034 The Industry Titan Who Holds Yan Li in High Regard

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Outside a barbecue restaurant in Wangjing

“Old Dong, here.”

Guan Yue waved her hand, and Dong Xuan pulled Yan Li over. “Sorry, we’re late.”

“No problem.”

Guan Yue waved off the apology, but as she linked arms with Dong Xuan to enter the restaurant, she leaned close and teased in a low voice, “Over half an hour late—were you up to no good at home?”

“What nonsense.”

Dong Xuan was exasperated with her friend’s dirty mind. “I went with Yan Li to buy a phone.”

“His phone broke?”

“No, Yan Li’s phone is an old Nokia model that can’t send texts. Since he’s about to film in Shishi City, it’s inconvenient to keep in touch.”

“Got it.”

Guan Yue suddenly understood. “Calls aren’t enough—you need a new phone to send sweet messages.”

The two women whispered here, while Yan Li struck up a conversation with Tong Dawei nearby.

Taking out a pack of cigarettes, Yan Li offered one to Tong Dawei, who shook his head.

“Guan Yue won’t let me smoke. I’m quitting.”

Yan Li was a bit surprised but didn’t insist and put the cigarette away. He wasn’t heavily addicted; usually, he smoked just a few a day at home, sometimes none at all. Offering cigarettes was more a social habit cultivated during outings and business dinners—to show goodwill and bridge distances.

Perhaps sensing that refusing the cigarette might cause some loss of face, Tong Dawei took the initiative to speak.

“Sorry about last time. I got worked up and misunderstood you. I want to apologize.”

“It’s nothing.”

Yan Li didn’t take it to heart and instead asked with interest, “What’s the situation between you and Guan Yue? I heard from Dong Xuan you’re not together yet?”

Tong Dawei gave a bitter smile. “She said she’s still assessing me. I’m trying my best.”

Assessing?

Yan Li glanced at Guan Yue, then at Tong Dawei, and said nothing, but inwardly doubted it.

It was normal for girls to be reserved with suitors, to hold a certain stance. He himself had spent some effort courting Dong Xuan back then.

Mainly because Yan Li didn’t have an intelligence system at the time.

Otherwise, he could have easily understood her thoughts, catered to her preferences, and found two crucial points to break through—making it twice as effective with half the effort.

For example, when he was in Hengdian, without the system’s help, it would have been difficult for him and Qin Lan to become good friends despite several attempts to get closer.

Still, even if Tong Dawei lacked such a system and was somewhat slow in love matters, two young people who liked each other would naturally interact frequently and intimately, so it was unlikely they hadn’t made progress for so long.

Something was definitely fishy here!

Yan Li couldn’t figure it out immediately and didn’t want to waste energy pondering. Whether they got together or not was none of his business.

As long as Guan Yue didn’t give Dong Xuan any bad ideas, she could do whatever she wanted.

Yan Li didn’t care about Tong Dawei and Guan Yue’s relationship, but Tong Dawei was very interested in Yan Li and Dong Xuan’s affair.

Because he often interacted with Guan Yue recently, he had heard her curse a certain unfaithful man and lament Dong Xuan’s lack of assertiveness, learning many inside details about the “Yan-Dong romance.”

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The more he learned, the more Tong Dawei admired and envied Yan Li’s way of keeping Dong Xuan firmly in his grasp.

To put it bluntly—

Coach, I want to learn this!

Throughout the meal, Tong Dawei was very attentive to Yan Li. Yan Li initially thought it was just to apologize for last time.

Later, at the karaoke lounge, the guy took advantage of a trip to the restroom with Yan Li to hint at his real intention. Yan Li finally understood.

“Sorry, no apprentices.”

Yan Li wasn’t interested in getting involved. Helping him brought no benefits and could easily backfire, offending both sides and wasting effort for no reward.

“Bro, please help me. I’ve been chasing Guan Yue for a long time and I’m at my wit’s end.”

Tong Dawei threw caution to the wind, calling Yan Li “bro” repeatedly and pleading earnestly.

It was worth noting that Tong was born in February 1979, nearly two years older than Yan Li, who was born in November 1980.

Not only was he a bit older, but he also had more fame and status.

Yan Li was still an unknown actor, with only one proper film that hadn’t aired yet.

Tong Dawei, though not a huge star, debuted in the late ’90s and had acted in numerous films, including several leading roles.

More importantly, according to Dong Xuan, Tong Dawei starred in a film produced by Baoshi Pictures, with Xu Jinglei—one of the Four Little Flower Damsels—as the female lead. He was also the male lead in a new Baoshi-produced “Haiyan Drama” waiting to air.

That was impressive!

Filming with a popular actress and starring in a Haiyan Drama, which was highly regarded.

A couple of years ago, Haiyan Drama “Never Closing Eyes” became a hit, catapulting Lu Yi among the top four young actors in Mainland China and elevating Yuan Li to top actress status.

This kind of star-making power, dubbed the “Urban Qiong Yao Drama,” attracted countless actors chasing Haiyan roles.

Tong Dawei’s new lead role in a Haiyan Drama didn’t guarantee stardom, but his future prospects were far beyond what Yan Li could hope for now.

“Stop, stop, I really can’t take apprentices. How about this—I’ll ask Dong Xuan to put in a good word for you.”

Tong Dawei humbled himself so much that Yan Li couldn’t help but keep the secret. He brought up Dong Xuan.

Given Dong Xuan’s close relationship with Guan Yue, if she put in a full effort to help Tong Dawei with sweet talk and conveying feelings, it would be like having half an intelligence system.

Even just a few kind words would save Tong a lot of trouble.

But Tong Dawei wasn’t satisfied; he wanted to learn not just how to court girls, but how to “take charge” like Yan Li.

Yan Li had no intention of teaching, nor could he provide Tong Dawei with an intelligence system.

As they argued back and forth, a man came out of the restroom, and Tong Dawei was surprised.

“Dawei?”

“Brother Wu.”

Tong Dawei was a bit stunned, even slightly flustered. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m accompanying Mr. Shi for a business outing. After dinner, we came here to have some fun.”

“Mr. Shi is here too?”

Tong Dawei was puzzled. The KTV they came to today was modest, mostly young clientele with limited spending.

A wealthy boss like Mr. Shi would usually go to upscale clubs, nightclubs, or at least a well-known KTV like Qian.

Brother Wu explained that this place was connected to a certain guest, so everyone came to show support.

“Well then, Yan Li, you head back first. I’ll go toast with Mr. Shi.”

It was clear Tong Dawei valued Mr. Shi highly. Yan Li nodded, about to leave, when Brother Wu invited him.

“Since we’re all friends, let’s have a drink together.”

Yan Li glanced at Tong Dawei, noticing his uneasy expression, and smiled.

“Maybe next time. The room has only girls, so I’m not comfortable.”

Tong Dawei went to toast while Yan Li returned to the room. Guan Yue was singing Wang Fei’s “Red Bean,” and Dong Xuan sat on the sofa clapping along. Seeing Yan Li alone, she asked,

“Where’s Tong Dawei?”

“He ran into someone he knows and went to greet them.”

“Oh.”

Dong Xuan didn’t pay much attention and kept clapping along with Guan Yue. Yan Li sipped his drink, studying the new phone.

After a while, Guan Yue finished singing. Dong Xuan was about to pull Yan Li to sing a duet when the door opened, and Tong Dawei entered with a middle-aged man.

Yan Li frowned slightly but rose to greet them. Tong Dawei introduced the man.

The middle-aged man was Mr. Shi, the owner of Baoshi Pictures. In recent years, he had invested in several dramas and was a rising power in the industry.

With this introduction, Yan Li had some impression of Mr. Shi.

Baoshi Pictures had a reputation in the circle. They once claimed to invest 50 million yuan in producing “The Emperor of the Han Dynasty,” which featured Chen Daoming in a supporting role and starred his acquaintance Huang Xiaoming as the male lead.

While Mr. Shi was talking with Guan Yue, Dong Xuan nudged Yan Li to remind him.

She recalled Guan Yue mentioning that Mr. Shi was a benefactor to Tong Dawei.

The film Tong and Xu Jinglei acted in was produced by Baoshi Pictures, and his chance to star in a Haiyan Drama was also somewhat thanks to Mr. Shi.

Mr. Shi was apparently an artistic advisor or a board member of the Haiyan Drama production.

Dong Xuan encouraged Yan Li to make a good impression on Mr. Shi, hoping he might get noticed and land a male lead role.

Yan Li agreed with Dong Xuan’s reasoning. He was eager to network with people like Wang Detai and Cheng Lidong, so a big boss was even more important. He raised his glass to toast proactively.

It was also to keep Mr. Shi engaged and distracted.

Yan Li had seen many old men in the entertainment industry who liked to pester pretty young girls.

If Mr. Shi tried to go after Dong Xuan, Yan Li feared losing his temper and possibly resorting to violence.

That would be complicated, given Mr. Shi’s status and Tong Dawei’s position in the middle.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Shi seemed uninterested in Dong Xuan and Guan Yue but showed special enthusiasm for Yan Li.

They had a pleasant conversation, and Mr. Shi even ordered two bottles of expensive wine at the KTV to display his wealth.

Before leaving, he gave Yan Li a business card, saying he could call anytime.

Dong Xuan was delighted for Yan Li, thinking his prospects looked bright with such a powerful patron.

Yan Li, however, was less excited than she imagined. He glanced at the now much quieter Tong Dawei, his eyes reflecting a complicated mix of emotions.

It seemed he finally understood why Tong Dawei’s relationship with Guan Yue had stalled for so long…