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

Chapter 498 Glory and Prestige (8000 words!)

"I don't know."

The two Wang brothers hadn't seen each other for a while. Wang Zonglei had only mentioned it casually to chat about gossip, but Wang Zongjun seemed quite interested and immediately laughed, "Brother, what are you worried about? It's been so many years."

Wang Zongjun opened the cigar box on the table, took out a Cuban cigar, and said casually, "How many years have passed? How many years?"

Wang Zonglei casually pulled one out of his cigar box and said nonchalantly, "It's been more than five years."

“It’s been more than five years.” Wang Zongjun lowered his head, took out a cigar cutter from the drawer, gently cut off the seal of the cigar, then picked up a match from the table, lit it with a “hiss”, and then gently swished the cigar over the flame.

When the cigar began to emit wisps of smoke, he took a couple of puffs, exhaled a thin cloud of smoke, and in the smoke, the man's face looked wooden and stiff. "So you think it's all over?"

Wang Zonglei coughed lightly and said, "Brother, to be honest, we still don't know what exactly happened back then. I think it's probably nothing at all. If there were anything real, I think he would have come to our door long ago. There's really no need to think too much about it."

"Do you think he hasn't come to the door yet?" Wang Zongjun said in an extremely calm tone. The "damn it" sounded like he wasn't cursing at all, and his expression didn't change in the slightest.

It has to be said that Wang Zonglei, the CEO of Huayi, has become increasingly unpredictable in his emotions over the years, rarely showing his true feelings. Even Wang Zonglei was somewhat frightened when he saw him like this, and immediately said, "I know, brother, you've really had a tough time at Huayi these past years."

"I know you should stop spouting nonsense. If it were really over, would Huayi's stock price be 2 yuan? What was Wang Changtian compared to us back then? And now? If it weren't for Gangzi's loyalty and unwavering support all these years, you and I might be begging on the streets today! Who is to blame for all of this?"

Wang Zonglei looked somewhat embarrassed, opened his mouth a few times, but couldn't utter a word.

Wang Zongjun glanced at him, then took another puff of his cigar. "I didn't mean to blame you."

Wang Zonglei sighed deeply and said, "Brother, to be honest, I really regret it. If I had known it would turn out like this, I swear, if Fan Bingbing wanted to leave, I would have carried her away in a sedan chair. As for that 800 million yuan termination fee, I would have given her 800 million yuan as a dowry, not to mention taking it."

Wang Zongjun cursed, "What's the point of saying all this now? If I really knew, I would have given away not just one Fan Bingbing, but three Fan Bingbings for free back then. The losses we've suffered over the years can't be made up for even with ten Fan Bingbings. Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore. I just wanted to tell you that although this seems unlikely, you should still remind your friend so that no one actually comes knocking on your door."

“Okay, brother, I got it. But I guess he probably offended someone and is trying to scare me and get something out of me,” Wang Zonglei said.

Wang Zongjun frowned slightly when he saw that the man was distracted.

However, he realized what was happening.

Indeed, nothing has happened for several years. It's unlikely that they would suddenly remember this matter and reopen the investigation. After all, hatred, suspicion, and resentment tend to fade with time. They haven't provoked each other in the past two or three years, so it shouldn't cause any new trouble.

Immediately, Wang Zongjun stopped dwelling on the previous topic and said, "In a few days, I plan to have someone host a banquet in the capital to invite him to dinner. If he comes, you must come too."

"Huh?" Wang Zonglei exclaimed in surprise, "Me?"

"Yes, you must come."

"What am I supposed to do, bro?" Wang Zonglei's face was rather grim. "I don't want to see him."

"You don't want to see him? You caused me all this mess back then, and you didn't clean it up. Do you expect me to clean up your mess?" Wang Zongjun's tone turned cold.

"No, brother, didn't you just say you weren't blaming me?"

"I don't blame you, but you have to follow my instructions."

“That won’t do. I’m so old this year, and that kid is so young. I can’t bow down to him.”

"Can't lower your standards?" Wang Zongjun sneered. "If you don't come, I'll have the finance department stop paying your allowance for extravagant spending every month."

"I..." Wang Zonglei's face stiffened. "Brother, are you really going to force me like this?"

Wang Zongjun said coldly, "It's not me forcing you, Lei Zi, it's the shareholders forcing me. You know how Huayi went public. Now, the shareholders in the company are all ferocious crocodiles. If you feed them, they'll eat you! And I'll be the first one they eat!"

He pointed to his own nose and repeated, "Me!"

Wang Zonglei was somewhat surprised: "Is it that serious?"

Wang Zongjun tapped his cigar next to the ashtray and said slowly, "Isn't it serious? Look, it's been almost half a year since we went public, and Huayi's stock price has been declining every day. Now its market value is less than half of Wang Changtian's Enlight Media."

“I went to a market capitalization management company, and they explained it very clearly to me: our films over the years have been quite good, the box office has been good, and the interim report also shows that our performance is among the top in Chinese film companies. But why is the market capitalization so low? The stock price is stagnant, and institutional investors and big individual investors dare not come in?”

"There's only one reason—everyone in China knows he has a grudge against us! So every time he goes after Harvey, our company's stock price plummets the next day. Tell me, isn't that serious?"

Wang Zonglei exclaimed in astonishment, "I... I'm shocked. Is that true? What does his dealing with Harvey have to do with us?"

Wang Zongjun sneered, "Heh, what do you think it has to do with anything? All the families who have a grudge against him have been made known worldwide by those tabloids. He killed that enemy in France, and now he's going after that enemy in America. Everyone's wondering, when his business focus shifts back to China, won't he come after us? They've hired so many people this year, and even poached some from our company. It looks like they're preparing for a big expansion. Who knows if he'll make a move against us?"

"That's what the market is worried about. If we could beat him, that would be one thing, but now..."

"So, Harvey Weinstein submitting his new film to the Shanghai International Film Festival is, in a way, a sign of weakness. If Harvey is afraid of him, why should we pretend?"

“Last year, I spoke with Liu Yifei at Bazaar, which was a way of putting it in her shoes. This time, I thought that since he could give Harvey’s film Best Picture and Best Actress, we should invite him to dinner. He shouldn’t refuse. We’ll take a step back first, you apologize, and he’ll take another step back. That way, the matter will be over.”

Wang Zonglei said with a worried look, "...Sigh, brother, I really don't want to."

Wang Zongjun said, "Who wants to? You don't want to, and neither do I. But the results of the film festival are out, and I've decided that this matter can't be delayed any longer."

"He became the chairman of the jury, and Wang Changtian and his team's films ended up with nothing. Two Chinese films, and not a single award. No Best Music, no Best Cinematography. And yet, the whole country still sang his praises, saying that if he didn't give them good, wonderful, or outstanding awards, it was all because Chinese cinema was disappointing. But try not giving awards to someone else and see what happens. They'd be cursed out of their wits, believe it or not?"

Wang Zongjun took a puff of his cigar, sighed, and said, "So, if one day he really doesn't understand and comes after our Huayi, who do you think those people online will side with, and who the retail investors in the stock market will side with... Never mind, I won't say anymore."

Wang Zonglei took a drag of his cigarette and said with a worried look, "Brother, you know, Chen Nuo went too far. Isn't he afraid? It's one thing for netizens, ordinary people, and the media to be concerned, but what about the higher-ups? He's probably going to have trouble explaining this to them."

That's how it normally is.

"How to say?"

"Indeed, things have turned out this way, and the leaders must be unhappy. After all, if the higher-ups ask about it, I reckon many of them will be in trouble. Although the media caters to the public and praises him, there are definitely quite a few leaders in the film festival organizing committee who resent him. Although it's unlikely to cause any serious damage, they might plant a nail in his head somewhere and force him to run into it."

Wang Zonglei laughed and said, "That's right, that's how it should be. Hearing that, I finally feel a little better."

Wang Zongjun sighed softly and said, "I'm afraid he might just stumble upon something amazing, and Harvey's film might win Best Picture and Best Actress. Now the higher-ups are probably all secretly wondering if there's something wrong with him. But what if this film wins an Oscar next year?"

"Then the Shanghai International Film Festival will become a place where discerning eyes can spot hidden gems."

"What is the most important thing for a film festival? It is its authority. If it really becomes that, then the image of the Shanghai International Film Festival will be greatly improved."

"If some clever person seizes the opportunity to hype it up, turning the Shanghai International Film Festival into a precursor to the Oscars, along with the Toronto International Film Festival and the Golden Globes, then things will be... different."

"The number and quality of the films in competition this year will be much greater than this year, with him and several Hollywood directors and actresses attracting attention. That's when the film festival will truly become a reputable event."

“Now, those leaders who hate him have to turn around and be grateful to him, even toasting him.”

Wang Zonglei shuddered. "Impossible, right? That kid's thinking that far ahead? And it can't be that coincidental, can it? That movie really will be a hit? An Oscar-winning actress? How old is that actress? I heard she's only 22, younger than that kid. How is that possible?!"

Wang Zongjun said, "I think so too. The possibility is extremely slim. Sigh, I guess I'm just overthinking it. Forget it, let's not think about it too much and just have dinner with him first. Anyway, it's settled then. I'll pass on the message in the next couple of days, and you wait for my news. If he brings Fan Bingbing over too, don't give me a hard time. Just do what you have to do, understand?"

"I heard it, yes, I heard it."

……

……

Chen Nuo hadn't been to his Chaowai SOHO office in Beijing for several months. When he returned this time, he found that there were significantly more people. Originally, only half a floor was a work area, but this time the entire floor was packed with people. He used to recognize about half of his company's employees, but this time, he didn't recognize almost eight out of ten.

"It's all thanks to the housing assistance program you launched, Mr. Chen, that we've had a much easier time recruiting and poaching talent." In the chairman's office, Li Jing sat opposite Chen Nuo and said earnestly, "In our industry, there are only so many talented people, and the turnover is very slow. It's really not easy to recruit experienced people. But this time, when we poured in that 100 million RMB housing fund, the whole industry was stunned. Many people resigned and came to our company. Now everyone is saying that there's no boss in the world as good as you, Mr. Chen."

Chen Nuo was quite pleased to hear this and laughed heartily, "Really?"

Li Jing said, "It's true, I swear to God, many people who have worked in Beijing for many years and still can't afford a house say they want to erect a longevity tablet for you, President Chen. Especially in the last two months, the housing prices in Beijing have changed every day. Everyone says that without President Chen, they probably would never be able to afford a house in their lifetime. Having received such a great favor from the company, they can only work twice as hard for the rest of their lives to repay the company."

Tang Qing, who had just been promoted to deputy general manager, listened to his superior's flattery without showing any disdain. Instead, he showed a look of deep agreement as Li Jing spoke.

Chen Nuo glanced at them, his mood brightening even more. He waved his hand and said in a pretentious tone, "You can't say that. They're just some small things I can do."

Li Jing said, "President Chen, that's our work plan for the second half of this year. Please take a look."

Chen Nuo nodded and took the few pages of A4 paper from Li Jing's hand.

This was also a task entrusted to him by Qi Yuntian. Qi Da was in Hong Kong helping him fulfill his role as the executive producer of "Eagle Catches Chickens," and he had to come back to help Qi Da as the general manager and take a look at the work arrangements for the second half of the year.

What Li Jing gave him were things he had heard of before.

For example, Zhang Xinyu and Li Yu are preparing to start their second collaboration; Zhao Liying is preparing to collaborate with Yu Zheng again; Liu Yifei has finished filming Liu Rushi and has another art film in the pipeline; Ning Hao has finally rested enough and is starting to prepare for a new movie; and Fan Binbing's "The Empress of China" is also on the schedule.

Besides that, there's also a co-production project that the company's newcomers like Yang Zi, Dilraba Dilmurat, Xiao Zhan, and Zhang Yuheng are preparing for in their junior year of college. They're currently selecting scripts. Chen Nuo glanced at the script titles; none of them were familiar, but he didn't plan to get involved.

After all, if he had to manage even such trivial matters, what kind of company would he be running?

The company works for him, not the other way around.

Chen Nuo listened to Li Jing's report absentmindedly, nodding occasionally and saying, "Not bad, not bad... Hmm? Is the company planning to produce a variety show in the second half of the year?"

Li Jing said, "Yes. Youku approached us before because they are now promoting original programs, just like Netflix. However, they don't have much money, so they want to focus on variety shows. Their 'Xiaoshuo,' which they launched in March in collaboration with Gao Xiaosong, had more than a million views in 24 hours. They tasted success with that, so they wanted to collaborate with us to see if we could produce a variety show together. Qi Da, Tang Qing, and I discussed it and felt that the company has grown to a point where we have the manpower and ability to try a new business."

Tang Qing added, "President Chen, I think that although variety shows may seem like a small business right now, their future prospects are very broad..."

Chen Nuo listened attentively, nodding occasionally. After listening, he used his acting skills as an actor to pretend that he didn't understand at all but suddenly realized, and said, "I see. It sounds very good. Let's do it then."

Tang Qing's face immediately lit up with joy, and he said, "Okay, Mr. Chen, we will do our best. We are currently finalizing the format and content, and I will report back to you once we have achieved results."

Chen Nuo smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll wait for your good news. So... is there anything else?"

Li Jing said, "The company matters are settled, there's only one thing I need to tell you. In a few days, Tangren's 'Heaven's Scar' will be broadcast on Hunan TV. They've been hyping it up online a lot lately, and there are many parts involving you. Our lawyer has already contacted them, but their reply is, 'Mr. Chen, you agree?'"

Chen Nuo nodded and said, "That's true."

Tang Qing chimed in, "President Qi said the same thing, so I knew it must be true."

Chen Nuo smiled and said, "Alright, is there nothing else? Then that's it, I'll be going now."

Li Jing said, "Okay, Mr. Chen, take care."

Tang Qing said, "Take care, Mr. Chen, and have a pleasant trip back to school."

Chen Nuo laughed and said, "Thank you. Bye-bye."

……

There was a ding.

The elevator door is closed.

Chen Nuo disappeared before their eyes with Linghu and Gulnazar, leaving only Li Jing, Tang Qing, and some employees who had come to see their boss off.

"Alright, everyone go back now," Li Jing said calmly.

As soon as he finished speaking, the others scattered. "Mr. Tang, wait a moment."

Tang Qing slammed on the brakes and turned around, saying, "Yes, Mr. Li. What's the matter?"

Li Jing smiled faintly and said, "President Tang, you've become more and more eloquent lately. Please teach me more in the future."

Tang Qing laughed and said, "Not at all, I'm the one who needs to learn from President Li."

"Hmph." Li Jing snorted and turned to leave.

Tang Qing's expression was indifferent as she walked in another direction.

As they walked, his secretary muttered complaints in a low voice, saying that General Manager Li's temper was getting worse and worse.

However, Tang Qing remained silent with a gloomy face. He secretly disapproved: after being promoted to vice president, he immediately distanced himself from Li Jing at work, subtly starting to compete with her.

If things weren't like this, and if he and Li Jing, the two top executives managing the company's daily operations, were getting along well, then both of them would probably face utter disaster.

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; this is no exaggeration.

……

……

Many departments at the film academy had already started their summer break, but the remaining students who hadn't were shocked by a sudden piece of news a few days earlier.

A senior student who was serving as the chairman of the jury at a film festival in Shanghai yesterday will be coming to the school this afternoon.

A live event will be held where Principal Zheng Zhongjian will personally present him with the Beijing Film Academy's Academy Award and appoint him as an honorary professor of the academy.

The news came completely out of the blue. First and second-year performing arts students, who had just finished their exams and were about to leave for home, immediately either cancelled their tickets or changed theirs. Even some students who had already gone home bought plane tickets and rushed back after hearing the news.

On June 27th, although the event was scheduled to start at 6 PM, the Beijing Film Academy auditorium was already packed with people before 1 PM. Seats, floors, and aisles were filled with students sitting and standing.

Why the rush? And why choose this holiday period? The leaked information is that the school learned that they either had to do it now or probably wouldn't be able to until next year, and clearly the school didn't want to wait any longer.

The Academy Award, presented this time, was originally established in 1992 and awarded to outstanding alumnus Zhang Yimou for his film "Red Sorghum." It remained dormant for a period of 20 years before being reinstated. The reason is obvious: the Film Academy recently has an outstanding alumnus whose achievements rival Zhang Yimou's, and who is even more difficult to deal with—he left the academy several years ago and has never returned.

They claim they don't want to disturb the students' learning, but who knows what they're really thinking?

Therefore, the leaders of the film academy had to dig out the award from the old archives in an attempt to strengthen the relationship. Otherwise, in recent years, the relationship between the academy and this person has obviously become distant. He has stood on the podium several times in the past two years, but he has never mentioned the school's name again.

This is not okay.

At 3 p.m., when a red-haired man appeared on stage with a beaming smile, surrounded by leaders of the Beijing Film Academy whom they rarely see, the auditorium erupted in thunderous applause.

"Brother!"

"Senior Brother Chen Nuo!"

"Nono!"

"Senior, we love you!"

Various shouts rose and fell, forcing Chen Nuo to wave frequently to those below.

At this moment, he was also a little excited.

Actually, he wasn't keen on coming before, precisely because he knew that arriving here would definitely evoke some emotions in him. After all, university held extraordinary significance for him.

However, Zheng Zhongjian called Li Er and offered him some kind of academic award, which Li Er found hard to refuse, so he came as soon as he returned to Beijing.

Sitting on the platform, Chen Nuo's red hair and the red cloth in front of him complemented each other perfectly.

The vice principal stood in front of the podium and gave a speech, which was basically an introduction to Chen Nuo's resume. He spoke in a very flowery manner, but he hardly listened to anything. His eyes were fixed on the young faces in the audience.

Li Er retired and resolutely refused to be rehired because the film academy's admissions process has become increasingly "physical" in recent years. Otherwise, how could an actress like Dilraba Dilmurat have been admitted? The disadvantages are obvious, but what are the advantages?

He had some feelings about this when he returned to school last time, but this time, the feelings were even more profound.

It really is a huge group of handsome men and beautiful women.

The vice principal's voice echoed in the auditorium.

"...In recognition of the outstanding performance of our 05 acting class alumnus Chen Nuo in 'Inception,' the school leadership has decided to award him the Second Film Academy Award for Best Film Performance. Following the award, his work and name will be engraved on the award monument at the school's pyramid..."

"Now, please welcome our award presenter, director Zhang Yimou, an alumnus of the 78 class of the Beijing Film Academy, to present the award to Chen Nuo."

When a crew-cut old man suddenly walked out from backstage with a big smile.

At this moment, the applause, cheers, and screams in the auditorium were so loud they almost lifted the ceiling.

Why are students from the Beijing Film Academy increasingly popular in the domestic film and television market? Why are students from the Beijing Film Academy so confident in recent years? Why has the Beijing Film Academy, rather than the Central Academy of Drama, been the top choice for art students in China since 05?

The two men on stage are the answer.

Zhang Yimou, Chen Nuo.

The former represents past glories, while the latter represents the present and future.

When these two prides of Beijing Film Academy stand together on this stage at this moment, how can it not be exciting?
Chen Nuo was quite surprised. He thought Zheng Zhongjian would be there to present him with the award, but he didn't expect the Film Academy to have invited Director Zhang.

"What brings you here?" Chen Nuo asked with a smile as she accepted the bouquet and certificate of honor from Zhang Yimou.

Director Zhang smiled broadly, his face crinkling with wrinkles. "Ignore everything else, but since you asked me to present you with this award, I absolutely have to come."

"Thank you."

Chen Nuo gave Director Zhang a heartfelt hug.

Regardless of what later generations say about Zhang Yimou—whether they say he abused his power or had many children—there's really nothing to say about him. He's similar to Wong Kar-wai.

So, it seems a director's skill level really is linked to their character.

Chen Nuo sighed silently to himself, then walked to the microphone on the awards stage, paused for a moment, and said, "I am truly excited to be here today. I remember, just three years ago, I was in almost the same spot giving my graduation speech. Returning to this place, I feel that no words can describe my feelings, especially holding this honor bestowed upon me by the school. I can only say that I am unworthy of it..."

Facing his juniors, Chen Nuo couldn't offer any grand pronouncements or empty words. He simply shared his feelings, expressed his gratitude to the leaders, and then bowed to conclude the meeting. After all, he had thoroughly offended the leaders of the Shanghai International Film Festival this time, not to mention those from his own school.

Next came the presentation of honorary professorship certificates.

A 26-year-old professor sounds ridiculous. Chen Nuo knew he didn't have the ability and was initially unwilling to accept the offer, but Li Er persuaded him.

Although Professor Li has retired, his heart is truly with the Film Academy. We hope he can come back sometime to give a lecture to his juniors. Chen Nuo laughed when he heard this, but Professor Li got angry, leaving him no choice but to agree.

Holding the certificates with Principal Zheng, we faced the spotlight, and the award ceremony was almost over.

However, having organized such a grand event, the film academy certainly wouldn't let him stop there and go home.

The first part is the Q&A session.

The host laughed and said, "Now that Professor Chen and Director Zhang have returned to the school today and are reuniting with so many of our juniors, I believe many of you have questions you want to ask them. Am I right?"

"Correct."

The host, who changed his tune so quickly, turned around and smiled, "Then let's ask Professor Chen, Professor Chen, Director Zhang, is that alright?"

Zhang Yimou nodded with a smile.

These were all good words, so Chen Nuo naturally replied, "No problem."

"Alright, let's begin now. Students who have questions, please raise your hands."

The first person the host called on was a short-haired girl. After introducing herself, she said she was a freshman majoring in acting and her name was Gong Tian. Holding the microphone, the girl asked confidently, "I'd like to ask Senior Chen Nuo, we all know that when filming, you need to truly hear, see, and feel. In that respect, it's easy to immerse yourself in the role and develop emotions you didn't have before. Senior Chen Nuo, have you ever developed feelings for someone you were working with?"

Wow!
The entire audience erupted in uproar.

The leaders on the podium, as well as Zhang Yimou, all laughed.

Chen Nuo smiled and said into the microphone, "If I were facing reporters, I would definitely say no. But here today, I don't want to lie. Yes, it happened."

This caused a huge uproar, with thousands of people applauding and whispering among themselves.

Once the applause subsided a bit, the girl followed up with, "Did you develop feelings for the actress? Or did the actress develop those feelings for you?"

Chen Nuo smiled and said, "Is it necessary to ask such detailed questions?"

The girl stuck out her tongue shyly.

Chen Nuo said, "They should both. Are you going to ask who it is? My answer is, it's not Nini." After saying that, he turned to look at Zhang Yimou.

"Hahahahaha."

The students in the audience certainly knew that during the filming of "The Flowers of War," the rumors about Nini and him were heavily publicized by the mainland media. However, they did not know that it was Zhang Weiping's doing and thought he was joking with Zhang Yimou.

Zhang Yimou also laughed.

The host then selected another boy.

"Hello Chen Nuo, I'd like to ask, among the actresses you've worked with, who do you think is the most beautiful?"

"Hahahaha." Everyone laughed again.

Chen Nuo smiled and said, "That depends on which play and which role I'm in."

One question after another came from different students, and Chen Nuo truly answered every single one.

Which character left the deepest impression on you?

"It's hard to say. I feel that every role I've played has left a deep impression on me."

"What do you think is the most important thing for an actor?"

"Life experience. I think you need to have life experiences to be an actor. At least that's how it is for me. You have to have loved, hated, cried, laughed, been troubled, been proud, been disappointed, faced challenges, been confused, been strong, and been weak. I think only by experiencing these things can you become a good actor."

When he recited those parallel words, the entire room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone's eyes were on him, especially the handsome men and beautiful women from the performing arts department, who all wore thoughtful, mesmerized expressions.

After he finished speaking, Zhang Yimou suddenly spoke into the microphone: "I want to say something here. There may have been some reports in the media, but they weren't very clear. Now I can tell you definitively that Chen Nuo, your senior, has always spent time immersing himself in the life and society of every character he's been given since his debut, experiencing their daily life, joys, and sorrows. This is unique among all the actors I've met. Especially considering his current achievements, it's even more remarkable. Okay, I'm done. Please continue."

(End of this chapter)