032 I Have a Relative and the Treasure Basin

It was nearly dusk when Cheng Lidong finally emerged from the compound of the General Administration, looking somewhat weary.

He had never expected that, with the new production’s funding fully secured and preparations proceeding at full speed, the review materials would nevertheless be sent back.

After two consecutive revisions still failed to pass, even Cheng Lidong, slow as he could be, knew that something was wrong.

So he had come to the capital in person, asking people to investigate while also making inquiries himself. Yet neither approach had yielded much.

Cheng Lidong was at a loss.

He had started out as a host at Zhejiang Television, later moving to the station’s Television Production Center, where he worked as a director and producer. Though he was now half independent, he had never formally left, and many of his projects still relied on his former employer.

As a result, most of Cheng Lidong’s connections remained in Zhejiang. How much use they could be in the capital was difficult to say.

Still, whatever the case, it was better than standing around worrying helplessly by himself.

Cheng Lidong pulled out his phone, wondering which friend—or former superior—he might ask for help. Just then, the phone in his hand rang.

An unfamiliar number?

Cheng Lidong frowned. But people in his line of work knew all kinds of people, and receiving calls from unfamiliar numbers was nothing unusual. He pressed the answer key.

“Hello?”

“Director Cheng? This is Yan Li. We met just after noon.”

Cheng Lidong’s brow furrowed even more deeply. He was not surprised that Yan Li had his number. If they had been able to share a meal, naturally Yan Li could have found out his phone number as well.

He assumed Yan Li was trying to curry favor with him and invite him to some social engagement. Under ordinary circumstances, Cheng Lidong would not have minded, but right now he was in no mood for it.

He was just about to exchange a few perfunctory words and hang up when Yan Li’s next sentence made his pupils widen.

“…You seemed to have something on your mind at the time, so I took the liberty of asking around. I came across some information, and I was wondering whether it might be of use to you.”

…

A private dining room in a restaurant near the West Second Ring Road.

Cheng Lidong rose to pour Yan Li a drink. Yan Li would never accept such a gesture. He had come to offer a favor, not to put on airs. Acting superior would do more harm than good.

The two of them went back and forth for a while. Cheng Lidong eventually got the better of him, but Yan Li still stood and held the glass with both hands, observing all the proper courtesies.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere grew lively. Once they had begun addressing each other as brothers, Cheng Lidong finally brought up the real matter.

“You mentioned earlier that you knew something about our production. Would it be convenient to tell me where you heard it?”

Yan Li set down his chopsticks and said earnestly, “Brother Cheng, it isn’t that I’m hiding anything from you. There are all sorts of complications within official departments. Someone helped me, and I can’t betray that person.”

“If you insist on asking, I can only tell you that I have a relative working there. I can’t say anything more. You may believe the information or not; there’s nothing I can do about that.”

“Yes, yes. That’s perfectly understandable.”

Cheng Lidong nodded in comprehension. He had worked in official institutions himself and knew that some things could be done but not spoken of. Since they were not yet close, a little caution was only proper.

Moreover, the source of the information was unimportant. The crucial question was whether it could solve the problem.

Yan Li did not keep him in suspense. He went straight into the information he had organized from the intelligence system.

In truth, Cheng Lidong’s predicament was not complicated, nor was anyone deliberately targeting him. He had simply been unlucky.

So it would not be difficult to resolve. The key was finding the right person and applying the right pressure; once that was done, everything could be handled with ease.

That was easy to say, but without knowing the inside story, one would inevitably run into several walls and take a few wrong turns. In the end, success was far from guaranteed.

That was precisely what made certain information valuable.

The matter that had left Cheng Lidong frantic and utterly helpless was illuminated by two sentences from Yan Li. From there, so long as he was not an idiot, everything would fall naturally into place.

“My good brother, I owe you one.”

Cheng Lidong was overjoyed. He did not think Yan Li was bluffing.

Having come from the official system himself, Cheng Lidong knew what he was hearing. The causes, the chain of events, and the underlying logic all made sense. The people involved and the proposed solutions were laid out with perfect clarity. It was plainly inside information, and some of it was quite confidential.

Cheng Lidong raised his glass and toasted Yan Li again, then lowered his voice to ask, “Brother, forgive me for asking, but what rank does your relative hold?”

Yan Li smiled. “Brother Cheng, you’re overthinking it. If I had a high-ranking official in the family, would I still be scrambling around from production to production waiting for work? He’s just a foot soldier in there. The only thing he has going for him is that he hears things quickly.”

Before this, Yan Li had considered borrowing his relative’s prestige to bolster his own image. But he had decided that the matter was too sensitive and suppressed the impulse.

It was fine to raise his status a little. Going too far would be unwise.

Even if certain institutions did not take notice of him, others might come asking him to handle various matters. It would be easy to overplay his hand, and Yan Li had no desire to get involved in such affairs. The risks were simply too high.

This arrangement was ideal. At most, he would help make inquiries. The rest could be handled by the people involved themselves. If anything went wrong, no one could trace it back to him.

“You’re being too modest, little brother.”

Yan Li had spoken cautiously, but Cheng Lidong did not fully believe him. To investigate the matter so thoroughly and provide a solution in such a short time—could someone like that really be ordinary?

Even if he truly was only a foot soldier, an information source within a superior department was still someone worth cultivating and taking seriously.

Of course, Cheng Lidong could not yet get in touch with the person himself. But did he not still have Yan Li’s relative?

More friends meant more paths forward. Who knew when he might need such a connection in the future?

Cheng Lidong’s attitude grew increasingly warm. Yan Li saw it clearly but made no effort to explain further.

If he spoke too vaguely, people might misunderstand him. If he explained too much, they might see through him completely.

A mixture of truth and falsehood, with a touch of mystery preserved—avoiding major entanglements while borrowing influence for a few minor advantages at the right moments—that was the safest approach and the one most suited to his current position.

During the meal, Cheng Lidong excused himself for a moment. When he returned, the bill had already been settled, and he handed Yan Li a thick envelope.

“Little brother, I owe you for helping me this time. I can’t let you go to all that trouble for nothing. I don’t have much cash on hand at the moment, so take this for now. Once everything is settled, I’ll make up the difference if there’s any shortfall.”

Yan Li estimated the thickness of the envelope and pushed it back.

“Brother Cheng, I sincerely want to be friends with you. You’re making this too formal.”

If he accepted the money, the nature of the relationship would change. Yan Li had no intention of becoming an information broker.

At first, Cheng Lidong assumed Yan Li thought the amount was too small and intended to demand more. But Yan Li continued refusing it. After several rounds of tugging and pushing, Cheng Lidong finally realized that he genuinely did not want the money.

“Good brother, from now on, you’re a friend of mine.”

Cheng Lidong was deeply moved.

Yan Li raised his glass and toasted him. “When I met you last time, Brother Cheng, I had an excellent impression of you. I’ve always wanted to get closer. It just so happened that I had the chance to help you this time, and it’s my honor.”

The two exchanged warm words, put their arms around each other’s shoulders, and behaved like brothers bound by genuine loyalty.

After several more rounds of toasting, Cheng Lidong took the initiative and asked whether Yan Li had any availability in his schedule.

Clearly, Cheng Lidong was not foolish enough to let Yan Li help him for nothing. If Yan Li would not accept money, there had to be another form of compensation.

Yan Li immediately perked up. Was this not precisely what he had been working toward?

“I’ve taken on a production recently and am preparing for it now. We’ll begin filming in August, and it should wrap in a little over a month. After that, I don’t have anything lined up.”

“What a coincidence.”

Cheng Lidong slapped his palm. “Come work on my production. We’ll probably start filming in September or October, so the timing is perfect.”

He then introduced Yan Li to the project. The series was called The Treasure Basin, and it told the story of Shen Wansan, a wealthy merchant of the Ming dynasty.

Cheng Lidong was not the director but the producer, and on the set his authority was even greater than the director’s.

However, Cheng Lidong also explained that the male lead had already been cast: Hong Kong actor Dicky Cheung.

There was nothing he could do about that. The investors had put up the money specifically because Dicky Cheung was attached, and the production would be relying on him to distribute and sell the series afterward.

But Cheng Lidong also promised that, aside from the lead role of Shen Wansan, Yan Li could choose any of the remaining male roles. The fee would satisfy him as well.

…

The meal ended with both host and guest thoroughly pleased.

After they parted, Yan Li did not take a taxi. He let the cool evening breeze wash over him as he walked slowly, considering the gains and losses of the evening.

Securing a role in The Treasure Basin was certainly gratifying, but what Yan Li valued more was the opportunity to establish a connection with Cheng Lidong.

Cheng Lidong’s own career would continue to develop well, and more importantly, Yan Li could use him as a bridge to expand his network within the film and television industry.

To get ahead in modern society, one could hardly do without information, connections, money, and background.

Yan Li possessed an intelligence system, so information was already his strong suit. What he cared about more was cultivating relationships, allowing those connections to help him accumulate wealth more effectively.

Once those three things gained momentum, background would come naturally. One could even say that Yan Li himself would become the background.