Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 517 Holding a grudge
Unlike last year, when the Blue Dragon Awards were delayed due to the pandemic, this year's awards ceremony has officially resumed on schedule. As management has gradually eased, masks are no longer required and seating arrangements are no longer spaced out, making it a complete return to pre-pandemic conditions.

This is a big sign; a series of offline activities are gradually restarting.

Of course, the virus also spread faster as a result, with news of celebrities being infected emerging every day in the entertainment industry.

At the Blue Dragon Film Awards, which he attended today, Kwon Heon-hyuk might contract the virus at any time.

The virus itself is not scary; what is scary is that if you get infected, you need to stop your activities and self-isolate, which delays the progress of the entire production crew.

After getting his hair and makeup done at the beauty salon, Kwon Heonhyuk arrived at the venue in a van and waited to walk the red carpet.

This year's Blue Dragon Film Awards only have two major films: "Mogadishu" and "The Fish of Zishan".

The former is a large-scale commercial film, which some people call the Korean version of Wolf Warrior. It has accumulated more than 3.6 million viewers. This number is not impressive for its cast and investment scale, and it barely broke even on production costs.

But there's nothing we can do. The Korean film industry is in a bleak state after the pandemic; it's already a blessing if any big-budget films are released.

Before Spider-Man 3: No Way Back was released at the end of 2021, Mogadishu was temporarily the box office champion this year.

While South Korean films are well-made, the market has long resembled that of Hollywood blockbusters. Every year, half or more of the top ten box office rankings are Hollywood films, a phenomenon that has become even more pronounced since the pandemic.

The idea that Korean cinema is finished is not just empty talk. The fact that one or two blockbusters are released every year doesn't mean the market is healthy and thriving. We still need to look to the future.

Another film, "The Fish Manual of Zishan," has a unique style, taking a different approach to period dramas.

As for the quality of the film, its 8.8 rating on Douban should prove that it is a masterpiece.

[An excellent film imbued with philosophical and humanistic spirit, and imbued with Confucian cultural elements.]

Such a culturally rich film should have been told by us, but it is undoubtedly a Korean film.

This year's focus is on these two films. Apart from that, there's not much to say about the other movies. Given the dismal state of Korean cinema, it's actually difficult to even award prizes.

This year's Blue Dragon Awards will still involve walking the red carpet, and Kwon Heon-hyuk's seniority and experience will necessitate his appearance in the first half of the event.

Since he wasn't competing for any awards, Kwon Heonhyuk came here purely to socialize and make connections, and the red carpet preparations weren't particularly elaborate.

She wore simple jewelry from Chaumet and a watch from Longines, and her suit was still custom-made by Louis Vuitton. Her hair had gradually grown longer since the end of "The Decision to Break Up," reaching her eyelids, giving the stylist more room to style her hair.

Park Jung-jung did not come along. His attendance today was actually a minor matter, and there was no need for him to come along.

"Ladies and gentlemen, next up is the actor who won the Best New Actor award last year. Who is it?"

"Let's welcome Kwon Hyun-hyuk!"

The host was calling out from outside, and the red carpet was lined with media, but it felt a little empty because of the lack of audience.

The van slowly came to a stop, the door opened, and Kwon Seonhyuk stepped out. He composed himself, flashed a perfect smile, and strode forward.

Reporters from both sides aimed their cameras and microphones at the artist who had recently been frequently in the spotlight.

Only now have the aftershocks gradually subsided, and no one is paying attention to the airport issue anymore; instead, the discussion has turned to airport management and even more so to the pandemic.

However, the sheer number of media reports and the unprecedented amount of online discussion at the time made it clear just how alluring Kwon Heonhyuk's popularity was.

It's so good that everyone wants to kiss her.

The continuous flashes of light momentarily blinded Kwon Hyun-hyuk, making it impossible for him to clearly see who was standing in front of him. However, he maintained his composure and composure perfectly.

He strode to the backdrop, stood tall and straight like a pine tree, and waved to the large number of cameras in front of him with a brisk and efficient gesture.

While his numerous high-end endorsements certainly reflect the success of one project after another, the quality of those endorsements cannot be explained solely by his popularity.

Although it's hard to explain, temperament is indeed an important, albeit intangible, factor.

"This is our newcomer award winner from last year, Kwon Seonhyuk. He's a rising star who won the award for his outstanding performance in 'Innocence,' wow... he's so handsome!"

"Wave to the left and right."

The female host, who was acting as a background voice, was somewhat exaggerated. Under her introduction and instructions on how to leave, Kwon Heon-hyuk left the red carpet and officially entered the venue.

There were quite a few people attending today, but Quan Xuanhe didn't recognize many of them; he didn't see many familiar faces after entering.

He first greeted Xu Junhao, a veteran actor he had worked with before, and then strolled around the venue.

"Senior Xuanhe..."

Quan Xuanhe was holding a wine glass and looking around when he heard someone call his name. He turned his head and saw a young girl standing in front of him.

She has a pretty and delicate face, a very slim figure, and is so beautiful that she doesn't look like an actress, but more like an idol.

"Hello."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk smiled and greeted her.

Lu Zhengyi looked up at Quan Xuanhe with a bright smile and introduced himself: "Hello, senior, I am Lu Zhengyi."

Strictly speaking, Lu Zhengyi debuted as a child star, as early as 2011, but he is a post-2000s generation, born in 2001. Fortunately, he is popular and older than her, so he can be considered a senior.

"I'm Kwon Heon-hyuk. I watched your movie and thought your performance was very good. I hope you can win an award tonight."

Lu Zhengyi was nominated for Best New Actress for her role in the film "The Day I Die".

In the public eye, Lu Zhengyi is probably more famous for her experience as an MC on music shows, as a new example of successful plastic surgery, and for her appearance in "18 Again".

"Thank you, senior."

Lu Zhengyi immediately broke into a bright smile, his smile wide and warm.

She wanted to get to know Quan Xuanhe. As for the reason, what reason is needed to get to know Quan Xuanhe?

"Oppa, can we switch Kakao?"

"can."

Quan Xuanhe looked at Lu Zhengyi, blinked, then smiled and nodded, taking out his phone to exchange contact information with her.

Lu Zhengyi was about to talk to him when another girl interrupted her. She slowly turned her head and looked at her with a slightly surprised expression.

“Xuanhe.”

It was Lee Yoo-mi, the young actress he had worked with before on Squid Game. She stepped in and slowly walked over to greet Kwon So-hyuk.

Li Yumei was born in 1994, three years older than Quan Xuanhe. She looked quite young, and after walking over, she glanced at Lu Zhengyi.

"Ani Asaiyo."

When Lu Zhengyi saw Li Yumei, who was also nominated for Best New Actress, he politely greeted her.

"When did you come here?"

Li Yumei and Quan Xuanhe weren't very familiar with each other, but at least they were better off than Lu Zhengyi, who was a complete stranger, so they had something to talk about. "I just came in not long ago."

Quan Xuanhe looked at the two people standing in front of him, both dressed in exquisite formal wear. Under the lights, they looked even more beautiful than usual, and were exquisite from head to toe.

A space for three people is always crowded, especially since Lu Zhengyi felt constrained and couldn't get a word in edgewise in a two-person home, so he simply said goodbye and left first.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk wasn't in the mood to chat with Lee Yoo-mi any longer, and instead went to greet and chat with other people.

Both girls wanted to get to know him better, but in reality, Kwon Heonhyuk wasn't really interested in interacting with them.

"Kwang Soo hyung."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk spotted Lee Kwang-soo, who stood out in the crowd, at a glance. Lee was tall but slightly hunched over, craning his neck to talk to people. After hearing his shout, Lee turned his head in confusion, and then smiled when he saw him.

"Xuanhe."

"Brother, I feel much better."

Lee Kwang-soo left Running Man in the middle of the year, but was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the end of the year for his role in "The Collapse," so his career is still going very well.

"Only those with a promising future leave Running Man; those without a future stay in Running Man." This describes a certain alcoholic actress, Song Hye-kyo.

"Hey, what are you saying?"

Lee Kwang-soo patted him with a warm smile. The two were about the same height, but Kwon Heon-hyuk was slightly shorter than him.

Unless you're as tall as Lee Kwang-soo, being between 1.8 and 1.9 meters tall doesn't really affect your acting career. In the Korean entertainment industry, there are so many tall actors; they're all competing to be the tallest, not the shortest.

"Xuanhe was an award presenter this year, and he dressed so much more handsomely than everyone else."

Lee Kwang-soo's image and style were shaped by Running Man, and he is quite likable in the eyes of others, so everyone is willing to make a joke about him.

"Have it?"

Quan Xuanhe asked the question knowingly, then shook his head with a smile as if he didn't know.

After exchanging pleasantries backstage, and with the atmosphere growing increasingly lively, it was finally time for the official lottery draw.

The 2021 Blue Dragon Film Awards ceremony officially began, marking the start of South Korea's most prestigious film awards ceremony amidst much anticipation.

The opening ceremony goes without saying. During the rather lengthy process, listen to the host's voice at the front of the stage, and you'll be ready to enter!
"Next, the Best New Actor award will be announced. Next, please welcome last year's winner, Kwon Seon-hyuk, to announce this year's Best Actor."

As soon as he finished speaking, accompanied by grand entrance music and changing lights, and a wave of applause that gradually rose, Quan Xuanhe strode into the room.

The spotlight shone brightly, and countless eyes below the stage were fixed on him, on this rapidly rising young actor, a promising representative of the next generation of actors in Chungmuro.

"Hello everyone, I'm Quan Xuanhe..."

Facing numerous gazes, Kwon Hyun-hyuk calmly delivered his opening remarks, his voice echoing throughout the venue, while the nominated actors below the stage were filled with nervousness.

Among the nominees for Best Newcomer, the oldest is even a member of the post-70s generation.

Afterwards, Kwon Heonhyuk announced the winner of the Best Newcomer award and stepped aside to quietly observe the development of the project.

There was thunderous applause.

This year, the Blue Dragon Film Awards invited several female dancers from the hit variety show "Street Fighter" to perform during the intermission, followed by a performance of several songs by Oh My Girl.

The actors in the audience were very supportive, clapping enthusiastically with polite smiles on their faces.

After the lesson learned from the cold shoulder last time, the actors never watched the performance with a cold expression again.

After the awards ceremony, Kwon Heonhyuk left the stage without lingering and immediately left the Blue Dragon Awards venue in his van, heading to his next destination.

The van started from the venue and then left for its next destination.

...

As Liu Zhimin watched Quan Xuanhe walk onto the stage, her gaze became focused, her eyes reflecting his face. Even her breathing became lighter as she carefully observed his entrance and speech.

It doesn't matter how much time it takes, and besides, Liu Zhimin has been paying attention to him all along; these are just minor details that are not worth mentioning.

She stared intently for a while, breathing softly, unconsciously biting her lip and playing with her fingers.

"Jimin-unnie?"

Ning Yizhuo called her name, which brought her back to her senses. He turned his gaze to her, tilted his phone down to cover the screen, took off his earphones by pulling the headphone cord, and raised his eyebrows.

"mo?"

Ning Yizhuo rested her hands on her knees, bent over, and looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Let's go to the conference room."

She noticed that Liu Zhimin seemed to have forgotten the time and was not paying attention to the important matter at hand, so she spoke up to remind Liu Zhimin, who was lost in thought.

Liu Zhimin suddenly snapped out of her daze, hurriedly stood up, stuffed the wired earphones haphazardly into her bag, and put her phone in her pocket as well.

"Let's go!"

That's enough to see; there's no need to look at more.

She looked up at the practice room and found that there were hardly any people left, only herself and Ning Yizhuo; the other members were gone.

"Where are the two of them?"

"The two of them left first and have already arrived at the practice room."

Ning Yizhuo glanced at Liu Zhimin and reminded her.

"That's it."

Liu Zhimin nodded, recalling Jin Dongtian's rude manner towards her, which meant they must have been secretly at odds again.

Liu Zhimin and Ning Yizhu left the practice room together and walked slowly towards the conference room. They entered the conference room and saw Jin Dongtian and Gisele sitting inside.

Liu Zhimin glanced at Jin Dongtian, said nothing, and sat down directly opposite Quan Xuanhe.

Jin Dongtian noticed her action and secretly curled his lip, expressing his disdain.

The agents were also there. After everyone was there, they sat and waited for a while. Jin Dongtian seemed unable to contain himself and got up and went out.

Liu Zhimin watched her retreating figure without saying anything, simply watching her walk away.

But what happened next made her completely resent Jin Dongtian.

(End of this chapter)