How A Ride-Hailing Driver Comes To Dominate The World? [EN]: Chapter 484

The Great War (1)

It was already lunchtime, and Yang Chen was thinking of taking Chen Yanni out to eat.

However, Chen Yanni said, “What’s the point of eating? Skipping one meal won’t hurt. Let’s go home first.”

Yang Chen knew what she meant by the look on her face. *Being too handsome is tiring,* he thought with amusement.

Affection needs to be nurtured, and meals must be eaten.

Yang Chen called Tang Ge and asked Li EnHui to prepare lunch for two and send it to Yida Huafu. Then, he took Chen Yanni straight home.

Around 4 PM, while Yang Chen and Chen Yanni were still sleeping, Yang Zhen called Chen Yanni.

“Yanni, quickly check the trending topics on Weibo [a popular Chinese social media platform]. What’s going on between you and Wang LiLiang? Don’t be foolish. With Director Yang around, you don’t need to accept any nonsense.”

Chen Yanni looked at Yang Chen, who was still asleep beside her, and asked in confusion, “Sister Yang, what happened?”

Yang Zhen: “Just log in to Weibo and take a look.”

Chen Yanni hung up the phone and immediately opened Weibo to check the trending list.

The topic “Wang LiLiang and Chen Yanni in the Same Car for a Secret Chat” was at the top of the trending list.

The second trending topic was Wang LiLiang’s response.

“Please don’t speculate wildly. Ms. Chen Yanni and I have a normal working relationship. We didn’t do anything in the car, just had a normal chat. Ms. Chen Yanni invited me into the car, and out of courtesy, I couldn’t refuse, so I got in and chatted with her for a few minutes. That’s all, everyone, don’t spread rumors. If Ms. Chen and I have any further developments, I will announce it as soon as possible and won’t hide it from anyone. So, please don’t guess.”

With Yang Chen’s strong support, Chen Yanni is now a quasi-first-tier female star, and Wang LiLiang is an old-school movie star. The rumor between them shocked netizens.

You can guess their feelings from the comments of netizens.

“WTF! Wang LiLiang could be Chen Yanni’s father, how could they have something going on?”

“The entertainment circle is really messy. It seems Chen Yanni doesn’t want to work hard and wants to take shortcuts.”

“How many people in the entertainment circle are clean? They are either related to big shots or investors; otherwise, how can they become popular? Every year, so many beautiful girls join the entertainment circle. If you don’t give something, why should I support you?”

“If Wang LiLiang really has something to do with Chen Yanni, his image will collapse. In my heart, he is a very upright old actor who never gets involved in messy scandals.”

“Actors are just playthings; anyone can sleep with them. If I had money, I could sleep with them too. If you had money, you could sleep with them too. There’s nothing strange about it.”

“Wang LiLiang’s response seems to imply that he and Chen Yanni will have developments. They are probably already hooking up.”

…

After reading the netizens’ comments, Chen Yanni was so angry that she couldn’t stop trembling.

Yang Chen felt Chen Yanni’s distress and hurriedly opened his eyes, asking, “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Chen Yanni: “Wang LiLiang deliberately said some ambiguous things to mislead the public into guessing about my relationship with him.”

Yang Chen looked at Wang LiLiang’s Weibo response, and his face gradually darkened.

*You old thing, you’re still playing these tricks at your age. You’ve lived in vain for decades,* he thought, his anger simmering.

Yang Chen kissed Chen Yanni and said,

“Don’t be angry; I’ll take care of him. It’s four o’clock; it’s time to get up.”

Chen Yanni smiled shyly and said, “Get up for what? Let’s sleep again, oh, no, let’s sleep a little longer. Hehe…”

On the other side, Wang LiLiang found director Zhao YuGang.

Zhao YuGang is currently preparing to shoot the TV series “My Struggle Youth,” continuing his youth series IP [Intellectual Property, referring to a franchise or brand], and the first female lead is Chen Yanni.

Zhao YuGang and Wang LiLiang have a long-standing friendship. They have worked together on many dramas before, and they are both from the Beijing circle [an influential group of entertainment industry professionals with connections to Beijing], often meeting at gatherings within the circle.

Zhao YuGang: “Damn! Teacher Wang has been in high spirits recently and has gotten his hands on the popular Chen Yanni? You have to be merciful. She’s the first female lead in my next drama. If you ruin her reputation, my drama will be a flop, and the investors will kill me.”

Wang LiLiang: “Haha… It’s just getting started, but there’s still a bit of an obstacle between us.”

Zhao YuGang: “Oh? What obstacle?”

Wang LiLiang: “She had a boyfriend before she became famous, a damn Didi [Chinese ride-hailing app] driver. Although that kid is just a Didi driver, he’s handsome, and Chen Yanni probably can’t bear his handsomeness and doesn’t want to break up with him.”

Zhao YuGang: “Oh, I see. So what do you want from me?”

Wang LiLiang: “Director Zhao, don’t you understand what I mean? If you need me in the future, just ask. I can act in your drama at half price.”

If Wang LiLiang is the first male lead, acting at half price can save 40 million in salary. Even if he is the second male lead, it can save more than 20 million.

This condition is very cost-effective.

Zhao YuGang: “Haha… You want me to put some pressure on Chen Yanni and let her come to you, right?”

Wang LiLiang raised his glass and clinked it with Zhao YuGang, saying, “Haha… I knew Director Zhao would understand. Come, I’ll toast Director Zhao.”

The two laughed and drank the glass of wine.

Wang LiLiang: “Just say I threatened you, and you’re also in a difficult position. Let her come to you to talk. If you can talk it over, she can continue to be the female lead. If you can’t talk it over, then… I’m sorry, I don’t dare to use you anymore. If he uses his connections in the circle to deliberately disgust me, I’ll also be uncomfortable. I hope you can understand.”

Zhao YuGang: “Haha… You… Okay, I’ll help you with this.”

After speaking, Zhao YuGang called Chen Yanni.

“Hello, Yanni, is now a good time to talk?”

Chen Yanni: “Yes, what’s the matter? Please speak, Director Zhao.”

Zhao YuGang: “It’s like this, Wang LiLiang came to me and threatened me not to use you as the female lead. You also know his status in the circle, and I don’t dare to offend him. I don’t know what happened between you two, can you talk to him properly? If you talk to him well, you’ll still be the first female lead in my drama. If you don’t talk well, then… I’m sorry, I don’t dare to use you anymore. If he uses his connections in the circle to deliberately disgust me, I’ll also be uncomfortable. I hope you can understand.”

Wang LiLiang, who was next to him, smiled slyly and gave Zhao YuGang a thumbs up.

Chen Yanni quickly said, “Wang LiLiang is a bastard. He’s so old, he could be my dad, and I’d still think he’s too old. Yet, he shamelessly harasses me. I have a boyfriend; it’s so immoral of him to do this.

It’s a pity that the audience still thinks he’s a virtuous and talented old artist. He’s really scum!”

Wang LiLiang’s face turned green, but he didn’t dare to speak.

Zhao YuGang also felt that his behavior was a bit like helping a villain do evil, and it was also very immoral.

But on one side is Wang LiLiang, who has won more than a dozen movie and TV awards, and on the other side is a small flower [a rising young actress] who has just emerged. He knows exactly how to choose.

Zhao YuGang: “Yanni, I don’t know the specifics of what happened between you two, and I won’t comment. But you really need to talk to him; don’t make things difficult for me, okay? That’s all I’ll say; think carefully about what to do.”

Hanging up the phone, Chen Yanni cried in Yang Chen’s arms, feeling wronged.

Yang Chen: “Don’t cry, don’t cry, what’s wrong again?”

Chen Yanni: “Wang LiLiang, that scum, threatened Zhao YuGang not to use me as the female lead. Zhao YuGang didn’t dare to offend him and called me to talk to Wang LiLiang properly. If we can talk it over, then I’ll continue to be the female lead. If we can’t talk it over, then he won’t use me. The youth series TV dramas that Zhao YuGang filmed before were all hits. If I can film this drama, it will definitely be a hit too.”

Yang Chen: “Do you have Wang LiLiang’s number? Call him; I’ll talk to him.”

Chen Yanni found Wang LiLiang’s number and dialed it directly.

At this time, Wang LiLiang was thanking Zhao YuGang. Seeing Chen Yanni’s call, he immediately laughed happily.

“The call is coming. Director Zhao, thank you.” Wang LiLiang had a sly smile on his face.

Zhao YuGang: “Haha… What are you thanking me for? We’re all friends. I’ll go to the bathroom; you answer it.”

Zhao YuGang got up and left, and Wang LiLiang answered the phone with a smug look.

Wang LiLiang: “Hello, Yanni, why are you calling me?”

Yang Chen: “What do you think?”

Wang LiLiang was stunned for a moment, then sneered, “Why is it you? Why are *you* calling me?”

Yang Chen: “Of course, it’s to ask you to apologize to Yanni and issue an announcement clarifying that there is no relationship between you.”

Wang LiLiang: “Apologize to her? Who do you think you are? You want me to apologize to her? And issue an announcement clarifying? Why don’t you go to heaven? You tell Chen Yanni, Zhao YuGang won’t dare to use her as the female lead without my nod.”

Yang Chen: “Are you fifty years old? You’ve worked hard for thirty years to get to where you are today. Wouldn’t it be a pity if it were ruined? There are so many young and beautiful actresses in the entertainment circle who are willing to accept unspoken rules. Why don’t you find them? Why do you have to harass Yanni?”

Wang LiLiang: “Do you cherish something that is easily obtained? Of course, it’s more interesting to get something that is hard to get.”

Yang Chen: “But this will cost you your life. I’m afraid you can’t bear the consequences.”

Wang LiLiang: “Haha… You’re really making me laugh. What ability does a Didi driver have to make me bear the consequences? Will you die if you don’t brag?”

Yang Chen: “Okay! You don’t appreciate my kindness. You’ll bear all the consequences yourself.”

After speaking, Yang Chen hung up the phone.

Again, Yang Chen doesn’t easily take action against anyone now because he only needs to make a slight move, and the consequences will be unbearable for the other party.

No matter how much he tried to persuade him, Wang LiLiang refused to give up his idea of coveting Chen Yanni, so he simply decided to destroy him.

What is Wang LiLiang’s reliance on being so arrogant?

First, 8 movie awards and 7 TV awards.

Second, the network of relationships in the Beijing circle.

Third, an unattainable and unshakable position in the entertainment circle.

Since he relies on these three points to harm young actresses, then let him completely lose these three points of reliance and see how he will bully young actors in the future.

“Damn it, a stinky Didi driver dares to say such things to me; it’s really infuriating. Since I became popular at the age of 25, I’ve never been angry at anyone. If I don’t make you kneel in front of me and beg for mercy this time, I’ll take your last name!” Wang LiLiang said angrily.

At this time, Zhao YuGang came back and asked, seeing Wang LiLiang’s angry face, “What’s wrong? Didn’t you talk it over?”

Wang LiLiang: “Chen Yanni’s boyfriend actually scolded me. If I don’t kill him this time, I’ll take his last name! Director Zhao, if you need me in the future, just ask. I’ll give you a free performance in a drama. Don’t use Chen Yanni in this drama. I won’t thank you for your great kindness; I’ll drink to you first.”

Zhao YuGang quickly stopped Wang LiLiang and said, “I can help you act in a play to scare her, but I can’t *not* use her. The final draft of my drama’s script was tailor-made for her. If I don’t use her, who else can I use? Many first-line entertainment companies, including Starlight Entertainment, Beijing Culture Media, and Penguin Films, have invested in it. If I screw up this drama, no one will invest in my dramas in the future.”

Wang LiLiang: “I’ll find Yang DaMi to be the female lead for you; how about that?”

Wang LiLiang stopped talking.

Yang DaMi is a first-line female star, and her popularity and status are a level higher than Chen Yanni.

It’s not impossible to use Yang DaMi as the female lead.

However, Chen Yanni’s salary is only more than 10 million, while Yang DaMi’s quote is 100 million. The difference is still very large.

If Yang DaMi is used as the female lead, the salary difference of more than 80 million cannot be made up.

Zhao YuGang: “Yang DaMi’s salary is too high; I can’t afford it.”

Wang LiLiang: “Haha… You don’t need to worry about this; I’ll convince her to accept a salary of about 30 million. How about that?”

Zhao YuGang: “Really? If you can really convince her to film my drama with a salary of 30 million, then I’ll listen to you.”

Wang LiLiang: “Okay, it’s settled then. I’ll call her now.”

Wang LiLiang immediately called Yang DaMi and confidently pressed the speakerphone.

Soon, the call connected.

Yang DaMi: “Teacher Wang, why are you suddenly calling me?”

Wang LiLiang: “Haha… Of course, it’s good news. Haven’t you always wanted to enter our circle? I can be the introducer to help you enter the circle.”

Don’t look at the fact that the Dragon Kingdom [a fictionalized version of China] entertainment circle can’t produce good works now, but there are many circles of all sizes.

There are Northeast circles, Beijing circles, Northwest circles, Hong Kong circles, etc. Each circle has some big shots as flag bearers, leading a group of second- and third-tier stars to play.

The most awesome ones are, of course, the Beijing circle and the Hong Kong circle. Many commercial blockbusters are now filmed by investors, directors, and actors in these two circles.

Yang DaMi has always wanted to enter the Beijing circle, but she has never been able to squeeze in.

Now that Wang LiLiang is taking the initiative to introduce her into the circle, it is like a pie in the sky.

Yang DaMi was so excited that she quickly said, “Thank you, Teacher Wang, for the introduction. When I go to Beijing another day, I will definitely treat Teacher Wang to a meal to express my gratitude.”

Wang LiLiang: “Haha… You come over; I’ll treat you to dinner. However, before I introduce you into the circle, I hope you can help me with a favor.”

Yang DaMi: “Okay! Teacher Wang, just tell me what to do. If I can do it, I will definitely do it.”

Wang LiLiang: “It’s like this, my good friend Director Zhao YuGang is currently preparing to shoot “My Struggle Youth.” Originally, he wanted to invite you to be the female lead, but because your salary is too high, he really can’t afford it. We drank together today, and he told me about this. I was wondering if you could give me some face and accept a salary of 30 million to star in this drama? As compensation, I will introduce you to the Beijing circle and introduce you to film Guo XiaoFan and the others’ movies. How about that?”

If it weren’t impolite to curse, Yang DaMi really wanted to curse him.

Since “Three Lives Three Worlds” became a hit, Yang DaMi’s salary has been called to 100-120 million.

Wang LiLiang actually wanted her to only accept a salary of 30 million to film Zhao YuGang’s drama. How deficient would her brain have to be to agree?

Besides, the female lead of this drama is Chen Yanni; what’s going on?

Yang DaMi: “As far as I know, the female lead of Director Zhao’s drama is Chen Yanni.”

Wang LiLiang: “That’s because your salary is too high; he really can’t afford it, so he chose Chen Yanni as a second choice. If you can accept a salary of 30 million to film this drama, he will definitely use you and won’t use Chen Yanni.”

Yang DaMi: “I’m sorry, Teacher Wang, I can’t agree to you. The salary is a small matter; the key is that I can’t compete with Chen Yanni for this role.”

Wang LiLiang: “Huh? Why?”

Yang DaMi: “Because I’m good friends with her boss, Starlight Entertainment’s Director Yang. If I take Director Zhao’s drama for 30 million, I won’t be able to explain it to Director Yang. Thank you, Teacher Wang, for being willing to introduce me to the Beijing circle, but I can’t accept your conditions. I’m sorry. I still have something to do here; I’ll hang up first.”

After speaking, Yang DaMi hung up the phone.

Wang LiLiang was stunned; he couldn’t imagine that Yang DaMi would refuse.

Yang DaMi had paid so much before; the money she spent, plus the salary she asked for less, and various favors, etc., the total cost definitely exceeded 100 million.

However, she still failed to squeeze into the Beijing circle.

Now that the opportunity to enter the Beijing circle is right in front of her, she actually refused?

Wang LiLiang didn’t quite believe that these were the words Yang DaMi could say, so he called Yang DaMi again.

This call was not important; he found that he had been blacklisted.

WTF!

What’s the situation?

How dare Yang DaMi blacklist him!

Wang LiLiang was immediately furious; she had eaten the courage of a bear and a leopard, and she dared to play blacklist.

Wang LiLiang opened WeChat [a popular Chinese messaging app], clicked on Yang DaMi’s WeChat, edited a message of 300 words, wrote out all his anger, and then clicked send.

“Sorry, you are not friends with the other party; you cannot chat temporarily. Please add friends before chatting.”

Seeing this prompt, Wang LiLiang’s mentality completely exploded.

“Damn it, you want to rebel! You even dare to blacklist and delete my number; you’re really audacious. What is she, Yang DaMi, that she dares to treat me like this! Mad, even any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to bully me!” Wang LiLiang cursed angrily.

Zhao YuGang: “Ah? Yang DaMi blacklisted and deleted you? No way; she just doesn’t want to, why did she blacklist and delete you?”

Wang LiLiang: “That’s what I’m saying; I can’t figure it out either!”

Zhao YuGang carefully recalled what Yang DaMi had just said and suddenly captured the key point.

“Just now, Yang DaMi seemed to say that Chen Yanni is an artist of Starlight Entertainment, and she is good friends with Starlight Entertainment’s Director Yang. Right?” Zhao YuGang asked.

Wang LiLiang: “Yes, she seems to have said that. Is Starlight Entertainment very powerful? What does their boss do?”

Zhao YuGang: “Of course, Starlight Entertainment is powerful! These recent hit film and television dramas are all produced by Starlight Entertainment. The anime “Big Fish & Begonia” currently showing in theaters is produced by Starlight Entertainment, and the box office has been heading straight for 500 million. They’ve made a killing. Recently, they just finished filming “The Dragon Country Captain,” adapted from a true story. I’ve seen the sample trailer, and if there are no accidents, the box office will definitely be a big hit, exceeding 1 billion is certain, and 2 billion is not impossible. Starlight Entertainment holds 80% of this drama, so they must have made a killing again. Oh, by the way, speaking of Starlight Entertainment, I also heard a very funny story. Starlight Entertainment’s boss, Yang Chen, doesn’t usually manage the company. He runs Didi every day. You say…”

Zhao YuGang’s eyes suddenly lit up, and his expression became shocked and serious.

“Are you saying that Chen Yanni’s boyfriend is a Didi driver?” Zhao YuGang asked.

Wang LiLiang: “Yes. Hiss… His name seems to be Yang Chen.”

Zhao YuGang’s expression became even more shocked, and he said, “Damn! That’s her boss! No wonder she doesn’t like you. Her boyfriend is the young and handsome boss of Starlight Entertainment; how could she like you?”

Wang LiLiang: “Oh… I said, how dare a Didi driver talk to me like that, so he’s the boss of Starlight Entertainment. But even if he’s the boss of Starlight Entertainment, so what? Do we need to be afraid of him? There are more than a dozen entertainment company bosses in our Beijing circle; why should we be afraid of him?”

Listening to Wang LiLiang’s expectations, he has already softened a bit, but he is obviously still unwilling to admit defeat.

Zhao YuGang: “I know this. What I mean is that Chen Yanni has such a boyfriend; no matter how hard you try, you can’t succeed. I can’t use not letting her act in this drama to scare her into submission because, without my drama, her boss can still invest in other dramas for her. She doesn’t need to worry about work at all. Brother, listen to my advice; forget it. The other party is also the boss of an entertainment company that frequently produces hit works. There’s no benefit to falling out with him. There are many young and beautiful actresses who are willing to accept unspoken rules when they first enter the entertainment circle. Change your target.”

Wang LiLiang: “Now it’s not a matter of changing targets; it’s a matter of my face and the faces of my friends in the Beijing circle. If people in the circle know that I’ve been defeated here, it’s a small matter for people to laugh at me; they will definitely laugh at the Beijing circle together. It doesn’t matter if I lose face; I can’t let my friends in the circle lose face with me.”

This guy said it in a high-sounding manner, but he is actually still unwilling to give up, and he still has improper thoughts about Chen Yanni.

Zhao YuGang: “Sigh… Whatever you want. I have to go back and revise the script; that’s all for today. Let’s talk another time. I’m leaving.”

After speaking, Zhao YuGang ran away quickly.

If he continues to talk nonsense with Wang LiLiang like this, he may be implicated.

Wang LiLiang was still not convinced and called the chairman of the ByteDance Group…