United States.
SK Entertainment.
Chairman's Office.
A live broadcast of an awards ceremony was playing on the projector.
Although it hadn't officially begun, a compilation of highlights from the film festival was already being shown.
Most of these clips were iconic scenes from "The Wandering Earth."
Especially the incredibly moving "Anyone over fifty, step forward."
It was hailed as the most touching scene of the year.
Rhine stared intently at the projector, his expression so grim it seemed water could drip from it.
"Jiangnan!"
His fingers tightly gripped the wine glass, his knuckles turning white from the force.
Fortunately, the wine glass was of good quality; otherwise, he might have crushed it.
"Tonight, Jiangnan's true identity will be revealed, and we won't need to investigate further," the assistant said in a low voice, head bowed.
"Then let me see who it is that has defeated me and SK!"
They hadn't just lost at a film festival this time; they had lost the market for the next two years.
While a championship didn't guarantee Jiangnan's dominance in the overseas film market, it would definitely damage SK's reputation and their science fiction culture in the field.
This was something Rhine could absolutely not accept.
After all his hard work, to be defeated by a Chinese science fiction film, to get second place, even worse than him...
Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in Rhine's eyes.
No matter who it was, he would go to any lengths to ruin their reputation, at least to curb the development of the Jiangnan team in the overseas market!
...
At the scene.
Staff began the countdown.
Lights.
Stage.
And sound system were all ready.
First came the red carpet showcase of major international film stars.
In the overseas market, in addition to popularity, film stars were also judged by their influence.
While Wu Xingyang and the others' performances in "The Wandering Earth" were explosive, the lead actors were only popular in the domestic entertainment industry. To these international figures, they were unfamiliar faces with insufficient recognition and influence.
Therefore, they had not received invitations from the program team.
Every time these international stars walked the red carpet, numerous fans would flood the comment section.
"Hode's physique is a standard template for a muscular man!"
"Daina is too beautiful! She's almost forty, yet she's maintained her appearance so well!"
"The performances from the US and France at this film festival were quite good, but they were at a disadvantage in terms of script, with Jiangnan snatching the championship with a new form of sci-fi."
"If 'The Disaster of the Stars' had won, lead actor Hode would have secured a fourth consecutive championship for SK Entertainment, right?"
"What a pity. But 'The Wandering Earth' was indeed amazing, it brought me to tears."
"Speaking of which, it's infuriating that some of my favorite characters died."
"Isn't that Jiangnan's signature?"
When "The Wandering Earth" was mentioned, many people felt a sense of lingering regret.
Characters like Ma Zhao and Zhang Peng were portrayed so well by Jiangnan, yet they both died.
Although the ending was somewhat satisfactory, seeing Liu Peiqiang's loneliness left many viewers feeling uneasy.
...
After the red carpet segment.
The host took the stage.
The official proceedings of the awards ceremony began.
This awards ceremony featured dozens of awards, big and small.
They started with some of the minor supporting role awards.
However, the international film festival represented the highest honor in the Blue Star film industry, and even some minor awards were something many film industry professionals pursued their entire lives.
Therefore, every award was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience.
"Have you seen Tingyu?" Jin Chengxian looked around the audience.
"No," Gongben Ze shook his head indifferently.
"He's probably sitting in the front. He came in before us, so he would have chosen a good seat," Xiao En chuckled.
"He's too much of a loner," Jin Chengxian sighed.
"Let's not talk about that. Have you seen any actresses you like this time?" Xiao En shook his head. Everyone knew Tingyu's personality. Although they wanted to interact more with Tingyu, he always kept them at arm's length.
However, they also knew that this was because everyone had isolated him in the beginning, and later it was they who were isolated by him.
"Very disappointing, they're all older actors. I prefer eighteen-year-olds," Jin Chengxian spread his hands.
He was very dedicated.
He only liked eighteen-year-olds.
"Then you might have come to the wrong place," Xiao En said, somewhat speechless.
After all, it was unlikely an eighteen-year-old would be at an international film festival to receive an award.
To win an award at twenty-eight was already incredible.
"Heh, it's just an outing," Jin Chengxian smiled and shook his head.
...
As one award after another was presented.
More than half of the awards ceremony had passed.
Next were the awards for the top three films.
The third-place film, France's "The Saints," had excellent overall results. Although it couldn't compare to the first two works, it had a significant lead over the fourth-place film.
The male lead of "The Saints" also won the Best Actor award at the international film festival.
As for the Best Actress award, it went to the female lead of "The Disaster of the Stars."
Both of these actors were international superstars with immense global prestige.
Of course, besides these two Best Actor awards.
The two films also received several awards for supporting roles, cinematography, and special effects.
Su Yu, sitting in the front row, felt Gu Qianqian's nervousness beside him.
He couldn't help but reach out and grasp her cold little hand.
"Su Yu, am I really capable of this?" Gu Qianqian clasped Su Yu's large hand in return, her palm slightly sweaty.
It was almost her turn.
On such a grand international stage, surrounded by international superstars and film industry bigwigs, it was impossible not to be nervous when accepting the prestigious Best Director award.
"Bring out Sister Qianqian's confidence. Everyone is human, no one is born superior. Don't pay too much attention to others. You are the chief director of the championship film at the international film festival!"
Su Yu cheered her on.
"If I can't speak due to nervousness, or say something wrong, it will truly be a disgrace on an international level..." Gu Qianqian gave a wry smile.
However, Su Yu's words gave her some confidence.
Her wildly beating heart gradually settled.
Primarily, her rapid ascent had been so swift. Suddenly being thrust into such a high-level awards ceremony meant Gu Qianqian's mindset hadn't caught up with her growth, leading to her current anxieties.
"Next, we arrive at the most exciting moment of this international film festival..."
After the host finished speaking.
The venue gradually quieted down.
"The recipient of this year's international film festival, Best Director award, is..."
He paused for dramatic effect.
However, everyone in the industry already knew that the Best Director and Best Screenwriter awards belonged to the championship film.
"Gu Qianqian, Chief Director of 'The Wandering Earth'!!"
As the host's voice fell.
Sparse applause echoed through the venue.
There was a stark contrast to the enthusiastic applause and cheers during the previous awards.
"Heh, preferential treatment?"
Su Yu narrowed his eyes slightly.
Although he had anticipated such a situation, he still felt a pang of discomfort when it actually happened.