Chapter 555 It Will Definitely Happen (7,000-word update!)
Are you really going to the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony?
Jiang Yuqian sounded quite shocked on the phone.
"You should know what the situation is right now, right?"
"Yes, I know," Lu Yanhe said. "Sister Yuqian, you're in America now, right?"
“Yes,” Jiang Yuqian said, “I’m going to try on dresses tomorrow.”
Jiang Yuqian was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role in "The Squid Game," and she will be attending the Golden Globe Awards ceremony with Jiang Jun.
For such a global event, Jiang Yuqian's nomination and attendance will propel her career to new heights.
Lu Yanhe felt that ever since Jiang Yuqian figured out how to pursue her acting career, she suddenly seemed to have unlocked a cheat code, making a series of sweeping changes in her work, and the more she changed, the better.
It's been half a year since "The Squid Game" aired, but she hasn't experienced any decline in exposure. She's constantly on the go, appearing all over the world.
From film festivals to fashion weeks, from business events to award ceremonies.
Looking at Jiang Yuqian now, Lu Yanhe was reminded of two female celebrities he knew, Fan Bingbing and Yang Mi—not because their appearances and styles were completely different, but because their work ethic and dedication to their careers were so similar.
Lu Yanhe has always said that acting skills are the foundation of an actor's career.
But that doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate female celebrities who work so hard.
Acting skills, in the end, still depend on talent. Some people have limited talent, and no matter how hard they try, they can only reach a certain level. But this person truly worked hard.
Like Jiang Yuqian, in order to transform herself and become a powerful actress, she almost pushed herself out of the top tier.
Fortunately, she encountered "The Squid Game" at this time, which turned her life around overnight, and even helped her reach heights she had never reached before.
Lu Yanhe admired her quite a bit.
Moreover, given his relationship with Jiang Yuqian, as long as Jiang Yuqian refuses to give up and refuses to admit defeat, he will continue to write scripts for her.
"The Squid Game" is just the beginning; there are many more scripts to come.
Of course, Lu Yanhe also hoped that Jiang Yuqian could still act in more good dramas, like the Hollywood movie and English TV series she took on. Although the roles were not significant and certainly not comparable to those in "The Squid Game," they were good for building her image and maintaining her popularity. As she spent more time in the European and American circles, more people would recognize her, which would naturally lead to better opportunities.
An actor can't rely on just one or two people to succeed. Otherwise, if that person stops working, the actor will inevitably decline as well.
Of course, Jiang Yuqian has been in the entertainment industry for so many years, she must have her own rules for survival, and Lu Yanhe doesn't need to remind her of them.
You can tell by how well Jiang Yuqian is doing now.
Jiang Yuqian said, "Actually, Wen Yang also called me. He hoped that I could come back to attend the awards ceremony. I had been saying that I needed to think about it."
“You don’t have to agree just because I’m going to participate,” Lu Yanhe laughed. “I think that my chances of winning an award in China are slim in the next few years anyway. If they really want to target or retaliate against me, it doesn’t matter to me. At worst, I won’t be able to be nominated for acting awards anymore. My next goal isn’t domestic awards anyway.”
Hearing Lu Yanhe say this, Jiang Yuqian made up her mind.
“Then I want to participate, I will attend.”
"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was taken aback. "Why? Why did you suddenly make this decision?"
Jiang Yuqian said, "I was determined to win, and it took me a long time to get out of my obsession with winning the award. I don't want to go back to that obsession."
Lu Yanhe was astonished upon hearing this.
He understood what Jiang Yuqian meant, but he was quite taken aback.
He never expected Jiang Yuqian to be so ruthless to him.
Humans have desires.
Power, sex, and wealth.
When it is applied to different industries and different professions, it will manifest in different ways.
For actors, becoming famous is one desire, and winning awards is another.
The pursuit of fame and fortune is human nature.
Since attending the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony would put her on a blacklist by some people, making it harder for her to be nominated for other awards in the future, she simply went with the flow and cut off her own escape route.
Lu Yanhe really didn't expect Jiang Yuqian to think that way.
"Sister Yuqian, isn't this a bit too much? Don't you really want to win any more awards in the future?"
Lu Yanhe was surprised by Jiang Yuqian's idea.
Jiang Yuqian said, "I'll let things take their course. I'm never going to do anything to win an award again."
Jiang Yuqian was the first person to call Lu Yanhe to confirm whether he really wanted to participate in the Blue Ribbon Award.
After her, Lu Yanhe received many more phone calls.
Everyone is wondering what he's really thinking.
Lu Yanhe had long guessed that his decision would cause quite a reaction, but he did not expect that his friends would react so strongly.
Huang Kairen even specifically asked, "Were you scammed by the Blue Ribbon Awards organizing committee? Don't you know they're very controversial in the industry right now?"
Upon hearing Huang Kairen's words, Lu Yanhe retorted, "Brother Huang, do you not know why the Blue Ribbon is so controversial?"
“I know, they kicked out the three judges who accepted bribes and replaced them with a new judging panel to select the nominees,” Huang Kairen said. “This was indeed very hasty. Who says those 500 public judges were objective? How were they selected, and how did they cast their votes? We don’t even know that. I think they’re right, those judges who accepted bribes were problematic and had to be removed, but where did those 500 public judges come from? Can simply publishing their names guarantee that they weren’t influenced by anyone when they selected the list?”
Huang Kairen's words made Lu Yanhe fall into deep thought.
"Brother Huang, who told you these things?"
"ah?"
"Someone must have told you this, right?"
“Yes, that’s true…” Huang Kairen said, “A director I know called me and asked if I had received an invitation from the Blue Ribbon Movement. He also told me what I just said, saying that everyone hopes the Blue Ribbon Movement can give an explanation for the list of 500 people, otherwise they hope that we can unite and boycott the Blue Ribbon Movement. I said that I definitely cannot publicly boycott it, but I think what he said makes a lot of sense.”
Lu Yanhe: "...Brother Huang, this isn't reasonable. Five hundred public judges are all frontline workers from various professions in the industry. They all have names and resumes of participating in works. If there really is someone from the Blue Ribbon organization instructing them to favor someone or to have shady dealings during the voting, with so many people, surely a few would spread the word?"
“Do you know what? The person who advised you not to attend the Blue Ribbon Awards called a friend of mine and told him that as long as he doesn’t attend, he’ll be nominated for the Golden Tripod Awards next year,” Lu Yanhe said helplessly. “Their boycott of this year’s Blue Ribbon Awards is not based on any of those high-sounding reasons they gave you.”
Huang Kairen found it hard to believe.
However, since it was Lu Yanhe who said this, Huang Kairen had no choice but to believe it.
Lu Yanhe: "I never expected that they would say such things in order to smear the Blue Ribbon Movement."
Huang Kairen looked somewhat bewildered and said, "Then am I aiding and abetting evil?"
“Brother Huang, you didn’t do anything to aid and abet evil.”
—You're just a little confused.
Lu Yanhe had never realized before that Huang Kairen was so easily fooled.
What happened?
Why wasn't Huang Kai-yan easily persuaded to star in "Rouge" back then?
"What is Lu Yanhe thinking? How dare he just go like that?"
"I don't know what he's planning to do. Maybe he doesn't care about these domestic awards anymore. After all, he's already won Best Actor, so does it matter if he wins Best TV Actor?"
Film and television are two separate fields.
The television industry wants to blacklist Lu Yanhe, but even if they reach a consensus, Lu Yanhe can still make movies—not to mention, he can organize his own TV series and not cooperate with others.
However, no matter how clearly these things are calculated, in a society based on human relationships, they cannot be simply calculated using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Lu Yanhe, Li Zhibai, and Yan Liang will all attend this year's Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony. The earthquake this event has caused in the industry is something only those within the industry truly understand.
In themselves, the three of them almost represent three different types of male actors of their age group.
Lu Yanhe is a talented actor.
Li Zhibai is a popular idol.
Yan Liang was a hard-working and diligent person.
These three individuals have occupied the three main acting career paths and achieved remarkable success.
Compared to young actors who typically rely on marketing to maintain their popularity, these three are actors who have already had more than one representative work at a young age.
This confidence among actors has made them attractive to many people and forces in the entertainment industry.
Generally speaking, an actor who reaches one of these positions will be more cautious. High positions are not easily attained; their representation of young actors and the symbolic significance the industry bestows upon them are crucial foundations for their livelihood.
Regardless of the Blue Ribbon Awards' operation or its final outcome, as long as they don't make a clear statement or participate, this matter won't affect the three of them.
-
Lin Suyang felt helpless and frustrated.
At that moment, he suddenly felt empathy for Zhou Ping'an.
Li Zhibai is really hard to manage—especially when he gets really into a tantrum, nothing you say to him will make a difference.
Brother, what are you doing going there to join in the fun?
And they're making such a big fuss about joining in the fun.
The key point is that you didn't give him any advance notice, catching him completely off guard, and he didn't make any preparations.
One phone call after another came in droves to his cell phone.
They all came to ask him about the situation.
-
The situation is the same for Li Zhibai.
He simply turned off his phone.
bother.
Everything is ready for "Nineteen Years of Crime Records" to begin filming.
Li Zhi was eager to join the crew and film his first major villain role.
He cares least about all the commotion in the industry.
To everyone's surprise, Lin Suyang actually came knocking on our door.
"I know you're annoyed by those calls, but you have to answer mine. What if I need to contact you urgently if your phone is off?"
Li Zhibai said, "Didn't you find me?"
He looked completely self-righteous.
Lin Suyang was speechless for a moment.
Indeed, Li Zhibai's schedule is usually quite clear.
He knows all about my work schedule.
Outside of working hours, Li Zhibai is either at Ziyuan Bridge or at his home. If he is going somewhere, his driver and assistant will know, so he will not disappear without reason.
Li Zhibai: "You're not going to try to persuade me not to go to the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony again, are you?"
“You’ve already publicly spoken out on Weibo, how am I supposed to advise you? Do you want me to embarrass you again?” Lin Suyang sighed. “You’re quite adept at acting first and asking questions later.”
"If I asked for your opinion first, would you disagree?" Li Zhi asked. "Tell me the truth."
Lin Suyang: "I would advise you not to participate."
“You see, that’s why I acted first and reported later,” Li Zhibai said, still speaking with self-righteousness.
After saying that, Li Zhibai added, "Since Lao Lu and Yan Liang are both going, I certainly won't stand aside."
Lin Suyang: "..."
Lin Suyang said, "Aren't you afraid of losing everything? Can't you leave a spark of hope? You should know the principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket, right?"
"This is precisely the time when we need a lot of people working together. You shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. If you don't, you'll end up with nothing," Li Zhibai said righteously and sternly.
Lin Suyang: "...Why are you talking so eloquently now?"
He was so angry he laughed.
Li Zhibai: "Brother Su Yang, think about it, getting angry won't change the facts. Since it's already a done deal, you should change your mindset and try to think positively. At least I did something conscientious, right?"
Lin Suyang looked at him expressionlessly.
No matter how eloquently you speak, it doesn't change the fact that the decision was made first and the report given later.
"Are you still going to consider me your manager?"
Li Zhibai finally showed an embarrassed expression.
"Oh, I've already given you a way out, so just go down that path."
Lin Suyang took a deep breath.
"Would you like to do a cover shoot for Weekend Men's magazine?"
"shoot."
Are you going to the opening ceremony of the Rousseau Museum next month?
"go."
"Are you going to record the show 'Songs from Afar'?"
"record."
"Alright then, I'll take the easy way out."
Li Zhibai smiled broadly and raised his chin.
"See, the problem is actually quite easy to solve."
Lin Suyang suppressed his urge to complain.
-
"Yes, I will come back."
Jiang Yuqian encountered a domestic media outlet during a media interview at the Golden Globe Awards ceremony.
They were also the only Chinese-language media present.
When asked about the news that she had been invited to present the Best Actor award at the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony, she nodded in confirmation.
Jiang Yuqian wore a nude-colored long dress today, and she looked so beautiful that she seemed to be glowing.
She is certainly not the leading lady of tonight's grand event, but she has no intention of "being a guest from afar and not stealing the spotlight."
She is strikingly beautiful and flamboyant; once she appears, she will certainly not be overlooked.
This is the path Jiang Yuqian is currently taking.
We should combine everyone's expectations of her with her greatest strengths.
"What are your expectations for tonight's result? Would you mind telling us?"
"Of course I hope to win an award," Jiang Yuqian said with a smile, gesturing towards the reporter with her eyes. "That's exactly what you wanted to hear from me, right?"
The reporter smiled and said, "Whether you win the award or not is another matter, but we all want to see your determination to win."
"Thanks."
"Yuqian, you're getting more and more beautiful." The reporter gave her a thumbs up.
"Thank you." Jiang Yuqian smiled and blew him and the camera a kiss, then lifted her skirt and walked gracefully forward.
Too many people walk the path of fame and fortune. No matter how popular you become, it's a path fraught with danger and uncertainty.
Therefore, some people walk hesitantly, looking ahead and behind, and are timid and fearful.
Jiang Yuqian once went through a similar phase.
That won't happen anymore.
It's not that we have more courage to burn our bridges, but rather that once we start looking back and forth, we can't move forward.
It took Jiang Yuqian several years to understand this principle.
-
Jiang Yuqian will also return to China to attend this year's Blue Ribbon Awards.
Another major piece of news.
Everyone in the entertainment industry is talking about it.
In this way, the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony will never lack popular celebrities.
The situation that Wen Yang feared most seems unlikely to occur.
He clenched his fists twice in his office, unable to hide the excitement of finally feeling relieved after days of anxiety.
Today, a press conference for this year's judges will also be held.
Just then, the secretary knocked on the door.
"Chairman Wen, we are about to depart."
"good."
Wen Yang nodded, his expression returning to normal.
An hour later, a press conference was held.
Chen Lingling led the judging panel to attend the event.
Wen Yang, as the executive chairman of the organizing committee, also appeared at the scene.
Media reporters were not polite either, and immediately asked whether Chen Lingling, as the chairperson, considered the nomination list to be objective and fair.
Chen Lingling said, "There is no absolute objectivity and fairness in any award selection. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and aesthetics and preferences are different. For me, I am very satisfied with this nomination list. Based on the dramas I have watched so far, I think many of the nominations are well-deserved."
What criteria will you use to select this year's winners and winning entries?
"Quality, breakthrough, representativeness." Chen Lingling gave three keywords.
"It's said that many nominees won't be able to attend this year's awards ceremony due to work conflicts. Will you take this into account when deciding who gets the awards?" another reporter asked.
"Really? A lot of people couldn't come because of work conflicts?" Chen Lingling smiled. "That's a real pity. My role as the chair of the judging panel means that this year's competition is absolutely fair. It would be a real shame if someone won an award but didn't get to go on stage to accept it."
"Many people have expressed disappointment that the two very popular dramas this year, 'The Squid Game' and 'My Own Swordsman' and 'The Seventeen Floors,' did not receive nominations for acting awards at the Blue Ribbon Awards. What is your response to that?"
Chen Lingling: "First of all, I did not participate in the preliminary selection of the nomination list, so it has nothing to do with me. Don't come looking for trouble on me."
She started by saying this with a smile, which immediately dissipated the somewhat tense atmosphere and caused everyone to burst into laughter.
She added, "Secondly, these three dramas are not really about character performances. You ask if these three dramas are of high quality? Of course they are. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been nominated for Best Television Series and other awards. Are there any actors and performances that I really like among them? Yes, there are. I've worked with Lu Yanhe before, so I don't need to say more about him. Liu Zi's performance in 'My Own Swordsman' was amazing. In 'Squid Game,' Jiang Jun and Jiang Yuqian both received Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress, so their performances need no further explanation."
“However, each award has a different focus and a different judging orientation, so different judges will make different choices, which is unavoidable,” Chen Lingling said. “But do you think that’s unfair? To be honest, the actors in these dramas should have been well aware when filming these works that their performances might not be able to win them awards.”
"However, several dramas that best represent Chinese-language dramas this year failed to win any acting awards. Doesn't this indicate that there's something wrong with the domestic award system?"
"Your question is worth pondering for many people, but I think the situation isn't as serious as you make it out to be," Chen Lingling said. "If you had carefully looked at the nominations for this year's Blue Ribbon Awards for performance, you would know that it's not unfair that these dramas weren't nominated for any acting awards. It's not that the actors performed poorly, nor that their characters were bad; it's just that their characters weren't very competitive in this year's nomination pool. Liu Zi's performance was stunning, presenting a very charming female character, a rare female character in our film and television history. But to be honest, isn't her character more symbolic than three-dimensional? If 'My Own Swordsman' had aired dozens of episodes at once, perhaps her character would have been more three-dimensional and complete, but in the first season that's aired so far, she hasn't shown any growth. So when we're discussing performances, we should be more serious. We can't just choose whoever has the most likable character, right? We're not choosing for the audience's favorite award; we need to be more professional, okay?"
Chen Lingling speaks and reacts very quickly.
"As I said before, everyone has their own standards, but I, Chen Lingling, am sitting here as the chairperson, so I must uphold my standards—because these are the aesthetic standards that I have accumulated over decades of acting, directing, and watching plays. What I need to do is not to reflect on my own standards, but to prevent any external factors from influencing my judgment. If you are not satisfied with what I have said, please forgive me, since I will not be the chairperson of the jury next time."
Chen Lingling's words, without any embellishment, fully displayed her pride, domineering presence, and confidence.
However, compared to someone who is indecisive and always makes empty promises, they would much rather see someone like Chen Lingling, who has a firm attitude and doesn't mince words, as the chairperson.
She makes people feel at ease.
With such a fiery temper, anyone who dares to ask her for favors, back channels, or public relations would surely be verbally abused to death.
The Blue Ribbon Awards' influence and reputation are steadily increasing.
-
When Wen Yang came to find Lu Yanhe again, Lu Yanhe was stunned and said, "Chairman Wen, I have already agreed to attend the awards ceremony, and I even brought the cast of 'Friends' with me. What else do you want?"
Wen Yang smiled and said, "Yan He, thank you for your strong support. I just suddenly remembered that you're planning to do a show called 'The Birth of an Actor,' which focuses on actors' performances and discusses what constitutes good acting, right?"
Lu Yanhe looked at Wen Yang thoughtfully and said, "There is such a thing, but what do you want to do? You tell me first."
"The show needs promotion. Since you've supported me and the Blue Ribbon Awards so much, I'd like to give back. How about we add a segment to the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony to introduce the show and do a special tribute event for the actors?"
"Huh?" Lu Yanhe was taken aback.
Wen Yang said, "I invited five veteran performing artists to the scene, and you, 'The Birth of an Actor,' invited five young contestants to perform a tribute, a tribute from young actors to the older generation of actors, which symbolizes the passing on of tradition."
Lu Yanhe: "..."
On the one hand, he wanted to complain about how good Wen Yang was at creating buzz, but on the other hand, he had to admit that Wen Yang's suggestion had great promotional value for "The Birth of an Actor," essentially using the reputation of the Blue Ribbon to promote the show's theme. On the other hand, this segment was indeed very meaningful.
Lu Yanhe asked, "Chairman Wen, can you still persuade veteran artists to come out of retirement and participate in the Blue Ribbon Movement?"
Wen Yang said, "I haven't been wasting all these years."
Lu Yanhe: "Since you've already said that..."
Wen Yang: "The actors who came to participate definitely did not lose out. This is an official occasion for five actors who represent the younger generation of actors, and it is a very meaningful appearance for them."
Lu Yanhe: "I know."
He took a deep breath and said, "Let me discuss it with them first, and I'll get back to you later. It's all so rushed, I don't even know if I can find five people."
“If you can’t find it, then no one in the entertainment industry can.” Wen Yang put away his smile and looked at Lu Yanhe seriously. “This time, it was because you publicly said that you would participate that we have the current situation. Your attitude has influenced the decisions of many people. In the past few days, several people who previously said that their work conflicted have now said that their time has been coordinated and they can come to attend.”
Lu Yanhe: "What do you mean my attitude has influenced many people's attitudes? Don't put me on such a high pedestal. It's just that the first bird to stick its head out has appeared, so they don't have to worry about becoming targets anymore, and of course they've come."
Wen Yang smiled when he heard Lu Yanhe's words.
He said, "Yan He, I promise you, I will never let you become the one who sticks out and gets shot."
Lu Yanhe waved his hand.
“I’ve thought it through myself, so you don’t need to cheer me on. I won’t back down at the last minute,” he said. “I just hope that this year’s Blue Ribbon Awards can truly bring some changes to the Chinese-language film and television industry.”
Wen Yang said solemnly, "It definitely will."
Hopefully there will be another update later!
Today, for some inexplicable reason, I found myself writing smoothly again.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
