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

Chapter 481 contains only one word.

Amid the applause, it was clear that the Frenchman was incredibly excited. He first covered his forehead and laughed in disbelief, then jumped up from his seat, hugged and kissed his companion tightly, and even gave the artist director a big cheek kiss.

He then walked toward the podium, smiling as he went, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

At that moment, Chen Nuo could sense out of the corner of his eye that Liu Yifei was looking at him.

However, the cameraman was capturing close-ups of his face, and he didn't have time to turn his face to talk to the woman.

He had to keep smiling and clapping to show good manners.

At this time, you must not have any unnecessary emotions.

Not only him, but also George Clooney and Gary Oldman were all the same. They switched from one to another on the big screen, and their expressions and movements were exactly the same as his.

Except for Leonardo DiCaprio.

Leonardo DiCaprio must be the one who's feeling the most uncomfortable.

The smile on his face was so faint it was almost imperceptible, and his clapping could be described as perfunctory. His blue eyes were fixed intently on the stage, as if he were studying something carefully.

What we study is, of course, why we fail.

Seeing this, Chen Nuo couldn't help but feel a little guilty. It was he who had encouraged Leonardo DiCaprio to compete with "The Artist" magazine. As the saying goes, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. If he hadn't put in so much effort, he certainly wouldn't be feeling so sad right now.

Dujardin walked onto the stage, kissed Natalie Portman on the cheek, accepted the trophy, and then went to the microphone to give his acceptance speech in slightly French-accented English.

At this point, Chen Nuo and Liu Yifei could speak.

The girl held his hand tightly; her fingers were slightly cool but very soft and felt comfortable to touch.

However, before Liu Yifei could speak, Woody Allen next to her suddenly leaned forward slightly and said to him, "Chen, if I could vote, my vote would definitely be for you."

Chen Nuo paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Haha, thank you for your comfort, Woody, thank you."

Woody Allen shook his head and said, "I've been following you since 'My Blueberry Nights,' Chen. You definitely have the ability to win an Oscar for Best Actor. Your performance in 'Inception' was absolutely underrated. But this year isn't yours. One reason is that your films were too successful at the box office, and the other is because of your fame. If a superstar wants to win an Oscar, I have to say, it's ten times harder than it is for Adrien Brody or Daniel Day-Lewis. You need to be prepared for that."

During Dujardin's remarks, the white-haired old director spoke slowly and deliberately. To show respect, Chen Nuo turned his body to the side, and from the front, he was almost pressing down on Liu Yifei. The woman's fragrance wafted into his nose.

After Woody Allen finished speaking, and Dujardin also gave his acceptance speech, he and Natalie Portman left the stage. At this point, the live television broadcast entered a commercial break, which was also the studio's intermission.

Chen Nuo looked into the old man's gray eyes and said earnestly, "Thank you, Woody, I understand."

Woody Allen chuckled, sat up straight, and turned to talk to his wife beside him.

Chen Nuo sat back down.

Then someone patted him on the shoulder and said, "Xiao Chen, it's okay. Next time, you'll definitely do it. Just say what you want to film, no matter how much it costs."

He raised his voice and repeated, "No matter how much it costs, I'm telling you right now, Hengdian Group will definitely invest. No matter how much this art film, this award-contending film, loses in the market, it doesn't matter. We will definitely help you win that Oscar for Best Actor."

Chen Nuo turned to look at the somewhat excited Chairman Xu and said with a smile, "Okay, thank you, Chairman Xu. I'll come to you then."

"Definitely." Chairman Xu patted his shoulder firmly and sat back down.

At this moment, Liu Yifei leaned closer to him and whispered, "I think so too."

"What do you think?"

"I think Mr. Xu and Director Allen are both right."

"Is it."

"Of course, Director Allen has been in Hollywood for decades, he certainly wouldn't talk nonsense. It's just that you're too famous now, you have to endure more setbacks. Look at Leonardo DiCaprio, he was almost in tears. But you acted better than him, if it doesn't work this time, then try again in a few years..."

Chen Nuo leaned back in his chair, listening to Liu Yifei speak, but his gaze fell on her fair, slightly bluish earlobes.

At this moment, Liu Yifei leaned towards him, quite close, her ear only a few centimeters from his mouth. He suddenly felt playful and gently blew a breath into her mouth.

Liu Yifei stopped speaking abruptly, as if she had been electrocuted. She shrank her neck, turned her head quickly, and stared at him with wide eyes. In that brief moment, her face turned red, as if covered with a thin layer of rosy clouds.

Chen Nuo asked, "What's wrong?"

Liu Yifei looked around and whispered, "What are you doing?"

Seeing the woman's shy demeanor, Chen Nuo suddenly felt a flutter in his lower abdomen. He couldn't help but chuckle, beckoned to Liu Yifei with his finger, and said, "Come here, I need to talk to you about something."

Liu Yifei frowned, looked at him for a while, and finally reluctantly leaned her head closer.

Chen Nuo brought his mouth close to her ear and said, "Do you want to...?"

After saying those two sentences, Liu Yifei reacted as if she had heard some ancient myth. She suddenly pulled away from him, staring at him with disbelief in her eyes, and stammered, "What did you say? How... how could this be! The awards ceremony is still going on."

Liu Yifei said that, but Chen Nuo is a man, and the two have been dating for several years. As soon as he saw Qianqian's expression, he knew that things were going well.

Indeed, now is not the time. Although he did not win Best Actor as expected and no miracle occurred, the remaining two awards, Best Director and Best Film, have not yet been announced, so they still have hope.

Actually, in his experience, the best and easiest time to avoid being noticed is when...

Thinking of this, Chen Nuo lowered his voice a little and said, "I said, if... then..."

As Liu Yifei listened, her eyes widened involuntarily.

……

……

The penultimate award, Best Director, was presented by Michael Douglas.

This is the son of Kirk Douglas, the Hollywood legend who presented an award when Chen Nuo hosted the Oscars last time, even though he was over 90 years old.

Like his father, Michael Douglas has had an extremely successful career. He is currently a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Actor. He is almost 70 years old, with a full head of white hair, still handsome and debonair.

Holding the envelope, he emerged from backstage, stood by the microphone, and began, "Oscar-winning director Leo McCurry once went to a bank to borrow some money to make a film. The bank teller looked him over and said, 'I know the cinematographer is responsible for shooting, the actors for acting, and the screenwriter for writing the script, so what does the director do?'"

After a pause, Michael Douglas smiled and continued, "Leo was silent for a moment, and then went to another bank."

Although Chen Nuo was a little nervous at this moment, he was still amused by the little joke and laughed out loud.

He planned to write it down and tell Wang Jiawei when he returned to Hong Kong.

Amid the laughter, Michael Douglas became serious and said, "In fact, directors are a group of people who are willing to give their all for a vision. The following five are dreamers nominated for their exemplary works. Here are the nominees for Best Director—"

Michael Hazanavicius, "The Artist".

Alexander Payne, The Descendants.

Martin Scorsese's *Hugo*.

Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris".

Christopher Nolan's *Inception*.

The screen then displays scenes of the male or female lead of each film introducing the film's director.

This time, perhaps considering that Chen Nuo had already appeared in the first two short films, the Oscars arranged for someone to introduce Nolan not to be him, but to be Nolan's fellow Briton, Keira Knightley.

After Kayla finished her introduction, Michael Douglas slowly opened the envelope in his hand and read aloud: "Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris."

"I rely on!"

Chen Nuo blurted it out subconsciously, thankfully it was in Chinese and no one could understand it.

He turned his head and saw Woody Allen staring wide-eyed, completely stunned, as if he hadn't reacted at all. After a couple of seconds, he suddenly stood up and hugged his wife tightly, his face full of excitement.

Amid applause from the audience, Chen Nuo and Liu Yifei stood up, clapping and making way for each other.

Although it wasn't Nolan who won the award, at least it wasn't "The Artist," so it's still a good result.

"Congratulations, director," Liu Yifei said with a smile.

"Thank you."

Woody Allen gave her a quick hug, then walked over to Chen Nuo and hugged him back with a smile.

"Congratulations."

"thanks, thanks."

The scene made it seem as if the two of them were members of the cast of "Midnight in Paris".

After sitting down, Liu Yifei's face flushed with excitement as she whispered, "Wow, it's director Allen who won! Did you know? The last time he won the Oscar for Best Director was in 1978, 34 years ago! That's so rare."

As she said, Woody Allen was truly unprepared this time, unlike Jean Dujardin, who had prepared several notes and seemed determined to win.

After Woody Allen took the stage and received the trophy from Michael Douglas, he looked around the audience and his first words were neither to thank the Oscars, nor to thank the studio and producers, but rather:
"I think it was God's will that arranged my seat next to Chen tonight, allowing me to borrow his luck in winning the award. His empty hands tonight were a way to make my own comeback."

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha……"

The entire audience burst into laughter.

The camera didn't go far, and the lens was pointed precisely at Chen Nuo.

And what could he do?
All I can do is laugh.

After laughing, Woody Allen calmed down and began the formal thank-you segment.

Chen Nuo couldn't help but look into the distance, just as Nolan was looking over. Their gazes met in mid-air through a gap in the hall, just through a few hundred people. To say they could see anything clearly would be an exaggeration; it was more like Chen Nuo's own imagination.

But he could clearly sense a hint of sadness and helplessness in Nolan's eyes.

The Oscars, what an irony.

I thought that a few years had changed everything, but in the end, the ending of this grand event was exactly the same as five years ago.

Before they arrived, they were full of enthusiasm and confidence, as if the whole world was watching them. They entered the hall in full armor, riding the wind and clouds, high-spirited and arrogant, as if the moment they stepped onto the red carpet, it was "I came, I saw, I conquered".

The results of it?
All we got were scraps and bits.

According to Chen Nuo, Warner Bros. really invested heavily this time, including various test screenings, jury guidance, film critic and media relations, and offline interviews.

They did what Harvey Weinstein could do. They did what other film companies could do.

But what about Sony, the company responsible for Woody Allen's public relations? It sounds like they did almost nothing. Woody Allen barely made any public appearances throughout the awards season, with virtually no promotion.

In the end, however, the award went to him.

Sometimes I think about it, winning an Oscar is really fucking mysterious. Promises, positive reviews at screenings, preferences in interviews, none of it matters.

Could it be that Woody Allen really did steal his luck tonight?
After his rebirth, Chen Nuo could hardly be considered a pure materialist.

At this point, he began to have some doubts.

At this moment, just as puzzled as Chen Nuo was the shrewd and calculating Harvey Weinstein.

"The Oscars 34 years ago were different from today. Back then, I was much younger... Time flies, and now I feel like I'm in the movie, only I've traveled to the future..."

On stage, Woody Allen, like a poet, passionately recounted his feelings about winning the Oscar for Best Director again after more than thirty years. Meanwhile, Harvey, sitting in the front row, couldn't help but glance at the French director Michael Hazanavicius beside him—his face, which should have been beaming with pride, was now as somber as a blackened iron plate.

Harvey wasn't in a much better mood either.

In his vision, the ideal script for this year's Oscars was one he conceived and directed himself: with "The Artist" and "The Iron Lady," The Weinstein Company would sweep the four most prestigious awards that night—Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture—in an absolutely overwhelming manner, making everyone realize once again:
Want to win an Oscar? Want your name to be associated with that heavy little golden statuette? Want your movie's DVD to be a global bestseller? Then you only have one choice: work with Harvey Weinstein.

As a result, the male and female leads got what they wanted, but the Best Director award unexpectedly went to Woody Allen, who no one seemed to care much about.

However, Harvey is a veteran of the Oscars, and after the initial surprise and disappointment, he quickly readjusted his emotions.

After all, he knew very well that although he had cultivated a complex network of contacts among the thousands of members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences through his years of deep-rooted relationships, and had a number of influential "vote banks" and the promises he could secure might be more real and reliable than those of other film companies, it was only a 60% advantage over a 40% advantage, not a 100% guarantee of victory.

More importantly, this year's awards season has been disrupted by a variable.

Leonardo DiCaprio.

This guy unexpectedly poured money and resources into the project, fervently campaigning for his starring role in "J. Edgar," forcing Harvey to allocate more energy and budget to it. He invested heavily in the Best Actor award, resulting in a slight compromise in the Best Director award.

Perhaps it was precisely this "small" allocation of resources that allowed Woody Allen to easily reap this benefit.

But the Best Picture award is different.

Harvey dared not make the slightest mistake when it came to this award.

He poured all his resources into organizing test screenings, visiting Academy members, mobilizing media for publicity, and orchestrating awards season public relations. Every step of the promotion for "The Artist" was executed almost perfectly. Coupled with the film's own high artistic quality and retro charm, Harvey knew very well that he had only one goal:
It is inevitable to win.

From a business perspective, if "Best Actress" boosts a film's box office or DVD sales by 30%, then "Best Actor" boosts it by 50%, while "Best Director" might contribute between 30% and 50%...

but--

The value of "Best Picture" is at least 100%.

In terms of both long-term commercial returns and the enhancement of the entire film brand, there is no doubt that Best Picture is the true crown jewel of the Oscars.

This is the real battle that The Weinstein Company is determined to win tonight.

……

……

“There’s one last one,” Billy Crystal smiled. “Next, let’s welcome the presenter for Best Picture. He’s been a movie star since he was 19. Now, please welcome the man who has spent his whole life making the impossible possible.”

Tom Cruise.

Introduced by Bill, Tom Cruise, the last presenter of the evening, walked in from backstage with a relaxed and cheerful gait.

Tom Cruise, still in his prime, remains as handsome as ever. Stepping onto the stage, he exuded coolness and said, "Tonight is a celebration of film. Watching a movie on the big screen and sharing the fun with hundreds of people. There are just so many reasons why we love movies."

There are nine here.

Descendants, Help, Hugo, Inception, War Horse, Very Loud, Very Close, The Artist, The Tree of Life, Midnight in Paris.

As the music begins, the editor's meticulously crafted short film starts playing. Nine distinct film clips are edited together into a smooth "dream narrative," resembling a convergence of cinematic universes, telling a dream about memory, family, courage, and love.

Chen Nuo also saw his own face, which appeared there once again.

Very quickly, in just two seconds, it was a scene where he frowned, his eyes filled with panic and heaviness, as Keira Knightley lay down on the train tracks, preparing to commit suicide and escape her dream.

He was staring blankly at the screen, lost in thought, when suddenly a soft voice came from beside him: "You know what? I'm so proud of you."

Chen Nuo twitched her lips and turned to look. She saw Liu Yifei's clear, bright eyes right in front of her.

The two looked at each other.

Then Chen Nuo smiled, revealing a set of white teeth.

At that moment, the anxiety and heaviness in his heart vanished instantly. He suddenly realized that the outcome was no longer so important.

His lips moved, and he silently uttered two words.

Then, he looked away and turned his gaze back to the stage.

The film ended, and the entire audience erupted in applause.

Tom Cruise slowly picked up the gold envelope in his hand. As he opened it, he said, "Congratulations on these nine excellent films."

Then he began to open the envelope in his hand, saying as he did so, "And the Oscar winner is—"

At that moment, the cardboard in the envelope seemed to be stuck, and he tried to tear it open with force.

Harvey Weinstein's heart was pounding in his chest at that moment.

Artist Artist Artist Artist...

He silently repeated it countless times in his mind, his eyes fixed on Tom Cruise's mouth, wishing he could rush up and personally drag the word "artist" out of his mouth.

Hurry up and say it! Tell me, hurry up and say it! Artist, ARTIST, you motherfucker sissy! Speak up! You @%@#￥@￥! You bastard!
Whether it was because he heard Tom Cruise's furious outbursts or not, he got angry on stage and simply tore open the envelope and took out the card inside.

At that moment, the entire stadium fell silent; everyone in the audience held their breath. The viewers watching on television did the same.

Then, Tom Cruise looked at the gold card and said the movie title.

There is only one word.

Of the nine films nominated for Best Picture today, three have titles consisting of only one word: *Hugo*, *Artist*, and—

Tom Cruise looked at the card he had finally gotten his hands on and pronounced "I" very clearly, not with an open vowel like "A" or "H"—

"Inception"

He said.

The words fell.

boom! ! ! ! !
The applause was thunderous.

Chen Nuo's mind went completely blank.

Just a moment ago, he was laughing at Woody Allen's loss of composure, but now—

Who is he? Where is he? What is he doing?
"Wow!!!"

Liu Yifei's scream rang in his ears, instantly pulling him back to reality from his daze.

He straightened his suit collar and stood up from his seat.

First, he looked in Nolan's direction—there, the blond British man had stood up, his back to him, embracing his wife tightly.

Chen Nuo took a deep breath.

Ok.

Turning my gaze back, I saw Liu Yifei beside me, her face glowing with surprise and excitement, like a little sparrow flying out of a flower garden.

He didn't think much about it, nor did he prepare in advance; he just wanted to do it at that moment, so he did it.

He raised his hands and gently cupped Liu Yifei's face, squeezing her pretty face until it was slightly distorted, and her little mouth pouted.

The next second, he lowered his head and leaned closer, pressing his lips heavily against hers—

He gave her a quick kiss on her soft, plump lips.

Ps:

Asking for a monthly ticket!
(End of this chapter)