The meeting with President Fang was scheduled for Friday evening. This time, Yu Yan did some homework in advance, checking online to ensure the bar had no criminal or illegal records, which eased his mind.

The bar was at the end of the street and had three floors, including a basement. There was live singing on stage, and the atmosphere was vibrant.

Yu Yan successfully found President Fang at a corner booth.

He was the only one sitting on the sofa, playing on his phone, without any unwanted company.

Great! Very good!

“Director Fang, hello, I’m Yu Yan,” Yu Yan said, bowing slightly to shake hands.

Director Fang immediately stood up and shook hands. “Young Master Yu, right? I’ve heard so much about you.”

Yu Yan paused for a moment before sitting down on the sofa.

“Young Master Yu, you stand out in appearance, and you’re one of the best in the entertainment industry. With your background, you can avoid many detours others have to go through,” Director Fang said with a smile, looking at Yu Yan as if he were a gold mine.

So, Director Fang thought he was entering the entertainment industry?

If he wanted to, it would indeed be much easier with the Yu family’s connections.

Yu Yan awkwardly smiled, “Director Fang, you misunderstood. I don’t plan to enter the entertainment industry. I’m currently a manager at Xinghai Entertainment.”

“I heard your company has a period drama about to start shooting. You’re thinking of having your artists audition, right? Even if they just get a minor role, they’ll benefit a lot from being in a film directed by you.”

Although he said this, if Director Fang really agreed to give him a role, it wouldn’t just be a small one, not for the sake of Yu Yan’s family’s connections.

As soon as he finished speaking, Director Fang’s smile faded a bit, and the conversation became less lively.

Yu Yan handed over Jian Ranran’s resume and photo. “Why don’t you take a look? Although he’s not a famous actor, he has great camera presence.”

Director Fang took the resume and photo, but Yu Yan felt that it was out of courtesy, not genuine interest.

Jian Ranran’s resume wasn’t impressive, and his education often got criticized by haters. He dropped out of school after middle school and fought his way through the entertainment industry, sending most of his earnings back to his family. His own life was tight.

Of the three, Yu Yan was most worried about him and wanted to find him a suitable role as soon as possible.

“I heard you were selecting actors a few days ago. There’s a role in the drama with a character who stutters. I thought, isn’t this a perfect fit for our Jian Ran? He stutters, so it might meet your needs.”

“I’ll show you two clips of his acting. Even though he played a minor role, he understood his character well.”

Seeing Director Fang put down the resume, Yu Yan immediately handed him his phone, which played clips of Jian Ranran’s performances, showcasing his good looks and excellent acting skills. Unfortunately, all the lines were dubbed.

Yu Yan didn’t want Jian Ranran to be mocked for his lines, nor did he want his stuttering to become a major obstacle in his career. He planned to help him with desensitization.

Playing a stuttering role would be much easier for Jian Ran than a normal role, and this was the first step in desensitization.

Director Fang looked at his phone and then handed it back after seeing a message from Yu Chen. “He’s indeed a good prospect.”

Yu Yan’s face brightened, but before he could speak, he heard Director Fang’s words.

“However… Young Master Yu, you may not fully understand the situation in the entertainment industry. Everyone in the industry is trying to make a living. Whoever is famous has the power, and that person can control the narrative. I am willing to give you this favor, but if the lead actor quits, it will all be for nothing.”

Yu Yan’s expression changed slightly. “Director Fang, what do you mean by that…?”

“This drama has been greatly hindered during its preparations and pre-production. I don’t want any more issues to arise,” Director Fang said apologetically.

In this era, with ancient and modern dramas hitting big every year, ensemble period dramas were not favored by investors. This drama was originally supposed to start two years ago, but several lead actors dropped out for various reasons, which affected the entire production.

The existing investors considered it unlucky and didn’t believe in the project, so they pulled out their investments.

Because of this, Yu Yan saw an opportunity and decided to invest all the money that Shen Yuchan had allocated to him into this period drama.

After a long hesitation, Yu Yan finally asked, “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but who is the lead actor in this drama?”

“Lu Yan.”

“Lu Yan?” Yu Yan exclaimed.

Director Fang nodded and added, “Stuttering isn’t a big issue. Many actors in the entertainment industry use dubbing. Jian Ranran’s biggest obstacle is offending the wrong people. Maybe you should check if there are any other artists under your company.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Director Fang.”

Having been in the entertainment industry for so long, Director Fang knew exactly when to say what. He probably just wanted to kindly remind Yu Yan, who was new to the business, of the dynamics at play.

Perhaps, in Director Fang’s view, it wasn’t necessary to offend Lu Yan over a small role. After all, Lu Yan had been in the industry for so long, his family had some power, and he was also the biggest investor in this drama.

Yu Yan thought back to the name, feeling that something was off. In the original story, Jian Ranran died in a bombing scene. An actor named Lu, an award-winning actor, had hired a lawyer to sue the entire production team and the investors, with Minghua among the accused.

If Lu Yan was the one suing for Jian Ranran, why would he be trying to protect him from explosions? Could there be a misunderstanding?

It seemed he needed to find time to talk to Jian Ranran. The entertainment industry was full of opportunists, and if the misunderstanding between Jian Ranran and Lu Yan wasn’t resolved, it would be hard for him to gain a foothold in the industry.

Yu Yan fell silent for a moment and gritted his teeth. “Director Fang, our company can invest 20 million in the movie.”

“This isn’t a matter of investment. The main issue is…”

“I heard that you have a fantasy movie scheduled for release during the New Year’s holiday? My family’s cinema can guarantee a 45% share of the prime time screenings.”

Director Fang’s cigarette ash fell from his long fingers. He suddenly straightened up, took a sharp breath, and his voice trembled, “Are you serious? Can you make that decision?”

“Of course, no problem.”

Noticing Director Fang’s hesitation, Yu Yan quickly handed him a glass of wine. “Director Fang, why don’t you think about it again? You can also check with Lu Yan to feel out the situation. There may be a misunderstanding. I don’t think anyone from Lu Yan’s team has said anything about avoiding explosions, right?”

After a while, Director Fang finally relented. “I’ll discuss it.”

“That’s great,” Yu Yan sighed in relief.

After the matter was settled, Fang Dao made an excuse to contact the film emperor and left to discuss things.

In the industry, ability is often overshadowed by good resources, and a 45% screening rate during the prime holiday period is considered very high, especially with so many films released during holidays.

He had to go back and act cute with his parents and older brother, hoping to settle this matter as soon as possible.

Yu Yan opened WeChat and replied to a few messages from his brother. Just then, Yu Chen, who was nearby socializing, finished and came to pick him up. Yu Yan quickly sent his location and waited obediently at the bar.

“Bro, want to join me for a drink?”

Yu Yan looked up and saw a boy in his twenties, dressed in a heavy Gothic style.

Although it was a quiet bar, there were quite a few people, with other booths crowded. Only his spot seemed a little empty.

Yu Yan made an OK gesture and continued refreshing the WeChat chat.

The person came and sat beside him. Yu Yan instinctively moved over a bit, almost as if he had “Do Not Disturb” written on his forehead.

The person, seemingly oblivious, confidently reached out for a handshake.

“Let me introduce myself, I’m Qi Mo.”

“Bang—” The phone fell to the ground.

Yu Yan froze, swallowing twice, as Qi Mo had already picked up the phone and handed it back to him.

His hand tightened around the phone as he cautiously asked, “Qi Mo? Second Young Master of the Qi family?”

“Hey, you know me?” Qi Mo laughed twice.

“Not just know,” Yu Yan replied with an ominous tone in his heart. Breaking his financial path, a deep blood feud, irreconcilable!

Yu Yan put away his phone, sat up straight, and gave a polite smile. “I’m Yu Yan.”

“The little young master of the Yu family? I’ve heard of you. Why are you drinking alone? Feeling down?”

In the book, Qi Mo used the original character to infiltrate Chaoxing, sabotaging the project and delivering a fatal blow to the company.

If Yu Yan knew about the Qi family’s tactics, he could not only resolve the crisis for Chaoxing but also turn the tables on them.

Yu Yan’s eyes flickered twice. “A little.”

“What’s going on? Want me to analyze it for you?” Qi Mo asked, acting familiar.

Yu Yan rolled his eyes inwardly, about to speak but then paused and sighed, “Never mind.”

“What’s the matter? Don’t just give up. Since we know each other, we’re friends. If you need help, feel free to ask.”

“Every family has its own difficulties.”

Yu Yan sighed again, looking troubled as he finished his drink in one gulp.

Damn!

The spiciness hit his nostrils, and he became completely sober.

The drink was stuck in his mouth—spit it out or swallow it?

Not wanting to break the atmosphere he had built, Yu Yan gritted his teeth and swallowed it, feeling a burning discomfort in his stomach. His eyes were also stinging badly.

In just a few seconds, his eyes turned bloodshot, burning and stinging, tears streaming down uncontrollably.

Qi Mo immediately grabbed some tissues and handed them over. “Don’t… don’t cry. What’s going on? You’re the little young master of the Yu family, who could do anything to you?”

Yu Yan stiffly took the tissues, wiped the tears from his eyes, turned to the side, and took a few deep breaths.

Why is this drink so spicy?!

After gathering his composure, Yu Yan turned back, just about to speak, when another tear slipped down from his swollen eyes.

Yu Yan: “…”

He sniffed, stubbornly wiping his tears. “You see, on the surface, I seem like the young master of the Yu family, eating, drinking, and having no worries, but in reality, I’m someone who can’t even get into the company.”

Qi Mo smiled slyly, but his words were filled with shock. “No way, you’re the biological son of Mr. Yu! If you wanted to go to the company, who could stop you?”

“I tried going before, but after two months, I was kicked out. Now, I’m stuck working at someone else’s company. It’s never as comfortable as working at your own, don’t you think?”

“That’s true, but how could you be kicked out? Is it that imposter from your family who did it?” Qi Mo skillfully steered the conversation towards Yu Chen.

The words “imposter” and “usurper” had already been blacklisted by Yu Yan. He silently cursed them in his mind but didn’t show it outwardly.

Yu Yan clenched his fists and spoke ambiguously, “Maybe they thought I was in their way.”

Qi Mo nodded slowly. “Your parents aren’t supporting you? Or is the company now controlled by that imposter?”

“It’s a long story,” Yu Yan shook his head slowly.

Now, Yu Lin had started delegating power bit by bit, and it was basically Yu Chen who had the final say in Chaoxing.

Traditional industries were hard to thrive in these times. After Yu Chen joined, he injected new energy into the company, pushing for technological advancement and developing various industries, elevating Chaoxing to unprecedented heights.

Because of this, other companies were jealous and wanted to bring Chaoxing down.

Yu Yan didn’t reveal too much, but it seemed like Qi Mo had already created a narrative of the true young master being ostracized at home. He expressed deep sympathy for Yu Yan’s situation, offering various comforting words.

Qi Mo casually began, “I often hear the elders in the family mention that imposter. They talk about how his academic performance is good, how he excels in both arts and sports. He even won first place in the Leeds International Piano Competition. Mr. Yu and Mr. Jiang were so happy back then, they hung his award photo in the company, and his picture was all over social media. If you check your feed now, you might still find it.”

“He’s also a national-level athlete, a golfer. When he was about fourteen or fifteen, he won a prize and donated all the money to a charity foundation. The three of them even made it to the newspaper, and that photo can still be found online.”

Qi Mo spoke with a hint of regret in his tone, adding the final key detail, “If only you hadn’t been switched at birth in the hospital, all those awards and honors should have been yours.”

Yu Yan snorted coldly, clearly showing his disdain.

“It’s not your fault. He’s been receiving elite education since childhood, and your parents have invested so much time and money in him,” Qi Mo added, throwing more fuel onto the fire.

Yu Yan’s face darkened, and he gripped his glass tightly, saying nothing.

A smug smile curved on Qi Mo’s lips. “If you ask me, all of this…”

After a long pause, Qi Mo didn’t continue. Yu Yan instinctively looked up.

“What’s wrong?”

Qi Mo, who had been so confident just moments ago, suddenly shriveled up, retreating into the corner of the couch like a quail.

Yu Yan followed his gaze and saw Yu Chen standing behind him, having no idea how long he had been there.

The drink was ordered by Fang Dao, and the aftertaste was so strong that Yu Yan still hadn’t fully recovered from it.

Just then, a gust of cold air blew from the ventilation, and a fresh tear slid down his bloodshot eyes.

Yu Chen stood still for a moment, his gaze falling on Qi Mo, his tone filled with anger. “Did you hit him?”