Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 42: The local boss who is popular with people——“agent” Yan Li

Li Peng, a native of Taiwan, is also a big name in the Taiwanese film and television circles and has participated in the production of many film and television works.

After the millennium, Hong Kong and Taiwan film and television teams moved north, and Li Peng followed suit.

However, unlike the tragic love dramas he had produced in the past, after coming to the mainland, Li Peng set his sights on the emerging and popular theme of martial arts dramas.

Coincidentally, Li Peng had the copyright of a ready-made martial arts novel - "Cold Moon and Lone Star Sword".

This novel is quite famous in Taiwan. It was made into a movie of the same name as early as the 1970s, and a TV series of the same name was remade in the 1980s.

Li Peng was one of the directors of the TV series "Cold Moon and Lone Star Sword", which also starred the "Roaring Leader" Ma Jingtao.

With the previous successful case, Li Peng found a screenwriter and wrote a new script.

The background of the story remains basically unchanged, but the plot has been modified a lot, and many characters have also changed their names. For example, the female lead changed from "Bai Qiu Shuang" to "Shangguan Yan", and the second male lead changed from "Qin Bin" to "Ouyang Mingri". The overall work is closer to today's market and audience preferences.

After finishing the script, Li Peng contacted various channels and sought funds, and finally gathered a crew together, and was choosing a day to start filming.

The heroine Xiao Qiang, who was originally chatting well with me, suddenly called and said that she didn’t want to act anymore!
This news was like a bolt from the blue for Li Peng and the crew.

Li Peng flew over to see Xiao Qiang in person, but the latter was firm in her attitude and was never able to convince her.

For this reason, Li Peng was very angry and even made a harsh statement that he would rather use newcomers than celebrities.

At the suggestion of a friend, Li Peng brought his men to the capital.

They plan to visit several art colleges first, and if there are no suitable candidates, they will spread to the group of actors who have moved to Beijing.

Beijing is currently the film and television center of the mainland, gathering countless young actors eager to become famous. I don’t believe that we can’t find a good seedling.

...

In the hotel room, Li Peng and his assistant and deputy director were discussing how to contact the art school when his cell phone suddenly rang.

Li Peng didn't care that it was an unfamiliar number and answered directly: "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Mr. Li from Zhonglu Film and Television Company?"

"I am, who are you?"

"Hello, Mr. Li. My name is Yan Li. I'm currently doing some small intermediary work in the industry and also serving as an agent. I heard that you are looking for actors. I was wondering if you could help me?"

Li Peng frowned: "How did you know I was looking for an actor?"

He has just arrived in the capital and the news has not spread out yet!
The person on the other end paused, then said in a relaxed tone, "To be honest, I have a few friends in Shanghai, and I accidentally heard about you, so I came here to recommend myself."

Li Peng suddenly realized that their crew did not only come to Beijing, but also sent a group from Shanghai, and they took action earlier. It was probably someone who had ulterior motives who passed the news on.

However, after all, he is an old man in the circle and has experienced many such messy things.

Li Peng has always been wary of strangers who come to his door on their own initiative, so he ignored them.

"Sorry, we don't need help."

The man named Yan Li on the opposite side remained undeterred and continued in a gentle voice, "Mr. Li, please don't misunderstand me. I don't mean any other harm. You are unfamiliar with the capital and need help from a local boss."

"I don't have any special abilities, I'm just well-informed and know a lot of people."

"I know people at major universities like Beijing Film Academy, the Central Academy of Drama, PLA Academy of Fine Arts, and Communication University of China. I'm also friends with several of the agents who lead the groups of Beijing's migrant actors. If you need anything, I can help you get in touch."

"Don't worry, you don't have to worry about anything. We'll make things clear when the time comes. Even if the deal doesn't work out, we'll still be friends. We can keep in touch and there'll always be opportunities for cooperation."

"..."

Li Peng was a little tempted.

This person found out that he was in the capital so quickly, he really seems to be well-informed.

He speaks so arrogantly, and seems to be very popular in the capital.

They do have limited connections in the capital, and it would be much easier to get things done if they had the help of such a well-connected local boss.

Anyway, he hasn't agreed to anything. At most, I can give him some agency fees, or give him two unimportant supporting roles, and then use the subsequent scenes to whet his appetite.

Li Peng was also a veteran and quickly analyzed the pros and cons and planned to meet the other party.

Anyway, they are a small crew and have no fame or weight in the circle, so there shouldn't be any vicious bandits coming to rob them of their money and kill them.

To be on the safe side, Li Peng didn't dare to meet at a hotel, so he took his assistant to find a cafe.

Not long after, a sturdy young man in a shirt and trousers walked in. "Hello, Mr. Li, I'm Yan Li, who just contacted you."

Li Peng was a little surprised. Yan Li was young, and his image was good enough to be an actor. How did he end up in this line of work?
"Hey, just to make a living."

Yan Li gave a brief explanation, saying that he used to be an actor, but later he didn't do well, so now he works part-time behind the scenes.

This situation was very common in the circle, and Li Peng quickly accepted it.

It’s just a pity that there are so many talented people in mainland China, but there are no roles for them to play with such good conditions. It’s really a waste.

Yan Li didn't know that Li Peng felt sorry for him, so he ordered a glass of water and started to chat with him.

...

Ever since he got the information, Yan Li has been thinking about how to get in touch with the crew of "Snow Goddess Dragon" and let Dong Xuan play the female lead.

Letting Dong Xuan submit her resume herself would have too many unexpected consequences, and Yan Li was worried that the crew was too deep and Dong Xuan would be bullied.

Therefore, Yan Li wanted to test the waters to see whether this crew was reliable. If it was, he would personally help Dong Xuan take the position.

So, after collecting some intelligence, Yan Li contacted Li Peng directly.

As for why they disguise themselves as agents and brokers, the reason is simple. Actors are naturally at a disadvantage when facing such producers and are easily distrusted.

If you change your identity, many things will fall into place.

For example, when Yan Li said that he was a local tyrant in Beijing, using the profession of actor was not convincing enough, so he said that he was an intermediary and agent, which made it much more believable.

Li Peng listened to Yan Li talking about some of the rules and inside information of the Beijing entertainment circle, and he believed it a little more.

This is indeed a local tyrant with means and connections!
The two quickly made an appointment to go to Beijing Film Academy to look for actors first. Li Peng relaxed and gave him face.

"You can give me the information of your artists. If they are suitable, we can give them priority."

"Thank you, Mr. Li. If it's convenient for you, I can bring the person here directly."

This is what Yan Li was waiting for. After getting Li Peng's consent, he made a phone call.

Soon, Dong Xuan, with a ponytail and wearing a plain white T-shirt and jeans, entered the cafe.

"Mr. Li, this is my artist, Dong Xuan, a junior at the Beijing Film Academy. She has a great image and a great temperament. She's a dancer by training, and her fighting moves are beautiful."

Li Peng looked at Dong Xuan beside Yan Li and was slightly surprised.

This appearance and temperament are so similar to the Shangguan Yan in his mind!
Seeing Li Peng's surprised expression, Yan Li picked up the cup and drank water silently.

How could it not be similar?!
The expression, temperament and even clothing combination were all adjusted bit by bit according to the system intelligence and the requirements of the heroine in Li Peng's mind.

However, Li Peng was also a shrewd man. He did not want to reveal too much of his thoughts, so he quickly restrained his emotions and gave a proper compliment.

"Okay, we'll consider it."

"Then please take good care of me."

Yan Li was not discouraged at all. He had no intention of getting Li Peng to agree to let Dong Xuan be the female lead all at once.

Just kidding, after all, she is the heroine of a regular drama, and the plot of "Snow Goddess Dragon" is still centered around the heroine.

It is impossible to easily decide on the candidate for such an important role!
Yan Li's move was to give Dong Xuan a preconceived advantage, so that she could be regarded as a heroine and take root in Li Peng's mind from the beginning.

When Li Peng watches other actors later, he will definitely compare them with Dong Xuan unconsciously.

Not to mention that future intelligence shows that Dong Xuan was originally the candidate for the heroine of "Snow Goddess Dragon", and now Yan Li has tailored a "Shangguan Yan" according to Li Peng's ideas.

In this situation, the result of Dong Xuan being compared with the unprepared actors can be imagined.

If nothing unexpected happens, the more Li Peng compares Dong Xuan, the deeper his impression of her will be, and he will eventually feel that she is the only one for him.

It doesn’t matter if something unexpected happens, isn’t Yan Li here with us?

While catering to his interests and building a closer relationship, use the system to check his real-time thoughts, identify any gaps and fill them in, to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

"..."

Yan Li once felt that he seemed to have chosen the wrong career.

He wants to change his career and become a manager, so Wang Jinghua, Chang Jihong, and Li Xiaowan will have to step aside...

(End of this chapter)