Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 395 Buying a Premier League Club? Van Gundy is Here, I'm a Top Club Too!

He claimed he was accompanying Fan Xiaopang to the Cannes Film Festival, but in reality, Yan Li never went to Cannes at all.

After spending some time with Fan Xiaopang in Paris, we went to England to watch the football match.

It's May now, basically the end of the season. Yan Li won't be able to make it to the Champions League final, but at least he can watch a few matches live.

Yan Li never expected that watching a game would make the news.

The incident began when a Sina Sports reporter spotted him at the stadium.

They probably felt that the reports about Yan Li watching football weren't generating enough buzz, so they fabricated a story about him acquiring a Premier League team.

After this news was forwarded to Weibo, it was even reposted by Weibo Sports, which then published related analysis articles, such as evaluating which club would be suitable to buy it.

That's incredible!

Weibo is Yan Li's company. Instead of denying the news, it seems to be promoting it, leading many to believe that Yan Li is indeed planning to buy a football team.

As a result, the news spread not only among domestic football fans, but also caught the attention of the British media.

Mr. Yan has some influence in Europe and America, and his information is not hard to find.

Soon after, the British newspaper The Sun reported on the matter, stating that the Chinese tycoon who intended to enter the English football scene was named Li Yan and had a net worth of approximately £40 billion.

He is China's most famous and youngest billionaire, and a renowned business tycoon worldwide.

This Li Yan is primarily involved in the entertainment and internet industries in China. He owns the largest entertainment company in China and even Asia, with a market value exceeding £25 billion. He also founded the Chinese version of Facebook and is the largest shareholder of YouTube (Tudou.com). He is considered a strong contender for becoming China's richest man in the future.

Li Yan is handsome, young, and wealthy, with an extremely rich love life, and his reputation as a womanizer is known throughout Asia.

He has been romantically linked to several well-known Chinese actresses, including Bingbing.Fan, Bingbing.Li, Lan.Qing, and Xuan.Dong, and is known as "Captain Who Conquered Ice" and "Huge Gun Cannon Yan".

Li Yan is a passionate football fan and a staunch supporter of the English Premier League. He is also suspected to be a Manchester United fan. According to Chinese media reports, Li Yan has always wanted to take over a football club to fulfill his dream.

Liverpool and West Ham United, burdened with huge foreign debts, might be Li Yan's first choice.

Championship powerhouses Leeds United, Leicester City, and Blackburn Rovers have also been rumored to be for sale, and may be linked to this young Chinese tycoon.

This report by The Sun further corroborated this fact, and when it reached China, it immediately became a trending topic.

By the time Yan Li, who was abroad and a step behind, realized the trouble had gotten out of hand, fans back home were already planning a dream team of Mourinho, Messi, and Ronaldo.

"Well, Messi and Ronaldo? They really don't value money. Besides, even if I could get them, the two of them would fight each other if they were on the same team."

Yan Li was speechless; he had already called and checked with Weibo to find out more.

To be honest, he's to blame for this.

Yan Li did indeed have the idea of ​​buying a club to play around with. Occasionally, he would have meals and chats with Weibo executives or management trainees, talking about football and occasionally bragging a bit.

As a result, Yan Li forgot about it after he finished bragging, but his subordinates took it seriously. They also wanted to flatter their boss and create a certain image for him, so they spread the story, which eventually led to this mess.

Yan Li thought about it for a moment, neither denying nor admitting the rumor.

He is indeed inclined to buy a football club, but it's not something he can just do on a whim, and buying a club is really not cheap.

A mid-to-lower-tier Premier League club costs nearly 100 million pounds, which is almost 1 billion RMB. Championship teams are cheaper, but they still cost several hundred million RMB.

In addition, most clubs have some external debt, and purchasing ownership means taking on these external debts.

Of course, foreign debt is often a point of negotiation between buyers and sellers.
For example, Liverpool's acquisition price was nearly £5 million a few years ago, but now it may only cost £3 million, but on the premise of taking on more than £2 million in debt.

The total price still seems high, but there are tricks to paying off debts. If the buyer has capital and operates well, they can gain a lot of benefits in the process.

Even if the seller knew, there was nothing they could do; the debt was too much to bear, so they could only transfer the property at a low price.

In addition, after a club changes hands, the new owner usually has to spend some money to show their stance and win over fans, which is another expense.

Therefore, even just buying a Championship club would cost hundreds of millions of dollars in total.

This amount of money wasn't much for Yan Li, but it wasn't a small sum either.

Moreover, Yan Li's purchase of the club was not just for fun. Owning a well-known football club has several benefits for Yan Li personally and some of his companies, such as asset allocation, financial investment, and supporting business development.

Regardless of the purpose, acquiring some businesses overseas, especially those with a well-known reputation, is beneficial for entrepreneurs.

Moreover, with capital flowing overseas, globalization and diversification are the general trend, and relevant parties are also promoting the strengthening of the sports industry. Yan Li's move is precisely in line with the policy.

However, because of this, you can't just start a club any old way.

Regardless of whether they are top-tier teams or not, they should at least have some influence and reputation, and their prospects and performance should be acceptable, so some investigation and understanding are necessary.

If there's really no suitable option, then you might as well wait. It's not a necessary option anyway, so it's better not to buy at all than to force yourself to.

In this situation, not responding is the best course of action to avoid any embarrassing situations. Without generating buzz, those who were just there to join the discussion will automatically give up.

Compared to Yan Li, whose unverified rumor only gained some popularity in the sports world, Fan Xiaopang, who is currently in France, has truly become a sensation beyond the sports community.

On the Cannes red carpet, this woman wore a dragon robe-style dress, attracting everyone's attention and becoming famous overnight.

Fan Bingbing's dragon robe has received high praise from international media and the fashion industry, who believe that his fashion sense is outstanding and embodies Eastern aesthetics.

A well-known European fashion editor praised this dragon robe as the best-dressed outfit at this year's Cannes Film Festival, believing that Fan Bingbing dominated the red carpet.

In addition, an AFP report emphasized that Fan Bingbing's appearance was very eye-catching, describing her as beautiful, stylish, and elegant.

This has also sparked heated discussions among netizens and media outlets in the country.

He has many supporters who believe that Fan Xiaopang is showcasing the magnificent charm of the East to the world, promoting Chinese culture, and bringing honor to the Chinese people. They say he truly deserves the title of Fan Xiaopang.

There are also some opponents who feel that Fan Xiaopang's move is too high-profile, deliberately trying to steal the limelight, and that it is excessive marketing.

However, overall, the reviews are more positive.

The reason is simple: this world values ​​strength and status, and Fan Xiaopang happens to be strong enough.

If this dragon robe were worn by any other minor celebrity, they would be nothing more than a monkey in a crown, a self-inflicted humiliation and a clown.

But it's different with Fan Xiaopang.

In the past two years, films such as "Painted Skin," "Red Cliff," and "The Message" have made Fan Bingbing the first actress to have a total box office of over 1 billion yuan.

Her business acumen far surpasses that of other female celebrities, making her the top-earning and most-visualized female star on last year's Forbes Celebrity List.

Winning the Golden Horse Award filled her only gap, and her two runner-up finishes and one gold medal at the Weibo Goddess Awards further proved her explosive popularity.

Meanwhile, her biggest competitor, Zhang Ziyi, suffered a setback, allowing Fan Bingbing to rise to prominence and amass a fortune, already showing signs of becoming the most popular actress in mainland China.

Last month, Yi An went public, amassing a fortune of hundreds of millions, becoming a model of celebrity wealth and envied by countless people.

Fan Xiaopang is now synonymous with a beautiful, confident, and powerful woman.

She wore a dragon robe dress, which was widely accepted by most people, and some even felt that she deserved it, like being crowned on the red carpet.

When Yan Li returned to France and saw Fan Xiaopang again...

With the dragon robe incident, Fan Bingbing not only further consolidated and spread her personal brand and persona, but also began to move in the direction of broadening the image of Chinese female stars, exporting Chinese cultural elements, and becoming a pioneer of Eastern aesthetics.

While elevating himself, he also took the opportunity to criticize Zhang Ziyi, who was filming with Wang Sunjing.

This woman frequently appeared on the international stage in the past few years, but her style was conservative and her aesthetic was limited. After several years of trying, she didn't have the same influence and significance as Fan Bingbing walking the red carpet.

Given Fan Xiaopang and Yang Tianzhen's style, it would be strange if they didn't criticize her. If they weren't afraid of going too far, even Gong Li probably wouldn't have escaped.

Yan Li took a special look at the dragon robe.

Since the Cannes Film Festival isn't a one-day event, and the red carpet isn't a single event, Fan Xiaopang brought several formal wears, and he hadn't really noticed this dragon robe before.

"What a pity, wouldn't it have been better in the Ming Dynasty style?"

Yan Li raised an objection, but Fan Xiaopang shook his head: "We understand this kind of bright yellow dragon robe, and foreigners understand it too. It's simple and clear. Moreover, a dragon robe is not an imperial robe; it needs to be both aesthetically pleasing and have a focal point."

The dragon is a symbol of power, and one of the design concepts of this dragon robe is that women can also wield power, rather than a queen ascending the throne.

If a Ming Dynasty dragon robe were used, the elements and complexity would be higher, and the style would not be as prominent.

Moreover, design is also a problem. You can modify the Qing Dynasty style dragon robe however you want, but if you use Hanfu as the base, there will be many more problems and experts to consult.

Yan Li thought about it and agreed. This was mainly to reflect Eastern culture. The highlights of the dragon robe were the bright yellow color and the dragon, which were not unique to the Qing Dynasty. There was no need to be so concerned.

“I’ve only looked at the photos. I’ll see how it looks in person after you put it on.”

Fan Xiaopang rolled her eyes. She didn't know what kind of person this jerk was, so it was hard to say whether to just look at him or use him.

Even so, Fan Xiaopang still obediently changed into the dragon robe and even tidied his hair, trying his best to replicate the red carpet look.

Yan Li was very satisfied with what he saw and was about to reach out when Fan Xiaopang dodged to the side.

"Just look at it, it's embroidered on silk, it's very expensive."

"I'll reimburse you for whatever you spend."

Yan Li has worn many high-end gowns, some expensive, some luxurious, but the experience is truly exceptional.

Fan Xiaopang's dragon robe this time is magnificent and domineering, and it is especially attractive, making Yan Li's blood boil.

He even thought the Qing Dynasty dragon robe was nice; today was the perfect opportunity to teach the Tartars a lesson.

Well, it seems the Qing emperors weren't necessarily Manchus. Oh well, let's just focus on crushing the mountain of feudalism...

...

Although Fan Xiaopang gained attention on the Cannes red carpet for wearing a dragon robe, he did not receive any awards for his starring role in "Buddha Mountain".

However, this was to be expected, so there was nothing particularly disappointing about it. After giving some interviews, he led his team back to Beijing.

Yan Li did not go with her; he had some work to do in Shanghai.

As Fan Xiaopang exited through the VIP channel, she encountered some of her fans.

Her schedule in Cannes was relatively transparent, and there aren't many flights from France to Beijing, so some fans came to pick her up at the airport. Her team had previously contacted some of these fans, so Fan Xiaopang wasn't surprised.

However, as she walked towards her fans, she suddenly heard someone call out "Fan Ye" (Master Fan), and Fan Xiaopang (Fan Bingbing) subconsciously glanced to the side.

"Teacher Fan Wei is here?"

Yang Tianzhen, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but say, "Sister, they're calling you."

"I?"

Fan Xiaopang was taken aback: "I'm Master Fan, why?"

"I can't quite explain it, but I think it's because people think you're domineering. Anyway, people on the forum were calling you that before, but these past two days, because of the dragon robe, more people have started calling you that."

"..."

Fan Xiaopang didn't like this new nickname. Why should she, a beautiful woman, be called "Master"?

When greeting and signing autographs for fans, Fan Xiaopang asked them why they called him "Fan Ye" (Master Fan), and the reasons he received were varied.

Some people think she's handsome and attractive to both men and women, others think she has a domineering personality, and still others think she's generous and righteous.

These days, there's no such thing as a "powerful female lead." If a woman is powerful, then she's like a man, or even more powerful than a man; that's what's called "boss."

Fan Xiaopang still didn't quite understand. Calling her Queen Fan wasn't wrong, but Fan Ye always felt it was a bit strange.

Besides the fans who came to greet him at the airport, some media outlets were also at the airport, specifically there to interview Fan Xiaopang, who had become famous in Cannes, and they even used the term "fans" to refer to him.

"Fan Ye, Qin Hailu said you wear your ambition on your sleeve, and you even got likes from Xu Cai Nu and Xiao Yan Zi. Do you have anything to say about that?"

Fan Xiaopang frowned slightly; she had seen Qin Hailu's Weibo post earlier.

Their ambitions are written all over their faces; they're quite frank!

Actually, judging from the literal meaning, it's not entirely derogatory; it might have a slightly sarcastic connotation, but it's not that obvious.

It could even be interpreted as affirming Fan Xiaopang's boldness, willingness to act, and honesty.

After all, Fan Xiaopang was at the height of her popularity, and with Yi An by her side, most people wouldn't dare to offend her.

Even if Qin Hailu couldn't help but feel a little jealous, she didn't dare to say anything too outrageous.

So at first, Fan Xiaopang didn't take it to heart.

Weibo is very active now, and there are quite a few influential figures and celebrities who have commented on this matter. Not everyone is friendly, so she can't be bothered to pay attention or argue with it; that would be beneath her.

But the key is that Xu Cainu and Xiao Yanzi both liked the post, and those who know, know the relationship between them and Fan Xiaopang.

The nature of the relationship changed immediately.

Qin Hailu's original intention of praising her turned into criticism, and her popularity and exposure skyrocketed, even breaking into the top three of the trending search list.

Although Xiao Yanzi later unliked the post as the hype grew, and Qin Hailu even deleted the Weibo post, screenshots had already been taken by netizens.

Xu Cainu was the most ruthless. She not only liked Qin Hailu's Weibo post, but also liked a Weibo post criticizing Fan Xiaopang for not winning an award and only showing off on the red carpet, making her dissatisfaction with Fan Xiaopang very public.

Fan Xiaopang has never had a good temper, so he certainly won't tolerate being provoked.

"If they think it's ambition, then it's their ambition, not mine. And they might not dare to wear my dragon robe."

The media was thrilled. As expected of Fan Bingbing, she's always giving us so much news.

Some reporters, harboring malicious intentions, specifically asked Fan Xiaopang questions about Qin Hailu, Xiao Yanzi, and Xu Cainu.

Fan Xiaopang completely ignored Qin Hailu's questions, but when the reporter mentioned that Xiao Yanzi had given birth to a daughter in Singapore, he politely responded.

"I'm not sure, and I haven't received a call from her. If it's true, then I wish her all the best."

A reporter asked, "There are rumors that Xiao Yanzi's husband is very rich. Many female celebrities are dating wealthy men these days. Everyone is very interested in your relationship with Mr. Yan. When will you marry into a wealthy family?"

Why marry into a wealthy family?

Fan Xiaopang tilted his head slightly, exuding an air of dominance: "I am also from a wealthy family."

Wow, that's really giving us face, another headline.

The reporters at the scene were amused, and then another reporter focused on asking Xu Cainu about her behavior of liking and criticizing her Weibo posts.

Perhaps the reporter was moved by Fan Xiaopang's generosity, as the question made it seem as if Xu Cainu was deliberately targeting Fan Xiaopang, giving the reporter a negative first impression.

Fan Xiaopang took advantage of the situation to pretend to be a good person in a sarcastic and ambiguous way.

"Since her blog was acquired by Weibo, this blog queen is new to Weibo and may not be familiar with Weibo's interface. Let's all be understanding."

That's a really mean thing. Xu Cai Nu's proudest achievement these past few years has been being the blog queen.

Now that her blog is gone, she has no choice but to register a Weibo account under Sina's exclusive contract.

Arriving on Fan Xiaopang's territory and provoking him sounds impressive, but once Fan Xiaopang points it out, it becomes ridiculous, even resembling Xu Cai Nu's impotent rage.

After answering the question, Fan Xiaopang felt that was enough, so he stopped criticizing and instead gave a standard answer about his feelings about the trip to Cannes.

However, considering his previous remarks, Fan Xiaopang guessed that no one would watch these normal interviews, so he left after a few words.

Once inside the nanny van that came to pick them up, Yang Tianzhen gave a thumbs up: "Sister, you're awesome!"

Fan Xiaopang chuckled and returned the compliment, saying, "You came up with a good word too."

That's right. In the interview just now, Fan Xiaopang's performance was partly due to his own efforts, but Yang Tianzhen also contributed her ideas.

The idea of ​​"I am also from a wealthy family" originated from Yang Tianzhen.

This statement can further highlight Fan Xiaopang's character, and also indirectly avoid her fatal flaw—Yan Li.

Everything Fan Xiaopang has achieved today is inseparable from Yan Li. Whether her success is more due to her own hard work or Yan Li's support is unclear to everyone.

Fans will definitely support Fan Xiaopang, but those who hate her and are anti-fans will definitely bring up Yan Li.

Fan Xiaopang cannot be separated from Yan Li, but if he is too closely tied to Yan Li, he will easily be overshadowed by Yan Li and become just a pretty face. His persona as a powerful, confident, and queen-like figure will lose its credibility.

So, after thinking for a long time, Yang Tianzhen and her team finally came up with a new idea.

That's Yan Liqiang, and Fan Xiaopang is also strong. Yan Liqiang comes from a wealthy family, and Fan Xiaopang also comes from a wealthy family.

Fan Xiaopang didn't get together with Yan Li because he came from a wealthy family; rather, she accompanied Yan Li to become wealthy.

Although it sounds a bit like a forced attempt to extort money, it can't be said that Fan Xiaopang did indeed help Yan Li build his empire, and he did contribute to the cause to some extent.

Moreover, this not only maintained Fan's public image, but also subtly reinforced the impression of Fan Xiaopang as the rightful wife and virtuous helper, while continuing to put down and suppress Qin Dong.

Fan Xiaopang was very satisfied with Yang Tianzhen's idea!
Having developed to this point, her positioning is indeed a problem. She can't afford to lose it and damage her public image, nor can she afford to surpass Yan Li.

The balance in this is not easy to strike, but Yang Tianzhen managed to find a perfect position for her.

After receiving a few compliments, Yang Tianzhen wanted to strike while the iron was hot: "Sister, I think we can make a big deal out of the nickname 'Fan Ye' and further develop your image."

"Also, if possible, it would be even better if your brother-in-law could personally pass on a few words for you."

Fan Xiaopang thought for a moment and said, "You guys study it first, and then I'll discuss it with him."

While Fan Xiaopang's team was discussing the matter, the related interview at the airport was quickly spread.

Fan Bingbing, who was already very popular because of her dragon robe on the red carpet, became even more popular.

Among them, the most discussed topic is undoubtedly the "wealthy family" theory.

In the past two years, it has become commonplace for female celebrities to marry into wealthy families, which has made the so-called "Four Young Masters of Beijing" famous. As one of the "Four Dan and Two Bing" (referring to actresses and actresses), Xiao Yanzi was the first to get married and have a daughter, which is a milestone.

It seems to have become a common perception among the public that female celebrities marry into wealthy families.

At this moment, Fan Xiaopang, who had long been regarded as a representative of marrying into a wealthy family, blurted out, "I am also from a wealthy family."

Many people's first reaction was to mock him, but soon, Fan Xiaopang also received a lot of support.

Compared to female celebrities who marry into wealthy families, Fan Xiaopang is indeed a special case.

First of all, she is indeed wealthy, and she earned it herself.

She's the highest-paid female celebrity on Forbes' list, the largest celebrity shareholder of Yi An Insurance, with a net worth of 6-8 million RMB, making her a true billionaire.
Many wealthy men or second-generation rich kids who date female celebrities aren't necessarily as rich as Fan Bingbing, yet they're all from wealthy families. Why can't she be from a wealthy family?

Moreover, Fan Xiaopang is not only rich, she also genuinely helped Yan Li in her entrepreneurial journey.

Regardless of how much help it provided, it certainly made a contribution.

Unlike those female celebrities who marry into wealthy families and are only after money, her only contribution to her husband and the family is giving birth to children.

Therefore, they truly married into wealthy families, and Fan Xiaopang himself is a member of a wealthy family. His status, contributions, and control of wealth all justify calling himself a member of a wealthy family.

Fan Xiaopang's supporters gradually outnumbered her opponents, and those who realized that Fan Xiaopang was different from ordinary female stars also changed some of their previous prejudices against her.

Fan Bingbing's domineering presence has attracted a large number of fans and admirers, making her nickname "Fan Ye" (Master Fan) even more widely known.

In this context, Yan Li's ultimate fate further shattered the opposition.

"Wearing a dragon robe equals ambition? That's a very one-sided view."

"Besides, so what if someone is ambitious? Who doesn't want to be famous? Who doesn't want to live a good life?"

"The entertainment industry is a place of fame and fortune. If you don't want to be famous and have no ambition, why are you even in the entertainment industry? You should just find a regular job."

"As for Bingbing saying she comes from a wealthy family, it doesn't seem wrong, right? Well, she just doesn't have much wealth. But we're still young, so we can work hard slowly."

"..."

　(4000/291000)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)