Entertainment Industry: I am a top-tier movie star

Chapter 85 The Golden Rooster Awards Invitation

In late November 2015, a piece of news, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, created ripples in the entertainment industry and among movie fans.

The nominations for the 30th Golden Rooster Awards have been announced, with the film *Brotherhood of Blades* winning awards including Best Director.

It received multiple nominations, including Best Cinematography.

Chen Nianbei was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as "Jin Yichuan" in the film.

When the news came, Chen Nianbei had just finished another character communication meeting with the scriptwriting team of "Like a Flowing River" and was driving back to his apartment.

My phone was instantly bombarded with congratulatory messages from Lao Zhao and others.

"Nianbei! Golden Rooster Award! Best Supporting Actor nomination! Our film awards start with the Golden Rooster! That's fantastic!"

Old Zhao's voice trembled with excitement on the phone.

For an actor, especially a young actor, a Golden Rooster Award nomination is undoubtedly a very high level of professional recognition, and its significance is far greater than that of ordinary popularity awards.

Chen Nianbei tightened his grip on the steering wheel slightly, a subtle ripple stirring within him.

In his past life, he was very close to winning such a mainstream film award, but missed it for various reasons, which became a regret.

After his rebirth, starting with the gloomy and struggling imperial guard in "Brotherhood of Blades," he has taken one step at a time. This nomination is like the first solemn response to his return to his original aspiration as an actor and his solid progress.

"It's all thanks to Director Lu Yang and the entire crew."

He quickly calmed himself down and responded, "Cooperate with official publicity and be humble."

The announcement of the nominations sparked a heated discussion online.

"Jin Yichuan! My heart aches! Chen Nianbei's performance was superb! A nomination is an affirmation!"

"From TV dramas to movies, from TV awards to film awards, Chen Nianbei's leaps are incredibly smooth!"

"The competition for Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Rooster Awards is fierce, but Jin Yichuan definitely deserves it! That scene where the two brothers confront each other gave me goosebumps!"

"Actress Chen Nianbei, another achievement added! This is real value!"

"Being nominated is already a victory! This young Golden Rooster Award nominee has a bright future ahead of him!"

Congratulations poured in from industry colleagues, senior collaborators, and friends. Director Lu Yang called specifically, his voice filled with satisfaction: "Nianbei, good news! You've breathed life into the character Jin Yichuan; this nomination is well-deserved. Regardless of the final result, this is a beautiful step forward."

The main creators of "Brotherhood of Blades" also offered their congratulations.

Naza called almost immediately, her smile radiant, even happier than if she herself had won the award: "Nianbei! The Golden Rooster Award! That's fantastic! I knew you were the best! It's a pity I can't be there to cheer you on—"

His tone was full of pride and a hint of regret.

Dilraba also sent a long congratulatory message, overflowing with admiration and joy.

Yang Mi's WeChat message, as always, was shrewd and insightful: "A Golden Rooster nomination carries significant weight. Prepare well for the red carpet and your speech; it's another opportunity to elevate your status."

On the night of the awards ceremony, Xiamen was ablaze with stars.

Chen Nianbei wore a tailor-made dark blue velvet suit. The simple and elegant style accentuated his tall and straight figure, and his temperament was between the youthful handsomeness and the mature composure.

As he walked the red carpet, the sound of camera shutters in the media area suddenly intensified, and the cheers from the fans were exceptionally loud.

"Nianbei, look here!"

"Jin Yichuan! Prince Jing! Mingtai!"

"Go, Bei Ge!"

He walked with composure, signed autographs, and gave brief interviews. He spoke politely and was humble, but the confidence and determination of an actor in his eyes were clearly visible in the camera's lens.

Those nominated alongside him were all seasoned actors with extensive experience and superb acting skills.

Being there, Chen Nianbei felt the pressure, but also felt the inspiration to learn from his seniors.

The award ceremony, particularly the Best Supporting Actor award, garnered significant attention.

The large screen played clips of the nominees' roles in turn, and when the scene of Jin Yichuan's death appeared, there were faint whispers of admiration from the audience.

The presenter opened the envelope and read out the name: "The winner of the Best Supporting Actor award at the 30th Golden Rooster Awards is—Chen Nianbei from 'Brotherhood of Blades'!"

There was thunderous applause.

The camera instantly focused on his face. Chen Nianbei was momentarily dazed, as if the light and shadow of his past and present lives were intertwined before his eyes.

But he quickly stood up, embraced Lu Yang, who was standing up excitedly beside him, and his colleagues from the "Brotherhood of Blades" crew, then straightened his clothes and walked steadily toward the stage.

His acceptance speech was brief and sincere: "Thank you to the Golden Rooster Awards jury for their recognition, thank you to director Lu Yang for giving me the role of Jin Yichuan, thank you to the entire crew of 'Brotherhood of Blades,' and a special thank you to Yichuan's senior brother, Zhou Yiwei. Without your inspiration, there would be no complete Jin Yichuan."

This award belongs to everyone who contributed to this film. The road to filmmaking is long and arduous, but I will continue to strive to be an actor worthy of the audience and the roles I play. Thank you everyone.

Bow and step down from the stage.

Without excessive sentimentality, it felt exceptionally sincere and powerful.

That night, Chen Nianbei's name, along with the title of "Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Rooster Awards," truly exploded in the mainstream film and television industry and in the hearts of the general public.

Half of the top ten trending topics on Weibo are related to him: #ChenNianbeiBestSupportingActorAtGoldenRoosterAward#, #ChenNianbeiAcceptanceSpeech#, #JinYichuanDeservesIt#, #ActorChenNianbeiAchievements# — the topic's readership has exploded.

Media reports flooded the media: "One of the youngest Golden Rooster Award winners for Best Supporting Actor has been born!" "From television screens to film awards, Chen Nianbei has made a magnificent leap!" "A testament to his acting prowess! Chen Nianbei wins the Golden Rooster Award for Best Supporting Actor!"

Industry insiders commented: "This award is a milestone for him, but also a new starting point."

His planning and execution of his acting career are truly astonishing.

Fans went wild, with drama fans, movie fans, variety show fans, and fans of good looks—supporters of all kinds—gathering into a surging wave of celebration, making the supertopic feel like Chinese New Year.

Wang Churan, Liu Haochun, and Tian Xiwei barely slept all night, organizing the celebration, maintaining order, and releasing professionally edited photos and videos of the award-winning moment.

Praise, invitations, and adulation poured in from all directions like a tidal wave.

Chen Nianbei's phone and studio email were flooded with messages again.

His commercial value assessment jumped by another order of magnitude overnight among major Google executives and brands.

However, after receiving the award, Chen Nianbei did not stay in Xiamen for long, nor did she bask in the glory.

The afternoon after the awards ceremony, he quietly flew to a county town in Zhejiang Province, where the early preparations for "Like a Flowing River" were being conducted, a town that still retains the look of the 1980s.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis, the air here is filled with a slightly rustic atmosphere that subtly matches the historical background of the script.

The production team booked an entire old-style guesthouse for pre-production preparations and intensive training and rehearsals for the actors.

After checking in, Chen Nianbei did not rest. He immediately began to familiarize himself with the environment and arranged the books, clippings, and videotapes he had brought from the 1980s in the room, creating a temporary space that belonged exclusively to "Yang Xun".

The script reading was held in a simple but spacious conference room.

Around the long table, director Kong Sheng, producer Hou Hongliang, and other key members of the production team sat in the center, with the main actors seated on either side. Besides Chen Nianbei, there were also Wang Kai, who played Song Yunhui, Yang Shuo, who played Lei Dongbao, and actors playing important roles such as Song Yunping and Cheng Kaiyan. The atmosphere was serious and focused.

The reading session begins with understanding the historical context and the relationships between the characters.

When it came to studying the specific scenes, Chen Nianbei's preparations immediately showed results.

When he recited Yang Xun's lines, his accent had a deliberate yet natural Northern dialect flavor. His speech was sometimes urgent, sometimes revealing a cautious attempt to please, and sometimes exuding the shrewd calculation of a commoner.

He not only recited lines, but also conveyed Yang Xun's psychological state in different situations through subtle changes in tone, pauses, and even breathing.

When reading the passages about Yang Xun being bullied and enduring it in his early days, his voice was filled with humiliation and a suppressed fierceness;

When reading about seizing opportunities and maneuvering around in the middle of the story, one can sense a kind of alertness and excitement, like a hungry wolf hunting for prey.

What impressed everyone present even more was his additions to the character's motivations and details.

When the director mentioned why Yang Xun made a certain choice in a certain scene, Chen Nianbei was not only able to understand it in the context of the script, but also to draw inferences about the real policy environment or interpersonal relationships that similar self-employed individuals might have faced at the time, providing a richer and more credible underlying logic for the character's behavior.

Kong Sheng listened, his face beaming with satisfaction, and nodded slightly.

Hou Hongliang whispered to the screenwriter beside him, casting an approving glance at him.

During a break, Wang Kai joked to Chen Nianbei, "Nianbei, you've done your homework so thoroughly. It feels like you didn't just come to play Yang Xun, you practically 'dug' Yang Xun out of that era."

His tone was filled with admiration.

Yang Shuo, who plays Lei Dongbao, also came over and said in his distinctive gruff voice, "Brother Chen, you captured that accent and that energy perfectly! I won't hold back when we act together."

Chen Nianbei quickly expressed his anticipation with a humble attitude.

The reading session lasted for three whole days. Chen Nianbei was fully engaged throughout, not only pondering her own part but also carefully listening to the lines and interpretations of other characters.

Especially for his scenes with Song Yunhui and Lei Dongbao, he filled his notebook with thoughts on the relationships between the characters and potential sparks between them.

His professionalism, focus, and tremendous effort in the early stages earned him the initial respect and trust of the entire crew, especially his co-stars.

The initial doubts or hesitations that might have arisen due to his youth and the huge traffic brought by popular variety shows and hit dramas vanished in the face of his solid performance in the encore reading.

The opening ceremony was held on an open space in an old factory area with a distinct sense of history.

The red carpet, incense table, offerings, and camera were all covered with red cloth; the ceremony was simple yet solemn.

A lot of media came, with their cameras and microphones aimed at the main creative team.

Kong Sheng and Hou Hongliang led the cast in offering incense and prayers. When Chen Nianbei appeared in front of the media, it caused quite a stir.

He deliberately maintained a simple, "un-in-state" appearance, with his hair unstyled, wearing a simple dark down jacket, and a calm expression, which was completely different from his lively and energetic image in "Go Fighting!" and his radiant image at the press conference for "The Disguiser".

But the media's focus remained on him.

During the Q&A session, the reporters' questions clearly fell into two categories:

One category concerns the TV series "Like a Flowing River" and the challenge of playing the role of "Yang Xun";

Another category still revolves around his recently concluded and incredibly popular show, "Go Fighting!"

"Chen Nianbei, this is your first time playing a character with such a long time span and such a unique background. Do you feel a lot of pressure? What preparations did you make for Yang Xun?"

"Chen Nianbei, you're collaborating with Director Kong again, playing Yang Xun, a character vastly different from your previous roles. Did the director have any special requests for you?"

"Nianbei, after watching the first season of 'Go Fighting!', the audience really liked you. Have you considered participating again in the second season?"

"Your performance on variety shows showed everyone your very lively side, but the role of Yang Xun seems to require a more restrained approach. How do you adjust yourself to portray this?"

Chen Nianbei took the microphone and answered clearly and tactfully: "There is definitely pressure, but it is more of a driving force for creation. In terms of preparation, I mainly read a lot of materials, tried to understand the thoughts and feelings of ordinary people in that era, and looked for the logic behind Yang Xun's behavior."

Director Kong asked me to "ground myself" and forget all traces of my previous acting, and I will try my best to do so.

Regarding variety shows, he smiled and said, "Go Fighting! was a very valuable and enjoyable experience. I learned a lot from the older brothers."

But at this stage, all my energy is focused on "Like a Flowing River" and the character Yang Xun.

Variety shows and acting are two different things, and I will try my best to distinguish between them. On set, I am the actor Chen Nianbei, serving only the role.

His answer satisfied the media's questions about hot topics while clearly bringing the focus back to his current work. His sincere attitude earned him approving glances from the director and producer on set.

Although Chen Nianbei herself has devoted herself to the new film crew, the lingering influence of the first season of "Go Fighting!" continues to generate buzz.

The program continues to be rebroadcast on satellite TV and online platforms, maintaining high ratings and viewership.

Funny clips and highlight reels featuring Chen Nianbei from the "Men's Gang" have gone viral on major social media platforms. Search volume and discussion surrounding "Chen Nianbei's Extreme Challenge" have remained high even after he joined the cast.

This brought him continuous external attention, and the crew of "Like a Flowing River" received far more media exposure than typical period dramas from the very beginning of filming.

In the crew, some young staff members or actors would chat privately about the fun things that happened on "Go Fighting!" or joke with Chen Nianbei using jokes from the show.

Chen Nianbei always responded in a friendly manner, but would quickly steer the conversation back to the script or filming preparations, subtly maintaining the focused atmosphere needed for the crew's creative work.

In the evening, after a day of script discussions or physical training, Chen Nianbei returned to her room.

He would first review the briefing that Lao Zhao had compiled regarding the ongoing response to "Go Fighting!" and external invitations, so that he would have a clear understanding of the situation.

Then they would quickly switch modes, either continuing to study the script or watching documentaries from the 1980s and imitating the mannerisms and expressions of the characters.

On the phone screen, there may also be enthusiastic comments from fans of "Go Fighting!" or trending topics related to the show.

But Chen Nianbei's gaze had already pierced through these modern lights and shadows, firmly locking onto the figure of Yang Xun, a young self-employed individual who was riding a bicycle and struggling forward in the tide of the times.

The noise and glory of variety shows are properly incorporated as background noise.

This "great river" before him is the one he needs to fight with all his might and leap into right now.

The scent of incense from the opening ceremony still seemed to linger in Chen Nianbei's nostrils. He knew that a tough battle was just beginning.

This time, he not only wants to conquer the audience, but also to conquer the dust and brilliance of that era, and completely reinvent himself.