Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 355 Daily Life Watching TV Series: "Dwelling Narrowness" Becomes a Hit, Producer Fan, a Product Placement Maniac

The following day, Tudou.com, Weibo, and Yi'an discussed a share swap.

However, unlike the previous share swap involving Weibo and Yi'an, Yan Li is the major shareholder and absolute controller of these two companies, possessing absolute say.

Furthermore, Yan Li can cross-share his personal shares in the two companies, so the number of shares exchanged between Weibo and Yi An is still acceptable.

However, Tudou.com has undergone multiple rounds of financing and has many shareholders, so it's impossible for them to offer many shares.

Yan Li did not exert pressure or coercion. His main purpose was to achieve cross-shareholding among the three parties and form a strategic alliance. More shares would be better, but fewer shares would be acceptable.

So after various discussions, Tudou.com finally managed to squeeze out nearly 5% of the shares.

Weibo plans to allocate 1.2% to 1.8%, while Yi An will allocate slightly more, approximately 2% to 4%.

Weibo is far ahead of other social media platforms, and its current valuation and prospects are much better than Tudou.com, which is locked in a fierce battle with Youku.

As a film and television company, Yi'an is certainly not as good as Tudou platform, but with various content resources, it's not too far behind.

The specific number of shares to be exchanged still needs to be discussed by all three parties, and some solutions to circumvent the review process need to be explored.

While cross-share swaps involving companies with related businesses offer many advantages, they also make the company vulnerable to scrutiny, necessitating the development of various strategies to mitigate risks.

That's how listed companies are—there are many advantages, but also many taboos. Yan Li is now spending every day reviewing relevant materials and discussing with his legal team; his mind is completely numb.

Fortunately, he doesn't need to worry about Tudou.com's IPO for the time being, and Weibo isn't ready to go public anytime soon either. He only needs to focus on Yi'an.

After resolving the issue with Tudou.com, Yan Li met and dined with representatives from several investment companies, including JD.com's CEO Liu Qiangdong and Ganji.com.

His actions of pressuring Tudou.com this time may well offend those people.

Especially for someone like Liu Qiangdong of JD.com, who is sensitive to control over his own company and whose business complements Weibo's, it's easy for him to overthink things, so Yan Lide had to reassure him.

As his fame and strength grow, he becomes increasingly influential in the industry, and his every move can trigger various associations and chain reactions.

Therefore, after finishing his main business, Yan Li still had to clean up various messes. Building momentum and reaping benefits was one aspect, but he also had to eliminate negative impacts. Sometimes, he was even busier than when he was handling his main business.

Tuanjiehu

Yan Li sat on the sofa, and Yang Rong warmed a cup of honey water for him: "You said you would quit drinking a couple of days ago, but today you're all flushed from drinking."

Qin Lan is filming "Beauty's Rival in Palace" in Hengdian, and Dong Xuan and Fan Xiaopang's scenes have also started filming. Although they are in Beijing, they spend most of their time on set.

Jiang Xin was extremely busy after "Lurking," and Wang Ou was not idle either. As a result, Yang Rong went to the capital again and became Yan Li's haven of comfort during this period.

"A heart-to-heart talk session—how can you talk your heart out if you don't drink enough? But after this one, I feel a bit more relaxed."

Yan Li took a sip of water from his cup. Quitting smoking was actually not too difficult; he wasn't a heavy smoker and could control himself with snacks or something.

It's not that he can't give up alcohol, but in the business world, it's hard to avoid it. Yan Li can only try to drink as little as possible.

Yang Rong looked at him with a pang of heartache: "Everyone says you're richer now, but I feel like you're even more tired than before."

"It's only when you're rich that you feel tired."

After Yan Li finished drinking the honey water, he stretched, pulled Yang Rong into his arms, and sighed.

"Money is something you can't worry about if you don't earn it, but you can worry if you earn too much. The happiest and most relaxed time for me was when I had a net worth of one or two hundred million. I didn't lack money, I wasn't so tired, and I still had the motivation to climb higher."

If you want to wear a crown, you must bear its weight!
Yan Li used to think that many important people were just showing off and talking without any real experience. But after he reached a certain level of status, he began to understand the reality of it. Standing at a high position is not always so comfortable.

Of course, this was just a bit of sentimentality. Having finally climbed up, Yan Li couldn't bear to let him go down again.

Yang Rong looked at Yan Li, who was sighing, and didn't know how to comfort him. She could only press her body closer to him to express her support.

Yan Li smiled. He liked Yang Rong not only because she was magnanimous, but also because of her personality. She was magnanimous, never competed or fought, and was willing to tolerate his bad moods.

Previously, Qin Lan had been playing this role, but now Yang Rong has joined, so they can switch roles.

Thinking of this, Yan Li suddenly asked Yang Rong, "If Wang Ou were here, how would she comfort me?"

Yang Rong hesitated for a moment, then uttered two words: "Go to bed?"

Yan Li shook his head and corrected, "No, she will call others to comfort me."

Yang Rong paused, then reached out and pinched him: "I'm not her, don't even think about making me do bad things with other people."

That bastard has been testing her several times lately, trying to pair her up with someone else. It's all because of that little slut Wang Ou who spoiled her.

However, while Wang Ou was willing to indulge Yan Li, Yang Rong was not willing to compromise; being with Wang Ou was her bottom line.

"You can't do it yourself, and you don't even ask for help. Aren't you just torturing me?"

Yan Li complained that while other men approaching thirty experience a decline in all aspects of their lives, he didn't feel anything similar. On the contrary, he felt that his desires were becoming stronger.

The reason why Qin Lan, Wang Ou, Fan Xiaopang, and others indulged him so much, either willingly or reluctantly, was partly because they couldn't handle him in a one-on-one fight.

A while ago in Hengdian, Qin Lan spent more time with him, and was even forced by him to move back to the hotel from Yi'an Garden. Then Huo and Li joined forces to put out the fire.

These days it's been the same; Yan Li often comes to Yang Rong's place, but she can't handle it all by herself.

It doesn't matter if it's just for a day or two, but if he's not getting enough to eat every day, Yan Li will definitely have something to say about it.

Yang Rong bit her lip in grievance. What could she do? She had tried everything she could. She even had a hard time going to the toilet in the morning.

"Why don't you go find someone else after you're done?"

Yang Rong suggested a solution: if it wasn't possible for her to accept other people, then Yan Li could have to run a few steps, since the new girl Bai Bing that Wang Ou had just hired didn't live that far away anyway.

"...Never mind, I'll just have to bear with it."

Yan Li was too lazy to bother, and he knew that doing so would easily cause sadness and distress to everyone.

I won't go hungry, even if I'm not full. I'll just make do and visit the set of "Go Lala Go!" in a couple of days.

"Where's the remote? Let's turn on the TV and watch some TV. It's been so long since I've watched any."

Yan Li planned to find something to distract himself, otherwise things could easily escalate into a fight.

He does watch fewer TV dramas these days.

Even when they do watch, they rarely watch on TV. They mostly watch dramas online to pass the time, or to watch popular dramas to study market trends and see the performance of a certain popular actor.

This is already the limit of what Yan Li can do; it's entirely due to his dedication as a part-time actor and producer.

Perhaps in a few years, he won't even have the time or the mindset to watch dramas to pass the time. At that time, let alone market trends, Yan Li probably won't even recognize some celebrities.

However, by then, Yan Li probably wouldn't need to personally worry about the specifics of film and television production.

"Just watch this one, 'Dwelling Narrowness'."

Yang Rong was changing channels with the remote control when Yan Li stopped her when she got to a local channel.

He knew about this show and had even considered investing in it, but ultimately didn't.

He saw discussions about the show on Weibo a couple of days ago. Although it hasn't been broadcast on TV yet, it's already quite popular, and actors Wen Zhang and Zhang Jiayi have seen a surge in popularity as a result.

Somewhat surprisingly, Yang Rong also knew about this drama and even revealed some information about it.

"The actress playing Hai Zao was approached by Ou Ou, but Ou Ou was busy, and the production team insisted on some intimate scenes, so she turned it down."

"Wang Ou?"

Yan Li looked at the actress on the screen. Her name seemed to be... Li Nian. She wasn't a stunning beauty, but she looked rather innocent.

If Wang Ou were to play the role, it might be a bit too seductive, but it wouldn't be a bad idea.

Don't let this little flirt's private behavior fool you; that's only in front of Yan Li. In public, she's quite proper.

The dignified and elegant Mrs. Ip in "Ip Man" was well-acted. Several of her representative roles in "The Palace of Qing Dynasty" and "Detective Dee" are also of the pure and dignified type, at most a little charming, which is more in line with the setting of a college student becoming the mistress of a corrupt official.

However, Yan Li felt that Wang Ou's performance in this role was a bit too stiff.

The most suitable are women like Yang Rong, Huo Siyan, and Bai Bing, who have a softer appearance and temperament, are delicate and timid, and are charming and touching, which can arouse a man's protective instinct. If they are gentle yet alluring, they are even more exquisite.

Based on Yan Li's experience, this type of woman is very attractive to middle-aged and older men. A significant proportion of the mistresses of powerful figures he has met are of this type.

Moreover, when many powerful figures look for lovers, they don't care how beautiful they are; they just look at those who are pleasing to the eye and compatible.

Yan Li had even seen lovers who were of average or even ugly appearance, but they just liked them and had a particular taste for them. What could you do about it?

Putting aside the character of Hai Zao, this TV series is indeed quite explicit.

The plot involving the corrupt official Song Siming was so compelling that Yan Li couldn't help but touch his nose. Although it was a bit far-fetched, some of the angles were quite ruthless.

There's also the extramarital affair between Hai Zao and Song Siming, and the NTR plot. In the scene where Wen Zhang's character, Xiao Bei, is wearing a green hoodie and talking on the phone with Hai Zao, and Song Siming crawls into bed, Yan Li almost couldn't hold back his laughter.

Yang Rong, who was standing next to her, seemed to be getting into the story. Perhaps she was recalling a time when she was on the phone before, because she said somewhat indignantly.

"Why is this woman like this?"

Yan Li nodded and asked, "You don't think this seaweed is good?"

"Of course, she has a boyfriend but still fools around with other men and lies to her boyfriend. It's disgusting that Xiao Bei loves her so much."

"And what about Song Siming?"

"They're no good either. They have wives and children at home, and at their advanced age, they still come out to deceive young girls and ruin their relationships. One of them is a modern-day Pan Jinlian, and the other is a modern-day Ximen Qing."

Yang Rong gave a sharp critique, and Yan Li really wanted to ask, "Then what are we?" But after thinking about it, he decided not to say it and invite trouble upon himself.

Perhaps it's because of the different perspectives, but ordinary viewers tend to identify with Wen Zhang's portrayal of Xiao Bei and feel indignant towards Song He Hai and his adulterous partner, while Yan Li instinctively identifies with Song Siming.

He could even understand Hai Zao's behavior, thinking that although she was selfish, it was also a smart choice.

Ugh, I'm so dirty!

Yan Li reflected for a moment and realized that he was drifting further and further away from the simple and honest person he used to be.

Yang Rong was still feeling indignant on Xiao Bei's behalf when Yan Li comforted her, saying, "It's alright. Judging from the looks of it, it's unlikely that Hai Zao will marry him. She's escaped a disaster."

"Think about it, if the two of them get married and even have children, and this seaweed still does this, it will ruin his life."

Yang Rong thought about it and realized that it was true. This was a bad thing for Xiao Bei, but from another perspective, it was also a good thing.

"This one is pretty good. Could you buy me a DVD or download all the episodes online so I can catch up on the earlier parts and also get some insurance?"

Although he had only watched less than two episodes, Yan Li could tell from some online comments that the show was going to criticize various social issues such as real estate, extramarital affairs, class conflict, and corruption.

These elements are too sensitive; if the impact is too great, it might attract intervention from relevant departments.

After the two episodes aired, it was getting late. Yan Li had to work tomorrow, so he glanced at Yang Rong.

"Did you see the plot just now? I want to play it too."

Yang Rong spat at him: "You're just like Ximen Qing."

Yan Li didn't take it seriously: "I am Ximen Qing, and you are Pan Jinlian. Come and serve your master properly."

"..."

...

The TV series "Dwelling Narrowness" became popular even faster than Yan Li had imagined.

Although it hasn't been broadcast on satellite TV yet, it has already garnered widespread attention and discussion online due to its sensitive storyline and high quality. Multiple local channels have rushed to purchase the rights to broadcast it, and several video websites on the internet are also broadcasting it together.

Given its immense popularity, "Dwelling Narrowness" seems to be taking over the mantle from "Lurking".

Against this backdrop, Wen Zhang has become a rising star, finally finding his comfort zone.

Little man!
I don't know if it's because he was playing himself, but Wen Zhang's portrayal of a man who isn't bad but lacks ability, leading to problems with his wife and girlfriend, and who is a bit of a spineless little man, is incredibly vivid.

Before this, his most representative role was Xiang Nan in "Struggle", which followed a similar pattern.

Xiao Bei in this TV series "Dwelling Narrowness" is more extreme, which increases the sense of immersion and empathy, and earns him a lot of sympathy.

This kind of submissive male character is very endearing.

Not only will it reduce male viewers' sense of same-sex rejection, but the attributes of loving and "fearing" one's wife will also easily win the favor of female viewers.

The character's aura is projected onto the actor himself, and combined with Wen Zhang's similar real-life situation, the actor and the role become one, reaping huge benefits from the character.

This can be seen from the speed at which Wen Zhang's Weibo followers have increased.

Although not as exaggerated as Jiang Xin in "Lurking", gaining several thousand fans a day is still a force to be reckoned with over time.

When someone becomes famous, their status naturally changes.

Not only did her popularity rise within Orange Sky, but Yi An also extended an olive branch.

Given his current fame and popularity, he's not quite at the point where Yi An would offer him a contract, but there are a couple of dramas that would be suitable for him, so we could collaborate on them more often.

There aren't many actresses like Yi An who can deliver a standout performance in a role like Wen Zhang.

Lin Jiachuan and Zhou Yiwei have fierce and cold appearances, Deng Chao and Qiao Zhenyu are too handsome, Zhang Songwen and Huang Bo have decent temperament and acting skills, but their appearance is a bit lacking.

Wen Zhang isn't handsome, but he's not ugly either. He's the kind of person who's pleasing to the eye and has a friendly demeanor, which allows him to bring out the charm of a gentle man, blend the plot together, and attract more viewers.

Therefore, many things that seem insignificant actually have a threshold.

Wen Zhang was quite straightforward; he had only just gained momentum and hadn't yet reached the point of ignoring Yi An.

Well, considering Yi An's current size, there are few in the entire Chinese film and television industry, and even in the whole of Asia, who dare to ignore it.

Recently, several South Korean companies have expressed interest in collaborating with Yi An, hoping to use this as a springboard to send their artists to mainland China to make money.

Choo Ja-hyun, who had previously worked with Yan Li on "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang," even made a special trip to the company to visit him, but unfortunately, she wasn't important enough and Yan Li was too busy to see her.

Wen Zhang did get to see him!
After all, he was at the height of his popularity, and given their personal connections, Yan Li made a point of meeting him. "Sit down, don't be shy. We're practically brothers-in-law."

Yan Li and Wen Zhang weren't particularly close, but they had met several times at Teddy Sisters gatherings. Yan Li was also the family member of the Teddy Sisters who had met the most, so they chatted without feeling particularly distant.

"I won't play those empty words with you. Your husband, Lao Ma, usually passes the buck to Qin Lan, asking me to take care of you. I guess you know that."

Wen Zhang nodded. Although Ma Yili was somewhat domineering, she had never treated him badly and had always paved the way for him.

Including this time with "Dwelling Narrowness," director Teng Huatao is a close friend of Ma Yili. If it weren't for Ma Yili, he might not have gotten this role.

"I did put in a good word for you before, but the resources weren't great. You two must have complained about me a lot behind my back."

"No no."

Wen Zhang quickly waved his hand: "You have no obligation to help us. It is a huge favor that you are willing to lend a hand. Old Ma and I are very grateful to you."

"So, from what I'm saying, they're still not entirely satisfied with the resources I arranged."

Yan Li made a joke, then raised his hand to stop Wen Zhang from explaining, and continued.

"You two need to understand that even though I'm Yi'an's boss, many things in the company aren't entirely up to me."

“There are many artists in Yi’an, and many people are related to Yi’an. Everyone is watching me, the boss. Under these circumstances, I have to do many things in a reasonable and well-founded way to convince everyone. Otherwise, if people’s hearts are scattered, it will be difficult to lead the team.”

“Before, you were neither popular nor unpopular, which made things difficult for me. Ordinary resources had little effect on you, and everyone was scrambling for good resources. Since you didn’t have enough fame and connections, I couldn’t force you to accept them.”

After explaining his difficulties, Yan Li clapped his hands, his voice rising slightly.

“Things are different now. You’re famous now, and fame brings profits to the company. It’s much easier for me to speak up for you.”

"Yi'an is currently preparing for its IPO, which is the perfect time to go all out and there are plenty of opportunities. I've arranged two films for you, one of which you and Lao Ma will co-star in, featuring a husband-and-wife team."

Yi An raised 12 billion in one go!

Most of the funds were used to establish the cinema chain, but there was still a considerable amount of money left, not to mention that Yi'an itself was quite profitable.

With the company in the process of preparing for its IPO, keeping the money on hand was pointless, so Yi An established many projects to further promote the company.

Wen Zhanghong's timing was quite opportune; if it had been a year or two earlier or later, he might not have caught up with Yi'an's explosive growth.

So, don't be fooled by Yan Li's nice words; they're just trying to win people over. He's willing to use Wen Zhang only because Wen Zhang's acting style is suitable and Yi An already has a shortage of actors.

Even Wen Zhang alone wasn't enough; Ma Yili was also included.

Individually, these two individuals might not be able to carry a project, but if they team up, the effect will be different. With a suitable script, there is still some potential.

Wen Zhang was somewhat deep and reserved, but Yan Li was no match for him. Yan Li used heartfelt words and emotional appeals, and offered empty promises and platitudes, making Wen Zhang so eager to serve Yan Li wholeheartedly.

Ultimately, Wen Zhang is just a 25-year-old young man.

Having only recently become famous and having been used to being suppressed, being recognized and encouraged by Yan Li, a big shot, made him truly feel like he had met a good mentor and a true talent scout.

That is to say, given their relationship and Yan Li's young age.

Otherwise, in a moment of excitement, Wen Zhang might even start complaining about how he'd been adrift for half his life without ever meeting a wise ruler, and then kowtow to Yan Li as his godfather.

Yan Li had originally intended to invite Wen Zhang to stay for a meal, but fearing that he might go too far in stirring things up, he didn't bring it up.

However, Yan Li still personally escorted Wen Zhang to the company entrance, moving the man to tears as he looked back twice.

Jia Qian, the vice president in charge of artist management, suddenly appeared out of nowhere, looking thoughtfully at the closed elevator.

"President Yan, if we were to sign him now, the chances would be at least 80%."

Yan Li glanced at her: "If you sign me, will you provide me with resources?"

He wasn't unaware that Wen Zhang had a promising future, but the more promising the future was, the less he should try to poach him.

Unlike female celebrities like Fan Xiaopang, who dominates the scene, the competition among male celebrities is much fiercer.

With Huang Bo rising to prominence, Qiao Zhenyu and Zhang Zhilin also doing well, and Zhou Yiwei has been catching up. Now, the contract splitting system has been introduced, bringing in new competition. Deng Chao is already under enough pressure. If Wen Zhang joins the fray, things could get messy.

"Preparing for an IPO, stability should be the top priority."

Yan Li uttered eight words and then returned to his office. Jia Qian also returned to the company, looking somewhat depressed.

She certainly knew that stability was paramount within the company.

The key issue is that while the television, film, distribution, cinema, and advertising departments are expanding rapidly, the artist management department remains stable, and its status within the company will diminish in the future.

Thankfully, Yan Li agreed to a split contract, giving the artist management department a chance to shine; otherwise, Jia Qian really wouldn't have been able to sit still.

It's important to understand that while celebrities are important, their importance is relative.

Once Yi'an becomes an industry leader, holding a wealth of resources in film and television production, cinema chains, and advertising, and with the support of the two major platforms, Weibo and Tudou, it will directly become a super behemoth in the industry.

At that time, all the artists in the entertainment industry had to serve Yan Li, which greatly reduced the value of Yi An's artist business, making it almost dispensable.

Jia Qian was genuinely worried that Yi An might one day cut off the artist management business, at which point she, as the vice president in charge, would also be fired.

The more Jia Qian thought about it, the more panicked she became. As soon as she sat down in her office, she dragged her assistant to visit the set of "Du Lala's Promotion".

Fan Xiaopang also came from the artist management department, so the two sides could definitely get closer and rely on each other.

...

The filming locations for "Du Lala's Promotion" were in Chaoyang CBD, encompassing almost the entire Guomao area, while the offices were located in Yintai Center.

Fan Xiaopang's reputation is well-known, and everyone is willing to cooperate and help him.

When Jia Qian arrived, Fan Xiaopang and the others were filming at a high-end restaurant.

The owner of the store not only paid for product placement but also agreed to close the store during non-meal times in the morning and afternoon to cooperate with filming so that his store could be featured in the movie.

This is a commercial area with a lot of people. I heard that Fan Xiaopang was there, so a lot of onlookers gathered around. There were dozens of security guards just to maintain order.

Seeing this, Jia Qian didn't dare to disturb them and found a shop nearby to rest.

After a while, cheers were heard. When I came over, I saw Fan Xiaopang and Liu Yan greeting the onlookers after they finished filming.

There were too many people, and the venue staff asked them to leave as quickly as possible, so Fan Xiaopang and his companion were not delayed and left under the escort of security personnel.

They didn't go very far, but went directly to the main filming location of the movie crew, which is the company where Du Lala works in the movie.

Jia Qian followed along. The crew was filming a scene between the male lead Hu Bing and the second female lead Gao Yuanyuan, while Fan Xiaopang was chatting with a foreign woman.

"Sister Jia."

Upon seeing Jia Qian, Fan Xiaopang exchanged a few words with the foreign woman and then strode over.

"How did you come."

“I’m here to visit you on set. Even though you’ve started your own studio and gone independent, I’m still your former manager. This is your first time taking on such a big role, so I had to come and see.”

Jia Qian smiled and glanced at the foreign woman who had just been talking to Fan Xiaopang.

"Who is that?"

“A Cartier executive, whose company has product placement in the film, of course had to come and take a look.”

Jia Qian understood, then gave a thumbs up: "I was just about to say that. The advertising department said your movie secured over 2000 million yuan in product placement, directly covering the investment costs. This is a first for our company."

Fan Xiaopang's performance as a producer this time was only mediocre in other aspects, but he truly taught the entire Yi'an a lesson in attracting product placements and sponsorships.

"Du Lala's Promotion Diary" is a modern workplace drama with a relatively small investment, costing around 2000 million yuan.

When Fan Xiaopang was preparing, he wanted to control costs as much as possible to avoid overspending.

Yan Li told her that she shouldn't think about saving money, but rather about making money.

The plot of "Go Lala Go!" revolves around the workplace, fashion, and life, providing a perfect exposure opportunity for a large number of brands.

Fan Xiaopang herself is a well-known business queen with amazing influence in advertising.

In this situation, getting product placement is much better than Fan Xiaopang's stingy accounting.

A word to wake up the dreamer!

Fan Xiaopang immediately began researching suitable product placement locations in the film, and then went to solicit investment for product placement.

Yan Li's statement is somewhat one-sided. Fan Xiaopang is not only a business queen with amazing influence, but also has the channels and professional support of Yi'an Advertising Department.

More importantly, given her relationship with Yan Li and her connections with influential figures, entrepreneurs, and business executives, many people would give her face.

As a result, Fan Xiaopang talked to nearly thirty brands and companies, including automobiles, office equipment, IT brands, websites, clothing, cosmetics, mobile phones, beverages and food, and filming locations, earning over 2000 million yuan.

More importantly, besides product placement, she also talked about many important props and scenes, which saved the production team a lot of costs.

In other words, the movie "Go Lala Go!" was already profitable while it was still being filmed.

Fan Xiaopang was somewhat proud of his impressive achievement, but then he couldn't help but complain.

"Too many advertisements are likely to cause controversy, and the brands are also putting pressure on me. I'm so worried that I can't sleep well at night."

The more than 2000 million yuan in product placements wasn't for nothing; Fan Xiaopang personally provided some guarantees.

If the film performs poorly, it will have a certain impact on her business ventures.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. No movie has to be a hit. No matter what, you've already made money. And even if things don't go well, you still have Mr. Yan to rely on."

Jia Qian comforted Fan Xiaopang, saying that as a new producer, Fan Xiaopang had done a good job.

The company used to be a little noisy, but now it's quiet.

A cat is good as long as it catches mice, regardless of whether it's black or white. Similarly, whatever method you use to make money for the company, that's what matters.

As the two were talking, Hu Bing and Gao Yuanyuan, who had finished filming, came over to say hello.

As the head of artist management at Yi'an, Jia Qian is a prominent figure in the industry and has interacted with many other celebrities. Everyone respectfully addresses her as "Sister Jia" or "President Jia".

How are they?

After the two left, Jia Qian asked Fan Xiaopang, who nodded and said, "He's alright, easy to get along with, and quite serious about filming."

As Gao Yuanyuan mentioned before, Fan Xiaopang hired her because she was relatively famous, fit the professional image, and was pretty.

Many films that focus on the female lead prefer to cast established actresses as supporting roles, or require supporting actresses to give way to the female lead in order to prevent the supporting actress from stealing the spotlight.

Fan Xiaopang is different; he not only likes pretty girls, but he also likes to dress up these actresses beautifully.

She believed that a diverse range of styles would appeal to the audience, and she was confident that no one could surpass her.

Even in "Go Lala Go!", because the female lead was a junior employee in the early stages, Fan Xiaopang took the initiative to have her makeup done, dressing herself up in a more ordinary and delicate way, and even appeared on screen with half-no makeup.

Even so, director Jin Yimeng still half-praises and half-criticizes Fan Xiaopang every day, saying she's too beautiful.

She also criticized Zhang Ziyi, saying that Zhang Ziyi deliberately played an ugly character in "Sophie's Revenge" and took the ugly duckling route.

But Zhang's ugly duckling is truly ugly, while Fan Xiaopang, unless he takes drastic measures, will remain a swan.

As for the male lead, Hu Bing, he was finally cast after Fan Xiaopang searched around and with the support of Jin Yimeng.

Hu Bing's image and temperament are impeccable, but he's a bit past his prime.

However, he was still one of the four most popular young actors back then. Although his popularity has declined, he still has a certain level of fame, which is enough to satisfy Fan Xiaopang.

Anyway, Yan Li was quite satisfied. Hu and Ren Quan were similar, both well-known in the industry.

Fan Xiaopang and Jia Qian chatted for a while, getting more and more excited, and decided to have dinner together. Fan Xiaopang even said...

"If you don't mind, I can introduce you to someone."

"Who?"

"A rather interesting little girl."

Jia Qian immediately guessed that Fan Xiaopang was going to recommend an artist to her. When she saw it that evening, sure enough, it was a newcomer with a round face named Zhao Liying.

“Liying plays a role in our show. She’s quite talented, hardworking, and ambitious. I have high hopes for her.”

“She’s currently at Huayi Brothers, where she doesn’t have many opportunities and the company doesn’t value her, which is a bit of a waste. Why not come to our Yi’an to be trained? Maybe she’ll be a rising star.”

It's easy to tell from Fan Xiaopang's words that she has a good impression of Zhao Liying.

This girl is good at seizing opportunities. After confirming her role in "Go Lala Go!", she turned down all other roles and focused on preparing for the part.

She was originally supposed to join the crew later, but when she learned that the movie was starting filming, she took the initiative to join the crew early. When she didn't have any scenes, she would run errands for the crew without pay or needing the crew to provide accommodation; a boxed meal was enough for her.

Fan Xiaopang saw all this but didn't say anything, observing her for more than half a month.

Seeing that she still persisted and even took the time to study acting, Fan Xiaopang, who already had a good impression of her, felt even more that she was a promising talent.

Everyone has their little schemes, but few are willing to take action and endure loneliness.

Fan Xiaopang isn't afraid that Zhao Liying is faking it; being able to fake it for half a month is quite an achievement, and she deserves a push.

Unlike Chairman Qin, she wouldn't act as Yang Mi's caregiver, nor did she intend to become her confidante.

Fan Xiaopang was completely adopting the mindset of a superior in order to cultivate capable subordinates for himself.

Therefore, she will give opportunities and provide support, but ultimately, Zhao Liying still needs to work hard on her own.

If someone succeeds through hard work, she'll continue to provide even greater support; otherwise, she'll replace them. The entertainment industry has no shortage of ambitious artists…

(End of this chapter)