Chapter 120: Does He Think the Golden Horse Awards Are the Golden Melody Awards?
Li Chen’s decision to attend the Golden Horse Awards sparked heated discussion online.
It added even more buzz to this year’s Golden Horse Awards.
Wen Jun also raised his glass from Hong Kong Island, welcoming Director Li Chen to the Golden Horse Awards.
Many actresses left comments on Yang Siwei’s blog.
“Siwei, if your boss needs a female companion, I’m available.”
“Bingbing, you’re thinking too much; Director Li has already responded to me!”
“Sister Xun, your boss’s reply to you was: ‘I don’t need one!’”
“Tangtang, you’re going too far! How can you undermine your own people!”
While Li Chen announced his attendance at the Golden Horse Awards, another renowned director with a nominated work, Johnnie To, remained firm in his decision.
He said he wouldn't come, and he didn't.
This greatly embarrassed Wen Jun, the chairman of the Golden Horse Awards.
Li Chen didn’t focus his attention on the Golden Horse Awards, and the domestic entertainment media didn’t concentrate their attention on the Golden Horse Awards either.
Instead, their gaze was fixed on the upcoming auditions for “the thieves.”
But the Golden Horse Awards, eager for attention, continued to stir up topic, even dragging Rongchen Film and Television into it.
What Li Chen least expected was Miss Liu also jumping into the fray.
First, Guan Jinpeng, the director of “Red Bean,” openly declared to the media: “I heard long ago that the Best Actress must be Zhou Xun.”
This statement was like a bomb, energizing reporters who were desperate for explosive news to save the market.
Everyone now knew that Li Chen was one of the presenters for Best Actress, and Zhou Xun was the strongest contender.
Meanwhile, Sammi Cheng, another competitor, was the female lead in Guan Jinpeng’s “Red Bean.”
Guan Jinpeng’s words undoubtedly pushed Zhou Xun and the Golden Horse Awards jury into the eye of the storm.
Reporters called Rongchen Film and Television and the Golden Horse Awards jury, asking for their comments on Guan Jinpeng’s remarks.
In Hong Kong, both the chairman Wen Jun and vice-chairman Chen Jiasheng proactively stepped forward to clarify, stating that there was no such thing.
On the domestic entertainment side, Yang Siwei also gave a lukewarm response.
But it wasn’t enough to satisfy them; the entertainment reporters were targeting Li Chen.
Only if Li Chen spoke would the topic explode.
One by one, the entertainment reporters, like plainclothes officers, loitered downstairs at Splendid Diamond.
Li Chen stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, hands in his pockets, shaking his head and chuckling as he watched the people downstairs.
“They’re really pitiful, Siwei. Tell someone to get them some hot water, don’t let them catch a cold.”
“Boss, you’re so big-hearted. They’re here to ambush you! These Hong Kong busybodies, I really suspect they’re doing it on purpose.”
Everyone knew that Rongchen Film and Television was the hottest in domestic entertainment right now.
As long as they could get some negative attention, they would surely stay on the entertainment headlines for two days.
No one could say for sure whether these Hong Kong people were putting on a double act.
They were riding on her boss’s popularity to create buzz for the Golden Horse Awards.
In Yang Siwei's own opinion, “Red Bean” was a terrible film.
It had no climax, no undercurrents; the whole film was blander than plain water.
The female lead, Sammi Cheng, gave her the impression of hysterically screaming from beginning to end, showing no discernible acting skill.
The most crucial point was that Sammi Cheng, whose main profession was singing, was paired with three Best Actor-level male actors by the producers.
What was that if not asking for trouble? So, it was understandable that it was heavily criticized upon release.
This was also one reason why Li Chen didn't want to respond to Guan Jinpeng's remarks.
He heard that Sammi Cheng became depressed after filming “Red Bean.”
“Red Bean” suffered both critical and box office failure.
Sammi Cheng bore the brunt of the criticism.
For this, she turned down all work and paid a considerable amount in breach of contract fees.
Why would he add salt to someone else’s wound?
Yang Siwei’s cell phone rang. As soon as she answered, after listening for only a few seconds, Yang Siwei seemed to turn to stone.
“Bo-boss, Yifei seems, seems to be attending the Golden Horse Awards too?” Yang Siwei said in disbelief.
“What nonsense! If she were attending the Golden Horse Awards, wouldn’t I know?”
“No, it’s true, look!” Yang Siwei handed the cell phone to Li Chen.
Upon seeing it, it was a Hong Kong Island media report listing the stars for the 25th Golden Horse Awards.
Besides domestic mainland stars like Shuang Bing, Zhang Ziyi, Mei Ting, and Zhou Xun, among others.
The most eye-catching name was undoubtedly the three characters of Liu Yifei.
Li Chen, without a word, picked up his cell phone and called Miss Liu.
As soon as the call connected, Miss Liu seemed to know Li Chen would call.
She said with a smile, “Surprised? With me accompanying you, you won’t have to fight alone!”
It seemed to be true. Li Chen said with a wry smile, “Why did you suddenly decide to go to the Golden Horse Awards too?”
This was so unlike Miss Liu’s style; she didn’t like hype or making a fuss.
On days without work, most of her time was spent either petting cats, walking dogs, or reading novels and scripts.
She would never agree to go to something like the Golden Horse Awards.
This year, the Golden Horse Awards committee, in an effort to boost its popularity,
widely invited prominent stars and directors from the Two Shores and Three Regions, as well as past Golden Horse Awards Best Actors and Actresses.
Miss Liu, as the most popular young actress in domestic entertainment today, was also on the invitation list.
“It’s all because of you, otherwise I wouldn’t go. I don’t have any works, so going would inevitably lead to criticism.”
Li Chen felt a warmth in his heart: “Actually, if you don’t want to go, there’s no need to force yourself. They’re all just small-time players, I don’t even pay them any mind.”
“I’ve already replied to them all, what’s the use of saying this now?” Miss Liu’s voice changed slightly.
“Haha, alright, alright, it’s good to have you by my side, to avoid seeing others flaunt their affection!”
“That’s more like it. I won’t talk to you anymore. Call me tonight, be proactive!”
Li Chen hung up the cell phone with a smile.
Yang Siwei chuckled, “Boss, I really didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
Li Chen raised his hand to interrupt Yang Siwei: “Since Xixi has already agreed, then we’ll just schedule the Hong Kong promotion for ‘those years’ for those two days.”
Yang Siwei nodded and said, “No problem, boss. ‘those years’ has already launched its Sina official website, and the original fans, Yifei’s fans, and your fans are all incredibly enthusiastic.”
Actually, it was mainly because there were too many original fans and Liu Yifei’s fans.
His boss’s fans, compared to the former two, were completely negligible.
Of course, the original fans could also be considered his boss’s fans.
Li Chen exited Splendid Diamond and was still surrounded by reporters.
“Director Li, Guan Jinpeng said that the Golden Horse Awards Best Actress is fixed for Zhou Xun. Do you have anything to say about that?”
“Director Li, Liu Yifei and you announced your participation in the Golden Horse Awards one after another. Was it already arranged?”
“Director Li, will you still attend this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival and Hundred Flowers Film Festival?”
Li Chen’s two assistants protected him while calling out, “Everyone, please make way, please make way.”
“Please respond, Director Li!” The entertainment reporters’ relentless microphones remained inseparable.
Li Chen walked and replied, “I have nothing to say about the Golden Horse Awards; Mr. Wen Jun and Director Chen Jiasheng have already responded.”
“As for Yifei, you can ask Red Star House; I only just found out myself.”
“If I have free time, I will go to the Shanghai International Film Festival and Hundred Flowers. Thank you, please make way.”
Once he finally got into the car, the entertainment reporters were greatly disappointed; what he said was as good as nothing.
It was too different from Li Chen’s previous style.
“What do we do? We wasted half a day squatting here. Li Chen’s replies can’t even be polished!” an entertainment reporter muttered to himself.
Several colleagues looked at this new face as if he were an idiot; no one paid him any mind.
The group of entertainment reporters scattered like birds and beasts, returning to write their articles.
Li Chen’s response was online that evening.
“Li Chen avoids mentioning the Golden Horse Awards, seemingly tacitly acknowledging that the Best Actress is fixed for Zhou Xun.”
“Has Li Chen changed his sharp style? The reason might indeed be as Guan Jinpeng said.”
Yang Siwei watched these entertainment reporters making wild guesses and felt a surge of anger.
She knew her boss’s attitude.
If it weren’t for considering Sammi Cheng’s state, in her boss’s original words: “The Golden Horse Awards isn’t the Golden Melody Awards; if the Best Actress were awarded to Sammi Cheng, *that* would be fixed!”
One sentence would shut these people up.
Yang Siwei immediately called Zhou Xun again.
“Sister Xun, don’t overthink it. There’s a reason why the boss didn’t speak up for you.”
Yang Siwei relayed Li Chen’s exact words to her.
Zhou Xun smacked her lips on the phone and said, “I didn’t expect Director Li to be quite a man. Don’t worry, I won’t overthink it.”
“Although I also want to win this Best Actress award, I already have a Silver Lion, so my mindset is very good; I’m going in with a light heart.”
Many people were surprised by Li Chen’s reaction; even Andy Lau called Li Chen.
He and Sammi Cheng were good friends, and he was genuinely afraid that Li Chen might inadvertently involve Sammi Cheng due to Guan Jinpeng’s remarks.
After all, Zhou Xun was Li Chen’s artist now, and based on his understanding of Li Chen, he was typically biased towards his own people, not necessarily towards what was right.
“This isn’t like your usual style, Li Chen,” Andy Lau said with a laugh on the phone.
“Forget it. If I really spoke up, Hua Ge, your good friend would inevitably suffer collateral damage. She’s already suffered enough.”
Andy Lau was stunned; he hadn't expected Li Chen to consider that reason.
After two or three seconds of silence, Andy Lau sighed, “I thank you on her behalf.”
“She’s not doing well at all, she’s shut herself in alone at home and won’t come out no matter who calls.”
Li Chen smiled, “What’s there to thank? I just didn’t say anything! Actually, Hua Ge, you could have told her there’s no need for this.”
“The biggest responsibility for a film’s failure lies with the producers and the director.”
“You forced her to play a role she wasn’t suited for, she didn’t pick her script, and her co-stars were all powerful actors.”
“Isn’t that just ruining someone?!”
Andy Lau gave a bitter smile; Li Chen was right.
However, if Sammi heard Li Chen’s words, her anxious mood might ease a bit.
That afternoon, Andy Lau forcibly invited Sammi Cheng out for afternoon tea.
He spent the entire afternoon with her, ignoring the paparazzi’s fabrications, just wanting to help his friend overcome her inner demons as quickly as possible.
“He really said that?” Sammi Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.
When she saw Guan Jinpeng’s remarks, she was really afraid that the mainland person would be merciless and further criticize her acting in Red Bean.
Given Li Chen’s current status and influence in the industry, if he were to comment on her, it would be tantamount to a final verdict on the negative online reviews.
She had actually been terrified these past two days, her mood highly tense.
She hadn’t expected Hua Zai to insist on inviting her out today to give her a reassurance.
“Sammi, how could I lie to you? If you don’t believe me, I’ll introduce you at the Golden Horse Awards, and you can ask him yourself,” Andy Lau said with a smile.
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, but the outside world says he’s young and never holds back his words. I didn’t expect him to let me off this time!”
Sammi Cheng’s face was still ashen, and no one knew how much she suffered filming Red Bean.
She was already thin, and the weight loss alone was more than most people could bear.
Andy Lau added, “Li Chen is a smart man; he knows about the discord between Yang Sheng and Xiang Sheng.”
“Whether Guan Jinpeng’s words were his own or someone else’s instruction is hard to say.”
Andy Lau also admired Li Chen’s shrewdness, seeing through the hidden meaning behind it all at a glance.
Red Bean was produced by Emperor Entertainment, and Golden Horse Awards Chairman Wen Jun and Wong Jing were good friends, both considered Xiang Sheng’s people.
Sammi Cheng was just cannon fodder; no one cared about her fate.
The box office for lost in thailand settled at 278 million, a very enviable figure.
It’s important to note that the cost of lost in thailand was only a little over 20 million.
The celebration banquet for lost in thailand was held at the Kempinski.
Countless celebrities and film company executives attended that night.
Whether it was for Li Chen and Wang Changtian’s sake, or for Xu Zheng, the newly crowned director of the Two Hundred Million Club, they had no reason not to come.
Xu Zheng was the absolute protagonist tonight, and his wife Tao Hong also wore a dazzling red evening gown.
Li Chen and Wang Changtian chatted, holding wine glasses.
“Brother, seeing him thrive in this kind of setting, don’t you feel a little sour?” Wang Changtian asked with a smile.
Li Chen glanced at Wang Changtian, amused, and said, “I think you’re asking if I care about Xu Zheng being recruited, aren’t you?”
Wang Changtian paused, then smiled, “No need to ask, I can tell by your expression.”
Li Chen turned to look at Xu Zheng, who was leading two people towards Wang Changtian and him.
Li Chen was amused; when did these two arrive without him noticing?
It seemed Xu Zheng had invited them himself.
“Wang Dong, Director Li, let me introduce a friend to you two.”
Xu Zheng, in a black suit, with shiny hair and bright eyes, pointed to the two people beside him.
One man and one woman. Li Chen recognized Jing Tian at first glance.
Her large, dark eyes stared curiously at Li Chen.
“This is Lu Zheng, General Manager Lu, from Starlight Brilliant Film and Television.”
Xu Zheng was about to introduce Wang Changtian and Li Chen.
Lu Zheng waved his hand and said, “No need for Director Xu to introduce, if I didn’t know Wang Dong and Director Li, how could I possibly be in the film and television industry?”
Lu Zheng extended his hand to Li Chen, saying, “Lu Zheng.”
Li Chen also extended his right hand, saying only two words: “Li Chen.”
Lu Zheng had a strong grip, likely a former soldier, with calluses on his tiger’s mouth.
Lu Zheng shook hands with Wang Changtian, then pointed to Jing Tian beside him with a smile.
“This is Jing Tian, an artist from my company. I hope you two will take good care of her in the future.”
The round-faced Jing Tian didn’t appear fat and extended her hands excitedly to introduce herself, “Director Li, hello, I’m Jing Tian. You can just call me Tian Tian.”
Li Chen shook her hand, surprised to find Jing Tian’s palm was wet, indicating she was overly nervous.
“Finally, I get to meet the leading lady who can make our Director Xu neglect his proper work,” Li Chen said with a smile.
Jing Tian’s face flushed, and Lu Zheng interjected, “Director Li is joking, it’s all just rumors online. Director Xu is not easy to invite.”
This was Li Chen’s first time meeting Lu Zheng.
Lu Zheng gave him the impression of being confident, to the point of being conceited.
Meeting for the first time, he asked Li Chen and Wang Changtian to take care of Jing Tian, but his tone conveyed an undeniable sense of command.
It was very similar to the way Han Sanping spoke.
“A while ago, I saw Director Li’s casting requirements for the female lead in the thieves. If Tian Tian didn’t lack a martial arts foundation, I would have really wanted to recommend her to try out,” Lu Zheng said with a smile.
Xu Zheng also smiled and said, “Yes, General Manager Lu mentioned this to me and hoped I could help. I told him no one can make decisions for Director Li.”
Li Chen frowned slightly; these two 'Zhengs' weren't trying to put on a double act to ask him for a role, were they?
It would be one thing if Lu Zheng didn't know the inside story, but didn't Xu Zheng know about Miss Liu and him?
Even without Miss Liu, he couldn't possibly give it to Jing Tian.
Jing Tian was a complete newcomer now; if she were to debut with the female lead role in the thieves.
Li Chen’s rumored girlfriend would probably change immediately.
“It seems General Manager Lu isn’t just targeting the music scene; inviting Director Xu has a hidden agenda,” Wang Changtian hinted meaningfully.
Li Chen knew everything even without Wang Changtian saying it.
Presumably, Jing Tian’s debut film, anaconda horror, would begin filming this year; it might even be in preparation now.
Lu Zheng didn’t hide his smile and said, “Wang Dong is right, my plan for Tian Tian is to develop her in film, television, and music. The MV is just a stepping stone.”
Li Chen glanced at Jing Tian beside him and kindly reminded, “General Manager Lu, it’s best not to take too big a step. For newcomers, forcing growth is not a good thing in the long run.”
“Hahaha, I appreciate Director Li’s good intentions,” Lu Zheng laughed heartily.
Many people were drawn by Lu Zheng’s laughter.
They all looked towards Li Chen, curious about who this girl was, who Lu Zheng was, and how he seemed so familiar with Director Li.
“Tao, who are those two next to Director Xu?” Yin Xiaotian asked.
Weng Hong also looked curiously at Tao Hong.
Tao Hong didn’t hide anything, smiling, “That’s General Manager Lu, the boss of Starlight Brilliant Film and Television, and Jing Tian, an artist from his company. They’re the ones who hired Old Xu to film the MV.”
“I see, Tao, your husband is a big director now. If there are any good roles, don’t forget your old classmate!” Yin Xiaotian said with a smile.
Throughout the evening, Tao Hong had heard that phrase no less than twenty times.
She finally understood what it meant for one person to rise and their entire household to benefit.
Many people used to call her by her first name, but now they called her Sister Hong when they met!
They used to call her husband 'your Old Xu', but now it was uniformly 'Director Xu'.
Only she could call him Old Xu.
Yin Xiaotian had just actively approached Li Chen to get close to him.
Li Chen, however, wasn’t particularly fond of him.
When the celebration banquet ended, Xu Zheng emotionally thanked Li Chen at the banquet.
He stated that without Director Li’s appreciation, there would be no Director Xu today.
No one could help but praise his words.
A black Mercedes drove through the night in Beijing.
“Uncle Lu, I feel like Director Li doesn’t like me very much?”
“It’s okay, Tian Tian, if there’s no Butcher Zhang, won’t we eat hairy pigs?” Lu Zheng said confidently.
He had also noticed Li Chen’s attitude towards Jing Tian; it wasn’t dislike, but there was no deliberate closeness either.
He consistently referred to Tian Tian as Miss Jing, maintaining a clear distance.
Li Chen and Wang Changtian didn't take Jing Tian and Lu Zheng too seriously.
As the saying goes, good advice is wasted on those determined to self-destruct. Since Lu Zheng wouldn't listen to Li Chen's words, he was left to his own devices.
Gossip about the Golden Horse Awards grew, and the Oscar results were also about to be announced.
But all of this couldn't overshadow the buzz around the thieves auditions.
Starting at nine in the morning, countless luxury cars lined up downstairs at Splendid Diamond.
Big-name celebrities arrived in luxury cars, while lesser-known artists took taxis.
Entertainment reporters had been staking out downstairs at Splendid Diamond since early morning.