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

Chapter 245 The squeaky wheel gets the grease! (Seeking monthly votes)
"How is it? Isn't my dress pretty? It's so golden..."

After the makeup artists left the dressing room, Liu Yifei could no longer contain her excitement and chattered excitedly as she spun around, showing off her new dress to Lü Rui.

In her opinion, the Golden Eagle Goddess should wear a golden dress, and this logic couldn't be more reasonable.

"..."

For a moment, Lü Rui was at a loss for words.

To be honest, he felt that the dress had a strange plastic feel to it, the details were not well done, and upon closer inspection, it even had a shoddy feel to it.

Fortunately, Liu Yifei's good looks saved the day.

With that face as a backdrop, the cheapness of the dress seemed to lessen.

"Yes, it is indeed golden and quite eye-catching. I'm glad you like it," he replied with a smile.

A person's sense of style is not something that can be corrected overnight.

Coupled with the confidence that comes with her good looks, Liu Yifei always has a mysterious self-confidence.

This can only be corrected gradually, since she's still a non-mainstream girl who prefers a mix-and-match style.
"It's just that this wig doesn't look very good," Liu Yifei pouted.

Because of filming "Pacific Rim," she cut her hair short, so now she has to wear a wig for styling purposes.

However, Lü Rui disagreed: "I think it looks great. Because you're good-looking, you'll look good even if you wear a burlap sack or a straw hat."

"really?"

"of course it's true."

What Lü Rui said was absolutely true.

How about someone who is naturally beautiful and has an unparalleled charm?
In all the years that the entertainment industry has developed, there is simply no one else who can live up to the title of "celestial beauty" except for her.

Even though this term was initially used by competitors and the media to flatter her to the point of ruin, now almost everyone agrees that she deserves it!

"Hehe, as long as you think it looks good, that's fine." Liu Yifei smiled, her eyes crinkling.

The assistant standing to the side couldn't sit still any longer.

These two are completely unpretentious!

She screamed inwardly, "Am I not human? Am I even human?!"

But at the same time, she said weakly, "How about... I go out first? You two can talk slowly?"

"it is good……"

Just as Liu Yifei was about to nod, the dressing room door was suddenly pushed open, and Liu Xiaoli strode in, calling out, "Qianqian, come on, get ready to go on stage."

"Oh, here we come."

She responded, winked at Lü Rui, and quickly followed him out, lifting her skirt.

The assistant finally breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and waved to Lü Rui: "Director Lü, come with me, I'll take you to the front audience seats."

"Okay, please."

"No trouble at all, it's my duty."

While leading the way, the assistant muttered to himself.

It's so rare to see such a big director being so kind to his subordinates; she was quite flattered!
Thinking of this, she secretly made up her mind: "It seems I'll have to help cover for him in the future... Yes, that's it!"

The front area was already packed, but the organizers had placed a lot of folding chairs in the aisles on both sides.

Lü Rui didn't sit down, but instead found an inconspicuous spot to stand and quietly waited for Liu Yifei to come on stage.

He wouldn't be staying here long; he had to catch a flight in two hours, so he had to leave early after watching Liu Yifei's appearance.

Looking around, I saw many familiar faces.

Li Xuejian, Li Youbin, Liu Tao, Huang Xiaoming, Sun Li... and Jiang Qinqin, who was heavily pregnant.

Chen Jianbin seems like a pretty honest person, but Lu Rui recently heard that he was able to get the lead role in "Qiao Family Courtyard" thanks to his ex-girlfriend Wu Yue going around asking for help and connections.

But what happened next was that after he became the lead actor, he turned around and started pursuing Jiang Qinqin.

If this is indeed the case, then this Shiro really does seem like a "villain"!
Just then, Lü Rui heard He Jiong on the stage suddenly announce loudly: "Let's give a warm round of applause to welcome the first Golden Eagle Goddess, Liu Yifei, as she makes her dazzling debut!"

Liu Ye's ex-girlfriend, Xie Na, then began reciting her resume: "From her debut in 'Mystic River' to 'The Story of a Noble Family', 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils', 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty', 'The Return of the Condor Heroes', 'Sunny Sisters'..."

At 19, she already holds the record for the highest-grossing film among actresses in the Chinese entertainment industry, and is affectionately known by fans as 'Fairy Sister'..."

In the center of the stage, a rotating platform slowly rises, and spotlights instantly focus on it.

Liu Yifei appeared before everyone wearing a dazzling gold dress.

Her overall look today revolves around a dazzling gold gown, adorned with tiny sequins that resemble a galaxy falling on her shoulders.

The matching feather cape fluttered lightly with her movements, flowing gracefully as she walked, retaining her inherent cool and ethereal aura while adding a touch of glamorous ceremony through its metallic sheen.

Standing in the middle of the backup dancers, she looked like a noble princess who had stepped out of a fairy tale.

A silver necklace adorned her long, slender neck, and a delicate silver crown graced her head.

Even the arms were paired with long-sleeved gloves of the same color, avoiding the monotony of blank space.

Perhaps it's true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder; Lu Rui, who had previously thought the dress was a bit dowdy, now found her to be incredibly beautiful as she danced on stage.

This dress is probably only suitable for her to exude the aura of a "princess".

Liu Yifei already had a solid foundation in dance, and her performance of "Golden Eagle Soaring" was beautiful, graceful, and breathtaking.

A few minutes later, the dance ended, and she bowed to the audience in thanks, surrounded by her dancers.

Lu Rui and the others gave her a warm round of applause.

Tonight, she is destined to leave an unforgettable and stunning moment in the hearts of many.

Fortunately, others can only capture this beautiful figure as a fleeting glimpse in their memories through a screen or a crowd.

In contrast, Lü Rui has the opportunity to possess the unique starlight in her eyes!
It's getting late, and it's almost time to catch my flight.

Lu Rui had no intention of leaving without saying goodbye, so he made a special detour backstage to say goodbye to Liu Yifei.

She moved quite quickly; she had already changed out of her formal dress and into a refreshing casual outfit, returning to her adorable self.

"Senior, are you about to leave?"

Liu Yifei knew she would have to stay here to receive the award and couldn't go to the Hundred Flowers Film Festival, and her tone was a little reluctant.

Lü Rui nodded: "Okay, have fun, see you in the capital."

"Okay, see you in the capital."

Liu Yifei was somewhat reluctant to leave...

But Lü Rui didn't linger. He turned around decisively and hurriedly left the backstage area.

There were other people around, otherwise I definitely would have hugged her.

"Alright, stop staring. Go to the front desk. They're gone. It's not like we'll never see them again. Don't act like you're completely mesmerized..."

Liu Xiaoli rolled her eyes, quite dissatisfied with her silly daughter's current behavior.

She planned to give this silly girl some pointers and share her experience when she got home that night, so that she wouldn't become love-struck when she falls in love in the future.

Little did she know that Liu Yifei's romantic mindset, like her fashion sense, couldn't be corrected with just a few words.

……

It was almost midnight when the plane landed in Hangzhou.

Lu Rui went straight to the hotel, checked in, and went to his room to sleep without saying goodbye to anyone else.

The next morning at 8 o'clock, he got up on time and went to the restaurant for breakfast.

There are quite a few people who get up early like him, but most of them are female celebrities.

After they had eaten, they had to prepare their makeup and hair, and they had to keep it on until the awards ceremony ended that evening.

"Director Lü, there are empty seats here."

Seeing Lü Rui carrying a tray, Zhang Ziyi, who was deliberately sitting by the aisle, quickly waved to him.

"Thank you, but no need, I'll go over there." Lü Rui pointed to the table where Jiang Wen was.

"All right……"

Zhang Ziyi had no choice but to sit down awkwardly.

She came to the restaurant early in the morning hoping to take the opportunity to meet the famous director.

Unfortunately, several directors refused to sit at the same table with her, which saddened her quite a bit.

Even Zhang Yimou, who had once mentored her, now seems to be distancing himself from her, which she finds quite puzzling.

I simply chose to go to Hollywood to pursue greater achievements, so why would that make me unpopular?

Lu Rui sat down opposite Jiang Wen and Zhang Yimou and casually asked, "What are your plans for this morning?"

The two were taken aback, exchanged a glance, and then shook their heads in unison.

"No."

"Just stay at the hotel."

Unlike actresses, male directors and actors don't need to do their makeup and styling; they only need to wear a suit jacket before setting off, so they have a lot of free time.

"It's so boring just sitting here," Lu Rui suggested. "There's a movie theater right next door, how about we go see a movie?"

"What are you looking at?" Jiang Wen immediately became interested.

"Rob-B-Hood, it seems to be the only one currently showing. I heard it's about to break 100 million. I'll go check it out."

Three people together, automatically generating an idea king.

Since they had nothing better to do, Jiang Wen and Zhang Yimou didn't refuse.

So, after breakfast, the three of them strolled out of the hotel under the watchful eyes of everyone and headed straight for the movie theater.

Feng Xiaogang, who was upstairs, happened to see this scene and subconsciously asked his assistant, "Where did those three go?"

"I don't know," the assistant shook his head. "Should I go and find out?"

Before Feng Xiaogang could speak, the door to the next room suddenly opened, and Zhou Xingchi walked out, instinctively looking in his direction.

The two looked at each other, then turned their heads away at the same time.

"What a small world! I ran into this miser first thing in the morning. Nothing good is going to happen today."

Feng Xiaogang was furious when he thought about how he had made a cameo appearance in Stephen Chow's movie but received no reward from him. He stormed back to his room.

At this moment, the three people watching "Rob-B-Hood" in the cinema shook their heads as they stared at the big screen.

It's not because the movie is of poor quality.

Jackie Chan's classic comedy style is very distinctive, and his films are the kind that are meant to be enjoyed by the whole family. The fusion of action and comedy is also quite good.

The main reason the three shook their heads was that the movie's plot was unoriginal.

"It's just the same old thing in a new guise. If he keeps maintaining this style and subject matter, he can keep making films until he can't anymore." Zhang Yimou's tone was full of disappointment.

He often heard Jackie Chan say that he wanted to change his career path.

But after going around in circles, it eventually came full circle back to the old ways.

"This film actually cost 1.3 million Hong Kong dollars?!"

Jiang Wen originally thought that spending 6000 million on "The Sun Also Rises" was already excessive, but he didn't expect Jackie Chan to be even more extravagant!

"His own salary must be quite high, right?"

Lü Rui doesn't really like casting actors with high salaries because the cost-effectiveness is too low.

He prefers to invest money in the quality of the film rather than in the actors' salaries.

Zhang Yimou interjected, "I heard it's worth at least ten million US dollars."

Jiang Wen then seemed to suddenly remember something and asked curiously, "By the way, how much is Chow Yun-fat's salary? Isn't he the lead actor in your new film 'Curse of the Golden Flower'?"

“I don’t know.” Zhang Yimou shook his head. “I’ve never been involved in the finances; Weiping is in charge of everything.”

Lu Rui couldn't help but remind him, "Aren't you afraid he'll take advantage of you?"

"No, we've been working together for ten years and have always had a great rapport," Zhang Yimou said confidently.

Having said all that, Lü Rui couldn't say anything more, after all, he wasn't the kind of person who would gossip behind people's backs.

Just thinking about what happened to Zhang Yimou later, he couldn't help but sigh to himself: Goodness, that was really bad luck!
After watching the movie, the three of them left the theater and headed back to the hotel.

"Jackie Chan's movies don't really promote the actors."

Jiang Wen recalled the plot he had just watched and was surprised to find that, apart from the fight scenes, he could hardly remember the other actors' scenes after watching them.

"He is indeed inferior to Stephen Chow in this respect," Lu Rui gave an objective assessment.

In contrast, the supporting characters in Stephen Chow's movies are all very distinctive, especially their styling, makeup, and lines, which are all eye-catching.

Unlike some movies that mostly use supporting characters to make up for lost time, this one features familiar faces with unchanging makeup and styling.

However, Stephen Chow's films also have their flaws.

Those classic supporting actors in his movies rarely get to become leading actors; most of them can only play supporting roles and never become the main character.

Back at the hotel, Zhang Yimou was called away by his assistant, who said that Zhang Weiping wanted to see him.

Bored, Lü Rui decided to go visiting friends and seniors in the industry with Jiang Wen.

"This is director Yingda, who is also one of the behind-the-scenes judges for the Hundred Flowers Awards."

The person Jiang Wen introduced is a true "senior" in the industry, but his reputation is highly questionable.

"Hello, Teacher Yingda." From the perspective of talent, Lü Rui addressed her as teacher with great respect. "I remember when I was in elementary school, I often watched 'I Love My Family,' which you directed, with my parents after school."

"Haha, Director Lü, I've long admired your name and have always wanted to learn from you, but I've never been able to find the right opportunity."

Yingda didn't put on airs as a senior and spoke to Lü Rui in a friendly tone.

After being introduced, Jiang Wen, who was standing next to him, didn't stand on ceremony and started looking for tea leaves to prepare to brew tea.

He and Yingda have a very close relationship; they are not only childhood friends but also classmates.

Even his path to acting was influenced by Yingda.

After graduating from high school, Yingda was successfully admitted to Peking University, while Jiang Wen was rejected by the Beijing Film Academy. He was disappointed and somewhat depressed.

Seeing her friend was down, Yingda went to him to encourage him to keep trying and suggested that he set his sights on the Central Academy of Drama.

To help him, Yingda even had her father, who was the then Vice Minister of Culture, tutor Jiang Wen.

Later, as expected, Jiang Wen became a member of the Central Academy of Drama's acting department with outstanding grades.

It's just that he couldn't bring himself to do it; otherwise, he could have easily secured a place in a graduate program with an essay titled "My Uncle Vice Minister" during his studies.

After brewing the tea, Jiang Wen poured a cup for each of them and handed it over.

Lu Rui reached out and took it, just about to drink it, but Yingda's words made him stop what he was doing.

"Director Lü, you might need to be mentally prepared for this year's Hundred Flowers Awards..."

"Oh?" Lu Rui put down his teacup and looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean by that?"

With Jiang Wen's connection, and considering that Yingda could indeed benefit from befriending Lü Rui, she subtly hinted, "Someone has put in a good word; hopefully, this year's Hundred Flowers Awards will give more opportunities to more people..."

Unlike the Golden Rooster Awards, which emphasizes artistic merit, the Hundred Flowers Awards are more inclined towards commercial films.

And Lu Rui's "Taken" was the No.1 Chinese-language film at the box office last year!

Logically speaking, he should have won a major award at this year's Hundred Flowers Awards, either Best Director or Best Film.

Judging from what Yingda said, it's clear that someone is planning to give him a hard time.
After pondering for a moment, Lü Rui suddenly thought of the Huabiao Award.

His words nearly gave a group of elderly men and women a heart attack, and they all took out their nitroglycerin pills.

According to Tian Zhuangzhuang at the time, this group of people were all members and judges of various associations and awards.

However, Lü Rui wasn't angry at all; on the contrary, he found it quite amusing.

He wanted to see how this group of people would present the Hundred Flowers Awards tonight.
If someone dares to deliberately manipulate things behind the scenes, then don't blame him for using this as an excuse to make trouble.

……

At 8 p.m., the Hundred Flowers Awards red carpet officially kicked off.

Lü Rui brought "Taken" to the competition, while Jiang Wen brought "The Sun Also Rises".

Since the lead actor in "Taken" is Jiang Wen, and Liu Yifei was not present, the red carpet walk became Lü Rui + Jiang Wen + Jing Tian.

The latter is purely an accessory.

Lu Rui hadn't even thought of inviting her over; she had asked to come herself, saying she wanted to show her face and promote her new film.

Anaconda

Upon hearing this name, Lü Rui couldn't help but strongly question the judgment of Jing Tian's agent, Lu Zheng.

What were you thinking?

Is this kind of horror movie trying to boost box office and promote newcomers?

So, is Starlight Brilliant really a company where everyone is a complete novice? They don't even know where to spend the money?
And Li Shaohong, who just walked the red carpet with Chen Kun and Yang Mi to promote "The Door", actually said that he would use this thriller to compete in the New Year's holiday season.

Does he have hemorrhoids in his brain?
Yang Mi, in particular, painstakingly marketed herself as the top female star of Rong Xinda, aiming to succeed Zhou Xun and Zhang Jingchu and become one of the representative figures among the new generation of post-85 actresses.

But the company did something quite different; they actually arranged for her to play the maid Qingwen in "Dream of the Red Chamber".

This operation is really puzzling. What on earth is Rongxinda up to?

It's no wonder that rumors circulated that the casting process for this project was rife with shady dealings and messy affairs.

Looking at all the companies in the entertainment industry, those where women are in charge almost never last long.

No matter how glorious it was in the early stages, it will eventually start to decline.

Rong Xinda, Zhouyi, Tangren... all are examples of this. "Next, let's welcome the cast and crew of 'Taken,' director Lü Rui, lead actor Jiang Wen, and supporting actress Jing Tian..."

The red carpet host was Jiang Kun, a famous crosstalk performer and a representative of the anti-vulgarity movement, who was paired with Bi Fujian from "Avenue of Stars".

Lu Rui had no interest in either of them, so he simply nodded and smiled before heading straight for the autograph wall.

"Director Lü, are you confident you can bring home a big prize tonight?" a media person shouted from both sides.

Lu Rui shrugged: "My opinion doesn't count. It depends on whether the judges and organizers approve of my film."

A chorus of agreement immediately arose from the surrounding crowd:

"It has to be acknowledged! With over 3 million in box office revenue, it will definitely sweep all the major awards."

"Wishing Director Lü all the best in advance!"

"If you win an award, you'll have to give us an interview..."

Lu Rui raised his hand and waved to the crowd before walking straight into the venue.

His seat was in the first row. To his left was Yang Shoucheng, who had flown in from Hong Kong, and to his right was Wang Zhonglei. Further along were Feng Xiaogang, Zhang Weiping, Zhang Yimou, and others.

"Director Lü, you're here."

Wang Zhonglei was a bit petty, still holding a grudge because Lü Rui hadn't given him face last time, so he only nodded and greeted him lightly when they met.

"Mr. Wang."

Lu Rui, naturally, wouldn't accept a cold shoulder. After nodding in response, he started chatting warmly with Yang Shoucheng next to him.

Is the censorship of "New World" progressing smoothly?

"There's no problem in Hong Kong. The main issue right now is coordinating with the mainland. My idea is to release it simultaneously in both places, but due to the subject matter and plot, it's still being held up by the censors..."

"Do you need my help?"

"That won't be necessary. I've already spoken with President Han. He'll put in some effort later. The current policies are quite favorable to us, so it shouldn't be too difficult..."

As for united front work, Lü Rui was naturally aware of it.

Compared to the Golden Eagle Awards, the Hundred Flowers Awards ceremony is relatively more complicated.

The main issue is that there are only 8 awards here, but the Golden Eagle Awards have a whopping 77 awards. So, in order to fill the time slot, a lot of segments and performances have to be interspersed.

The event began with speeches from industry veterans and the organizers, followed by the performances.

Lu Rui had no interest in these things, so he focused all his attention on discussing the promotion of "New World" with Yang Shoucheng.

Applying for the Hong Kong Film Awards is also one of the key points.

Since the goal is to "go all out at close range," the key is to get close first.

"Is 'New World' eligible for the Hong Kong Film Awards?"

"certainly……"

Before Yang Shoucheng could finish speaking, a gasp suddenly came from the surrounding area.

Lu Rui subconsciously looked towards the stage, thinking that something had gone wrong with the show.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that Xu Ruoxuan, who was singing and dancing, had accidentally exposed herself.

She was wearing a skirt, but she was doing those high leg raises, and she wasn't even wearing safety shorts; her panties were all soaked in...

Surprisingly, this person is quite hygienic; clean and tidy.

Its purpose is self-evident.

But the bigwigs sitting in the front row were almost all completely calm and composed.

What kind of spectacle and scene haven't you all seen? If you can get excited just by watching a dance, do you deserve to be called a big shot?

Especially Wang Zhonglei, whom Lü Rui saw even curl his lip, clearly showing no feeling whatsoever.

Xu Ruoxuan was indeed quite good when she was young; she could be described as both innocent and alluring.

In particular, the "Angel Trilogy" made her an instant star!
Unfortunately, she's gotten older now, and her former innocence has long since faded into something more glamorous. Unlike Shu Qi, she hasn't been able to put her clothes back on, so she's naturally been gradually eliminated by the market.

The awards ceremony segment was gradually interspersed among various program performances.

After Xu Ruoxuan finished her erotic dance, she gave a flirtatious wink and retreated backstage.

Zhang Guoli then went on stage and presented the first award.

Best Newcomer Award: Sun Li, "Huo Yuanjia".

She played a blind girl named Yueci in this movie, which is quite similar to the mute girl in "Kung Fu Hustle".

However, in terms of appearance and acting skills, her performance in "Fearless" was far inferior to that of Huang Shengyi in "Kung Fu Hustle".

However, Huang Shengyi did not attend this year's Hundred Flowers Awards because she had a falling out with Stephen Chow, which allowed Sun Li to benefit from the event.

Subsequently, the Best Supporting Actress award went to Yuen Qiu for her role as the landlady in "Kung Fu Hustle".

Lu Rui clearly noticed that Li Bingbing, who was sitting in the second row, suddenly looked dejected, because she was also one of the nominees.

It was from this point on that the awards ceremony suddenly began to take on a magical quality.

Following closely behind in the Best Supporting Actor category, Nicholas Tse beat out Andy Lau, Yuen Wah, and Wong Hing Cheung to win the grand prize.

This also means that "New Police Story" surpassed the three films "House of Flying Daggers", "Kung Fu Hustle" and "Ren Changxia".

Watching his godson go on stage to receive the award, Yang Shoucheng was quite happy, raising his hand to applaud, completely ignoring the boos coming from behind.

Liu Dehua was quite gentlemanly; after all, he had won so many Best Actor awards, so he wasn't interested in a supporting role.

But Yuan Hua and Wang Qingxiang looked rather grim.

Speaking of which, Nicholas Tse has been enjoying great success lately, with both his career and love life flourishing.

Not long ago, he secretly proposed to Cecilia Cheung abroad and held a secret wedding. He only officially announced the news to the media after returning to Hong Kong.

How secret was it?

Prior to this, he hadn't even explained the situation to his parents or company, and only officially announced it to the public after returning from his honeymoon.

Hong Kong media were in an uproar!

This topic is still trending on Toutiao.

"I want to thank my wife, Bai Zhi, for always encouraging me..."

Nicholas Tse passionately professed his love for his wife on stage, while Cecilia Cheung blew kisses from below the stage; they looked incredibly affectionate.

Lu Rui watched this scene with a somewhat complicated expression.

He couldn't help but wonder if, in a few years, Nicholas Tse would still be able to express his gratitude so openly.

Awards were presented one after another, but the scene became increasingly bizarre.

Wu Jun won Best Actor for his role in "Zhang Side," beating out Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow, Li Lianjie, Jiang Wen, and others.

For Best Director, Yin Li won with "Zhang Side," beating out Lü Rui's "Taken," Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle," Zhang Yimou's "House of Flying Daggers," Feng Xiaogang's "A World Without Thieves," and Stanley Tong's "The Myth."

Two excellent feature films were released: "Zhang Side" and "Kung Fu Hustle".

The final, crucial award, Best Feature Film, went to "Zhang Side".

It's not fair to say that "Zhang Side" is bad.

The problem now is that the Hundred Flowers Awards, which focuses on commercial films and is supposedly voted on by 99 audience judges, has now seen all the major awards swept by an art film.

In contrast, other commercial blockbusters all became mere supporting characters, carrying the show for it.

This is completely contrary to the award rules of the Hundred Flowers Awards!

Feng Xiaogang, Zhang Yimou, and Stanley Tong all wore somber expressions, their moods shifting between light and dark.

They originally planned to take the opportunity to promote their new film after winning the award tonight.

But now, not only did they make a wasted trip and not get a share of the pie, they've also become someone else's stepping stone.

"No wonder the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Awards are held separately!" Jiang Wen suddenly realized. "So it's to give the Hundred Flowers Award to the people who win the Golden Rooster Award, and then give the Golden Rooster Award to the people who win the Hundred Flowers Award. What a brilliant move!"

Lu Rui glanced at him.

Why are you speaking such blunt truths? Didn't you see that the faces of many elderly people around you have already changed?
Having already received the news from Yingda in advance, Lü Rui was quite calm at this moment.

He was even somewhat happy!
Previously, because he had joined the Association of Directors, Screenwriters and Producers on the advice of his school, he would receive calls from people whenever awards such as the Golden Rooster, Huabiao, and Hundred Flowers were held, asking him to register for the awards and attend to show his support.

He was already incredibly annoyed.

The people who called were either Xie Xiaojing, Tian Zhuangzhuang, or even his mentors Jiang Wei and Zhang Jiandong, as well as Han Sanping and others.

These are all favors, and they all show him kindness and help, so he can't very well refuse.

He had been tricked by the Golden Rooster Awards once before, so he never went there again, and people felt embarrassed to call him again.

However, Baihua had given him awards before, so every time someone would call him with a clear conscience and tell him to come and collect the award.

It's better this time.

He brought with him "Taken," a Sino-foreign co-production that was the No.1 highest-grossing Chinese-language film of 2005 and grossed over $100 million worldwide.

Surely you've given them the respect they deserve?
Who dares to say anything bad about him?
But now, it's Baihua who's acting recklessly. Someone is sabotaging him behind the scenes, trying to suppress him and make him promote other movies.

The waters at domestic film festivals are too deep; even an excellent film like "Taken" couldn't win an award.

So, it's not unreasonable for him not to come anymore, right?

Who would dare to say a single bad word about him?
On stage, as the awards ceremony came to a close, host Dai Jun was smilingly inviting everyone backstage to the banquet hall for a celebratory banquet and seminar...

But the audience seemed not to hear, and they all stood up and walked out.

"I'm not coming back. I'll never come to this lousy place again, even if you kill me."

Having been tricked more than ten times, Feng Xiaogang was extremely aggrieved, cursing and swearing as he walked out.

"What kind of garbage is this? Shady dealings, utterly shameless..."

Zhang Weiping also angrily rebuked from the side.

Zhang Yimou, on the other hand, is quite patient, like an old ox that, even after being whipped, still diligently plows the field.

"Let's wait for the Golden Horse Awards at the end of the year. They clearly told me that I'd win an award if I went," Jiang Wen muttered to himself as he walked beside Lü Rui.

"Good luck to you."

Lu Rui is now completely relaxed. The thought of no longer having to participate in these messy and worthless awards makes him want to laugh.

However, when he noticed the media cameras approaching, his eyes lit up and he suddenly unleashed a burst of acting talent!
"Director Lü, regarding the fact that 'Taken' didn't win an award tonight, you..."

Before the reporter could finish his question, Lü Rui angrily interrupted, "The Hundred Flowers Awards are too high-end. My film is not worthy of them. I will never come again."

I'll try my luck at Berlin, Cannes, and Venice; at least those international awards are less difficult to win..."

People around were avoiding reporters, trying to maintain a semblance of decorum.

But Lu Rui's sudden words immediately drew everyone's attention.

The reporters swarmed forward!

"Director Lü, are you implying that the Hundred Flowers Awards are suspected of being rigged?"

"Director Lü, are you really not going to participate in the next Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival?"

"Director Lü..."

The sounds around him were chaotic and disordered, but Lü Rui remained clear-headed.

As he walked out, a look of grievance appeared on his face. He held his neck up, looking exactly like someone who had been bullied terribly.

Jiang Wen was completely dumbfounded.

Wait, buddy? What are you up to? Weren't you just laughing and joking? What are you trying to do?

Zhang Yimou, being an honest man, saw Lü Rui's expression and assumed he had truly been wronged, so he couldn't help but sigh: "The Hundred Flowers Film Festival really went too far!"

When Feng Xiaogang saw him in this state, he immediately felt as if he had found a leader.

"These domestic awards are suspected of being rigged. I wonder if the judges are completely blind, or if they are being instructed by someone..."

The Hundred Flowers Awards are not the government's Huabiao Awards, nor are they the Golden Rooster Awards judged by experts; they are awards decided by public vote. Yet, they awarded the most prestigious prizes to "Zhang Side," a film with slightly lower box office and less public recognition. Do you think this is normal?

Feng Xiaogang has a set of effective rhetoric for attacking others.

Lu Rui was just expressing his grievances, but he went and started cursing and questioning her.

In an instant, reporters swarmed over to him.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lü Rui quickly slipped away.

After Feng Xiaogang vented his frustration and anger over his repeated failures to win awards, he turned around and found that everyone was gone!
"Huh? What's going on? Where is everyone?"

While he was still standing there dumbfounded, Lü Rui, who had already gotten into the car, started making one phone call after another.

"Teacher Tian, ​​you don't know how wronged I am. They bullied me. I will never come to the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival again..."

"Director Xie, I want to withdraw from the association. I'm not participating in any of the director, producer, or screenwriter roles anymore. Don't invite me to any events in the future; I won't go. It's too embarrassing..."

"Mr. Han, this is clearly a shady operation! They're even bullying 'Taken'! How can Chinese-language films be made now? I'm really losing heart. If things get really bad, I'll go abroad and never come back..."

A crying child has milk.

Lu Rui planned to try and see if he could take advantage of this opportunity to get something back.
After making a dozen or so calls, he put his phone down, crossed his legs, and leisurely hummed a song.

Jiang Wen, who was sitting to the side, was completely dumbfounded by his two contrasting expressions!
"Holy crap? What are you trying to do with this?!"

Lu Rui raised an eyebrow at him, held up three fingers, and said, word by word, "Fair, fair, still fucking fair!"

Jiang Wen: "???"

……

The controversy surrounding the Hundred Flowers Awards quickly spread across the internet after being reported by the media.

"This year's Hundred Flowers Awards were suspected of being manipulated behind the scenes. The realistic film 'Zhang Side' won the three most important awards—Best Feature Film, Best Director, and Best Actor—with an absolute advantage, making the media and audience at the scene feel as if they were watching the Huabiao Awards ceremony."

Films such as *Taken*, *House of Flying Daggers*, and *A World Without Thieves* all failed to gross any films...

Director Lü Rui left the venue feeling wronged, saying bluntly: "I'm never coming again. The Hundred Flowers Awards are too high-end; I'm not worthy of them..."

"Feng Xiaogang angrily denounced the judges of the Hundred Flowers Awards as blind, stating that the awards ceremony was suspected of being rigged!"

"..."

The industry is already used to this situation, after all, everyone has experienced it firsthand.

But the internet is already abuzz with criticism!

"What kind of bullshit judges are these!"

"Holy crap? Taken got absolutely nothing? How dare they?"

"Isn't this obviously rigged? Director Lü, don't be sad, we won't go anymore, we'll go aiming for big international awards..."

"Ha, this award is a complete joke!"

At this time, Beijing Film Academy.

Tian Zhuangzhuang, Xie Xiaojing, and the others were initially confused when they received the call.

But after the media reported on it and they inquired about the specifics, the directing department was furious!

"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! How dare the Hundred Flowers Awards do this? Have those people no shame at all?"

“I suspect it was Jiang Shixiong and his group who orchestrated this…” Tian Zhuangzhuang briefly mentioned the situation that had occurred at the Huabiao Awards.

"These old geezers, they've all retired, why don't they go home and enjoy their old age instead of jumping around like this?"

"What do we do now? Lü Rui said he wants to withdraw from the association..."

"Sigh, our child has been wronged, we parents can't just sit idly by, can we? If word gets out, won't we be laughed at by the Central Academy of Drama and the Shanghai Theatre Academy?"

"First, try to appease him. Lao Tian, ​​you go and tell him that once he finishes his master's and doctoral studies, the school will directly promote him to associate professor. No! We guarantee he'll be promoted to full professor within two years, and we'll give him a permanent position. Once he's qualified enough, I'll try to get him an honorary vice-principal position..."

"Row."

Tian Zhuangzhuang nodded in agreement and went out to make a phone call.

Inside the meeting room, a group of leaders began to discuss how to salvage the situation and make Lü Rui less upset.

Meanwhile, Han Sanping from China Film Group immediately went to the Film Bureau.

Tong Gang and Zhang Hongsen happened to be there, so he told them about Lü Rui's idea of ​​going abroad to develop his career because he felt that the atmosphere in the mainland film and television industry was too bad.

"boom!"

Tong Gang slammed his fist on the table. "Is this true? What exactly is Baihua up to?"

Han Sanping frowned: "The development of Chinese-language films is already difficult, and Lü Rui is a key figure now. We can't let him really lose heart."

If he leaves, those projects will all go abroad with him. How will the market develop then? Are we just going to rely on those art films?

Zhang Hongsen said urgently, "Stay calm! We must stay calm! Young people are impatient; we can't let him get stuck on something!"

"How can we ensure stability? I'm still worried about that."

"Isn't there a new policy from the bureau? Let's use Ruishijie as a pilot project first... Isn't he still investing in cinemas? Sanping, could you lend a hand and get China Film Group to give him a push?"

And what about "Dying to Survive"? How far along is the censorship process? It'll be released soon. Why be so strict? We need to give Chinese-language films some leeway.

Han Sanping blinked and took the opportunity to mention, "Ruishijie and Yinghuang have collaborated on a co-production, but the censors still have some concerns..."

"Are there any violations?"

"No, it's just that the ideas being conveyed are a bit radical..."

“Being radical is a good thing! We need new ideas to clash with old ideas, otherwise how can we find a suitable development path? In the future, we should give more green light to Vision's projects and provide fertile ground for new ideas, letting this wind blow in…”

Listening to his leader's words, Han Sanping suddenly realized that his previous "double standards" were nothing at all.

When it comes to double standards, who the hell can compare to the leaders?!
(End of this chapter)