How did I become famous?

Chapter 113 But I Refusal

Chapter 114 But I Refusal

The Golden Phoenix Award follows the Oscar model.

First, they gave interviews, then walked the red carpet, then signed the promotional wall, then took photos, and finally entered the venue.

Wu Kai didn't take that step; he came in ahead of time.

He's sitting in the first row now, and the seats around him aren't full yet.

His expression was blank as he slightly raised his head and looked at the dazzling lights above the stage.

He didn't know what the consequences would be if he did that.

No, he knows.

It's nothing more than being suppressed out of the film and television industry, and never being able to make a comeback in this lifetime.

Unless he has the talent of Fang Bie, and can attract talents like Nie Fang, Luo Wei, and Pan Xiao to his side.

But does he have other talents?

He wish he had it.

But he wasn't a fool who was blindly arrogant.

So, should we give up?

To cast aside courage and revert to being that manipulated so-called "famous young art film director"?

His memories went back eleven years.

That year, he was nineteen, and so was he.

That was their first day of university, the day he met that fat guy surnamed Liu.

At that time, they were assigned to the same dormitory.

Liu Mang was wearing Tyrannosaurus Rex sunglasses and dressed in designer clothes.

Wu Kai was thin and wore a cheap T-shirt that had faded from washing.

Liu Mang was just like the rich second-generation characters in TV dramas—arrogant and looking down on everyone.

Including Wu Kai.

But later, during military training, Wu Kai fainted while hungry in an attempt to save money.

It was Liu Mang who carried him to the infirmary.

That night in the dormitory, it was the first time Liu Mang had spoken to him on her own initiative.

"Skinny Monkey, why did you come to this lousy school? Film academies are beyond the reach of most families."

"Because I want to make movies."

"Making movies? What kind of movies do you think you can make with those conditions? Making movies requires money and connections. Do you want to make one of those art films that specifically smear our country and then try to win awards abroad?"

"No, I want to make commercial films, our own domestic blockbusters!"

"I didn't realize, Skinny Monkey, that you're quite ambitious. But it's a pity, though; I'll be the one who becomes a top commercial film director in China. And not just in China, I'll create a new film genre! I'll let the whole world know the name Liu Mang!"

"How is it?"

"Second again? First place won't be again."

"That's right! I, Liu Mang, still came in first place in this short film shooting exam!"

"Someday."

"Haha! You'll never surpass that skinny monkey~ How can a fat person be surpassed by a skinny person?"

"Why!"

"There's no particular reason. I just saw it at the teacher's place and then used it."

"So you're not even going to care about saving face anymore?"

"Unlike you, my family has no money and no connections, so I can only rely on myself."

"So you're planning to latch onto the teacher?"

"Lu Yue likes me."

"Skinny Monkey. No, Wu Kai. From today onwards, our friendship is over. From now on, don't call yourself my friend. I, Liu Mang, can't bear that kind of humiliation."

"Fine, I'll make you understand that I'm stronger than you."

Lu Shengyan patted his disciple, who was also his son-in-law, on the shoulder: "Prepare your acceptance speech in a bit."

"Hmm," Wu Kai replied casually.

Seeing that his son-in-law agreed, Lu Shengyan didn't say anything more and hurriedly walked towards the backstage.

Everything for today has been arranged.

Today marks the most important step for Wu Kai to establish himself and for him to place his hopes on the future.

Inside the nail salon, a man with three smoking pipes sat idly at the entrance, smoking and spacing out.

Inside the shop, Kira Yoshikage, who dared not show anger or speak out, gave a wry smile: "The three of you are blocking the entrance. How am I supposed to do business?"

"How can your shop possibly have any business? I've been back for days, and I haven't seen a single customer." Liu Mang flicked his cigarette ash dismissively, casually scratching his toes. "We guys smoke outside just to keep you from getting smoked, what are you complaining about?"

Beside him, Chen Yongren, with his perpetually melancholic eyes, stared at the gloomy sky and muttered to himself, "How did I, a newcomer to the industry, suddenly win the Venice Film Festival's Best Actor award?"

He still feels like he's dreaming.

Fang laughed: "Why think so much? You took it, you took it. Do you expect to win an Oscar?"

Liu Mang glanced at Chen Yongren sideways: "Come on, winning a Venice Film Festival Best Actor award is pretty good. Back home, any Tom, Dick, or Harry wins some nobody award and calls themselves a Best Actor. Why is being a Best Actor so worthless?"

Fang raised an eyebrow: "Hey Fatty, did you take some kind of drug today? Why are you talking so sarcastically?"

Then he suddenly realized something, as if he understood something: "I get it, you're afraid that if Wu Kai doesn't win the award, you won't be able to kiss him, right?"

"Get lost!" Liu Mang said irritably. "I'm afraid he'll win the award. That kid is no good. I really don't understand why you, Lao Fang, are speaking up for him on Weibo. He even hired trolls to smear you back then."

"Unfortunately, the online army is not working." Fang Bie sighed.

Why are you doing this for no reason? (Sent around 8:20?)

How can such unprofessional online trolls survive in the industry?

This suggests that the online marketing industry is becoming increasingly rife with substandard and shady characters these days.

Kira Yoshikage, inside the house, turned on the television: "The Golden Phoenix Awards ceremony is about to begin. Why don't the three of you come in and take a look?"

Liu Mang wasn't interested: "The Golden Phoenix Award? More like a chicken soup award. That place is all about money. Even if you have money, you might not get in. It depends on how powerful your company is. What's the point of watching?"

"How is it boring?" Fang Bie's interest was piqued by his words. "Come on, come on, I'm quite interested to see who will win the prizes."

For example, Fang Bie is particularly interested in things like "Poker Face Actor" and "Staring Dead Face Actress".

He even wanted to see their acceptance speeches.

Look how thick-skinned they must be to accept the award.

Honestly, if they had put that "surprised expression" acting skills into a movie, they wouldn't have completely eroded the credibility of domestic awards.

Liu Mang reluctantly followed him into the house, muttering as he went, "Isn't it just those few young, washed-up actors that Old Lu's company is promoting? They're all over thirty, so why haven't their acting skills improved at all?"

Fang turned her head and retorted, "Even if you count one, two, three, four, five every day while acting, you still wouldn't be able to train yourself."

After a long wait, with the host engaging in awkward small talk and the guests forcing smiles, the awards ceremony finally began.

Fang Bie and the others, who were yawning, perked up and started ranting.

"Why weren't Lao Nie and his team invited? They've won Oscars and Venice Film Festival awards, but they weren't even nominated for this little local award?"

"Of course they invited our crew, and even if they had, would you have gone?"

"No way, only a fool would go. It's like putting a monkey show on someone."

"Hmm? This actress is quite pretty. What kind of role does she play?"

"Who knows, but she looks like she's had plastic surgery."

"That's just nonsense. Her nose is obviously augmented, and her chin and the corners of her eyes have also been done. Didn't you see how she doesn't dare to smile? She's afraid her face will collapse."

"You mean her face is so stiff, how can she act? By the way, how can you tell she's had any work done?"

"Sigh, our Miss Su always finds fault with any woman on TV, saying things like, 'This one had plastic surgery,' or 'That one had plastic surgery.' It's strange, though, considering she's usually quite cold-hearted, so why does she act like this when watching TV?"

"Old Fang, were you watching TV with her when she was watching it?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"."

Isn't that obvious?

Miss Su has a special fondness for you. You must like to stare at pretty girls when you're watching TV.

How could Miss Su not make a sarcastic remark?

There's a naturally beautiful woman right in front of you, and you're going to watch those surgically enhanced faces on TV?

You're lucky they didn't give you a hard time!

Liu Mang is incredibly sour.

The entire nail salon was filled with the refreshing scent of lemons.

Fang Bie's expression was particularly forlorn: "You don't know anything! Sigh, you have no idea what I gave up for you."

For the sake of your bunch of idiots' dreams, I, the great lord, didn't even take a whole street of storefronts and an entire residential building!

That's a property where the rent alone adds up to seven or eight hundred thousand a month!

Liu Mang, if you guys don't make something of yourselves, how can you face me?!

Liu Mang was furious: "Now I finally know why Director Zhang looked at you like that."

They don't know how lucky they are, they deserve a beating!

"He's just jealous that I'm young, successful, and handsome."

"Forget it! Let's watch TV first. I'm too lazy to waste my breath on you."

The awards for Best Actor and Best Actress have already started being presented on television.

Fang Bie raised an eyebrow: "Isn't this the woman who was exposed before for reciting lines and counting? How can she become an award-winning actress?"

Liu Mang said nonchalantly, "That guy could win an Oscar for having the same expression the whole time. She was just counting, maybe putting some eye drops in her eyes. That's professional enough, okay? Are you discriminating against her because she's a woman? I'm warning you, boxer."

"Stop talking nonsense, the Best Picture award is about to be announced, and I think it's 'Life Is Not Worth Living,' what do you guys think?"

"Although Wu Kai isn't a great person, this movie is alright, and I think it's his doing."

"Ha! Looks like you won't be able to kiss him then," Fang Bie laughed. "But what are you praying for here? He won the award, shouldn't you be happy that you don't have to kiss him?"

"I'd rather kiss him than see him win an award!" Liu Mang clasped his hands together, muttering, "Old Wang, please bless the Goddess of Correctness, please bless Wu Kai so he doesn't win an award."

Fang laughed: "You believe in that stuff? You might as well join me in believing in the Flying Spaghetti Monster Cult instead of those things."

"But those things work! Didn't our two films take off after we prayed to those two?" Liu Mang retorted. "Putting aside whether they're effective or not, what if Wu Kai didn't bribe enough? No, wait, the chief judge this time is his father-in-law, and that old man Xu Kuangfu is also on the judging panel."

At the Golden Phoenix Awards ceremony, Wu Kai looked around at the lively atmosphere with a bored expression.

Looking at the fake smiles of the people around him, he suddenly felt a wave of nausea.

The Golden Phoenix Award goes to Wu Kai for "Life Is Not Worth Living"! Congratulations, Director Wu!

The voices of the award presenters could be heard from the stage.

Wu Kai suddenly felt a sense of emptiness.

The cheers and applause around him seemed distant to him.

He slowly walked onto the stage and accepted the gleaming gold trophy from the guest.

He scanned the entire hall.

In the very front row is Xu Kuangfu's smiling and clapping face.

Beside him was his father-in-law, Lu Shengyan, with a gratified smile.

Wu Kai's mind went blank.

Only one sentence was on his mind:

"Do you want to be a coward for the rest of your life?"

Close your eyes, then open them again.

There was no longer any confusion in his eyes.

He glanced at Lu Shengyan below, then at Xu Kuangfu, then at the famous domestic directors, and then at the group of well-dressed "actors" present.

Finally, he looked up at the blinding light.

He picked up the microphone, his voice calm: "I once thought I was right; I once thought I was the best among the younger generation of directors; I once thought I was close to my dream."

Lu Shengyan's expression changed; this was different from his original remarks!

Wu Kai continued, "But there is one person I am not as good at. He is better at interpersonal relationships than me, he is better at making movies than me, and his team is worse than mine."

"But he didn't come today because his film wasn't nominated."

The applause in the arena stopped, and countless people began to whisper among themselves, wondering what Wu Kai wanted to say.

They all knew who Wu Kai was talking about, but hadn't they all agreed to completely pretend that person who wasn't close to the entertainment circle didn't exist today?

Xu Kuangfu's smile vanished, and Lu Shengyan's usually refined face twisted in disbelief: "How dare he!"

Ignoring the commotion, Wu Kai continued, "With this award, I will become a leading figure among the younger generation of directors in Chinese cinema. From then on, I can rise rapidly, and decades later, I can sit below as a judge and continue to critique the young directors who satisfy me."

"But I want to make movies."

"But I want to make good movies."

"But I want to make blockbuster films made by Chinese people. I want to go global and let people outside know that besides Fang Bie and Zhang Luo, there is another good director in China named Wu Kai."

"but."

He glanced at Lu Shengyan, whose expression was ferocious, and felt an indescribable sense of pleasure.

"I refuse."

Put down the trophy, drop the microphone.

He stepped off the stage.

He bypassed Xu Kuangfu.

He bypassed Lu Shengyan.

He bypassed both the "Best Actor" and the "Best Actress".

He walked into the aisle.

He left them all behind.

He walked out of the auditorium.

I'm a huge fan of Wu Kai!

No more interruptions! 3800 words in one go!