Peninsula: From a supporting actor to the best actor in Chungmuro

Chapter 89 Ambition on the Qinglong Awards Stage
The lights dimmed and the whole place fell silent.

The large screen in the center of the stage lit up, playing a montage of highlights from Korean films from the past year—"New World," "Snowpiercer," "The Face Reader," "Miracle in Cell No. 7," "Horror Live"...

The picture finally freezes on the line Huang Zhengmin said to Li Zicheng while lying on the hospital bed in "New World" -

"Brother, you look tired..."

"Welcome to the 34th Blue Dragon Film Awards!"

Kim Hye-soo walked onto the stage elegantly in a black and gold fishnet see-through dress, accompanied by Yoo Jun-sang, who was dressed in a well-tailored suit.

"Tonight, we will witness together the glorious moment for Korean filmmakers."

Kim Hye-soo briefly introduced the jury, and the camera panned over the audience, including director Ryu Seung-wan, actor Song Kang-ho, and others. Yoo Jun-sang provided sponsor information and then invited the first group of award presenters to appear.

"First, let me present the Best Male Newcomer award."

The nomination clips were played on the big screen——

Go Kyung-pyo "Horror Stories 2"

Seo Young-joo's "Mobius"

Yeo Jun-yeol in "Hwayi: The Child Who Devoured Monsters"

Lee Hyun Woo "Secretly Great"

Im Seulong's "26 Years"

"And the winner is—"

The award presenter opened the envelope and announced with a smile:
"Congratulations to Yeo Jin-yeol for 'Hwayi: The Child Who Eats Monsters'!"

The audience burst into applause.

Ryu Jun-yeol, who started out as a child star, is only 16 years old now.

What does it mean to win the Blue Dragon Best Male Newcomer award at the age of 16?
Jiang Zaixun looked at the young but calm Ryu Jun-yeol on the stage, and a complicated emotion arose in his heart.

The figure of this young man standing on the podium seemed to be silently reminding every actor present - in the Korean film industry, talent and opportunity are far more important than qualifications.

The applause gradually subsided and the award ceremony continued.

"Next up is the Best Selling Award!"

The best-selling movie is also the annual box office champion, and everyone knows which movie it is - it's obviously a share of the profits.

Following the host's announcement, Audi Korea's general manager and Girls' Generation member Kwon Yuri walked onto the stage together.

The middle-aged executive in a suit and tie spoke in fluent English:

"It's a great honor to present this award with one of the most popular K-pop stars, Yuri from Girls' Generation..."

(I was very happy to present the award with Yuri from Girls' Generation, the biggest K-pop star.)
Kwon Yuri maintained a perfect smile, but a hint of confusion flashed in her eyes - she didn't understand what the other person was saying at all.

It wasn't until the other party finished speaking and looked at her that he responded in Korean:
"Thank you very much... Actually, I understand a little bit..."

If she doesn't explain, no one will understand.

After all, Girls’ Generation’s expression management is impeccable.

But her explanation, which was intended to cover up the truth, immediately caused laughter from the whole audience.

Jiang Jae-hoon couldn't help but smile, thinking that this sister was so cute and naive.

The award ultimately went to "Miracle in Cell No. 7".

Then several technical awards were presented one after another - Best Cinematography, Best Art Design, Best Original Score...

This marks the end of the first half of the awards ceremony.

The guest performer group Miss A performed a halftime show.

The lights suddenly dimmed and a swirling mist of dry ice rose from the stage.

As the prelude drum beats sounded, four spotlights lit up at the same time, and the four people made a stunning appearance in silver sequined short skirts.

Bae Suzy stood in the center, her long legs dazzlingly white under the spotlight.

“‘Hush’—!”

The moment the music exploded, the four of them shook their heads in sync, and their uniform dance made the whole audience scream.

Bae Suzy's lead dance part was particularly eye-catching - she stroked her neck with one hand and swept her eyes seductively across the audience, which was completely different from the neighborly feeling when she greeted them in the corridor just now.

As the song entered the chorus, the four of them danced together, their skirts flashing as they twisted their hips.

Jiang Zaixun nodded subconsciously to the rhythm of the music.

Suddenly I noticed that several big names in the film industry were also swaying gently to the beat in the front row.

This discovery made him feel a little funny.

The performance ended with thunderous applause.

Miss A bowed and left the stage, and the lights came back on.

Host Kim Hye-soo returned to the stage and smiled as the second half of the awards ceremony began.

Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress...

until--

"Next, we will present the Best Actor award."

The whole place fell silent for a moment.

The popular candidates for this year's Best Actor are actually Sol Kyung-gu from "Hope" and Song Kang-ho from "The Face Reader".

Ha Jung-woo and Hwang Jung-min, the two mainstays, are still not as good as the "Three Ma's".

The nomination clips were played on the big screen.

Huang Zhengmin's classic shot in "New World" flashed by——

The tears and blood in the elevator drew applause from the entire audience.

"Please welcome the award presenters - Ahn Sung-ki and Kong Hyo-jin!"

Amid cheers and applause, the two walked onto the stage side by side.

"Senior, are you going to dismantle it or should I?"

Kong Hyo-jin shook the envelope playfully.

Ahn Sung-ki smiled and made a "please" gesture:

"Such an important moment should of course be handed over to the beautiful lady."

The big screen cuts out the real-time images of the five nominees at the right time——

Sol Kyung-gu sat upright, Song Kang-ho smiled, and Yoo Seung-ryong pursed his lips nervously.

The positions of Hwang Jung-min and Ha Jung-woo show their stills.

Both of them were unable to attend due to filming.

"nervous?"

Kong Hyo-jin looked at the candidates in the audience.

Sol Kyung-gu smiled helplessly and shook his head, while Song Kang-ho made a gesture of "announce it quickly", which caused a burst of laughter.

Kong Hyo-jin deliberately opened the envelope in slow motion, whetting the appetite:
"Wow, this result... is really surprising."

Ahn Sung-ki asked cooperatively:

"Oh? What do you say?"

"I thought it would be..."

She drew out her tone and glanced at the audience: "In short, this result will definitely satisfy everyone."

She made the atmosphere on the scene even more tense.

"The 34th Blue Dragon Film Awards, the Best Actor is——"

Kong Hyo-jin took a deep breath and suddenly raised her voice:
"'New World', Hwang Jung-min! Congratulations!!!"

"Wow--!!!"

The whole audience erupted in deafening cheers.

The moment Hwang Jung-min's name was called out.

Jiang Zaixun almost jumped out of his seat.

——Eight years.

This is the first time he has won the Blue Dragon Award for Best Actor title in eight years.

The applause lasted for a long time.

It was so long that Kang Jae-hoon didn't even hear what the narration said.

Until Kong Hyo-jin's voice sounded again——

"Please ask someone to come up on stage and receive the award."

Jiang Jae-hoon finally woke up from his dream.

When he stood up, he was so fast that his knee accidentally hit the front seat, which caused a few chuckles.

He ignored the embarrassment and walked quickly towards the stage.

The spotlight followed his figure, and countless eyes were instantly cast around him——

Surprised, inquiring, friendly, indifferent.

"Watch out for the steps."

I don't know who whispered the reminder, but it was too late.

The nervousness caused Kang Jae-hoon to stumble on the last step and almost fall on the stage.

This clumsy action caused laughter from the audience.

The light was so bright that he couldn't open his eyes.

When Ahn Sung-ki handed him the trophy, he subconsciously took it with both hands.

Shen.

It was much heavier than I expected. "Thank you...thank you, senior."

Kong Hyo-jin thoughtfully helped him adjust the microphone height:

"A little further."

Only then did Jiang Jae-hoon realize that he was standing too far back and quickly took half a step forward.

When he stood in front of the microphone.

The scene fell silent instantly.

Jiang Zaixun looked at the audience——

Hundreds of eyes were watching him, including countless film legends he had idolized since childhood.

"Hello everyone, I'm... I'm the new actor Kang Jae-hoon who plays Yoon Chan-young in 'The Heirs'."

The voice was trembling and stuttering.

It was my first time facing such a big scene, so it was inevitable to be nervous.

"I'm very honored to accept this award on behalf of my teacher Hwang Jung-min."

"call--"

Jiang Zaixun took a deep breath, suddenly turned his back to the audience, and shrugged his shoulders slightly.

There was silence.

Everyone thought the newcomer was so nervous that he was about to run away.

Three seconds later.

When he turned back again, his aura suddenly changed——

His shoulders sank slightly, his jaw was slightly retracted, and his eyes had a bit of the vicissitudes of life that was unique to Hwang Jung-min.

"first."

The moment he opened his mouth, the whole audience was in an uproar——

Several directors in the front row looked up at the same time.

Song Kanghao raised his eyebrows and looked at the big screen to confirm that the person standing on the stage was indeed the newcomer in the TV series.

"Thank you to all the seniors, peers, and juniors who nominated me. Please give them your warmest applause."

His voice has the unique graininess of Hwang Jung-min, and even his habit of pausing for breathing is exactly the same.

"Clap clap-"

Amidst the applause, Xue Jingqiu turned sideways and whispered to the director beside him:
"It's a pretty good imitation."

Director Lee Joon-ik responded with a smile, “I heard he even imitated you on a radio show.”

"Oh? When?"

"I even imitated that person's voice in Yoo In Na's 'Turn Up the Volume'."

He raised his chin towards Song Kanghao in the front seat.

"interesting."

Xue Jing looked at the stage with interest and found that Jiang Zaixun was continuing with Huang Zhengmin's signature smile:
"This award belongs to the entire New World staff, especially my Jung Jae— (shiba, automatically muted), Brother… Without your Li Zicheng, there would be no Ding Qing."

"Hahaha--"

The scene immediately erupted in laughter.

"There are so many people I want to thank along the way. Director Park Jung-hoon, Min-sik, CEO Lee, the staff..."

Jiang Jae-hoon on the stage has completely entered the state at this moment.

Even Huang Zhengmin's little head tilting movement was imitated to perfection:

"I also want to thank my father-in-law and mother-in-law for marrying me the best woman in the world, Ms. Kim Mi-hye..."

Done.

He suddenly stood up straight, cleared his throat, and his voice returned to its original clarity:
"All of the above was instructed by Mr. Hwang Jung-min in advance. I was just a diligent mouthpiece."

Jiang Zaixun bowed respectfully to the audience:
"If there is any offense, please forgive me, seniors."

"Clap clap-"

This sudden turn of events caused laughter and applause to break out again.

The lighting changes from the harshness of the stage to the softness of the backstage.

Jiang Jae-hoon finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

He stroked the Qinglong trophy, and suddenly an unprecedented desire surged in his heart.

——This is the highest honor in Korean films.

when……

Can I win a trophy myself?
The moment this thought came to his mind, he was stunned for a moment.

——Too arrogant.

But the burning sensation in my chest could not be suppressed.

An Shengji, who was walking in front, suddenly slowed down and looked sideways at him:

"Your name is... Jiang Zaixun?"

Jiang Zaixun was stunned. He didn't expect that this legendary senior in the Korean film industry would remember his name. Then he was flattered and bowed quickly.

"Yes! Senior An Shengji!"

"How much is your appearance fee?"

"what?"

Jiang Jae-hoon didn't react for a moment and thought he had misheard.

Ahn Sung-ki smiled and pointed to the trophy in his hand:
"I really want to hire such a professional 'lip replacement'."

Jiang Zaixun then realized that he was joking:

"Senior, you're joking... It's an honor for me to be able to imitate Mr. Hwang Jung-min."

"It's a very good imitation."

An Shengji nodded in approval:

"Even the pauses and intonations when he spoke were captured perfectly."

"Thank you for your compliment, Senior! Actually... I've been watching your movies since I was a kid. I've watched Silmido and Broken Arrow over a dozen times..."

An Shengji raised his eyebrows, seeming a little surprised:

"Oh? Which one do you like best?"

"Shimido!"

Jiang Zaixun answered without hesitation:

"I can still recite the last monologue of Lieutenant Cui, the character you played."

An Shengji smiled and patted his shoulder:

"Not bad, you have good taste."

Jiang Zaixun's eyes lit up, and he mustered up the courage to ask:

"Senior...can I take a photo with you?"

Ahn Sung-ki nodded readily:

"of course."

Kang Jae-hoon quickly handed the trophy to the staff member beside him, took out his mobile phone, and carefully approached Ahn Sung-ki.

"Click."

Photo freeze-frame——

Ahn Sung-ki was smiling, while Kang Jae-hoon was so nervous that his back was straightened, like a student meeting his homeroom teacher.

After the photoshoot, he turned to Kong Hyo Jin and asked a little embarrassedly:

"Kong Hyo-jin, could you please sign an autograph?"

Kong Hyo Jin smiled and nodded:

"Of course, but... where do I sign?"

Jiang Zaixun frantically searched his pockets, only to find that he didn't bring any paper or pen, and froze in embarrassment.

Kong Hyo-jin was amused by his reaction, and took out a lipstick and a tissue from her handbag and quickly wrote [To Jiang Jae-hoon: Looking forward to your work! - Kong Hyo-jin].

Jiang Zaixun took it with both hands, as if it were a treasure:

"Thank you, Senior! I especially loved your performance in 'Master's Sun'!"

Kong Hyo Jin raised her eyebrows:
"Oh? So what do you think of my chemistry with So Ji-sub?"

Jiang Zaixun froze:
"……very good."

"Be more specific?" She teased him deliberately.

Jiang Zaixun held it in for a long time before finally saying:
"Just... the kind that makes you want to fall in love."

Kong Hyo-jin and Ahn Sung-ki laughed out loud at the same time.

An Shengji looked at the time and said to Kong Xiaozhen:

"Let's go, we have an interview later."

Kong Hyo-jin nodded and waved to Jiang Jae-hoon:
"See you next time."

Jiang Zaixun bowed quickly:
"Senior, walk slowly!"

After watching the two seniors leave, Jiang Jae-hoon stood there, looking down at the autographed tissue in his hand and the photo on his mobile phone, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise.

(Ahn Sung-ki praised me...)
(Kong Hyo Jin also signed an autograph for me...)
He carefully folded the signature tissue and put it in the inside pocket of his suit. Then he remembered that he had to go back to see who won the grand prize.

(End of this chapter)