Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 381 Huayi Brothers lost a menace, LeEco gained a powerful ally

"Shorty, looking for trouble, huh?"

Seeing Zhang Xinyu chatting enthusiastically with Huo Siyan, Wang Ou frowned. After Zhang Xinyu left, he directly questioned Huo Siyan.

"You even interfere with our chatting? Stop calling me Sister Tongxin, call me Sister Nagging instead."

Huo Siyan put away her phone, which she had just exchanged contact information with Zhang Xinyu, and retorted. Wang Ou looked at her strangely.

"Shorty, you haven't misunderstood something, have you?"

There's a saying that the person who knows you best is your enemy, and this saying seems to hold some truth for Wang Ou and Huo Siyan.

Although they haven't met often, they dislike each other intensely and share some similarities in personality and behavior, so they have a certain understanding and awareness of each other's actions and thoughts.

Huo Siyan's blatant attempt to poach Wang Ou's boyfriend made him realize something was wrong.

If you're just trying to make friends, there's no need to be so confrontational; then there must be another motive.

"hehe."

Wang Ou sneered and mocked, "I think you've not only gotten fat, but your brain has also been bloated with fat. That one was just a print model. Even if she's pretty, there are so many pretty models in Beijing. Do you think she's like you? You're a glutton who eats everything."

Just now, Wang Ou and Zhang Xinyu were chatting. It wasn't Wang Ou who initiated the conversation; rather, Zhang Xinyu took the initiative to start a conversation.

Wang Ou chatted with the other person for a few minutes because they both knew someone in the modeling industry; there was no other intention.

Now, Yan Li has no shortage of women, and has even begun to complain about having too many women.

Let alone these aspiring models who are desperate to rise to the top, even many established actresses have their eyes on Boss Yan.

There's no shortage of women, and plenty of them are beautiful, but the key is to pique Yan Li's interest and catch his eye.

Bai Bing and Yan Li have been together for several years. During that time, Wu Jiani and Wang Ou had a falling out, but Wang Ou never intended to recruit new members.

One reason is that having fewer people ensures market share and internal unity, while randomly recruiting new people can easily cause dissatisfaction among the older employees. Another reason is that Yan Li has picky tastes and doesn't really like ordinary people.

Another crucial point is that even if Yan Li is satisfied, what is this person's character like? Is he willing to unite under a small group? Will he listen to Wang Ou? These are all things that need to be carefully considered and examined.

Otherwise, if she brings in a jinx like Huo Siyan, she'll be in trouble enough, and the whole little gang might even be ruined.

Wu Jiani and Yang Rong were both acquaintances of Wang Ou before they were brought together to form a group. Bai Bing, who joined later, was also someone Wang Ou had known for a long time and understood before being brought into the small group.

Huo Siyan thought that her small clique was just like her messy Teddy Sisters group, but she underestimated the intricacies of the situation.

Wang Ou's blatant disdain provoked Huo Siyan, who even felt a sense of pride in pimping.

"Aren't you a model too? Just because you've gone ashore, you look down on your fellow models?"

Enraged, Huo Siyan began to dredge up old grievances and belittle Wang Ou, who was speechless but not to be outdone.

"That's still better than you being someone's lackey."

"I'm Sister Lan's lackey, and you're just like me, so stop pretending."

"..."

The two started arguing again. They were both quite famous and their identities were somewhat sensitive, so it was impossible for no one to notice. The bride, Luo Haiqiong, immediately stepped in to smooth things over.

"What are you two talking about, so animatedly?"

Wang Ou tossed his hair: "It's nothing. I haven't had a good appetite lately and have lost several pounds. I'm just asking Teacher Huo about his diet."

Huo Siyan gritted her teeth and said with a forced smile, "Teacher Wang, you're too kind. Sister Qiong, you should consult Teacher Wang properly later. She has a lot of experience in marital relationships."

Luo Haiqiong could only smile wryly; these two were being incredibly sarcastic and sarcastic.

If she had known earlier that the two of them didn't get along so well, she definitely wouldn't have invited both of them at the same time.

But there's nothing we can do. Not many people know about the feud between Wang and Huo. Even if they do, people in the industry are all respectable and rarely confront each other directly.

Thankfully, no media were invited to today's wedding, and the couple did have a minor disagreement, otherwise it would have been quite a spectacle.

Luo Haiqiong tried to coax and persuade them, and the two, realizing they couldn't possibly cause trouble or ruin someone else's wedding, stopped fighting and even apologized to Luo Haiqiong.

It was purely because the other person was despicable, and I acted impulsively; I didn't mean to target Luo.

Wang Ou and Luo Haiqiong were not on the same level. After attending the ceremony and offering a toast, Wang Ou left without eating much, citing other commitments.

Huo Siyan did not leave. She ate at the banquet with Liu Yun and the others. Then, while watching the groom Fei Qi toasting, several Huayi artists and colleagues whispered among themselves.

"With Li Xue gone and Lao Fei taking over, the company is likely to undergo a major upheaval."

Even before its IPO last year, there had been rumors within Huayi Brothers that it would be reforming its artist management system.

In January of this year, Li Xue, the senior executive in the artist management business and also Li Bingbing's younger sister, officially resigned, marking the countdown to the departure of Huayi Brothers' top female artist from the company.

With Li Xue gone, the main person in charge of artist management business became Luo Haiqiong's husband, Fei Qi.

As mentioned before, Huayi Brothers' artist management is divided into several groups, and Li Xue and Fei Qi are both in charge of one of these groups.

Now that Li Xue is gone and Fei Qi has taken over, the situation for the artists who followed them is quite different.

"I heard that Brother Quan might leave with Sister Bingbing."

"It's not surprising. They have a good relationship. Besides, Ren Quan doesn't act much anymore. Let Li Xue handle his management business so he can focus on his business."

"Do you think Zhou Xun is leaving or not?"

“She’s definitely leaving. She’s said she was leaving before. Besides, she doesn’t have any company shares and hasn’t benefited from the IPO. What’s the point of her staying?”

"Not only the two of them, Lin Xinru may also be leaving. I heard that the company has already started looking for successors. An Yixuan, Chen Zihan, and Yao Chen are all potential successors."

"..."

A group of people had a heated discussion. The departure of top artists and changes in business management had a significant impact on everyone, and of course, everyone was very concerned.

Liu Yun was puzzled: "Didn't the company go public? The situation is very good. Why are there more contract terminations?"

Zheng Jun, who was standing next to him, said, "They're not happy with their stay, are they?"

That's too vague. You can't just stay until you're comfortable before you leave. Seeing this, Huo Siyan wiped her mouth and started showing off.

"Old Zheng, you're alright at singing, but your analytical skills are far from good. Let me tell you why."

"First, some artists wanted to leave before, but the company persuaded them to stay after much persuasion in order to go public. After the IPO, there was no way to stop them from leaving."

"Secondly, there's the issue of insufficient resources and intense internal competition. You all know what our company is like: limited resources and a bad atmosphere. If you can leave, then leave."

"Third, the market has changed. The old artist model is outdated. Many popular artists prefer to establish their own studios to gain more autonomy and income. Moreover, the hot trend of companies going public has attracted a lot of external capital to invest in film and television. They want to work with stars, and leaving the company may lead to better development."

"Fourth, Yi'an is now the industry leader, and our company is being suppressed. The future is uncertain, and many people are pessimistic. If you don't believe me, ask those who own stock. Eighty percent of them are waiting for an opportunity to sell."

"Besides that, there are some other reasons, but I won't go into details."

"In short, the company is entering a new phase, and there will definitely be new changes. Don't worry too much. If there are benefits, stay; if not, leave. The industry is doing well now, and there is no shortage of opportunities to make money."

"..."

After Huo Siyan finished speaking, she realized that everyone at the table was looking at her and behind her.

Realizing something was wrong, Huo Siyan turned around and saw Wang Zhongjun, the head of Huayi Brothers.

He was also attending the wedding. He had just passed by with a wine glass in his hand when he heard Huo Siyan's long-winded speech, so he stopped and listened for a while.

Who told you that?

Huo Siyan said, "It was my own idea."

Wang Zhongjun was so angry he laughed. If Huo Siyan, that big-breasted, brainless woman, had thought those words, he would have eaten the whole table.

Seeing Huo Siyan's fearless demeanor in front of him, he paused briefly, said, "Don't make wild guesses about the company's strategic planning," and then turned and left.

The others looked at Huo Siyan with admiration and worship. Goodness, she was criticizing the company so much, and President Wang acted as if he didn't hear a thing.

Huo Siyan remained calm, mainly because it wasn't the first or second time she had shown her displeasure in front of the two kings.

Liu Yun nudged her: "Is this really your own idea?"

Huo Siyan nodded: "Yes."

Liu Yun simply didn't believe it: "It's one thing to fool the boss, but you even lied to your own sister?"

"Uh, I went to see Sister Lan that day, and my brother-in-law told me about it."

Huo Siyan told the truth, and Liu Yun was not surprised: "I guessed it was him right away."

Regardless of the level of sophistication of this statement, the condescending attitude towards Huayi Brothers that it conveys is something few people would exhibit.

Despite the various setbacks Huayi Brothers faces from Yan Li, it is a giant in the entertainment industry and a company with a market value of approximately 10 billion yuan. For most people, it is an unattainable giant.

"But why are you talking to him about this if you have nothing better to do?"

Liu Yun was a little curious, while Huo Siyan poked at the soup bowl, somewhat helplessly saying, "Because my contract is also about to expire."

Huo Siyan signed with Huayi Brothers in 2005, and this year is the last year of her contract. Judging from the current situation, the Wang brothers probably won't renew her contract.

This disappointed Huo Siyan somewhat, as she was quite willing to stay at Huayi Brothers, where it was more lively and she felt more comfortable showing off.

Moreover, she can also act as an undercover agent for Yan Li. Regardless of how effective this undercover work is, it's at least a pretext and a contribution, which Yan Li will be able to remember.

Furthermore, as a Huayi Brothers artist or a traitor, she possesses certain special advantages that give Yan Li a unique feeling.

Leaving Huayi Brothers would be a significant loss for her.

Seeing her worried, Liu Yun advised, "It's not like Huayi Brothers is the only company. You can always ask your brother-in-law to let you go to Yi'an."

"Am I going to Yi'an to die?"

Fan Xiaopang dislikes her, Wang Ou has a grudge against her, Yang Mi is also outwardly friendly but inwardly hostile towards her, and there's also Dong Xuan, who harbors old grudges in the shadows.

With so many enemies watching, even if Yan Li steps in to protect her, she'll probably suffer a lot in silence.

"Then let's go to Orange Sky?"

"Forget it, Orange Sky doesn't even have as many resources as Huayi Brothers. The boss (Ma Yili) and the fourth boss (Li Xiaolu) both want to leave. What would I do there?"

"How about Hairun? They have quite a few TV dramas."

"Don't you know what my relationship is with Hairun's second sister, Jiang Xin?"

"Bona?"

"Huang Yi signed with that company, and I don't get along with her."

Liu Yun was speechless: "How did you manage to get along with everyone? How come everyone seems to have a grudge against you?"

Huo Siyan was also somewhat embarrassed, which was one of the reasons why she didn't want to leave Huayi Brothers. She had too many enemies, and it would be difficult to have a good time anywhere.

"Why don't you go to Sister Lan's place? You don't film many movies anyway, so Sister Lan should be able to help you with some arrangements."

Liu Yun recommended a new company, Qin Lan's Shanfeng Film Industry. They had already signed Zhao Ke, so they wouldn't be short of Huo Siyan. With Huo's current fame, she could easily secure some resources. Plus, she had connections with Yi An. Going to Shanfeng might not be as prestigious as those big companies, but it was still a viable option.

"talk later."

Huo Siyan didn't want to go to Qin Lan's place. Joining Shanfeng would mean she would often have to deal with Qin Lan or her people, and she wouldn't have much freedom, which wouldn't be a good thing for her.

With a few months to go, Huo Siyan stopped thinking about it. At worst, she could find a regular company, or even set up her own studio. She had plenty of options; a living person wouldn't be suffocated.

However, just one day later, someone extended an olive branch to Huo Siyan.

"Your LeEco, founded by Jia Yueting, wants to sign me?"

Huo Siyan looked at Gan Wei in surprise, and the latter smiled and said, "Third Sister, as you know, Lao Jia's LeEco is now venturing into film and television, and it always needs some celebrities to boost its momentum."

LeEco is still in its development stage and is a newcomer in the film and television industry, with very limited connections and resources.

Celebrities don't want them, and signing newcomers isn't very meaningful!

After thinking it over, Mr. Jia decided to start with his wife. Huo Siyan was quite famous and considered a popular actress. Most importantly, she was a core member of the Teddy Sisters group.

In the original plan, Mr. Jia intended to use Gan Wei as the core to win over the Teddy Sisters group and a host of celebrities to cheer for LeEco.

However, in practice, the results were not as ideal.

The reason lies with Qin Lan. The Teddy Sisters group was created and developed by Qin Lan herself. She has great influence within the group and also has Yi An as a powerful backer.

Boss Jia has some connections, but compared to Boss Yan, who is currently at the height of his power, he's not even in the same league.

After Qin Lan became pregnant, the prestige of Lady Gan Wei, the wife of Jia, rapidly diminished.

It can be said that as long as Qin Lan is still around, no matter how much Gan Wei tries to influence the Teddy Sisters, she may be able to influence some of the members of the group to do certain things, but the entire group will still be under Qin Lan's control.

Mr. Jia was definitely not satisfied with this result, so he set his sights on Huo Siyan.

This woman's influence within the Teddy Sisters group is second only to Qin Lan's. If she were willing to help Gan Wei, LeEco's efforts to win over the Teddy Sisters group would be much smoother.

Therefore, Mr. Jia hoped that Gan Wei would persuade Huo Siyan to join LeEco, promising her that she would become the top female star of LeEco and giving her original shares of LeEco Pictures.

For Huo Siyan, who had just tasted the sweetness of Huayi Brothers' listing, the allure of these initial public offering (IPO) shares was immense.

As it turned out, Mr. Jia's estimate was correct; Huo Siyan immediately became interested upon hearing about the initial public offering (IPO) shares.

But she still had some sense and didn't agree rashly. She made an excuse to think about it and then went to ask Yan Li.

Yan Li was a little confused. He didn't expect that Boss Jia would actually sign Huo Siyan. This was different from many things he had seen in the future intelligence.

However, after thinking about the current situation of the Teddy Sisters, I roughly understood what Mr. Jia meant.

Yan Li had to admit that Qin Lan, Huo Siyan and the others had done a good job managing the Teddy Sisters group. Even with Gan Wei and Boss Jia taking turns, they couldn't shake the group's morale.

Of course, his contribution is also indispensable, in addition to the deterrence of forces such as Yi An and Weibo.

He also personally went to win over Huo and Li, two key generals, and Ma Yili and Yang Mi were also bound by resources and interests.

In addition, Qin Lan was on good terms with Liu Yun and Ying Cai'er, and had signed Zhao Ke. The only person Gan Wei could win over was Xiong Naijin, but she was neither famous nor popular, so bringing her to LeTV would be meaningless.

"Brother-in-law, what do you think? Should I go to LeEco?"

Seeing Yan Li looking somewhat dazed, Huo Siyan couldn't help but ask. Yan Li snapped out of his reverie and replied decisively.

"Go, of course."

LeEco has money and connections, so its rise is unstoppable, and Yan Li doesn't want to stop it either.

Mr. Jia has made contributions to the industry in some areas, and Yan Li hopes to have such a disruptive force to stir up the market.

Meanwhile, Yan Li, who was familiar with LeEco's development, also wanted to make a fortune through LeEco.

Previously, the plan was to use Qin Lan and Gan Wei's relationship as a starting point to enter the game through the Teddy Sisters group. Now that Huo Siyan is involved, the operation is much easier.

However, there was no way to explain these things to Huo Siyan, so Yan Li simply resorted to the old method.

"LeEco has a promising future and could very well be Yi'an's future rival. If you infiltrate, you can work as an undercover agent."

Upon hearing this, Huo Siyan instantly perked up. She was an expert at undercover work and loved it the most.

I've earned credit, received a buff, and even got benefits—it's fantastic! I was just worried about what to do when my contract with Huayi Brothers expired, but now I've found a new partner.

Huo Siyan rubbed her hands together, eager to know what to do.

"Uh, you'll cooperate with LeEco for now, be a good leader, keep an eye on the news, and I'll tell you if anything happens."

Yan Li had no intention of taking Huo Siyan as a real undercover agent. That woman was not cut out to be an undercover agent. If Yan Li relied on her to gather intelligence, Huayi Brothers would have gone bankrupt long ago.

While she might not be good at undercover work, Huo Siyan excels at stirring up trouble, forming cliques, inciting unrest, and vying for power.

Mr. Jia is too carefree. If he had just inquired more about this woman's "reputation" at Huayi Brothers, he wouldn't have let her become the top female star.

...

Yan Li merely played a minor role, while Huo Siyan herself was full of enthusiasm.

After informing Gan Wei, she even expressed her intention to help LeEco recruit some talent, both to support LeEco's star strategy and to enhance her own influence within LeEco.

Mr. Jia was fine with it, so Huo Siyan set her sights on Li Xiaolu.

Orange Sky is currently facing internal difficulties, and Li Xiaolu has been considering leaving Orange Sky and has been in contact with other companies.

Huo Siyan thought that it would be better to come to LeEco. If the two sisters joined forces, it would be a good help.

In addition, Huo Siyan had another idea. She was now trying to sever ties with Li Xiaolu and Yan Li, but after severing ties, she did not want to break off relations with Li to avoid retaliation, such as Li complaining to Qin Lan or ruining the Teddy Sisters group.

Therefore, in addition to Yan Li, there needs to be other forms of binding, and persuading him to join LeEco is one such approach.

Whether it's the two women supporting each other at LeEco, or Gan Wei's background with the Teddy Sisters group, which might cause trouble and affect LeEco's interests, Li Xiaolu has to consider the consequences of a falling out.

Thinking of this, Huo Siyan immediately asked Li Xiaolu to come out, and then she saw Jia Nailiang opening the car door for Li Xiaolu.

Huo Siyan's expression was not good: "You're making pretty fast progress, you've already driven a car."

"Like a shadow, I can't shake it off. Anyway, there's a free driver, might as well take advantage of it."

Li Xiaolu didn't care. Jia Nailiang pursued her mainly because of his "small" and "leisurely" nature. Whenever he had time, he would stay by her side.

For example, he would buy her favorite breakfast early in the morning and wait for her at the door. If she wanted a late-night snack, he would deliver it with just one phone call. When she went out, he would carry her bag, drive her around, and tell her jokes. He was more useful than any assistant she paid to hire.

"If you have any ideas, cut them off as soon as possible. Don't be ambiguous. Let me tell you, if you want to have your cake and eat it too, don't blame me for being disloyal."

Huo Siyan understood Yan Li's bottom line very well. If you want to leave, it's best to part ways amicably. He won't stop you, and he might even give you some "breakup fee".

But it's not right to treat him as a victim. Li Xiaolu played with fire herself, and Huo Siyan doesn't want to be implicated by her.

"I didn't do anything, I just found someone to run errands for me."

Li Xiaolu explained, and then, seeing Huo Siyan's unpleasant expression, she offered an explanation.

Jia Nailiang is indeed a very warm and considerate man, always obedient to Li Xiaolu's princess-like personality, making him a good boyfriend or even a marriage partner.

Yan Li was good in every way, but he didn't treat her as his woman. In his heart, she was far inferior to Huo Siyan; she was just a casual fling.

Huo Siyan is now completely devoted to Yan Li, while Li Xiaolu still wants a normal life, which is why she tacitly approves of Jia Nailiang's pursuit.

She's torn right now. If she gives up on Jia Nailiang, she might not meet someone as obedient as him again. But if she breaks off with Yan Li, she can't bear to give up his charm and abilities.

"How about I date Jia, and then work part-time to help you out?"

Li Xiaolu cautiously offered her suggestion, only to be rebuked by Huo Siyan: "You're dreaming."

Yan Li has no shortage of women, so there's no need for him to share them with others. Besides, he hasn't completely lost his conscience, so he won't touch women who are already taken.

In other words, Li Xiaolu was not valued, Yan Li didn't take her seriously, and Jia was just pursuing the status quo. If it were any other woman who cared more, she would have been dealt with long ago.

Yan Li ignored it, but Huo Siyan couldn't ignore it either. Li Xiaolu was under her supervision, and if anything went wrong, she wouldn't be able to escape responsibility.

"I'll give you two days to think it over. Whoever it is, break it off if necessary."

Li Xiaolu grumbled a couple of times in dissatisfaction, but Huo Siyan ignored her.

After that, the two talked about LeEco. Li Xiaolu was somewhat interested, but she didn't say anything definitively. She planned to go back and discuss it with her team and family.

After they had finished talking, the two were about to leave when Huo Siyan suddenly received a phone call.

"I understand, this will be over."

After hanging up the phone, Li Xiaolu looked at her: "Was that Yan Li? I heard everything?"

Huo Siyan ignored him: "It has nothing to do with you. You should explain yourself first."

"Let's talk face to face. Even if we've broken up, there should still be a farewell ceremony, right? Good third sister, include me in your list. I've been waiting for so long..."

Li Xiaolu acted coquettishly towards Huo Siyan, and Huo Siyan couldn't do anything about it. She also thought of talking to Yan Li to extricate herself from the situation.

The two went out. Huo Siyan didn't drive today. One of her two cars was subject to license plate restrictions, and the other was under repair due to a problem. She took a taxi and rode in Li Xiaolu's car.

As a result, Jia Nailiang, who was waiting in the car, said: "How can I let you drive? Where are you going? I'll give you a ride."

"..."

Huo Siyan and Li Xiaolu exchanged a glance: "Forget it, I'll take Xiaolu to get her hair done. I don't know when it will be over. You go back first."

Jia Nailiang saw this as an opportunity to show off and became very attentive: "It's alright, I'm free today, I can wait for you."

Huo Siyan couldn't continue the conversation, and in the end, Li Xiaolu said it was some kind of high-end styling salon that men weren't allowed to enter, and chased Jia Nailiang away.

"Fourth brother, you're a real scoundrel."

Huo Siyan commented, and Li Xiaolu retorted, "The one who should be saying that is Sister Lan."

"........."

　Book Title: Chinese Entertainment 1997: The Public Intellectual Destroyer
　　Author: Jiangbian de Sanpang

　　Recommended reason:

　　Reborn in 1997, Zhou Shu finds himself surrounded by public intellectuals in the film and television industry, and he aspires to be a divine sword.

　　If I find myself lacking in self-reflection, even if I wear coarse clothes and am of poor quality, I will not be afraid; if I find myself lacking in self-reflection, even if there are thousands of people against me, I will go forth.

　　Cultural workers must be cultured.

　　Regardless of whether movies have national borders, directors certainly do.

　　(4000/260000)

(End of this chapter)