Global Film Emperor

Chapter 227 A good start
The decline of Hong Kong cinema ultimately resulted in a generational gap in actors, meaning that audiences' impressions of Hong Kong stars are still stuck in the last century, and many people have not learned about the new generation of actors.

This also meant that veteran actors had to step forward to maintain order, so that the audience wouldn't have the awkward situation of artists walking the red carpet for hours only to find that no one recognized them.

Veteran artists in mainland China, especially those over fifty, generally use the special channel for veteran artists and avoid walking the red carpet. One reason is that at this age, most veteran actors no longer pursue popularity, nor do they need it to maintain their status.

On the other hand, the new generation of actors in mainland China have also made their own names. Regardless of their actual abilities, as long as they are well-known to the public, that's enough. Even if only a group of popular young actors walk the red carpet, it can still be considered a star-studded event, right?

Anyway, Lu Ze didn't rush to sit down after entering the theater. He looked around at the entrance of the theater and looked at the main characters of Hong Kong movies that had accompanied him growing up. They left Lu Ze with countless memories of his youth.

For those born in the 80s and 90s, Hong Kong movies are an indelible mark on their youth. Countless children would try to imitate the moves in martial arts films, and many would fantasize about being a great hero in the martial arts world after watching wuxia films. Some would even hide under the covers to watch ghost movies, immediately covering their heads when they encountered scary scenes, and would scare themselves when walking at night, running wildly through the dark streets.

This is a mark of an era. Today, in 2020, this mark is covered in dust, but when people sort through the old things in their hearts, they still smile knowingly.

Youth is destined to be gone forever, but both generations will still be grateful to Hong Kong films, thanking these actors for enriching those dull and boring times.

As a non-local actor, Lu Ze was too embarrassed to go up and greet these Hong Kong celebrities who were chatting happily. However, these Hong Kong artists were very enthusiastic towards Lu Ze. When they passed by Lu Ze, they would stop and greet him warmly or jokingly.

Among them are actresses who became famous in the 1980s and 90s, martial arts masters who started as stuntmen, and even Zhao Yinhong, the owner of Zhao's Film Studio, the only film and television base in Hong Kong and a dominant figure in the Hong Kong entertainment industry.

The reason they were so enthusiastic about Lu Ze was that he was very popular in mainland China. These people weren't stupid; they all knew that if you wanted to make money, you had to go to the mainland. So, it was very necessary to build a good relationship with a well-known mainland actor, because you never know when it might come in handy.

Another reason is related to Jia Changwei. Although this big shot is not in the entertainment industry, the previous generation of the Zhao family had received favors from Jia Helong. According to seniority, Zhao Yinhong should call Jia Changwei "uncle". Naturally, Zhao Yinhong is kind and gentle to the young man that Jia Helong likes, unlike other actors who have a cold face.

However, Lu Ze didn't really want to get involved with Zhao Yinhong. After all, Zhao Yinhong was involved in organized crime, and even if he returned to the criminal world, his identity would still be known to everyone. Lu Ze felt it was better to keep a certain distance from him.

Seeing Song Qingmin enter the venue, Lu Ze made an excuse to say goodbye to Zhao Yinhong, met up with Song Qingmin, followed him into the venue, found his seat, and quietly sat down.

The number of people in the theater continued to increase, and ordinary audience members were also allowed into the second-floor auditorium. All the members of the "Big Boss" crew gathered and sat in the middle seats of the fourth row.

Finally, the gala officially began, with the Hong Kong King of Songs opening with a famous love song. The excellent stage design and lighting effects, along with the large number of backup dancers, created a stunning visual effect. After the song, the veteran singer led the backup dancers to the front of the stage to bow, and the curtain behind them slowly rose, revealing an enlarged version of the Hong Kong Film Awards trophy.

"The 40th Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony is now beginning. Please welcome the emcees, Ms. Chan Mei-ying and Mr. Wong Kwan-sang."

Accompanied by solemn music, two well-known veteran Hong Kong hosts slowly descended the steps, walked to the center of the stage, and bowed gently to the guests present.

"The Boss is invincible! Just wait for the Boss to sweep everything away!"

"The most boring Hong Kong Film Awards in nearly ten years. In previous years, even if it was a case of choosing the best among the worst, there was still some suspense. This year, there was no suspense at all. Even the support was overwhelmingly one-sided. You couldn't find anyone to criticize if you had a different opinion."

"Upstairs +1, I argue with people at every award ceremony every year, and now I can't find anyone to curse. I always feel like something is missing, it's so lonely~ Since that's the case, downstairs I'm your dad, over."

"Should I knock on the door upstairs?"

The online battle started by a silly netizen resulted in tens of thousands of viewers watching the Hong Kong Film Awards broadcast joining in with a barrage of insults, attacking anyone they could find, otherwise they would be at a huge loss if they were attacked without being able to say anything.
Viewers who clicked in to watch Lu Ze receive the award were stunned when they opened the video. The comment section was filled with insults and all sorts of profanities flying around. When the full-screen mode was turned on, the barrage of insults was even more confusing, and it was impossible to tell who was insulting whom.

After the applause, the two hosts began to introduce the performers, the dance troupe, the classical music orchestra, the music director, the DJ, and others.

They then began calculating the highest-grossing film genres from March of last year to March of this year—exactly twelve months—as well as the total number of films released throughout the year, to summarize the overall quality of films for the year.

The host then left the stage, and a large screen at the back began playing footage of the hardships and struggles of those working in the film industry, both on and off screen. This was a behind-the-scenes clip that each film submitted to the organizers this year was required to make. In fact, "The Boss" made up a significant portion of the documentary. Lu Ze was happy to see himself in the documentary, even though he looked a bit ugly.
"I really can't eat anymore!!!" In the video, Lu Ze is shirtless, revealing his fat body. His breasts are so big they could breastfeed a child, and his belly looks like a pot. He is holding a hamburger with both hands and complaining loudly. Then he picks up a Coke and takes a sip.

This sight made everyone present burst into laughter. Lu Ze, annoyed, moved closer to Song Qingmin and asked through gritted teeth, "When did you take this? I didn't see it. You just released it like this?"

"Hehe, let everyone see the pain you went through to gain weight, and see if being an actor is as easy as they imagine. If you win a professional spirit award, you should thank me."

Lu Ze didn't want to talk to him anymore, so he turned his head and continued watching the documentary. The film wasn't long, about three minutes long, and Lu Ze appeared in three scenes, all of which were filmed in a particularly ugly way. They were all secretly filmed, and Lu Ze himself had no recollection of them.

But this scene, compared to Lu Ze's face as captured by the camera earlier, made the audience sigh. Lu Ze is like a balloon. He was quite thin when filming Mr. Tree, then he became frighteningly strong when filming The King of Fighters, and then he rapidly "expanded" during the period of Boss, even developing a double chin. But now he's thin again.

Three years is a long time, and his physique has changed so much. Needless to say, the burden on his body is immense. Just for this reason alone, Lu Ze deserves the title of "dedicated." But being dedicated isn't just about arriving on set on time, not leaving early or being absent without leave, or not using a body double. It's about making huge sacrifices for your career, being passionate about it, and being willing to put all your energy into it. That's what being dedicated means.

After the short film ended, the two hosts came on stage to officially announce the first award, Best Screenplay. "The Boss" was also nominated for this award, and the competition had already begun with the first award.

The award for Best Screenplay was presented by Lin Xiang and Gao Qilu. One is a famous Hong Kong actress who actually starred in many Category III films before the handover. The other is a beautiful Taiwanese variety show host with a sweet voice. The difference between the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Rooster Awards is evident here. The Golden Rooster Awards are serious, and jokes cannot be taken too far, while the Hong Kong Film Awards are much more unrestrained. Lin Xiang even made a rather explicit joke to tease Gao Qilu about her sexiness.

After the casual conversation, the screen began playing exciting clips from the shortlisted works. The first one to catch people's attention was "Brotherhood," which is known as a blockbuster Hong Kong film of the past decade.

"The Boss (Su Renzhe), Godfather is having tea."

“In ‘Winter’ (by Guo Yukai), the outside world is too cold, and there is no place as good as home. If you can go home, go home as soon as possible.”

"Red Rouge (Feng Yiqiang) - Women dress up for those they love, right? They say they put on makeup for themselves and to make themselves happy, but isn't it actually for others to see? Who can blame them when men like this kind of thing?"

"The Man Who Dies for Money (by Zhao Xuelei): For this money, I went through so much trouble killing so many people, and now you want me to abandon it? Bullshit!"

The four nominated works had finished playing, and the room became much quieter. Lu Ze turned his gaze to Su Renzhe, who was not nervous at all. After all, he was a famous screenwriter in Hong Kong and had won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Screenplay four times. Otherwise, he would not have been able to adapt this drama. This time, he would win for the fifth time. He was already used to it.

Lin Xiang coughed, opened the envelope, handed the folded paper inside to Gao Qilu, and glanced at it curiously, revealing a mysterious smile.

"The Best Screenplay at the 40th Hong Kong Film Awards goes to 'The Boss'! Su Renzhe!"

When Gao Qilu called out his name, thunderous applause erupted, and the rest of the crew jumped up excitedly, giving Su Renzhe a big hug. He had set a great start for the crew, so how could anyone not be happy?

"Congratulations, screenwriter Su, a great start!"

Lu Ze stood up, shook hands with Su Renzhe, hugged him, and patted him lightly on the back twice, offering his blessings.

"I think I did a good job, now it's up to you guys. Keep it up!"

He released his grip, and amidst cheers from the audience, the middle-aged man who had created so many great stories walked onto the stage and gently picked up his Hong Kong Film Award for Best Screenplay.

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(End of this chapter)