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

Chapter 452 This Year's Awards Season
Good morning, boss.

"Good morning, Alison. You're here so early. Don't tell me you have any plans for today."

"No, no. I officially notified Peak Entertainment last night that our work is done, and from today onwards, they don't need to contact us for anything."

That's how it should be. After the extravagant premiere, Chen Nuo didn't want to move at all; he just wanted to rest at home.

He nodded in satisfaction, adjusted his position on the recliner, and took another bite of the whole-wheat bread on the plate.

Sunlight streamed down.

In December in LA, the morning temperature is only around 10 degrees Celsius. He was wearing a shirt and casual pants, with his bare feet exposed, the sun warming his skin.

The heated swimming pool in front of me was filled with water just yesterday, and the pool was also cleaned very well by the house cleaners. The water was crystal clear, and I could clearly see a slender, fair figure moving swiftly underwater.

Allison Graeme continued, "...They've already agreed to cover the airfare. I'm currently getting the audience list for that night from ABC. I'll provide the list to Summit, and they'll handle the communication and payments, with us acting as a third party to oversee things."

Chen Nuo was even more satisfied and nodded, saying, "Well done."

Allison said, “Actually, the best way is for us to contact the audience directly, so that we can be 100% sure that every penny is paid. You know, if such a public commitment goes wrong, it can easily damage your public image. So, I still suggest you seriously consider CAA. Their top clients enjoy many privileges, and we don’t have to worry about things like today. Moreover, they have built an extremely powerful network of relationships in the United States through their clients, and they can do far more than you imagine during awards season.”

Chen Nuo sighed and asked, "Did they contact you again?"

Allison nodded. “Yes, CAA partner Brian Lord called me last night. He saw the news about your imprint at the Chinese Theatre and said Summit Entertainment showed you a complete lack of respect. His exact words were—'If we were in charge, this would never have happened. We wouldn’t let Chen, Kristen Stewart, and that bastard appear together at the same event.' To be honest, I agree. If it weren’t for… really, I would never allow this to happen.”

Chen Nuo continued to sigh and said, "If it wasn't me interfering with your work, then it was, right? But I still maintain that you're taking this too seriously. In China, our relationship is called that of colleagues, and colleagues are all equal."

"But this is America, Chen, and Hollywood. It's a hierarchical arena of fame and fortune where competition is incredibly fierce behind the glitz and glamour. Who you appear with, who you stand next to under the spotlight, sends a signal to the outside world. They don't care what you think, they only look at the images. Who stands in the middle, who speaks first, who appears last, it all matters. If you appear in the same row as someone else, then in the eyes of the media, you are all people of the same caliber."

"Alright, alright," Chen Nuo waved his hand and said, "I know. I'll listen to you from now on. Don't use CAA to threaten me anymore, okay?"

Allison Graham smiled slightly and said, "You said it yourself."

"Yes, I said that. By the way, there's some good news. Today marks exactly one year of our collaboration. In recognition of your outstanding work performance, starting next month, your annual salary will increase from the current $1 million to $1.5 million. At the same time, the remaining bonus agreement remains in effect, so if I get a nomination for the Oscars in January, you will still receive the bonus."

Upon hearing this, Allison showed a rare expression of astonishment, then pursed her lips, her tone unusually emotional, and said, "Thank you."

Although Allison never talked about her daughter, Chen Nuo knew that all of the woman's monthly expenses went to this. He smiled and said, "You're welcome. You deserve it."

Allison took a deep breath and said, "No, actually I messed up. The Golden Globe nomination..."

Chen Nuo said helplessly, "I don't think so. You've done very well, Allison. This is, after all, a sci-fi action movie. Do you know when the last time an action movie actor was nominated for a Golden Globe? I don't know. But I estimate it was a hundred years ago. Back then, maybe five movies were made a year, four of which were action movies."

“Not a hundred years ago, it was 2008.” Allison chuckled at his joke, but immediately became serious. “Robert Downey Jr. received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Drama for Iron Man. Iron Man is also a science fiction action film. As for the reason, I think CAA played a big role behind the scenes. So, Chen, I know you don’t like CAA’s purely commercial approach, but it does have a significant advantage in award public relations. What I just said, you should really consider.”

Chen Nuo nodded, understanding that what she said did make some sense.

Just yesterday, after he completed the inscription ceremony at the Chinese Theatre, the nominations for this year's Golden Globe Awards were officially announced.

As is well known, the Golden Globe Awards have always favored art-house films, and in its history, science fiction films have rarely been nominated as "drama films." However, Inception not only competed as a drama film this time, but also garnered four nominations, including Best Drama, Best Director, Best Original Score, and Best Screenplay, matching the record set by Avatar two years ago and attracting worldwide media attention.

However, his name was not listed in the "Best Actor" nomination column.

This not only means that Allison's more than a month of hard work for the nomination during his return to the United States ultimately failed, but also that the $100,000 prize she was entitled to has vanished.

More importantly, as a bellwether for the Oscars, his failure to win a Golden Globe almost meant the end of his chances of being nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor.

And that's what's truly regrettable.

Really miserable.

But would it really work if we switched to CAA? He didn't think so.

Currently, *Inception* has grossed over $24 billion worldwide and has been playing in theaters in the US and Japan for over five months, still steadily earning several million dollars every week. Yesterday, he just received his November revenue share from Huanxin Pictures, another few million dollars. The December payments are also on their way, estimated to be several million more.

To be honest, he's not the son of God, and the Golden Globe Awards aren't run by the CAA, so it's understandable that they didn't nominate him.

Just like before, while most media outlets were optimistic about the momentum of "Inception," they remained skeptical about whether he could be nominated for an Oscar.

This is not prejudice, but reality.

The only surprise this time was that the Golden Globes—an award that is relatively open, more commercial, and more entertainment-oriented—also excluded him from the Best Actor list.

It can only be said that his and Nolan's consecutive successes over the past two years have indeed taken a bite out of the pie for too many people.

The key is that they don't have the "ten years to hone a sword" style like James Cameron, who only sweeps the market once every many years. Instead, they can create a market frenzy every two years and take the cake that belongs to others.

Chen Nuo even saw online discussions about what would happen if Nolan were to collaborate with him on his next film, such as "The Dark Knight Rises," and if they were to have another box office and critical success two years later—where would the other five major Hollywood studios fit in? How would they survive?
So, to be honest, he's very open-minded.

It's just a Golden Globe Award, so what if I got nominated?

What's the point of a nomination if you can't win an award?
Just like Robert Downey Jr.

He was just pretending to be clueless. Of course he knew Downey had been nominated. That was in 2008—the same year he, Chen Nuo, won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. He knew that year's nominees all too well. Downey was nominated for *Iron Man*, but the Best Actor award ultimately went to Daniel Day-Lewis for *There Will Be Blood*. In any case, when it comes to a blockbuster film, the American judges are more willing to give technical awards first, then Best Supporting Actor and Actress. If that's really not enough, they might as well give it a Film Award or a Director Award.

But the best male and female leads?
I'm sorry, but that's absolutely impossible. Nominations are extremely rare.

So, if it's obvious that you can't win it, what's the point of a mere Golden Globe nomination?

To be honest, he can accept things as they are now.

Christopher Nolan's dejected expression at the Oscars four years ago remains vivid in his memory. His conversation with James Cameron at the Vanity Fair party three years ago is even more unforgettable.

For the past few years, he has actually been intentionally avoiding James Cameron in various situations. To put it bluntly, he's feeling guilty. He's afraid that if they meet, he'll be asked, "Hey Chen, you swore you'd avenge Avatar back then, how's the revenge going?"

He really didn't know how to answer.

But this time—on Twitter last night, he saw someone say that Inception's four nominations "marked a breakthrough for science fiction films from the stereotype of 'technological wonders' and their entry into the mainstream awards field of vision."

This is far more important to him than a nomination. At least he won't have to hide anymore. And if he actually wins the award... perhaps James Cameron should be avoiding him, and might even feel he shouldn't have been charged millions of dollars in camera rental fees.

“Okay, Alison, you and I both know that a Golden Globe nomination isn’t really important; I don’t need it. Hmm, what about the Oscars on the 15th of next month? Do I still have a chance?” Chen Nuo said.

The Golden Globe Awards are nothing. She's just a fickle bitch. There's no need to care. As long as you have money and power, she'll naturally fall into your hands.

But missing out on an Oscar nomination would really upset him. The Oscars aren't like a prostitute that money can buy; they're more like a respectable woman. They require patience, late-night talks, and forgiveness after being rejected time and time again… cough, I seem to have said too much.

In short, in Chen Nuo's mind, an Oscar nomination is much more meaningful than a Golden Globe nomination.

He was still somewhat unwilling to give up until the very last moment.

Hearing his question, Allison's expression relaxed slightly, a hint of mockery in her smile, and she said, "Originally, our chances weren't great, but now..."

"Take a look at these."

Allison pulled a few newspapers from her purse and said, “I bought these on my way here this morning: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and the Los Angeles Times. Heh, the Golden Globe coverage is fantastic. I really want to see the faces of those assholes at the Foreign Press Association when they see these reports. Motherfucker’s face must be even more interesting than the newspapers… They’re so wrong, so very wrong! Your performance in Inception was praised by every film critic, and they actually dared to do that!”

Chen Nuo blushed slightly upon hearing this.

Allison sneered, "But perhaps this will be the key to our Oscar ticket."

Chen Nuo took the newspaper from Alison, but before he could even read it, he heard a "splash" from the pool, and a woman suddenly emerged from the water.

After swimming a lap, she finally surfaced and saw Alison at the villa entrance. Gulnazar's expression immediately turned a little flustered. She exclaimed "Ah!" and swam to the poolside in a few seconds. She rushed over in a panic, "I'm sorry, Mr. Chen, I didn't notice the time. I'll go change my clothes right away."

Chen Nuo said, "It's okay, you can continue swimming. You're resting today, so you really don't need to... Never mind, you can go ahead."

“Okay. Hi, Allison.”

Gulnazar greeted them and immediately ran inside.

Looking at the girl's slender back, Chen Nuo could only think that everything has a reason.

A person's good looks aren't due to anything else, but rather to a disciplined lifestyle. Take this person, for example. Every morning from 7 to 8, whether at the hotel or here, they consistently swim for an hour. Over time, how could they not have a good physique?
On the other hand, someone else... hehe.

Thinking of this, Chen Nuo recalled something that had made him somewhat hesitant this morning. He casually placed the newspaper on the coffee table and asked, "Alison, last night I received a message from China..."

The matter wasn't complicated; he explained it in a few words and finally asked, "That's the situation. Do you think I should go?"

Allison thought for a moment and said, "If this gala is really like China's Super Bowl, and can solidify and strengthen your popularity in China, then I don't think you should refuse. However, going to participate in this kind of event and singing to entertain the public is definitely not a good thing for your image."

So, what is your opinion?

"You can be an audience member."

Chen Nuo was speechless.

He understood Allison's idea. In this Canadian's mind, the Spring Festival Gala should be like the Super Bowl, held in a stadium with singing and dancing performances in the center. As an audience member, he would simply be in a VIP box or somewhere else, occasionally being scanned by the cameras.

But actually?
Chen Nuo thought that he might act as a shill for Liu Qian when he was in the audience.

So, forget it.

He picked up the Los Angeles Times from the coffee table again and started reading…
But what he saw at first glance was not the Golden Globe Award, but a photo of him lying on the ground with his right cheek buried in cement.

Allison and he hadn't even discussed this matter at all today. Her sudden appearance in front of him was like a blow to the head.

The Los Angeles Times featured this photo on its front page with a bold, black headline that read in a sarcastic tone:
"The Chinese Theatre is about to become a holy site for Twihards!"

Ps:

I have some family matters to attend to these past few days and need to stay with them, so I'll be working less. Please forgive me.

(End of this chapter)