Huayu: I'm reborn, but you still force me to be a scumbag?

Chapter 382 The Forgotten Trophy
January 20th, 10:13 PM.

At a roadside barbecue stall in Hualien, Taiwan, some young people who had taken off their jackets and were only wearing loose T-shirts and flip-flops were eating and drinking enthusiastically.

The shop was air-conditioned and very warm. The tables were piled high with grilled squid, chicken wings, and several plates of wild boar skewers, a specialty of Hualien. A few empty Taiwan Beer cans were on the floor, and several packets of betel nuts were piled on the table. The guys chewing them, their mouths full of red juice, spat out the bits and shouted loudly.

"Hey, Wei, is that shipment really that easy to get?" A guy with dyed blond hair and a thick chain around his neck asked, munching on a skewer of sausages.

"Nonsense, why would I be talking to you?" The young man called Awei glared at him, leaned back in his chair, and shook the beer can in his hand. "This time, the 'Dongmen Gang' has reached an agreement with the thugs in Taitung. The goods will come in from the port and go directly through the back mountain route. The police won't be able to find out anything about it!"

“Xiao Bei,” Ah Wei turned to look at another guy sitting in the corner, “didn’t you say you knew a guy from Hualien Port? This time, get him to make contact with us, so that he doesn’t mess things up like last time and cause us to get targeted by the cops.”

Xiao Bei, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, squinted and exhaled a puff of white smoke, lazily replying, "Don't worry, Brother Wei, that kid is my cousin, he's reliable. If he messes up this time, I'll chop off my own hand to make amends."

"Haha, you still want to chop off your hands? Xiao Bei, do you really think you're a 'monk'? If you were really as brave as a monk, you would have led us to take down the Sea Shark Gang long ago!" Golden Hair slapped the table, laughing so hard that his rotten teeth were showing.

"Damn it, I don't have time to bother with those bastards, otherwise I would have killed them long ago." Xiao Bei rolled his eyes and stubbed out his cigarette on the table.

Golden Hair grinned and said, "Xiao Bei, you like 'Monk' so much, why aren't you watching the Golden Horse Awards tonight? Monk was nominated for Best Actor, he's going to win the Best Actor award."

Xiao Bei spat out a mouthful of betel nut residue and sneered, "Just a chicken cutlet. This time, the Best Actor award will definitely go to that guy surnamed Chen. Even Niu Chengze said that even a monk can't get it, so what else is there to say?"

Ah Wei grabbed a skewer of shrimp, munching on it as he asked, "Xiao Bei, which guy surnamed Chen is this? Even a monk couldn't beat him?"

Jinmao said, "I know, Chen Nuo, the one who played the clown. Although Ethan Juan acted really well and 'Monga' was a hit, it's only in Taiwan. Outside of Taiwan, nobody knows him. Of course, he can't beat him."

Ah Wei suddenly realized and said, "Chen Nuo, damn, I know him. Isn't he the one who played a vampire in an American movie, Xiao Bei? Is that him?"

Xiao Bei said, "Yes, it's him."

"Damn! My little sister swoons over him every day, and he actually came to Taiwan for the Golden Horse Awards? I knew it! No wonder she said yesterday she was going to Taipei to visit her classmate!"

The blond man laughed and said, "Haha, he must be going to the Golden Horse Awards to chase after celebrities."

Gan Awei cursed a couple more times.

Just then, Xiao Bei's phone rang, and he answered it casually.

"Hey Jian, what's up... I'm eating with Wei and the others on Huiyuan Road... Really?..."

Xiao Bei shouted, "Boss, boss, where's the TV remote? Change it to the Golden Horse Awards!"

Ah Wei and Jinmao both looked over in surprise. Jinmao asked, "Xiao Bei, what are you doing? What the hell are you watching, the Golden Horse Awards?"

"Holy crap, Ah Jian said the monk won Best Actor! He told us to hurry and watch!"

"A???"

……

……

According to post-event statistics, when Ti Lung called out "Ethan Juan" on stage, the viewership of the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan Province began to surge, increasing from 210 million to 300 million in less than a minute.

There are countless people in Taiwan who, like Xiao Bei, turn on the TV or immediately change the channel.

One reason is that the movie "Monga" was really popular in Taiwan, especially for gangsters like Xiao Bei and Jin Mao. Ethan Juan's portrayal of the monk was both roguish and loyal, making him their idol.

On the other hand, the dramatic nature of the event led to its widespread dissemination among ordinary people.

The young Taiwanese actor defeated, or rather confronted, a mainland Chinese outsider, ultimately holding his own and achieving a draw.

Such a narrative instantly caused a huge uproar among people across Taiwan.

The 300 million was just the beginning. When Chen Nuo and Ethan Juan went on stage one after the other, they politely deferred to each other. Finally, when Chen Nuo stood in front of the podium and spoke,

本届金马奖收视人数已经达到了430万，占到了台湾720万TV家庭的59.7%，收视率达到19.8%，几乎追平了2003年第40届金马奖梁朝伟凭《无间道》获奖时的历史峰值20.8%。

Although slightly lower than before, considering the rise of online live streaming in the past two years and the diversion of TV viewership, its overall influence may even be greater.

Strangely, the control room, which should have been filled with laughter and celebration of record-breaking ratings, was actually a scene of stark contrasts.

On one hand, the frontline staff were overjoyed, frantically switching cameras and recording data, wishing they could pop champagne on the spot to celebrate.

On the other hand, the core team, including Lin Zhihong, the head of the broadcasting team, looked solemn.

Their expressions mirrored those of the audience members in the stands.

No one was smiling; everyone was sitting up straight, watching the man on stage holding the trophy, about to speak.

Especially those people in the crew of "Under the Hawthorn Tree", such as Zhang Yimou and Liu Yifei.

Although Liu Yifei remembered that Chen Nuo told her to keep her expression when she entered, she really couldn't smile now.

Also unable to smile was Zhang Yimou, who is usually approachable and always smiling in front of the camera. At this moment, his face was as black as the bottom of a pot. Even with the camera pointed directly at his face, Director Zhang made no attempt to hide his expression, not even a hint of a perfunctory smile.

At that moment, Chen Nuo spoke on the podium.

He said, "Thank you."

After speaking, Chen Nuo stepped back and gestured for Ethan Juan to step forward.

He has finished speaking.

……

Everyone in the room was stunned.

The more than 400 million Taiwanese people watching on television were also stunned.

what is this?
A two-word reflection?

Does a two-word statement still count as a statement?
This is a slap in the face!

This is a blatant disgrace to the Golden Horse Awards, trampling their faces on the ground.

On television, everyone was in a panic.

Hou Hsiao-hsien's face had turned a liverish color.

Huang Jianye felt a deep sense of humiliation wash over him like a tidal wave.

How dare he! This is the Golden Horse Award, the highest award in Chinese-language cinema!
Chen Nuo actually acted like this, showing absolutely no mercy! Does he not plan to come to the Golden Horse Awards again, or even set foot in Taiwan anymore?

At this moment, Ang Lee's wry smile became even more pronounced.

He wasn't particularly surprised by Chen Nuo's actions on stage.

After all, he had been in frequent contact with Chen Nuo since the audition in Shanghai, witnessing the young man gradually rise to his current status. He knew this young man too well.

Indeed, in Asia, Chen Nuo has a gentle image and gives people a harmless feeling.

However, in the United States, that's a different story.

Just look at the mess he's made of Peak Entertainment and you'll understand perfectly.

Therefore, given this humiliating tie, it's already quite commendable that Chen Nuo didn't remain seated and cause a major live broadcast mishap at the Golden Horse Awards, but instead went on stage to accept the award.

Did he simply say "thank you" on stage?
Then let him.

At least he can use his similar actions at the Berlin Film Festival to deal with external criticism.

What Ang Lee was more worried about was...

Another thing.

In his view, Chen Nuo was very likely to do this.

If that were to happen, the Golden Horse Awards would be finished.

At this moment, Ang Lee couldn't help but look at Hou Hsiao-hsien.

Hou Hsiao-hsien also looked over.

The two old friends' eyes met briefly in the air, and they immediately understood what the other was thinking.

……

……

Ethan Juan was giving a nonsensical speech on stage. However, no one was listening to what he was saying. Most of the audience looked at each other blankly, while a small number were whispering among themselves.

In a state of distraction, Ang Lee and Hou Hsiao-hsien's departure from the table immediately attracted a lot of attention.

"Weren't Director Li and Director Hou supposed to be presenting the Best Director award? Why are they backstage so early?"

"What do you think? He only said one sentence in his acceptance speech: 'This is the Golden Horse Awards, not Berlin,' and he wasn't even drunk. How can Li An and Hou Hsiao-hsien still sit still?"

"...Yeah, they must be furious. Seriously, what are this year's Golden Horse Awards judges doing? Do they not want to participate anymore?"

"What's going on? They want to mess with him. He's so high and mighty. I told you, I'm not the only one who can't stand him. There are plenty of people who can. But these Taiwanese bastards are really like idiots, a double yolk, haha."

"This year's Golden Horse Awards are definitely going to be a laughing stock, and who knows what will happen afterward. If your reputation is ruined, even if you win Best Actress this time, it will be like picking up a hot potato, with more trouble than benefits. Fuck it."

After Feng Xiaogang said that, his wife, Xu Fan, who was also nominated for Best Actress at this year's awards for her role in "Aftershock," also looked displeased.

On the other side, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Ang Lee strode into the backstage area together. Hou Hsiao-hsien immediately asked, "Director Lee, you've known him for a long time and have had a lot of contact with him. What do you think he will do next? Will he attack the Golden Horse Awards in front of the media?"

Ang Lee said, "Based on my understanding of him, an attack is unlikely. But... it would be best to meet with him before he sees the media. Director Hou, hey, what exactly is going on? Do you know?"

Hou Hsiao-hsien said with a bitter expression, "It must have been Huang Chien-lin who did it. He... sigh, I really regret it. I shouldn't have chosen him to be the chairman of the judging panel."

He really didn't understand why this had happened.

What are those people on the judging panel doing?
Is this helping Taiwan?

This is harmful to Taiwan!
Hou Hsiao-hsien continued, "Director Lee, you have a deep friendship with Chen Nuo, please help me persuade him. I can resign because of this, but please let him leave the Golden Horse Awards alone. We absolutely cannot let the Golden Horse Awards be ruined by this."

Ang Lee's face scrunched up, and he said with a wry smile, "I'll do my best. Director Hou, let's hurry up."

"it is good."

The moment the two directors left their seats, Ethan Juan abruptly ended his speech on stage.

On the one hand, he was not completely unaware that the few focused gazes in the room clearly indicated that not many people were seriously listening to him.

On the other hand, he truly never imagined he would be on this stage. He hadn't prepared anything; he hadn't even prepared a single word for his acceptance speech.

It was like a gold ingot had unexpectedly hit me on the head; I was overwhelmed with surprise and my head was buzzing. After stammering thanks to the director, my parents, and the judges, I couldn't think of anything else to say, so I quickly ended my speech.

However, there is no doubt that his inner joy was genuine.

I'm even happier and more excited than if he won the award alone!

However, he was also a little worried, fearing that the other party would take their anger out on him.

As he stepped off the stage, Ethan Juan said with a hint of nervousness, "Brother Chen, I really didn't expect this at all. I'm so honored to share this award with you, I'm really sorry." Although he knew he was four years older than the other man, he said "brother" very smoothly.

I wonder what Xiao Bei and other monk worshippers would think if they saw this scene.

Chen Nuo wasn't as happy as Ethan Juan.

He's feeling quite conflicted right now.

In short, it felt like being fed a pile of shit.

It's not that he can't handle losing; it's not that he's never lost before. When he loses, he just smiles and applauds.

But a double-yolk egg?
In the mindset instilled in him by Li Er, he genuinely believed that double-yolk eggs were something meant to make people nauseous. He felt they were too hot to handle, and just talking about them made him feel disgusted.

Hearing Ethan Juan's words, he smiled and said, "It's okay, there's no need to share."

What does this sentence mean?
Ethan Juan was too excited to react at that moment.

But Vivian Hsu and Ti Lung, the award presenters who walked off the stage with them, heard it.

Dillon, being a seasoned veteran, immediately understood what this meant. He thought to himself, "Wow!" without saying a word.

Vivian Hsu, being a native of Taiwan, was taken aback and turned back.

At this time, although she was 35 years old, she was still incredibly beautiful, and the charm that had captivated countless young men in mainland China remained undiminished. That same year, she also co-starred with mainland actor Jing Boran in the film "Hot Summer Days," which achieved considerable box office success upon its release.

But at this moment, she was no longer the sweet girl in love. Her face was full of panic, as if she had witnessed a Godzilla landing in Hualien County and marching menacingly toward Taipei, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.

"Chen, Chen Nuo, you..."

……

……

The interview was held at the press center backstage of the Taoyuan County Performing Arts Center, which is the usual interview area after the 47th Golden Horse Awards ceremony.

At this moment, the press center was already packed with reporters from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong, with flashbulbs going off incessantly and camera lenses pointed at the entrance.

This is an unprecedented scene backstage at the Golden Horse Awards.

When Chen Nuo and Ethan Juan walked onto the interview stage from behind, the reporters in the room went wild.

"Chen Nuo, what are your thoughts on the tie for Best Actor at this year's Golden Horse Awards?"

Will you accept this outcome?

"You only gave a brief acceptance speech when you received the award. Did you use this to express your dissatisfaction with the result?"

"Chen Nuo..."

"Chen Nuo..."

No one paid attention to Ethan Juan; every microphone and every camera lens was pointed at Chen Nuo.

Similarly, a barrage of questions rained down on Chen Nuo like a machine gun.

To many people's surprise, Chen Nuo remained quite calm.

He sat down, gently placed the trophy on the table, considered his words for a moment, and was about to answer.

Just then, he caught a glimpse of Ang Lee and Hou Hsiao-hsien rushing in through the doorway in front of him, almost running.

The moment Ang Lee entered the room, he immediately smiled wryly and made a gesture of clasping his hands together, almost pleading.

Chen Nuo paused for a moment.

It seems that this shrewd director has guessed it.

He still owes Ang Lee a favor.

When the film "The Message" was being made, if Director Li hadn't given him most of the team that made "Lust, Caution," "The Message" might not have achieved the success it did.

At that moment, Hou Hsiao-hsien, standing next to Ang Lee, gave him a slight bow with a pained expression.

This.

Chen Nuo felt even more embarrassed.

After much deliberation, he sighed inwardly. Well then... some things I don't want to say, I suppose.

Anyway, we're all one family across the Taiwan Strait, so saying too much will only hurt our feelings.

Immediately afterwards, he stood up nimbly and walked towards the door.

In an instant, all the reporters were stunned. His unexpected move was completely unexpected by everyone.

No one expected that this person would leave so abruptly.

From the moment he entered until he turned to leave, he remained completely silent, not uttering a single word.

All the reporters were initially bewildered, then looked on with a mixture of confusion and shock, before finally focusing on something on the table.

The newly awarded Best Actor trophy at the 47th Golden Horse Awards, a prize coveted by countless filmmakers, lay forlornly on the table, untouched by him.

Ps:

I'm currently out of town, so there will be fewer chapters today. I'll make up for it when I get home and add more chapters based on my monthly votes.

(End of this chapter)