Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 360 of "A Shot in the Dark": Qin Lan wins over Young Master Yan.
Yan Lizhen felt that she had been having a run of bad luck these past two months, encountering nothing but trouble.

But Sun Honglei had only recently signed with Yi'an and then called him specifically to ask for his help, so he couldn't very well ignore him.

Some artists under contract are willing to join Yi An not only because Yi An has a large family, a large business, and abundant resources, but also because Yan Li is known for protecting his own, and they want to find a backer for themselves.

Yan Li is recruiting soldiers based on this persona, so naturally he won't ruin his own reputation; he'll step up when it's time to do so.

Even disregarding that, Sun Honglei and he had a long-standing relationship. In the past two years, Sun Honglei had become quite close to Yi An and they had a good relationship. When Sun Honglei was in trouble, he would come to him for help, and Yan Li couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

Gansu Province, Zhangjiakou City

Yan Li initially wanted to resolve the issue by making a phone call, but after thinking about it, he decided to come over in person instead.

Sun Honglei, his agent, and a producer from "A Simple Noodle Story" came to pick them up.

Yan Li noticed that Sun Honglei's hand was still bandaged and couldn't help but ask.

"Did Xiao Shenyang really hit you?"

It's no wonder Yan Li questioned it. In his impression, Sun Honglei was the kind of tough guy who had to hold back when playing the ruthless Liu Huaqiang, but he ended up getting beaten up by the "effeminate" Xiao Shenyang.

This contrast is reminiscent of Pan Changjiang playing basketball with Yao Ming, where Pan Changjiang blocks Yao Ming's shot.

Sun Honglei was speechless, but his agent explained: "President Yan, Honglei was a little drunk at the time, and that Xiao Shenyang had martial arts training."

The producer next to him also explained, which is what Yan Li translated as "Yan Li".

Sun Honglei looks fierce, but he's not good at fighting. Xiao Shenyang may act effeminate, but he's trained in martial arts and comes from the nightlife scene in Northeast China. He's quite good at fighting.

However, to be fair, Sun Honglei's arm wasn't broken by Xiao Shenyang, but rather he was accidentally injured by a shard of a beer bottle during the scuffle. The actual conflict between the two wasn't that serious.

However, because Xiao Shenyang's master Zhao Benshan was there, Sun Honglei was a bit nervous, so he asked Yan Li to come and keep watch.

After understanding the situation, Yan Li looked at Sun Honglei's agent and asked, "What's the situation with your CEO Zhao?"

Sun Honglei signed not only Yi An, but strictly speaking, she is an artist under Xinbaoyuan.

Even Sun Honglei's participation in "A Simple Noodle Story" was thanks to Zhao Baogang. Yan Lide should discuss how to resolve this matter with Zhao Baogang.

"We couldn't book the plane tickets, but Mr. Zhao will be here this afternoon. He has already instructed us that we at Xinbaoyuan will fully cooperate with whatever arrangements you make, Mr. Yan."

Yan Li immediately understood what was going on.

Zhao Baogang is indeed a bigwig in Beijing's elite circles, but his influence is limited to those circles, and even more so to the arts and film industries.

In contrast, although Master Xiao Shenyang also mainly works in film and television, he is actually involved in various industries and has a wide influence throughout the country, not to mention in Northeast China.

To put it bluntly, Zhao Baogang couldn't outmaneuver Zhao Benshan.

Seeking help from other influential figures in Beijing's elite circles is possible, but there might not be enough time, and they might not be willing to risk offending Zhao Benshan for this.

That's why Sun Honglei was so eager to ask Yan Li for help; the latter is a true big shot who is awesome in the industry and in other aspects.

"Hong Lei, what do you want?"

Yan Li understood Xin Baoyuan's idea and then asked Sun Honglei, who hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"I just want to move on from this and focus on making good films."

"understood."

Yan Li nodded, but he didn't make any grand promises to Sun Honglei about standing up for him or anything like that.

He's the boss, not his biological father.

In this fight, Xiao Shenyang was in the wrong, but Sun Honglei may not be entirely innocent either.

Yan Li was always cautious. Before coming, he had investigated through various channels and found that Sun Honglei bore a great deal of responsibility for the matter.

After "Lurking," Sun Honglei became a huge star, and inevitably, he became complacent and somewhat arrogant.

When he joined the crew of "A Simple Noodle Story", he was overshadowed by Xiao Shenyang in every way.

In terms of status, Xiao Shenyang is the male lead, while he is the male supporting character. In terms of popularity, he is also somewhat inferior to Xiao Shenyang, who truly became a household name after the Spring Festival Gala.

Meanwhile, Sun Honglei, who has formal training and has worked hard for many years, also disapproves of Xiao Shenyang's unorthodox Errenzhuan style, thinking that he is purely using crooked methods and sheer luck.

As a result, Sun Honglei was very unhappy with Xiao Shenyang. He drank some alcohol at the party that day and said some inappropriate things.

This situation is not unusual. It's perfectly normal for actors in a production crew to have disagreements, exchange sarcastic remarks, or even have some friction.

Unexpectedly, Sun Honglei was arrogant, and Xiao Shenyang was even more arrogant. Sun was unhappy, and Xiao Shenyang didn't take him seriously at all, so the two started arguing.

We're both from Northeast China, so it's easy for us to get angry when we argue, and once we get angry, we start fighting.

Even at this point, it can still be controlled. Fights have happened on set before, but they were always resolved internally, minimizing the damage.

But there were too many people watching Zhang Yimou's film crew, and when some media outlets heard about it, they leaked the news.

Both are popular celebrities, and the contrast in their public image makes this a highly sensational story.

The crew of "A Simple Noodle Story" is struggling to keep up with the financial situation. Xiao Shenyang's request for help from his master has led Sun Honglei to think about many things and start calling for more people.

Yan Li came here with the intention of resolving the matter peacefully, and did not want to antagonize the Northeast comedy king over this trivial matter.

If Sun Honglei thinks he can challenge Zhao Benshan and force the master and apprentice to admit their mistakes just because he's around, Yan Li really needs to reconsider booking his return flight.

But Sun Honglei knew in his heart that if he genuinely wanted to resolve the matter and not put Yan Li in a difficult position, then Yan Li would help him.

"Don't worry, with me here, you won't get into any trouble or suffer any losses."

Yan Li made a promise that he would not help Sun Honglei bully others, but he would also not allow others to bully Sun Honglei.

When Yan Li stood up for Deng Chao in dealing with Feng Yuxiang, he first tried diplomacy before resorting to force.
If Feng Xiaogang had known better back then, and had said a few more conciliatory words to smooth things over, given Yan Li enough face, and given Deng Chao an explanation, things wouldn't have escalated to that point.

Upon arriving at the destination, Yan Li first spoke with Zhao Baogang on the phone, and then asked...

"Where is he? Lead me there."

"Aren't we waiting for President Zhao?"

What use is he? Does he dare to slam his fist on the table? Or even resort to violence?!

Yan Li shook his head, but still added a word of sympathy for Zhao Baogang: "I'll go and check things out first."

Sun Honglei had no choice but to lead the way. On the way, Zhang Yimou called and said that they were all waiting for them in the film crew's conference room, so they changed their route and went to the film crew's office.

When he arrived at the location, Yan Li saw several burly men smoking in the parking area downstairs. The two leading men looked somewhat familiar to Yan Li.

Gangzi and Ahao from "Ma Dashuai"

Sun Honglei explained that these two were Zhao's bodyguards, and were also known for their skills with knives and guns.

"Wow, with this kind of situation, did I bring too few people?"

Yan Li traveled light this time, with only his assistant Ding Feng and two bodyguards. This setup would be sufficient for daily travel, but it seemed a bit shabby for today's occasion.

Ding Feng leaned closer: "Boss, should we call someone?"

Yan Li takes security quite seriously. I dare not say more, but he can easily summon twenty or thirty bodyguards with a single phone call. They are all veterans and have received professional training.

These are just the direct bodyguards. If you use connections or money, you can easily find a hundred or so bodyguards, thugs, loyal followers, and tough guys. They are all daring and willing to fight, and can even use heavy blows and kill.

"Are you making a gangster movie?"

Yan Li didn't take these so-called swords, guns, and cannons seriously at all; he didn't believe Zhao would dare to touch him.

In this land, the underworld is always associated with despicable people. If you touch a single finger of them, they can destroy the entire Benshan Media Group.

Even Yan Li, who was still walking, saw those people looking over and immediately told everyone to stop, calmly stating.

"I'm tired, I need to rest."

Yan Li stood there with a cigarette in his mouth, but didn't light it, and even joked with Sun Honglei and the others.

"Do you think they'll come and beat me up if I look at them?"

Sun Honglei chuckled dryly, "President Yan, let's just stand here."

"I won't be standing here for long, someone will pick me up soon... Oh, here I come."

A few people came out from the office area. The one leading them was Zhang Yimou, and the other was Zhao Benshan, who was wearing a baseball cap.

"President Yan, it's terribly hot outside, why don't you go inside?"

"Director Zhang, Teacher Zhao."

Yan Li greeted them very politely, then nodded to the group.

“It’s not that I don’t want to go in, but these guys look fierce and I’m scared. It would be so unfair for me to come all the way to Gansu and get beaten up.”

Zhao Benshan knew that Yan Li was picking on him, so he immediately pointed at the group and lectured them.

"Who gave you guys permission to be here? You're just causing trouble. Get the hell out of here!"

Then he sincerely said to Yan Li, "Mr. Yan, I'm sorry, my subordinates were ignorant and acted recklessly. I apologize to you."

"Oh, I see. I thought Teacher Zhao was trying to intimidate me."

Yan Li couldn't tell if it was a sigh or sarcasm, but these people standing there made him somewhat unhappy.

Intimidation by force?

What do you take him for? Trying to scare a child?!
Zhao Benshan was getting a little anxious. He hadn't intended to make a big deal out of it and planned to work with Lao Mouzi to suppress the matter. However, Sun Honglei got scared and invited Yan Li, which suddenly complicated things.

He is quite powerful, but his main area of ​​influence is still mainly in Northeast China.

Once you cross Shanhaiguan, you'll find Zhao Benshan, but once you're inside Shanhaiguan, you have to be careful.

With Xiao Shenyang becoming a sensation, Zhao Benshan was planning to take his apprentices south to expand the market, while Liu Laogen Grand Stage in Beijing had only been open for two months.

If this were to happen with Yan Li, a tycoon with extensive connections in film, television, and the internet, then things would get really interesting.

Putting everything else aside, while Xiao Shenyang is currently very popular, he is also quite controversial. If Yan Li stirs things up on Weibo, his reputation could be reversed.

Moreover, Yan Li has a great influence in the film and television industry. If he were to declare that he would block Zhao's troupe, the latter would be in a very difficult position.

The TV series are alright, at least they have CCTV and a few well-known IPs, but the movies are a complete disaster. Just the limited screening schedule can crush all of Zhao Benshan's film plans.

So Zhao Benshan raised his voice even louder and pointed at the few people who were still dawdling, scolding them.

"Hurry up and go back, everyone. Old Liu, you stay with them and don't let them come back."

Then, he said even more sincerely, "President Yan, don't misunderstand. The kids are good friends in private. They're probably worried about Xiao Shenyang, so they're waiting for news here. There's absolutely no other meaning behind it."

Yan Li remained noncommittal: "Then let's go inside and talk."

As the host, Zhang Yimou personally led the way for both sides. Zhang Weiping did not show up, it is unknown whether he was too busy or what.

Upon entering a conference room in the office area, Lao Yizi, Yan Li, and Zhao Benshan sat down, while the others stood.

The old strategist spoke first, saying a few polite words before getting to the point: "Now that President Yan is here, let's discuss the procedures."

Zhao Benshan then spoke up: "Let me state my position first. This incident happened on set, and my apprentice was involved. No matter what, I, as the master, failed to manage him properly and caused trouble for Director Zhang and President Yan."

Seeing this, Yan Li softened his tone: "I don't know the details of what happened, but Hong Lei is an artist in our company. He was injured while filming on set, and there's been a lot of talk about it outside, so I came here specifically to see what happened."

The idea of ​​"calling for help" was somewhat confrontational, so Yan Li backed down, saying that she came to visit the artist because of public opinion.

The three of them chatted amongst themselves, trying to defuse the tension.

Immediately afterwards, Zhao Benshan called over another party involved, Xiao Shenyang, as well as the people who had participated in the drinking party that day.

Zhang Yimou said, "President Yan has arrived. Tell us the details of what happened that day. No hiding anything, and no exaggeration or omissions."

To avoid the two parties involved from embellishing their own image, and to avoid Zhao's other two apprentices from showing favoritism towards their own people, the main descriptions are of neutral third parties.

After the reconstruction, everyone gained a more detailed understanding of the situation at that time.

The incident was started by Sun Honglei. Xiao Shenyang started by swearing, and it's suspected that he was the one who pushed first.

Sun is a veteran in the industry and knows his limits, while Xiao Shenyang is young and arrogant, so he was more impulsive.

Of course, Sun Honglei's insults were also quite harsh, constantly using vulgar language, which was also the reason why Xiao Shenyang lost his temper and took action.

Yan Li felt that what had happened was similar to what he had inquired about, and then looked at Sun Honglei, who nodded in agreement with the description.

The atmosphere became slightly silent.

Yan Li decided to play it safe. No matter what, Sun Honglei had been beaten and injured, so he couldn't be the first to back down.

Although Zhao Benshan said his apprentice was wrong, he still sided with his own people. Moreover, as the master, if he didn't protect his own, people's hearts would fall apart, so he didn't say anything.

Zhang Yimou looked around and could only break the silence himself: "Gentlemen, if I may be so bold, I think both of you bear some responsibility for things escalating to this point."

"But I also think it's not a big deal. Men, it's normal to have a few drinks and a fight. It's okay to have conflicts, they can be resolved."

As a director, others can avoid it, but Zhang Yimou can't. He can't ignore it, so he has no choice but to bite the bullet and negotiate.

Fortunately, neither side intended to escalate the situation. Zhang Yimou's words served as a way out, and the atmosphere improved considerably.

Zhao Benshan glanced at his apprentice, then at Sun Honglei's injured hand, and spoke first.

“Shen Yang did something wrong. How could he lay a hand on Hong Lei and even injure his hand? They are both from the same region in Northeast China.”

"Shen Yang, apologize to Brother Honglei."

Xiao Shenyang probably made arrangements beforehand, and immediately came out to bow and apologize to Sun Honglei.

Yan Li glanced at Sun Honglei, then stopped being polite and criticized him, saying, "Honglei is also at fault. He can't keep his mouth shut after a few drinks. He must learn from this experience."

Sun Honglei knew what was going on and immediately blamed himself: "Yes, yes, I was wrong too. In this way, in front of President Yan, Director Zhang, and Teacher Zhao, I will also apologize to Shen Yang."

His goal wasn't to vent his anger, but to avoid being targeted by the Zhao family troupe. If they apologized to each other and everyone saved face, he would feel at ease.

Sure enough, Zhao Benshan was very satisfied with the situation and clapped his hands: "No fight, no friendship. You two brothers should understand each other more and get along more. If you become friends, bad things will turn into good things."

After saying this, he instructed his disciple to bow to Yan Li.

"After the Spring Festival Gala, President Yan praised you so much, saying, 'From now on, who in the world doesn't know you?' He gave you so much face, and he kept promoting you on Weibo. Without his support, you wouldn't be where you are today."

"You didn't do anything to repay President Yan, and you even made him travel a long way. It's really not right of you."

Sun Honglei was afraid of being targeted by the Zhao family troupe, and Old Zhao was also worried that his apprentice would be targeted by Yan Li. So he said these words to build ties and rekindle old friendships, in order to help Xiao Shenyang regain his good impression in Yan Li's mind.

Xiao Shenyang was also straightforward: "President Yan, it was my fault for being ignorant. I have been wanting to visit you for a long time, but I never expected to run into you because of this matter. I apologize for the trouble."

When he bowed to Sun Honglei, Xiao Shenyang still felt somewhat resentful, but when he bowed to Yan Li, it was nothing.

Putting aside the fact that Yan Li had previously flattered him and he should acknowledge that favor, the key issue is the difference in their social status.

No matter how famous he becomes, he still has to work for Boss Yan. It's only been half a year since he became a sensation after the Spring Festival Gala, and Xiao Shenyang has gotten a little carried away, but he hasn't gone too far and still knows his place.

Even in his heart, given his current popularity, he thought that even if he left his master Zhao Benshan, there might still be someone willing to hire him.

However, having offended Yan Li, it was difficult for him to gain a foothold in the mainstream film and television industry, so he could only perform Errenzhuan (a type of folk opera) outside the Great Wall.

Therefore, whether it's Zhao or Xiao Shenyang, many of their statements today emphasize one thing: their conflict with Sun Honglei was a misunderstanding, and it was definitely not directed at Yan Li.

Yan Li thought that it was probably also due to the lingering influence of dealing with Wang Le some time ago.

Given his numerous past achievements, everyone knows that Yan Li is ruthless and decisive, so most people would really have to think twice before facing him.

Therefore, a reputation earned through battle is a true reputation!

...

The matter is now resolved. If the two of them quarrel again, not only will Yan Li and Lao Zhao be unhappy, but Lao Mouzi will also get angry.

Others think that this person, who always speaks softly, is a pushover.

After the Beijing Olympics, his status became exceptionally high. He served as the chief director of this year's 60th anniversary celebration gala. The term "national strategist" is not just a joke; even Yan Li (a famous Chinese court official) has to give him some respect.

According to the procedure, there is a reconciliation feast afterwards, where everyone eats and drinks, toasts each other a few times, and further eases the tension.

Zhao Baogang arrived at this time as well. Seeing that the matter was resolved, he said a few polite words and joined the banquet.
As the wine flowed freely, Yan Li asked the production team how they would respond to the outside world. The rumors were spreading like wildfire, and they needed to give an explanation.

"I discussed it with Teacher Zhao and we decided to say that it was all fabricated and that Hong Lei's injury was caused by practicing martial arts."

Yan Li nodded, then suggested, "Informing the media might easily embellish the story. It would be better to announce it through the official Weibo account of the production team or the two of them, and have them take a photo together. This would also serve as a way to 'refute' the conflict."

This is more intuitive than media reports, and Weibo can also take the opportunity to gain a wave of traffic.

"Okay."

Zhao Benshan was the first to respond, and then said, "Let's take a group photo to boost our momentum."

Zhang Yimou hesitated: "Isn't this going a bit too far? Besides, with President Yan and Baosteel both here, it's easy to expose some things."

Netizens aren't stupid; seeing this scene, they know that both sides have called in their parents to negotiate, otherwise they'd be making a fool of themselves by protesting.

Yan Li shook his head: "Even if you don't film it, netizens won't believe it. Besides, can Director Zhang guarantee that the news won't leak?"

Before the fight could be contained, the media exposed it. There must be something fishy going on inside; the media had already infiltrated the production.

It's no secret that Yan Li and his group came to negotiate; the news will probably spread throughout the entire crew by tomorrow, and there might even be leaks tonight.

Instead of letting others profit from the traffic, why not let the production team benefit from it? With some manipulation, it might become a key focus of their publicity.

This might make Sun Honglei lose face, but since he lost the match, he would still be questioned and teased even without this move.

Men aren't afraid of fighting, they're afraid of losing. If they lose to a "sissy," they'll never be able to hold their heads high again.

Besides, Yan Li came all this way to stand up for him and help him through his difficulties, so Sun Honglei contributing some traffic to Weibo can be considered a way of repaying Boss Yan.

Thus, the host, Zhang Yimou, sat in the center, with Yan Li and Zhao Benshan on his left and right, respectively, and Zhao Baogang next to Yan Li. A producer from "A Simple Noodle Story" sat next to Zhao Benshan.

The five people sat down, while Sun Honglei, Xiao Shenyang, and other actors and crew members stood behind them. They took a group photo.

Afterwards, Sun and Xiao Shenyang posted a photo of themselves together, indicating that the rumors were wrong and that the two brothers were on good terms.

A group photo from the official Weibo account of "A Simple Noodle Story," thanking Yan Li and Zhao Baogang for visiting the set.

Unsurprisingly, many netizens believe that Yan Li and Zhao Baogang were there to support Sun Honglei, and some insiders also made various revelations.

However, the group photo also indicates that the matter has been put to rest, both sides have reconciled, and filming of "A Simple Noodle Story" will continue.

Yan Li did not leave the crew immediately, partly to support Sun Honglei, and partly to make it look like he was visiting the set.

The next day, Yan Li went to the set of "A Simple Noodle Story". He went there with a hint of anticipation, but came back with a look of confusion.

As mentioned before, students with formal acting training tend to have a certain bias towards directors like Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige.

Director Chen's "The Promise" shattered Yan Li's illusions about him.

Although Zhang Yimou's films have been controversial, Yan Li still approves of him, and his impression of him was further enhanced by his performance at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

But this visit to the set of "A Simple Noodle Story" shattered Yan Li's illusions about Zhang Yimou.

If Zhang Yimou hadn't been on set, he would have suspected that someone was using his name as a substitute.

It's terrible!
It's so bad it's disgusting. He could pick any director from Yi'an, no, even an assistant director, and they could make a better film than this.

I heard that Zhang Yimou made this film to compensate for the suspension of new filming for the Beijing Olympics, and it was a money-making film that was rushed out specifically.

But even if you're rushing, you can't rush it like this!
He even suspected that Sun Honglei provoked Xiao Shenyang into a fight because he thought the show was bad and was deliberately using this as a way to escape responsibility.

Yan Li was so shocked that he took a plane and left that very night. As soon as he left, Boss Zhang, who had gone out to scout locations, returned.

There wasn't any major conflict between Xinhua and Yi'an, but there had been some minor frictions.

Previously, Yan Li, who was involved in the film "Curse of the Golden Flower," was rejected for distribution and was dissatisfied with Zhang Yi's arrogant and rude attitude. He then took a grudge and exposed a lot of inside information about Zhang Yi, which caused some turmoil within the production team.

In retrospect, Mr. Zhang had also suspected Yan Li, but he had no evidence.

In addition, the two sides had incompatible personalities and disliked each other, so they rarely contacted each other. Therefore, when Zhang learned that Yan Li was coming, he immediately hid away.

When he returned, he already knew what had happened and said directly, "Publicizing this is a viable approach. I'll personally follow up on it later."

Zhang Yimou was a bit of a headache and advised, "Stop it here. Don't escalate things and make them fight."

"Don't worry, I know what's going on."

Mr. Zhang's words almost caused Zhang Yimou internal injury, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

If you were aware of the situation, and kept it in mind every day, things wouldn't have gotten to this point!
The conflict between Sun and Shen was directly caused by the two of them, and another indirect cause was Boss Zhang.

Xiao Shenyang is popular and is the male lead, but his status is low. Sun Honglei, although a supporting actor, has a high status and is also very popular.

Given the special circumstances of these two individuals, under normal circumstances, the production company should have a record of such cases and take targeted measures to appease and balance both parties, reducing conflict and allowing them to focus on filming.

As it turned out, Mr. Zhang failed to do so at all, and even added fuel to the fire to some extent, showing favoritism, which in turn aroused Sun's dissatisfaction.

That alone is bad enough. After the incident, Boss Zhang couldn't control the situation. If he had handled it well, Sun Honglei wouldn't have been so afraid that he had to call Yan Li to come forward overnight.

With both sides' bigwigs gathered, producer Zhang resigned, leaving director Zhang Yimou to personally mediate.

Now that a reconciliation has finally been reached, their first reaction is to hype it up.

Although Yan Li has said something similar, he is an outsider who is thinking about traffic. As the producer, shouldn't he prioritize the unity of the project itself and be more cautious?

It's clear that Zhang Yimou is very dissatisfied with Boss Zhang, not only regarding the Sun Shen incident, but also with the entire "A Simple Noodle Story" project.

Zhang Yimou's most anticipated project was "The Flowers of War," but due to the suspension of New Pictures and the excessive time required for the project, Zhang Yimou wanted him to make a movie to recoup some of the losses.

Zhang Yimou was quite touched by the fact that the new film had waited for him so patiently, so he readily agreed.

He also chose the project "A Simple Noodle Story," which is a remake of the Coen brothers' classic film "Blood Simple."

Up to this point, the project was relatively harmonious, but soon Mr. Zhang started his usual shady practices, interfering with Zhang Yimou's creative process.

For example, because of the immense popularity of Xiao Shenyang on the Spring Festival Gala, there was a strong suggestion to use Xiao Shenyang, which in turn led to the joining of Zhao Benshan's troupe.

Zhang Yimou also bears some responsibility. On the one hand, he couldn't withstand the pressure from Zhang Yimou, and on the other hand, he didn't know what he was thinking, but he felt that incorporating elements of Errenzhuan (a traditional Chinese folk art form) might be a novel idea that could give the film an absurd comedic effect.

And then it really became absurd!

As a renowned director, Zhang Yimou could already foresee the quality of the final film after it had reached this stage, but he was caught in a dilemma and had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue filming.

Nowadays, Zhang Yimou's mentality has become somewhat resigned, and he is full of resentment towards Mr. Zhang.

He was at the height of his fame after the Beijing Olympics, and then he released this movie.

With him, Zhao Benshan, and the popular Xiao Shenyang and Sun Honglei in the cast, "A Simple Noodle Story" is indeed expected to be a box office hit, just as Mr. Zhang said, a sure thing. However, his reputation has also been ruined.

Zhang Yimou even began to envy Feng Xiaogang, Chen Da, and the younger generation Ning Hao.

No matter what, Director Chen is working independently and can film however he wants; no one is stopping him.

Feng Hening has financial backers, but Huayi Brothers and Yi An provide full support and rarely interfere with his creative process.

For him now, Mr. Zhang is not only of no help, but to some extent, he has become a burden and a nuisance.

...

Not long after Yan Li returned to Beijing from Gansu Province, Zhao Benshan called to invite him to watch a play at Liu Laogen Grand Stage.

On the one hand, there have been rumors circulating that Yan Li and Lao Zhao don't get along because of Sun and Shen, and he wants to clarify this.

On the other hand, Zhao Benshan, who was also thinking about going south and promoting his apprentices to the film industry, also hoped to get closer to Yi An.

They still gave him face and courtesy, choosing a time when they had free time to bring their parents to support him—the influence of the comedy king needs no further explanation, and his parents especially liked Lao Zhao.

Old Zhao was very accommodating, personally greeting Yan Li at the door and being especially warm towards Yan Li's parents. He even introduced Yan Li to someone.

"Mr. Yan, do you remember this person?"

“…Linghui, Liu Linghui.”

Yan Li was slightly taken aback, then smiled, shook hands with the girl with the small face, and introduced her to his parents.

"Dad, Mom, this is my classmate from college."

Liu Linghui greeted Yan Li's parents and then said with a smile, "I didn't expect you to still remember me. I was afraid that you would forget about me after you became a big boss."

"I'll never forget it, I used to mooch off your snacks all the time back in college."

Yan Li was somewhat emotional. He still kept in touch with some of his university classmates, and even invited many of them to participate in the filming of "New Three Kingdoms".

However, because of their different statuses, they generally won't contact him unless there's a specific reason.

Liu Linghui was one of the few who had lost contact with Yan Li, but he knew where Yan Li was.

Not long after graduating from university, she returned to her hometown and joined Benshan Media. She acted in "Liu Laogen" and "Ma Dashuai", and her representative role was Pei Qian, the beauty salon manager in "Ma Dashuai 3".

"It's like the flood washed away the Dragon King's temple; we don't even recognize our own people."

Old Zhao flashed his signature smile: "I only found out when I got home that Xiao Hui and President Yan were college classmates."

"By the way, Mr. Yan, you probably don't know this, but Xiao Hui is not only the deputy manager of Liu Laogen Grand Stage in Beijing, but also my sister-in-law. My wife is her cousin."

Wow, no wonder he joined Benshan Media right after graduation, turns out they're related.

As the deputy manager, Liu Linghui personally arranged private rooms and tea and snacks, and everyone chatted while watching the Errenzhuan performance.

Yan Li admired Lao Zhao somewhat; he was able to dig up such a distant relationship.

But you know what? This way of building relationships and getting closer works on both Lao Zhao, who's from Northeast China, and Yan Li, who's from Shandong Province.

With this old classmate and relative paving the way, everyone has new connections and topics to discuss, and they will become closer.

Zhao Benshan's meaning was simple: there was an opportunity to cooperate. Yan Li didn't refuse, but he didn't agree either.

Yan Li previously thought that Xiao Shenyang was a good candidate, given his popularity, and that he could start a project to make some money.

However, after watching his performance in "A Simple Noodle Story", Yan Li began to have reservations.

Xiao Shenyang became famous too quickly and too intensely; he simply doesn't have enough experience. His skills are fine for sketch comedy and Errenzhuan (a traditional Chinese folk art form), but it's difficult for him to carry a movie.

Yan Li heard that Wang Mojing also used Xiao Shenyang, but he was willing to bet that Wang would not give him much screen time, or use Xiao Shenyang as a supporting character, otherwise it would definitely fall apart.

Even Zhang Yimou couldn't handle it; Wang Mojing's style combined with Errenzhuan (a traditional Chinese folk art form) is something he can't even imagine.

Therefore, Yan Li mainly adopted a wait-and-see approach towards Xiao Shenyang, taking it easy and observing the situation before making a decision.

However, if Zhao Benshan were willing to step out of retirement and star in a movie himself, Yan Li would definitely support him.

Unfortunately, perhaps because he has money or because of his age, Old Zhao's mindset has changed.

He wanted to promote his apprentices to the top, so that he could become the head of the troupe instead of being the mainstay. He was willing to play a supporting role for his apprentices rather than take the lead himself.

After leaving Liu Laogen Grand Stage, Yan Li had been chatting with Zhao Benshan the whole time and hadn't really watched the performance. His parents, on the other hand, had watched it quite attentively. They were laughing heartily in their private box and were still discussing it on the way back.

When Yan Li arrived home, he was about to enter when Zhang Hong blocked the door and told him to leave.

"Okay, get home and then hurry up and leave. Qin Lan is back, you should get back to work."

Yan Li: "..."

They're really eager to have a grandson.

However, Qin Lan and Dong Xuan had agreed to start at the same time, and Dong Xuan wasn't finished yet, so it wasn't appropriate for her to start ahead of everyone else.

In fact, Qin Lan wanted to disregard martial ethics, but Yan Li persuaded her otherwise.

The Qin-Dong alliance is currently in a peaceful state, but if they fall out over a race to the front and things get out of hand, he'll be the one in trouble in the end.

Moreover, compared to Qin Lan, who is adjusting her state, Fan Xiaopang is more agitated right now. Although he has reached an agreement with Chairman Qin, he still has all sorts of grumbling in his heart. Therefore, Tianyan Li visits her more often to appease her.

However, with the arrival of July, the filming of "Double-Sided Embroidery" wrapped up, and Dong Xuan began to adjust her state.

Fan Xiaopang was no longer easy to appease, and Yan Li needed to conserve his energy and focus his efforts on the right things.

This has caused Fan Xiaopang's temper to visibly worsen recently, and even her agent Yang Tianzhen has started to avoid her.

Besides Fan Xiaopang, the other women were also in a bad mood.

They all knew more or less what Yan Li was doing, and they were already feeling uneasy. What made it even worse was that Chairman Qin was clinging to Yan Li and refusing to let go.

After reaching an agreement, Chairman Qin considered that the two parties had different menstrual cycles and ovulation periods, so in order to ensure fairness, they specially chose to draw lots. Each person would have one week, and then draw lots again to determine the order.

In that case, even if you encounter your period or miss your ovulation period, it's just bad luck and you can't blame anyone else.

Each person gets a week's supply, and Yan Li not only has to ensure the quality and quantity but also consider their feelings, which means that the others can't see each other at all.

Fan Xiaopang didn't care, and even stormed into Yan Li's office to demand public grain and cause trouble, something no one else had the means or the guts to do.

Wang Ou wanted to learn from him, but almost became the target of Fan Xiaopang's bad temper.

Everyone was both hoping that Chairman Qin's plan would fail and hoping that the two of them would finish quickly, their feelings were extremely complicated and contradictory.

But soon, their conflict was over. Yan Li was a good shot and hit the target directly. Qin Lan, who was in the first week, confirmed that she was pregnant a few days later.

Yes, the system confirmed it. It's faster and more accurate than hospital tests, and it even knows the gender: Y chromosome, boy.

　9000+, made up for the 1000 I owed yesterday.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)