I was just thinking about taking the arts exam and you said I've been playing supporting roles

Chapter 334 The Strangulation of Public Opinion!

"Sigh~~~"

"Damn it, what's that guy's bone made of?"

"I feel like my bones are broken..."

"Ouch, ouch~~"

"..."

Kai Ko and several Taiwanese celebrities were clutching their chests and gasping for breath. Some of them were squatting there, clearly unable to straighten up. These guys had just tried to trip Chen Jin up, but they didn't expect to end up losing more than they gained by trying to push him down.

The moment Chen Jin swung her arm and walked, she struck several times with her elbows, knocking them all down. The speed was incredibly fast; many people didn't even have time to react before they were all hit. By the time they came to their senses, Chen Jin had already walked out of the awards hall.

They obviously didn't expect that Chen Jin was a martial arts expert, because he had never shown any martial arts skills before.

Click! Click!
Meanwhile, backstage at the Golden Horse Awards, countless media outlets were already staking out the event. As soon as Chen Jin walked out with the trophy in hand, they snapped photos like crazy, as if the shutters were free.

Chen Jin was very polite, letting Wei Te-sheng, the director of "Seediq Bale," and Hsu An-hua, the best director, go first and give interviews first.

In fact, they are well aware that many reporters probably want to interview Chen Jin now.

The way he was positioned made it seem as if the backcourt was set up just for him.

They didn't back down, though. If Chen Jin were to be interviewed first, they didn't know when it would be their turn, since Chen Jin's schedule was definitely unpredictable.

So they were all very sensible; they quickly finished the interviews and left.

Tonight's focus is definitely on this mainland boy.

Even the Best Actress winners were given priority by Chen Jin.

Anyway, he's not in a hurry; he has plenty of time to deal with these media outlets.

After quite some time, once all the interviews had been completed, a reporter from Taiwan's Sanlih E-Television couldn't hold back any longer: "Chen Jin, what would you like to say about your acceptance speech after winning Best Actor?"

The shout was so loud that Chen Jin stood up and walked to the group of reporters.

Immediately, countless people surged forward.

"I've said everything I needed to say!"

"These are my true feelings!"

All I said was about reunification between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and you're already so defensive?!
"So, is this a prepared speech, or was it something someone on the mainland told you to say?"

Another reporter from Taiwan asked the question.

The phrase "there are people on this mainland" is clearly a specific reference; these people have always felt that the higher-ups would interfere with their personal lives.

"If someone asked me to say that, wouldn't that mean the award was also manipulated?"

"In fact, I don't have absolute confidence that I can win the award!"

Do you have some kind of status in mainland China?

"Ha ha!"

Chen Jin couldn't help but laugh and shook her head: "I wish I had one!"

"So that's why you said those things? Is this a pledge of allegiance?"

"Go to the mainland and ask anyone, even a child, and they'll all say they hope for reunification between the two sides. Are they pledging allegiance? It's utter nonsense!"

At this point, Chen Jin couldn't help but say, "When Zheng Chenggong recovered Taiwan, he didn't write 'Treasure Island,' he wrote 'Eastern Capital'!"

"This land bears the marks of Yan Siqi's pioneering work and the tears of Shi Lang's reconquest—this history is more real than any political slogan! Our textbooks from childhood have recorded this story, teaching us never to forget history!"

"You know better than we do what the mainland truly thinks!"

"..."

Chen Jin engaged in a heated debate with the assembled scholars, becoming increasingly excited as she spoke, leaving the reporters somewhat at a loss for what to ask.

Because Chen Jin's views were very strong and his words were very persuasive, even when they set traps and verbal snares for him to fall into, he did not fall for them at all.

The only point emphasized in his speech was his personal opinion.

The reporters were helpless.

"Chen Jin, as a mainland actress who received this award, do you feel that Taiwanese films need to learn more from the mainland?"

Seeing that the topic of reunification between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait was meaningless, the reporters began to try to achieve their goal indirectly.

This kind of topic is obviously designed to incite conflict.

If this were published, it would definitely incite public outrage in the Taiwanese film industry.

Chen Jin smiled and looked at the reporter who asked the question: "Film is an art that transcends the strait. Just like director Hou Hsiao-hsien used Hokkien to film 'A City of Sadness' and director Jia Zhangke used Shanxi dialect to tell 'Still Life'—we are all using dialects to protect our cultural roots!"

"I look forward to filmmakers from both sides of the Taiwan Strait exploring more diverse modes of expression together in the future. Learning is mutual, thank you!"

Chen Jin definitely needs to pay attention to this kind of issue.

Politics can be tough, but film is definitely a common medium; this belongs to the united cultural front.

The entire press interview was fraught with tension, and Chen Jin finally ended the media onslaught only after the Golden Horse Awards officials intervened.

Many reporters seemed agitated, but Chen Jin appeared completely unfazed, displaying an attitude of fighting the reporters to the death. He was fearless in this situation, and the reporters were only capable of a few tricks.

It's often said that the mainland news industry is a makeshift operation, but Taiwan isn't much better.

Amidst the resentment of countless reporters, Chen Jin walked out of the Cultural Bureau's performance hall with the trophy, where Guo Fan and Tian Zhuangzhuang were waiting.

No troublemakers came to cause trouble for Chen Jin.

These days, there are still many people in Taiwan who hope for unification, unlike in the future, when that would only account for about 10%. Moreover, Chen Jin's acceptance speech was not too extreme; it was just a hopeful expression of her aspirations.

The audience of Taiwanese artists, who are the future main force, reacted strongly; the reporters backstage also reacted strongly, wanting to capitalize on this political controversy for publicity. However, many Taiwanese people didn't feel anything was amiss at all.

"Let's go!"

Chen Jin greeted them, appearing quite calm.

"Did the reporter give you a hard time?"

Guo Fan couldn't help but ask.

"What's so difficult about it? You probably already know what questions to ask!"

This is true.

Guo Fan and Tian Zhuangzhuang could both guess what these guys would ask.

"The media in Taiwan are just talking big, but we on the mainland are in real trouble. These media outlets will definitely stir up trouble, and there are a lot of 'righteous people' in the news circle. They'll probably drag you out!"

Tian Zhuangzhuang has experience in this area.

Because he was banned from directing films, he was heavily criticized by the domestic media for a while.

"I'm not afraid of that. Do you think they'd consider me a traitor?"

"Of course not. No one would dare to make such a definitive judgment. They would definitely say you were young and impetuous, that you didn't know how to speak properly, and that saying such things in that kind of setting would ruin the livelihoods of those who come after you..."

"To put it bluntly, I just think the Golden Horse Awards are authoritative, and my remarks violated some of the industry's unspoken rules..."

Chen Jin could guess the nature of these media outlets.

Reflection, setting the tone... especially now that some newspapers are also going astray, it's even more chaotic.

"Yes, you need to be prepared for these things, they will have a big impact on you!" "How foolish of you to say such things in this kind of setting? Some Hong Kong artists also made public statements back then, and several of them were blacklisted. This will have a significant impact on the release of your future films!"

Although Tian Zhuangzhuang knew that Chen Jin was acting out of youthful righteousness, it was indeed very unwise to do this in such a situation.

The cases of Leung and Wong in Hong Kong serve as cautionary tales!

One street vendor was banned and has only recently started to recover; another who claims to be from China can't even get movies to make and can only perform stand-up comedy.

For celebrities to get involved in politics is absolutely a taboo.

"Justice lies in the heart of the people!"

"As long as the audience doesn't abandon me, what do the slanders from others in the industry matter?"

Chen Jin never regretted what she did.

Some people are allowed to make outrageous remarks at the Golden Horse Awards, which displeases people in mainland China; Chen Jin is simply going against the grain, which only makes people in certain regions jump up and down.

There's always a price to pay for doing things, and Chen Jin accepted the price for what she did.

Anyway, he doesn't have much interaction with many people in this circle.

……

Back at the hotel, the Golden Horse Awards incident had indeed gone viral online.

Liberty Times – Mainland Chinese Best Actor Makes Outrageous Remarks at Golden Horse Awards, Shouts Slogans and Sparks Controversy!
"Sanlih" - The newly crowned Golden Horse Award-winning actor from mainland China has set himself on fire and may be blacklisted in mainland China!

Mirror Weekly – Chen Jin's Golden Horse Award acceptance speech crossed a line! Netizens retorted: "Mainlanders are so arrogant!"
These are all negative news items, but there are also neutral and positive ones.

There are indeed many factions in the Taiwanese media, and they are now basically evenly matched.

United Daily News – Chen Jin's Golden Horse Awards Remarks Focus on Cultural Identity: [Blood Ties are Eternal]

China Times Electronic News – Golden Horse Award-winning actor discusses cross-strait relations: [History should not be separated by XX]

Formosa Times – Breaking the Ice! Chen Jin's Golden Horse Award statement directly points out that belonging to the same school is definitely not just a slogan.

Looking at the front pages of various local media outlets online, Chen Jin felt like she had become a sensation in Taiwan...

Most of the reports were about his Golden Horse Awards, while the situation on the mainland was even more lively. Unlike the various news reports on the island, Weibo, forums, and other platforms were filled with netizens discussing the topic.

The mainland media has surprisingly fallen silent, presumably while applying to their superiors to decide what kind of headline to publish.

After all, this incident is quite sensitive.

If there's a slight typo, Chen Jin won't be in trouble, but the media will be called out.

Getting them to report the truth is probably going to be difficult, because the media is full of dissidents these days.

They want to capitalize on this wave of attention, but they also want to find a way to criticize Chen Jin; because recently, this guy has been incredibly popular, breaking box office records and winning a Best Actor award every month.

People like this should be suppressed; they've become so arrogant that they've started making political remarks.

If we let him continue like this, what will become of us?
The most fascinating aspect of journalism is its envy of any famous celebrity.

"Haha, Chen Jin's statement has gone viral in Taiwan!"

"All the media in Taiwan are reporting on it!"

"I don't think there's anything wrong with their acceptance speeches, so why are they so nervous?"

"Who knew that discussing unification would be like taking their lives!"

"I've seen a lot of people actually criticizing Chen Jin?"

"That's normal. Taiwan is the spiritual home of many people; they wish they had been born there!"

"A die-hard fan of a Taiwanese celebrity?"

"..."

The topic remains highly popular on Weibo, and there are all sorts of opinions on Tieba and Tianya forums as well.

The situation is different now compared to after 2020, when there was both support and criticism. It's a bit like when Wu Jing made "Wolf Warrior," and many big fans couldn't stand it.

Many fans who like Taiwan and its artists are now giving Chen Jin a lot of support.

Chen Jin had experienced cyberbullying before, and with his experience, these tactics seemed child's play to him.

Just like a news comment he sees in his future movie—some news might seem insignificant to normal people, but to some people it's like a dog eating chocolate; whoever feels uncomfortable takes it personally.

"For me, this is actually a good thing!"

Chen Jin has been incredibly popular lately, and this incident can help cool things down and allow her to cultivate a loyal fanbase.

Next, Chen Jin's main concern was the slander from her peers.

This will definitely happen.

Chen Jin did indeed thwart many people's plans. Although he doesn't know how the Golden Horse Awards will respond to this incident, in any case, it's highly likely that mainland artists will not be nominated as frequently as they have been in the past two years.

In fact, if the Golden Horse Awards were to be a little petty, as many netizens have suggested, they might directly block the submission of mainland artists and films.

This would exacerbate the conflict.

However, Chen Jin will applaud the Golden Horse Awards.

If that's really the case, that would be wonderful; the Golden Horse Awards will find that without the support of mainland films, they will become a regional award similar to the Hong Kong Film Awards, and will become increasingly decadent and feudal.

Chen Jin genuinely hopes the Golden Horse Awards will do this.

Perhaps Chen Jin could have foreseen the accelerated demise of this award.

Therefore, Chen Jin is quite looking forward to the Golden Horse Awards' subsequent actions.

Anyone with a brain would understand that this is an opportunity to prove themselves, just like how the Golden Rooster Awards will be held annually in Xiamen starting in 2019. This is something they are doing for the other side and for the whole world to see.

If Chen Jin wants to win this wave of public opinion, the Golden Rooster's stance is also crucial.

This is the official stance.

"I'm really looking forward to the Golden Rooster and Golden Horse Awards next year!"

Chen Jin was already quite impatient.

Anyway, he spent the next six months basically filming, and there were no movies released.

He hopes that "John Wick" can be released during the summer season, "Grandma's Grandson" will definitely be competing for an award, and "Train to Busan" can only start filming after the director is in place and the special effects company is established.

Drip!

Just as Chen Jin was pondering, her phone suddenly rang.

Actually, many people have already sent messages of condolence, some expressing misunderstanding, some offering comfort, and others offering encouragement.

Some were classmates, and some were colleagues.

This text message was special; it was from Zhang Yimou.

"I've heard about the Golden Horse Awards, don't take it to heart, there's nothing wrong with your statement!"

You still need your own mentor to recognize your talent!
Zhang Yimou really knows how to comfort people.

"I know, Director Zhang!"

Chen Jin quickly replied, "It's nothing more than...a little bit of hardship!"

(End of this chapter)