Chapter 26
As autumn began, Liu Yifan began to face increasing numbers of commercial activities and fashion invitations, including a high-profile trip she couldn't refuse: a trip to Paris Fashion Week. This meant she would have to interrupt her immersion and rehearsals at the studio for nearly ten days.
As usual, Liu Yifan called Zhou Pingan after roughly finalizing the itinerary. When the call went through, she tried to calmly inform him that the scheduled meetings for the next two weeks would need to be canceled, briefly explaining the reason.
"Mr. Zhou, it's me. I might not be able to meet you next weekend or the weekend after that as planned. I have some previously signed autumn events and Paris Fashion Week that will take time."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. Zhou Ping'an didn't immediately respond to the itinerary itself. Instead, he abruptly asked, his tone flat, but the content went beyond a simple schedule check: "Are you tired?"
Liu Yifan's fingers gripping the phone tightened slightly. She thought she had concealed it well, but this overly direct insight made her unsure how to respond.
She paused before responding vaguely, "It's okay, it's just... the schedule is quite tight."
"Okay. Got it." Zhou Ping'an didn't ask any further questions, as if he was just confirming it, and then ended the call.
However, shortly after the call ended, Zhou Ping'an contacted Su Ying directly with clear instructions: "Teacher Liu will be traveling frequently in the near future, especially to Europe. Please coordinate and arrange a private jet for her to support her itinerary. Lease it for six months first. If similar needs become a regular occurrence in the future, we can then evaluate the feasibility of purchasing it."
Liu Yifan's agent, Yang Wei, received a formal and professional call. The caller's precise wording, based entirely on the principle of "ensuring the status of the project's core artists and optimizing travel efficiency," proposed a private jet arrangement and provided information on several top-tier alternative service providers.
After Yang Wei hung up the phone, she sat in the hotel room for several seconds before she digested the information.
She walked over to Liu Yifan, who was reclining on the sofa with his eyes closed, and relayed the news as calmly as possible. "...They said it was President Zhou's idea to ensure your continued condition and avoid the cost of a public schedule."
Liu Yifan opened her eyes, a complex mix of surprise and understanding flashing across them. She recalled Zhou Ping'an's abrupt question, "Are you tired?", during their brief phone call not long ago.
It turned out that wasn't just a casual question, but a pre-emptive solution after problem identification. She sighed softly and nodded expressionlessly, "Got it. Let's follow their process."
There was no surprise, no refusal, only a calm acceptance. It was as if this was just a necessary work configuration update, as natural as the crew preparing her appropriate costumes and dressing room. This attitude actually put Yang Wei at ease, and she immediately immersed herself in coordinating the details with Su Ying.
News of the private jet was quietly confirmed within a very limited circle. But when Liu Yifan's team next traveled, especially to Paris Fashion Week, the appearance of the Gulfstream G650 still couldn't completely avoid all prying eyes.
Soon, the rumor that "Liu Yifan is now picked up and dropped off by a special plane when traveling" began to circulate in some small circles in the industry, and this rumor corroborated the rumor that "Zhou Ping'an's wealth has skyrocketed", further solidifying the outside world's imagination of the relationship between the two and Liu Yifan's status.
At Xiangbei Film City, the news spread like tiny ripples. The core crew members naturally learned of the situation, and their reactions were mixed. Lin Na remained noncommittal, saying only to the production director, "That's good. It saves her from having to toss and turn, affecting her performance." In her view, this was simply an extreme example of capital serving the arts.
Some well-informed grassroots staff, during breaks or over lunch boxes, exchanged excited yet disbelieving glances, whispering, "Did you hear? Liu Yifan is flying on a special plane when he goes out for events! It's arranged by President Zhou!"
"Is this true? Gulfstream? Oh my god, how much does it cost..."
"How could this be fake? The crew and ground staff have already arrived. Tell me, what kind of relationship would require such a huge investment?"
"What's the connection? It's obvious... Looks like the identity of 'Boss Lady' is a foregone conclusion."
This willingness to give up invisibly imbued the crew with a more complex atmosphere. On the one hand, everyone's confidence and awe in the project intensified; on the other, the feeling of being enveloped by vast capital and a single will became increasingly clear.
After returning from Paris, Liu Yifan barely adjusted herself and headed straight back to the studio. The fatigue of the long journey had been minimized, but a hint of the glitz and glamour of "female star Liu Yifan" still lingered between her brows.
During their first routine meeting after her return, Zhou Ping'an's gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds, as if conducting some kind of inspection. He didn't ask about the trip, nor did he mention the flight. He simply asked, as usual, "Is everything going well?"
Liu Yifan nodded: "Yeah, it went smoothly." She knew that he was not asking about the flash of the fashion week, but whether her "condition" had returned smoothly.
"That's good. If you need anything, just let Yang Wei talk to Su Ying directly." Zhou Ping'an nodded and responded as usual.
As Weihua and Anping's cooperation grew closer, Su Ying became Zhou Ping'an's personal assistant, responsible for coordinating some of his high-level personal affairs. Zhou Ping'an had no grudges about this at all, as if Weihua's background was just part of her ability, and she would use it whenever possible, with efficiency as the top priority.
Facts have proven that Zhou Ping'an's "letting go" was more brilliant than Li Dingshan's original idea, and even exceeded the imagination of most people in the industry. Zhou Ping'an's wealth quietly expanded at an almost outrageous rate.
Since Weihua Group's massive investment and extensive distribution channels, Anping Battery, once a relatively isolated technology company, has been fueled by an overdose of fuel, embarking on an astonishing and frenzied expansion. The combination of technological barriers and the financial giant has unleashed a devastating force.
In just less than a year, the market valuation soared from 15 billion at the time of initial investment to over 30 billion, and the growth momentum has shown no sign of slowing down.
Weihua's top capital operations team has already entered the market and is actively advancing the preliminary preparations for the IPO. Industry experts generally predict that once the IPO is completed, given Anping Battery's technological scarcity and explosive growth, its market capitalization is likely to exceed or even far exceed its current valuation.
If calculated in this way, the value of the 55% shares still held by Zhou Pingan will easily approach, or even exceed, 50 billion yuan.
This number has far exceeded the scope of "wealth" and is more like an abstract astronomical symbol, a nearly absolute quantitative proof of power.
His initial, seemingly hands-off approach proved far more effective than the traditional control model upheld by Li Dingshan. He traded partial control for the full support of Weihua, propelling the company on a trajectory of development he could never have achieved on his own. The core technologies he focused on, nurtured by this vast scale, accelerated their iteration.
Li Dingshan returned to Rongcheng and discussed the latest valuation report with Zhou Pingan. A long silence followed. He finally sighed, his tone complex yet tinged with relief. "It seems you're right. I used to think that what you hold in your hands is yours. Now, I realize that making the pie big enough, even if it's just a small piece, is far better than clinging to a whole... steamed bun."
Zhou Ping'an was looking at a new material test data sent by the laboratory. Hearing this, he didn't even raise his head, but just said "hmm" lightly, as if Li Dingshan was only lamenting about the weather.
His attention was focused on a subtle fluctuation in the data on the report. He circled it with a pen and wrote next to it: "The data from the third set of samples is abnormal. Review the process parameters and report the conclusion by ten o'clock tomorrow morning."
To him, wealth seemed like just a meaningless counter with ever-increasing numbers on the way to achieving his goals. Its only significance seemed to be that it allowed him to burn down the next "country-destroying" without a care in the world.
However, the shadow of this wealth, which is rapidly materializing and is large enough to distort reality, has begun to silently loom over the country and inevitably seep into the stagnant casting dilemma of the "The Fallen Kingdom" project.
The news first spread quietly among top agents and a small circle of senior industry figures. It started as whispers, but then gradually became confirmed—the financial backer behind the "King You of Zhou" character who had been tormenting everyone at Xiangbei Film City for over six months was about to surpass 50 billion yuan.
The wind direction began to shift subtly but quickly.
The teams of several prominent male actors who had previously declined invitations appear to have reassessed the script. Their agents contacted Lin Na and Chen Feng with cautious words, their initial tone shifting from reserved rejection to a warm and flexible one, emphasizing their "renewed understanding of the artistic project" and their "strong desire to collaborate with an excellent team."
Even some of the more prestigious, A-list male stars who hadn't previously been considered, had their teams send subtle inquiries through their connections. Clearly, they weren't interested in the "functional" supporting role anymore, but rather the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to connect with this incredibly young, soon-to-be billionaire. Playing the leading role in his masterpiece was undoubtedly the most natural path to his inner circle.
In stark contrast to the clamor outside, Zhou Ping'an, who resided at Xiangbei Cinema, remained clad in his usual dark coat or well-worn jacket, commuting between Rongcheng and Xiangbei on standard flights and buses. He never mentioned the company's valuation or the IPO progress, as if the meticulously polished "palace" before him, or the man within it, had no direct bearing on him.
Only Su Ying would confirm key financial milestones with him in extremely concise language during routine work briefings. Zhou Ping'an's response was usually just a brief "I understand," just like when he reviewed the "The Falling Country" project report.
However, the immense power of intangible wealth, even when its owner doesn't intend to display it, permeates the air in some subtle way. The most direct manifestation of this is the complete disappearance of those scattered voices that previously raised concerns about the project's progress due to the delay in casting a male lead, or those that voiced slight dissatisfaction with Zhou Ping'an's "willful" investment. Absolute financial power itself is a powerfully persuasive "logic."
That day, Zhou Ping'an returned to the film studio. He didn't go to the already operational palace hall, but instead headed straight for the city wall, where construction was still intensive. The massive, winding adobe wall had taken shape, with workers finishing the work at a height by tamping the earth.
Chen Feng happened to be on site confirming the specific shape of the beacon tower with the art team. When he saw Zhou Ping'an, he walked over.
"Mr. Zhou, here we are."
"Yeah." Zhou Pingan looked up at the towering wall. "How's the progress?"
"It's faster than planned. The main structure will definitely be completed before winter." Chen Feng replied with a hint of emotion in his tone. "Speaking of which, it's all thanks to you... The funding has always been the most sufficient guarantee."
Zhou Ping'an withdrew his gaze from the city wall and looked at Chen Feng. He seemed to have completely ignored his words about funds. Instead, he suddenly asked a seemingly irrelevant question: "How is Teacher Liu doing recently?"
Chen Feng was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly and pointed in the direction of the palace hall. "It's better, but also... even more troublesome. Now, let alone finding male actors, I feel that those veteran actors who played palace maids and eunuchs would be a little overwhelmed in front of her."
Zhou Pingan's face showed no expression when he heard this. He just turned his gaze back to the silent palace in the distance. After a while, he said softly:
"That's good."
His tone was calm, as if Liu Yifan's "too good" state, which made the entire crew excited and anxious, was the only "project progress" he cared about and which was progressing smoothly.
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