Reborn in the Entertainment Industry: This Top Star Has Real Achievements

The two chatted and laughed as they finished their dinner.

Just as they were about to leave, Damien seemed to remember something and called out to Li Xiang.

"Dear Li, there's one more thing you must keep in mind."

Li Xiang paused, turned to look at him, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"If this year's award-winning films include a film with the dominant popularity of 'Slumdog Millionaire'."

"Or like last year's 'The Artist,' a blockbuster that was universally acknowledged as a shoo-in for awards from the very beginning, you must withdraw in time."

"Leaving aside the need for additional public relations expenses, even if you were to win the award by chance, it wouldn't benefit you at all, and could even have a significant backlash."

"Gwyneth Paltrow is a prime example. One award led to years of controversy, and she continues to pay the price for the scandals of that year."

"So when you choose a public relations team, you must ask about this point to avoid putting all your money into this bottomless pit."

"You should know that these PR teams, if you're willing to spend money, can manipulate even the Oscar selection process."

Damien's special instructions tonight were not an overreaction.

It was because Young Master Li paid the bill tonight that he remembered those news reports about Li Xiang's wealth.

He was most afraid that his friend would be fooled into buying a top-of-the-line public relations package, aiming for both the Golden Globe and the Oscars.

Most importantly, this reminder is not just empty talk.

Given Li Xiang's current wealth, if he were to get carried away by the hype, he could easily squeeze out tens of millions of dollars to produce two Best Actor winners.

It's not that he's crazy; everyone has moments when they're emotionally charged, and his PR team is also good at making grand promises.

Once the hype is built up, it's not impossible for someone to make an impulsive decision in the heat of the moment.

Thinking of this, Li Xiang's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and the relaxed and good mood he had during the meal was completely swept away.

He finally realized that he had missed the most crucial link.

The top priority right now is to find out the list of films vying for the Golden Globes and Oscars this year.

But the difficulty of this task far exceeded expectations.

The so-called awards season is a period when a bunch of award-contending films or high-quality movies are released in clusters, and public relations efforts are concentrated on them.

The same movie, released in April and in December, leaves vastly different impressions on the viewer when it comes time to vote.

The difficulty lies in the fact that many of the competitors' films have not yet been released, and the outside world has very little information available.

If he really does run into a ruthless character who wins the hearts of the masses, he can use public relations tactics to snatch the Best Actor award from him.

He didn't even want to think about the consequences...

However, one thing is certain: it will be a global scandal, and he will become a huge joke.

After agreeing to meet Damien and saying a hasty goodbye, Li Xiang quickly took Sister Zhou and Xiao Jiang back to the hotel.

He only spoke when there were only three people left in the room, his tone tinged with annoyance.

"I was so confused; I completely forgot to check the list of films vying for awards this year. Now I'm totally stuck."

Sister Zhou's heart tightened, and she looked troubled: "The problem is, who should we ask now? Many films haven't been released yet."

"Drama series that haven't been released in China are kept under tight secrecy, let alone award-winning productions from major studios, where the level of secrecy is even higher."

"Sigh, I have to find out even if it's difficult. Otherwise, I'll spend millions on public relations, only to run into a formidable opponent. Should I refund the money or not?"

"Putting aside whether I'll get a refund, if word gets out, this will probably become a laughing stock in the industry."

Xiao Jiang, who had been silently pondering, suddenly spoke up: "Ordinary channels won't work, but we could try 20th Century Fox."

"Many of their projects are co-invested. Once they get Fox's annual film slate, they can figure out most of their competitors."

"Even if we can't judge whether a movie is good or bad in advance, at least we can find out who the director and lead actor are, which can help us narrow down the possibilities."

Sister Zhou immediately nodded in agreement: "That's right. Sony will most likely only have this one."

"If we also include 20th Century Fox and Searchlight, we can probably find out pretty much everything."

Li Xiang wasn't stupid; he naturally understood who the two were thinking of. Right now, the only one who could help him accomplish this was Deng Wendi.

Putting aside other matters, she must be well aware of the projects 20th Century Fox plans to use to compete for awards this year.

Ignoring the fact that it was nighttime, Li Xiang took out his phone and dialed Deng Wendi's number.

The phone rang a few times before being answered quickly.

"Aren't you in America? Why did you suddenly decide to call me?"

"Sister, it's extremely urgent, something's happened." Li Xiang's tone was urgent, without the slightest bit of politeness.

Deng Wendi's tone instantly turned serious: "What's wrong? What serious incident has occurred?"

Li Xiang didn't hide anything and told Deng Wendi all the details of preparing for this year's Golden Globe and Oscar awards and public relations efforts.

At first, Deng Wendi on the other end of the phone was slightly tense, thinking that he had encountered big troubles such as industry suppression or film censorship.

It wasn't until Li Xiang mentioned public relations and Gwyneth Paltrow that she finally breathed a long sigh of relief and burst out laughing.

It turns out that all that fuss was to get a list of Hollywood's award contenders for this year.

But then she thought about it again and felt a sense of pride.

Right now, this is something that requires power to accomplish, and in the entire industry, she's truly the only one who can help Li Xiang get it done quickly.

In interpersonal relationships, the worst thing is when people are not on equal footing.

If only one party is always giving in a relationship while the other is unable to reciprocate, even the deepest friendship will gradually fade.

Li Xiang has just entered Hollywood and has encountered this urgent matter that only she can help with, so Deng Wendi is naturally happy to help.

Furthermore, the two had already agreed to travel to India together, and now that the opportunity had come knocking on their door, it brought them even closer together.

"So that's what it is." Deng Wendi's voice regained its composure, and he readily agreed.

"Okay, I'll take care of it for you. I'll have someone verify Fox's film slate right away, and I'll also have someone inquire about Warner Bros., Universal, and Paramount's award nominations."

"I'll compile a list for you tomorrow, including the lead actors and the main focus for awards, so you can see it all at a glance."

After saying that, he didn't forget to reassure Li Xiang.

"Don't panic, kid. Unless there's a dominant enemy, with your acting skills, as long as you handle the public relations well, your chances of winning are definitely not small."

"Isn't it because I'm worried about being treated differently?"

Upon hearing this, Deng Wendi couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Heh, no matter how much preferential treatment you receive, it won't be your turn. Do you really think LVMH is just for show?"

"Delphia and Anna, and the network of connections behind you, none of them are pushovers. No one will stand by and watch you be ostracized."

"Just remember one thing, kid: you're different from everyone else. Just keep charging forward, and we'll always be there to back you up."

Li Xiang hadn't expected that this phone call would actually give Deng Wendi a shot of adrenaline, but it had to be said that it was indeed effective.

Thinking about the extensive network of connections he had behind him, he really wasn't afraid of anything anymore.

Therefore, once all concerns had dissipated, ambition returned.

No matter how strong his opponents are this year, he's determined to win the Golden Globe for Best Actor. As for the Oscars...

We'll talk about that tomorrow.