Actor: Thank you.

A few days later, Zhang Yuan rushed to Jiangsu.

They arrived in Jiangyin City, which was not part of the Thirteen Protectors.

After getting off the plane and arriving in the area, Zhang Yuan first ate some local specialties to fill his stomach.

A serving of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) arrived, and he frowned as he ate it.

Purely sweet... at least for him, it was purely sweet.

Good grief, from now on anyone who says Shanghai food is sweet, I'll argue with them.

You've never been to the Wuxi area before.

I quickly turned around and looked for another store.

It's pretty good; they have other specialty dishes too.

This place relies on the water for its livelihood, and there are many river delicacies.

In the capital city, there's a shortage of freshwater and seafood, but plenty of beef and mutton, so it's a good opportunity to change things up.

We ordered braised eel, braised eel, and also braised pufferfish.

There's an old saying about risking one's life to eat pufferfish, not only because the fish is delicious, but also because humans are inherently "impulsive".

The more dangerous it is, the more they want to get closer.

"Brother Zhang Yuan, this isn't a good idea."

"Pufferfish is poisonous," the assistant said worriedly, looking at the steaming dish that had been served.

"No, they're professionals."

"Or I can eat it later if I'm free."

Zhang Yuan was a little moved.

"You're risking your life for just a few hundred yuan a month?"

“It’s more than a few hundred.” Zhao Dandan picked up the chopsticks: “My salary is almost 3.”

Zhang Yuan: …

what?
I do not know how.

Whose assistant earns so much money?

"Shu Chang gave me the raise so I could take better care of you."

"This doesn't even include bonuses, subsidies, year-end bonuses, social security contributions..."

"Okay, okay, stop talking, I feel sorry for myself." Zhang Yuan clutched his chest and leaned against the wall.

"Shu Chang said that I live close to you, but I have too little money and no prestige. I'd embarrass you."

"It's not shameful to lose face now, but it's money you'll lose."

Watching her eat with gusto, Zhang Yuan thought to himself that Changchang's idea wasn't wrong.

If everyone around me is so poor they're eating sweet potatoes, who would dare to risk their lives for me?

This is just like the case of Heshen and Liu Quan.

After about ten minutes, Zhang Yuan asked.

"Are you feeling unwell? Are you dizzy?"

"If I'm not dizzy, it shouldn't be poisonous."

"If you're going to test for poison, at least leave me a bite. What's the point of testing if you eat it all?"

I ordered another serving before I was full.

They have come here today to attend a grand banquet.

"Welcome everyone to the 30th Hundred Flowers Awards Ceremony!"

At 7:30 p.m., the annual Hundred Flowers Awards ceremony officially kicked off at the Jiangyin International Convention and Exhibition Center.

It was also the closing ceremony of the 19th China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival.

The film festival lasts for several days, and Zhang Yuan didn't come for the first few days.

They just walk the red carpet and give interviews as soon as they arrive, wasting my time.

He used that time to stay home and figure out the characters for his new play.

Now, he doesn't need to rely on walking the red carpet to attract attention; it's the red carpet that needs him.

"Zhang Yuan is here!"

"meet again."

"I'll visit your home again when I have time."

Before he even sat down, as soon as he arrived backstage, many unfamiliar faces greeted him.

These guys had just eaten at his house a few days ago; they're all members of the Film Association and also members of the organizers of this film festival and awards ceremony.

In any industry, among those who make it to the top, there are naturally many with real skills and abilities, but there are also some who get ahead by relying on their insight and connections.

These two things are not contradictory; truly capable people are often those who are both skilled and good at networking.

Anyone with a discerning eye would see that Huayi is currently in a state of strategic contraction.
They must have promised a lot of benefits to prevent me from winning awards, plus their reputation.

But now?

First of all, whether the promise can be kept is another matter.

First, you are not doing well now; second, you have been branded as treacherous and disloyal.

If the wind direction is wrong, you must turn around immediately.
People in the film and television industry are particularly sensitive to changing trends.

Talented individuals like Chen Sicheng and Dapeng, who can both write and direct, create works that are always in line with the times.

Beyond just China Film and Television, let's look a little further afield.

Even in island nations separated by the sea, the film and television industry has a keen eye.

For example, for a long time, some movies have used the premise of a husband or boyfriend making a mistake and incurring debt at work, demanding that the woman repay the debt, to introduce the main theme.

However, after the rice price skyrocketed, a new entry point emerged.

"Honey, you wouldn't want your husband to come home to a house without rice, would you?"

There are also rice inspectors who damage rice and are forced to pay compensation...

Look how perceptive those Japanese are; they know how to grasp the pulse of the times.

The sensitivity of the film association members is no less.

Zhang Yuan has recently gained the upper hand, so when he invites people, they naturally flock to him.

Along the way, he was greeted by twenty or thirty people.

We're friends now, at least for the time being.

"You are here too."

Li Bingbing and Huang Xiaoming were also present.

Upon seeing him, Xiaoming felt extremely awkward, touching his nose and lowering his head.

You're not as generous as your girlfriend... Zhang Yuan stepped forward and shook hands with her.

"You think you've got the victory in the bag," Old Li said, glancing at the group of people who had greeted him earlier.

She knew in her heart that Zhang Yuan had already taken care of it.

"No, it depends on everyone's vote."

"Yes." Li Bingbing was too lazy to say more.

"Let's keep in touch privately when we have time, and we can have meals together. Let's not let other things weaken our relationship."

“Okay, let’s have dinner together sometime.” Li Bingbing thought for a moment. She would have to leave Huayi sooner or later, and they would inevitably cooperate in the future. There was no need to make things awkward for the sake of her employer.

"Hello, Bingbing." As they were talking, another Bingbing slowly stepped forward.

"Sister, you look so beautiful in that dress today."

Fan Bingbing addressed her as "sister," which was sarcastic.

“The brand customized this for me. This outfit is just so-so; it makes you look a bit too mature,” Old Li retorted sarcastically.

"They all look young to me," Zhang Yuan said, trying to smooth things over, before pulling Fan Xiaopang away.

She was nominated for Best Actress for "Bodyguards and Assassins," but winning the award is highly unlikely.

"Don't let your feelings fade. You have so many women who have feelings for you." Fan Bingbing took the opportunity to tease him a few more times.

"It's all about connections. She'll eventually become independent like you. It's always good to have more friends... You look really pretty today."

Zhang Yuan glanced around; the rounded parts were round, and the pure white color gave it a grand appearance.

"You do have some taste." Only after receiving this compliment did Fan Bingbing finally smile.

"By the way, you should make some more preparations for Taobao's Double 11 event."

"Didn't you say you weren't going to participate?"

"I told you I was here for you, the other party will agree." Zhang Yuan gave her a reassuring look, then waved goodbye and went to greet his other friends from the film association.

"You're trying to stop me from winning the award?"

"Now the referees, witnesses, organizers, and co-organizers are all my people."

"Can you stop me?!"

Those two guys didn't come at all today; they had too many things to deal with and didn't have time to travel out of town.

You look very energetic today.

We just finished saying Fan Bingbing was quite rounded, and now there's someone even rounder.

Sister Xu Qing, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "The Founding of a Republic," also attended the event.

Time has left few marks on her, as if it has been exceptionally kind to her.

She has two dimples when she smiles, which are very sweet, and Zhang Yuan's diabetes almost flared up.

But he cleared his throat; this was a public place, he had to be serious.

"It's alright, I'm very happy to have received the invitation, so I made some preparations."

"You've worked very hard, I think it's about time you won an award." Xu Qing also maintained a good balance, chatting with him like a friend while keeping an appropriate distance.

In the adult world, it's best to part ways amicably.

We're all decent people; there's no need for this fuss.

Older women have their advantages; they're not as difficult to please as younger girls.

After exchanging a few words, the other person said goodbye, and they parted ways after a brief handshake.

Zhang Yuan's expression shifted slightly during the handshake.

"See you later," he waved goodbye.

Then he turned his back and held something in his hand.

A room key.

She slipped it to him from her palm while shaking hands; I never knew my older sister had this skill.

I'm here for an awards ceremony, how can you do something like this?

Zhang Yuan thought for a moment, then stuffed the room card into his pocket.

They meant well...

"What are you hiding?" Zhang Yimou arrived as well.

He fared much worse; "A Simple Noodle Story" was so bad that it didn't even get a nomination.

However, the organizing committee still invited him to be an award presenter and to present Professor Tian Hua with a lifetime achievement award.

This old lady was the former head of the August First Film Studio.

The female lead, Xi'er, in "The White-Haired Girl" was played by her.

Her husband, Professor Su Fan, is even more impressive; he designed the entire decoration and layout of the city gate tower for the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China.

So if you don't have some weight, you're not good enough to receive an award.

For Zhang Yimou, it's at least an honor.

"Director Zhang, no matter what people say online, I think 'Under the Hawthorn Tree' is excellent."

"It was a great film, and I was very moved after watching it."

“We need more works like this.” He took the opportunity to win the other party over, hoping to make him feel better. “Yeah, those people online only talk about box office numbers, they have no taste,” Zhang Yimou complained.

Little did they know that the person who posted the message online was the very person in front of them.

The awards ceremony soon began.

Let's start with the relatively minor awards such as Best Newcomer and Outstanding Feature Film.

Unfortunately, although the Hundred Flowers Awards is a major national award, it lacks breadth of coverage, as it does not include awards for videography, photography, animation, special effects, or props.

The focus is mainly on three aspects: actors, directors, and works.

Moreover, it suffers from the old problem of several major domestic awards: it loves to award prizes to two winners.

Zhang Yuan particularly disliked the setup of double-yolk eggs or multi-yolk eggs.

As the saying goes, "In literature, there is no first place; in martial arts, there is no second place." In the world of sports, there are champions and runners-up.

In our literary and artistic circles, it's inherently difficult to distinguish between the best and worst, and objective factors are not always the sole determining factor.

Such a prestigious award should be a place where only one can shine, selecting the one who has performed the best recently.

What's the point of distributing the prize to several people?

The same applies to the Hundred Flowers Awards; the Best Supporting Actress award was given to two people.

Wang Jia in "The Great Leap Forward" and Xu Qing in "The Founding of a Republic".

Zhang Yuan stood up and clapped; she knew both of them well.

Xu Qing was no longer mentioned, and Zhang Yuan touched the room key in his pocket before getting up.

Wang Jia not only acted alongside him in "The Return of the Condor Heroes," but also acted as a third wheel during a trip to Paris.

Shortly after, the Best Supporting Actor award was also given out, so at least there wasn't a tie this time.

When Su Youpeng went on stage, he almost cried while holding the trophy.

We prepared for months and filmed for several months, but in the end, very little footage was left.

He was a little disappointed after the film was released.

Now I finally have an award to console myself, and it also proves my worth. How can I not be excited?

Zhang Yuan stood up and applauded him again; this guy was truly a buddy.

Many people around were watching, wondering why all the award winners were Zhang Yuan's acquaintances.

Could this be the legendary gang?

Getting close to him can lead to winning an award.

The Best Feature Film award, like other domestic awards, went to "The Founding of a Republic".

If you can't give it to this show, who else can you give it to?
The Best Director award went to Feng Xiaogang for "If You Are the One".

Zhang Yuan tried his best to hold back his laughter.

grass.

Is it any wonder this film won Best Director?
"If You Are the One" is a standard Feng Xiaogang commercial film with a bunch of product placements, and yet it's still hailed as the best director.

"Bodyguards and Assassins" and "The Message" are both better than this... but the directors of those two films are from Hong Kong.

Zhang Yuan thought about it and figured that if the Hong Kong Golden Horse Awards could be so protective of local interests, it wouldn't hurt to do something similar with the Hundred Flowers Awards.

The Best Actress award, or the Best Actress award, was given to none.

Zhou Xun, Fan Bingbing, and Shu Qi didn't get it.

Two of the three women were looking at him.

There's also a conventional reason for this.

The Hundred Flowers Awards generally do not award nominations for Best Actor and Actress to the same actor and actress; they are usually separated.

It's even less likely that an award will be given to the same film.

Zhang Yuan was present and had acted in the works of these girls, all as the male lead.

So whenever he wins an award, none of these other people get to win.

Next up was Zhang Yuan's moment to shine.

The cheeky voice of the host, Tao Jingying, rang in my ears.

"Now comes our main event."

"That's right!"

"That is, our Best Actor award."

So who will be fortunate enough to receive this award?

At that moment, Zhang Yuan's face was full of anticipation.

Like a child hoping to eat a piece of candy during the New Year.

His eyes were filled with pure innocence.

The camera naturally focused on him.

At the same time, it was also given to Zhang Guoli, Hou Yong, and Ge You, these old hands from the capital.

A series of rhythmic drumbeats rang out, creating a thrilling and exciting feeling that made one's heart race.

At this moment, the audience's attention was also focused on the close-up of the faces of the people on the big screen.

All discerning people focused their attention on Zhang Yuan's face.

"That's Mr. Zhang Yuan, the male lead of our film 'Painted Skin'!"

With the two hosts making the final decision, the winner of the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actor was thus decided!
Zhang Yuan's eyes widened, and he used all his professional skills to express 12 degrees of surprise, as well as barely concealed joy.

He was not surprised, of course.

He put in a lot of effort for this award, far more than just performing.

Looking back now, it was truly a difficult time.

But why is it so difficult?

If the awards were truly that fair, why would there be any need for hardship!
What's mine is mine!

But now what should be mine is being snatched away because I don't have the connections of those people!

Alright then, I'll take it!

I'll not only grab it today, I'll grab it in the future!
If you won't give it to me, I'll take it myself.

I'm here today for three things.

Fairness, fairness, and damn fairness!
snort!
He sneered inwardly, but smiled on the surface, and even squeezed out a few crystal tears from his eyes, which he held back.

After rising and bowing in all directions, he shook hands with acquaintances passing by and hugged his friends.

When he passed by Uncle Guoli's row, he ran up to him and hugged him.

"You've suffered," Uncle Guoli said in his ear, patting his back.

"It's been tough on me too."

He worked very hard to win this award.

What made things difficult for Uncle Guoli was that his portrayal of Chiang Kai-shek in "The Founding of a Republic" was also a favorite to win the championship, with many judges having high hopes for the role.

To be honest, he did a great job; he was a different kind of Chiang Kai-shek than before.

But it is not the best in history.

"I don't understand" is still the most classic.

Uncle Guoli knew what he had done and what he had sacrificed; after all, he was one of his own and very sincere.

However, if Zhang Yuan only needs to win an award, the organizing committee will have many other considerations.

As the host just mentioned, he won the award for "Painted Skin".

But he knew very well that the film he performed best and gave the most to was clearly "The Message".

But "The Message" is a play by Hua Yi.

Given the current situation, the organizing committee cannot allow him to win an award based on "The Message".

Otherwise, they wouldn't give Huayi any face at all.

But the organizing committee was dreaming; Zhang Yuan was no pushover.

The award was presented to him by Zhang Ziyi.

Everyone looked and realized it was one of his men.

This award seems to have become his personal showcase.

Zhang Ziyi also has great acting skills; after giving him the trophy, she pushed it aside and her eyes welled up with tears.

I was so excited to see my boss receive the award... He was very dramatic and cooperative.

"Ziyi is very excited." The host noticed and turned the microphone towards him.

"Yes, I am very touched, because this award should have been given to him a long time ago."

"When I saw him holding the golden trophy, I felt that there was hope for our Chinese film and television industry."

Zhang Yuan: …

It's over.

It made me feel really embarrassed.

I've become the sun of the Chinese film and television industry... Let me say more.

“I knew he would become the best actor in China when I worked with him on ‘The Banquet’ a few years ago.”

Examples are given.

Zhang Yuan even considered increasing her assistant's salary.

"Let's interview this newly crowned Hundred Flowers Award Best Actor now."

How are you feeling right now?

"I am very excited. I have worked very hard to get here and stand on this stage."

Zhang Yuan spoke frankly while scanning the audience.

"I want to thank many directors who have helped me."

"For example, Gao Qunshu, the director of 'The Message'."

"My first work that was able to be broadcast was directed by him, so he is my first teacher."

Gao Qunshu was surprised to be mentioned again and grinned foolishly from the stands.

"And director Feng Xiaogang, he gave me the opportunity for my first theatrical blockbuster."

Zhang Yuan clasped his hands together and thanked him.

Director Feng looked somewhat embarrassed, but managed a smile.

Many people have already begun to feel that something is wrong.

Is this a thank-you speech?

Why does this sound a bit off to us?

"And Mr. Donnie Yen, because of his tolerance and magnanimity, gave me the opportunity to play the character of Ip Man."

The people in the audience are confirmed, but this is definitely not right!

This isn't gratitude; it's practically a sign-in call from the King of Hell.

“Especially!” Zhang Yuan emphasized.

"I want to thank Huayi Brothers Film & Television for their help along the way and for providing me with so many opportunities."

"Without them, I would never be standing here today."

The professionals in the audience all fell silent.

Too bad!
He was hurling insults while holding up the trophy.

If these words get out tomorrow, those two guys will be so angry they'll slap themselves.

How to repay grievances? Repay grievances with justice.

Zhang Yuan expressed his sincere gratitude to his "benefactor".

What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger... (End of Chapter)