Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 325 The financial crisis erupts, the despicable Yan Li, and Xuan Lan's wish is fulfilled.

Yan Li has dealt with paparazzi countless times over the years, but this time he really suffered a loss.

Upon learning that he had made headlines in Hong Kong, Yan Li's first reaction was that someone had set him up.

Very few people knew about the yacht party; even Yan Li's team only found out the inside story when they arrived. If anyone betrayed them, it would be the Huang family and Kim.

The Huang family has no reason to do this; it won't benefit them. But Kim is a suspect, for example, if she wanted to profit from the publicity stunt involving Wen Yongshan and the other woman.

Upon further reflection, Yan Li realized it was impossible; if it were a deliberate scheme against him, the system would have issued a warning.

Moreover, judging from Kim's various behaviors, she wouldn't be that stupid.

Arranging for paparazzi to take photos and make the matter public would at most give Wen Yongshan and her partner some attention, albeit negative attention. Yan Li would never admit it, and besides, he has many rumored girlfriends, so he wouldn't benefit much from it.

If the scandal gets out and becomes a big deal, Yan Li will definitely have some thoughts about it, and the connection she finally managed to establish will be severed.

If Yan Li finds out it's her, or suspects her, she could very well face fierce retaliation from Yan Li and Oriental Cinema.

The yacht and the itinerary were all arranged by the Huang family. Since Yan Li got into trouble, they can't escape responsibility and must give Yan Li an explanation.

It's unlikely that Kim was involved, because Kim is used to doing this and couldn't have been caught off guard beforehand. Once on the yacht, he wouldn't have been able to collect what he needed to collect, let alone tip off anyone.

Therefore, it's most likely a coincidence.

Just to be on the safe side, Yan Li used the system to confirm in the early morning that it was indeed not a conspiracy or scheme.

This is a famous yacht harbor, where wealthy people and celebrities hold events from time to time, and some paparazzi are always staking out the area.

Because the yacht is located far away, their equipment is exceptionally good.

Yan Li knows this all too well. He was only wearing his underwear and walked around for less than half a minute when he was photographed clearly.

When the blog scandal broke out, Yan Li comforted himself, thinking that at least he hadn't exposed his penis, but he was proven wrong in less than two months.

However, at least there's some cover, so it's still more presentable than Teacher Chen's.

"Decent ***, %#$@#&%￠..."

Yan Li couldn't hold back and started swearing. "Is there no other work in Hong Kong? There are paparazzi everywhere. They just take pictures without permission and then make such provocative headlines."

For several hours after the incident, Yan Li didn't dare to go on Weibo, because he was sure that those people who were just watching the drama were definitely not good people.

However, a person in charge at Weibo called him to ask whether they should suppress the trending topic.

Of course you can't hold onto it, otherwise you'll just be giving other platforms a free ride.

We've already lost face, but we can't afford to lose our popularity!
Yan Li even had Ding Feng clarify the situation on his Weibo account, thus solidifying the buzz on Weibo.

The clarification is simple: it was a friends' gathering, a yacht party they rented, a very healthy party, and there were no strange rumors about any young models or anything like that.

As for the giant cannon and such, let's just accept it. In a way, it's not something to be ashamed of.

As soon as Yan Li clarified, Xiao Huang immediately came out to clarify as well. He said that he had invited Yan Li to a friend's birthday party, and Wen Yongshan and the like were just friends of friends. They were just having a get-together to eat, drink and sing.

If it weren't for the fear of adding fuel to the fire and the uncertainty about Yan Li's thoughts, Xiao Huang would have considered accepting either Wen Yongshan or Yan Li as his girlfriend.

In any case, we must remove Yan Li from the picture to reduce the negative impact of this matter and prevent Yan Li from having a bad opinion of him.

Not only Huang Xiaoming, but Wen Yongshan and Angelababy also gave similar explanations through the media.

Although their statements are consistent and their logic is sound, very few people actually believe them.

Just kidding, that's Yan Li. You'd be better off believing Teacher Chen's photos are all photoshopped than believing him.

Yan Li didn't expect to be able to clarify or clear his name; the key was to get an explanation, otherwise the media and netizens would just make things up.

On the other hand, Yan Li used his connections to bribe and pressure some Hong Kong media outlets, telling them to stop stirring up trouble.

The mainlanders are just enthusiastic citizens, but Hong Kong has real gangsters.

On the mainland, although they didn't try to suppress the hype, they did try to avoid sensitive topics like parties and mainly made fun of Yan Li himself.

However, to be fair, while there were many jokes, there were also some positive voices.

The men envied Yan Li for his ample assets and numerous romantic encounters, while the women were also envious of Yan Li's assets and figure.

Yan Li wearing underwear is not just a close-up of his private parts; his broad shoulders, strong physique, wasp waist, long legs, and clearly defined muscles, combined with his ample figure, are undeniably a major plus.

Especially some seasoned drivers who have seen it all, their speed when they start driving is amazing, even Yan Li blushed a little when he saw it.

It even raised a question that many people are curious about: before Yan Li became wealthy, how was he able to win over beauties like Dong Xuan, Huang Shengyi, and Qin Lan?

Back then, everyone was talking about how handsome he was and how sweet-talking he was. But now, it seems everyone overlooked a crucial reason.

Since the blog scandal, Qin Lan has kept a low profile, and the comment section has been closed for a long time. Dong Xuan has been hiding at school, using work as an excuse.

Both of them are currently in the "The Message" film crew, which allows them to avoid the limelight. The others are also out in the public eye, so this matter cannot be asked of them.

Huang Shengyi's "ex-girlfriend" suffered the most because she was surrounded by reporters while attending an event. They were very direct and asked her how she viewed the matter and what her impression of Yan Li was in that aspect, etc.

Because she was unprepared and the question was too sensational, Huang Shengyi stammered and forcibly changed the subject. The reporter was not one to be trifled with and quickly published an article.

He blushed and stammered when talking about Yan Li Huang Shengyi and the "giant cannon".

...

Despite the surrounding noise and commotion, he was relieved after realizing that there was no particularly negative impact.

This matter could be a big deal or a small deal. Considering Yan Li's character, there's no chance of his reputation collapsing. If we steer the conversation towards entertainment, he might just get a few jokes later.

The more troublesome thing is that Qin Lan personally came to Hong Kong, ostensibly to take care of him, but what really happened is something everyone knows.

Yan Li occasionally cheats on his wife, and the women in his family usually turn a blind eye, but if it gets out, that's a different story.

Qin Lan came on her own, but she had the support of Dong Xuan and Fan Xiaopang, and even the shadows of Lao Yan and Zhang Hong.

The elderly couple felt that their son had gone too far, with yachts and young models involved, and the nonsense he was spouting online was inappropriate. They could ignore other things, but they couldn't turn a blind eye to their son going astray.

Yan Li felt somewhat helpless; there was no way to explain it clearly.

Besides, he's busy right now and has no time to deal with these things. It's good that Qin Lan is here; having someone by his side can relieve some of his stress.

But Wen Yongyuan and Baby were caught off guard.

She finally managed to get in touch with Yan Li, and it seemed like things could progress further, but then Yan Li stopped making any moves.

At first, the two thought it was because of the paparazzi's exposure, and that it was reasonable for Yan Li to avoid the limelight. Later, they found out that someone from the mainland had come.

Baby even wanted to visit Yan Li herself, but Kim stopped her. At least there's still a chance now; if she went to his door, she would be breaking a taboo and it would be all over.

Let's wait and see. If things don't work out, we'll wait until things calm down and then head north to the mainland.

After listening to Wen Yongshan and the other woman's account, Kim judged that Yan Li was still somewhat interested in them, at least for a short period of time. As long as Yan Li hadn't forgotten them, there was a way to reconnect with them.

In addition, although they can't get together with Yan Li for the time being, this matter still has some benefits for Baby and Wen Yongshan. Their fame and exposure have increased significantly, and their appearance fees have also increased considerably.

Kim helped them find some jobs, planning to promote the two of them, make them a lot of money, and increase their fame, which would be more advantageous for them when facing Yan Li later.

Just in case, Yan Li ignores the two of them, his fame and status rise, and he can then launch other plans.

Just as Kim was making his preparations with great enthusiasm, this unexpected event ruined his plans.

The financial crisis is here!

Hong Kong is a famous financial city, once known as the financial center of Asia. Here, old men on the street can talk about stocks with great expertise, and housewives and stall owners may have opened accounts at securities companies.

When the financial crisis hit, Hong Kong was in chaos, with people jumping off rooftops to imitate characters from the movie "Infernal Affairs."

No one paid attention to Yan Li's gossip anymore, as Hong Kong's mainstream media were all dominated by the financial crisis.

Even entertainment media outlets are reporting on celebrities who have been severely impacted by the financial crisis due to stock trading or investments. When paparazzi encounter celebrities, they don't try to take photos but instead go up to them and ask, "Did you invest in stocks? How much money did you lose?"

According to incomplete statistics, Li Jiaxin, who recently married into a wealthy family, may have lost hundreds of millions of dollars due to her passion for acting. Fortunately, she has her husband to support her now, otherwise she would have to return to acting.

Even worse off are Zhang Tianwang and Liu Naicha, who reportedly invested most of their wealth in Lehman Brothers, losing everything in one fell swoop.

In addition, numerous Hong Kong and Taiwanese celebrities, both big and small, were also implicated, resulting in a gloomy atmosphere in media interviews and headlines.

If the photo scandal at the beginning of the year was an earthquake in Hong Kong's entertainment circle, the current financial crisis is the real cataclysmic event.

Hong Kong and Taiwanese celebrities are having a tough time, and many mainland celebrities have also been affected.

After all, the past two years were the peak of the A-share market, and many celebrities who had made money were preparing to try their luck in the stock market, but they all suffered heavy losses.

For example, Feng Xiaogang, who used to like playing the stock market, was clumsy and stubborn, and there are rumors that he lost more than 90%.

Host Xie Na revealed on Weibo that she lost a lot of money in the stock market this year, prompting Huang Sanshi, who also lost money, to jokingly say that the bear market should be renamed "Na Market".

Tong Dawei said in an interview that he also lost some money, claiming that it was equivalent to filming two movies for nothing.

However, he was quite glad that he had listened to Yan Li's advice and withdrawn some funds. Later, he called Yan Li for advice and quickly got out of the predicament. Otherwise, he might have lost all the money for his child's milk powder.

Tong Dawei's words also drew a lot of attention to Yan Li, who is known for making his fortune from stock trading and is often referred to as a stock market guru in the entertainment industry. He made a fortune during the previous A-share bull market.

How is it going now? Did it backfire?!

Since his debut, Yan Li has had a smooth and successful career, making a fortune. Many people dislike him and want to see him suffer a major setback so they can gloat.

However, Yan Li ignored all of this. From the yacht incident until the financial crisis broke out, he remained out of the public eye and did not make any public statements.

Gradually, some voices began to emerge, with sources claiming that Yan Li had suffered a huge loss in the financial crisis, owing a large sum of money, and that Yi An and Weibo were on the verge of collapse. The so-called post-80s business leader was said to be completely finished.

These voices are, of course, orchestrated by competitors to damage Yan Li's image and reputation, and to undermine his company's operations.

Yan Li originally wanted to launch a counterattack immediately to stabilize morale, but he suddenly noticed some turmoil within Yi'an. He had an idea and decided to hold back.

He doesn't really need to worry about Weibo and Yi'an. They have money in the books, projects keep going, and with some internal reassurance, there won't be any problems.

The key issue is Yi'an Cinema Line. In the previous round of financing, Yanli borrowed a large sum of money from the bank to build cinemas. They have no money on hand or money they can't use, and they also have external debts.

The financial crisis made things difficult for the shareholders, and with news of Yan Li's troubles, they were worried about Yi An's future, leading to a lot of dissenting voices within the company.

In this situation, Yan Li contacted the shareholders to say that his finances were in perfect order and that the situation was actually very good.

However, he has consistently refused to respond to various rumors circulating outside the community, and has even refrained from making public appearances.

This contradictory stance has made some shareholders increasingly anxious, even suspecting that Yan Li has absconded abroad.

"Brother Mang, you have to believe me. I'm making money here, the company will be fine. In a while, I'll bring back a large sum of money, and maybe then we can acquire other cinema chains..."

Yan Li hung up the phone, took a sip of coffee, thought about the perfunctory voice on the other end, and shook his head.

Throughout, he told the truth, saying that he was rich and would become even richer, and that he wouldn't be able to return to Beijing anytime soon, so people shouldn't believe the rumors circulating outside.

As a result, these people didn't believe it themselves, were led astray by the rumors, and were convinced that he had gone bankrupt and run away.

He's a business genius with a dazzling reputation, yet these people don't trust him at all.

However, it's not entirely because they don't trust Yan Li. The key is that too many big shots have been wiped out by the financial crisis, and some are also struggling financially, afraid of losses and making a fuss over nothing. They simply can't afford to gamble anymore.

Yan Li felt that if he stretched things out a little longer, someone would sell their shares, and he could then "grit his teeth" and accept them. However, he couldn't be too ruthless; he should try to leave them some, so as to leave them a way out and make things easier in the future.

As long as they cooperate with Yan Li to integrate the company and list it on the stock exchange, even these shares can bring them a much greater return than their initial investment.

Of course, if someone insists on leaving despite repeated persuasion, then Yan Li can't blame himself for regretting it.

Yan Li had never lied to them. He tried to persuade them and persuaded them to stay, but they just wouldn't believe him. What could he do?
The financial crisis has only been going on for a short time, and many people are still able to weather it.

Yan Li wasn't looking to acquire a large number of shares; his key was to get rid of and weaken some troublemakers, and to achieve the merger of Yi'an Film and Television and Yi'an Cinema.

If that still doesn't work, then Yan Li will have no choice but to forcibly inject capital, dilute the shares, and gain controlling interest.

In short, anyone who tries to stop him from merging the two companies for listing and blocks everyone's path to wealth should not blame him for being ruthless.

After the two companies merge, Yan Li will continue to inject capital and introduce some key shareholders to consolidate and enhance internal influence and the company's overall influence.

The next step is to consider forming a share swap alliance with Weibo before the IPO; otherwise, once the IPO is completed, the review process alone will be a huge headache.

Moreover, a share swap between two companies makes it easier to tell a capital story. If we could bring in Tudou.com, which is not listed, and have a share swap involving all three companies, that would be even better.

Yan Li was writing and drawing in his study when there was a knock on the door. Qin Lan came in carrying a small clay pot and a bowl and chopsticks.

"Let's have some late-night snacks. I asked Maowen to go to a time-honored porridge shop to buy them."

"Ah."

Yan Li was a little hungry, so he wiped his hands with a wet wipe, ladled out a bowl of porridge, and drank it down in big gulps.

Qin Lan didn't either. She sat aside and chatted about everyday things. When Yan Li had almost finished drinking, she packed up her things and couldn't help but say something.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. We're still young. If things don't work out, we can always make a comeback."

"Uh-huh?"

Yan Li was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. Were the rumors spreading so fiercely that even Qin Lan was muttering about it?

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

Yan Li didn't explain much, mainly because Qin Lan didn't understand these things either. He said that after a couple of days, she could just glance at the account and understand.

Qin Lan nodded upon seeing this, tiptoed out of the study, then, her face slightly pale, thought for a moment and went back to her bedroom to make a phone call.

"The situation is not good."

Dong Xuan asked urgently, "What do you mean?"

“These days he either goes out to meetings or locks himself in his study, often working overtime at night, sometimes so busy that he doesn’t even have time to eat.”

"He doesn't smile much, is often distracted, and ignores phone calls asking him out."

"When I asked him, he said he was fine and everything was okay, but I felt that he was much more depressed than usual, and sometimes he even showed signs of insomnia at night."

"And also, he... doesn't even want to think about that anymore."

"..."

Qin Lan described the unusual things she saw, and if Yan Li heard her, he would definitely refute her.

The team was busy making money during the financial crisis, and several companies were also affected by the financial crisis to varying degrees. How could he not be busy?

Work keeps me busy, and I'm always thinking about things, so it's inevitable that I'll sometimes get distracted. I don't have time for socializing, and as for not smiling, who works overtime every day and is always smiling?

As for the depression and insomnia, given the volatile and dangerous market conditions, with so much money tied up and a lot of work to do at the company, it's understandable that he's experiencing some pressure and insomnia.

As for that matter, it wasn't that he didn't want to, but that a certain water-type mage couldn't handle it alone, and even his insomnia was partly due to this; he couldn't release his energy.

In the past, when Qin Lan couldn't handle things alone, he could find others to share the burden. Now, with Qin Lan busy with work and watching over him closely, he can only endure it.

This had happened before, but Qin Lan had been drawing targets and shooting arrows, which led her astray.

“I don’t dare to advise him now, for fear of putting pressure on him. Why don’t you come over? Let’s discuss what to do.”

"Okay, I'll book the tickets right away."

Dong Xuan readily agreed. Now was not the time for hesitation or jealousy; the key was to join forces to support Yan Li and help him overcome his difficulties.

"Should we call... someone surnamed Fan to come too?"

Qin Lan hesitated for a moment, then asked another question. Dong Xuan pondered for a moment and said, "She's currently filming 'The Message.' Leaving abruptly would have a significant impact. Let's try it out first, and if it doesn't work, we can call her back."

"Ok."

Dong Xuan acted quickly, taking a plane overnight and arriving at Yan Li's temporary residence in Hong Kong just as dawn broke.

"Is he awake?"

Dong Xuan glanced at Qin Lan in her pajamas, felt a pang of jealousy, then ignored it and inquired about Yan Li's situation.

"He's not awake. He didn't fall asleep until almost 2 a.m. last night."

Qin Lan quietly welcomed Dong Xuan in, then pulled her to sit on the sofa, her voice slightly flustered.

"problem occurs."

Dong Xuan was most afraid of hearing those three words, and her heart was pounding the whole way. In the end, she finally heard them, and her voice trembled slightly.

"what happened?"

Qin Lan's voice was trembling with tears: "I was worried last night and kept waiting for him to finish his work. But before I went to sleep, he quietly told me that if anything happened to him, he would leave me some money and that I should not tell anyone."

“I asked him what was wrong, but he wouldn’t say. He just said it was just in case. Old Dong, I’ve been with him for years, and this is the first time I’ve seen him so dejected.”

Dong Xuan's face grew paler with each word: "Is this a backup plan? Is he in debt, or..."

Being in debt is manageable; she still has some savings, so Yan Li won't go hungry. At the same time, she believes in Yan Li's abilities and that he will turn things around one day.

Dong Xuan's biggest fear was that Yan Li would suffer too much of a blow, lose his spirit, and take a desperate path.

This wasn't just her overthinking; she'd heard too many similar news stories lately.

Yan Li achieved fame at a young age and had a smooth and successful life with few setbacks. He was also proud and strong-willed and couldn't stand being looked down upon or ridiculed. However, some things are truly unpredictable.

“I’m afraid of that too. You’ve been with him for a long time, so you must persuade him to stay. He’s still young, and he mustn’t do something rash. What will happen to your uncle and aunt if he does that? What will happen to us?”

Qin Lan was truly panicked. She even abandoned her claims of seniority and the position of the main wife and begged Dong Xuan for help.

"You don't need to tell me this. We absolutely cannot let him do anything foolish."

Dong Xuan said decisively, then suddenly looked at Qin Lan and gritted her teeth: "If necessary, we can use some extraordinary measures. In short, we need to win back his morale."

Qin Lan was taken aback, looked into Dong Xuan's eyes, and then nodded: "Okay."

The two began to silently discuss how to persuade Yan Li, and if they couldn't persuade him, how to seduce him, as well as other strategies and tactics. They were determined to keep him under control at all costs.

Meanwhile, Yan Li, who had been awakened by the noise, was checking the information he had seen while working overtime the night before.

[Daily News ②: Qin Lan and Dong Xuan are worried that Yan Li will go bankrupt and get into trouble, so they plan to join forces...]

When he saw this intelligence last night, he knew that Xuanlan's chance had come!
Yan Li even considered whether he should delay the process and coax Fan Xiaopang to come as well, so as to fulfill one of his ultimate dreams.

But he felt that given that woman's shrewdness and her understanding of Yi'an, it was unlikely she would believe this. He feared that she might end up losing more than she gained and ruining things for him.

So I decided not to be too greedy, to stop while I was ahead, and to wait until I finished stacking Xuanlan before testing her again. If it worked, I would make a big profit; if it didn't, I would still have a safety net.

Thinking of this, Yan Li composed himself, ruffled his hair, rubbed his eyes until they were slightly red, then adjusted his expression in front of the mirror, and finally left the bedroom with a slightly hunched back and a lifeless expression.

Upon seeing Dong Xuan, Yan Li raised an eyebrow in surprise and forced a smile.

"How did you come?"

Dong Xuan almost lost her composure. In her memory, Yan Li had always been spirited and energetic, even during his university years. He had never been in this state before.

She didn't dare reveal her true feelings, afraid of upsetting Yan Li. She opened her eyes wide, forced back her tears, and pretended to be jealous.

"I missed you, so I came to see you. I see you're living such a comfortable life with someone, you've almost forgotten about me."

Qin Lan cooperated: "You're looking for trouble so early in the morning, aren't you? If I had known it was you, I wouldn't have opened the door even if you had knocked it down."

"..."

The two appeared to be arguing loudly, but were actually secretly observing Yan Li's reaction.

At this time of day, Yan Li would usually be helpless and speechless, either trying to stop them or just watching the show.

But today, Yan Li, watching the two argue, didn't have his usual demeanor. He was still half-dead, but there was some... lingering affection and reluctance in his eyes.

Dong Xuan and Qin Lan couldn't continue arguing; Yan Li's condition was more serious than they had imagined.

its not right!
Qin Lan had been spending a lot of time with Yan Li these past few days and sensed something was wrong. A few days ago, Yan Li was only a little abnormal, but she noticed something was off last night. How could it suddenly become so much more serious this morning?

Dong Xuan glanced at Yan Li's phone and quietly pointed it out to Qin Lan, asking if she had heard some bad news that morning.
I had a bad feeling last night, and this morning I heard the terrible news. My logic was correct.

Seeing the two making subtle movements and unsure of what was going on, Yan Li took the initiative to guide them.

"It's perfect that you're here, saves us the trouble."

Yan Li asked Dong Xuan and Qin Lan to sit down, and wrote down two strings of numbers: "There is a sum of money in each account, one for each of you..."

He wanted to say something, but finally sighed and said, "Take care of yourself."

After saying that, he tried to get up, but Dong Xuan and Qin Lan held him back tightly: "Tell us what happened, and we'll face it together. You've built this up from scratch, so you can succeed a second time. Don't give up!"

“Yes, think about it. What will happen to us if something happens to you? What will happen to Fan Bingbing? Who will protect us? And what about your parents? You are their only son. They can’t handle it.”

"..."

Seeing Dong Xuan and Qin Lan with red eyes, tearfully trying to dissuade him, Yan Li felt a little ashamed.

It's really going too far to deceive a woman who's completely open and honest with you for some dirty tricks.

To be fair, he only wanted to pretend that his career was not going well and use this self-inflicted injury to ask for some benefits. He did not intend to commit suicide. It was all Qin Dong's own overthinking.

Sighing inwardly, Yan Li opened his mouth to explain, but Dong Xuan felt that their actions had worked, and Yan Li's attitude clearly softened.

Thinking of adding fuel to the fire and completely extinguishing his will to die, she hardened her heart and kissed him.

"Didn't you always want the two of us to stay with you? As long as you're okay, you can do whatever you want."

Seeing this, Qin Lan hesitated for a moment, then took off her clothes and hugged Yan Li: "Don't think about those upsetting things, just enjoy the present moment."

Yan Li: "..."

So what if it's disgusting? He'd accept being strangled to death by those two women later. But if he missed this opportunity, he'd regret it so much he'd slap himself every day...

　(5000/170000)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)