My Healing Games

Chapter 509 Who is the best young actor? (5000 votes needed)
"If we're just talking about his ability to trend on social media, he's probably far inferior to you," said Director Zhang's assistant, offering a fair assessment.

"I'm usually very low-key." Han Fei flipped through the information he had found, then asked the other party, "Are young actors like us only able to compete for the Outstanding Young Actor Award? Didn't I get two nominations? Which is more prestigious, the Outstanding Young Actor Award or the Best Supporting Actor Award?"

"That must be Best Supporting Actor! There's only one winner all year, competing against actors of all ages, including many veteran actors. This award is also the closest to winning Best Actor." Director Zhang's assistant patiently explained to Han Fei, "The nominees for all the awards at this year's film festival are very strong. I estimate that it will be difficult for Bai Xian to win Best Actor, and it won't be easy for Director Zhang to win Best Director either. Now our crew is hoping that you can win the Outstanding Young Actor Award, so that our film can at least win one award."

"Isn't Director Zhang's challenge of making a suspense thriller this time all for the sake of winning the Best Director award again?" Judging from the tone of his male assistant, Han Fei felt that Director Zhang seemed to have encountered some trouble as well.

“It’s a bit difficult. Several top directors have released new works this year, and Director Zhang only has this one film, ‘The Suspense Novelist,’ in the last three years. If the box office and word-of-mouth are good, that’s fine, but if he gets overshadowed, he’ll probably have a hard time competing with the others.” Director Zhang’s assistant seemed to know some inside information about the film festival and was noticeably less enthusiastic than a few days ago: “Don’t tell Director Zhang these things. I’m going to get busy now. Remember to come to the event at 2 pm.”

After Director Zhang's assistant finished speaking, he hung up the phone. Han Fei took his phone and entered the ward. He sat by the bedside to keep him company and began searching for information about Bai Cha and Xu Junci.

Compared to Xu Junci, Bai Cha is more popular. Many people on the internet are praising him, saying that he is the best actor of the new generation and the rising sun in the entertainment industry.

Bai Cha is exceptionally handsome. Unlike actors like Han Fei, who possess a powerful aura and unique charisma, he is the kind of actor who immediately captivates the viewer.

During the promotion of "One-Third of a Comedy", Bai Cha also participated in various variety shows. He is very humorous and can easily liven up the atmosphere on set. His interactions with other guests are also very interesting.

This person has both a perfect appearance and an interesting soul, so it's no wonder that Deep Space Entertainment spares no effort in promoting him.

If we had to find a flaw in this person, it would probably be that their acting skills aren't very good.

The veteran actors who act with him often praise him, but they mostly say that the boy is polite, has potential, and works hard. In fact, this is a very subtle way of saying that his acting skills need to be improved.

A person's energy is limited. No matter how talented an actor is, without the tempering of time, the roles they portray will always lack something.

Unless one can be like Han Fei, who, although not tempered by the years, endures the threat of death and the baptism of despair every day.

Acting for a dream and acting to survive are ultimately two different realms.

"Yan Mo..." A faint voice suddenly came from the hospital bed. Aunt Li slowly opened her eyes and vaguely saw Han Fei.

"Lie still, I'll go call the doctor." Han Fei got up and was about to leave when he felt something grab his clothes.

He turned his head and saw that Aunt Li was weakly raising one of her hands and grabbing Han Fei's clothes.

Her face, which looked much older, stared at Han Fei. Her purplish lips parted slightly as she spoke a sentence to him.

"Thank you."

Han Fei wasn't sure if Aunt Li recognized him or if it was because of something else. He gently placed Aunt Li's hand back on the hospital bed and said, "Take good care of yourself."

After finding a doctor and nurse, Han Fei asked Aunt Li to call her son.

After explaining the situation, Han Fei left the ward.

For him, doing good deeds increases one's merit, which in turn upgrades the shrine. Therefore, he tries his best to help others whenever he has the opportunity.

Aunt Li's son is out of town and hasn't come back yet.

At noon, Han Fei went to the hospital cafeteria to deliver food to Aunt Li. While getting the food, he was recognized by the patients in the hospital.

The patient was also quite interesting. Because Han Fei was dressed so plainly, he had to confirm Han Fei's name several times before he could call him out.

As an actor, Han Fei is completely down-to-earth. He carried two trays and greeted the patients warmly.

“I heard that those actors eat very well, spending tens of dollars on breakfast, but he seems to be about the same as us.”

"This actor donated all the money to the victims' families, and it seems he's still renting an apartment."

Several patients started chatting, and an elderly man with a bandage wrapped around his arm happened to walk out of the ward and overheard their conversation.

"Are Han Fei's family members sick?"

"He rescued an elderly woman who had fainted this morning. Her child works in another city and couldn't come back, so Han Fei has been taking care of her since morning."

"This child is so kind." The old man with bandages joined the other patients, chatting about Han Fei.

Han Fei was unaware that other patients were discussing him. After returning to the ward and having dinner with Aunt Li, he left.

At 1:30 p.m., Han Fei arrived at the event venue mentioned by Director Zhang's assistant.

The Smart New City has an area specifically for hosting various events. The event Han Fei is attending today is a sub-venue next to the film festival's main hall.

The film festival is just two days away, and the annual event has already begun to generate buzz. It has become the focus of national media. Director Zhang's decision to hold the last promotional event for "The Suspense Novelist" before its official release there was a well-thought-out one.

It wasn't just him; other movies scheduled to be released tomorrow also had similar ideas, and everyone flocked here to promote them.

When Han Fei arrived, he saw fans cheering on the roadside, with a large number of passersby crowding around. Many of them were self-media workers, taking pictures of the stars who were promoting the movie with their mobile phones.

Coincidentally, the two venues next to the main venue of the film festival were booked by "The Suspense Novelist" and "One-Third of a Comedy", both with impressive casts.

Needless to say, "The Suspense Novelist" features nine actors, including two second-tier actors and the rest are all talented performers, with veteran actors also making appearances.

The situation is even more exaggerated in "One-Third of a Comedy". The lead actor is Xu Zhen, a first-tier actor, and the female lead is the apple of Deep Space Entertainment's eye. The five supporting actors are all third-tier actors. Among them, Bai Cha, who is very popular, has the least influence.

Exclamations of surprise rang out from both sides of the venue. Each celebrity has their own fans, and if you had to choose one, the "One-Third of a Comedy" side probably had more people.

After all, compared to suspense and thriller, there are more viewers who prefer comedy.

Stepping out of the taxi, Han Fei looked no different from any other passerby who had come to support the event.

"Give way, give way."

The event started at 2 p.m., and many fans arrived an hour early, creating a very lively atmosphere.

After calling Director Zhang's assistant, a staff member led Han Fei to the staff passage.

Fans from both sides who came to participate in the event were quite surprised to see Han Fei enter through the staff entrance, wondering, "Who is this? Can fans buy VIP access now?"

But it wasn't long before Han Fei was recognized. When the first person called out Han Fei's name, everyone else followed suit.

Han Fei had never seen such a spectacle even in the underworld. He greeted everyone somewhat shyly and was then led backstage.

"It seems like not many people knew me before."

"Han Fei! Holy crap! Why are you still wearing this outfit?!" Director Zhang's assistant ran over as soon as he saw Han Fei: "Everyone's backstage, hurry up! Go and touch up your makeup."

Pulled backstage, Han Fei met the other actors from "The Suspense Novelist." Upon seeing Han Fei, they all rushed over to congratulate him, leaving Han Fei completely bewildered.

"Why do you guys seem so strange today? Did something good happen to me?" Han Fei asked Bai Xian, looking puzzled.

"Are you really unaware or are you in Versailles?" Bai Xian took out his phone: "In the online voting for outstanding young actors, you have surpassed Xu Junci and ranked second. Moreover, in the most anticipated role, the Spider you played ranked first among all supporting roles! I didn't know you had such a strong appeal to everyone."

"So that's why?" Han Fei shook his head.

"Your tone is so irritating." Bai Xian rolled his eyes. "The film festival is the day after tomorrow. I don't know how many people and companies are watching the online voting. Also, we've discovered something else. Take a look at the movie pre-sale box office charts."

Guided by Bai Xian, Han Fei opened the largest online movie ticketing software in China.

"The pre-sale box office of 'One-Third Comedy' is ten million higher than ours, but you are ranked first on the supporting actor list in terms of personal box office appeal." Bai Xian found it unbelievable: "Your ability to make money as a supporting actor is almost surpassing that of me as the lead actor."

"What is an actor's personal box office appeal rating?" Han Fei didn't know much about these things. This was his first time filming a live-action movie, and he had never even had the chance to show his face before.

"When viewers book movie tickets in advance, there's an option to fill in who the actor you're most looking forward to is, and you're ranked number one on the supporting actor list." Bai Xian patiently explained to Han Fei, "Although most people are here to see you solve cases, it's undeniable that you can now be considered a box office guarantee for a movie."

Han Fei's fans online are all real. Those netizens who constantly call him a bounty hunter or a police informant all chose to support him when his movie was actually released.

"You really angered Bai Cha this time. He's far ahead of you and Xu Junci in the online voting for outstanding young actors, but you've left him far behind in the pre-sale anticipation list." Bai Xian laughed heartily, seemingly genuinely happy for Han Fei.

"Brother Bai, what are you going to do this time? I see on this list that Xu Zhen is far ahead of you. Will he also be competing for Best Actor this year?" Han Fei discovered the blind spot, and Bai Xian's face immediately fell.

"I think it's unlikely this year." Bai Xian gave a wry smile. "To be honest, my acting has improved, but the main problem is that I'm acting opposite you this time. You're too dazzling, making me seem less impressive. But it's okay, I've been a runner-up for five years, I don't mind being a runner-up for a few more years."

"Everyone, get ready, we're going on stage. Remember to interact with the fans as much as possible." The staff gestured for the actors to go on stage. Han Fei had just touched up his makeup and was wearing his usual clothes.

The host warmed up the audience at the outdoor event venue. Director Zhang first went on stage to talk about his inspiration for the filming. Finally, the host and the various platforms that were broadcasting the live stream began to urge the actors to come on stage.

Compared to Director Zhang, the actors in "The Suspense Novelist" are clearly more appealing.

As the curtain rose, nine actors appeared on stage one by one, and the audience cheered when their images appeared on the big screen.

Unlike the other actors who were dressed up, Han Fei seemed like a staff member who had wandered onto the stage by mistake. He seemed a bit out of place, but the audience liked him very much, feeling that this was Han Fei's style, something that others couldn't imitate.

At the same time, cheers also came from the other venue, as the final promotion for "One-Third of a Comedy" began.

The large screen at the event venue recorded the scenes on both sides, and the live streaming platform specifically began to broadcast the scene live in order to generate buzz.

The film festival is just around the corner, and Bai Xian and Xu Zhen have both been nominated for Best Actor. They both want to win the Best Actor award with their own works. When the platform interviewed them, they were shown on the big screen of their respective venues at the same time, which felt like a live competition.

Director Zhang originally didn't expect to compete with "One-Third of a Comedy". Suspense dramas are not at all advantageous compared to comedies, after all, the audience base is there.

But the event organizers and live streaming platforms don't care about any of that. They are sharks that crave popularity and traffic, and they will desperately bite when they smell blood.

During the random Q&A session, many questions were deliberately designed to cause trouble. For example, some directly asked Xu Zhen if he was confident of winning Best Actor this year, and others asked Bai Xian, who had been nominated for five years, if he wanted to end the long race this year.
The two event venues were not far apart, and the big screen was showing Bai Xian and Xu Zhen's live stream. Many passersby stopped when they saw it, not to mention netizens who came online specifically to watch the hype.

Fortunately, Bai Xian and Xu Zhen were both seasoned veterans, and their answers were impeccable. Bai Xian defused the situation with self-deprecation and humor, while Xu Zhen directly praised Bai Xian.

No one knows what they're thinking behind the scenes, but on the surface, they definitely have to be amicable.

As the interview continued, the host sped up the pace. When interviewing Bai Cha about "One-Third of a Comedy," she happened to walk up to Han Fei.

"Han Fei, I heard you received nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Outstanding Young Actor this time. To receive two nominations for your first offline film is a record for young actors." The hosts from both venues were stirring things up, one praising Han Fei as the most outstanding young actor, while the other said that Bai Cha was the undisputed winner for Outstanding Young Actor this time.

The host kept praising them, but Han Fei and Bai Cha's performances were completely different.

Han Fei didn't take the host's words to heart at all. When he saw that the host was wearing a headset and would pause before speaking, he immediately realized that someone was teaching her to say that.

With a professional smile on his face, Han Fei frankly pointed out some of his shortcomings, such as having few works, being young, and having a lot to learn.

Bai Cha, on the other hand, was clearly getting a little cocky. He seemed to know some inside information and was very confident about being named an outstanding young actor.

The host kept praising him, and he gradually agreed with the host's words, only occasionally pretending to be humble and saying that he still had room for improvement.

Perhaps the platform felt that this wasn't exciting enough, so in order to attract more attention, they selected some rather pointed questions in the live stream comments.

Han Fei, on the other hand, didn't care. Since he started working on "Twin Flowers," he had been constantly criticized. He had even clashed with the entertainment company before and was deliberately targeted.

He had no company to protect him, and no one would spend money to help him control public opinion; he got to where he is today entirely on his own.

Bai Cha's situation is completely different. He is a young actor heavily promoted by Deep Space Entertainment, and there are almost no comments online that insult him; instead, everyone is praising him.

The big company sheltered him from the wind and rain; all he had to do was work hard acting to make money for the company.

This resulted in his mentality not being as stable as Han Fei's. In some of the comments extracted, many people questioned his acting skills, and some even directly compared him with Han Fei, feeling that Han Fei's acting skills in "Twin Flowers" could easily surpass his.

Even in public, Bai Cha didn't dare to get angry. She answered patiently, saying that everyone has a suitable role and style, and it's impossible to generalize.

He couldn't possibly admit that his acting skills were inferior to Han Fei's. Backed by Deep Space Entertainment, Bai Cha actually looked down on young actors of his own age.

The live stream event lasted a long time, and some busybodies directly listed Bai Cha and Han Fei separately, opening a guessing game to see who would be this year's outstanding young actor.

Bai Cha's fans are mostly fans of her looks, while Han Fei's fans include all sorts of people: fans of her looks, fans of her acting skills, fans of her detective work, and fans of her security guard work.

The two sides initially discussed the matter rationally, but somehow they ended up arguing.

By the time the live broadcast ended that evening, the internet was in an uproar, with neither side willing to concede. In the end, they decided to judge based on the box office results of the two films, "The Suspense Novelist" and "One-Third of a Comedy," as well as the actual performances of the two young actors in the films.

The two movies will be released simultaneously after midnight tonight. Now, not only the two film crews, but also a large number of netizens on the Internet are starting to pay attention to the final result.

No one can make a judgment on a movie without seeing it; let the facts speak for themselves regarding the acting skills.

After the event, Director Zhang called all the actors together. It was a rare opportunity for them to reunite, and he planned to book a large hall so they could all wait together for the premiere that evening.

This film is very important to them; it might change many people's lives. Bai Xian wants to win the Best Actor award, Director Zhang wants to prove himself again, the entertainment company behind the film is eager to recoup its costs, and the other actors also want to boost their fame with this unprecedentedly popular suspense film.

Of everyone, Han Fei seemed the least nervous. After finishing his meal, he prepared to go home. He had no desire to read the online arguments or Bai Cha's subsequent statement.

For him, nothing in the world is more important than playing video games.

(End of this chapter)