The entertainment empire began with Liu Yifei's premarital pregnancy.

Yang Mi, dressed in a pink Chanel haute couture gown, walked proudly down the red carpet, arm in arm with Lin Bufan.

Compared to before the Golden Globes, Lin Bufan's "Manchester by the Sea" has gained considerable fame, and along with Li An's "Brokeback Mountain" and Paul Haggis' "Crash," it is considered a top contender for this year's Oscars.

Reporters lining both sides of the red carpet kept their cameras flashing non-stop.

Lin Bufan didn't care about these things. He was a director, working behind the scenes, and didn't need this kind of exposure at all.

However, Yang Mi and Casey Affleck really needed this kind of exposure, and they waved to the reporters on both sides from time to time as they walked on the red carpet.

Almost all the reporters were taking pictures of Casey Affleck, who is also a Golden Globe-winning actor.

Lucas Hedges is also a Golden Globe winner for Best Supporting Actor, and Michelle Williams is also a Western face. There are only two Asian faces, Lin Bufan and Yang Mi, and they are not particularly famous.

Lin Bufan is a director, working behind the scenes, and he only appeared at the Golden Globe Awards, so he wasn't remembered by these Western media outlets.

Even the longest red carpet eventually comes to an end.

After entering the Kodak Theatre, we were guided by the organizers to our seats for "Manchester by the Sea".

"Hello Director Lin, it's nice to see you again."

As soon as Lin Bufan sat down, a somewhat familiar female voice came from the side.

Turning my head, I saw Zhang Ziyi, whom I had met once before at the Golden Globe Awards.

"Hello, Ms. Zhang!"

Lin Bufan nodded politely to Zhang Ziyi.

The woman before us has a bad reputation in later generations; she is known as an international slut.

Undeniably, the other person's acting skills were indeed quite good, but their appearance was really not within Lin Bufan's aesthetic range.

"Will you have time after the dinner?"

After chatting for a while, Zhang Ziyi extended an invitation to Lin Bufan.

For Zhang Ziyi, she was willing to do anything to help her rise to the top, as long as she could gain a foothold in Hollywood.

Clearly, in her view, Lin Bufan was such a director.

Therefore, she was willing to have a friendly match with Lin Bufan before he rose to prominence.

"Excuse me, Ms. Zhang, I have an appointment."

Lin Bufan shook his head and refused.

Zhang Ziyi glanced deeply at Yang Mi beside Lin Bufan, then apologized to Lin Bufan and took her leave.

She didn't expect to fail.

She had noticed Yang Mi's existence from the beginning, but she hadn't paid any attention to her.

Who is she?

She is a top-tier actress in China today, an international star.

The other party is Yang Mi, who only became a second-tier actress with one movie, "Love is Not Blind". What qualifications does she have to compare with me?

In fact, given her pride, she didn't even glance at Yang Mi just now.

……

"That's Zhang Ziyi, an international star, and you just rejected her like that?"

Yang Mi, who was standing next to Lin Bufan, looked at him with some surprise.

Based on her understanding of Lin Bufan, this scoundrel rarely lets any beautiful woman go.

That was Zhang Ziyi, an international star. Not only is she beautiful, but her fame and status are also top-notch in China. She's exactly his type.

"You're my date. If I agree to her request, where will that leave you?"

Lin Bufan glanced at Yang Mi indifferently.

"Hmph, at least you know how to talk."

Yang Mi gave a haughty hum.

She knew in her heart that this was definitely not the reason, but it didn't matter. As long as Lin Bufan said it, she was willing to believe it, and she liked to hear it.

After a brief opening speech, the 78th Academy Awards officially began its awards ceremony.

The first awards given out were all minor, peripheral ones.

On stage, host Jon Stewart glanced at his cue cards, smiled, and looked at the audience: "I announce that the nominees for Best Visual Effects are *The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe*, *King Kong*, *The War of the Worlds*, and more..."

As the host finished speaking, clips from the three films began playing on the big screen.

"Next, let's welcome our presenter for the Best Visual Effects award, Ben Stiller."

Not many people might recognize the name, but Lin Bufan recognized him the moment he saw him.

This Ben Stiller is none other than the male lead of the original "Night at the Museum," only now he's been replaced by Lin Bufan.

"I declare that the best visual effects are achieved by... King Kong."

Ben Stiller stood on the stage with a bright smile on his face, completely unaware that the movie "Night at the Museum," which should have starred him, had slipped through his fingers.

"Let's congratulate King Kong..."

Following the Best Visual Effects award, the Best Makeup award was presented by Steve Carell and Will Ferrell.

Lin Bufan wasn't very familiar with these two people.

Ultimately, the Best Makeup award went to "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe".

Next up was the Best Costume Design award, presented by Jennifer Aniston. You might not recognize the name, but she's the lead actress from Friends.

In Hollywood, she's considered a top-tier second-tier actress.

The films nominated for Best Costume Design are "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Memoirs of a Geisha", "Mrs. Henderson's Gift", "Pride and Prejudice", and "Walk the Line".

Ultimately, the award was won by "Memoirs of a Geisha".

"Next, I announce the films nominated for Best Sound Mixing: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, King Kong, Memoirs of a Geisha, Walk with the Song, and War of the Worlds."

Also among the five films nominated was "Memoirs of a Geisha".

"Let us welcome the presenters for the Best Sound Effects award, Ms. Jessica Alba and Mr. Eric Bana."

As host Jon Stewart's voice faded, Jessica Alba and Eric Bana walked from backstage to the front of the stage.

The moment Lin Bufan saw Jessica Alba, his eyes lit up instantly.

Jessica Alba was born in 1981 and is only 25 years old this year. Most importantly, she perfectly fits Lin Bufan's aesthetic.

"Carter!"

Lin Bufan turned to Carter beside him and said, "When we get back, please contact them for me."

As he spoke, he gestured to Jessica Alba on the stage.

"Understood, Boss!"

Carter nodded knowingly.

"Don't overthink it, I just think she's more suitable for the lead role in 'Night at the Museum'."

Lin Bufan coughed lightly and glanced at Carter.