Chapter 19

After reading the intelligence, Yan Li bowed to the incense again. This time, his ancestors gave him face. The next time conditions allowed, he would offer some meat and wine. Then, Yan Li pulled out all the monthly intelligence he had gathered and did a rough sorting and summarizing. "Observe the pot while holding the bowl, think three steps ahead!" So, every month, Yan Li would combine the past intelligence with the new, carefully considering his future plans. Yan Li had been using the intelligence system for about half a year. Since the number of monthly intelligence reports that appeared each time was random, sometimes more and sometimes fewer, he had accumulated just over thirty in total. About two-thirds of them were confirmed or suspected future information, which was a significant proportion. However, whether they were useful still depended on the specific circumstances and how Yan Li used them. According to Yan Li's statistics, the future information in the monthly intelligence had a time range of about 1 to 5 years. Whether the system would upgrade in the future or whether the "yearly intelligence" he speculated would widen the time span for future information was still an unknown. Yan Li couldn't guarantee it. But so far, being able to obtain some information within the next five years, Yan Li was very satisfied. Among these future pieces of intelligence, many related to the entertainment industry and films, which probably aligned with Yan Li's career. Yan Li valued this information highly, as one of them could potentially make him famous. Currently, aside from "The Sui and Tang Heroes" and the recently acquired information on "Liang Jian" and "The Investiture of the Gods," he also had some future film-related intelligence. A Jin Yong drama, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils produced by Zhang Jizhong. A TV drama Conquer directed by Gao Qunshu. A TV drama Soldier Assault starring Wang Baoqiang. A film Apple directed by Li Yu. According to the intelligence, these productions had significant influence and could be beneficial for Yan Li if he could participate in them. However, despite Yan Li's efforts, only The Sui and Tang Heroes had moved forward, while the others had little progress. Unfortunately, Apple was slated for release in 2007, and Soldier Assault was a 2006 TV drama. The scripts for these were still uncertain. As for the people involved, they were hard to find. Li Yu, the director of Apple, had already directed two films and won awards overseas, so she had some fame. Wang Baoqiang, who starred in Soldier Assault, seemed to be nowhere to be found after Yan Li inquired everywhere, even at the neighboring Central Academy of Drama. He suspected the actor might still be hiding in some corner or perhaps hadn’t entered the industry yet. As for the TV drama Conquer, Yan Li had made some headway but heard rumors that the production was facing financial difficulties, and there were even whispers that the project might be canceled. Yan Li wasn't sure if it had anything to do with him. On the other hand, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils had high barriers to entry. After all, it was a Jin Yong drama, and Zhang Jizhong, who had previously shot the hit Laughing in the Wind, made this production even more high-profile. The media covered it widely as soon as it was announced, and the number of actor resumes sent to the production was enormous. For a newcomer like Yan Li, it was nearly impossible to compete. So, Yan Li had simply submitted his resume politely and focused on building relationships with Wang Decai. Now, as Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils was about to start shooting, the important roles were probably already decided. Yan Li thought that, once things settled, he’d have to keep pushing for Conquer or find opportunities through the directors and producers Wang Decai had introduced to him. Besides, when he returned to Beijing, he needed to catch up on information related to money-making and networking, and start making some strategic moves. Being an actor was highly unpredictable and unstable. If possible, it was always safer to have multiple paths. Since receiving the monthly intelligence at the start of the month, Yan Li’s life had accelerated. Every day, he was shooting, practicing horsemanship and martial arts, expanding his network, and occasionally meeting with Qin Lan. Before long, it was mid-July, and Yan Li was approaching the countdown to leaving the Sui and Tang Heroes production. From joining to wrapping up, it had only been a little over a month, which was fast. But it made sense. Yu Wen Cheng, the character he played, was a supporting role with little interaction with the main cast. The upcoming plots with Li Tang fighting for power didn’t involve him much, so his screen time was limited. Moreover, directors like Hu Mingkai, who came from Hong Kong, often preferred a "grand and bold" style of shooting, not concerned with "slow work for fine craftsmanship." Although Yan Li hadn’t stayed long on Sui and Tang Heroes, his good personality and the system’s help had earned him good relationships with the cast and crew. Assistant director Wang Decai, makeup artist Wang Xiu, lead actors Nie Yuan and Tong Lei, along with a few supporting actors and the horse team’s old Xu, all took turns organizing farewell parties for him. This was quite rare! The crew came and went, and everyone was used to seeing such separations. Unless it was a fixed team, once a production wrapped, everyone went their separate ways. Who knew when they’d get to work together again? So, most actors or staff members in a crew saw each other as short-term acquaintances. Unless the relationship was solid, there was no need to waste money on a farewell meal. Yan Li couldn’t decline the invitations, as he was still working on the film, so he just split the farewell gatherings into a few groups. Wang Decai was an important figure, and Yan Li would rely on him later, so he had to have a private gathering with him. Wang Xiu, Old Xu, and the other supporting actors could all join together for a fun time. As for Tong Lei and Nie Yuan, they were the main stars, so Yan Li decided to arrange another separate gathering for them. It wasn’t that Yan Li treated them differently, it was just that everyone had their own circle, and Nie Yuan had a slightly proud personality. It would have been uncomfortable forcing them all into one group, so it was better to have separate gatherings. That evening, when the crew finished work early, Nie Yuan invited Yan Li to dinner. Besides Tong Lei, there were also Zheng Guolin and Kou Zhanwen. Zheng Guolin played Li Shimin in Sui and Tang Heroes, and he and Nie Yuan were close, so he came along for the meal. Kou Zhanwen, who played Wei Chigong, had interacted with Yan Li a few times after he joined the crew. They had a decent relationship, and when Yan Li met him after work, he invited him to join the dinner. The restaurant was arranged by Nie Yuan, and it wasn’t too expensive, with him covering the bill. Tong Lei wanted to split the bill since they had promised to send Yan Li off together, but Nie Yuan, with his slightly macho attitude, refused. "How can I let the girls pay when we're out having fun?" Yan Li didn’t bother with their argument. Since Nie Yuan paid for the meal, Yan Li arranged the next activity: karaoke. As the crew settled their remaining payments to him, Yan Li wasn’t stingy. Since he had the money and his friends were treating him, he wouldn’t let them down. There were plenty of karaoke halls in Hengdian, but the quality varied greatly. However, this wasn’t a problem for Yan Li, who was nicknamed "The Living Radar." When he was out networking with Wang Decai, he had discovered two good KTV places. One had excellent environment, pricing, and safety, ranking among the best in Hengdian. The other was full of pretty, understanding girls with good figures. Generally, Yan Li preferred the second one, but since there were girls around tonight, they had to go to the first one. After booking a private room, Yan Li was inviting Kou Zhanwen and the others to pick songs when Nie Yuan stepped out to take a call. When he returned, he yelled over the music, "Two new friends have arrived, don’t mind, right?" "Of course, the more the merrier." Yan Li didn’t mind. A few more bottles of wine didn’t matter. Nie Yuan nodded, and soon brought two girls in. When Yan Li saw them, he couldn’t help but smile. Wasn’t this the new version of "Little Swallow"?