Huayu Chunqiu, starting from being adopted by a fairy mother

Chapter 421 Liu Yifei, the Best Straight Man
Huo Wenxi sighed. Being a lobbyist isn't easy; this guy's tough.

She knew this was true; no one had expected the box office to be so high.

In particular, Liu Yifei's pre-release publicity for "Nine-Tailed Fox" greatly boosted the box office.

Liu Yifei is definitely one of the most bankable actresses in the Chinese entertainment industry today.

"Liu Jing, perhaps you're right. But 'Painted Skin' is 'Painted Skin,' and 'A Chinese Ghost Story' is 'A Chinese Ghost Story.' They're two different things now. They're preparing for a remake, and you've already registered 'Nie Xiaoqian.' What you're doing is completely breaking industry rules. If everyone follows suit, how can we compete?"

"A Chinese Ghost Story is A Chinese Ghost Story, and Nie Xiaoqian is Nie Xiaoqian. They make their films, and we make ours." Liu Jing stubbed out his cigarette. How far along is the awards ceremony? Don't interrupt my acceptance speech.

"you……"

“Sister Baozhu, it’s not that I’m disrespecting you. If they want to talk, they can come to me themselves. We want to use the name ‘A Chinese Ghost Story,’ which is fine, but we already used ‘Nie Xiaoqian.’ ‘A Chinese Ghost Story’ wasn’t originally created by Tsui Hark; he also remade Hu Jinshuan’s version. We can go to Shaw Brothers and get the adaptation rights to that version. Leave room for maneuver in the future; we haven’t gone too far. If they want to cooperate, we can; the door is open, and they are always welcome to talk. If they don’t want to cooperate, we can each do our own thing and not bother each other.”

Liu Jing opened the car door; he still smelled a bit of odor and needed to get some fresh air.

Cooperation is unlikely, as Tajik is one of the opponents of reform.

They don't include Jiahe in their business because Jiahe is the one that spearheaded the reforms.

There is no hatred in this world without a reason; there must always be a cause.

Are you going to invite us to play?

Huo Wenxi thought Liu Jing was leaving, so he quickly got out of the car.

"Who do you want to bring along? I don't play with just anyone. None of your people are as interesting as you."

"You..." Huo Wenxi was so angry that her chest hurt.

The Eagle King has no principles whatsoever. Since he can't persuade both sides to cooperate, he'll just side with both.

Huo Wenxi was also helpless, as dozens of people under his command were desperately in need of help. He hadn't recovered from last year's accident yet.

Taiji controls resources, but Jiahe and Chunqiu control even more, so she can only try to please both sides.

Since Plan A is not feasible, let's move on to Plan B.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket; put both.

She came with two plans in mind.

“Eagle King is investing in ‘Nie Xiaoqian,’ so give us a price.” Huo Wenxi patted her cheeks; this guy always managed to mess up her plans.

"Let's talk about it after Sissi wins the Best Actress award."

Liu Jing waved his hand. More than half a month ago, he approached Huo Wenxi and asked her to help him secure the Best Actress award, even at the cost of getting himself involved.

Besides Huo Wenxi, he also found other people.

She put in a lot of effort to win the Best Actress award.

He welcomes Eagle King's investment. Chunqiu hasn't fully paid for the land in Shanghai yet; that will be settled with future film and television investment profits.

The original plan for "Nie Xiaoqian" was to keep the actual investment to tens of millions. Since Eagle King wanted to come in, they decided to quote 100 million, no, 200 million.

His and Sissi's salaries alone are more than 50 million, special effects are estimated at 50 million, the construction of the film studio will cost at least 50 million each, and filming and production will cost another 50 million.

So even two hundred million isn't enough. Looks like I'm still too kind.

"It's hard to say about others, but our people all voted for Liu Yifei." Huo Wenxi wasn't lying; after Liu Jing told her about it, she had indeed been working hard to get things done.

The voting rights for the Hong Kong Film Awards belong to the Hong Kong Film Awards Association, which consists of thirteen professional associations: the Film Industry Association, the Film Directors Guild, the Theatre Association, the Academy of Cinematographers, the Stunt Performers Guild, the Screenwriters Guild, the Performing Artists Guild, the Film Art Institute, the Editors Association, the Production Executives Association, the Lighting Association, the Film Merchants Association, and the Post-Production Professionals Association, with a total of nearly two thousand members.

The awards were determined through a democratic vote within the industry, with the winners being selected by the votes of over two thousand members.

Membership requires strict screening, and applicants must first hold a Hong Kong permanent resident identity card.

Candidates must have more than three years of experience in the Hong Kong film industry, have participated in the production of at least three theatrical films, and participate in at least one industry event or training session each year; otherwise, they will lose their eligibility to vote.

In this reform, Liu Jing originally wanted to relax the conditions for joining the association, but this was met with joint opposition from both the reformists and conservatives.

Let them oppose it; the crack has already opened, and it will only get bigger.

"Thank you," Liu Jing said sincerely.

"Brother Cheng Long's concert is approaching, I'll pay him a visit then." Huo Wenxi said irritably, "I'd rather not have your thanks."

"Alright! We'll be waiting for you."

"Pooh!"

Huo Wenxi spat lightly, then suddenly felt his legs go weak.

She held onto the car door, watching Liu Jing leave, her legs pressed tightly together. That pervert is truly perverted.

When Liu Jing returned to his seat, Chen Jiashang's seat was empty, and Qianqian's seat was also empty.

Looking around, both sides were empty.

Looking up and down, my heart is empty, and my body is empty.

Perhaps seeing that he had too much free time, Sun Li replied, "Qianqian went backstage; she's going to present an award later."

"Oh, where are we now?" Liu Jing asked, suddenly realizing.

Sissi presented the Best Asian Film award, and "Under the Walls" was nominated.

As long as the Academy Awards don't go off the rails, the outcome of this award is basically a foregone conclusion, given that it won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes last year and received an Oscar nomination this year.

Sisi and Zhang Guoli will be presenting the award together, and there will be an interaction on stage later, so we need to prepare in advance.

"The Best Supporting Actress award was just presented, and I can't really understand what they're saying on stage right now," Sun Li sighed. When Qianqian was here, the two of them could still chat secretly even though they couldn't understand, but now they can only stare blankly at the stage and pretend they understand.

"You didn't win an award?" Liu Jing glanced at it but didn't see the trophy.

“Chan Lai-wan from Tin Shui Wai won Best Supporting Actress,” Sun Li explained, then quickly added, “The first award presented was for Best New Director, which Derek Kwok won. Xu Jiao from CJ7 won Best Newcomer, Arthur Wong won Best Cinematography, and Chiu Chi-wai from Connected won Best Editing. Now it’s time to present the Best Screenplay.”

This woman talks a lot!

"It's been quite a while," Liu Jing muttered, nodding his thanks and focusing his attention on the stage.

“It is indeed quite long,” Sun Li responded.

Do you know what I'm feeling emotional about?
Sun Li doesn't understand Cantonese, but Liu Jing can and speaks it fluently.

He started getting involved in the Hong Kong entertainment circle at a very young age, so these things are no challenge for him.

The presenter for Best Screenplay was Cecilia Yip, yes, the one who played Xu Xian.

The five nominated films are being shown on the big screen: A Good Dad, Tin Shui Wai, Painted Skin, The Witness, and Intimacy.

Liu Jing participated in the screenwriting of "Painted Skin," and his name and director Chen Jiashang's name were also on the application form.

As the screening ended, Cecilia Yip held up the list and read aloud, "The winner of the Best Screenplay award at the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards is Lui Siu-wah for 'The Way We Are'."

Wow…

Whether you understood or not, you all knew the awards had been announced.

Regardless of who wins the award, let's give them a round of applause first.

Liu Jing clapped with a smile, looking pleased, demonstrating what it meant to be taken for granted and expected.

The award recipients went on stage to receive their awards and then gave their acceptance speeches.

This year's Hong Kong Film Awards had quite a few hosts, including Tsang Chi-wai, Teresa Mo, Sandra Ng, Lam Chi-chung, Wong Cho-lam, and more than a dozen others, all of whom were Hong Kong natives.

“Next, everyone needs to take this seriously.” Zeng Zhiwei said in a hoarse voice, which didn’t sound serious at all.

"Because of film work, everyone's life has become very bright." Wong Cho-lan didn't seem serious at all.

……

Next came a song, and photos of deceased filmmakers were displayed on the big screen. The entire audience remained silent.

Liu Jing couldn't help but enter a state of grief, recalling some of the people he had dealt with before.

The next segment will feature another version of "Stealing Roast Duck" – "Ah Fei Zheng Ya".

The Best Supporting Actor award went to Liu Kai-chi for "Ip Man." After giving his acceptance speech, Tsang Chi-wai introduced the Best Asian Film award.

"Please welcome Ms. Liu Yifei and Mr. Zhang Guoli..." Wang Zulan shouted.

Sisi, dressed in a white gown, walked slowly towards the stage, holding a cue card.

Zhang Guoli, dressed in a crisp Zhongshan suit, had a head that shone brighter than the stage lights. The audience buzzed with discussion, some even wondering if he'd become a monk. Liu Jing, however, wasn't curious at all; Zhang Guoli was currently filming "The Founding of a Republic."

"Good evening, everyone. I am Liu Yifei. It's a pleasure to stand here."

As soon as Xixi finished speaking, enthusiastic applause erupted in the room. Zhang Guoli had just said "I am" when the applause interrupted him, and he couldn't continue.

His experience hosting programs far surpassed that of Xixi. When the applause subsided, Zhang Guoli coughed twice and said, "Thank you. You can have the same applause after I finish speaking. I am Zhang Guoli."

After he finished speaking, he gestured and looked at the audience, indicating that he wanted applause.

Everyone burst into laughter, and some even shouted from the audience. The applause was even more enthusiastic than before; this was definitely an impromptu performance.

The atmosphere in the room was even more lively than when the hosts had been joking around earlier.

Sisi was also laughing, and her gums were starting to show.

Zhang Guoli turned to look at her, and she quickly said, "Teacher Zhang, it seems like this is your first time at the Hong Kong Film Awards."

“Yes. I want to thank Chairman Chen, you finally remembered me.” Zhang Guoli said this, then paused, only to be interrupted again by applause.

He held up one finger. "This is the first time you've invited me to the Hong Kong Film Awards. Of course, I think this is also the best way for your Hong Kong film industry to protect certain people. I'm here, Liu Yifei is here, and I see Liu Jing is here in the audience too. With the three of us here, some people must be getting restless. Are you trying to steal my job? We're almost starving, so don't even think about this little piece of cake."

Comedians often hide the truth in jokes; if you take it seriously, you lose; if you don't, you just listen.

Zhang Guoli has performed in crosstalk and sketches, subtly implying that he is also an expert in speaking.

As soon as he finished speaking, many people in the audience had subtle expressions; these were people who knew about the reforms.

"Really?" Sisi turned to the side and looked at Zhang Guoli. You'd better just read the script; I might not be able to keep up.

Zhang Guoli chuckled twice, then changed the subject, "Of course. If I came here often, some people would have a hard time hosting and would definitely have to be replaced."

Many people breathed a sigh of relief as Zhang Guoli smoothly shifted the focus to the host.

“Someone like Zeng Zhiwei definitely needs to be replaced, and I should take his place. I have to keep him on the payroll, so I can’t come here often.” Zhang Guoli shook his head and waved his hands, looking disgusted.

The audience roared with laughter and thunderous applause, and Zeng Zhiwei also laughed heartily.

"Yes, that's right." Sisi received a look from Zhang Guoli and subconsciously replied.

"This year has special significance."

"Yes."

"The 100th anniversary of Hong Kong cinema".

"Ah."

"For a hundred years, we, the Hong Kong film industry, have worked together to dominate Asia."

“Yes.” Sisi nodded in response, her words simple.

Liu Jing's expression was strange. "You two are performing a crosstalk routine on stage!" Zhang Guoli was the straight man, and Qianqian was the funny man; they were working together quite well.

Sisi managed to flatter Zhang Guoli with every word, never letting his words fall flat.

"Hong Kong films now have a place in the world."

"Yes."

"This is the pride of Hong Kong people, and also the pride of our Chinese-language film industry."

"Yes."

Zhang Guoli turned to the side and looked at Qianqian again, "Why don't you say a few more words?"

Sisi gestured with her hand and smiled slightly, "Please continue."

The audience burst into laughter. Zhang Guoli continued, "Especially after Hong Kong's return to China, there have been frequent exchanges between colleagues on both sides of the strait, which is a good thing."

"Correct."

Zhang Guoli seemed to choke, staring speechlessly at Qianqian for three seconds, before the audience burst into laughter again.

"Everyone achieved even better results."

"Yes."

Zhang Guoli exclaimed, "You've finally changed your words!"

Hahahaha...

Liu Jing smiled, and everyone in the audience smiled.

Sisi gestured again, "Please continue..."

This time the laughter lasted even longer. Sun Li rubbed her eyes and said, "Liu Jing, I think Qianqian could be a stand-up comedian. I didn't expect she had this talent."

Zhang Guoli looked completely speechless. After thinking for a few seconds, he said, "The biggest difference is that the Mandarin spoken by my colleagues in the Hong Kong film industry is much better than before."

"Yes."

"Even someone like director Andrew Lau, I can understand what he's saying. Yifei, isn't that amazing?"

"Yes."

Zhang Guoli couldn't hold back any longer, "Say a few words."

"Please continue," Sisi gestured.

"I don't know what to say anymore. I've said everything I needed to say, and I've used all your words."

"What you said just now was quite good."

"You're really saying 'uh-huh'? Yes, that's right. I suspect we're doing a comedy routine."

"No, we're giving out awards."

The audience burst into laughter, clapping and cheering.

"This kind of crosstalk, when one person performs it, it's called solo crosstalk; when two people perform it, it's called duo crosstalk; when three people perform it, it's called group crosstalk."

"Alright! Next, please welcome Teacher Zhang to perform a stand-up comedy routine for us."

"Can't tell."

"What's wrong?"

"The association is too stingy; they didn't pay any appearance fees."

When the laughter subsided, Sisi held up her cue cards and said, "There's no time to spare. Let's take a look at the nominations for Best Asian Film."

Short films were played on the big screen, including "If You Are the One", "Cape No. 7", "Mei Lanfang", "Assembly", and "Under the City Wall".

"The Best Asian Film at the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards is..." Sisi opened the envelope, then closed it again. "Teacher Zhang, please read it."

"You need to say more now," Zhang Guoli said with a smile, realizing who was on the list of winners.

"No, I have to avoid suspicion," Sisi explained.

“Then why should I continue studying? You’ve already revealed the outcome. In that case, I should avoid any appearance of impropriety, since I’m playing his father.” Zhang Guoli laughed heartily.

Sisi sighed and read the list aloud, "The winner of the Best Asian Film award is 'Under the City Wall'."

"Congratulations to Liu Jing, congratulations on 'Under the City Wall'..." Zhang Guoli clapped.

Amid applause, Liu Jing walked onto the stage to accept the award and gave his acceptance speech, "Thank you for the Hong Kong Film Awards, thank you..."

[Congratulations on winning Best Asian Film at the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards! You will receive one chance to win a prize.]

I am extremely grateful and excited, but nothing compares to this system notification.

His acceptance speech was conventional; the stage isn't a place for heartfelt words or motivational speeches. It was filled with polite platitudes, neither particularly impressive nor wrong.

"Yifei, Liu Jing won this award, what are your thoughts?" Zhang Guoli asked.

"When the trophy was in my hands just now, I was quite reluctant to give it to him," Sisi said softly.

"Haha, I'll get it back for you." Zhang Guoli laughed.

"Alright, let's not steal the spotlight," Sisi smiled.

(End of this chapter)