Chapter 465: A New Journey

Lu Yan He and Shang Yongzhou were the only two people who heard this mutter from Director Fu Kai.

Both of them couldn't help but use applause to cover up their laughter, which wasn't entirely of congratulatory intent.

Fu Kai went on stage, took a small piece of paper out of his pocket, and said with a smile: "Sorry, my English isn't very good, so I made some preparations in advance. I didn't expect to really be able to use it—this sentence was also prepared in advance, hahaha."

The whole audience was amused by this unexpected opening remark.

This acceptance speech of Fu Kai was written with a general idea in advance, translated in advance by Linyu, and written on a small piece of paper.

"When filming this movie *Road to Glory*, I never thought it would be shortlisted for the Horizons section of the Venice International Film Festival. Thanks to the two actors Shang Yongzhou and Lu Yan He. Without them, I don't think this movie would have been noticed by the film selectors of the Venice International Film Festival. I have been a director for many years and am not a newcomer, but this is the first time I have truly received funds and can film such a movie that is not for the purpose of box office. Thanks to Mr. Ruan Qingping of Shandi Pictures, because of your support, I was able to film this movie." Fu Kai finished reading his speech according to the manuscript, took a deep breath, and seemed to want to say something else, but stopped talking. Then, he held the trophy in his hand, weighed it hard to feel it, said a "Thank you" in Chinese, and stepped down.

Lu Yan He and Shang Yongzhou sat under the stage and applauded.

Best Film Award of the Horizons section of the Venice International Film Festival.

The second international big award harvested by the movie starring Lu Yan He.

Even Ning Xiulian turned her head and looked at Lu Yan He and Shang Yongzhou.

Shang Yongzhou is fine.

Lu Yan He's luck in winning awards in the past few years is really outrageously good, to the point of being unbelievable.

And the media also released this news for the first time.

Although it is said that the Horizons section is not as influential as the main competition section, it is, after all, an official competition section of a top film festival. Being able to win such a big award is also an achievement that can be written into a career representative work.

Guan Sucheng posted on Weibo for the first time: "Nothing to say. On this track of international awards, Chen Pinhe in his 40s, Shang Yongzhou in his 30s, and Lu Yan He in his 20s, these three people are the three big mountains of male actors, and their dominance cannot be shaken."

Guan Sucheng also posted in seconds: "It depends on whether this *Happy Hour* can push Ning Xiulian to the throne in one fell swoop and break the dominance pattern of female actors. However, Ning Xiulian and Chen Bige are of similar age, unlike those male actors whose tracks are completely different. This means that even if Ning Xiulian wins the Best Actress award at this year's Venice International Film Festival, it is still difficult to shake Chen Bige, who already has two international four major film festival Best Actress trophies in hand."

Someone commented under Guan Sucheng's Weibo: What era is it, can't we just work together? Why do we have to make it seem like they are fighting to the death?

Guan Sucheng replied directly: No matter what era, competition and status differences exist. If you work together, then don't have any nominations and awards. Just give them awards, what do you think?

Guan Sucheng also felt very speechless.

Work together?

If most people in the entertainment industry could work together, where would there be so many things fighting to the death?

The top directors, the top scripts, the biggest investments... there are only a few such projects every year, and there are more monks than porridge.

You don't grab, and you ask others not to grab?

Who cares about you?

The entertainment industry is a place with no order at all. This is not a derogatory description, but a fact. Some actors in this play are auditioned, and in that play, they are relying on the back door to get it done. Some plays, no matter how good your acting skills are, you can't compare with the "feeling" and "temperament" that the director sees at a glance. Some plays you work hard for half a year, but because the start time is delayed and it hits your schedule behind, you can only regret giving up.

This is an environment where no one can make a final conclusion until the last moment. In such an environment, you expect to work together?

Who do you think you are?

Li Zhibai and Yan Liang even had a dispute over a variety show like *Supernova Games*.

Fu Kai took the award down and said regretfully to Lu Yan He and Shang Yongzhou: "It's a pity that the two of you didn't win the Best Actor award in the Horizons section."

Shang Yongzhou waved his hand with a smile and said: "It's okay."

Lu Yan He also nodded and said: "Win it again in the future."

Lu Yan He silently accepted his secularity in his heart—well, if it were the main competition section, then he might really feel regretful. The Best Actor in the Horizons section, it's tasteless to eat, but a pity to discard. If he really won it, he would be depressed in his heart why this movie wasn't shortlisted for the main competition section.

He said with his mouth that the Horizons section is of course very good, why must it be shortlisted for the main competition section—but if it could really be shortlisted for the main competition section, no one would want to come to the Horizons section.

Lu Yan He was just trying to maintain a kind of decency.

Chen Ziyan sometimes said he was not as simple as before.

Lu Yan He laughed at that time and said: "It's good that I can try to maintain open-mindedness. Simple? If I've been debuted for so long and am still simple, that's not simple, that's stupid."

Chen Ziyan rolled her eyes: "You're still panting when I say you're fat. I said you're not as simple as before, because your lower limit was low enough before, not saying you're so wise and sophisticated now."

Lu Yan He gritted his teeth in anger.

Remembering the past, Lu Yan He couldn't help laughing.

The award process slowly advanced.

Fortunately, this time, the Venice International Film Festival did not have an upset, and the winner of Best Actress was Ning Xiulian.

When the name was read out by the presenter, Ning Xiulian gave a cheer of surprise and hugged Yu Qin with an unbelievable face.

Yu Qin responded to her hug with a face full of joy, and she didn't sit down until Ning Xiulian went on stage.

Lu Yan He and the others all applauded Ning Xiulian sincerely.

As soon as Ning Xiulian went on stage, her eyes turned red, and when she opened her mouth, her tone was already choked.

"It's really a surprise to me. I thought my career was coming to an end, but at this time, I was given a huge reward!" Ning Xiulian's English was much better than Fu Kai's. She was speaking on the spot, "When Director Yu Qin led our crew to start filming *Happy Hour*, none of us thought that we could receive such a warm welcome in Venice."

Lu Yan He was moved by Ning Xiulian's true feelings, and on the other hand, he was a bit curious, what was Yu Qin's thought at this moment?

"This is Ning Xiulian's first award," Shang Yongzhou said. "Before, she hadn't won any slightly formal acting awards in China, which is really regrettable. Her acting skills are really stylish. No matter what role is handed to her, she can complete it well. I collaborated with her once, but that role was not enough for her to exert one-tenth of her strength."

This was the first time Lu Yan He heard Shang Yongzhou evaluate Ning Xiulian.

Lu Yan He was a bit surprised.

Based on his understanding of Shang Yongzhou, Shang Yongzhou is actually a person who focuses more on himself and rarely comments on others.

Shang Yongzhou said: "You can try to collaborate with her if you have the chance. Although she has a bit of personality, she is indeed a good actor."

Lu Yan He reacted.

Shang Yongzhou probably saw that he had been relatively distant from both Yu Qin and Ning Xiulian for the past few days, so he mentioned it at this time.

Lu Yan He didn't know if he understood it wrong. He felt that Shang Yongzhou seemed to be worried that he had opinions about Ning Xiulian and wouldn't be willing to collaborate with her in the future, which was a very regrettable thing for her. He appreciated Ning Xiulian and didn't want to see Ning Xiulian miss such an opportunity. Lu Yan He didn't dare to confirm such thoughts with Shang Yongzhou because he felt that such thoughts were too arrogant and narcissistic.

People are already the Best Actress of the Venice International Film Festival, their status is completely different from the past, and their market is also different.

Shang Yongzhou: "It's not easy for her to persist until now."

Lu Yan He said with a smile: "Shixiong, now that she has won the Best Actress of the Venice International Film Festival, there won't be few people looking for her to film in the future. If I want to collaborate with her, I guess I still have to queue up."

Shang Yongzhou smiled and said: "Yan He, you know, even the top actors are always in the position of being chosen. Actors like you who have both editing, directing, and acting abilities are few and far between. Your future will go further than all of us."

Lu Yan He didn't expect that even Shang Yongzhou would say such things.

He was stunned.

Because he didn't know how to answer this.

"Flattered," Lu Yan He said blankly. "Are you people at the top of the mountain all encouraging juniors like this?"

He made a joke.

Shang Yongzhou smiled and didn't say anything more.

He wasn't joking with Lu Yan He, so he didn't want to use a sentence or two to answer Lu Yan He's joke.

This Venice International Film Festival ended just like that.

Both Chinese films won big awards, and the luck was very good.

Of course, Yu Qin seemed a bit dissatisfied. After all, the one who won the award was Ning Xiulian.

Ning Xiulian returned to China as a new international Best Actress, full of spring breeze. At the airport, as soon as she appeared, she was surrounded by a large number of media.

She came back on the same flight as Yu Qin.

When Yu Qin saw her surrounded by the media, she lowered her head and prepared to leave first.

Ning Xiulian suddenly reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her back.

Yu Qin's surprise could be clearly seen even with glasses.

"Don't just pester me, you let Director Yu run away without paying attention. Director Yu, you can't leave me alone," Ning Xiulian hugged Yu Qin's arm and showed a dependent smile.

Yu Qin: "... How did I run away?"

It was actually a very speechless reaction, but in the eyes of the media, it seemed like a director's helpless doting on her female lead.

From afar, Lu Yan He, who came back on the same flight, saw them surrounded by media reporters, and hurriedly hid behind Zou Dong, Wang Biao, and Chen Ziyan, avoiding their line of sight, and hurried away.

After really getting into the car without being discovered or disturbed, Chen Ziyan said: "Lu Yan He, you have really become a chicken thief. You specifically let Ning Xiulian and Yu Qin go out first, and waited for a long time before leaving. I said you are not such a dawdling person."

Lu Yan He: "... Ziyan-jie, don't say it if you see through it."

Chen Ziyan: "*Road to Glory* won an award, and there will definitely be a seminar later. You take some time these days to think about what you want to say at the seminar. The specification of this kind of seminar will be relatively high, and some officials who have real power and want to do practical things for the film industry will also participate. What you say at the seminar may be more useful than what you usually say in front of the media. I actually heard your suggestion for the release of *Road to Glory*, and I felt it was quite good. Someone actually put forward such an idea before, but their power was very thin, and not many people valued what they said. It was because you said it that Fu Kai and Shandi Pictures would seriously study the feasibility."

Lu Yan He nodded after being reminded by Chen Ziyan.

Chen Ziyan knew that Lu Yan He's opinions were increasingly valued in the industry because he had achieved too many eye-catching achievements in the past. Before his myth failed, every word he said would be regarded as a treasure and law by others.

Chen Ziyan used to worry about this very much, fearing that Lu Yan He would be held too high.

Now Chen Ziyan feels that instead of worrying, it is better to make good use of such an environment to obtain greater benefits for Lu Yan He.

No matter how she worries, the myth either continues, or welcomes the first failure, and then the myth is shattered.

This is not something she can change by worrying or not worrying.

Lu Yan He sat in the car, brushing Weibo, and suddenly made a "tsk" sound.

"What's wrong?" Chen Ziyan asked.

"Director Yu Qin's movie, do you know what Ning Xiulian-laoshi said to the reporter at the airport just now?" Lu Yan He asked.

Chen Ziyan shook her head.

After a long flight, Chen Ziyan didn't care to look at the news on the Internet at all now.

"What did she say?"

Lu Yan He directly disconnected the mobile phone from the Bluetooth headset, turned up the volume, and played the sound of the video out.

"Our movie is filmed, but... Director Yu, are we possibly going to reshoot?" Ning Xiulian asked Yu Qin in front of everyone.

Yu Qin gave a blank "Ah?"

Ning Xiulian said: "It's nothing else, Ziliang might be a singer, so his acting is still a bit immature now, and this movie was filmed very temporarily, he didn't have time to prepare at all, we are indeed a bit dissatisfied with the quality of the filming, including Ziliang himself said so."

Yu Qin looked at Ning Xiulian in surprise, and didn't open her mouth to answer for a long time.

Ning Xiulian didn't seem to notice Yu Qin's strangeness and shook her head with a smile.

"But these have to be decided by the director. I am just an actor, I listen to the director," Ning Xiulian said. "Filming *Happy Hour* with the director was one of my most pleasant filming experiences. If it weren't for Director Yu's guidance to me, I definitely wouldn't have won this award."

Chen Ziyan took a deep breath in surprise and sighed: "Ning Xiulian is pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth?"

Lu Yan He said: "I often heard about many such things in the entertainment circle before, but I rarely witnessed it with my own eyes. This time, I saw it from beginning to end. I feel like my three views are about to be shattered."

Chen Ziyan: "But Ning Xiulian is also determined that Yu Qin will definitely not turn against her at this time. *Happy Hour* returned with praise, and she just won the Best Actress award. The box office performance after *Happy Hour* depends mostly on Ning Xiulian, the new Best Actress. No matter what, she can't expose the fact that their relationship is very bad in front of the public."

Lu Yan He: "Doesn't Ning Xiulian worry at all that Yu Qin will completely tear her face with her in private and never associate with her again?"

"What does she have to worry about now? The Best Actress of the Venice International Film Festival is in hand. This Best Actress can protect her until retirement," Chen Ziyan said. "And, to be honest, in our domestic film and television environment, actors who really have acting skills may not be very popular, but they will definitely have food to eat. What are you afraid of offending Yu Qin? Even if you offend a real industry boss like Luo Yuzhong, it is impossible to completely block people."

Lu Yan He was amazed.

No wonder, it turns out this is the reason why people are full of confidence.

Chen Ziyan said: "Except for breaking the law and discipline, and directly using physical means to make you check no such person, otherwise, there is no one in this world who can completely make you have no way to go, and there is tossing!"

Lu Yan He nodded with a smile.

"Learned."

"Oh, by the way, there is one more thing I haven't told you," Chen Ziyan said. "The filming time of the movie *Burning Fire* is set, starting in April next year, and your filming time is about 90 days."

Lu Yan He asked in surprise: "Such a long time?"

"Mm," Chen Ziyan nodded. "This movie has many big scenes, and you are one of the protagonists. You have a lot of scenes to appear in, plus many action parts in this play, the difficulty of filming is much greater than ordinary plays."

Lu Yan He has filmed action plays.

In Director Chen Lingling's *Phoenix Terrace*, his action play part was indeed difficult to film.

An action play, just one play, if it is relatively important in the plot, even if the final presented fragment is only ten minutes, it may take two days to finish filming.

The technical difficulty is not of the same order of magnitude.

Lu Yan He nodded in understanding.

Chen Ziyan said: "Your first commercial blockbuster is finally coming."

She was a bit expectant and excited.

Lu Yan He also said "Mm."

He was also equally expectant.

People who like art films and film festivals look down on commercial films, thinking it is too low-level and simple. People who like commercial films and big scenes look down on art films and film festivals, thinking that it is just a small group of people entertaining themselves, and even feel that the domestic film circle has long since stopped waiting for them, and the halo is no longer there.

But people who are truly in the film industry know very well that the current film world is composed of various small worlds, which makes it still one of the most influential art carriers in the world today.

In the era when video platforms constantly grab traffic, the artistic status and sense of superiority of movies still rely on those awards to support their artistic and honorary halo.

In the era when the influence and dissemination of awards are increasingly declining, the occasional masterpieces with global box office breaking 1 billion or even 2 billion US dollars can still attract global attention with huge box office numbers and colorful star halos.

This is the current film industry.

Lu Yan He looked forward to his first commercial movie just as he looked forward to film festivals and awards. ===== CHAPTER 466 =====