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Chapter 477: Chapter 477
At that moment, Yang Rou felt something wasn’t quite right.
Because this wasn’t the first time she’d felt this way.
Last time, after she drank water at Chen Yan’s place, she also felt a warm sensation throughout her body.
Initially, she thought Chen Yan had drugged her.
But later, she just felt incredibly energetic for several days, as if she could never run out of stamina, and she wasn’t tired at all.
This both relieved her and made her worry that Chen Yan might have given her some sort of "stimulant."
Those few days, she even took the time to get a medical checkup.
The result... the hospital didn’t find anything wrong with her.
In fact, her results showed she was extremely healthy.
That made her, who was always in a suboptimal health condition, doubt if she had received someone else’s health report.
And now, that feeling emerged again, prompting Yang Rou to glance at Chen Yan.
Chen Yan, feeling her gaze, took a sip from his cup, and then feigned ignorance as he asked, "What’s wrong? Sister Rou?"
But don’t forget, during his early entrepreneurial days, Chen Yan had been an "actor," and his acting was at least not detectable by the average person.
So, Yang Rou couldn’t capture any useful information from his face.
She only shook her head and replied, "It’s nothing."
Although she constantly suspected Chen Yan of making her drink something weird, there were no abnormalities, so Yang Rou was willing to wait and see how things would unfold.
Meanwhile, Chen Yan was able to read all her thoughts with the help of the [Internal Headphones], fully grasping her every idea.
Afterward, when Yang Rou finished her drink, Chen Yan poured her another cup of tea.
This time, Chen Yan slipped in a [Stamina Pill].
Having ingested two cups, Yang Rou felt her entire body was as if, in the dead of winter, she was wrapped in a comfortable quilt.
The cozy and comfortable sensation made her eyelids fight each other.
Gradually, she leaned on the couch and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Previously, when Chen Yan gave Yang Rou something to drink, they were on separate days.
This time, combining them for the first time, Chen Yan did not expect Yang Rou to actually fall asleep.
At first, he was a bit worried that Yang Rou might have been "poisoned."
But when he saw her face looking very relaxed with stable breathing, he let out a sigh of relief.
He believed that the things provided by the system should be safe.
He just needed to patiently wait it out.
With that thought, Chen Yan came over, embraced Yang Rou, and gently laid her down on the couch.
Afterward, he took a piece of clothing and draped it over Yang Rou, to ensure she slept peacefully without catching a cold.
Yang Rou, fully compliant throughout the process, had a body soft as cotton and a comfortable smile on her face. Her lightly made-up cheeks looked rosy and smooth like a peeled egg.
If one didn’t know her age, Chen Yan might have mistaken her for a teenage girl.
While contemplating this, Chen Yan laid her down, then returned to his desk.
Arriving at the desk, Chen Yan picked up the material Yang Rou had given him.
Then, after taking a glance at Yang Rou and confirming she wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon, Chen Yan opened a drawer and took out [Xiao Ha’s Instant Camera], prepared to assess the [potential] of these documents.
Facing his biggest competitor of the past few years, the Xu brothers, Chen Yan was incredibly cautious.
Though Chen Yan had looked down upon the Xu brothers’ bizarre ideas when their projects launched,
keep in mind, the Xu brothers had dominated the entertainment and film industry for twenty years, achieving remarkable feats.
And this time, all their projects were big-budget, big IP, combining A-list celebrities and award-winning actors and actresses, with an overwhelming momentum.
With all these elements combined, even if he didn’t think much of them, Chen Yan still had to take them seriously.
Because if any aspect was done well, it might turn out to be a masterpiece.
It’s not a conflict to despise the enemy on a strategic level while taking them seriously on a tactical level.
Consequently, faced with such pressure, Chen Yan also made the worst-case scenario preparations early on.
If he discovered that the opposition had indeed created a masterpiece, he would "shamelessly" lay low.
Even if it meant that the development of his film company would slow down, it didn’t matter.
After all, Chen Yan had the system, enabling constant cash-back.
When the time came, he could simply invest more into the film company.
With these thoughts, Chen Yan first picked up one of the projects: [The Rebel Princess].
It was the international actress’s first foray from films into television.
It was also a work through which the Xu brothers aimed to demonstrate their capabilities and strength within the industry.
Just the name made Chen Yan wary of underestimating this drama.
So...
"Click."
The first photo emerged.
As the instant film developed, Chen Yan picked it up and shook it in the air.
After the shaking, he was about to set the photo aside, since normally it took a while for the result to appear on instant film.
Surprisingly this time, as soon as Chen Yan put the film down, the letters gradually began to surface.
"So quick?"
Chen Yan picked up the film, somewhat astonished, and started reading.
He was astounded by what he saw.
[The Rebel Princess]
Cost: 230 million.
Income: 270 million.
Evaluation: A purely profit-oriented work with attractive gimmicks and grand production. However, its major plot and character flaws can’t be concealed. Although it won’t lose money since the cost has been shifted to TV stations, the reputation will definitely explode.
Rating: Half a star.
Seeing the evaluation provided by the [Instant Film], Chen Yan was stunned again.
What did this mean?
Making money, but at the cost of damaging the reputation?
So, would this show flop?
Suddenly, Chen Yan felt quite pleased.
He thought that he could at least line up one or two TV shows to compete with it.
Wouldn’t it be a boost to Lu Man’s credentials and status if her drama crushed the viewership of this international actress’s show?
However, a successful start didn’t make Chen Yan too happy because... well, film and television projects depend on luck.
Sometimes, no matter how much you prepare, it’s pointless. You never know which part might go wrong.
Chen Yan took a deep breath and felt that he still couldn’t be happy. There were three more projects left!
With that in mind, he picked up the second project: [Chen Xiyuan].
[Chen Xiyuan] was also a power-play by an acclaimed actor transferring from the big screen to the small screen.
The investment was reportedly not much less than the previous project; it was a big-budget production.
And since the actor was renowned for his acting skills, both the fans and the industry were watching closely.
So...
"Click."
The second photo freshly developed.
This time Chen Yan was smarter, shaking the photo while closely observing the emerging letters.
Indeed, the potential assessment of the project quickly appeared.
Chen Yan leaned in, took a look, then his eyes widened again.
[Chen Xiyuan]
Cost: 170 million.
Income: 150 million.
Evaluation: A TV drama with casting issues and failure due to the irresponsible producer granting the director too much creative freedom, leading to an utter flop. Additionally, the actors don’t have strong appeal, so the drama managing to break even is purely thanks to the production’s marketing ability.
Rating: Half a star.
After reading the evaluation of [Chen Xiyuan], Chen Yan was left speechless.
Was this worse than the first project?
The first project seemed to have poor viewership, but it at least made money.
But this one... didn’t even recover the production cost?
Could it be... his predictions were accurate?
Were all these projects destined to fail?
Chen Yan was bewildered.
After hesitating, he stopped dawdling and quickly snapped the remaining two projects.
The results truly lived up to his expectations.
Both projects also received extremely low evaluations.
The lowest among them was [Magic City Fortress].
The system gave this film a rating of [Zero].
Production Cost: 350 million.
Income: 40 million.
But when Chen Yan saw the number, he almost misread it.
Forty million?!
The production cost was three and a half billion, and they only earned back forty million?
This wasn’t just losing one’s entire fortune; it was like losing the shirt off their back!
And after reading all four projects, Chen Yan was astonished to find that the first one, which he originally thought was the worst among them, turned out to be "the best" of the lot!
At least it made money.
The other three were just bleeding more money.
So... that’s it?
The opponent he’d been worried about for more than half a year, was this their level?
They’d go down without him even having to compete?
For a moment, Chen Yan didn’t know how to describe his feelings.
He felt that if Heaven was gifting him this great victory, he might as well use it to completely bury the Xu brothers.
At that moment, Chen Yan’s heart was filled with boundless pride.
While Chen Yan was caught up in that sentiment, Yang Rou on the sofa turned over, let out a soft moan, and slowly woke up.
Seeing Yang Rou awaken, Chen Yan put the camera away and locked the instant film away in the drawer.
Then he stood up, walked over, and asked, "Sister Rou, you’re awake?"
Hearing Chen Yan’s words, Yang Rou couldn’t help but lift her head to look at him.
Then, after staring at Chen Yan in a daze for a while, she came to her senses, "President Chen, did I fall asleep?"
Chen Yan smiled and nodded, then said, "Yes. You fell asleep after drinking some hot tea."
Yang Rou showed a look of apology on her face and said, "I’m sorry, President Chen. I must have been too tired."
After speaking, she added, "Then I won’t disturb you any further. I’ll head back now."
As she spoke, she was about to put her clothes back on the sofa and leave on her own.
However, Chen Yan said, "Keep your clothes on."
"You’re sick, it’s better to wear more."
Yang Rou hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Then, donning the mask that Chen Yan had earlier removed and clad in Chen Yan’s jacket, she left his office.
Once she stepped out of the office, Yang Rou walked on, gradually regaining full consciousness and slowly recalling everything that had happened.
She seemed to remember... Chen Yan offering her two cups of tea.
After that, she felt warm all over, then fell into a deep sleep.
At this thought, Yang Rou hesitated momentarily.
Then she looked around and ducked into the restroom.
When she reached the restroom stall, Yang Rou checked her clothes and body.
There were no abnormalities.
Her clothes bore no signs of being tampered with, nor were there any residual marks.
Neither were there any "wet marks" or scratches on her body.
Yang Rou also confirmed that there were no issues with her body.
She couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief, yet a bit of "doubt" lingered.
’Could it be... Am I overthinking it?’
While she absent-mindedly pondered, Yang Rou exited the stall.
Just as she was about to leave the restroom,
she happened to see her reflection in the mirror.
Yang Rou froze for a moment.
Then she moved closer to the mirror and took off her mask.
Beneath the mask was an exquisitely beautiful face.
It wasn’t Yang Rou’s beauty that surprised her, but rather... the complete absence of dark circles, fatigue, or any signs of illness on her face.
Her skin was as tender and pink as a peeled egg.
Yang Rou was somewhat astonished.
It had been many years since her skin last looked this good.
What was going on?
Images of Chen Yan flashed in Yang Rou’s mind.
Could it be... President Chen?
The more she thought about it, the more possible it seemed.
After all, she had been sick today, groggy, and with a very poor complexion.
Yet, all it took was drinking two cups of tea from Chen Yan and a sleep, and everything was better.
’Eh? Sick?’
At this thought, Yang Rou deliberately coughed twice.
The throat discomfort vanished.
She took a breath through her nose.
The stuffiness caused by the cold was gone, too.
Yang Rou assessed herself.
She now felt extremely comfortable.
She couldn’t feel any symptoms of a cold at all.
She was stunned once more.
Could it be... my cold is gone?
Just because of those two cups of tea?
Yang Rou felt that everything she had gone through this afternoon challenged her worldview.
She was tempted to ask Chen Yan what exactly had happened.
But... she wasn’t sure how to broach the subject.
After all, she wasn’t one for smooth talking.
Besides, as she pondered it,
she thought that if it was indeed the beverage Chen Yan had given her that was effective,
then it must be very precious.
Indeed, if it was mass-produced, she would have known about such a tonic.
And now, she and Chen Yan were in a very ambiguous and uncertain phase.
If she were to ask about it now and Chen Yan admitted to it,
how would Yang Rou repay him for the item or the favor...
So, after much deliberation, Yang Rou decided to temporarily choose to evade.
She just noted Chen Yan’s kindness in her heart
but didn’t dare to inquire or investigate the matter further.
In fact, even Yang Rou hadn’t noticed
that she, usually so assertive and imperious at work, was gradually becoming weaker when it came to Chen Yan, and she had grown accustomed to evasion.
This was indeed an expression of affection...
And that was also why, even though through the "Inner Headphones" Chen Yan realized she had guessed some of the truth, he still dared to continue giving her "Stamina Pills."
Yang Rou was too subdued by nature.
And now, too fond of evasion.
So, Chen Yan... slept on his laurels.
After sending Yang Rou off, Chen Yan didn’t idle away.
He took out the project list completed for his "Sunrise Plan," ready to select the projects that would confront the Xu brothers head-on.
The first to catch his eye were projects like "Wandering Planet," "Chinese Medicine God," "Hua Qian Bone," and "The Rebel Princess."
Chen Yan, upon acquiring these premium drama series, wasn’t very pleased.
He felt there were too many such highly popular projects in the film industry.
After seeing the projects of the Xu brothers, however, Chen Yan realized... did he hold all the trump cards?
He even began to speculate: Could his "Sunrise Plan" have actually swept up all the industry’s good projects, leaving the Xu brothers with nothing but junk?
Based on the correspondence, Chen Yan roughly scheduled his projects and aligned them against the Xu brothers’ series...
The afternoon swiftly passed by.
In the evening, Chen Yan took Yu Qiao Qiao out for a meal as he had contemplated.
The two didn’t dine at home, but out.
It could be considered a candlelit dinner, at least Chen Yan had ordered two candles to be lit...
Unexpectedly invited to a date by Chen Yan, Yu Qiao Qiao was very happy.
As Yu Qiao Qiao put it, her recent life had been like plain water—clear, pure. Yet tonight, it was as if two spoonfuls of sugar had been added to that water...
Seeing Yu Qiao Qiao happy, Chen Yan was happy too.
At night, they went home together. 𝔫𝔬𝖛𝖕𝔲𝖇.𝖈𝖔𝖒
Everything unfolded naturally, with apparent inevitability.
On that humid night.
They sat in the elevator.
From the ground floor, they ascended to the top floor, then descended to the third floor.
Again and again.
The brief weightlessness seemed to elevate them to new heights...
...
The next day, Chen Yan was refreshed and invigorated while Yu Qiao Qiao was so tired she could hardly stand up straight.
Chen Yan, sympathetic toward Yu Qiao Qiao, sneakily added half a bottle of "Constitution Potion" to her water.
This was something that could improve one’s constitution.
Chen Yan rarely used it himself but now offered it to Yu Qiao Qiao.
After making sure Yu Qiao Qiao drank the water, Chen Yan also lovingly prepared breakfast for her.
Afterward, having organized everything, he went to work.
Arriving at the company, Chen Yan called Yang Rou with the intention of convening a senior meeting of the film company.
Thanks to Chen Yan’s potion from the previous day, Yang Rou’s cold was completely cured, and she had returned to her efficient, strong-willed style.
Thus, in under two minutes, a senior meeting was convened in the film company’s conference room.
As the last executive, full of apologies, bowed to Chen Yan before entering the meeting room, Yang Rou closed the door.
Chen Yan then surveyed all the attendees before slowly speaking, "This meeting is to announce a decision."
"I plan to hold a press conference to formally declare war against the Xu brothers."
"Then, based on their schedule, we will set a release date for several of our completed projects to compete directly with theirs."
The executives, who were suddenly notified of the meeting and clueless about the situation,
were shocked upon hearing Chen Yan’s declaration.
They were all confounded.
The office fell silent for a few seconds before bursting into whispers and private conversations.
Clearly, Chen Yan’s sudden decision had caught everyone off guard.
It was beyond their expectations.
Momentarily, a deputy general manager raised his hand and asked, "President Chen... isn’t this too risky?"
"The opponent is very powerful after all..."
