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

Chapter 268 The Moment the Hong Kong Film Awards' Credibility Collapsed! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Hollywood has another piece of good news! The historical/epic blockbuster '300,' written by Lu Rui, has successfully concluded its run with a global box office of $7.17 million, sweeping the global theatrical market!"

The fantasy film "Twilight," written by Lü Rui, has successfully passed the MPAA rating review and will soon be released.

The fantasy epic "Life of Pi," with an investment of $2 million, written by Lü Rui and directed by Hollywood A-list director James Wan, has successfully wrapped filming.

"Domestic projects are progressing simultaneously: 'The Equation of Love and Death' and 'Crazy Racer,' which are wholly owned and co-produced by Ruishijie, have successively announced the completion of filming, and the new works of directors Cao Baoping and Ning Hao are highly anticipated."

"The entire cast of 'Nanjing Photo Studio' has joined the production team, with veteran actors such as Huang Xiaoming, Wang Jinsong, and Mei Ting beginning intensive training, ensuring the historical drama is of the highest quality!"

"It is understood that the casting for the two mainland/Hong Kong co-productions, 'Ip Man' and 'The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil,' jointly produced by Ruishijie and Yinghuang, has been officially completed."

“Continuing to lead the drama series field: Following ‘Lurking’ and ‘My Brother is Shunliu’, Ruishijie’s new drama ‘Going West’ has successfully started filming in Shanxi, and the legendary story of the period has attracted attention.”

"Another achievement in the animation sector: The animated series 'Qin's Moon' produced by Ruiyue Animation, 'Qin's Moon: The Night Ends and the Dawn Begins', has successfully completed filming."

"The first run of 'My Chief and My Regiment' has ended, and its ratings have been steadily rising. According to industry insiders, the show's revenue is about to exceed 100 million yuan! It will become a phenomenal drama of the year!"

"The State Administration of Radio and Television has released the latest list of approved film and television scripts, and two new works submitted by Ruishijie, 'My Love from the Star' and 'Reversal of Life,' are on the list, adding new works to Ruishijie's content library..."

In just a few days, under Lü Rui's arrangement, Rui Vision's name dominated major entertainment pages and trending search lists.

From Hollywood blockbusters to domestic films and television series, from TV dramas to animation, a strong momentum of "flourishing across three sectors" has been evident.

Furthermore, the establishment of Ruixing Cinema Line has created a complete industry chain layout of "production + screening".

The collaboration between Enlight Media and Ruishijie further fills the gap in its "distribution" capabilities.

This series of actions directly boosted the company's upward momentum in the industry, making it unmatched for a time!

More importantly, this "comprehensive blossoming" is not a flash in the pan.

Pacific Rim is still in post-production, Dying to Survive is suspected of being an award contender, and Ruiyue Animation's IP development is also making continuous moves...

In addition, there are the screening channels controlled by Ruixing Cinemas, and Tudou.com, a video platform invested in by Lü Rui...

This comprehensive industry chain layout not only leaves other companies far behind, but also makes Ruishijie's industry position more and more solid.

In the past, we could say that everyone had their own strengths, but now, Ruishijie has maximized its strengths and made up for all its weaknesses.

Some industry analysts even commented:
"At this rate, it won't be long before Ruishijie becomes a leader in the domestic film and television industry, and even has more say in the global market!"

...

Huayi Film & Television.

Ever since his older brother enlightened him, Wang Zhonglei has stopped looking down on Lü Rui.

But at this moment, when he saw that the news of the start of filming for his own Sino-foreign co-production, "The Forbidden Kingdom," was completely overshadowed, he couldn't help but frown.

Li Lianjie plays the Monkey King, Jackie Chan plays the foreign boy's master, Chang Wei (who often plays Lai Fu) plays the Jade Zombie God of War, Zhao Yanzi becomes Golden Swallow, and Li Bingbing plays the White-Haired Witch...

This blockbuster is eye-catching enough with just the gimmick of "a gathering of China's top stars", and the team even shouted the slogan "Chinese culture is breaking into Hollywood"!

Multiple media outlets jointly reported, hyped, and marketed the story...

Despite all this, the top spot on the headlines was still firmly occupied by Ruishijie's news, leaving not a single gap for "The Forbidden Kingdom".

"What exactly is this guy trying to do?"

Looking at the newly updated news online that "Pacific Rim is suspected of being the final battleground for the Lunar New Year film season," Wang Zhonglei gripped the mouse tightly.

From Hollywood project successes to domestic film and television production wrap-ups, to updates on animated series and new works passing censorship...

During this period, news from Ruishijie has flooded the entire internet like a tidal wave!

All the headlines have been snatched away, not a single one left. Is this an attempt to monopolize news?

At this moment, the secretary next to him seemed to realize something and cautiously asked, "Mr. Wang, I have a feeling that Ruishijie is deliberately using these news items to suppress other news?"

Suppress other messages?
"What's there to suppress? There hasn't been anything major happening in the industry lately that would warrant such a fuss from him, has there?"

Wang Zhonglei frowned, moved the mouse, and scanned each news headline.

The news that "Red Cliff" will be split into two parts and that the actors are demanding higher salaries is clearly not something Ruishijie should suppress.

The investor, China Film Group, is a financially powerful company with plenty of money; the only problem is that the approval process might be a little complicated.

As for the theatrical market, Hollywood blockbusters have been dominating the scene lately, a situation that has become commonplace.

Meanwhile, the gossip media seems to have been closely following the progress of Zhang Ziyi's relationship with her wealthy boyfriend, as well as the news that Mei Ting has been divorced.

Especially the latter.

Many people are speculating about the reasons for her divorce: was it because her husband abused her, or did she retaliate by abusing her husband?

The film "Don't Talk to Strangers" and the film "Gone Girl" brought about a complete 365-degree reversal in Mei Ting's image, which is truly impressive.

"Wait a minute? These kinds of messages shouldn't be worth him going to great lengths to suppress, right?"

Wang Zhonglei put down the mouse, completely baffled.

Just then, the cell phone on the table suddenly rang.

"Jingle Bell!"

He picked it up and saw Feng Xiaogang's name appear on the caller ID.

"Hey?"

As soon as I pressed the call button, I heard Feng Xiaogang's furious cursing voice coming from the other end: "That damn Hong Kong Film Awards only gave 'The Banquet' a Best Supporting Actress award, and all the other nominees were just empty shells. I'm never coming back again..."

The Hong Kong Film Awards results have been announced?

Wang Zhonglei was slightly taken aback, but didn't seem to care much about the failure of "The Banquet" to win a major award.

With both box office and critical reception completely ruined, it would be strange if the movie won an award.

What puzzles him now is why there isn't even a single piece of news about the Hong Kong Film Awards online.
In a daze, he suddenly came to his senses!
"Holy crap?! Is Lu Rui trying to suppress the news about the Hong Kong Film Awards?"

Considering the previous conflict between Ruishijie and the Hong Kong entertainment circle... the Hong Kong circle wanted to exchange a Hong Kong Film Award for a role but was rejected. Lu Rui even said, "Come back if you pass the Level 2A Mandarin test." The more Wang Zhonglei thought about it, the more he felt that his guess was correct!

Lui Yui is clearly using a barrage of news from Rui Vision to completely suppress the Hong Kong Film Awards' popularity, in order to disgust the Hong Kong entertainment circle!
But after figuring this out, he felt as if he had swallowed a fly, feeling disgusted and frustrated.

You guys at Ruishijie and the Hong Kong entertainment circle can fight amongst yourselves, but why are you dragging my "The Forbidden Kingdom" into this?
He spent so much money on press releases to promote this show, but it all went down the drain!
The eldest and second eldest brothers fought each other and ended up killing the third eldest brother!

Where the hell is he supposed to go to seek justice?
Wang Zhonglei slammed his phone down, staring at the screen filled with news from Ruishijie, feeling a surge of helplessness.

Ruishijie's momentum is so strong now that even if he wants to grab a headline, he has to be mindful of their attitude.

This was the first time in all these years that he had experienced such frustration.

……

"The 26th Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony has officially come to a close: 'After This Our Exile,' directed by Patrick Tam and starring Aaron Kwok and Charlie Yeung, won Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Film, becoming the biggest winner!"

"Liu Qingyun won the Best Actor award, and congratulations to Gong Li for winning the Best Actress award at the Hong Kong Film Awards! The biggest surprise of this year's Hong Kong Film Awards has been born!"

"After the media storm subsided, Zhou Xun appeared at the Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony and won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in The Banquet."

"The film 'New World,' which was previously considered the biggest dark horse of this year's Hong Kong Film Awards, ended up winning nothing..."

"Director Lu Yang stated in a media interview that he respects the Hong Kong Film Awards jury's decision and advised them all to see an ophthalmologist to prevent cataracts, glaucoma, and blindness..."

The news of the conclusion of the 26th Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony suddenly exploded on the internet like a thunderclap!
What puzzled many people was that a very strange scene occurred at this year's Hong Kong Film Awards.

There was no prior hype before the awards ceremony, but it instantly became a headline afterward, catching netizens who were still processing the flurry of news from Ruishijie off guard.

When people came to their senses and saw the result, the entire internet instantly went from "astonishment" to "outrage".

"Holy crap? This is pure shock! What kind of surprise is this?"

"I don't deny Gong Li's acting skills, but her performance in 'Curse of the Golden Flower' doesn't seem to deserve the Best Actress award, does it?"

"How could a terrible movie like 'The Banquet' help Zhou Xun win an award? What a joke!"

"Tsk tsk, 'After This Our Exile,' which only grossed a few million Hong Kong dollars, became the biggest winner? Last year's top-grossing film in Hong Kong, 'New World,' which received rave reviews, actually came away empty-handed? This isn't just a conspiracy, it's a complete farce!"

"Director Lu Yang is right, the Hong Kong Film Awards judges are all blind!"

"Is this all the Hong Kong Film Awards are? To promote their own people, they've really abandoned all fairness and impartiality? They've lost all sense of shame?"

"I don't think there's any need to continue this kind of award, which is completely unfair. It's just too damn shameful."

"Hong Kong Film Awards Chairman Manfred Wong posted that he is going to resign, hahaha, that's hilarious, he should have resigned a long time ago."

The awards ceremony started inexplicably, then ended inexplicably, and finally, an inexplicable result emerged.

This whole series of actions has turned this year's Hong Kong Film Awards into a complete farce!
The fact that "New World" won nothing in particular has sparked strong doubts among mainland netizens about the fairness and impartiality of the Hong Kong Film Awards!
In the past, Hong Kong netizens might have offered some rebuttals.

But this time, seeing this result, they all fell silent. Even they themselves felt that the award ceremony was too ridiculous!
"Completely for personal gain, disregarding fairness and justice!"

"How can 'Father and Son' compare to 'A New World'?"

"I used to feel sorry for you, but now it seems that there's always a reason why someone is pitiful!"

"If things continue like this, the Hong Kong Film Awards might as well not be held at all. It's a laughingstock, utterly shameful!" "..."

Suddenly, even people from Hong Kong started cursing.

Meanwhile, those peacemakers on the mainland who had previously advocated for good relations with Hong Kong's entertainment circles were now speechless.
They want to be on good terms with the Hong Kong entertainment circle, but they don't give them any face at all. If they keep trying to get closer, wouldn't that be incredibly shameless?

Seeing the harsh criticism online, Gong Li, who had just won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress, didn't even dare to issue a press release to celebrate.

Zhou Xun goes without saying.

What's so great about being a Best Supporting Actress?
The good news is that she can now reappear in public; the internet really does have no memory...

As for the cast and crew of "Father and Son" and "Confession of Pain," as well as the award-winning actor Tam Ka-ming, they are all avoiding giving interviews.

Winning an award is certainly something to celebrate, but receiving it under these circumstances makes the trophy feel almost too hot to handle.

Tan Jiaming even felt that he was losing face.

Did Father and Son beat New World?
Isn't this like Tyson and Ultraman boxing in the ring, and Tyson actually winning?!

This is ridiculous!
This award not only lacks any real value, but it has also become a hot potato.

Meanwhile, in the conference room of the Hong Kong Film Awards organizers, the atmosphere was extremely tense.

Everyone's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

Because only now did they fully understand just how ruthless Lü Rui's "open scheme" really was!

His attitude was already quite clear after he submitted "New World" to the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Either give me the prize, or bear the cost of a sharp drop in public trust. You can choose one.

Then, unwilling to admit defeat or back down, they chose to withstand the pressure and exclude "New World" from the Hong Kong Film Awards.

But now that I've come to my senses, I realize that this kind of pressure is something that a few or even dozens of people can't withstand.

Because what you get in return for being "tough" is completely irreversible damage!

Even when there were controversies surrounding the Hong Kong Film Awards in previous years, they were able to salvage their reputation through other high-quality awards in the future.

But this time, in order to suppress "New World" and favor local films, the judges completely tore off the fig leaf of "fairness".

The online abuse, media scrutiny, and audience disappointment overwhelmed the credibility of the Hong Kong Film Awards, leaving no room for redress.

"we lose."

Inside the meeting room, someone spoke in a low voice, their tone filled with helplessness.

By using this seemingly "passive" approach, Lu Rui actually caused the Hong Kong Film Awards to destroy the reputation it had built up over decades!

Upon hearing this, the group of people, whose faces were already grim, became even more somber, as if water could drip from them.

The staff member responsible for media liaison said in a trembling voice, "The TV station just received news that the viewership ratings for this year's Hong Kong Film Awards broadcast in mainland China are shockingly low! They're not even a third of last year's."

Xiang Huaqiang looked up sharply: "How could this be? Even in previous years, when there were controversies, the ratings weren't this bad!"

"What else could it be?" Lin Jianyue gave a bitter smile, his eyes dim. "The news of the awards ceremony was completely suppressed. There was no publicity at all before the awards ceremony. Many viewers in the mainland didn't even know that the Hong Kong Film Awards were being held until the results were announced. The advertisers were already in an uproar and lost all their advertising budget."

"Who the hell did this?"

"Nonsense! Who else could it be? Ruishijie! Lü Rui!" Li Xingxing slammed his fist on the table and shouted angrily, "They've been doing a massive marketing campaign lately."

From Hollywood projects to domestic film and television news, the news kept coming in, completely drowning out any mention of our Hong Kong Film Awards; it didn't even make a ripple.

Raymond Wong was puzzled: "Then why aren't you suppressing it now? As soon as the results came out, all the news about it suddenly appeared?"

"Is that even a question?" Jiang Zhiqiang, sitting in the corner, sneered. "The results are out, and he just wants to see us make a fool of ourselves! Once we confirm the 'cover-up,' he'll let the public smear us mercilessly, and then he can leisurely watch the show."

"So what do we do now? Is there any way to remedy this?"

The vice chairman of the Hong Kong Film Awards stood up anxiously, his eyes sweeping over the crowd, hoping to find a glimmer of hope.

But the next second, the conference room fell into dead silence.

After a long silence, someone finally spoke, their voice hoarse: "There's no other way. We can't just hold another event and give all the prizes to 'New World,' can we? It would be even more embarrassing if word got out. We have to bear this bitter pill ourselves."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, completely extinguishing everyone's hopes.

Some people slumped down, muttering to themselves, "The prestige of these awards has plummeted so much, what are we going to do now? How can we exchange resources with the mainland? How can we attract foreign investment to Hong Kong films?"

"Haven't you seen it yet?" Jiang Zhiqiang slammed down his teacup and said in a heavy tone, "Lu Rui's actions are not aimed at the results of one or two Hong Kong Film Awards at all; he is undermining the foundation of the Hong Kong Film Awards!"
Have you forgotten? Wang Jiawei previously held a massive award-giving spree at the Cannes Film Festival, awarding several prizes to a bunch of mediocre people. As a result, the prestige and credibility of the Cannes Awards plummeted. They've been trying to salvage the situation for years, but with little success.

If international awards like Cannes are like this, what about our Hong Kong Film Awards?

This sentence immediately woke everyone up.

Cannes has a century of accumulated heritage, yet it cannot withstand "self-destruction."

The Hong Kong Film Awards rely on the mainland market and international recognition. Now that its credibility has collapsed and its foundation has been damaged, it is extremely difficult to restore it!
"Ahem." Wang Jiawei, sitting in the corner, coughed twice, wanting to retort, but he didn't know how to start.

Xiang Huaqiang muttered, "In the past, we could use the Hong Kong Film Awards' reputation to exchange actors and investments with the mainland. But now? Why should they still recognize our 'joke award'?"

Silence fell again in the conference room, with only smoke filling the air.

Everyone knows that Lu Rui's "open scheme" not only caused the Hong Kong Film Awards to lose in the present, but also ruined its future!

The awards that Hong Kong's film industry relied on for survival have been completely shattered at this moment.

Unfortunately, "leaky roof" is often associated with "continuous rain".

Just as everyone was still frowning over the collapse in ratings and the plummeting of public trust, the office door was suddenly pushed open.

Chen Kexin strode in, announcing, "The casting results for 'Ip Man' and 'The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil' have been announced."

These words were like a thunderclap, instantly plunging the already tense meeting room into chaos.

Someone immediately rushed over, turned on the projection screen, connected the computer, and news from the portal website appeared prominently on the screen:

"The action blockbuster 'Ip Man,' co-produced by Ruishijie and Yinghuang, directed by Lu Yang, a rising star director with box office hits exceeding 100 million yuan, and with an investment of 70 million Hong Kong dollars, officially announced its cast list today."

The film will star mainland Chinese actors Zhao Wenzhuo as Ip Man, Li Jianyi as Zhou Qingquan, and Yan Danchen as Ip Man's wife; Hong Kong actors Lin Jiadong, Fan Shaohuang, Shi Yanneng, and Zheng Jiaxing will play supporting roles.

"The crime film 'The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil,' co-produced by the same company, directed by newcomer director Rao Xiaozhi, and with an investment of HK$3000 million, has completed casting."

The film will star mainland Chinese actor Jiang Wu as a gang leader and Duan Yihong as a police detective; Hong Kong actor Ng Chun-yu as a serial killer; and supporting roles played by Hui Siu-hung, Kwok Ching-hung, Bosco Wong, Paul Chun, and Lam Suet.

Finished!

Completely finished!
The people in front of the screen froze instantly, their faces growing increasingly grim.

This isn't a casting announcement; it's clearly rubbing salt into the wounds of the Hong Kong Film Awards!

The Hong Kong Film Awards had just been suppressed by Lu Rui's news and public criticism, leading to a collapse of its credibility... The casting of these two films followed suit with another precise "backstab".

"The main cast is all mainland actors, and Hong Kong actors are only fit to play supporting roles? Isn't this just copying the approach of 'New World'?"

"This is outrageous! It's like they're defecating on our necks!"

"Didn't I warn them before? No Hong Kong actors are allowed to audition for supporting roles anymore. Why didn't they listen to me?"

"Warning? What good is your warning? Everyone needs to make a living. You can't just starve them, can you? If you weren't acting, would you support so many people?"

"It's all Yinghuang's and Yang Shoucheng's fault. If he hadn't cooperated with the mainland, none of this would have happened."

"Shut up with such nonsense. Who would refuse money? If it were you, could you resist taking the offer?"

"..."

The noisy chatter gradually subsided.

Anyone with eyes can see that those who are making the loudest noise are simply those who haven't benefited from it.

Those who remain silent are already secretly plotting.

Insulting Yinghuang?
Everyone's just saying it, but they're all secretly drooling with envy!

They're making a fortune, and actors with good relationships with them are being pushed into the production crew. Even if they're playing supporting roles, they can still earn a salary. It's better than staying at home and living off your savings, right?

Everyone silently got up and left the meeting room.

Arguing about these things now is completely pointless, and there's no way to remedy the situation.

Well then, what's the point of staying here? Might as well go home, wash up, and go to sleep.

As for the Hong Kong Film Awards, let them be bad.

After all, Hong Kong films are no longer in their golden age as depicted in "Infernal Affairs".

The market is shrinking, talent is being lost, and the Hong Kong Film Awards have long since become an empty shell, all show and no substance.

Lu Rui's current actions are merely kicking this rotten foundation, causing it to collapse completely...

(End of this chapter)