Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 230 Three Awards Won in a Row – I'll Say It Three Times! (Part 1)
December 19th was the official date of the "Star Wave 2008 Year-End Internet Gala".

Today was even busier than yesterday, and even a bit chaotic.

The "ceremony" hosted by an internet company is still a novelty, attracting significant attention from the entire internet and industry sectors. Xinglang has also spent a considerable amount of money on it.

The special era has created a special level of prestige; even before it started, it had already garnered more attention than traditional awards like the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival.

Almost half of the Chinese-language entertainment industry came, including directors, actors, and singers, all sharing in this exposure feast.

Star Wave also prepared a top-level red carpet ceremony; these days, opportunities to walk the red carpet in China are rare.

From early morning, everyone went to great lengths to dress up, especially the female stars, who brought out many extravagant dresses, some with skirts several meters long, and others with less than a square meter of fabric covering their entire bodies.

If someone were to be nosy and set up a small stool on the only road to watch all day, they could figure out exactly who was big and who was small, who was upright and who was slender in the circle!

However, in the eyes of Zhai Da, a visitor from later generations, the overall style of this group was still a bit outdated, and the aesthetics of some of them could even be described as appalling.

At 3 PM, Star Wave Portal started its live broadcast, and some celebrities were invited to the studio. Among them, the "magic video" that went viral yesterday was repeatedly mentioned.

The unexpected content became the focus of publicity for this online event, with Sina headquarters proactively disseminating the same content on a large scale.

At 5 p.m., several cooperating TV stations began to rebroadcast the program. Although it could not be broadcast on the main channel due to time constraints, it provided some channels outside of the internet.

At six o'clock, the first chapter of the evening, the "Red Carpet Ceremony," officially began in a greenhouse set up at the entrance of the Chang'an Grand Theater.

Compared to the scarcity of television broadcast channels, the scene was a media extravaganza, with countless flashes of light and newspapers, television stations, and online media all gathered together.

According to the unwritten rules of the underworld, those who appear first are always the small fry, while the big shots would rather wait in their cars or in the cold wind than miss the show.

Of course, some roles that the "organizers" deem important will be placed later.

For example, the writer Zhai Da.

He was so bored waiting in the lounge that he was practically numb! He listlessly flipped through a book.

I thought to myself that it would be better to let him in; I heard there were sunflower seeds, peanuts, and drinks inside.

Gao Yuanyuan, who was also waiting in the lounge, nervously approached and craned her neck to ask, "Is Teacher Zhai reading a book? Is it your new work?"

The two of them weren't exactly awkward; to be precise, it was Gao Yuanyuan herself who felt awkward, experiencing a sense of being rejected yet unwilling to give up.

Zhai Da flipped the book over, showing him the large characters "Advanced Mathematics (Part 2)" at the top.

Gao Yuanyuan swallowed hard and instantly felt a kind of pressure called "knowledge".

She admired learned people from a young age, but she was also afraid of them.
The topic I had just organized was suddenly ruined by fright.
Around 7 p.m., when the red carpet event was almost over, it was finally Zhai Da's turn to appear.

He closed the book and strode outside.

Today he was dressed in a smart suit, with a black shirt and a magic vest as his only accessories, and he also refused the trendy "hedgehog mess" hairstyle that the stylist strongly recommended.

If you have no idea, you can learn about the male lead in "Meteor Shower".

In the end, Zhai Da kept his "Chinese-style shaved head," a hairstyle that was common in his previous life but is now quite special. This was the hairstyle he had used for almost ten years before his rebirth. He liked it because when he went to the barbershop, he could just say one thing: "Shave the sides short and trim the middle."

Zhai Da walked quickly on the red carpet, without lingering for the flashing lights or engaging in any humorous interactions; his expression was even somewhat serious.

I'm so hungry I'm experiencing low blood sugar.

Zhai Da silently thought to himself that he probably wouldn't participate in similar activities again, especially not the entire one.
He hastily signed his name on the banner, paused for a mere three seconds in front of a barrage of flashing lights, and then left without a second thought.

In the reporters' area, someone whispered, "Who's that? He's so cool."

He originally wanted to say, "Wow, so arrogant."

"Take a look at the list. Oh, that top-scoring writer Zhai Da, I thought he was an actor."

"You know what, even though he's arrogant, he's dressed quite appropriately. Compared to him, the actors all seem so over-the-top."

"I can produce the picture, and I've already thought of the title: 'The aloof academic genius's aura crushes the entertainment industry!'"

"How come you, a photographer, are also doing the work of a news editor?"

"You have a good eye. I was an editor when I first joined the team, until I was reassigned to carry the camera because of my strength."

Unaware of the discussion behind him, Zhai Da walked straight into the huge awards ceremony venue.

The area is divided into three sections: the main stage at the front, the central "seating area" with round tables like those at a banquet, and then regular seats like those in a movie theater.

Zhai Da glanced back and found Xiao Lu, who had entered before him. Lu Siwen was just there to watch the fun and was very relaxed.

Perhaps because she was hungry, the little deer had already started eating, holding potato chips in her hand.
Zhai Da stared at it for a moment, then followed the directions to table number three and sat down. He finally saw the sunflower seeds and peanuts he had been longing for.

Knowing that the main process would take four hours, Zhai Da sped up his peanut-peeling.

I never imagined that one day my "nimble hands" would be used to peel them quickly and well, and then put them into my mouth one by one to replenish my depleted blood sugar.

Guo Jinming was also at the same table. He had come in earlier than Zhai Da, which meant that the organizers valued Zhai Da more.

Zhai Da noticed that even the nameplate for "Han Han" was gone from the table, indicating that he really wasn't coming.

Just then, a new member appeared beside them, with a skirt over two meters long. The evening gown accentuated her pure white figure, and the angle was quite daring.

It feels like if it goes down another centimeter, it will turn brownish.

After she sat down, she resembled a "dahlia," and "coincidentally" she was to the side of Zhai Da, in the frontmost position at the table.

Fan Binbin.

Before the awards ceremony officially began, the actress, who had no connection with Zhai Da, said with a smile, "Hello, Mr. Zhai, I am a fan of your books. I really like 'The Long Road of Lü'."

Zhai Da was taken aback; this opening remark seemed so familiar.
------

Around the same time, it was the busiest time of day in the Harbin Institute of Technology's canteen.

Students, starving after a long day of classes, came to the cafeteria to enjoy their meal, which was packed with people.

The large, bulky television hanging from the pillar usually shows news or popular dramas, but today it was tuned to a niche channel of Hunan TV.

The scene on the screen was strange, like some kind of ceremony. Shen Zixuan from the Materials Engineering Class 1 looked at it for a while and asked in confusion, "What is this?" Ge Shang, who was next to him, said, "Don't you know? Zhai Da went to receive an award!"

Shen Zixuan scratched his head: "I've been so focused on studying lately that I think Zhai Da hasn't been to class for several days. What award did he receive?"

Ge Shang said, "It's something from Xinglang. It seems to be their first time organizing it, but it's quite a big event. I saw a video of it in the group this morning, where Zhai Da performed a magic trick."

This is no secret at Harbin Institute of Technology. People often see the "great writer" playing with coins or playing cards on campus, but it feels different from seeing him online.

Shen Zixuan couldn't quite find the right words, so he hesitated for a moment and then let out a sigh.

“That’s awesome!”

At this point, the camera began to pan across the room, especially the area in front, lingering on each table's face for a few seconds so that the audience could see who they had invited.

When the TV stopped at table number 3, the students watching TV in the cafeteria gasped in surprise.

"It really is Zhai Da! He's really on TV? I thought it was just a joke in the group chat!"

"Look, he's chatting with Fan Binbin!"

"Holy crap! I'm so jealous! They're so close together!"

The shouting and yelling attracted even more students who weren't watching TV to look in this direction.

In a corner of the cafeteria, Principal Wang Chunguo, wearing an executive jacket, looked up and glanced at the television with a smile.

Although he couldn't see anything clearly because of his presbyopia, he knew what was going on.

He's old but still open-minded. He doesn't care about this circle or that circle, but when his own student goes to receive an award, he thinks it's time for the classmates to see and join in the fun.

Zhai Da knew that Harbin Institute of Technology would show his footage, but he was unaware that another organization was also showing it to his classmates.

Dongyang County, Maofang Middle School.

The emergence of two top scorers at once has brought about many changes to this previously little-known school.

For example, with sufficient funds, a vacant lot was marked out next to the playground, ready to be used to build a new building!

Even the toilet, which resembles a stalactite grotto, is slated for renovation.

Tonight, the few multimedia classrooms that were available were packed with people. The school had organized the new graduating class to watch TV programs during their evening self-study session.

Besides admiring the senior students' achievements, it's also a way to relax during intense study sessions.

On the screen, the photo that had always been posted at the school gate, showcasing the school's achievements, was transformed into a real person, appearing alongside big stars, fulfilling all the fantasies of the boys and girls.

Exclamations of surprise filled the air.

One of the girls stared intently and said, "Teacher Zhai has become even more handsome."

My deskmate asked, "Why are you calling me 'teacher'? Aren't you supposed to be 'senior'?"

The girl said proudly, "I studied at Utopia for two months during the summer vacation! I didn't miss a single Chinese class taught by Teacher Zhai!"

"Oh yeah... I'm so envious. My dad originally said he'd help me secure a spot, but then for some reason he gave it to a colleague."

On the podium, Ding Rong, the homeroom teacher who was once again responsible for the senior high school class because of her "outstanding achievements," had to look up.

It's hard not to feel proud, hard not to feel happy!
For educators, the greatest reward is seeing their students grow and succeed.
One kilometer away, in the Sanmao residential area, Yu Xiaoli also turned on the TV. Zhai Da had already told her where she could watch it.

After staring at it for a while, I finally found Zhai Da's location.

After a long pause, only one sentence came out:
"Even her own mother thinks it looks weird with this makeup on."

The camera couldn't stay on Zhai Da's face for long; after the camera cut away, Yu Xiaoli quickly lost focus.

Especially after discovering that Zhao Benshan and Fan Wei weren't invited, she usually enjoys watching "Country Love".

After a while, he muttered to himself, "I should burn some paper money this weekend. It's a good thing to let Dad and Zhihong know."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Let's turn our attention back to the awards ceremony.

Zhai Da sat at table number three, frowned slightly, and shook his head.

"I will not consider selling the adaptation rights unless I can guarantee that it will be adapted into a film or television series within three years."

Fan Binbin, standing beside him, wore a smile so that he would always look his best when the camera panned across him, but what he said was very "pragmatic".

"Teacher Zhai, preparing for a film is not that simple. I can try my best, but I can't guarantee it."

Zhai Da turned his head away, thinking to himself, "Is your struggle really that valuable?"
If it's not written into the contract, how can we trust each other? So many works' copyrights have been ruined by delaying tactics!
This currently wildly popular A-list actress, unsurprisingly, is here again to ask for the adaptation rights to "The Long Road to Lu".

Gao Yuanyuan could see that this topic would be helpful for winning awards, and Fan Binbin could naturally see it as well.

After all, in later years, with a relatively weak cast, this original film also propelled a naive newcomer to the position of Best Actress. Whether there was any commercial manipulation or not, Zhai Da doesn't know, but her foundation was just too perfect!
As for the suitability of the role, Fan Binbin is not worried. "Adapt it. How can you write it if you don't adapt it?"
Most actors are selected after the fact, meaning they are chosen from a pool of offers from films that have already been approved. However, it is not surprising that some actors are tailored to their specific roles from scratch in order to win awards.

Moreover, Fan Binbin's resources are indeed powerful; he has no shortage of connections with investors and directors and can easily assemble an all-star lineup.

But Zhai Da said, "What does all this have to do with me?"
Adaptation rights don't sell for high prices to begin with. In 08, a million was considered a lot. For example, the adaptation rights for "The Message," which was being filmed at the time and featured an all-star cast, were priced at 100 million, which was the highest price in the industry.

He doesn't lack the 100 million, and Fan Binbin's promised "solution" couldn't sway him either.

His criteria are quite simple: either give him an excellent solution that does justice to his work, or...

Alternatively, give him a reward worthy of his work.

He doesn't fit in with either side; Fan Binbin is not much different from Gao Yuanyuan in his eyes.

Gao Yuanyuan was even better; at least she had read the book properly. As for Fan Binbin, he figured out her background in just a few words.

The other party had never read "The Long Road to Lu" at all; rather, it was a powerful figure behind her who gave her guidance.

It's even possible that the bigwig himself wanted to add it to his "candidate pool," but was willing to negotiate it himself.

(End of this chapter)