Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 312 Water Margin City, Giving Birth, Yang Mi Being PUA'd

In mid-April, Yan Li appeared in his hometown of Zaoshi to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the Water Margin Film and Television City.

As mentioned before, several places were very eager to compete for this project, especially those involving the original sites of Water Margin.

Then there's Zaozhuang City, because the Water Margin Film and Television City needs the cooperation of "New Water Margin," and Yan Li is in charge of "New Water Margin." He's from Zaozhuang City, so the connection is deeper.

To secure this project, the Zaozhuang municipal government put in a lot of effort. Not to mention the efforts of the local parents, the two heads of the family visited Yan Li in Beijing multiple times.

I was touched by their sincerity, coupled with my hometown ties, and most importantly, the conditions offered by Zaozhuang City were favorable.

Yan Li intervened and ultimately helped Zaozhuang City secure the project's approval.

More accurately, it was jointly built by Zaozhuang City and Jishi City, with most of it located in Zaozhuang City and a small portion in Weishan County, Jishi City.

This is also for the sake of harmony. Many of the original sites of Water Margin are located in Jinan City. It wouldn't be right not to let them have some benefits. Zaozhuang City benefited because of Yan Li, so we should at least appease Jinan City.

The entire Water Margin Film and Television City covers an area of ​​40 square meters, with a total planned investment of 12 to 15 billion yuan.

The style is based on the architectural blueprint of "Water Margin" and the ancient architectural complex with the cultural background of Tang and Song Dynasties, including tourist attractions such as Dongping Prefecture, Duanwang Mansion, Zishi Street, and Water Margin Village.

Yi An didn't invest much money, but contributed a series of authorizations such as "New Water Margin," along with marketing and promotion, a series of subsequent collaborations, and a small amount of capital, thus acquiring a 10% stake in the film and television city.

This amount is already quite good, considering that Yi An didn't take much money and still enjoyed many perks from the production crew.

The current shareholding ratio is inseparable from Yi An's strength and resources, Yan Li's current Weibo channels, and the benefits of helping to settle in Zaozhuang City.

If Yan Li had put in more effort, he could have gotten even more, but after thinking about it, he decided to stop there.

One reason is to support my hometown, so there's no need to be so mercenary. The other is that I don't have much real money involved, and many intangible resources can't be directly expressed. If I take too many shares, there might be some trouble later.

10% is more like "hard-earned money," not too much and not too little, which is more acceptable to the outside world. For this small share, some people won't be jealous of him and cause trouble.

After touring the site and having a meal with the leaders, Yan Li took the opportunity to go home.

My parents no longer live in the village, or at least not very often. It's too much trouble with too many people around, so they bought a house in the city.

Grandma Yan still lives in the village, but compared to before, her house has been demolished and rebuilt. The new house is bright and clean, with all the necessary amenities, and there are two people taking care of her.

One was a nanny that Yan Li had specially found for her; she was a professional who was good at taking care of the elderly. The other was Yan Li's niece from her maternal family, whom Yan Li had to call her cousin.

This cousin has a rather pitiful background. She was a widow in her early years, and later the son she raised died in an accident before he could give birth to her grandson.

Grandma Yan called her over to take care of her niece. She usually cooked and cleaned, and her room and board were provided, plus a salary.

No one else, including Yan Li, had any objections. A nanny is a nanny; she can take good care of the elderly in terms of daily life, but it's hard to say about emotional support.

Having a family member on her side to talk to and chat with is a huge advantage for the Yan family, as a few thousand yuan a month is just a drop in the ocean.

Yan Li's parents had only recently returned from the capital, so his main purpose this time was to visit his grandmother.

"Yan...Li, have some tea."

My aunt was a little reserved. Don't let Yan Li's young age fool you; he's a real big boss. Not to mention the group of old brothers who went to Beijing with him, he also invested some money back home, bringing along many relatives and friends to meals.

She also earns money from gifts and favors, so of course we have to be careful.

Not to mention, Yan Li, in his position, exudes an air of authority. Even just sitting there, he can be quite intimidating. Grandma Yan doesn't care, though; she, who has barely met Yan Li, wouldn't dare to put on airs as an aunt.

"Auntie, you're busy. I'll talk to Grandma for a bit."

Yan Li wasn't familiar with his cousin, so after exchanging a few pleasantries, he started chatting with the old lady.

The old lady's health has improved considerably since the beginning of the year, especially her mental state, which is excellent. Her grandson is successful and filial, and she eats and drinks well every day, so of course she's in a good mood.

The only pity is that the old man passed away early and didn't get to enjoy this blessing.

She also told Yan Li to burn some paper money for his grandfather later, since Qingming Festival was only a few days away and the old man would be able to receive it.

Then he kept nagging Yan Li to hurry up and give him a great-grandson.

Zhang Hong did urge him, but not in a rush. Yan Li gave her perfunctory replies, and she couldn't do anything about it. Now that her son is so capable, she can't really discipline him like she did when he was a child.

The old lady was even more anxious; she was more confident than Zhang Hong, and with one sentence, she shut Yan Li down.

"If you were born earlier, I could still see you a few more times. If you were born a few more years later, I might not be able to see you at all."

"Don't talk nonsense, it's bad luck."

Yan Li tried to stop her, but the old lady was quite open-minded: "That's fine. Your grandfather passed away in his fifties. I can try my best to live to seventy and see our family prosper. I'm much more fortunate than your grandfather."

“It’s not that Grandma is urging you, but you’re almost thirty, and this family business needs to be inherited.”

"Whether it's Bingbing, or Xiao Dong or Xiao Qin whom your mother likes, or anyone else, we'll put our minds at ease if you have one child first, then another, regardless of gender."

The old lady didn't want to say anything even harsher, but Yan Li was an only child. If something were to happen to him, besides the women, it would benefit the other branches of the Yan family or Zhang Hongniang's relatives.

Therefore, Yan Li must have descendants. Once he has descendants, he will not benefit outsiders no matter what.

It's hard to say whether Yan Li is the most filial grandson, but he is definitely the best to the old lady.

Grandma Yan had suffered most of her life, but in the end, she enjoyed a life of happiness thanks to her grandson. The old lady was a shrewd person, and no matter what happened in the past, she was now genuinely on Yan Li's side and was doing her best to help him.

Moreover, from the perspective of the Yan family as a whole, the old lady's words were mature and prudent.

When Yan Li had no children, some people would inevitably overthink things. But when he had children, everyone calmed down, which was more beneficial than harmful to the Yan family.

"I will think about it."

Yan Li's words were not perfunctory; in fact, he had been considering this matter since last year.

He is indeed getting on in years, and Qin Dongfan is approaching thirty. Although this matter is not in such a hurry, it should indeed be put on the agenda.

Thirty years old!
Yan Li set a goal for herself: to be established by the age of thirty, to have a child around that age, and to step into the next stage of her life.

Yan Li didn't tell anyone this, not even his grandmother and parents. He had been in contact with Qin Dongfan privately, as it would be troublesome if he were tricked into revealing his secrets, and this also left him a way out.

...

Yan Li didn't stay in his hometown for long. He had dinner with his grandmother, parents, uncle, cousin, and others that evening, visited a grave the next day, and then returned to Beijing.

Upon returning to the capital, Yan Li received news that Yang Mi's contract termination with Rong Xinda was not going smoothly.

"why?"

Yan Li genuinely didn't understand. Yang Mi was determined to come to Yi'an, and they couldn't keep her. Yi'an had already paid the breach of contract penalty and compensation, so Rong Xinda had no reason to force her to stay.

Jia Qian, head of Yi An Artists Management Department, said, "Their perspective is that they are optimistic about Yang Mi's future."

Yan Li understood that Rong Xinda felt Yi An valued Yang Mi and was complaining that the money given was too little.

When Yang Mi signed with Rong Xinda, she was just an unknown, so the penalty for breach of contract was considerable. Even now, Yang Mi is only a minor celebrity, and Yi An's compensation is based on Yang Mi's current fame and status.

Yi An claims she did nothing wrong; Yang Mi had a proper contract, and everyone acted according to the contract. Yang Mi is so famous now, and Yi An is making up for it.

In fact, this is considered Yi'an's way of being considerate. Many companies poach employees without offering any compensation, and they might even negotiate or delay paying the penalty for breach of contract.

However, Rong Xinda doesn't think so. Yang Mi is currently a rising star, but the roles she has in hand and her future prospects are very promising.

Her early departure from Rongxinda resulted in even greater losses for the company; this debt needs to be settled clearly.

What did Yang Mi say?

"She said she would follow the company's arrangements and do whatever the company said."

Yan Li shook her head. She sounded loyal, but she was actually a bit cunning. But that was normal. In a battle between two companies, a small artist like her didn't have much say.

"Tell Rong Xinda that's how it is. If it doesn't work, sue to terminate the contract. There will be no compensation whatsoever."

Yan Li offered compensation because he didn't want to be seen as bullying the weak, but that doesn't mean he's good-natured.

Rongxinda's accounts are well-calculated, but how about Yi'an's accounts?
In the next few years, will Rong Xinda also share in the profits from the various investments made by Yi An in promoting Yang Mi?
Whether it's reasonable or not, strength speaks for itself in the end. Yi An didn't want things to get ugly, but Rong Xinda was being unreasonable, so they decided to settle things with their own strength.

To put it bluntly, sometimes it's no wonder that some people behave badly. If they behave too well, people will think they are easy to talk to and easy to bully.

Jia Qian didn't move, and hesitated before saying, "Rong Xinda has some information about Yang Mi."

"What material?"

Yan Li inquired, and Jia Qian gave a brief explanation. It was definitely not fatal, otherwise Yang Mi wouldn't have dared to leave, but it would certainly have some impact on Yang Mi.

Forcibly removing a promising seedling only resulted in it withering by half, a net loss for Yi'an. This is also the source of Rong Xinda's confidence in negotiations.

"That's ruthless."

Yan Li sighed with some emotion. Rong Xinda had truly fallen from grace; they were resorting to such tactics.

When Zhou Gongzi left Rong Xinda, Li Xiaowan was angry and lost her composure, saying some strange things, but overall she didn't completely break off relations and maintained a dignified parting.

Rongxinda is currently struggling, and apart from "New Dream of the Red Chamber," it's almost like a pure artist management company.

The original vision is gone; they're resorting to mutually destructive tactics to blackmail the artists and Yi An. Jia Qian, who also works in artist management, can actually understand Rong Xinda's actions to some extent.

"After Zhou Gongzi left, Rong Xinda's most outstanding talent was Chen Kun. However, after he failed to be selected as one of the top four talents, rumors circulated that he had a falling out with Rong Xinda. Chen Kun's contract with Rong Xinda only had two years left. Once he left, Rong Xinda would have no pillar of support."

"Yang Mi and Zhang Jingchu are currently the most promising artists under Rongxinda."

"Zhang Jingchu mainly focuses on film production, and Rong Xinda can't offer much assistance. I've heard that Zhang has already contacted Huayi Brothers."

"So, the only card Rong Xinda can play right now is Yang Mi. Yang Mi told me that Rong Xinda said they could make her the number one female star in order to keep her."

"..."

Yan Li nodded. According to that logic, Rong Xinda still has Yi An's problem today.

In particular, the four top male stars directly pushed Chen Kun, the top male star of Rong Xinda, back from the top mainland actors to the second tier.

This is somewhat different from Hu Ge of Tangren.

Tangren Media also wanted to compete for the top spot among the "Four Great Male Stars" at that time, but failed. So they decisively changed their strategy, bypassing the "Four Great Male Stars" and becoming the most popular young actor of the new generation or the most popular young actor of the post-80s generation as a member of the post-80s generation.

In this way, even if we can't compete with the top four, we're not on the same track, which gives us room to maneuver and overtake.

But Chen Kun is different. He is older than the four top leaders, and his contemporaries cannot take shortcuts. Unless he breaks the deadlock with a strong force, he can only be suppressed by the four top leaders.

Don't underestimate this point. In the entertainment industry, the winner takes all, and the treatment of top artists is on a completely different level compared to those of the lower-ranking artists.

The four top figures occupy the first tier, so they will get the lion's share. Chen Kun will be suppressed, and many resources and opportunities will have to wait until the four top figures have chosen their turn.

This is equivalent to demoting Chen Kun to a lower level, and it's easier to fall than to rise again. At least Rong Xinda is unlikely to help Chen Kun move up.

Meanwhile, with Chen Kun, a pillar of the company, in trouble, Rong Xinda was also affected, and indirectly affected others, including Yang Mi.

Yan Li pondered for a moment. In his memory, Rong Xinda was still the company that was doing well before, so he was surprised by the other party's behavior.

But now it seems that it is indeed not easy. After thinking about it, he finally agreed.

"How about this, you go and talk to them again. In addition to the conditions from before, Li Xiaowan has a son, right? Yi An can give him some resources as a favor from Yi An."

"That's all. If Rong Xinda still doesn't give us face, then we'll just do whatever we want."

Yan Li glanced at Jia Qian: "Tell her exactly what I said: she can ruin Yang Mi, but I will make all Rong Xinda artists get out of here with Yang Mi. And that 'New Dream of the Red Chamber,' don't think that others don't know about some of the dirty secrets."

Rongxinda is not easy to succeed, but it is not Yan Li's company either.

Considering their past dealings, he offered another way out; if they didn't accept, then Yan Li wouldn't hesitate to take drastic measures.

Compared to other entertainment company bosses, Yan Li is still considered a human being, but sometimes he can be a little less human.

"understood."

Jia Qian nodded, not at all feeling that Yan Li was being excessive; on the contrary, she felt that Yan Li was being a little too polite.

If it were her, she wouldn't even bother arguing with Rong Xinda; she would just have Yang Mi terminate her contract and leave.

But she also understood that President Yan had his own considerations. Yan Li had hinted at some of Yi An's future development, so she still had to protect her reputation to some extent.

"and many more."

Just as Jia Qian was leaving, Yan Li suddenly called out to her: "Talk to Yang Mi about Rong Xinda not releasing her, and let her know that the company has gone through a lot for her."

When people switch jobs, they will definitely compare their old and new employers, not only comparing the good and the bad.

Yang Mi's future prospects are still pretty good. Taking this opportunity to criticize Rong Xinda will increase Yang Mi's sense of belonging and loyalty to the company. It's a win-win situation.

Jia Qian understood Yan Li's meaning and, during her conversation with Yang Mi, made some adjustments.

Yang Mi is still young, only in her early twenties. Although she is more mature than her peers in many ways, she still lacks composure and experience.

Joining Yi'an was something she had always wanted to do, and she was just one step away from it, but she was stopped, so you can imagine how upset she was.

Now, after being intimidated by Jia Qian, he directly called Li Xiaowan to question her.

Rong Xinda said he would offer compensation, but that was a last resort. It would be best to keep Yang Mi. So Li Xiaowan didn't mention her true thoughts. Instead, she tried to persuade Yang Mi. In the latter's view, this confirmed what Jia Qian had said: Rong Xinda was determined not to release her.

Both of them were dissatisfied; one wanted to leave, while the other didn't want him to leave, and the conversation quickly became heated.

Yang Mi expressed some grievances at the company, and believed that she had made money for the company over the years and had given back to the company.

The company has limited resources now. They want the horse to run but don't give it grass. Yi'an has given her a better future, with breach of contract penalties and compensation. They have done everything they could. Why won't the company grant her this wish?

Li Xiaowan, however, believed that Yang Mi was ungrateful. Without Rong Xinda, she wouldn't be where she is today. Now that she's become independent, she's complaining about the company's lack of resources. She's a heartless ingrate.

As I said before, the relationship between artists and entertainment companies is a murky affair.

Both sides have their own reasons, it all depends on whose side you're on.

The two women got increasingly heated as they argued. Li Xiaowan, unhappy that Yang Mi was being difficult, made some harsh remarks and threatened her with dirt on her.

This move truly chilled Yang Mi's heart; it seemed like they wanted to ruin her.

Yang Mi signed with Rong Xinda when she was a teenager, and there weren't many conflicts before. Even though she wasn't in several of the main roles in "The Dream of Red Mansions" and was given a maid instead, she felt that she wanted to go to Yi'an, and the company was unhappy, so it's understandable that she did that.

Therefore, Yang Mi still has some feelings for Rong Xinda. Originally, when Jia Qian said that Rong Xinda was going to expose her dirty secrets, she was a little skeptical.

Now that Li has spoken for himself, Yang Mi's lingering feelings have been shattered.

"Do whatever you want, I'm not going back to Rongxinda."

Yang Mi hung up the phone and posted another Weibo post expressing her attitude and determination.

"If you're so capable, kill me. If you can't, just wait and see me become even stronger."

Yan Li, who routinely checks Weibo, came across this post, gave it a like, and then called Qin Lan and Dong Xuan respectively.

The little girl is going through a low point and is emotionally vulnerable. Increase her favorability with her so that she'll be willing to work herself to the bone for you later.

He should have personally shown his favor and won people's hearts, but it would have been the same if Chairman Qin had come instead.

Yang Mi is a good tool; she can, to some extent, compensate for the weakness of Qin Dong's failing business.

Yan Li interfered recklessly, fearing that the knife might have some ulterior motive and try to get close to him.

Since Yi'an had already eaten the first and second sisters, and it wasn't good for Yi'an to keep eating the grass near her nest, Yan Li thought it best to leave it to Dong Xuan and Qin Lan.

Qin Lan and Dong Xuan didn't hesitate at all, making a flurry of phone calls. One said, "Sister Lan will take care of things for you," and the other said, "Sister Xuan will help you sort things out."

Yang Mi, who had just been hurt by Li Xiaowan, felt a warm glow in her heart, and even a little guilty.

She approached and flattered the two men with ulterior motives, but they took special care of her. If they saw her on Weibo and learned that she had been wronged, they would rush to comfort and help her.

It's just Fan Xiaopang, right? He'd fight her to the death for these two older sisters.

Just as she was getting into the spirits, her phone rang again. Yang Mi glanced at the somewhat unfamiliar number and hesitated before answering.

"Hello, is this Yang Mi? This is Fan Bingbing."

Yang Mi was taken aback: "...Sister Bingbing?"

Why is this person calling too?!
Fan Xiaopang's voice was calm: "I heard about your situation from Sister Qian. Don't worry, the company won't stand idly by. This is my personal number. Write it down and you can contact me if you need anything."

"Okay, thank you, Sister Bingbing."

"No need. You're one of the company's people, so you're one of mine. Work hard, and the company won't treat its own people unfairly."

The call wasn't long. After hanging up, Yang Mi, who already had a slight admiration for Fan Xiaopang, felt a pang of emotion as she recalled his assertive tone.

Sister Bingbing is truly awesome!

However, I'm one of Sister Xuan and Sister Lan's people. What will I do if this happens later?

On the other end, Fan Xiaopang hung up the phone, and Yang Tianzhen next to him chuckled.

"Sister Qian is quick to give us information. Let's do her a favor and dampen her spirits first."

"It's also a deterrent. Whether you're a puppet or a spokesperson, once you're in Yi'an, you'd better stay put and behave yourself."

Fan Xiaopang picked up his lipstick and touched it up, then couldn't help but mutter, "If it weren't for that bastard backing me up, I would have dug up the wall."

Yang Tianzhen didn't respond, pretending not to hear. She was Fan Xiaopang's woman, so dealing with Chairman Qin was no problem for her. As for that bastard, that was none of her business.

Everyone in the company knows that the boss has unparalleled control over the company and has eyes and ears everywhere. If she causes trouble, even Fan Xiaopang can't save her...

　It might be because I drank ice water yesterday; I had diarrhea all day and feel very weak, so I'll update less frequently.

　　(4000/153000)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)