This director is vindictive.

The Huabiao Awards ceremony.

Tonight's stars are shining brightly, the most ever in recent years.

Of course, the most stylish people in the entire venue tonight were none other than Chen Mo and his family.

People can dominate the trending topics just by walking the red carpet, and everyone actually knows exactly why it's so lively tonight.

However, for tonight's winners, especially those who received the same award as Chen Mo, they were destined to be mere supporting characters.

Because the Huabiao Awards are official in nature and are organized by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, they are not as much of an award ceremony as other film festivals, although for many film professionals, winning a Huabiao Award represents official recognition.

In this respect, it does have a certain degree of authority, and the benefits are obvious. However, because the Huabiao Award only recognizes excellence and not the best, it often awards a large number of prizes, which leads to a lack of uniqueness in the awards. Therefore, the value of the awards is naturally greatly reduced.

After all, things are valued for their scarcity. Is it the same for you to win an award alone versus a group of people winning an award together?

Therefore, for the other award winners who received the same award as Chen Mo, they were destined to be mere supporting characters at the awards ceremony that evening.

After all, who in China could be more attractive than Chen Mo right now?

He only needs to stand there, and he'll basically be the center of attention.

In fact, Chen Mo's attendance at the Huabiao Awards ceremony, with his entire family—including his two pregnant wives—truly brought honor to the Huabiao Awards organizing committee and the organizer (the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television).

This respect isn't given casually; it's a tangible and perceptible form of "prestige."

Sometimes, face is indeed worthless, but in certain situations and with certain people, face can outweigh everything else.

For the leaders of the Huabiao Awards and the State Administration of Radio and Television, Chen Mo's move was undoubtedly a great honor, greatly enhancing the prestige and attention of this year's awards ceremony.

After all, the Huabiao Awards in the past, although bearing the title of "one of the highest awards in the Chinese film industry", often saw a batch of people winning awards at the same time because the award setting was "only to judge excellence, not to judge best". To put it bluntly, it was a bit like a "wholesale award".

As a result, the prestige and uniqueness of the award are diminished, and its influence mainly relies on its "official sponsorship" background, with not many people actually paying attention to it.

The star-studded lineup of previous years reveals this – the Huabiao Awards invites many celebrities, but many established actors and directors are unwilling to attend unless they or their works are nominated.

Why? The reason is simple: they come without exposure, lack popularity, and won't receive any significant awards. It's purely a formality and doesn't help their careers much.

But this year was completely different. Chen Mo's arrival instantly energized the entire venue. Many celebrities were no longer passively invited, but actively sought invitations from the organizing committee, doing everything they could to attend.

Why? Everyone knows the answer—wherever Chen Mo is, there's traffic and buzz. That's the real face effect.

As expected, the number of simultaneous viewers during the live broadcast of the awards ceremony surged to tens of millions, generating a frenzy on social media and far exceeding previous levels of attention. That night, the Huabiao Awards truly experienced the meaning of "top-tier influence" and the importance of "face above all else."

Sure enough, at the subsequent awards ceremony, everyone experienced what it means to reciprocate kindness.

Although some people had speculated that Chen Mo would attend the awards ceremony and win more awards, no one expected that things would turn out differently once the ceremony began.

From the very first award, Chen Mo couldn't sit still at all.

At this year's Huabiao Awards, Chen Mo's winning performance can be described as "monopolistic" brilliance.

From the very beginning of the awards ceremony, he won every award he was nominated for without any doubt—whether it was for best screenwriter or best director.

In stark contrast to previous years, these "Award of Excellence" categories often saw multiple winners at the same time, more like a "mass recognition";
However, this year, the organizing committee seems to have deliberately changed its approach, awarding several important prizes to Chen Mo alone, making him the only "lone survivor" under the spotlight.

All viewers and industry peers clearly realized that Chen Mo was undoubtedly the biggest winner of this year's Huabiao Awards.

Despite rumors that this might be his last time participating in the Huabiao Awards, the number of awards given to him by the organizing committee still exceeded many people's expectations—almost every honor he had the opportunity to compete for ended up in his hands.

Interestingly, although Chen Mo's acceptance speeches were largely the same each time he went on stage, and even seemed somewhat repetitive, it was precisely at these moments that the live stream interaction data and social media buzz would always reach their peak.

Audiences and media seem to never tire of seeing him on the podium. Even when he says similar things, people still enthusiastically discuss his demeanor, his family, and his every move, making each of his brief speeches the most talked-about segment of the night.

This time, even though the awards were concentrated on the same person, it was difficult for outsiders to criticize the organizing committee for being "biased" or "unfair".

The reason is that Chen Mo's qualifications and achievements are indeed enough to support this honor: he has been in the industry for 20 years, has been a director for more than 10 years, and has created and directed dozens of films. He is already a recognized heavyweight in the industry.

Moreover, he is competing for the award with his realistic film "Domestic Violence," which is of solid quality and has a strong social impact, meeting the Huabiao Awards' selection criteria in terms of both subject matter and artistic expression.

Therefore, from any perspective, his award seems perfectly reasonable. Furthermore, this year's Huabiao Awards broke an implicit tradition: while works with patriotic themes typically held a significant advantage in the judging process, this year Chen Mo's appearance made an exception. Chen Mo not only attended in person but also brought his entire family—including his two pregnant wives—a grand and attention-grabbing gesture widely seen as a great show of respect and support for the Huabiao Awards organizing committee and even the organizer (the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television), truly "giving them ample face."

In return, the organizing committee treated him with the highest honors, bestowing upon him the same respect and recognition through a centralized award ceremony.

It wasn't until the final "Outstanding Feature Film Award" was presented that the number of winning films increased significantly, returning to the previous model of multiple people sharing the honor.

Regardless, the entire awards ceremony was overshadowed by Chen Mo's personal charm and influence. All the awards, all the segments, and all the shots seemed to revolve around him—truly confirming the netizens' joke: "There was only one protagonist tonight, and that was Chen Mo."

After the awards for best feature film were presented, this year's Huabiao Awards should have come to an end.

But it didn't turn out that way.

"Next, we will be presenting a brand new award!" the host announced.

Not only were the people at the scene stunned, but Chen Mo was also somewhat taken aback.

He initially thought the surprise his boss mentioned meant winning all the nominated awards. But hearing the host's words now, he knew the surprises were likely more than that.

In fact, by this time, everyone had come to their senses. Although the host had not yet announced the specific award, everyone knew what the trend was for tonight.
This brand-new award is very likely to have been created specifically for Chen Mo.

In fact, other awards, such as the Hong Kong Film Awards, the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Awards, and even the Academy Awards, have had similar precedents.

But this is truly the first time the Huabiao Award has been awarded.

After all, it's an official award, so it's usually more serious.

As expected, the host then announced, "This award is the 'Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Cinema Award,' given to filmmakers who have made outstanding contributions to Chinese cinema! Next, we invite Director Zhang from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television to present the Outstanding Contribution Award to the winner!"

Upon hearing about the newly established "Outstanding Contribution Award," everyone knew their prediction was correct.

This award is absolutely not going to anyone else. In previous years, there might have been a chance for this kind of award to be given to someone else, but this year, it's impossible. The winner is practically a foregone conclusion.

Chen Mo was also somewhat stunned; it was an Outstanding Contribution Award.

The name might not sound like much, but it really depends on the award.

Other awards may have various "best" awards, but it's important to know that the Huabiao Award has always been prefixed with "excellent".

So the Outstanding Contribution Award, as the name suggests, is better than just Excellent.

It's actually pretty much the same as a "lifetime achievement award" at other award ceremonies.

Perhaps knowing that the award was a foregone conclusion, the organizing committee didn't keep them in suspense at all.

On the big screen, the lights dimmed, and a carefully edited video began to play, accompanied by a deep and powerful voiceover:
"The Search" is like a cold and sharp digital mirror, directly reflecting the dark side of the Internet age. The film not only focuses on the cruel strangulation of individual fates by cyberbullying, but also closely connects the harm of the virtual world with the legal principles of real society by highly recreating real-life cases such as the "first case of cyberbullying".

Its emergence prompted the Supreme People's Procuratorate to include related cases as guiding examples, ensuring that the vow that "the internet is not a lawless zone" is no longer an empty slogan, but a powerful beam of light shining into reality, reshaping the boundaries of speech and behavior for hundreds of millions of netizens.

"Dying to Survive"—this is a tragic song of life born from desperation, and a conscience-driven inquiry that shakes the system. The film focuses on exorbitantly priced drugs and the struggle for survival of critically ill patients, revealing the deep-seated problems and predicaments of the pharmaceutical industry with an almost brutally realistic touch. The massive social discussion it sparked regarding the medical system, the legality of generic drugs, and the right to life directly catalyzed the acceleration of the national pharmaceutical reform process. It allowed the most basic demand of 'survival' to finally break free from its humble fate and win the dignity and resonance it deserves.

"Article 20—it bravely questions the dormant legal provisions and awakens the public's legal awareness regarding 'legitimate self-defense.' Through highly representative real-life cases, the film activates the power and compassion behind Article 20 of the Criminal Law, exploring profound issues of justice, human sentiment, and legal responsibility. It brings the principle that 'the law cannot yield to illegality' from obscure legal documents to the streets and alleys, becoming a resounding voice in society that defends the courage of every ordinary person."

"Beneath its suspenseful and plot-twisting exterior lies a chilling examination of the foundations of trust and the abyss of human nature in intimate relationships. Through a meticulously planned conspiracy, the film reflects the security crisis and psychological warfare within modern emotional relationships. Its wake-up call not only resonates in theaters but also echoes long afterward in the hearts of every viewer, prompting them to re-examine the risks closest to them."

"All or Nothing"—the film, with its shocking and disturbing portrayal, delves into the bloody production line and infernal cruelty of overseas fraud rings. It relentlessly exposes the brutal truth of transnational crime chains, starkly presenting the victims' suffering and the perpetrators' greed. This film has greatly boosted public awareness of anti-fraud, transforming "anti-fraud" from a mere slogan into a deeply ingrained consensus and a powerful collective action across society.

With each exciting movie clip, there are film reviews and summaries.

Everyone was secretly amazed. Over the years, Chen Mo, putting aside everything else, was truly unique in the field of realistic themes alone!
At least domestically, there really isn't anything that can compare to it.

"He not only achieved great success in realistic films, but also had a profound impact on every film he made."

He also made indelible contributions to the development of Chinese-language films.

He is…

"Chen Mo!"

Suddenly, the entire audience shouted in unison.

Then applause erupted and lasted for a long time.

It wasn't until Chen Mo walked onto the podium that this continued.

Chen Mo accepted the trophy, his gaze slowly sweeping over the audience—his family, colleagues, and countless familiar faces were sitting there.

He took a deep breath, and spoke into the microphone, his voice steady and clear: "Thank you, Director Zhang, thank you to the Huabiao Awards Committee. This award is too heavy for me. It doesn't just belong to me, but also to the teams behind every film who work silently behind the scenes, and to everyone who believes that film can make a difference."

He paused, a hint of emotion in his eyes: "Twenty years ago, when I first started acting in my first film and television drama, I never imagined I would be standing here."

But over the years, I have always remembered one thing: film is not just an art of light and shadow; it is a mirror that reflects the joys and sorrows of society, and also our own responsibilities.

The stories in "The Search," "Dying to Survive," and "Article 20" are all based on real life.

Thank you to all the viewers who chose to believe these stories; it is your attention that gives them power beyond the screen.

His gaze shifted to his family seats, and his tone softened: "My family is here tonight. I especially want to thank my family members—they are pregnant with a new life, yet they still came here with me. They are the source of all my courage and inspiration."

Warm applause erupted from the audience.

"Someone once said that I'm here tonight to 'give face to the Huabiao Awards'."

Chen Mo smiled slightly, then his tone became serious: "But I want to say that the relationship between filmmakers and the Huabiao Awards has never been about one giving face to the other, but about mutual achievement. The word 'excellent' in the Huabiao Awards represents recognition of the social value of films. This recognition is more precious than any amount of popularity."

He gripped the trophy tightly, his voice gradually hardening: "The road of filmmaking is long. This award is both a summary and a starting point for me. In the future, I may continue to support Chinese-language cinema in a different way—but in any case, as long as there are people speaking out for true stories and for the fate of ordinary people, Chinese-language cinema will always be full of hope. Thank you everyone, thank you for this era."

As his words fell, the entire audience erupted in another long round of applause. At that moment, Chen Mo's acceptance speech not only echoed the glory of the evening but also provided a respectful conclusion to his deep connection with the Huabiao Awards. (End of Chapter)