Entering the Chinese entertainment industry is like entering a deep sea

Chapter 796, the grand finale? Seating arrangement

Fashion Group Headquarters
Su Mang was overjoyed after hanging up Yang Siwei's call and immediately asked his assistant to bring over the banquet seating chart.

Su Mang held a marker and tapped next to the original 'C position - Liu Yifei'.

"Quick! Move Feng Xiaogang and Guan Hu's seats back, and widen the main table by 30 centimeters. President Li and Yifei must sit at the same table as the editor-in-chief of Vogue International!"

The planning director hesitated but didn't say anything to remind him. The boss must have known that doing so might offend some big shots or celebrities.

But compared to the sweet attack of two C-positions, what does offending a few big stars matter?

The assistant next to him laughed and said, "Just now, Mr. Liu's secretary called to ask if Mr. Li could participate in the charity auction. Now Mr. Li is here on site."

Su Mang's eyes were full of joy. This year's Bazaar Charity Night might be unprecedented in scale, surpassing the previous twelve editions in terms of donation amount, popularity, and attention!

-

Fan Bingbing's studio received the latest process schedule from the fashion group.

"The red carpet time was shortened by 3 minutes? Why?" Fan Bingbing asked, frowning.

"What else could it be? Another person has joined the final act!"

"Another person has been added. Is Brother Chen coming too?" Fan Bingbing immediately thought of Li Chen.

She was originally scheduled to be the final star to appear this year, but Liu Yifei suddenly appeared out of nowhere, leaving her helpless.

Mu Xiaoguang nodded, tacitly agreeing.

Fan Bingbing shook her head slightly, unable to utter a single word except for a bitter smile.

-

Tim called Li Chen, his voice trembling slightly.

Warner Bros. went all out this time, willing to pay a staggering $1.5 million for the North American distribution rights to "La La Land".

When Li Chen received the news, he and Liu Yifei were on their way to the Bazaar Night event at the China World Hotel.

“Boss, Richard from Warner said that we are the closest partners and there is no need to hurt our relationship over such a small matter.”

"And Richard also promised that Warner would do everything in its power to win an Oscar for the boss's wife!"

Li Chen scoffed, "Do you think Warner Bros. can accomplish this even if they try their best?"

Tim knew his Chinese boss was not someone to be fooled.

Although Warner Bros. made a guarantee, there are too many variables in the Oscars.

The identities of the boss and his wife speak for themselves.

Tim thinks it's impossible to imagine these two going around with the La La Land crew, drinking and chatting with Hollywood judges.

But if you don't follow Hollywood's rules and want to win an Oscar, especially if you're Chinese, it's incredibly difficult.

"Boss, I think if Warner goes all out, and you and your wife work together a little more, we still have a chance."

"By rejecting Weinstein, we've essentially created a formidable enemy!"

"I understand. Warner Bros. will handle the North American distribution rights. We'll discuss the rest once I get to Hollywood."

After hanging up with Tim, Liu Yifei finally spoke up, saying, "Actually, I don't really care whether or not I get that Oscar."

Li Chen patted his wife's hand and smiled, "I know, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Today, Liu Yifei wore a starry blue strapless trailing dress, paired with a center-parted wavy hairstyle, making her look both elegant and charming.

When the two arrived at the China World Hotel, they saw Fan Bingbing's familiar white Rolls-Royce Ghost parked motionless in front of them.

Inside the Rolls-Royce, the driver announced, "Boss, Mr. Li's car has arrived."

Fan Bingbing turned his head and saw that it was indeed the familiar Maybach S600.

Fan Bingbing sighed inwardly. Last year, she dared to challenge Zhang Ziyi and refused to get out of the car, creating a grand finale.

When she encountered the two people behind her this year, she chose to get off the bus obediently.

Just by looking at their cars, they're clearly not in the same league.

There are many people in the industry who drive this Rolls-Royce Ghost.

However, the Maybach S600 is a limited edition worldwide, and it's not something you can buy just because you have money.

Apart from Brother Chen behind him, no one else has the ability to run into him.

Fan Bingbing got out of the car and slowly walked towards the back of the Maybach behind her, lifting her long skirt.

"Brother Chen, it's for you." Liu Yifei teased her husband with a smile as Fan Bingbing approached.

The driver rolled down the car window, and Fan Bingbing, wearing a flesh-colored low-cut dress, leaned down and smiled at the two people in the car, saying, "Brother Chen, Yifei."

Li Chen looked directly at Fan Bingbing, nodded slightly, and understood why Fan Bingbing was there.

It seems the wife stole the spotlight from this guy.

It is said that last year, he and Zhang Ziyi had a funny incident because of the issue of being the last act.

Fan Bingbing refused to get out of the car, and in the end, Zhang Ziyi had no choice but to give in and walk onto the red carpet first.

"Otherwise, we'll head over first," Li Chen joked with a smile.

Fan Bingbing immediately waved her hand and laughed, "Don't tease me, Brother Chen. If you and Yifei leave first, I'll be trending on social media and getting tortured by netizens."

Liu Yifei sat beside Li Chen, smiling silently, thinking to herself, "At least you know your place."

"Why don't we go together?" Fan Bingbing suddenly suggested.

However, Li Chen refused decisively: "Let's not go together, let's go first."

"No, no, no, Brother Chen, I was just joking. I'm leaving now, we'll talk later." Fan Bingbing was terrified when she saw Li Chen making a move to get out of the car, and quickly slipped away.

Seeing Fan Bingbing walk away, Li Chen laughed and said, "You little brat, I can still handle you!"

Liu Yifei was delighted; her husband's actions just now could be considered subconscious.

But it is precisely this kind of unwavering, subconscious action that is all the more precious.

"She wants to come with us, why didn't you agree? Are you afraid your wife will be outshone by her?"

"She came on strong, there's no need for us to lower ourselves to her level."

"True beauty lies in the bone structure, not just the skin. My wife's bone structure and appearance are the best in the world; otherwise, she wouldn't have the reputation of being a celestial beauty," Li Chen said candidly.

Liu Yifei was even more delighted: "You're smart to get out of the car, Mr. Li."

The change from "Brother Chen" to "General Manager Li" indicates that things have calmed down.

Li Chen understood, got out of the car, and reached out to help his manager out of the car.

"Let's go, Little Li," Liu Yifei said with a smile, placing her slender hand in her husband's palm.

"Got it."

-

Seeing Fan Bingbing come in, Deng Chao and Huang Bo became even happier.

The two were surrounded by a group of people from the industry, with Rong Chen's faction making up a small portion of them, including Zhang Ruonan.

Not far away stood Huang Xiaoming, Da Baobei, King of Comedy, and others.

Tonight's charity gala will be divided into three teams competing, with Deng Chao, Huang Bo, and Huang Xiaoming each leading a team.

The star-studded lineup surpasses that of the previous twelve editions.

"Old Huang, I told you I was right, Bingbing definitely wouldn't be the last one. You're smart for not betting with me today."

Huang Bo scoffed: "Do you think I'm stupid? I'm classmates with Qianqian. I knew she was coming before you did!"

"Ah, the boss is here too!" Tang Yan suddenly exclaimed. Today she was dressed in a black and white outfit, a white shirt and a vest, which was relatively low-key.

After all, she had just had a falling out with the owner of Bazaar at the beginning of the year. If the boss hadn't intervened, she would most likely have suffered a great loss.

With Tang Yan's exclamation, everyone saw that there was another person next to Liu Yifei, who was none other than the uncrowned king of the industry.

Everyone in the room already knew Liu Yifei was coming, and no one wanted to sit with her. Back when Liu Yifei first debuted, styling and hairstyle mishaps were commonplace.

Many media outlets have criticized her for wasting her beauty.

But since she got together with Li Chen, her taste and aesthetic sense have risen to an incredible level.

A car crash? That's a pipe dream!
Perhaps only Fan Bingbing had just started to have some thoughts.

However, he was scared away in an instant by Li Chen's words.

When Fan Bingbing came in, she was alone; she didn't come with Li Chen.

The celebrities are all gossiping, wondering if Fan Bingbing feels that Li Chen's status is not good enough for her, and that his looks are not as good as the other couples who appeared together tonight.

Couples like Huang Xiaoming and Angelababy, Super Lu and Jia Nailiang, Gao Yuanyuan and Zhao Youting, etc., are all combinations of handsome men and beautiful women.

Even Li Bingbing, standing next to him is the young and handsome Wu Yifan.

Of course, there are also combinations of beauty and the beast.

For example, the Peacock Princess, who is still slim despite her age, and Yu Pangpang, who has a chubby face.

Zhang Ruonan's eyes sparkled as she huddled together with Meng Ziyi, Lin Gengxin, and Lu Han.

"Brother is so handsome!" Zhang Ruonan exclaimed, looking like a fangirl.

"Sister is so beautiful!" Sister Meng's IQ was on point, and the flattery came out without her even thinking.

“You two are rhyming!” Lin Gengxin laughed.

Zhang Ruonan and Lin Gengxin also rushed over after finishing filming on the set of "So Young 2".

“That’s why I say he’s handsome!” Zhang Ruonan retorted, unconvinced.

"Yeah, do you think Sister Fei isn't pretty and Brother isn't handsome?" Meng Ziyi said with a mischievous smile.

"Don't try to trap me, you two! When did I ever say that? What I mean is, what you two are saying is nonsense. Do the boss and his wife need good looks to make up for it?"

"You two should take a look at the nameplates on the middle table in the first row, and you'll understand what I mean!"

Lin Gengxin succinctly revealed the truth: the center position in the first row.

Those seated there are all heavyweights in the industry or other sectors, whose mere presence is enough to make one's voice tremble.

It's still too far away for Meng Ziyi and Zhang Ruonan.

Just like the distance between the two people's seats and the seats at that table.

This is the reality of the strict hierarchy in the entertainment industry.

Before the banquet begins, social interactions and networking are inevitable.

Liu Yifei entered the venue and, without putting on airs, took photos with her close friends and artists under her management in a very down-to-earth manner.

Ms. Liu's unspoken thought was probably just one sentence: When it comes to looks, I've never been afraid since I was born.

Wu Jing and his wife also arrived. Seeing Li Chen approaching, they smiled and stepped forward, saying, "Director Li, my husband Wu was just telling me you weren't coming. I said, 'Sissi is here, how could Director Li not come?'"

Li Chen laughed and said, "Your Director Wu is focused on 'Wolf Warrior,' so you, his capable wife, have to take care of everything else for him."

Wu Jing scratched his head, but Xie Nan was quite pleased: "Director Li's words are the most pleasing to the ear. Chairman Wang just said that you would definitely come."

Li Chen had already spotted Wang Changtian and Yu Dong and the others.

Xie Nan, being perceptive, pulled Wu Jing along to find Liu Yifei.

"Do you think Director Li has prepared any items for auction today?" Wu Jing asked curiously.

"We'll find out by asking Sisi later."

Wu Jing nodded: "With Director Li here, today's charity auction is likely to break another record."

Xie Nan laughed and said, "What's so strange about that? Does Director Li have money to spare? Do you think you and I are the ones who risk our entire fortune to make 'Wolf Warrior'?"

Wu Jing laughed and said, "There's nothing I can do. When it comes to financial resources, who can compare with Director Li? But when it comes to physical strength, I can take on ten of Director Li's men."

"Look at you, so confident! You try hitting someone yourself. I bet that incident of Nie Yuan getting arrested for assaulting someone hasn't woken you up yet!"

Wu Jing gave an awkward laugh and remained silent.

Li Bingbing was wearing a black dress today, with Wuyi Fan, who was wearing an earring, by her side.

"Let's go, come with me and say hello to Director Li."

"I'm not going!" Wu Yifan harbored great hostility towards Li Chen.

It was Li Chen's appearance that turned what was originally a "king meeting king" into a one-sided affair.

Lu Han's fans had an almost overwhelming advantage on both sides of the red carpet today.

Li Bingbing shook her head, ignoring Wuyifan's willfulness, and got up and walked towards Li Chen.

She has no obligation to worry about Wu Yifan.

Using young, handsome men occasionally to add some spice to life and promote harmony between yin and yang is perfectly harmless.

But don't expect a seasoned veteran like Li Bingbing, who has cultivated his skills for many years, to be on your side.

They're way past the age of being impulsive.

Before Li Chen had taken two steps, the three captains of the Red, Yellow, and Blue teams came forward to report to him.

Huang Xiaoming was accompanied by his godfather's eldest son, the King of Comedy: Xiang Zuo.

Deng Chao was the first to come up, smiling as he said, "Boss, I was just thinking, since Qianqian is here, how could you not come?"

Li Chen chuckled: "Are you the captain of the Red Team tonight?"

Deng Chao nodded and said, "That's right, you'll have to support me later!"

Li Chen remained noncommittal: "No problem, play freely. If you lose to Huang Xiaoming, I won't acknowledge you!"

Deng Chao laughed heartily: "That's impossible! With you here, how could I possibly lose!"

Not far away, Huang Xiaoming and his daughter faced off against Liu Yifei.

"You can't miss the wedding next month, Auntie!" Huang Xiaoming joked.

Liu Yifei was both amused and exasperated: "Brother Xiaoming, I'm coming. Do I still have to give you a red envelope?"

Big Baby covered her mouth and laughed, "Of course, Sister Fei, you're an award-winning actress now, you can't be stingy."

Li Chen was stopped by many people along the way, and by the time he was seated, the banquet was about to begin.

At Li Chen's table sat the foreign editor-in-chief of Vogue, Wang Zhongjun, the head of Huayi Brothers, a former arch-rival, and Wang Changtian, the head of Enlight Media.

Before Li Chen and Wang Changtian could exchange more than a few words, someone brought them a plate of mooncakes.

Li Chen thought it was a Bazaar sales assistant and didn't even turn his head.

Wang Changtian, however, glanced at the newcomer with surprise.

Li Chen then turned his head and saw that it wasn't a waiter.

"Director Li, President Wang, and other executives, these are mooncakes I made myself. Please have a taste."

Look, the industry is indeed full of talented people.

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, this person creatively presented their handmade mooncakes to all the big shots, making a splash in front of them.

She also made a splash at the star-studded charity Bazaar Night that night.

Yang Siwei and Lu Han sat in the middle of the second row, right next to Li Chen's table.

"What a talent! Little Deer, learn from him, look at his mindset."

Li Bingbing and Wu Yifan were also sitting in the second row.

However, Lu Han sat in the middle and unintentionally became the Left Protector.

(End of this chapter)