Chapter 554 Attitude (7,000 words updated!)

After a long flight, the plane carrying Lu Yanhe landed.

Looking out the porthole, Lu Yanhe saw a vast expanse of white.

Although the snow at the airport had been cleared, looking into the distance, one could still feel a sense of desolation from the deep gray and the cold white of the horizon.

Winters in the north are always like this.

A flurry of notification sounds filled the cabin, indicating that messages had been received.

As various notification sounds rang out simultaneously, Lu Yanhe realized that there were so many different types of mobile phone notification sounds in the world, and that they had become the most familiar sound forms in his life.

Lu Yanhe took a sip of water and waited for the plane to taxi slowly.

It didn't know its position in the queue, but judging from the speed, it would take quite a while before they could leave the cramped cabin.

At this moment, Chen Ziyan prompted him to look at his phone.

Lu Yanhe took out his phone.

Lots of news.

It expressed congratulations, offered comfort, and expressed indignation—all of these.

Lu Yanhe ignored them for the time being and looked at the message sent by Chen Ziyan.

It was a news report that D19 Films announced it would be submitting Lu Yanhe for this year's Oscars and would invest a seven-figure public relations budget. The report primarily cited the critical acclaim for Lu Yanhe's performance as the impetus for D19's decision.

Chen Ziyan: D19 really went to any lengths to generate buzz for "The Mist," even resorting to reporting fake news.

Lu Yanhe: Huh? Fake news?

Chen Ziyan: If they really wanted to do PR for us for the Oscars, they would definitely have communicated with us first. If they thought we had a chance, why would they pay for it all themselves? They would definitely ask us to cover the majority of the cost. After all, if we were nominated, we would benefit more. But they published the news without contacting us or leaving any comments, which means they were just "publishing news" to gain attention.

Lu Yanhe: Tsk.

Chen Ziyan: The domestic media will probably be ecstatic when they see this news.

Lu Yanhe: Should we try to curb the hype?

Chen Ziyan: Can you control it? Maybe not.

Lu Yanhe: Never mind then, it has nothing to do with us anyway.

Chen Ziyan: Qingzhen has already prepared your publicity plan for Europe and America this time. Would you like to take a look? The main focus is on your inspirational and successful career in the entertainment industry, which aims to weaken the impression of you as an Asian. People are worried that if the current overseas public opinion continues, it will create a deep-rooted impression of you in Europe and America as a victimized Asian. Although this may help increase your popularity, it is not good for your long-term development.

Lu Yanhe: Let's listen to what you professionals say.

The two people were chatting on their phones even though they were sitting right next to each other because there were other people in front of them.

These are contents that are not convenient for others to hear.

-

Chen Siqi came out of the office carrying her bag.

"Zijun, I'm leaving now. Call me if you need anything."

Xu Zijun was having a meeting with several people from the magazine's editorial department in the public discussion area. She nodded.

"Have you finished reading the articles in the March issue?" Xu Zijun asked.

"Yes, the feedback has been sent to your email." Chen Siqi nodded. "Yan He has arrived at the airport, I need to hurry back."

Everyone smiled knowingly.

But only Xu Zijun knew that Chen Siqi rushed back so hastily not only because Lu Yanhe had just returned from the United States, but also because he had to rush to the set of "Friends" early the next morning.

Xu Zijun suddenly remembered something, "Don't forget, Lu Yanhe hasn't sent us his Valentine's Day message yet. You must bring it back!"

Chen Siqi gave an OK sign and left.

-

It will take her about an hour to drive back to Ziyuan Bridge.

Fortunately, various services are now very well-developed.

Halfway there, she received a call informing her that the various groceries she had ordered had already been delivered to her doorstep.

She specifically learned several dishes, wanting to cook for herself.

She put in a lot of hard work to learn how to cook a few dishes herself.

She didn't want to end up like in those idol dramas where the female lead cooks terribly but the male lead still looks at her with loving eyes and praises how delicious it is.

The main problem is that they have too little time to eat together.

Chen Siqi hopes that when they are together, they can have more truly comfortable moments.

-

The phone rang again at that moment.

Upon seeing the caller's name, Chen Siqi frowned slightly.

The caller was Wen Yang, the current executive chairman of the Blue Ribbon Awards organizing committee.

In recent days, Wen Yang has contacted him several times.

Wen Yang had been trying to invite her to this year's awards ceremony.

The Blue Ribbon Awards controversy has become a major upheaval sweeping across the entire film and television industry.

Two forces are vying for power.

One side hopes this year's awards ceremony will collapse, while the other side insists on reform, refuses to back down, and tries its best to keep this year's awards ceremony going.

Everyone was forced to choose sides.

To go, or not to go.

In such a situation, whether you choose to go or not, you are expressing an attitude.

Clearly, the forces behind preventing people from attending this awards ceremony are enormous.

Although most people can see that the Blue Ribbon Awards' reforms mean fairer judging rules for such an influential award, few dare to actually stand up and say they will definitely attend the awards ceremony.

Chen Siqi didn't know why Wen Yang came to find her at first.

It's probably still to invite Lu Yanhe over.

She agreed to go, and then they would go to Lu Yanhe and use that reason to persuade him.

To be fair, Chen Siqi is actually quite willing to support the Blue Ribbon Movement. However, the current situation is complicated, and Chen Siqi doesn't want to get involved easily and cause unnecessary trouble for Lu Yanhe. She hadn't mentioned it before because Lu Yanhe was in the United States attending the premiere of "The Mist," so neither Lu Yanhe nor Chen Ziyan knows about it yet.

I'll tell you later.

Chen Siqi made up her mind and answered Wen Yang's call.

"Teacher Wen." Chen Siqi raised the corners of her mouth, letting her voice carry a hint of amusement.

Wen Yang: "Siqi, are you busy? Is it convenient to call?"

"Teacher Wen, I'm driving, please go ahead."

"What's your opinion on the awards ceremony we talked about before?" Wen Yang asked.

“Teacher Wen, I’m not sure yet.” Chen Siqi smiled and sighed. “As you know, we’re preparing for the International Film Critics Festival, and there’s so much to do. The Chinese New Year is next month, and we need to submit the March issue to the printing press in advance, otherwise it won’t be available for sale in March.”

Wen Yang: "Siqi, we hope that the Blue Ribbon Award can be more pure and objective, and become an award that truly speaks for itself based on quality, just like the values ​​reflected in the magazine 'Jump Up'."

Chen Siqi: "Teacher Wen, our 'Jump Up' is just a literary magazine, we dare not accept such a big label."

“You are the only editor-in-chief in recent years who has successfully built a print media business, and you are a rising force in the field of popular culture,” Wen Yang said. “I very much hope that you can be the presenter for the Best Screenplay Award. This would be of extraordinary significance to the award. Including the International Film Critics Festival that you will be organizing later, you have an inseparable relationship with the film industry. If possible, I would be very happy to officially announce the activities of this film festival at the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony.”

“Teacher Wen, thank you for your kindness, but no need. This is our first time organizing such an event, and we'd like to keep it low-key.” Chen Siqi paused for a moment before saying, “Teacher Wen, I understand what you mean, but could you give me a few more days to think it over before giving you an answer?”

"Siqi, there's not much time left before the awards ceremony. We need to finalize the list of presenters as soon as possible."

"Teacher Wen, I will give you an answer as soon as possible, I promise." Only after Chen Siqi said this did Wen Yang end the call.

Chen Siqi silently stared at the straight road ahead.

Perhaps because it's winter, people don't want to go out much. The usually bustling avenue is almost empty today. There are also few traffic lights on this road, making it very easy to drive.

She didn't know what Lu Yanhe and Chen Ziyan were thinking about this.

Given Lu Yanhe's current status in the entertainment industry, it will be difficult for him to remain uninvolved this time.

Many people are probably waiting for his attitude before making their own decisions.

-

"Wen Yang has come to ask us again."

On the way back from the airport, Chen Ziyan looked at the messages on her phone and smiled helplessly at Lu Yanhe.

Lu Yanhe is an idealist—Chen Ziyan was actually quite worried that Lu Yanhe would stand on the side of idealism without hesitation.

But Lu Yanhe has indeed matured a lot.

He also knew that if he rashly decided to participate, it could lead to a lot of trouble.

It's not that people should abandon their idealism and become social outcasts.

Now, however, he can think things through more thoroughly and consider them more deeply before making his decision.

Lu Yanhe asked, "Sister Ziyan, do you think I should accept his invitation to attend this Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony?"

"To be honest, you don't have much to do with the Blue Ribbon Awards. Of the three major awards for television dramas, you won the Golden Tripod Award for Best Supporting Actor. You've never won the Blue Ribbon Award. So, both morally and logically, you don't need to stand up for the Blue Ribbon Award this time, especially since you'll offend a lot of people."

After finishing her statement, Chen Ziyan paused before continuing, "However, this is also an opportunity—just like what you've been doing all along. To put it more grandly, we all hope that our entertainment industry will be better, and that this industry will be better. In fact, the trigger for this was that the Blue Ribbon Awards exposed some public relations nomination practices and canceled the original preliminary judging panel system. The single-digit judging panel versus the 500-person public jury, the latter being harder to buy votes for, is actually not difficult to judge."

Lu Yanhe asked, "But I think those who oppose the Blue Ribbon reform actually made a very good point. In the film and television industry, sometimes we have to admit that there are indeed some hidden gems—because of the subject matter or the unknown actors, they are not known to many viewers. Moreover, sometimes some dramas are just for publicity and excitement, and their artistic value is not high. If we rely on 500 unknown public judges to select the nomination list, it is very likely that the final selection will be big-budget productions with a lot of buzz, while those small productions will simply disappear."

Chen Ziyan said, "Yan He, this is a problem that no current mechanism can completely solve: how to strike a balance between the public and art. This is a question that all performers explore throughout their lives. It's inevitable that some outstanding talents will be overlooked; no award is without its omissions. The problem now is that an unfair situation has clearly emerged, and it must be eliminated. As for whether the replacement solution is perfect, nobody knows; it can only be adjusted gradually. If the replacement solution is not mature or perfect enough, is it reasonable to allow this unfair situation to continue?"

Lu Yanhe nodded, "I understand what you mean. I agree with you, Sister Ziyan. In any case, we must resist the practice of influencing the fairness of the awards through personal connections and interests."

"If you were to stand up now and publicly announce that you would participate in the Blue Ribbon Awards, you would face retaliation from those who boycotted the awards. That would be the consequence you have to bear. But at the same time, you have been consistent in your words and actions in upholding your principles. Also, you should know that there are many people in the entertainment industry who are just like you, with their own sense of justice. Why do people want to win an award so much? It's because a clean award represents the industry's recognition of them. What people pursue is true honor, not the trophy itself."

Lu Yanhe never expected that Chen Ziyan would persuade him to participate in the Blue Ribbon Award.

According to his initial idea, he thought he would be the one to play the role of persuader in the end.

Lu Yanhe never doubted what he would choose.

He simply learned to let the dust settle and the situation become clearer. This way, he could consider all aspects and devise a plan, instead of rushing in recklessly and then being caught off guard by everything that was to come.

Chen Ziyan: "Your contributions to and influence in this industry are built on your work, one project at a time, and on the decisions you made at crucial moments."

Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "I understand."

-

Wen Yang held the list in his hand, looking at it for what felt like the umpteenth time.

Each name was followed by various symbols.

The symbols represent agreement, rejection, and uncertainty.

So far, the list of attendees for the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony includes no more than ten celebrities, including this year's nominees.

The current situation is very serious.

Although Wen Yang had been warned long ago that he would face a lot of retaliation if he insisted on changing the judging rules of the Blue Ribbon Award, he still took that step in the end.

Although he had anticipated everything he was facing, the severity of the situation still left him feeling unprecedentedly lost.

If very few people attend the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony this year, then he, as the executive chairman, will certainly bear the greatest responsibility.

The worst outcome is elimination.

Wen Yang originally thought that he would gain some supporters in this matter no matter what. In fact, he had already made arrangements with many people before holding the press conference, and at that time, everyone readily agreed to support him and stand by him.

However, when things escalated far beyond their expectations, they backed down.

Nobody wanted to offend him, but nobody wanted to offend the other side either.

Wen Yang took a deep breath, lit a cigarette, walked to the window, and looked at the gray, white, and black colors that formed the main tone of the world outside. They were silent and cold, just like his current situation.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Wen Yang turned around.

"Chairman Wen, Ning Xiulian's agent just called, wanting to withdraw from the judging panel."

Wen Yang was taken aback.

"quit?"

"Yes." The subordinate's face was also very grim. Knowing this news was like adding insult to injury. "She said that Ning Xiulian received an invitation to a foreign film, which will start filming next week. There is a time conflict."

Wen Yang sneered, "You suddenly accepted a foreign film role at this time?"

Besides his cold laugh, a surge of anger was also rising from the bottom of his heart.

The judging panel will be assembling soon for a judging meeting.

He suddenly left at that moment!

At this moment!

There was no need to ask; Wen Yang already knew what was going on.

Wen Yang could only suppress his anger and dial Ning Xiulian's agent's number.

As soon as the call connected, before he could even say a word, she immediately began apologizing.

"I'm sorry, Chairman Wen, I'm really sorry for causing you trouble this time. But this opportunity is very valuable, as it's for Director Sland's new film."

Wen Yang had to hide his anger and said, "The judging is about to begin. If Teacher Xiulian withdraws at this time, it will put us in a very difficult position. We had an agreement beforehand, didn't we?"

"Of course, of course, we know that this will definitely put you in a very passive position, but this opportunity is really too precious for Xiulian. I'm sorry, we have to make this decision, and I really hope we can make up for it in other ways."

Wen Yang took a deep breath and hung up the phone.

It must be acknowledged that at this point, if Ning Xiulian wanted to withdraw from the judging panel, he had no countermeasures to stop her.

He couldn't even openly condemn Ning Xiulian—given the circumstances, he couldn't allow things to get any worse.

We need to find a judge to replace Ning Xiulian immediately.

-

"I had such a satisfying meal today."

Lu Yanhe put down his chopsticks, looked at the few dishes left on the table, and looked at Chen Siqi with surprise.

"Did you specifically learn this cooking skill?"

"Yes." Chen Siqi nodded. "I learned it very seriously. Before making it for you, I also made it for Lin Yu and the others and asked them to taste it. These dishes were chosen by their votes."

Lu Yanhe patted his slightly bulging belly and said, "It's delicious, beyond my expectations."

Are you worried I'll make you some terrible food?

"Of course not," Lu Yanhe said. "It's just that I usually do the cooking, and when I first start, I tend to make it too salty or burnt it."

Chen Siqi: "If my grandparents knew, they would definitely be very jealous of you."

"Huh?" Lu Yanhe asked in surprise, "Why?"

"Because they know that ever since I started learning to cook, they've been saying they want to eat it, and they still haven't had a chance to try it."

"My pleasure."

"You're going to participate in the Spring Festival Gala recording this year. Do you know when you'll be able to finish recording?" Chen Siqi asked.

Lu Yanhe shook his head, "We don't know yet. In addition to performing 'Chinese Language,' the three of us may also participate in the recording of the opening song or the last song. Both of these segments involve a large chorus."

Chen Siqi nodded: "Tell me in advance if you know. If you can finish before nine o'clock, I'll wait for you to go to my grandparents' house together. If you can't finish until after nine o'clock, I'll go first."

Chen Siqi wanted to stay up with the elderly to welcome the New Year.

This is something she has been doing every year.

Lu Yanhe nodded: "Okay."

They cleaned the table together, then sat down on the sofa to find a movie to watch.

This is something they often did together when they were together.

While Lu Yanhe was looking for films, Chen Siqi asked, "Did they invite you to this year's Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony?"

"I've been invited." Lu Yanhe turned to look at her and asked, "What's wrong?"

Are you going or not?

I'll probably go.

Chen Siqi said, "They also invited me. Wen Yang called me several times, hoping that I could be a presenter for the Best Screenplay Award. However, I haven't agreed yet. Recently, whether or not to attend the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony has become a hot topic in the entertainment industry. I thought you were also hesitating."

Lu Yanhe: "I did hesitate for a while, but I discussed it with Sister Ziyan. On the one hand, we both agree with the Blue Ribbon Awards' approach. We both hope that this industry, especially a top award like the Blue Ribbon, can be cleaner and purer. On the other hand, considering my own image—my image in this industry—I have to make the right choice."

Chen Siqi said with some surprise, "To be honest, I originally thought Sister Ziyan would advise you to protect yourself, that you could actually avoid getting involved in this mess."

Lu Yanhe nodded: "Indeed, I could have avoided stepping in, but why should I play it safe? Right now—it sounds a bit arrogant to say this, I must clarify first, this isn't my opinion, it's what Sister Ziyan said, do I still need to protect myself?"

-

"Does Yan He still need the support of the domestic film and television industry at this stage?"

Chen Ziyan shook her head.

After returning from the United States, she met up with her friend Lu Qingzhen that evening to get a Thai massage.

After the massage ended, the masseuse left, leaving the two of them lying in the room, drinking red wine and chatting lazily.

Lu Qingzhen said, "No need. You're right. Yan He has already won several awards in China. Considering his age and his current achievements, it wouldn't be very meaningful for him to win another major domestic award within ten years. There's no room for him to go any higher; he's already reached the top."

“He can write his own scripts, he has videos of the Northern Lights and ice fields, and Yuehu TV as a partner. Not to mention, overseas, he also has two major platforms, HP and Maxine,” Chen Ziyan said. “Even if those people in the domestic film and television industry were to blacklist him—I’m talking about a very extreme situation, and we all know that this is basically impossible. Even if this were to happen, Yan He could completely produce and sell his own content; he wouldn’t need to rely on anyone.”

Lu Qingzhen nodded.

"really."

"So, putting aside personal interests, if it can make a contribution to the industry, I actually hope that Yan He can choose to do it."

“You always say Yan He is an idealist, aren’t you one too?” Lu Qingzhen teased with a smile.

“I am, but I’ve hidden this side of myself for many years.” Chen Ziyan took a deep breath. “It’s just that it’s recently resurfaced because she no longer needs to hide it.”

"Chen Ziyan, it's been a long time since I've heard you speak with such confidence."

"Nonsense, when did I not say something that made me so confident?" Chen Ziyan rolled her eyes at Lu Qingzhen.

“You know what I’m talking about.” Lu Qingzhen sat up and poured a little more red wine into their glasses, which were already empty. “Putting work aside, I really admire you and Yan He for deciding to attend the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony.”

“You’re on our side, yet you talk about it as if you’re completely detached,” Chen Ziyan laughed.

“Ultimately, we’re just employees. We don’t have much decision-making power, especially on such crucial choices,” Lu Qingzhen said. “You know, for many employees who aren’t in decision-making positions, whether their work is on a path of honor largely depends on the company and team they work for. So, every decision you make also affects us. If you’re righteous, we’re righteous. If you’re petty, we’re petty too.”

Chen Ziyan: "This makes me nervous, I feel a lot of pressure."

"I'm praising you."

Lu Qingzhen smiled gently.

-

The following day, the Blue Ribbon Committee announced that Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi would attend the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony as award presenters. At the same time, due to a scheduling conflict with Ning Xiulian's overseas filming work, the original judge would be replaced by renowned director Liu Jian, who has directed a series of popular works such as "Mountain and Water Family". We welcome his addition to the judging panel.

The fact that Lu Yanhe and Chen Siqi attended the Blue Ribbon Awards as award presenters only garnered routine attention from the public. However, another news story stunned even the most sensationalist media outlets.

As is widely known, director Liu Jian is the ex-husband of actress Ning Xiulian.

The ex-husband takes over the judges' duties from his ex-wife?

What on earth is going on?!

When Ning Xiulian saw this news, her lips twitched, and her face inevitably turned green.

Shortly after this news was released, the Friends production team also announced that producer Hu Siwei, director Bai Jingnian, and the six lead actors would also reunite at the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony.

That evening, Li Zhibai tagged the Blue Ribbon Committee on Weibo, saying: Yan Liang is nominated for Best Actor and Lu Yanhe is going to present the award. Can the committee send me an invitation so I can go and see it?

-

It's really getting to the later stages, and I'm finding it hard to write anymore.

Keep writing!

Updates may decrease somewhat; I can clearly feel a creative stagnation.

We need everyone's encouragement.

(End of this chapter)