Huayu: I was immediately ensnared by Jing Tian as soon as I entered the industry.

The most exciting moment has arrived.

Film crews that received calls about unspoken rules immediately perked up, shifted into more comfortable positions, and focused on the big screen on the awards stage.

Because your name might be called at any time.

Wang Xuan is no exception.

Lu Yang's heavy breathing beside him betrayed his tension.

The first award presented was the Best European Film award, reserved for domestic films, which was won by a Danish director.

When it came time for the Alfred Bauer Silver Bear, Wang Xuan unconsciously clenched his fist; his film "Hero" had won the award that year.

Awarded by Lake Tahoe.

Now, Wang Xuan was excited.

Apart from the Best Music award, all the other awards were major prizes.

It's impossible to give the music award to "Buried," since the film doesn't have any particularly exciting soundtrack.

Obtained from the movie "There Will Be Blood".

At this point, Wang Xuan's tense body completely relaxed. The subsequent awards were all major prizes for him, making the trip worthwhile.

Lu Yang, on the other hand, kept rubbing his hands together, his eyes gleaming. Having come this far, who wouldn't want to take it a step further?

The winner of the Best Screenplay award is: [Left and Right], Wang Xiaoshuai. Congratulations!

Upon hearing this voice, Wang Xuan breathed a long sigh of relief. Given the novel plot of "Buried Alive," it was the most likely film to win the award.

He stood up, clapped, and smiled as he congratulated his compatriot on winning the award.

"I doubt anyone could have imagined we'd get this far."

Lu Yang nudged Wang Xuan with his elbow and said excitedly.

Hearing this, Wang Xuan smiled and nodded. When he signed up, no one was optimistic about his chances. Who would have thought that the grand prize was now within reach!

On the awards stage, a new member of the judging panel appeared, and without any unnecessary words, directly revealed the answer.

"The Silver Bear for Best Actress goes to Sally Hawkins for 'Carefree,' congratulations."

Next, Wang Xuan got nervous, as he was one of the most popular actors in the Best Actor competition.

【Buried Alive】is amazing. It subverts the imagination of many traditional directors, especially the male lead played by Wang Xuan. The feeling of suffocation and near death is something he achieves by damaging his body time and time again.

"They're here."

Lu Yang whispered a reminder.

On the awards stage, the judges were replaced by Hong Kong actress Shu Qi.

The "Sparrow" crew didn't receive an invitation, while the "Left Right" crew had already won two awards. Now that the judges were from Asia, they considered a certain possibility.

Wang Xuan stared wide-eyed at the stage, his breathing becoming rapid.

"The Silver Bear for Best Actor goes to Wang Xuan! [Buried]."

Shu Qi said again in Chinese: "Wang Xuan, congratulations."

At that moment, Wang Xuan seemed to be frozen in place, stunned in his seat, and experiencing auditory hallucinations.

"Haha, you're a movie star!"

Lu Yang rushed over and hugged Wang Xuan, patting his back excitedly.

"Congratulations to you, Lao Lu! You've also become a director who has produced a Best Actor."

Wang Xuan smiled and offered a compliment.

Having won Best Actor, his chances of winning Best Director (for an individual) and the Golden Bear and Jury Prize (for a film) are basically over.

"Haha~ Come on up to the stage and receive your award!"

"Um."

With a smile on her face, Wang Xuan walked lightly toward the award stage.

Many people were watching him, including La Peikang, Zhang Jiayi, Johnnie To, and Simon Yam in the distance...

Everyone else was smiling and clapping, but Wang Xiaoshuai's smile seemed forced.

The presenters were also explaining the reasons for the film's award.

"—Without any co-stars or outdoor scenes, relying solely on facial expressions, body language, and voice, he portrayed the despair and struggle of humanity when facing death..."

Wang Xuan walked onto the stage and accepted the Silver Bear trophy with both hands: "Thank you."

"Your performance won over all the judges."

Shu Qi said softly, "Give up the stage."

Wang Xuan held the trophy above his head; this was his first major award.

At that moment, he was filled with pride and moved closer to the podium.

"I am Wang Xuan, an actor from China. This is my first time in Berlin, and it has given me such a big surprise. Thank you to the jury for recognizing me..."

Here, I would like to thank my parents, my alma mater, the Beijing Film Academy, for their nurturing and guidance, and director Lu Yang… Finally, I would like to thank the Berlin Film Festival again for awarding me this prize. Thank you.

Thunderous applause erupted as Wang Xuan was led backstage by staff to have his name engraved on the trophy and to give a media interview.

As soon as he appeared, he was surrounded by domestic media, with microphones shoved to his mouth.

"Wang Xuan, you won Best Actor on your first visit. How do you feel right now?"

Wang Xuan replied with a smile, "It feels great. When this movie was submitted for approval, many people were skeptical and thought it was just a publicity stunt. Now we can prove them wrong."

"The film's content has sparked considerable controversy in China, with some arguing that you are exaggerating the dangers of the situation. What is your opinion on this?"

"What I want to say is, there's no need to envy other countries. Our country is developing rapidly. If you want it to become a certain way, then go and build it..."

"..."

At this time, in China.

A top-tier luxury residence in Beijing.

Jing Tian, ​​with her hair in a bun and a sleeping mask on her face, lay comfortably on the sofa, her long, shapely, and fair legs exposed to the air.

She was scrolling through online news about the Berlin Film Festival.

There are no domestic media outlets or websites broadcasting the news; people can only get real-time updates from platforms like Baidu Tieba or blogs.

Baidu Tieba is currently the leading Chinese internet platform, and this is a movie forum spontaneously created by movie fans.

The appearance of a single post instantly ignited the entire movie forum.

"The first Chinese actor to win the Berlin Film Festival's Best Actor award has been announced—Wang Xuan, the lead actor in 'Buried', has received the prize!"

At first, the forum members didn't quite believe it, thinking it was a prank post.

It wasn't until more and more posts about the award appeared that netizens believed that Wang Xuan, who was completely unknown, had won the Berlin Film Festival's Best Actor award.

When Jing Tian saw the post, she was completely stunned.

"He...he really did it!"

Remembering that she had lost the bet, she grabbed the fluffy plush toy next to her and punched it twice in frustration.

"Hmph, that stinky Wang Xuan, we lost to him."

Although she was cursing, the smile on her face betrayed her true feelings; she was happy for Wang Xuan's award.

Jing Tian looked out the floor-to-ceiling window at the brightly lit night view and murmured, "There must be a lot of people sending him messages. It's best not to disturb him now."

···

It took Wang Xuan more than half an hour to finish answering the reporter's questions; otherwise, he wouldn't be allowed to leave.

The awards ceremony had already ended, and Wang Xuan checked the winners of the Golden Bear Award, which was taken by the Elite Force.

If you win an award, you are expected to attend the official banquet.

Wang Xuan, thanks to his Best Actor award, has temporarily gained access to this high-society scene.

Of course, they talked about nothing but vulgar things.

For example, Harvey Weinstein, who is walking towards him, is a complete scoundrel.

"Congratulations, young Best Actor."

"Thanks."

Wang Xuan, not one to slap a smiling face, raised his glass.