Global Film Emperor

Chapter 148: Becoming Emperor!

This scene in the milk tea shop is one of the most classic scenes in "Mr. Tree," a scene that fans of the film watch over and over again. Wang Zhen has brought the mute girl Xiao Mei to life.

"Sa'a (fool)."

The way Xiaomei said those words was heartwarming and sweet. It has to be said that Wang Zhen's acting was really good. Compared to Wang Zhen, Jiang Wanyi's acting was far inferior.

To be honest, Wang Zhen was very nervous. She had won awards for television dramas in the early 2000s, but this was her first time winning a film award, especially a Best Actress award! Anyone would be nervous in that situation.

You could tell she was nervous just by looking into her eyes. Although her short curly hair had disappeared and been replaced by long, straight black hair, her eyes and expression made fans of "Mr. Tree" exclaim that she looked just like Xiao Mei.

Whether it's from the perspective of the stage presence (sorry, no lines), or the control of demeanor, actions, and emotions, Wang Zhen far surpasses Jiang Wanyi. This makes Jiang Wanyi feel rather guilty; she really can't compete with Wang Zhen.

Her only advantage over Wang Zhen is that the film "Fragrance of Flowers" focuses on the female protagonist, while "Mr. Tree" is the opposite, mainly from a male perspective, so Jiang Wanyi has much more screen time than Wang Zhen.

Moreover, the other two films were not made from dough either. "The Lone Wolf" was the box office champion during the 2017 Lunar New Year season. Although it was a comedy, it brought together many new and old actors, received good reviews, and its positive theme was also liked by the judges.

"Dawn" is an action-crime film. Although it received good reviews and performed well, its theme was a major flaw and it was unlikely to be popular. However, Zhang Jing is a big star! She is a Cannes Best Actress winner.

Wang Zhen's breathing was heavy; even through Zhuang Yu, Lu Ze could hear it. Zhuang Yu patted her shoulder, but she didn't seem to recover until the awards ceremony began.

The two veteran actresses in China are both in their sixties or seventies. This generation may not be familiar with them, but Lu Ze's grandfather loved watching one of them perform in "Taierzhuang". Lu Ze can still vaguely see her youthful appearance on that aged face.

"The winner of the Best Actress Award at the 49th Golden Rooster Awards is Jiang Wanyi for her role in 'The Scent of Flowers'!"

"Boom!"

A thunderclap on a sunny day exploded in Wang Zhen's head. She didn't actually faint, and her hands didn't move much, but anyone could see the disappointment in her eyes. From being a household name two thousand years later, to gradually being forgotten by the public after retiring from the entertainment industry due to illness, and then being forced to return to acting to earn money due to the pressure of life after recovering from her illness, but remaining unknown.

Her life has been full of ups and downs, and this time is no different, but it's not an upswing, it's a downswing.

"Don't think about it anymore. Go back and get some sleep. You'll become a movie queen, believe me."

Zhuang Yu's words of comfort had a slight effect, not because of Zhuang Yu's promise, but simply because Wang Zhen had a strong enough mental fortitude. He nodded and said nothing more.

Lu Ze didn't know what to say. He was definitely on Wang Zhen's side, but that was the reality, and he couldn't change it. Even if he tried to comfort her again, it would only be like rubbing salt into Wang Zhen's wounds. So he kept quiet, just looked at Wang Zhen, and then exchanged a glance with Zhuang Yu, his feelings complicated.

"Sister Zhen, I'm so sorry, I apologize."

Jiang Wanyi was very "sorry" and politely apologized to Wang Zhen. On the surface, she seemed very sincere. But considering the unpleasantness between the two production teams before, and the fact that Jiang Wanyi had come all the way from the next room to apologize to Wang Zhen, only an idiot would not understand what was going on.

Lu Ze and Zhuang Yu's expressions were slightly gloomy, but they hid behind Jiang Wanyi and were not caught on camera. Wang Zhen, on the other hand, had good self-control. Although you could still see some disappointment, he forced a smile and shook hands with Jiang Wanyi.

"Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war; winning and losing are both normal. Best wishes to you."

As Jiang Wanyi went on stage and began her acceptance speech, thanking many people, the three of them remained silent. At this point, the camera wouldn't be foolish enough to focus on them, thus saving face for Wang Zhen.

"Lu Ze".

"Ok?"

"To vent my sister's anger."

"I will."

Wang Zhen moved closer to Lu Ze, making sure the outsiders at the table couldn't hear. She was angry; who wouldn't be? Lu Ze was the dark horse for the Best Actor award, while Luo Ziqin, due to the subject matter, was the least likely to win.

Moreover, before the ceremony began, Shen Jinghan called Lu Ze and said very simply that she couldn't do anything underhanded for Lu Ze, but she could guarantee that Lu Ze's award would be absolutely fair.

So Luo Ziqin is basically done for, but he still has some hope, fantasizing that he might get lucky.

If Lu Ze really seizes the throne, he wouldn't mind kicking Luo Ziqin while he's down, since the two of them have already become enemies. Moreover, it's probably because Lu Ze's trash talk just now angered Jiang Wanyi, which is why she came to this table to show off, since Lu Ze just said that some of the people were hired.

Jiang Wanyi probably just wanted to get revenge and show Lu Ze and the other two that she was saying, "You said my fans were hired? Well, what do you have to say now? I won the award, but were the judges hired too?"

Jiang Wanyi spoke at length on stage before looking at the trophy with great interest and stepping off the stage. Then the main event began, with Lu Ze personally showing his arms and rolling up his sleeves to go on stage.

"The nominees for Best Actor at the 49th China Golden Rooster Awards are: Luo Ziqin for *The Scent of Flowers*, Xie Chuanyu for *Alone*, and Gao Lei for *Dawn*."

"Hello Mr. Tree, Lu Ze!"

"Tell your boss to shout three times at the wellhead on opening day to ward off evil spirits! Hey, 8:00 AM on the 18th of the 13th month, open on time, and may everything go smoothly."

The scene shifts to the disheveled Mr. Tree sitting in a tree, telling a fortune for Ruiyang Mining. This eerie scene still sends chills down the spines of those who have seen the movie. It can be said that the character of Mr. Tree was very successfully established.

Strangely enough, Lu Ze was quite nervous when Zhuang Yu and Wang Zhen were nominated for awards, but when it was his turn, he relaxed instead. The camera focused on Lu Ze's face, where he was smiling and calmly leaning back in his chair, waiting for the results.

"Here it comes! The main event!" "The tree is definitely fine, really. Lu Ze's performance in this movie is absolutely amazing. Although I didn't dare to watch the whole thing, I'm totally giving Lu Ze a huge shout-out!"

"It's definitely Ziqin! I also saw the tree, what a mess it is! I can't understand it at all, okay? That director won so many awards before, I still can't understand what the judges were thinking, there must have been some kind of rigged deal, right?"

"Screw your conspiracy theories! It's the 'Mr. Tree' not winning any awards that's really rigged!"

"Stop talking nonsense. No matter how good two newcomers are, can they be better than veteran actors? Xie Chuanyu has already won an imperial examination once. Although commercial films are not popular, his acting skills are not a problem!"

The comments section was flooded with messages, but they mostly revolved around the trees and flowers. After all, this was the judges' favorite art film, and it was quite well-made. Commercial films can earn billions, but action films and comedies without any depth can still win awards? Let's put that aside for now.

In reality, the vast majority of comments on the bullet screen were about Luo Ziqin. After all, he is a popular young actor with high online traffic. Regardless of whether he wins awards or not, his online presence is what matters.

Those netizens who remained silent were all pretty clear about which film they were rooting for.

The award was presented by two elderly gentlemen, one of whom was over eighty years old and had starred in a very famous and well-known war film, "Tunnel Warfare"!
The old man shakily tore open the envelope, adjusted his reading glasses with a trembling motion, swallowed hard, but his voice was loud and clear, showing that he was full of energy.

"The winner of the Best Actor award at the 49th China Golden Rooster Awards is Lu Ze for his role in 'Hello Mr. Tree'!"

Lu Ze remained calm with a smile on his face. He stood up and hugged Zhuang Yu and Wang Zhen again, shook hands with the big shots at his table, and bowed deeply to the big shots and colleagues at the tables in front and behind him.

He could see Song Guiyuan stand up and applaud him, while Han Tian stood with his arms crossed and expressionless in the distance. Zhang Yushi, who had just sung a song, simply clapped perfunctorily.

From stepping into Hengdian to making his official debut, the former extra in war films who used to eat two pounds of dirt a day has now stepped onto the biggest stage in the country, just like a sentence in a college course.

"A happy ending won't just fall into your lap; you have to find it and seize it. You'll definitely lose a lot along the way, but compared to the ending, it's insignificant."

Lu Ze has suffered a lot along the way. Compared to most award-winning actors who are from academia, he has endured a lot of hardship. But when the golden lights shine on him, he feels it was all worth it.

Worth it.

Buttoning up his suit, he was strong and imposing, exuding masculine charm. He bowed to the two male leads of "Lone Wolf" and "At Dawn," a sincere apology without sarcasm. He had done nothing wrong, but he also needed to express his respect to his seniors.

The two seniors smiled and nodded, indicating their understanding. As the saying goes, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. They are giving you face and respect, so you can't turn against them just because of an award.

Walking over to the table of "Fragrance of Flowers," he reached out his hand to Luo Ziqin. Luo Ziqin's expression was much worse than Wang Zhen's. It's not easy for someone who can't even act well to fake emotions.

Ignoring the expressions of everyone in the "Fragrance of Flowers" crew, he extended his hand, fingers together, and hooked it twice toward his palm, signaling Luo Zi to hurry up and shake hands, as he was in a hurry to receive his award.

"Ziqin, I'm so sorry, I apologize."

He threw back Jiang Wanyi's sarcastic remarks about Wang Zhen verbatim, giving Jiang Wanyi, who was still happily oblivious to her newfound Best Actress award, a resounding slap across the face. "You slapped my friend in the face, so I'll slap both you and your friend in the face."

"Fuck your mother's stinky bastard."

Luo Ziqin didn't say it aloud, but it was written all over his face. Lu Ze beckoned with his finger again, and Luo Ziqin could only force a smile as their hands clasped together.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you for your hard work."

To be honest, Lu Ze's mouth is really sharp. What's so hard about it? It's just that Luo Ziqin had to accompany him. He traveled all the way to Guangzhou, played for two days, and didn't get anything.

The two of them are sworn enemies—no, Lu Ze is sworn enemies with the entire "Fragrance of Flowers" crew. But so what? You, Luo Ziqin and Jiang Wanyi, may be popular, but sorry, I, Lu Ze, the Best Actor, am no less popular than you. Thank you~
After leaving the table where "Fragrance of Flowers" was performed, Lu Ze strode onto the stage. He was now shining brightly, having ascended to the highest award hall in the country.

He bowed to the two elderly gentlemen, then accepted the certificate and trophy with both hands. After seeing them off, he stood in front of the microphone, exhaled deeply, and then kissed the trophy without saying a word.

"First of all, I would like to thank the organizers and judges. Thank you! There are many other people I would like to thank, Director Zhuang, Sister Zhen, and every member of the crew. This award is definitely not just for me."

The applause was not sparse; Comrade Lao Song kept waving at him, and Lu Ze also gave him a thumbs up.

"As an actor, what we all strive for is this, but I really didn't expect to win this award so quickly. I can't say anything but excited. But I believe that all actors have one flaw: a desire for awards. I am no exception. So I will not stop here, but will continue to climb. I dare not say that I will make a great contribution to the film industry, but I hope to become a cornerstone of Chinese cinema and continue to bring good stories to the audience. Thank you!"

After bowing to everyone again, Lu Ze stepped down from the stage, where he was greeted by the attention of the crowd and continuous applause.

In places he can't see, such as online live streams, the screen is constantly filled with comments, each containing a very simple sentence.

“Well-deserved.”

On September 16, 2018, Lu Ze won his first Best Actor award in Guangzhou.

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I added an extra chapter tonight, and then I'll be shameless! Recommendation votes, monthly tickets, and most importantly, the year-end gala—my fragile body has already been played with by over thirty authors, but I belong to you all! Not someone other authors can toy with as they please! To prevent you all from being cheated on in the future, please give your support cards to me! My butt hurts so much! Sending you a heart! *kiss*
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(End of this chapter)