1982 Started from Hong Kong

Chapter 462 Kuroko, speak up!
"Hey, get this over with! Quickly cut the clip, change the background music, and get the subtitles ready to scroll..."

While Wang Jiawei was speaking on stage
Backstage, the entire team of the Formosa Television program responsible for the broadcast collectively short-circuited.

The on-site director suddenly stood up from his chair, kicked over a bottle of mineral water at his feet, and splashed water onto the mixing equipment without bothering to clean it up.

The technical team, lighting team, and stagehands were all in a frenzy.

The two hosts, waiting in the wings, stared blankly at the monitor screen, their mouths slightly agape.

Tao Dawei muttered, "Damn! Have the people at 91 Entertainment always been this brave?"

"When Sister Hua's Waiwa Film Company announced that it was under the umbrella of 91 Entertainment, I should have known that things weren't so simple."

Sylvia Chang belatedly realized, recalling the times she played mahjong with Ann Hui and Shi Nansheng a couple of years ago, and slapped her forehead hard: "How could Zhai Yuan be well-behaved? I actually stupidly came to be this year's host, I was so stupid, really..."

Tao Dawei said helplessly, "Little sister, please don't act like Xianglin's wife, okay? Think about what you're going to do when you go on stage later?"

No matter what happens at the front of the stage, after presenting the award, they will go down to their seats or simply leave early.

Damn it! We two hosts still have over a dozen awards to announce in the second half of the show!
Zhang Aijia grasped Tao Dawei's hands and said seriously, "Brother Dawei, is your Xuzhong still working as an extra in America?"

Xu Zhong is Tao Dawei's son, whose stage name is Tao Jiji.

Tao Dawei asked curiously, "...Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"

Sylvia Chang's face fell as she said, "After you finish hosting the second half, I'll introduce Sister Nan to him."

At that moment, the backstage room door was pushed open with a bang.

Several men in suits walked in, their steps steady, but their faces were like a storm brewing: "Who gave you permission to cut the program midway?"

The on-site director rushed forward and immediately recognized the middle-aged man in the lead, cold sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead.

What exactly happened tonight?!
The head of the Information Bureau actually came backstage in person?

Moreover, judging from the implication in his words, he was quite dissatisfied with the program's interruption of broadcast?

"Director Shao... Director Shao."

The director swallowed hard and said cautiously, "A director just made some inappropriate remarks on stage, I'm afraid..."

"Afraid? I think you're quite bold! With so many foreign guests here today, you unilaterally cut off the broadcast. Are you trying to tell the outside world that our Information Bureau still has censorship?"

Director Shao adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his tone calm yet authoritative, and stared at the director on set, saying, "Resume broadcasting immediately!"

"Yes Yes!"

The on-site director nodded hurriedly, wiped his sweat, and frantically called on the surrounding staff to cancel the scrolling screen.

As the leaders looked around and inspected the area, a sense of oppression settled over the entire backstage area.

Everything quickly returned to normal.
But Director Shao and his entourage did not leave. Instead, they picked a chair and sat in a corner, closing their eyes to rest.

Everyone looked at each other, puzzled as to what the Buddha statue meant, and dared not ask.

For a moment, everyone in the studio had shifty eyes and didn't dare to breathe, creating an extremely strange atmosphere.

About five minutes later,

Through the monitor screen, Wang Jiawei interacted with the two award presenters again. This time, the topic of conversation was mostly about film creation. Shi Nansheng on the screen smiled as usual, but Ke Junxiong seemed much quieter and was no longer as lively as before.

At that moment, the backstage room door was pushed open with a bang once again.

Several men in suits barged in, their demeanor as domineering as ever, demanding in a stern tone, "Who gave you permission to continue broadcasting the program?"

Upon hearing the voice, the director on set felt his glutes contract violently. When he turned around and saw who it was, a look of utter despair crossed his face, and he slumped into his chair, completely exhausted.

Another bureau chief, but this time it comes from the Taiwan Military Intelligence Bureau.

"Is such a small matter really worth Director Huang's personal visit?"

Before the director could react, Director Shao, who was sitting to the side, seemed to have found the person he was waiting for. He opened his eyes, smiled, and stood up: "Sorry, it was me who made sure the program aired as scheduled. The intelligence agency won't interfere with the governing body of our television industry, will it?"

When Wang met Wang, Director Huang's eyes flickered, and a smile appeared on his tense face: "After all, this involves sensitive issues, so we still need to come and handle it."

Director Shao laughed and said, "I don't think it's that serious. Martial law has been lifted there for so long, and there's freedom of speech. Besides, that director has already said everything he needed to say."

"I'm afraid he's not the only one, so it's best not to let the impact continue to expand."

Director Huang smiled and said something, then turned to give a wink to the people around him. Immediately, someone stepped forward and approached the main control console, trying to cut off the signal.

As soon as there was movement on one side, the people around Director Shao stepped forward and blocked the other side's path.

Director Shao smiled as usual: "Director Huang, I said no."

Director Huang's smile faded, and he decided to cut to the chase, saying directly, "Shao Yuzhong, I am now representing the Ministry of National Defense! Minister Hao does not want to see this happen."

"Then let me tell you, Huang Shih-chung, I now represent the Executive Yuan!"

Director Shao remained unyielding, took out his phone and threw it on the table, raising an eyebrow as he said, "If the Ministry of National Defense wants to interrupt tonight's broadcast, then please call Dean Li yourself!"

The atmosphere in the entire studio plummeted to freezing point.

The production crew was trembling with fear.

Even Zhang Aijia and Tao Dawei, both sons of high-ranking officials, remained silent.

At this moment, everyone can see that tonight's argument is not about whether or not a program should be broadcast.
This is clearly a direct confrontation between the Executive Yuan and the Ministry of National Defense.

Looking deeper, the current Premier Lee Huan was handpicked by his predecessor, while Acting Minister of National Defense Hau Pei-tsun is a confidant of the current leader. If Lee Huan withstands the pressure, the old KMT faction will remain the largest faction on the island. Conversely, if Hau Pei-tsun rises to power and replaces Lee Huan, the democratic and progressive faction run by the current leader will immediately receive official recognition, transitioning from civilian to official, and replacing the former KMT...

At this moment, on the monitor screen,

Shi Nansheng, Wang Jiawei, and Ke Junxiong suddenly raised their voices, especially Ke Junxiong's relieved voice, which pierced through the loudspeaker:
Thank you everyone. Let's hand the stage over to our two hosts.

The three people on stage quickly bowed and left the stage.

Seeing the two bureau chiefs at loggerheads, Zhang Aijia tugged at Tao Dawei and whispered, "Let's go, let's go."

"Again, you say you can't handle it?"

"We have to hold on, even if we can't!"

…………

The audience in the stadium was completely unaware of what was happening in the backstage studio.

Even Zhai Yuan himself was unaware that his actions had sparked a clash between the old and new forces.

I just felt that Zhang Aijia and Tao Dawei lingered for too long when they reappeared.

Wang Jiawei had to go offstage twice to wipe his sweat before the two hosts finally arrived.

on the stage.

With a polite smile, Zhang Aijia bent down to sort through the envelopes and squeezed out the words through gritted teeth: "Brother Dawei, you go first!"

Tao Dawei took a deep breath, bracing himself to save the day, and said with a smile, "Thank you to the two presenters and Director Wang for their wonderful... cough speech! As the host, I know nothing about film, so I won't offer any more comments. However, with the grand prize going to 'Days of Being Wild,' I think the other six nominees must be feeling a mix of emotions right now, especially my grandson—excuse me, not my biological grandson, but my... grandson..."

Tao Dawei, after all, was a seasoned host. He quickly changed the subject and left a punchline for Zhang Aijia to unravel.

Sylvia Chang immediately adopted an exaggerated expression of curiosity: "Which grandson of yours?"

Tao Dawei said, "Sun Yue!"

Sylvia Chang continued her exaggerated performance: "Oh hahaha, Sun Yue is your grandson, Mr. Sun, are you here?"

The audience was very supportive, with scattered laughter, the loudest coming from the Hong Kong filmmakers.

Among them are many veteran Taiwanese actors,
For example, Sun Yue, the lead actor in "Across the Straits," was also laughing heartily, completely unconcerned about Wang Jiawei's earlier remarks.

On stage,

Tao Dawei stepped in to save the day: "I saw Sun Yue laughing in the audience. Hey, you haven't even won an award yet, why aren't you leaving?"

Sylvia Chang exclaimed dramatically, "Hahaha, he hasn't left yet! Hahaha, he hasn't left yet!"

Tao Dawei: "Sun Yue once told me that this dream comes true, just like the people who won the award tonight. But there is another kind of dream that is shattered, when you lose and there is no hope at all. The last kind is called waking up from a dream."

Zhang Aijia: "Oh? Then what's the deal with this kind of person?"

Tao Dawei: "So he neither made the shortlist nor won an award. It was all a dream. After I woke up, I quit."

Sylvia Chang laughed awkwardly: "How could Sun Yue say such a thing?"

Tao Dawei: "Sun Yue would never say such a thing, but Guan Yu did say something like that. He said that victory and defeat are common occurrences in war, and it doesn't matter if you don't win an award. Back when Guan Yu fought Liu Bei..."

The two of them rambled on and on, talking nonsense and making no sense.

Until the director's voice came through the earpiece.

Zhang Aijia interrupted Tao Dawei directly, saying hurriedly, "Alright, let's enjoy the nominated theme song next, 'A Game, A Dream,' from the movie 'Yellow Story,' performed by Wang Jie!"

The two hosts, whose careers had suffered a major setback, left the stage with their heads down, too afraid to go backstage, and instead stood at the edge of the stage.

……

"Don't talk about separation, I won't cry because of that..."

At the peak of his career, Wang Jie's singing voice brought the previously chaotic awards ceremony to a gradual calm.

In this era, if we're talking about a battle of the titans in the music scene, Wang Jie is undoubtedly a true god. So why did the Hong Kong music scene later form the "Four Heavenly Kings"?
They've been completely overwhelmed by these Taiwanese musicians. First there were Lo Ta-yu, A-mei, Su Rui, and Wang Jie, and then Richie Jen, who crushed half of the Hong Kong music scene with a single song. If they don't form a group and create some hype, they'll all be left with nothing.

"If you calculate it this way, the talent gap in Hong Kong's entertainment circle really started early. Among male singers, Taiwan still has Lun, who is very popular, but it seems that there are not many people left in Hong Kong who can compete."

Nicholas Tse?
Eason Chan?
Prince Ji?
Jiang Tao?

As someone who loves ginger candy, Zhai Yuan feels that apart from the last one, no one else can live up to the "King of Pop" label!
However, Hong Kong has consistently produced several divas and rising stars among its female singers. If we include Faye Wong, it becomes even more striking. Even Vivian Chow, who was supposed to succeed Anita Mui, unfortunately lacked ambition...

As Zhai Yuan listened to Wang Jie's singing on stage, he thought to himself, "Why don't I take advantage of this trip to Taiwan and transport all those promising young talents to Hong Kong for cultivation?"

Anyway, they've already openly and secretly torn off the mask of civility!
"Sister Nan."

Zhai Yuan, acting on impulse, stood up and walked past Wang Zuxian to sit next to Shi Nansheng and Xu Anhua, saying, "We've come all this way to Taiwan, we can't go back empty-handed. How about picking some new talent to take back and expand our talent pool?"

Shi Nansheng's eyes were complicated: "Mr. Zhai, which girl have you taken a fancy to this time?"

"..." Zhai Yuan hadn't expected to look like this. He took a deep breath and said, "Seriously, look at the person singing on stage. How many of us on The Voice of China are qualified to compete with him?"

Although he would probably cripple his martial arts skills in the future, Zhai Yuan thought to himself.

Shi Nansheng's gaze shifted from complicated to suspicious as he looked his boss up and down, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"I think I'm too easygoing usually, and I should try to be more authoritative."

Zhai Yuan said irritably, patting Wang Jiawei who was lost in thought: "Hey Gao, you just mispronounced two words, saying 'Mr. Zhai' instead of 'Boss Zhai'. You're fined two thousand!"

After saying that, he looked at Shi Nansheng and said provocatively, "How about it, are you surprised!"

……

As Wang Jie's song transitioned into the next segment, the Golden Horse Awards ceremony gradually returned to normal.

Aside from the fact that the two hosts would unconsciously breathe rapidly when another Hong Kong filmmaker came on stage.

Next, the awards for 'Best Actress', 'Best Supporting Actress', 'Best Sound Recording', and 'Best Editing' were announced one after another. Regardless of whether they were artists from 91 Entertainment or not, the Hong Kong professionals who went on stage all behaved very well.

"Next, let's announce the Best Director award at this year's Golden Horse Awards. Please welcome our presenter, Sister Nan, once again."

Shi Nansheng took the stage again.

Zhang Aijia leaned closer and whispered, "Sister Nan, tell me honestly, does Zhai Yuan have any other tricks up his sleeve?"

Shi Nansheng laughed and said, "No, no~"

"Okay, I believe you!" Zhang Aijia took a deep breath: "Now that we can't find anyone else who dares to share the stage with you, I'll do it!"

Immediately afterwards, Sylvia Chang and Shi Nansheng announced the list together.

"The Best Director award goes to 'Summer Snow' by Ann Hui!"

Ann Hui strode confidently onto the stage and gave her good friend Sylvia Chang a smiling look.

Zhang Aijia breathed a sigh of relief: Thank goodness, they're on our side!

"Thank you to the jury, thank you to 91 Entertainment, and thank you all for the enthusiastic applause tonight."

Since her film "Boat People" was banned by the Freedom Association, this marks Ann Hui's return to Taiwan after six years.

Standing on the Golden Horse Awards stage, Ann Hui wore a plain cheongsam, holding the trophy to her chest with one hand and the microphone in the other. Her voice was deep, but no longer gentle: "But tonight I'm not here to express my gratitude, but to say one thing—finally, the Freedom Society has disbanded."

Sylvia Chang's smile instantly froze on her face.

I fell into the trap!

Ann Hui's powerful voice still echoed in the venue: "How many films from our generation were never made? How many stories were stuck at the gates of the General Association? That wasn't censorship, that was a gag order, a chilling war, a cultural colonization. I can stand here today to talk about these things because that wall has finally fallen. Today, I don't need to care about being blacklisted, nor am I afraid that anyone will forbid me from setting foot on this island again. But I still hope that all practitioners in the Chinese-speaking world will not forget this period of white terror that was unique to the film industry..."

……

The entire Golden Horse Awards ceremony was turned into a complete mess by the two directors from 91 Entertainment.

After Shi Nansheng stepped down, even though he only had a few awards left, no one dared to stand with Hong Kong filmmakers anymore.

Thus, this year's Golden Horse Awards broke with tradition by having two Taiwanese presenters take the stage, followed by two Hong Kong presenters.

The procedures still need to be completed, but you can go play among your own people!

"Best Actor, Leslie Cheung, for *Days of Being Wild*!"

Ke Junxiong and Tao Dawei made a phone call to Rong Shao, who was far away in Yanjing. Fortunately, Rong Shao was unaware of the situation at the party. When he learned that he had won an award, his resentment towards Wang Jiawei lessened, and he gave an acceptance speech over the phone.

"Best Original Screenplay, screenwriter of 'Women at Forty,' Zhai Yuan!"

Chen Shilong and Hong Xinbao stepped onto the stage and read out the list of winners to the camera.

The spotlight shone on Zhai Yuan, who waved to his two apprentices on stage, indicating that he would not be going on stage.

That's enough. Wang Jiawei and Ann Hui's statements basically represent their own views.

Besides, both of them performed quite well, unlike that idiot from a later cohort who cried his eyes out on stage and couldn't even speak a coherent sentence.

Shit!
Zhai Yuan really had no intention of going on stage and thought it over, and was now thinking about how to make the Hong Kong Film Awards a success next time.

But alas, the tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease.

It's unclear whether Hong Xinbao is trying to curry favor because he hasn't had many commercial opportunities lately, or whether the role of Yu Zhanyuan in "Seven Little Fortunes" has made him immerse himself in the character.

Seeing that Zhai Yuan wouldn't go on stage, the chubby junior apprentice suddenly ignited a third fire:

"Mr. Zhai, are you sure you're not coming to say a few words? You want to sit with our comrades, right?"

Zhai Yuan clapped with a smile and gave his chubby junior apprentice a thumbs-up from afar.

Great, I'll be making "Train to Busan," "The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil," and "The Outlaws" for you next!
…………

The entire process lasted nearly three hours.

The 25th Golden Horse Awards have finally come to a close.

In fact, it is not hard to see the extent of the decline of the film industry in Taiwan at this time from the awards presented this year.

Of the 17 Best Awards, Hong Kong took home 13.

The only award left to enhance Taiwan's image was the Best Documentary, "Evening Drum and Morning Bell," while the remaining three were merely unremarkable awards such as Best Supporting Actress, Best Documentary Director, and Best Original Film Song.

Presumably feeling embarrassed, they created a special award specifically for a film produced by China Film Group called "The Underworld Bandit".

The major awards were almost entirely won by "Days of Being Wild" and "Summer Snow".

Around 10 p.m., Hong Kong industry professionals walked out of the stadium in a large group. There was supposed to be a celebration banquet, but Zhai Yuan had no interest in it, and the others also declined the invitation from the organizing committee.

The crowd surrounded Zhai Yuan in the middle.

This trip to Taiwan can be described as a triumph for Hong Kong's social circles in many ways. Even those who are not politically sensitive can still recall Ann Hui's criticism of the Freedom Society.

Anyone who can associate with 91 Entertainment and join the Film Association must have hated the Freedom Association for a long time.

"Suddenly I feel a bit scared."

Shi Nansheng smiled and said to Zhai Yuan, "Mr. Zhai, what if we all get arrested tonight and can't even go back to Hong Kong?"

Zhai Yuan said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, I also have elite troops on Taiwan!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a line of cars bearing the logo of the "September 1st Daily" drove up and parked in front of the crowd.

Ye Yijian led the newspaper's paparazzi team, setting up their filming equipment alongside the car.

At this moment, Zhai Yuanshang was unaware that the Executive Yuan and the Ministry of National Defense were locked in a life-or-death struggle, and were unlikely to pay attention to his actions that evening.

However, the September 1st Daily News remained a protective barrier for him.

If anyone on the island dares to play any tricks, they should first consider whether they can get past their own group of paparazzi.

The scandal on the south bank of the Yangtze River hasn't been over for very long~
"Let's find a place to eat first, then it'll be my treat for everyone to have a good time and take a shower!"

Zhai Yuan's call was met with enthusiastic response. He waved his hand and beckoned everyone to "Get in the car!"

…………

The next day, Hong Kong.

'The Taiwan Golden Horse Awards concluded last night, with the Hong Kong film "Days of Being Wild" winning five awards: Best Feature Film, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, and Best Editing!' — Oriental Daily News

Ann Hui returns to Taiwan after six years, and her film "Summer Snow" sweeps four awards: Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor! — Overseas Chinese Daily

'Wang Jiawei and Ann Hui make surprising remarks at the Golden Horse Awards; 91 Entertainment's two blockbuster films sweep nine Golden Horse Awards!' — Ming Pao

……

Public opinion spread very quickly, and various newspapers immediately published the news of last night's Golden Horse Awards in their entertainment sections.

The September 1st Daily also published a long article, which was featured on its front page.

Besides highlighting the numerous awards won by the films "Days of Being Wild" and "Summer Snow," the article also included film critics' analyses, resulting in lengthy praise and accolades.

The title is short, but it's the most concise rebuttal to the backlash against Mr. Zhai after his two films were released.

'Kuroko, speak up!'

(End of this chapter)