Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 326 The future heir to billions in assets, Boss Yan has a child?
bedroom
After Yan Li finished his work and said some sweet words, he was called away by a phone call. Dong Xuan rubbed her sore waist and glared angrily at Qin Lan.

"You didn't conspire with that bastard to frame me, did you?"

Yan Li initially pretended to be okay, but later he couldn't hide his emotions anymore.

There was nothing they could do; his wish had been fulfilled, and he was in such high spirits that neither of them could get through to him pleading for mercy.

Dong Xuan and Qin Lan were not immune to being fooled before; seeing this, they knew they had fallen for this bastard's feigned injury scheme again.

Whether the business failed or not is unclear, but Yan Li definitely did not have any intention of becoming despondent or seeking death.

After recovering, Dong Xuan turned her attention to Qin Lan, who immediately retorted.

"Stop wrongly accusing me. What do you take me for?"

As she spoke, Qin Lan couldn't help but glance at Dong Xuan a few more times.

She knew before that Dong Xuan was fair-skinned, but now she saw it for the first time and realized that she was fair-skinned all over, even fairer than the person surnamed Fan.

Thinking of this, she suddenly gritted her teeth. That bastard took advantage of her because he thought she was easy to bully.

Dong Xuan felt a little awkward under Qin Lan's gaze, so she picked up a thin blanket to cover herself, and then said...

“Even if there was no collusion, you will still be guilty of falsely reporting military information.”

Dong Xuan was furious at having suffered such a great loss, and since she couldn't do anything about Yan Li, she decided to take the opportunity to strike at Qin Lan and elevate her own status within the group.

However, Qin Lan was no pushover either: "You're blaming me? I haven't even said anything to you yet. I already felt that something was wrong with him, but you kept thinking he was going to die, and you completely swayed me."

"I lied about the military situation, and you exaggerated it. You bear the main responsibility for what happened today."

Dong Xuan laughed in anger: "You tricked me into coming here, and now you want me to take the main responsibility? Have you no shame?"

Qin Lan retorted, "You came up with the idea, and you were the first to do it, so you can't blame me."

"..."

The two argued for a while, but ultimately felt that it was all the other's fault. However, the one who bore the most responsibility was Yan Li, who had definitely planned this for a long time and deliberately set a trap.

Qin Lan and Dong Xuan kept cursing the scoundrel, but as they continued, she relaxed slightly: "No matter what, it's good that nothing bad happened."

Dong Xuan was taken aback, her emotions calmed down, and she sighed slightly: "Yes, thankfully it was a false alarm."

Being violated by that scoundrel was only a little embarrassing and shameful, but compared to the worst outcome they never dared to imagine, it was already quite comforting.

After a while, Qin Lan couldn't hold it in any longer, so she took her clothes, put them on, and went to the bathroom to wash up and take a shower, which made Dong Xuan feel a little awkward.

She came in a hurry this time and hardly brought any change of clothes. Two of her clothes were even damaged by Yan Li, so she had to borrow some from Qin Lan first.

"I've never worn this before, so you can make do with this for now, and then go out and buy a new one. Shopping is quite convenient here in Hong Kong."

Qin Lan didn't make things difficult for Dong Xuan, and even suggested taking her shopping for clothes. During this time, when she didn't notice anything "wrong" about Yan Li, she would go out for a stroll whenever she had free time, and became quite familiar with some areas.

Upon hearing about shopping, Dong Xuan's eyes lit up. No woman dislikes shopping, and Dong Xuan was no exception.

When Yan Li first started making his fortune a few years ago, Dong Xuan and Qin Lan were more restrained. One was due to her personality, and the other was planning for the future, keeping their money in key areas.

Now they are all quite wealthy and have spare money. They like to shop around, but they don't splurge. They pursue cost-effectiveness and are quite thrifty.

These days, many people love to shop in Hong Kong, especially for luxury goods and digital products.

The reason is that there are more goods in Hong Kong, and you can buy new and limited edition items that are not available on the mainland, as well as some imported goods of better quality. In addition, with the exchange rate and tax-free policy, it is cheaper to buy some things in Hong Kong than on the mainland.

In terms of service, there were very few high-end shopping malls in mainland China in 2008. Most of them were large supermarkets or small stalls and shops. The service quality was poor, and it was common for customers to fight with each other.

The service at small shops and food stalls in Hong Kong is not good, but high-end shopping malls provide standardized training, so the service quality is above average, at least much better than most shopping malls on the mainland.

In addition, it is close by, allows for independent travel, and has convenient transportation, making travel quick and easy.

All these factors have made Hong Kong a shopping paradise for many people from the mainland. Dong Xuan and Guan Yue had been there once before and had a good experience.

Just now, Dong Xuan was thinking that she would buy a ticket and leave soon to avoid being tormented by that bastard again. But now she thought, since she was already here, she might as well buy some things.

Putting everything else aside, I need to buy some imported milk powder for Guan Yue's daughter, who is also my goddaughter.

This year has seen a major upheaval in the infant formula industry, and those who can afford it are opting for imported products.

Thinking about this, Dong Xuan even called Guan Yue to ask what she wanted to buy.

When Guan Yue heard that she had gone to Hong Kong and learned that Yan Li's condition was not serious, she immediately perked up and made a long list, which left Qin Lan speechless.

"Is this raising a child, or raising an ancestor?"

Dong Xuan, being close to Guan Yue, knew more about her: "There are still some things we're saving on, otherwise it would be even more expensive."

Although Tong Dawei is quite famous, his annual income is only around 10 to 18 million yuan. This is after the hit drama "Struggle" became popular. Before that, it was even lower. Guan Yue is just a university teacher with a limited salary.

Therefore, their family's conditions are much better than the average person's, but they can't be considered wealthy.

At least in Dong Xuan's opinion, if it were her, she would definitely buy more expensive and better things.

She's quite good at managing the household herself, but she's absolutely willing to spend money on her children.

Needless to say, Yan Li worked hard to earn money, but he couldn't spend it all himself. Instead of giving it to his wife and children, he put it in the bank to race against inflation.

"Show me that order form, I'd like to buy some too."

Qin Lan said something that made Dong Xuan's eyes pop out as she stared at her stomach: "When did this happen?"

"..."

Qin Lan had intended to tease her, but fearing that Dong Xuan would take it seriously and cause trouble again, she told her the truth.

“It wasn’t me. You know Ma Yili, right? She just gave birth a few days ago. I bought some things for her and sent them back.”

Dong Xuan suddenly realized that she had seen the news. Ma Yili's husband had even posted a picture on Weibo to thank his wife, which drew praise from netizens for being a good man.

At this point, both Dong Xuan and Qin Lan fell silent.

My close friends are all getting married and having kids, but that bastard hasn't said a word. What is he thinking?

"I don't understand Cantonese either. Why don't we go together? We can try to negotiate the price."

Dong Xuan didn't dwell on it too much and instead asked Qin Lan to go shopping with her. Since she was unfamiliar with the area, and Guan Yue had accompanied her last time, she felt uncomfortable going shopping alone.

"Okay."

Unable to understand Cantonese, Qin Lan also wanted someone to be with her, even if they were arguing, so that she would have someone to talk to.

The two packed their things and left the room. Yan Li was humming a little tune as he fried steak in the kitchen.

Today is a day of double happiness. Not only did the wish of pairing Xuanlan with a flower come true, but the market performance was also good, resulting in a big profit.

After deducting various fees and team expenses, nearly 8000 million yuan was pocketed in one go, which is the largest single profit to date.

Judging from the current progress, Yan Li's original judgment was clearly somewhat conservative. He would only invest in the continuous profits.

Whether the previously estimated several hundred million RMB will actually amount to several hundred million USD is unclear, but breaking into the double digits is highly likely.

Yan Li was quite satisfied with this outcome; any more and it would be difficult to extricate himself.

With Yan Li's incredible abilities, it's not impossible for him to aim for tens of billions, but at that point, Wall Street might have to keep an eye on him.

Eat as much rice as your bowl can hold.

At this critical juncture, the money earned in the market isn't yours to keep; only money that you can securely obtain is truly real.

In short, Yan Li felt that the most important thing was to get the money and leave safely, and to do his best.

"woke up?"

"I'll have some steak to replenish my energy. I ordered it specially; it was flown in from Japan."

When Yan Li saw Dong Xuan and the other person come out, he put the steak he had cooked for him on the table and took two more pieces of food.

Dong Xuan glared angrily at Yan Li. They were eating steaks flown in from Japan, which was even more luxurious than in Beijing. She must have been out of her mind to believe him and go bankrupt.

Qin Lan, after all, had experienced this before, and was more composed and open-minded than Dong Xuan, though she could only sigh.

"Air freight of ingredients is still more developed in Hong Kong."

"There are some in mainland China too, but these usually tend to be collaborations with high-end hotels. There are relatively few private ones. That's why it's capitalism; they're very adept at indulging in extravagance and debauchery."

There are many reasons why wealthy people like to travel abroad.

However, one thing is undeniable: the services and amenities provided for the wealthy abroad are indeed far superior and more sophisticated than those in China.

Yan Li has enjoyed life in Europe and Hong Kong is also quite nice. In the mainland, many aspects are just starting out and have not yet formed mature related industries. Even if he has money, he can't spend it all.

"Yes, with ingredients flown in by air and yachts with young models, no wonder someone is so happy they don't want to leave."

Dong Xuan couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark, and Yan Li protested, "I came to Hong Kong to handle some important business. If you don't believe me, ask Qin Lan. I'm usually very honest."

"You're the one who air-freighted the ingredients, so I thought I'd celebrate. Qin Lan and I usually eat normal meals, and sometimes we even order takeout."

Qin Lan nodded; Yan Li was indeed not lying about this.

Of course, three meals a day are prepared and supplied to Yan Li and her team by professional chefs. As for the so-called takeout, it is not necessary to emphasize that it is ordered from a long-established high-end restaurant in Hong Kong, otherwise this woman would also be included in the blame.

Dong Xuan snorted and then asked Yan Li, "What's the situation with your business?"

She wouldn't feel at ease until she got to the bottom of this.

"It's alright, everything went smoothly. Not only did we not go bankrupt, we even made a small profit. The rumors outside have other plans."

Yan Li knew that the two were worried, so he repeated what he had said. Dong Xuan breathed a sigh of relief but was also angry.

"Then why did you lie to us? You almost scared me to death."

"I... I've been saying I'm fine, you're all just making wild guesses, what can I do?"

Yan Li was speechless. People always tend to believe what they believe, and once they judged that something had happened to him, his explanations were useless.

Qin Lan felt a little guilty, after all, she was the one who started it, so she tried to smooth things over: "It's a misunderstanding, it's alright."

"You make it sound so easy."

Dong Xuan gritted her teeth. She said it was a misunderstanding, and not only was she filled with fear and anxiety, she also got herself into trouble.

Unlike the experienced Qin Lan, Dong Xuan felt a bit resentful on her first time doing this.

"How about this, if you two are really angry, I'll make a sacrifice and let you do whatever you want as compensation."

"Pooh."

"Pah!" Yan Li proposed a plan, only to be met with a crisp spit from Dong Xuan and Qin Lan.

Yan Li remained calm after wiping away some unfounded spittle. He had already done it, and there was no violent reaction. What was there to be afraid of spitting a few times?

After pan-frying the steak and making some side dishes, the three of us had lunch.

Yan Li had work in the afternoon, so Dong Qin and Yan Li went shopping together. When Yan Li heard that Dong Xuan hadn't run away and was planning to stroll around Hong Kong, his eyes lit up.

He quickly wrote out a check: "Buy whatever you want, I'll pay. If you can't take it, you can mail it to me."

It's best to stay for a few more days and strike while the iron is hot; you might even be able to go back for another round.

Dong Xuan understood Yan Li and knew his sinister intentions, but she had asked the school for leave this time and there was no need to rush back and leave Yan Li alone with Qin Lan.

At worst, we can just be on guard!
Dong Xuan comforted herself in this way, not wanting to think too much about whether she could guard against it or not. Everything is the hardest the first time. Once you start, you tend to have a "what's the use" mentality.

If you were in Beijing, you might have friends to help you cope, but in Hong Kong, where you're unfamiliar with the place, this feeling is amplified.

Qin Lan's greater acceptance of the Xuanlan pairing is partly due to this reason.

Yan Li was too busy, and she had no friends in Hong Kong. She was bored and listless, so having Dong Xuan with her was a bit of a relief.

Upon learning that Yan Li's business was fine, Dong Xuan didn't hold back and took the check. If she couldn't take her anger out on this bastard, she would take his money instead.

Qin Lan objected: "There's a share for me too."

Yan Li shook his head, wrote another check and handed it to Qin Lan. He didn't care about the small amount of money; if she had a good time, it would save him the trouble of coaxing her.

"I'll let Maowen know, and you two take bodyguards with you. It's a financial crisis, and things aren't easy right now, so be careful."

"understood."

Qin Lan has been traveling with bodyguards lately, which not only ensures her safety but also helps her carry her bags and belongings.

After the two left, Yan Li first held a conference call with Weibo, and then dealt with Yi An's emails.

In August and September, Yi'an produced quite a few films and television series, especially five television dramas.

The company primarily produced "New Three Kingdoms" and "Little Aunt Duohe", and invested in and produced "Locking Up the Autumn" by its subsidiary Yu Zheng Studio.

Co-produced works include "Chinese Paladin 3" with Tangren Media and "My Brother is Shunliu" with Pegasus Media.

Among them, the most attention-grabbing are "New Three Kingdoms" and "Chinese Paladin 3".

With the added appeal of its predecessor, and starring popular young actor Hu Ge and rising star Yang Mi, "Chinese Paladin 3" has garnered considerable attention.

Needless to say, the opening ceremony of "New Three Kingdoms" was exclusively broadcast live by Beijing TV and Tudou.com, and was also given extensive coverage by platforms such as Weibo and even its competitor Sina.

We can't refuse; the attention is too high. If you don't capitalize on this traffic, you're just letting others benefit.

It can be said that "New Three Kingdoms" has become the most popular and famous TV series in mainland China right now, without exception.

Even if you include Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the rest of Asia, you can count them on one hand.

It's unclear whether it was spurred by the success of "Red Cliff," but even before filming began for "New Three Kingdoms," a Japanese television station approached them to buy the rights, and television stations in Hong Kong and Taiwan also expressed interest.

There's no worry about sales; the real concern is how many copies can be sold.

This year, Huayi Brothers has been pushing "My Chief and My Regiment" to establish its reputation in the television drama field, hoping to create a hit drama of the year and compete with established giants like Yi An and Hairun in the industry.

As a result, "My Chief and My Regiment" was a bit of a flop. It received good reviews, but its performance was only so-so, and it was far from being the so-called "King of Dramas of the Year".

Fortunately, although Yi An's dramas this year have achieved good results, none of them have become super hits of the year.

On the contrary, CCTV, the elder brother, rose to prominence, co-producing "Magic Phone" and "The Legend of Bruce Lee". "Crossing the Guandong" and "Country Love" were broadcast on CCTV, and each of these dramas became more and more popular, suppressing the major satellite TV stations that had only been basking in their glory for two years.

Everyone failed to take the lead, which was a slight relief for Huayi Brothers, but unexpectedly, Yan Li produced a "New Three Kingdoms" that stole the limelight.

Huayi Brothers originally had no intention of participating in the new Four Great Classical Novels, but Zhang Dahuzi wanted to make a film about "Journey to the West" and once wanted to collaborate with his old friend Ciwen Media.

However, feeling the pressure from "New Three Kingdoms", Huayi Brothers had to change its mindset.

If you want to be number one, you can't afford to be cowardly.

Don't say that arms race is irrational, but if you don't follow suit, you'll really be suppressed and beaten.

Yi An's low-budget strategy was working well, so why did she have to bite the bullet and make a big-budget film? Wasn't she just being dragged down by her competitors?

Similarly, Yi An is making a big splash in the TV drama field. Unless Huayi Brothers admits defeat in this field, they also have to make a statement. Winning or not is one thing, doing or not is another.

Therefore, Huayi Brothers began to discuss with Zhang Dahuzi that Huayi Brothers would produce and film "New Journey to the West" to counter Yi An's strategy of using classic works.

However, their "New Journey to the West" is a bit troublesome.

Emperor Yongle, who was making plans to film "Investiture of the Gods," had already obtained the filming permit for "Journey to the West" and was even preparing to film it.

Huayi Brothers wants to film "New Journey to the West," so either the two parties need to cooperate, or they need to snatch the license.

However, Yongle was always close to Yan Li, and there were even rumors that Yongle's version of "Journey to the West" was like "Investiture of the Gods" and was co-produced with Yi'an, who wanted to produce three great classic works at once.

This is a real headache. The Wang brothers know all too well how difficult Yan Li is to deal with.

Trying to get something out of him is like snatching food from a tiger's mouth.

At this point, Zhang Dahuzi proposed an idea: to obtain another license for "Journey to the West," with Yongle producing one version and Huayi Brothers producing another.

This is no small feat. More importantly, the two Journey to the West films are released around the same time, which will definitely affect the performance and profits, adding many risks.

Under normal circumstances, Huayi Brothers would definitely not agree, but under pressure from Yi An, Wang Zhongjun gritted his teeth and decided to give it a try.

Yan Li didn't mind Huayi Brothers making a new Journey to the West, because Yongle's Journey to the West had nothing to do with Yi'an.

With two classic novels in hand, and considering the high difficulty of filming Journey to the West, Yan Li did not want to be greedy, so Yongle Cheng Lidong sought cooperation with Zhejiang TV.

Zhejiang TV will definitely have exclusive premiere rights for the series, which means the biggest source of revenue will be gone. It's also uncertain whether Yi'an will continue to collaborate with Yongle on the distribution of this drama.

So whether the two versions of "Journey to the West" are competing or not, Yan Li is not worried, nor is he afraid that Huayi Brothers will gain more momentum with "Journey to the West".

The TV drama market is so big that Yan Li's family can't possibly consume it all. He can't stop them, and there's no need for him to.

This matter benefits Huayi Brothers, but Yi An can also gain an advantage. The four classic novels are in a chaotic battle, and the two film and television giants are going head-to-head, generating a lot of buzz.

With an investment of hundreds of millions, you want Yanli and Huayi to compete head-to-head, risking real money at the box office, but neither of them is willing to do that.

But TV dramas are different. Although the ratings may affect who wins or loses, it doesn't stop the two companies from making money. In fact, it can boost the reputation of the project and the company.

Yan Li, who personally orchestrated the Jin Yong and Gu Long battle, understands the benefits involved. Another battle of classic works is not out of the question, as everyone can make money and enjoy the spectacle.

The financial crisis has lasted for quite some time. According to Yan Li's future intelligence estimates, it will not be relatively calm until at least the end of the year or the beginning of next year. After that, it will be like boiling a frog in lukewarm water.

At that time, Yan Li may retain a portion that can be held long-term, while planning to withdraw most of the money.

During this period, Yan Li could not stay in Hong Kong indefinitely.

At the end of September, the first phase will end, and Yan Li will return to the mainland to remotely direct operations. He will occasionally return to oversee things for a few days, or stay longer if he has time, until the project is completely finished and he leaves.

Yan Li's eyes flickered. By next year, when the various consequences of the financial crisis would gradually unfold, he would have a large sum of money in hand and would inevitably be ready to make a big move.

With more than a month until his 28th birthday, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to have a net worth of over 10 billion before he turns 30.

Then, I can have a child after graduating from university.

Born into a family with billions in assets, that's impressive enough. Even someone with billions in assets would be embarrassed to brag to their child.

Just then, her phone rang. It was her mother, Zhang Hong, calling: "Son, who's pregnant, Huanhuan or Lanlan?"

"what?"

Yan Li almost thought his mother could read minds from a distance, but he found out after asking her.

Qin and Dong were shopping for baby products when they were spotted by mainland tourists who took photos and posted them on Weibo.

The relationship between these two and Yan Li is no secret. Considering their recent low profile and Yan Li's recent appearance in Hong Kong, some netizens have boldly speculated that one of them may be pregnant and has gone to Hong Kong to give birth.

Someone saw it early and quickly informed Zhang Hong of the good news, which is why she hurriedly called her son to verify it.

After quickly dealing with his mother, Yan Li called Qin Lan, who was still out shopping.

What the heck is a maternity and baby store?

Could they really be pregnant? The system didn't give any notification!

Upon receiving the call, Qin Lan and Dong Xuan could no longer continue their shopping trip and hurriedly returned, still muttering to themselves.

“We even had bodyguards specifically to guard against paparazzi, but we didn’t expect there would still be people taking pictures without our knowledge.”

Yan Li shook her head. Chairman Qin was also careless, thinking that because they were not well-known, few people in Hong Kong would recognize them, so they didn't try to hide it. But they forgot that the places they went to were frequented by mainland tourists.

Smartphones are not yet fully widespread in mainland China, but they are not uncommon either. Mainland tourists who come to Hong Kong almost always have one.

In the past, it was enough to just avoid professional paparazzi, but now that everyone is a self-media creator, paparazzi are everywhere.

"Let them film it. I'm bankrupt, one more news story won't make a difference."

Yan Li didn't care. After the blog scandal, he had made it clear that he was juggling multiple relationships, so he didn't bother to hide it anymore.

Don't say it was just a misunderstanding; even if there is a child, so what if it's exposed?

His child, the future heir to billions in assets, is he something to be ashamed of?

Yan Li wasn't afraid, and neither were Qin Dong and the other two.

Fan Xiaopang is concerned about his career, so he might try to cover it up. Both of them are semi-retired from the entertainment industry and only film two movies a year, so what's there to worry about regarding their image?

Oh, Dong Xuan is a university teacher, so we should be a little careful, but only a little.

There's no rule saying teachers can't have children. If someone makes a big deal out of it, I can just quit. Dong Xuan doesn't need this job.

What both of them were more upset about than this incident was being photographed shopping together.

Netizens joked that Mr. Yan was good at managing his household, and that his backyard was harmonious, but the key issue was that he couldn't explain it to the people around him.

The sisters followed the two of them in their shared hatred of the enemy, but the two of them, who were leading the group, were chatting and laughing while shopping. How could they possibly lead the group in the future?

Just as the two were worrying, Qin Lan suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "We can talk about explaining this later. Before Yan Li explains, let's scare that Fan guy first."

Dong Xuan was slightly taken aback, then immediately nodded: "Okay."

That sly fox is usually so smug; it's time she learned her lesson and panicked a bit…

　(5000/172000)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)