiting much anymore, and the situation is quite stable. The sudden emergence of Yang Mi, who has a strong momentum, could potentially affect the entire group and even their positions.

Yang Mi also saw this scene and sneered inwardly. She couldn't be bothered with the Teddy Sisters group.

For her, the most important thing was to cling to Qin Lan's coattails.

As long as Qin Lan supports her just like Dong Xuan, her career will rise rapidly, and who cares about a group of girlfriends who just want to eat, drink, and have fun?

No one knew that although Yang Mi was affiliated with Dong Xuan and Qin Lan, in terms of career, her greatest idol was actually her nemesis, Fan Xiaopang.

I am the queen, sweeping away everything, that's true dominance!
"Ahh~"

At the Hengdian "Rouge Snow" film crew, Fan Xiaopang sneezed, rubbed his nose, and then shoved the documents in his hand to Yang Tianzhen, saying dismissively.

"Heh, those two promising talents they searched for all day, and many of them are just like me. What were they thinking, sending a bootleg version to compete against me?"

Yang Tianzhen said, "Those two are quite powerful, sister, we shouldn't be too careless."

Fan Xiaopang nodded: "Send this information to Wang Ou. Yang Mi is coming on strong, and right now we're not the ones who are most worried."

"Sitting on the sidelines and watching the tigers fight, sis, that's a brilliant move."

(End of this chapter)