Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 421 Unexpected Interlude
At 8 p.m., the 26th Golden Eagle Awards ceremony began on time.

The lights on the dome of the venue suddenly went out, leaving only the scattered glow sticks in the audience seats, which gathered into a silent, surging golden sea.

Liu Shishi, this year's Golden Eagle Goddess, was the first to take the stage and kick off the evening's gala.

Since Liu Yifei, the first Golden Eagle Goddess in 2006, through Li Xiaolu and Wang Luodan, to Liu Shishi today, the Golden Eagle Goddess has become a symbolic icon of the Golden Eagle TV Art Festival.

Hunan TV attracts public attention by using "celebrity" titles, injecting entertainment vitality and buzz into professional award events.

With the advent of the internet traffic era, Hunan TV, which is well aware of the psychology of fans, simply decided to determine the title of Golden Eagle Award this year by having the audience vote directly. By using the gimmick of the Golden Eagle Goddess, they inspired fans to vote for their idols.

Fans also hope to "fight back" for their idols by supporting them in their quest for this title, thereby generating large-scale interaction and discussion.

It has to be said that Hunan TV made a brilliant move; the selection process for the Golden Eagle Goddess was itself a highly popular marketing campaign.

Fan votes, controversies, and media coverage brought Hunan TV and the actors involved massive amounts of free exposure.

As a local television station, Hunan TV enhanced the entertainment value of the Golden Eagle Festival and significantly increased audience engagement through the innovative format of the Golden Eagle Goddess.

A clear, long metallic clang broke the silence.

Immediately afterwards, a spotlight as cold as moonlight suddenly pierced the darkness above the stage, precisely locking onto the figure suspended in mid-air.

Liu Shishi arrived riding an eagle, soaring above the starry sky, making a stunning entrance.

Gasps and screams erupted from the audience, and the screams of fans filled the entire venue.

A massive golden eagle, its wings outstretched in iridescent light, slowly descended from the stage dome.

Standing atop the broad back of the golden eagle is none other than Liu Shishi, the Golden Eagle Goddess who will be crowned tonight.

Fourteen meters in the air, Liu Shishi's figure appeared small yet incredibly striking, with her golden eagle mount beneath her and the vast starry sky before her, creating an exquisite scene.

The golden eagle was not stationary; it glided and hovered smoothly along a pre-set track, its huge wings flapping slowly.

The female stars in the audience stared intently at Liu Shishi's dazzling goddess gown and couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

Liu Shishi's goddess gown was made entirely of dazzling bright gold satin, flowing with a warm yet fiery luster like molten gold.

Exquisite gold thread embroidery cascades down from the shoulders and neck, with the edges inlaid with countless fine crystals and diamonds like stardust, refracting a dazzling halo of seven colors.

An exquisitely crafted golden crown held up the eldest sister's jet-black hair, with cascading golden tassels swaying gracefully on her smooth forehead and neck, adding an air of inviolable sanctity and majesty.

Exclamations of admiration rose and fell, and everyone was captivated by this ultimate visual feast.

Among the stars, Yang Mi stared intently at Liu Shishi in the air above the stage, feeling both shocked and envious.

At this moment, only one thought fills my mind: The goddess's battle robe is so beautiful, I want it! I'm the next Golden Eagle Goddess!

Suddenly, as if sensing something, Yang Mi looked up and met Tang Yan's gaze. Both of them saw a fierce fighting spirit in each other's eyes, regarding each other as their only rivals for the Golden Eagle Goddess title two years from now.

Zhao Liying happened to see Yang Mi and Tang Yan's silent rivalry, and a burning flame ignited in her heart. She secretly thought that two years later, she might be able to compete with them!
Standing 14 meters in the air, an ordinary person would probably feel their legs go weak and their heart pound with fear.

But Liu Shishi, with her years of dance experience, remained as steady as a mountain with her extraordinary sense of balance and core strength!

Standing atop the Golden Eagle Awards, the top female host, in her dazzling gown, with her graceful figure and breathtaking beauty, has etched this moment into an eternal classic image of Chinese television award ceremonies.

After Liu Shishi left the stage, the award ceremony hosts He Jiong and Sa Beining took over.

One is a top host from Hunan TV, and the other is a pillar of CCTV; they are truly a perfect match, a clash of equals. Their witty remarks and quick wit enlivened the atmosphere.

As awards such as Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, and Best Director were announced one by one, the star performances interspersed throughout the evening further increased the show's popularity.

At this moment, Liu Shishi, having changed her clothes, returned to the venue from backstage.

After removing her Golden Eagle Goddess gown, she changed into a simple black sleeveless jumpsuit, exuding elegance and showcasing her unique charm in front of the camera.

Liu Shishi sat down in the first row and asked her master, Li Xuejian, who was sitting next to her, "Master, what stage are we at?"

"We'll announce the Best TV Series award soon," Li Xuejian said confidently. "There's no doubt this award will go to '1921'."

The top female star knew perfectly well that this drama was a special production made last year to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Even though the Golden Eagle Awards have always focused on audience preferences, principles must be taken into account in special circumstances.

Sure enough, the presenter announced loudly on stage: "The winner of the 26th Golden Eagle Award for Best Television Series is '1921'! Congratulations!"

The director and main crew members excitedly went on stage to accept the award and give their acceptance speeches.

After the Best Television Series award was decided, tonight's awards ceremony will reach its climax with the Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor and Best Actress to be announced.

Watching the performance clips of the Best Actor and Best Actress nominees playing on the electronic screen, Li Xuejian turned to her disciple and introduced them:

"Since Hunan TV took over the Golden Eagle Awards, it has completely changed the original award system, and its authority is not as good as before."

The Golden Eagle Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress began in 1983, and were then officially called the "Popular Outstanding Actor and Actress Awards," with only one winner selected each year.

In 1997, the Golden Eagle Awards were sponsored by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Television Association, and were upgraded to a national-level award. The Best Actor and Best Actress awards were briefly renamed "Best Actor and Best Actress".

In 2000, the Golden Eagle Awards were taken over by Hunan Optoelectronics and upgraded to the "Golden Eagle TV Art Festival," with increasingly complex award categories.

After a brief pause, his tone became somewhat helpless: "Now the Best Actor and Best Actress awards have been changed to 'Audience's Favorite Actor and Actress,' which is commonly known as the Golden Cup, and 2 to 5 people are selected each year."

However, Hunan TV has created a separate "Golden Eagle Awards for Most Popular Actor and Actress," which is essentially a crystal trophy, deliberately confusing the concepts and is utterly ridiculous.

Listening to her master's感慨 (sentiments/reflections), Liu Shishi nodded gently.

Strictly speaking, the Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor and Best Actress is only complete when both the Golden Cup and the Crystal Cup are combined.

However, the organizers often come up with unconventional methods, not awarding the two prizes to the same person every time, and claiming it is the result of audience voting.

There are 25 nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress this year, from which 4 will be selected.

There are four male and four female winners of the Golden Cup, for a total of eight. If the Crystal Cup is not selected from these eight people, theoretically, the 26th Golden Eagle Awards will produce four Best Actor and Best Actress winners.

With this kind of operation, the Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor and Best Actress naturally cannot compare with the Feitian Award and the Magnolia Award. After the award presenters took the stage, they announced the first group of Golden Cup winners: Wen Zhang for "Snow Leopard" and Song Jia for "Cliff".

After embracing Ma Yili, Wen Zhang excitedly jumped onto the stage. His career has been booming in the past two years, surpassing his male peers, and now winning the Golden Eagle Award for Best Actor is like adding wings to a tiger.

Song Jia was also overjoyed. She had just won the Magnolia Award for Best Actress in June of this year, and with the Golden Cup in hand, she was already a double winner of the Best Actress award.

If she wins the Feitian Award next year, she will achieve a grand slam of Best Actress awards. Compared to the Golden Eagle Award, which focuses on popularity, and the Magnolia Award, which emphasizes artistry, the Feitian Award prefers works with a patriotic theme.

"Cliff" is a rare gem in the spy genre, making it highly competitive, and winning the Feitian Award for Best Actress is not out of the question.

Following that, the second pair of Golden Cup winners were announced: Chen Shu, author of "Iron Pear Blossom," and Lin Yongjian, author of "My Name is Wang Tudi."

Offstage, Li Xuejian noticed Liu Shishi's nervousness and gently comforted her, "Girl, don't panic, there are still two more groups. Even if you don't win the gold cup this time, you still have 'Silent Shorthand' as a backup!"
Haven't you noticed? Song Jia and Chen Shu both won the Magnolia Award and the Golden Eagle Award for a single drama. "Silent Notes" has the same potential.

This statement is not unfounded; mainstream dramas that achieve outstanding ratings are always highly favored by the three major television awards.

"Silent Notes" is produced by the team of Hou Hongsheng and Kong Sheng, who have consistently produced excellent works. With the leading lady's ability to carry a drama and Tengda Group's strong promotional capabilities, the ratings are sure to be impressive, and the chances of winning major awards are extremely high.

Liu Shishi appeared calm on the surface, but her clenched fists betrayed the turmoil in her heart. If there was only one winner for the Golden Eagle Award for Best Actress, and the outcome depended entirely on fate, she was quite at ease.

However, this time the Golden Cup is a 25-to-4 selection, which also includes the audience vote, which has a very high weight. If it is not selected even so, it is really a bit unreasonable.

The leader was in a state of confusion, while the winners of the third group of gold cups had already been announced on stage.

The award presenter enthusiastically announced: "...The winners of the Audience's Favorite TV Drama Actor and Actress awards are Wu Xiubo from 'Before Dawn' and Ma Su from 'Factory Flower'! Congratulations to both of you."

Sabinen's humor and He Jiong's composure complement each other perfectly.

Although it was the first time the two had co-hosted a program, they worked together seamlessly.

After whetting the audience's appetite with their back-and-forth banter, the audience eagerly announced: "Please welcome our award presenters, the renowned artist Mr. Jiao Huang and the young writer Jiang Fangzhou."

Jiao Huang, with his white hair but still full of energy, slowly walked to the center of the stage with Jiang Fangzhou's help, each holding a small handheld computer.

After a few brief warm-up remarks, they prepared to announce the final winners of the Best Actor and Best Actress awards into the microphone.

Jiao Huang waited for a long time, but the list of winners still didn't appear on his computer. Looking at the black screen, he couldn't help but get anxious: "Why hasn't it shown up yet? There's nothing on mine!"

Clearly, the equipment was malfunctioning. He Jiong immediately turned to the other presenter: "Fang Zhou, do you have it on your computer?"

Jiang Fangzhou shook her head repeatedly: "I only have a list of male actors, not female actors!"

Faced with this unexpected incident at such an important occasion, Sa Beining quickly tried to ease the awkwardness: "I'm so sorry, Professor Jiao, has your PDA crashed? Is the screen black?"

Seeing that Jiao Huang was at a loss, he half-jokingly said, "Why don't you just say one!"

"Hey, how could you do this!" He Jiong hurriedly stopped him.

As a top host on Hunan TV, he realized that the accident had caught everyone off guard when he saw that no staff had come up to handle the situation for a long time.

In order to ensure the smooth running of the awards ceremony and prevent Hunan TV from becoming a laughing stock in front of the national audience, he had to take action.

Offstage, Liu Shishi also showed a rare look of anxiety.

There was only one Golden Cup award left, but at the crucial moment of the awards ceremony, an equipment malfunction occurred, preventing the display of the last Best Actress award, which was truly frustrating.

Seeing that no one was going up to handle the incident, Jiao Huang was displeased: "There's no list. Who is it?!"

At this moment, He Jiong quickly walked to the center of the stage.

Seeing this, Sabine asked, "He Jiong, are you sure you can solve this technical problem?"

“Of course! Because in addition to having the most advanced technology, we also have the most primitive methods.” He Jiong calmly demonstrated his top-notch control over the situation.

He approached Shohoku, handed him his card, and carefully pointed out the location of the name to the veteran artist: "Teacher, here you go!"

He Jiong's quick thinking and perfect handling of the situation drew enthusiastic applause from the audience, proving that his reputation as the top male host of Hunan TV is well-deserved.

Holding the paper cards, Jiao Huang regained his composure and announced loudly: "The last group of TV drama actors and actresses to win the audience's favorite award are He Shengming from 'Palace 2' and Liu Shishi from 'Scarlet Heart'!"

Liu Shishi was overjoyed, a smile as gentle as a spring breeze spreading across her face. She walked gracefully towards the stage, exuding a calm yet captivating aura, perfectly embodying elegance.

With a radiant smile, the leading lady excitedly accepted the golden trophy symbolizing her Golden Eagle Award for Best Actress from Jiang Fangzhou's hands.

This is the first major award she has won in nearly eight years since her debut. She is now basking in the flowers and applause, beaming with joy.

Just as Liu Shishi was preparing her acceptance speech, the award presenter Jiang Fangzhou suddenly asked, "Teacher Shishi, I especially like 'Scarlet Heart'."

I've watched it several times, but there's a part of the plot I still don't understand. There are various opinions online, so I'm taking this opportunity to ask you in person.

Liu Shishi was taken aback, then smiled and replied, "What's the problem?"

The host on stage and the audience below also showed curiosity, wanting to know what the award presenter was going to ask.

"Teacher Shishi, Ruoxi has always been involved with the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince, and even has dealings with many other princes, but who does she really love?"
Even up to the very end, when Ruoxi's soul returned to the modern world, I still couldn't figure out who she loved.

The online debate between the "Fourth Prince" and "Eighth Prince" factions has raged for a year without a resolution. Therefore, we'd like to hear your answer, as someone directly involved.

The unexpected little incident made the atmosphere of the party even more lively, and Sabinin chimed in at the right time:

"This is a very interesting question, and I am especially looking forward to Mr. Liu's answer, to give fans and netizens a definite answer."

Liu Shishi smiled and said, "You're right that you didn't see who Ruoxi loved, because she loved neither the Fourth Prince nor the Eighth Prince!"

"Huh?" Jiang Fangzhou's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting such an answer.

"Surprised?" Liu Shishi winked playfully and explained mischievously, "Although Zhang Xiao's soul traveled back to the Qing Dynasty and lived there for many years, she still has people she can't let go of in modern society!"

(End of this chapter)