Entering the Chinese entertainment industry is like entering a deep sea

Chapter 821 Killing Yan
2016 had barely begun when Huanrui was already facing its demise.

It sent chills down the spines of everyone in the industry, leaving them speechless with fear.

Sina Finance reports
"Huanrui suffered a series of 'black swan' disasters: investigation, circuit breaker, collapse of top-tier brand, market value evaporated by 80% and on the verge of delisting."

"The CSRC's investigation, coupled with the market circuit breaker, triggered a chain reaction in the Li Yifeng scandal, leading to the suspension of multiple film and television projects and the collective termination of contracts by brand owners."

"On January 8, 2016, the first bombshell of the year in the Chinese film and television industry exploded at Huanrui."

"This star company, which went public on the A-share market in 2014, suffered a triple blow within a week: regulatory investigation, stock market circuit breaker, and the collapse of a top celebrity's career."

"The market value plummeted from a peak of 56 billion yuan to less than 11 billion yuan, a drop of more than 80%, and the delisting alarm was suddenly sounded."

"The Li Yifeng incident has also dragged down the entire film and television sector. On January 9, stocks such as Huayi Brothers and Huace Media Group fell by more than 5%. Industry insiders lamented: 'The risk associated with artists has become the biggest 'black hole' for film and television companies!'"

Yang Mi was more panicked than anyone else, because Liu Yifei and Li Chen, her senior, clearly knew about her relationship with Feng Zi.

But he still resorted to ruthless measures. Does that mean he should also target her?

"What should we do now? Jiajia, you have to come up with a plan!" Yang Mi was completely at a loss; Huan Rui was in such a terrible situation.

A listed company so vulnerable—this demonstrates the overwhelming power of top-tier capital to manipulate events at will.

"What should we do? You need to go find Liu Yifei right now!"

"Why are you looking for Liu Qianqian?" Yang Mi's mind was a complete mess at this moment.

"Are you stupid? Of course you should thank her! Thank her and Li Chen for letting you see a scumbag!"

Yang Mi suddenly exclaimed, "Yes, yes, I'll go right now!"

-

Yang Mi's Maserati stopped in front of Li Chen's villa. The trunk was filled with six boxes of bird's nest, two sets of Hermes baby clothes, and a bottle of Ningxia red wine that was said to be "equivalent to 82 Lafite".

"Has Liu Qianqian gotten up yet? Is her senior here?" Yang Mi asked, following the housekeeper.

Two maids followed behind, carrying Yang Mi's large and small bags.

"Madam, get up. Master left early this morning."

Yang Mi breathed a sigh of relief; she was actually a little afraid to see her senior now.

Upon entering the living room on the first floor of the villa, Yang Mi saw Liu Yifei wearing a loose knitted dress, barefoot on a wool carpet, doing yoga, her pregnant belly already showing a soft curve.

Although she wasn't wearing makeup, her complexion was quite radiant, clearly indicating that she was carefree and plump.

"You're here, why bring so much stuff!" Liu Yifei said with a smile as she turned to look at Yang Mi who had just entered.

"Of course, it's to thank you and my senior!"

"Thank me and Li Chen?" Liu Yifei continued doing yoga.

Yang Mi didn't stand on ceremony; she took off her coat and sat cross-legged on the sofa.

"That bastard is such a person! I was so blind back then. I have to thank you and my senior for helping me see this scumbag. I've already broken up with him unilaterally!"

"Where's my senior? I just heard from the housekeeper that he left early this morning," Yang Mi changed the subject.

She wanted to see if Liu Qianqian would deliberately offer an explanation.

If Liu Qianqian doesn't explain, it means that Li Yifeng's matter was definitely the senior's doing, and it also means that the couple really didn't take them seriously or care about them.

Even if they were to take action against Li Yifeng, they should at least inform her beforehand. How could she possibly become love-struck for a scumbag?

Liu Yifei stopped what she was doing, and a maid handed her a hot towel.

Liu Yifei wiped her cheek slightly and sat down next to Yang Mi before saying, "Li Yifeng's matter is his own fault. I have to correct you. Li Chen didn't get involved in this matter at all. Don't overthink it."

"To be honest, he's not quite up to par," Liu Yifei said with a light laugh.

Yang Mi's expression was slightly unnatural; if it wasn't her senior, then it must be Yang Siwei.

This approach was also in line with Yang Siwei's style, and Yang Mi instantly cleared her mind.

"Let's not talk about that. Where's my senior? The housekeeper said he left early this morning. Will he be back by noon?"

"He went to the CCTV studio, he'll probably be back in the evening."

"Oh, who from Rongchen is going to be on the Spring Festival Gala this year?" Yang Mi asked Liu Yifei gossiping.

"How would I know about this? You know your senior's mouth is as tight as a thousand-year-old clam!"

"You're hilarious! You're the only one who dares to talk about your senior like that!" Yang Mi laughed heartily.

"Even if he becomes the President of the United States one day, he will still be my husband. Whatever I say, he has to agree with me!"

"Yes, yes, yes, of all things, the pregnant woman is the most important." Yang Mi thought enviously, and smiled as she flattered Liu Yifei.

-

In the building's office, Li Chen, as an advisor, was highly valued by Nie Chenxi and Lu Yitao, the chief director of the Spring Festival Gala.

The significance of the Spring Festival Gala in the Year of the Monkey to the newly appointed Mr. Nie and director Lü Yitao is self-evident.

The latter was appointed as the chief director of the Spring Festival Gala for the first time in his life.

These are all young women getting married in sedan chairs for the first time.

Li Chen, on the other hand, not only has experience directing the Spring Festival Gala, but more importantly, he has a unique vision.

It's quite mysterious that none of the artists under Rong Chen's management have had their careers ruined.

Therefore, the program list for the Spring Festival Gala may be difficult for others to access.

But if Li Chen, the consultant, wants to see it, there's naturally no problem.

Seeing that Li Chen had only read half of it, he suddenly frowned.

"What's wrong, Li Chen? Is there something wrong with the program?" Old Master Nie asked with a smile, though he himself was also a little puzzled.

All the actors on the program list have been vetted repeatedly, and there will definitely be no artists with bad records, so there shouldn't be any problems.

As for personal grudges, Nie Chenxi believed that Li Chen was not so petty as to be so narrow-minded.

"Mr. Nie, Director Lü, this person is not suitable!" Li Chen pointed directly to one of the solo performances called "Six-Foot Lane".

Lu Yitao smiled awkwardly, but didn't know how to speak.

Nie Chenxi was more familiar with Li Chen, having frequently interacted with him when he was the deputy director of the General Administration.

“Li Chen, you and she are both alumni of the Beijing Film Academy. I’ve heard about your relationship, but this is the Spring Festival Gala, so let’s put personal grudges aside for now.”

Li Chen graduated from the directing program earlier than that swallow. Nie Chenxi said this to save face for Li Chen.

“Old Nie, I have no personal grudges against her, not even a friendship. But last year she got so close to Wang Lin and promoted feudal superstition. How could someone like that be on the Spring Festival Gala? Don’t forget, where is Wang Lin now?”

Nie Chenxi hadn't expected Li Chen's imposing manner to be so sharp. A simple question had left him speechless.

"Old Nie, based solely on the incident with the military flag uniform back then, you should have been extremely cautious in using her!"

Lu Yitao couldn't stand it anymore: "Mr. Nie, Director Li, I'm going to the studio to check on the actors' rehearsals."

It's best to avoid watching scenes where leaders get embarrassed.

As he left the office, Lü Yitao let out a long sigh, thinking to himself, "I wonder if this swallow will be able to land three times."

Inside Studio 1, many actors crowded around director Lü Yitao as he appeared. "Director Lü!"

"Director Lü! +n"

Before Lu Han, Chen Weiting, and Zhang Yixing could even get on stage, they couldn't squeeze up in front of Lü Yitao.

“I feel like Director Lü seems to have something on his mind!” Chen Weiting said first.

"It seems so. I heard the boss is coming today, but I don't know where he is," Lu Han muttered to herself.

"Why worry about these things? Our show won't be canceled anyway, so let's just relax and wait for the rehearsal!" Zhang Yixing said confidently.

Programs with the character "荣" (Rong) only participate in rehearsals and are not selected.

-

With Lü Yitao gone, only Nie Chenxi and Li Chen remained in the office, and Nie Chenxi spoke without restraint.

“Li Chen, give me the truth. What happened to her? If it’s just about Wang Lin, there’s no need to bring it up again. As for the military flag dress, so much time has passed. Given her ancestors’ glory, there’s no need to mention it again.”

Li Chen nodded and chuckled softly, "Alright, Elder Nie, you should know about 'No Other Love', right?"

"Of course I know. If it weren't for the Spring Festival Gala, she probably would have already started filming. In fact, we're the ones who delayed her."

"You can look into the two main actors in this project; one is pro-independence and the other is Japanese. I won't say more."

"What!" Nie Chenxi was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.

“I’ve said my piece, Elder Nie. If you think I, Li Chen, am the kind of person who would make a mountain out of a molehill over personal grudges, then it means you haven’t understood me at all all these years! I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now.”

Seeing that Li Chen was about to leave, Nie Chenxi hurriedly went around the table and said, "Don't be in such a hurry to leave, Li Chen! You haven't explained yourself clearly yet."

Li Chen laughed and said, "Elder Nie, haven't I made myself clear enough?"

Nie Chenxi: "."

-

West China City Daily
"There are only 26 days left until the CCTV Spring Festival Gala for the Year of the Monkey officially airs on the evening of February 7, 2016."

"This morning, the West China City Daily reporter learned from an insider at CCTV that preparations for the CCTV Spring Festival Gala for the Year of the Monkey are proceeding smoothly in CCTV's Studio 1."

"A large number of original and exciting programs are being rehearsed intensively. According to insiders, this year's CCTV Spring Festival Gala promotes a clean and upright atmosphere and will refuse to allow actors with bad records to appear on the Spring Festival Gala stage."

"We will adhere to three 'no' principles: no vulgar or pandering programs; no programs of low taste; and no actors with blemishes or moral flaws. It is reported that a large number of virtuous and talented celebrities will appear on the Spring Festival Gala stage in 2016."

Sina Entertainment News

"Li Chen, an advisor for the Spring Festival Gala of the Year of the Monkey, suddenly appeared in CCTV's Studio One today, sparking much speculation."

Regarding the program, the previous news about Wang Fei returning to the Spring Festival Gala has been basically confirmed, but the choice of the diva's partner is still a mystery.

"Some netizens speculate that Li Chen will probably arrange for an artist from Rong Chen's faction to replace Na Ying's position."

There are many conflicting reports online about the Spring Festival Gala program.

Two days later, a bombshell revelation went viral and became a trending topic.

Lin Xinru was startled, Liu Tao was also startled, and Fan Bingbing was inexplicably caught in the crossfire.

The three of them did not dare to deny the rumors immediately. Although the first two had programs on the Spring Festival Gala, whether they would actually perform or not was not up to them.

The latter is afraid of CCTV, so it's just an innocent bystander being dragged into the controversy; it's not like the studio needs to issue another statement.

Perhaps CCTV is just trying to ride on her popularity, Fan Bingbing consoled herself.

The song "Six-Foot Lane" is based on the legend of Six-Foot Lane, which is widely circulated in Anhui Province, highlighting the traditional virtues of mutual respect, courtesy, and harmonious coexistence among people.

As an actor from Anhui, it was a perfect combination of timing, location, and people for me to appear on the Spring Festival Gala stage and sing a song based on the historical story of my hometown.

This is her third time appearing on the Spring Festival Gala, following her appearances in 2000 and 2004. She desperately needs a positive stage to dispel the negative news from last year.

The three of them remained silent, but they orchestrated their own performance, deliberately letting someone "leak" the news of their solo performance.

However, the news of the solo performance did not elicit the enthusiastic response from netizens as expected.

"She's alright in acting and directing, but she's off-key when it comes to singing. I don't understand why the production team arranged for her to sing a solo. Is it because she made too much money in stocks and has become 'powerful'?"

"It seems it's either Jin Suo or Zi Wei, most likely Jin Suo! After all, she's just a maid."

"Perhaps even Ziwei, I will only part from you when the mountains crumble and the heavens and earth unite!"

Overjoyed: "Hahaha, this works too. Ziwei, Jinsuo, I didn't mean to."

Just as I was laughing heartily, the phone suddenly rang.

However, as soon as the call connected, after only a couple of sentences, he was dumbfounded.

"Director Lü, are you sure you've got the wrong person?! I haven't even rehearsed yet!"

"It's absolutely true. I hadn't even had a chance to tell you before the news of your solo performance spread online."

His sallow face was unpredictable, his mood shifting constantly.

"What exactly is the reason?!"

"I don't know the specific reasons either; it was a decision made by the station." Lu Yitao certainly knew the reasons, but how could he dare to say them?

I suddenly remembered the news from a couple of days ago when Li Chen appeared in the CCTV studio.

"Is it related to Li Chen? Did she speak ill of him to the leaders?"

"I really don't know, I'm busy, I have to talk to you now!" Lü Yitao hurriedly hung up the phone.

She was so angry that her veins bulged, and she was convinced that Li Chen was the one who was ruining her plans.

While feeling helpless against Li Chen, they were also genuinely curious about what methods he had used to prevent them from appearing on the Spring Festival Gala for the third time!
Gossip is a woman's nature.

Lin Xinru made a phone call to confirm that her performance was fine and waited patiently for the rehearsal. She was even more curious about whose performance had been rejected.

Liu Tao made a round of phone calls. She was the Eighth Princess in "Princess Pearl 3" and could be considered one of the beauties in the series.

As for Fan Bingbing, she was also itching to get her hands on it.

She has reason to be happy if either of their shows gets rejected.

Fan Bingbing felt disgusted, as if she had swallowed a fly, when someone found her gold lock for no reason.

"It should be that swallow. I asked around and found out that a solo performance was rejected. It couldn't be Lin Xinru, could it? She seems to lack star power for a solo performance, and she's not a professional singer either."

Mu Xiaoguang gathered some inside information and shared it with Fan Bingbing based on his own speculation and analysis.

Fan Bingbing laughed heartily: "Brother Guang, we should share this logical analysis with our netizens! What do you think?"

Mu Xiaoguang understood what Fan Bingbing meant.

Soon, many news reports about the program being rejected appeared online.

As the situation escalated, Lü Yitao had no choice but to call again.

"It would be best if you took the initiative to express your regret. If the Spring Festival Gala program team responded, that would be very formal."

She felt a surge of anger inside, but had nowhere to vent it. Since Lü Yitao could say such things, it must be the leader's intention, and she had to keep her opinions to herself.

(End of this chapter)