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

Chapter 522 The 69th Venice Film Festival Awards Ceremony

On September 8, 2012, the 9th Venice Film Festival awards ceremony was held as scheduled.

The weather in Venice was perfect that day, with clear skies and a comfortable temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius, making the already beautiful island even more stunning.

In the past, celebrities who attended the opening ceremony rarely attended the closing ceremony if they were not participants in the main competition.

However, Lido Island still shines brightly today.

Italian national television once again sent 14-year-old model and part-time host Victoria Celetti to host the red carpet. At this moment, this sunny young beauty was holding a microphone and interviewing one of Italy's most famous movie stars, Monica Bellucci.

"Monica, what has drawn you back to the awards ceremony today?"

"Firstly, it's because I'm currently on vacation and have plenty of time to myself. Secondly, it's because I've seen a lot of films at this film festival, and I wanted to be there to see if they would win any awards. Finally, my friend Chan might have a chance to win Best Actor, and I wanted to be there to congratulate him as soon as possible."

"So, it sounds like you're more inclined to let the Waterdrop win Best Actor, between the Master and the Waterdrop?"

“I can’t say that. Although I haven’t seen it yet, I’ve heard that Joaquín and Philippe’s performances were also exceptional. I’m just glad I’m not a judge and I don’t have to make a choice, because it’s really, really difficult. But it’s precisely because of this unprecedentedly fierce competition that Venice has gained worldwide attention during this period. As an Italian, I’m really happy, and I want them to lift the trophy together.”

In the control room of RAI Movie Channel,
RAI Cinema Executive Vice President Conti Colonna arrived early this time and stood with Giovanni Bianchi. When he heard Monica Bellucci say this during the live broadcast, he couldn't help but laugh and said, "If they really let all three of them win an award, then the Venice Film Festival is completely doomed... Giovanni, I hope there won't be any problems with the live broadcast this time. You've checked everything, right?"

Giovanni Bianchi said with a serious expression, "Yes, I promise."

"That's good. Otherwise, I think you would have become the second Italian to be publicly hanged after Mussolini. I would have tied the noose around your neck myself, I swear."

"...Conte, could you use a different analogy?"

"No. Come to think of it, I haven't asked you yet, who do you support? Chen or Harvey?"

"Uh, I haven't seen the movie, I don't know."

"You're such a boring person, Giovanni. Alright, Chen's coming soon, tell everyone to perk up!"

Less than five minutes after Conte Colonna finished speaking, Chen Nuo's special, covered giant speedboat—or rather, small cruise ship—slowly entered the port of Lido Island.

This time, his attendance at the awards ceremony was a much larger affair than in the past.

Not only did he bring his two children, but Pan Chengrong and Chen Bicheng also attended the event, dressed up in their finest attire, and walked the red carpet with him.

Harry Winston really went all out to please the mother of his brand ambassador this time. As soon as they learned that Chen Nuo's parents would be attending the film festival awards ceremony, they opened the vault at the New York headquarters and took out a diamond necklace called "The Queen's Heart," which is set with more than 200 top-quality D-color flawless diamonds and is worth more than $1 million.

To this end, a security team of more than ten people was specially dispatched to charter a plane from afar to escort the jewelry directly to Venice, and even escorted the group all the way to the red carpet.

Pan Chengrong and Chen Bicheng, this middle-aged couple from Long'an, probably never imagined that one day they would be showing their photogenic smiles under countless spotlights in Venice.

Before this, Chen Nuo was a little worried.

Chen Bicheng was alright, after all, he had attended many opening ceremonies and even spoke on them. But his mother was different. Except for smiling happily when she won at mahjong, she was quite serious at other times.

Unexpectedly, the diamond necklace transformed the 40-something woman from Xichuan into an elegant and dignified figure, her smile radiant and generous. And how ugly could his mother possibly be? Although she had gained a little weight in recent years compared to her thirties, she had always lived a life of luxury. Standing on the red carpet between two men, one old and one young, her presence was that of a world-renowned star. On the other hand, his good-for-nothing father, usually so boastful, blushed and became utterly pathetic when actually on the red carpet.

Pan Chengrong and Chen Bicheng did not linger. Soon, led by staff, they took Pan Shouyi and Chen Duling into the cinema, leaving him to be interviewed in the interview area.

"Chen, were those your parents just now? They came here specifically to attend the awards ceremony, right?"

"Yes."

What are their impressions of Venice?

"They all thought it was beautiful, liked it very much, and wanted to stay longer."

Victoria Celetti smiled sweetly and said, "Do they want you to win an award? We all know that it is very likely that you will take home the Volpi Trophy today and become the first person since Sean Penn to win the Best Actor award at all three major European awards at the same time. And you are only 26 years old. Such an achievement is undoubtedly something they should be proud of."

Chen Nuo chuckled at the childish question and said, "Of course they want me to win the award; they are my parents."

Victoria Celetti clearly realized her question was a bit silly, blushed slightly, and quickly added, "I mean, they should know about the arguments you've had with the other two male leads lately. What do they think? And what do you think? Can you share your thoughts?"

“My parents don’t know much about film; they just wanted me to have a good result today. As for me… I have great respect for Philippe and Joaquin; they are undoubtedly the strongest rivals I’ve ever faced. Their performances in ‘The Master’ are the most exquisite and wonderful performances I’ve ever seen. I feel that whoever wins the award today deserves it.”

In fact, that was exactly what Chen Nuo was thinking at that moment.

But when the host said the next sentence, his thoughts immediately changed.

"You know, Mr. Harvey Weinstein is also here at the awards ceremony today, obviously to support 'The Master.' Is there anything you'd like to say to him?"

Chen Nuo was taken aback: "Harvey is here?"

Victoria Celetti nodded: "Yes."

Chen Nuo said slowly, "Okay, I just heard the news... Let me think. Hmm, I do have something I want to say to him, it's very short."

As he spoke, he looked directly into the camera and said, word by word, "You shouldn't have come, Harvey."

……

……

Breaking news: On the final day of the Venice Film Festival, on the red carpet of the awards ceremony, Chen once again threw a straight punch at Harvey Weinstein. He said, "You shouldn't have come, Harvey." Stay tuned to TMZ for the latest news from the Venice Film Festival and Chen's awards. We will bring you firsthand reports from Venice. <Click here for video details>

It's not just TMZ that's paying attention to this gossip.

Who can blame us when the entertainment industry around the world has been so incredibly boring lately?

Perhaps in China, there's also the case of Zhang Weiping, CEO of New Pictures, who suddenly announced via online media that he was parting ways with renowned director Zhang Yimou, whom he had known for 20 years and collaborated with for 16. On September 4th, he issued lawyer's letters through several major portal websites, harshly criticizing Zhang Yimou.

So, apart from the British royal family announcing that Prince William would be visiting Southeast Asia with the royal family and Madonna's world tour being temporarily canceled in Australia due to a technical glitch, there really isn't much big news to report worldwide.

As a result, when Chen Nuo said this, thousands of related posts appeared on Twitter in less than ten minutes, and #YouShouldntHaveCome quickly became a trending hashtag worldwide.

Many bored netizens, as if celebrating Christmas, excitedly commented on this on Twitter.

"Oh my god, Chen Nuo just told Harvey to go home in front of the whole world."

"Regardless of who wins the Volpi Cup tonight, when Chen said those words, he had already won."

"It's rare for Chinese people to target someone so fiercely. If they do, then you'd better think about what you did wrong. I'm talking about you, Harvey Weinstein."

"I really want to see Harvey's expression right now... I'd pay to watch it live, I mean it!"

"Ahaha, it reminds me of the Oscars that year. I'm going to go watch the replay on YouTube right now."

"When I saw Chen say that, my first thought was that it was a bit rude, but then I looked again, wait, he's talking about Harvey? The biggest sexual harasser in Hollywood? Chen, well done!"

In the internet age, the speed at which a single sentence can spread is sometimes equivalent to the speed of light.

In fact, Harvey Weinstein heard about it less than 10 minutes after Chen Nuo finished speaking on the red carpet.

He was already seated in a chair at the cinema. When he heard his assistant whisper something in his ear, he paused for a moment and asked, "Did he really say that?"

The assistant nodded and said, "Yes."

Bob Weinstein, standing nearby, asked curiously, "What's up?"

The assistant glanced at Harvey's face and thought that although it looked a bit ugly, it wasn't as furious as he had imagined, so he repeated the information he had just received.

Bob laughed when he heard this: "It seems our little one is very confident tonight."

Harvey burst out laughing and said, "Obviously, he thinks he's already won."

"But what will his expression be if he finds out he lost in the end?"

"I guess he went home to find his mother."

The assistant said, "Boss, I heard his mother is here today too."

Harvey paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Really? That's great! Then he can hide in his mother's arms and have a good cry, hahaha."

The Weinstein brothers laughed for a while.

Harvey gestured for his assistant to leave, and waited until the young man was gone.

Harvey's smile slowly faded, and he said expressionlessly, "Are you sure the message was sent in beforehand?"

“Yes. I’m sure.” Bob said in a low voice, “$2, a little note, but I think it’s worth it.”

“Of course, it’s well worth it.” Harvey smiled and said, “As long as we get rid of that Hong Kong director surnamed Chen’s vote, we’re almost guaranteed to win.”

Bob laughed and said, "Yes, that's right. Speaking of which, it's all thanks to Sam White's phone call."

Upon hearing that name, Harvey's face darkened again. "Don't mention that bastard."

"Harvey, be more magnanimous."

"No, that bastard has betrayed us."

Bob sighed, "He just wants to keep his job. After all, we wouldn't have thought of doing this if he hadn't pushed us to the brink."

Harvey said, "No matter what, don't mention that name in front of me for the time being."

"Okay. Look, who's that? Our little ones are coming in now."

"Haha, yes. Wow, he's coming. Bob, what do you think I should do to tease him? Should I admit defeat now and then see his expression when the results are announced?"

“Great idea, Harvey, let’s do it.”

"Haha, watch my performance! I'm going to send him to heaven first, then to hell, and then I'm going to make him remember this day for the rest of his life... Wait, what happened? He's gone?"

……

Chen Nuo is gone.

It was because he felt something was wrong.

He had specifically asked a staff member for Harvey's location before entering the arena. He even wanted to go and say hello to the fat guy and have a showdown with him.

But as he entered the room and walked in that direction, his keen observation skills as an actor saved him once again.

At this moment, the movie palace was brightly lit. Although there was still a distance of more than ten or twenty meters between them, he still noticed that Harvey Weinstein's expression was extremely relaxed, as if he couldn't wait for him to come over.

what happened?

Chen Nuo immediately became alert.

Based on his understanding of Harvey, unless the fat man felt certain of winning, his bipolar disorder wouldn't allow him to be so relaxed.

Therefore, he naturally wouldn't go forward again until he figured it out.

If something goes wrong, wouldn't he be slapping himself in the face?

"what happened?"

As soon as James Pritzker sat down in the front row seats arranged for the "Drop" crew by the organizing committee, he immediately noticed something was wrong with him and asked.

Chen Nuo said, "...James, you said before that the judging panel hadn't leaked any information?"

“Yes,” James Pritzker said. “Those people on the Venice organizing committee have really gone mad this time. Maybe it’s because the competition for Best Actor was so fierce that they even brought in people from the Italian National Security Agency. The final results were practically sealed in a safe. And these past two days, every judge has had someone by their side all the time except when they’re sleeping or taking a dump. That’s the latest news I’ve received.”

"Okay." Chen Nuo nodded and said, "Maybe I'm overthinking it."

That's what he said, but this ominous feeling lingered in Chen Nuo's mind, making it impossible for him to fully immerse himself in the joyful atmosphere of the night.

The awards ceremony was hosted by Polish-Italian actress Cassia Smutnik. When the beautiful blonde actress appeared on stage in an elegant deep-V dress, she instantly won enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Kassia Smutnik stood in the center and began by saying in Italian, "Good evening, everyone, welcome to the closing ceremony of the 69th Venice Film Festival!"

She then continued in fluent and elegant English: "Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. This is an extraordinary film festival, filled with unforgettable performances and fierce competition. Tonight, we celebrate the highest achievements of cinema together."

Another round of enthusiastic applause.

When the applause subsided.

Kassia Smutnik continued with a smile, “Today we have filmmakers from all over the world here, from South Korea, France, the United States, Argentina, or Japan. At the same time, we also welcome world-renowned stars who have spread the reputation of the Venice Film Festival to every corner of the world, whether it is London, New York, or BJ.”

"Now, let's welcome Mr. Michael Mann, the president of the jury for this year's film festival."

After she finished speaking, she repeated it in Italian.

Then, amidst applause, a white-haired, rather thin old man walked onto the stage, stood in the center, and said into the microphone: "It is a great honor to serve as a jury member for this Venice Film Festival. My eight colleagues and I have done an excellent job over the past 10 days. Now, please allow me to introduce you one by one."

"First and foremost—the esteemed Marina Abramović."

"The beautiful Leticia Casta."

"The brilliant Ari Forman."

"Ursula Mayer, with her unique perspective."

"Professional and responsible Peter Chan."

As Michael Mann called out the names one by one, each judge walked onto the stage in turn, smiling and waving to the audience amidst applause and flashing lights.

When Peter Chan went on stage, Chen Nuo's gaze remained fixed on him. Peter Chan also glanced in their direction, seemingly casually. Chen Nuo noticed his strange expression; he was frowning and looked troubled. The vague sense of foreboding in Chen Nuo's heart intensified.

After all nine judges had taken their positions, Michael Mann faced the audience and solemnly said:

"Hereby, on my personal honor and the honor of the Venice Film Festival, I swear, under God's witness, after a very difficult selection and discussion, that our selection results are true, valid, and fair, and have not been influenced by any external interference. Each winner represents the collective opinion of the nine of us. Thank you."

After he finished speaking, Michael Mann led the other judges to sit down in the corner of the stage.

The awards ceremony of the 69th Venice Film Festival has officially begun.

The first award is the Marcello Mastroianni Award – Best Newcomer – at this year's Venice Film Festival. This award, established in honor of the Italian film legend Marcello Mastroianni, aims to recognize young actors who have taken on significant roles for the first time at this year's festival and demonstrated extraordinary potential.

Amidst enthusiastic applause, the award presenter, Italian actress Isabella Ferrari, walked onto the stage. She wore a black off-the-shoulder gown, exuding elegance with every gesture.

After speaking in Italian, she added in English: "Venice has always been a place where young actors shine, and this award often means that a brand new journey is about to begin for them."

Then Isabella Ferrari said in Italian: "@￥！#￥！#@！#"

Amidst enthusiastic applause, Chen Nuo clapped as he watched a tall, thin, dark-haired young man with a youthful appearance stand up from the back seat, as shown on the big screen.

"Who is this?" James asked, leaning closer. "I didn't even catch his name."

Chen Nuo whispered, "Me too."

James then asked, "How long will this awards ceremony take?"

Chen Nuo recalled the situations in Cannes and Berlin and said, "About an hour or so."

James sighed and said, "I don't even know what she's saying. DAMN, can you just give us the prize and let us go home?"

Theron, sitting next to James, leaned down and interjected, "That's what I think too."

Seeing that his two companions seemed relaxed, Chen Nuo decided to stop hiding the secret.

Looking at the specially translated text on the big screen, he realized that the young man was Fabrizio Falco, who had won the award this year for his two Italian films, one called "Sleeping Beauty" and the other "His Son".

Falk was quite excited on stage as he delivered his acceptance speech in Italian.

Chen Nuo thought for a moment, then slowly and quietly recounted the strange things he had discovered earlier.

James's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened, but he calmed down a bit afterward and said, "How could that be? I don't think it's possible. I can't even get the information, and neither can Harvey. If he could, I would definitely have gotten wind of it too."

Chen Nuo asked, "Why?"

“Because… well, I can tell you, my older brothers and sisters are in contact with Harvey Weinstein, and I have connections with them. Do you understand what I mean? If they have any information, I'll be able to find out.”

So that's how it is. They may look like pigs, but they're actually quite shrewd. These rich kids are all incredibly talented.

Chen Nuo said, "Then how do you explain Harvey's performance? I trust my eyes."

Theron interjected, "Could it be that Harvey used some tricks and then he thought they had won?"

James said, "That's possible. Fuck! You better not let me... otherwise, I'll make that bastard suffer a terrible death."

Theron's expression wasn't good either, but she forced a smile and said, "We don't know the outcome yet. Perhaps... it's not as bad as we think."

Chen Nuo nodded. "I hope so."

Following the Best Newcomer award is the Best Screenplay award.

Chen Nuo learned from the subtitles on the big screen that the winner was Olivier Assayas, a Frenchman, and the winning film was called "After May".

Then comes the Best Photography award.

Before Chen Nuo could react to the Italian announcement from the presenter on stage, James Pritzker suddenly exclaimed, "We've won!"

Sure enough, the subtitles on the big screen appeared in blue and white text in Italian, English, French, and Chinese:

Award winner: Darius Congee, *Water Drop*.

Wow!
Chen Nuo even forgot about his award for a moment, stood up abruptly, and looked back.

Suddenly, an elderly Iranian man with gray hair rushed towards him from somewhere in the back row, looking no older than 60.

Before the person even arrived, that Middle Eastern-accented English voice arrived first—

"Chen, I did it! Pearl, thank you!"

Before Chen Nuo could even say "haha," the Iranian old man was already nearby and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Hahaha." Chen Nuo patted the old man on the back and laughed loudly.

The two met at Blueberry Nights, and although there was some initial disagreement, they became quite in sync at Waterdrop.

The old man was willing to turn down the cinematography offer from Ang Lee for "Life of Pi" and come to this makeshift film crew entirely because of Lee's influence.

Although the old man has received numerous nominations throughout his life, including Oscars and Golden Globes, he has never actually won an award.

During filming, the two would sometimes chat together, and Chen Nuo knew that this was becoming an inner demon for the old man.

At this point, winning the Best Cinematography award at the Venice Film Festival was undoubtedly a breakthrough for the old man, signifying a new height in his career. His excitement was only to be expected.

Chen Nuo was genuinely happy for him.

He hugged the Iranian-American man tightly and said, "Congratulations, Deris!"

“Thank you, thank you, omg, this is all wonderful,” Darius Congee exclaimed.

Then, the old man nodded to James and Theron, and strode onto the stage.

Receiving the trophy from the presenter, the old man stood on the stage and said as his first words, "First of all, I want to thank Chen. I wouldn't have taken this film without him. I've known him for seven years, ever since 'My Blueberry Nights,' and I've seen a kind of magic in him. This time..."

As he was talking, the old man had to stop.

When he mentioned Blueberry Night, the noise from the audience grew louder and louder. Before he could finish speaking, the audience burst into enthusiastic applause, interrupting him.

After about ten seconds, the applause subsided, and Darius Congee continued, "Thank you. Yes, I was also a photographer for Blueberry Nights. Anyway, he's someone I want to thank besides my family. Thank you..."

When Darius Congee came off the stage with his Best Cinematography award, he came over and hugged Chen Nuo.

The Best Photography Award is a small gold medal called the Golden O'Shea Award.

“I hope you can win the Volpi Trophy.” Darius Congee said emotionally, “I swear to Pearl, you are the best actor I have ever worked with. God has given you outstanding talent, and you also have the qualities of humility and noble character. No matter how many honors you receive, you deserve them.”

Chen Nuo was somewhat moved and said from the bottom of her heart, "Thank you, Darius."

From that moment on, Chen Nuo's heartstrings began to truly tighten.

How could he possibly not want to win an award?

His parents came; they were there.

His whole family and relatives came too. Although they were at the hotel, they had prepared champagne before he left, waiting for him to return and celebrate.

Last night, the number of New Year's greetings he received on his phone in various languages ​​broke all previous records. Friends, women—anyone who had his phone number sent him their blessings.

Isn't the same true on the internet?
He logged into his Facebook and Twitter accounts last night. Although he hadn't posted in a long time, countless netizens left comments on his posts.

To put it simply, in his small world, it seemed that no one had ever looked forward to a trophy so much before.

This is indeed an important milestone in his film career, a piece of the puzzle in a new stage of his professional achievements.

To say that he didn't want to defeat his formidable rival and achieve a satisfactory result would be self-deception.

Back to the scene.

Following the Best Cinematography award, the Special Jury Prize was awarded to the second installment of the Paradise film series, "Paradise: Faith," directed by Austrian director Uli Sissedel.

Then, at the Silver Lion for Best Director, the highly acclaimed "The Master" finally won its first trophy of the ceremony.

When Paul Thomas Anderson took the stage to give his speech, he thanked many people, including Harvey Weinstein, Joaquin Felix, and Philip Hoffman.

So far, the two most anticipated films of the night have each won an award, temporarily tying the score at 1:1.

Next up was the Volpi Cup for Best Actress, which was ultimately won by Hadas Yarron.

After Hadas Yarron finished his acceptance speech and left the stage, Chen Nuo didn't know if it was just his imagination, but he suddenly felt that the atmosphere of the whole venue had changed.

There might have been a little bit of room for relaxation before, but at this moment, even the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder from the trenches.

Perhaps it wasn't just his imagination; otherwise, why would the chairman of the jury, who usually presents the Golden Lion or the Jury Prize, break with tradition and appear at the Best Actor award ceremony?

When Michael Mann stood up from his seat and walked to the center of the stage, Chen Nuo's heart was in his throat.

Who?
Who could it be?!

Will his dream come true tonight?
In the end, who will have the last laugh between Harvey and him?
……

Chen Kexin sat in the judges' seat, her gaze fixed on Michael Mann's back, her feelings unusually complicated.

To be honest, he still doesn't understand what exactly happened back then.
Why did this happen?

why?
……

Michael stood in the center of the stage and said in English: "Next, we will be presenting the highly prestigious Volpi Cup for Best Actor. I believe that in the 69-year history of the Venice Film Festival, never before has this award attracted so much attention, nor has it featured two evenly matched competitors vying for it so fiercely."

"The whole world is waiting to see how it will turn out. Will we witness a new legend tonight, or will we be crowned masters?"

"As the chair of the jury, I now announce—"

……

Chen Kexin remained in a daze while Michael Mann spoke.

Suddenly, he heard a very faint voice beside him: "Didn't you expect that?"

Chen Kexin paused for a moment, then turned his head slightly to look, only to see that it was the very person who had confused him.

Chen Kexin was somewhat confused, but still answered truthfully, "Yes."

Matteo Galloni nodded and said, "It's actually very simple... I dare not."

He repeated it again, adding one word: "I dare not gamble."

The Italian director gave a wry smile, "Especially since Michael is an American."

These three sentences, which are incoherent and illogical, are generally difficult to understand.

However, Chen Kexin has been confined to the hotel for the past few days, unable to do anything, and has been constantly thinking about this matter.

He really thought about this for a very, very long time.

Matteo Galloni's words, taken out of context, suddenly struck him like a bolt of lightning, cleaving through the key point of his long-standing doubts, revealing a certain motive, and instantly dispelling the fog in his mind!

He now has a key to answering the questions that had puzzled him.

Matteo Galloni said:
He wouldn't dare!

Why not?
What are you afraid of?
Peter Chan understood.

Yes, if the Venice Film Festival were to produce a ridiculous triple tie for this prestigious award, jury president Michael Mann would certainly be held responsible—he would be letting down the organizing committee and the Italian people, and he would probably never be able to serve as a jury member in Venice again, and might even be denied entry.

But who will actually suffer the most damage from such an irresponsible judging panel chairman?
It's a film festival!

At that point, Michael Mann will simply pack up and leave, returning to the US to continue directing. Like that guy from Chen Nuo's past life, who, after causing a ridiculous blunder as jury president at Cannes, never went back to Cannes again—but what can he do?

As a result, the entire Venice Film Festival has fallen into an abyss of ridicule. All of Alberto Barbara's efforts to restore the festival's authority will become a laughingstock, a complete waste of time.

In this situation, who should really be worried?

Chen Kexin suddenly realized that while he was worrying about Chen Nuo,
Matteo Garrone, the Italian director invited by Alberto Barbara to be a judge, is the new chairman's confidant and his spy on the jury. He should be the one who is more worried and more uneasy than him!
If Chen Nuo doesn't succeed this time, there's always next time.

What about the already declining Venice Film Festival?

If such an international joke were to occur, it might just be the last straw that breaks the camel's back!
As Matteo Galloni added,

If it were someone else, it would be fine, but what if it were a German, an Italian, or even a Frenchman?
But at that gambling table, the person holding the last chip happened to be an American. Not only was he American, but Chen Kexin didn't know if Matteo knew that Michael Mann was actually a Texan.

When the score reached 4-3...

Would the Texans, who are the world's biggest advocates of individual heroism and free will, really cast the vote for the greater good, bringing the score to 5-3?

What if he doesn't know how?
What if he insists on voting for Chen Nuo, bringing the score to 4-4?
As stated at the beginning, this is a vote with no going back; once cast, the result is final and cannot be changed.

So, are we putting all our hopes on the idea that an American will be sensible and consider the bigger picture?
No normal, rational adult would think like that!
This leaves Matteo Galloni with very, very limited options.

As the saying goes, if the mountain won't come to me, then I'll have to go to the mountain.

Chen Kexin's mouth was agape, her mind racing, and she looked completely dumbfounded.

Finally, he recalled a detail: Matteo Galloni had rambled on for so long before finally making his decision. This didn't seem like someone who had spent two days deliberating and stubbornly held onto his opinion in five meetings.

That long string of nonsense was clearly him giving himself time to think about what he should do.

The final result of this consideration will be—

“I really love ‘The Master,’ really. Alas, what a pity.” Matteo Garrone sighed and muttered to himself.

In his murmurs,
Michael Mann, in a casual, American-style tone, revealed what was perhaps the biggest suspense of the night:

"The winner of Best Actor at the 69th Venice Film Festival is—"

"Noel Chan, DROP".

"Congratulations."

(End of this chapter)