It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 198 Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river! The Golden Horse Award-winning actress is gone... but I, Jiang Wen, am back!

The 25th Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony was held at the Hong Kong Coliseum as usual.

The ceremony was co-hosted by Zeng Zhiwei, Mao Shunyun, and Du Wenze.

Many mainland filmmakers attended the event, including Hu Jun, Zhang Jingchu, and Yuan Quan, who all appeared on the red carpet.

Among them, Zhou Xun is the most famous and the most favored to win the award.

She was nominated for Best Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards for her role in "Perhaps Love".

Although the film did not perform well at the box office in mainland China and Hong Kong, it received excellent reviews.

With the added support and promotion from her team, she successfully became one of the top contenders for Best Actress.

At this moment, on the red carpet, Zhou Xun linked arms with director Chen Kexin, his smile bright and confident, his every move exuding an air of certainty.

Meanwhile, in the hotel room booked by the "Dying to Survive" film crew, Lü Rui was sharing his industry experience with Liu Yifei:
"None of them are soft-hearted when they reach the 'Four Dan' level. Don't be fooled by their gentle and friendly image to outsiders; when it comes to competing for resources and seizing opportunities, they won't back down an inch..."

Liu Xiaoli rarely says these things to her daughter.

Mothers often think about creating a simple environment for their children, but they don't realize that this kind of "protection" may actually lead them astray in complex circles.

For someone to grow quickly, the guidance and experience of elders are crucial.

There's a saying online that goes: "If your family is in business or politics, you must listen to your parents; if your family is in industry or agriculture, you must break free from your parents' limited understanding."

While this statement isn't 100% absolute, it's more than 70% true.

Cognitive gaps often require countless setbacks to bridge.

However, having a guide can save you from taking many detours.

Liu Yifei listened very attentively, nodding in response from time to time, and kept all of Lü Rui's words in mind.

Liu Xiaoli sat to the side, opened her mouth but didn't say anything.

My daughter has grown up. Like a fledgling eagle, she must spread her wings and can't always be sheltered under my wings.

Besides, there are some industry rules that even she herself hasn't figured out, so she really doesn't dare to give unsolicited advice.

Now that she has Lu Rui, an "experienced person," to help her, she actually feels relieved.

But after a short while, she suddenly frowned, a question popping into her mind:
"That's not right! He's only a few years older than Sisi, and his family isn't a celebrity offspring or a film and television family. Where did he get all this profound experience from?"

Is this the legendary genius who is "born to know everything"?

Liu Xiaoli became increasingly puzzled, but too embarrassed to ask directly, so she could only mutter to herself:
This young man is truly unfathomable...

Just then, the voice of the award presenter came from the television:

"The winner of the Best Actress award at the 25th Hong Kong Film Awards is Fiona Sit for '2 Young'."

The moment the sound hit the floor, Liu Xiaoli jumped up from the sofa, her face filled with disbelief!

Correspondingly, on the television screen, Zhou Xun's face was also filled with disbelief!
what's the situation?
What happened to her Oscar for Best Actress?

Wasn't it agreed that it was a done deal?
While she was still in a daze, Xue Kaiqi had already gotten up in surprise, hugged the person next to her, and ran up to the podium with great joy.

The acceptance speeches ended quickly, and the "double yolk award" that Zhou Xun had expected did not materialize.

Following that, Leung Ka-fai won Best Actor, while the "Election" crew won both Best Director and Best Film.

This year's Hong Kong Film Awards have now officially come to an end.

As in previous years, this year's event was a celebration within the Hong Kong film industry, with mainland filmmakers once again leaving empty-handed.

This result did not generate much discussion, and mainland audiences did not react much either, as this has been the case in previous years.

At most, Qin Hailu will post on his blog that supporting Zhou Xun has become a joke, and that's all.

However, Zhou Xun himself was in a daze and could not come back to his senses for a long time.

She didn't realize what had happened until she returned to the hotel, feeling completely disoriented.

I actually... finished as a runner-up?!
They lost to a singer?

What a joke! ?

She picked up the phone and called Chen Kexin directly, unable to hold back her question: "Director Chen, what about my Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress? Didn't you promise..."

"Sigh." On the other end of the phone, Chen Kexin sighed and comforted her, "Don't be sad. I'll try my best to get you the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress at the end of the year. We can have the Hong Kong Film Award next time."

To be honest, even Chen Kexin herself was completely bewildered by the result.

After all, he had genuinely promised beforehand, and the organizing committee had agreed to help Zhou Xun make arrangements to lure mainland filmmakers to Hong Kong.

But who could have imagined that it would end up like this?
"Why is this happening?" Zhou Xun still couldn't accept it.

"The organizing committee's response to me was that Qin Hailu's blog post had sparked questions from the audience about the Hong Kong Film Awards, and in order to ensure the fairness of the awards..."

"Fair? The Hong Kong Film Awards have fairness?" Zhou Xun was so angry he laughed.

Chen Kexin paused, then her tone suddenly turned serious, carrying a hint of threat: "You can say this, and I can listen, but outsiders can't listen, understand?"

Zhou Xun's expression tightened, and he could only awkwardly reply a few words before hanging up the phone.

She realized that not only had all her previous efforts gone to waste, but she wasn't even allowed to complain!
I was very unhappy, but there was nothing I could do.

After all, she still needs to rely on the Hong Kong film industry for her future film opportunities; she has no right to resist right now...

If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have let Qin Hailu post on his blog and pull off this "hype" stunt.

Now look what's happened, we've lost face to the extreme!
"Sister Xun, how should we arrange our next itinerary?" the assistant asked cautiously from the side.

"Let's go back to the mainland..."

Zhou Xun's voice was hoarse, sounding extremely frustrated and uncomfortable.

The feeling of slinking back home was absolutely awful to her!

Meanwhile, as Lü Rui watched the results on television, a meaningful smile crept onto his lips.

He was right about him; Yinghuang's connections and methods in the Hong Kong entertainment circle are indeed quite impressive.

It seems that the upcoming cooperation should proceed without any major problems.

"Senior! This... did you arrange this?"

When the list of nominees for the Hong Kong Film Awards was released, Liu Yifei's eyes widened in surprise at the fact that Zhou Xun, who had been a strong contender, was not among them.

Lu Rui smiled, neither denying it directly nor trying to take credit from the little girl. He simply turned his gaze to Liu Xiaoli, who was standing to the side.

Liu Xiaoli immediately realized what was happening, quickly bowed to Lü Rui to express her gratitude, and then turned to remind her daughter:

"Sisi, quickly thank Director Lü. He's helping you get revenge for the slander you suffered before!"

"Thank you, senior!"

Liu Yifei didn't hesitate at all; she immediately bowed to Lü Rui at a perfect 90-degree angle.

She learned this move from Jane Zhang.

Her good friend said that this way of thanking someone who is genuinely grateful makes the thanks more sincere.

As for the other person's "love-obsessed" nature, she hadn't learned it, and really didn't know how.

"Haha, you're welcome."

Lu Rui subconsciously raised his hand and gently tapped her head.

This girl has grown really fast. When I first met her, she looked so young and innocent, but now she's over 170cm tall and a graceful young lady.

With Liu Xiaoli still nearby, Lü Rui felt embarrassed to tease her any further. He glanced at the clock on the wall and told her to go and rest: "It's getting late. You have to film tomorrow. Go to sleep early."

"Good night, senior."

Seeing her mother standing nearby, Liu Yifei didn't dare to be too presumptuous. She just secretly winked at Lü Rui before obediently turning around and leaving with her mother.

If her mom weren't here, she would definitely have rushed up and given her senior a big hug!

It's been so long since Zhou Xun slandered her, she had almost forgotten about it herself, but her senior still remembered and even went out of his way to "avenge" her. This concern made her feel incredibly sweet inside.

"Good night, have a good rest."

After seeing the mother and daughter off, Lü Rui didn't rush to sleep.

Since returning from filming, he has been busy translating the script of "New World" into Chinese, and there is only a small part of the final plot left.

I might as well work overtime tonight and get it all sorted out.

Yinghuang has been consistently showing goodwill and has helped him a lot; he has even submitted his "pledge of allegiance."

He naturally couldn't go back on his word and had to push forward the cooperative project as soon as possible.

The following morning, Lü Rui arrived at the film set early, went straight to Lu Yang, handed him the printed script, and instructed him:
“Take this script back to the company. I’ve already spoken to Hou Hongliang. You’ll be in charge of the preparation and filming.”

Lu Yang subconsciously took the script, his gaze falling on the three words "New World" on the cover. He was stunned for a while before suddenly coming back to his senses.

It's an assessment!

The assessment to enter the company's core director circle has finally arrived!

Realizing this, his face flushed instantly, and his grip on the script tightened slightly. He hurriedly assured him, "Don't worry, Brother Rui! I will do my best and will definitely live up to your expectations!"

"Well, go get busy."

Lu Rui smiled, patted his shoulder, and turned to sit back down in front of the monitor.

Actually, the reason why Lu Yang was chosen to direct this script was not only because Zhao Peng was busy with the promotion of "Sunny Sisters" and Shen Ao was busy filming "Dying to Survive" and didn't have time, but more importantly because of his family background.

When filming in Hong Kong, even directors with financial backing often feel constrained due to unfamiliarity with the area.

But Lu Yang is different!
His father is Lu Haibo, who is not only a member of the Literature and Art Bureau of the Central Propaganda Department, but also the director, professor and doctoral supervisor of the Film and Television Department of the Central Academy of Drama.

My grandfather and maternal grandfather have even more extensive experience and their family background can be described as "pure and upright".

It's no exaggeration to say that the sweat on their bodies is redder than the blood of ordinary people.

If it weren't for his family's desire for him to try something new, Lu Yang would have already followed the conventional path of becoming a "veteran artist."

In fact, second-generation members of artistic families like this are best suited for pioneering and enterprising spirit.

While others have to go around asking for favors and connections when they encounter trouble, he can probably resolve it with just one phone call.

Therefore, having him lead "The New World" is undoubtedly the most suitable choice.

Besides, even if we were to take a united front approach, he would be more suitable than others...

After seeing Lu Yang off, Lü Rui called Yang Shoucheng to tell him about the "New World" project.

"Haha, great! I'll contact President Hou right away." Yang Shoucheng was overjoyed.

He was right; cooperating with Lü Rui was much more pleasant than cooperating with Huayi.

We're all straightforward people, so there's no need to beat around the bush; we're all about getting things done quickly and efficiently.

Unlike the two Wang brothers, who always seemed to be harboring evil intentions and whose behavior was anything but upright and honest, they were sinister and cunning, just like Xiang Huaqiang.

……

"The 25th Hong Kong Film Awards were held last night at the Hong Kong Film Palace. 'Election,' directed by Johnnie To and starring Simon Yam, Tony Leung Ka-fai, and others, swept multiple awards, including Best Film and Best Director, becoming the biggest winner of this year's awards!"

"Zhou Xun failed to win the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress, leaving the competition with regret after 'Perhaps Love,' marking another loss for a mainland actress in Hong Kong's Best Actress category..."

"The nominations for the 59th Cannes International Film Festival have been announced: Jiang Wen's 'The Sun Also Rises' has been selected for the main competition!"

"At this year's Cannes Film Festival, Wang Jiawei serves as the president of the jury, and Zhang Ziyi, Mosca Bellucci, and others have been invited to serve as jury members..."

If Zhou Xun wins the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress this time, she will undoubtedly become the most sought-after actress.

After all, no mainland Chinese actress had ever won this award before.

But now that she has failed the exam, Jiang Wen's new film has been shortlisted for Cannes, and the media's attention has instantly shifted to the latter.

Reporters quickly surrounded the filming location of "Dying to Survive," all wanting to come in and interview Jiang Wen.

As for Zhou Xun, he had long been forgotten by everyone...

It happened to be a break for the film crew, so Jiang Wen greeted Lü Rui and strode out.

The five years he was banned from directing must have been incredibly frustrating for him.

Now, his first film after his comeback has been selected for the Cannes Film Festival, and he's bursting with energy, itching to shout into the camera:

"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river! I, Jiang Wen, am back!"

Hearing the cheerful laughter coming from outside the film set, Lü Rui was also quite happy for him.

In his previous life, Jiang Wen only made a complete comeback after he made "Let the Bullets Fly".

Gaining attention ahead of time can be seen as fulfilling one of his biggest regrets.

Lu Rui then looked away and continued scrolling through the news.

The promotional effect of "Sunny Sisters" far exceeded expectations, thanks to the huge popularity of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" and the widespread popularity of "Little Dragon Girl".

Currently, the premiere ratings for this drama have reached 22.5%, far exceeding the opening drama of this year, "Crossing the Guandong," and second only to "Qiao's Grand Courtyard" and "Ma Dashuai 3."

Although surpassing the first two installments will be quite difficult, it's a foregone conclusion that "The Return of the Condor Heroes" will be among the top three in annual viewership ratings.

It is precisely because of this that, without Lü Rui's deliberate public relations efforts, the media has already ranked Liu Yifei as the "number one person after the four Dan actresses".

Those in the industry know that among the "Four Dan and Two Bing" (referring to four top actresses and two top actresses in China), the four top actresses have established themselves based on their solid achievements.

However, Wang Jinghua promoted Fan Bingbing and Li Bingbing into the first tier so that they wouldn't be relegated to the ranks of the future "Four Little Actresses".

Even though the marketing was good and the names of "Double Bing" became deeply rooted in people's hearts, in terms of actual achievements, the two have long been left behind by Liu Yifei.

Currently, Xiao Liu has a string of popular dramas in his hands, including "The Story of a Noble Family," "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," and "Chinese Paladin." Now, with the addition of "The Return of the Condor Heroes," the quality of his works is beyond doubt.

In terms of movies, "Taken" grossed 3.72 million yuan, which far surpassed Li Bingbing's "A World Without Thieves".

Even Fan Bingbing only managed to maintain her position as one of the "Double Bing" (referring to two actresses, Bing and Bing) thanks to the 2.4 million yuan box office of "The Prestige".

Based on this calculation, the truly significant ranking should be "Four Dan, One Fei, and Two Bing".

This is why Liu Yifei played the lead role in "Dying to Survive," while Fan Bingbing and Li Bingbing played supporting roles, yet it didn't generate much controversy.

If Lü Rui hadn't wanted to solidify Fei's position and ensure no one could question her, she could have already hyped up the "Four Dan, One Fei, and Two Bing" topic, allowing her to firmly establish herself as a top star.

……

The interviews with Jiang Wen won't stop anytime soon.

After pondering for a moment, Lü Rui decided to film a crucial scene of Fan Bingbing's performance in "Dying to Survive" on the next set.

In the script, after Jiang Wu left the police station, he took Zhang Yi home.

When they got downstairs, Zhang Yi invited him upstairs for dinner, and he didn't refuse.

After the two went upstairs, Zhang Yi showed him his baby, who was less than six months old.

In the video, a baby's tiny hand is clutching an adult's finger, its soft and cuddly appearance is incredibly heartwarming.

Their conversation was filled with anticipation for the future, and the vitality of the new life became Zhang Yi's belief in living on. The scene was so heartwarming that it was touching.

Then, Fan Bingbing, playing the wife, appeared on stage.

The camera focuses on the scene where she toasts Jiang Wu.

Her hand holding the wine glass was steady and not trembling. Her eyes held gratitude, but also a hint of careful flattery. Even the slightest pressure from her fingertips was just right.

Lu Rui looked at the monitor and couldn't help but nod.

Fan Bingbing completely nailed this heartfelt performance, hitting the mark perfectly without needing any extra guidance from him.

In fact, no one understands the feeling of "toasting" better than her.

During the "Jin Suo" era, she countless times held a wine glass, smiling obsequiously as she handed it to directors, seniors, and investors.

Her ability to portray humility in her roles is inseparable from her experiences back then.

But in reality, she was no longer willing to be the kind of person who had to rely on toasting to get opportunities!

Love Transfer, Flash Point, Contract Lover, Fate Transfer...

These roles that were originally intended for her have all been snatched away by Zhou Xun, who returned from Hong Kong.

Even if Zhou Xun didn't win the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress, she could still use her connections in the Hong Kong entertainment circle to steal her opportunity.

What chilled her to the bone even more was that the company had cut off all her resources, clearly intending to coerce her into submission through pressure.

She was very unwilling to accept it!
Just like back then, she was unwilling to only play "Jin Suo" and be a supporting role to Zhao Yanzi and Ruby Lin.

Therefore, she had already been secretly preparing for her own company, waiting for her contract with Huayi to expire at the end of the year so that she could completely escape this suffocating place.

She is now only disappointed in Huayi.

But she longed for the Wise Vision!

She had already found out from Liu Yifei that Lü Rui was a shareholder of Hongxingwu, which was why he was so eager to promote him.

Okay, if Liu Yifei can do it, then why can't she?
……

After Fan Bingbing finished filming this scene, Jiang Wen returned from outside.

Before the smile on his face could fade, Lü Rui arranged a very stressful scene for him!
The police officer he played stormed into the cancer hospital, only to find the wards filled with elderly people hooked up to IV drips, looking lifeless...

His tense expression faltered for a moment, but he still forced himself to ask:
"I heard you're all unwilling to cooperate? We handle cases based on evidence. We've found counterfeit drugs on you all. Whether you cooperate or not, this case must be solved!"
Harboring a criminal is also a crime. Let me remind you, doing this isn't helping him, it's harming him..."

The ward was deathly silent; no one responded.

"Stubborn!"

Seeing this, he turned to leave, but behind him came a pleading voice, trembling with tears: "Boss, I need your help..."

The scene shifts to an elderly woman with a pale face and a thin figure struggling to sit up from her hospital bed.

Jiang Wen frowned and turned around, and the main camera immediately zoomed in.

The old woman hesitated, her lips trembling for a long time before she finally spoke in a weak voice, "I...I just want to beg you, please stop investigating the miracle drug, okay?"

Jiang Wen remained silent.

The old woman's voice grew even softer. In the close-up shot, her eyes were cloudy, her cheeks and lips trembled, and her breath was as weak as a candle flickering in the wind.
"I was sick for three years, and I underwent chemotherapy for three years, each session costing several thousand yuan. In the end, it was ineffective, and I could only rely on medication to keep my life afloat."

The genuine medicine is more expensive than chemotherapy. I've ruined my house and bankrupted my family. Now that there's finally some affordable medicine, you all insist it's fake...

Do you think we don't know if that medicine is fake or not? It only sells for two hundred yuan a bottle, the drug dealers aren't making any profit at all!
"Every family has a sick person sometimes. Can you guarantee you'll never get sick in your life? If you take him away, we'll all be waiting to die... I don't want to die, I want to live... Is that okay?"

The later the lines went, the louder the crying became.

The old lady reached out and grabbed Jiang Wen's arm, her eyes full of pleading.

Jiang Wen quickly took the old man's hand, but remained silent.

He didn't really want to investigate, but his superiors had given him a strict order, so what could he do?
The scene quickly shifts to the police station.

Jiang Wen was deeply moved by the old woman's words, and his heart was in turmoil between legal principles and public sentiment. In the end, he gritted his teeth and made a decision:
"I'm quitting this job!"

However, the bureau chief, played by Zhang Piming in a cameo role, had a firm attitude: "No! Illegal and criminal matters must be investigated to the end!"

Under pressure, he had no choice but to continue pushing forward.

Under sustained pressure from the police and with additional officers joining the effort, the drug trafficking route that Wang Baoqiang was in charge of was quickly exposed.

In order to protect Jiang Wu, he resolutely chose to sacrifice himself!

Meanwhile, Zhang Yi's condition deteriorated rapidly, and while Jiang Wu was out searching for other sources of medication, he ultimately succumbed to his illness and passed away.

With his supply of medicine cut off one by one and those around him leaving one after another, Jiang Wu completely broke down.

His condition was deteriorating, and standing in the empty room, he didn't know where to go for the first time...

Just then, Liu Yifei's character, the daughter, became like a ray of light, illuminating him!
Initially, Liu Yifei and her "father" argued countless times about selling medicine.

But the more she interacted with them, the more she understood the desperate situation and difficulties her father and fellow patients faced.

Finally, she gritted her teeth and told Jiang Wu about a drug research and development channel she had learned about while studying abroad, promising to help him make connections...

This is certainly illegal, but it is a daughter's concern for her father.

New hope energized Jiang Wu!
For himself, for his deceased friends, for the countless patients waiting for their medication, and to break this unreasonable system, he is ready to embark on a new journey once again!

Since being diagnosed with cancer, he has lived in the shadow of death.

But now, he's become carefree.

Since you don't know when you'll die, you might as well do the right thing in the limited time you have.

Looking at the messages of encouragement among patients in the support group, he suddenly had a bold idea.

He followed the example of others who established equestrian clubs, wine clubs, and so on, and started his own club as well.

He wanted to be a pillar of support for his fellow patients and to make this club a beacon of light in the fight against exorbitantly priced drugs.

And the name of this club is:
"The Medicine God Club!"

(End of this chapter)