Chapter 545: Not Accepted

"Is the Blue Ribbon planning a reform this year?" Chen Ziyan muttered in surprise.

"It's been doing just fine; why the sudden reform?" Lu Yan He was also puzzled.

"Because among the three major awards, it has always had the lowest influence," Chen Ziyan said. "I know they've always wanted to change that and boost their influence. They even invited Chen Lingling to be the jury president this year—it took a great deal of effort to get her to agree."

Lu Yan He wore a look of astonishment.

Chen Lingling, with that temper and personality of hers, as a judge?

If nothing else, at least there would be no chance of any shady dealings.

You could call Chen Lingling stubborn or bad-tempered, but you could never call her unjust.

Among all the people Lu Yan He knew, the only directors who still possessed that untamed spirit and couldn't be bothered to be slick or duplicitous were Chen Lingling and Wang Zhong.

"Could this all be Chen Lingling's doing?"

"Of course not. She is only responsible for leading the judges in selecting the winners from the list of nominees; the preliminary selection of the nomination list is handled by a different group of judges," Chen Ziyan said. "The Blue Ribbon changed its general producer last year. His name is Wen Yang. He used to be a director and an actor, but he hasn't been on the front lines of creation for over a decade. He became the CEO of a cultural fund company, then an executive at a video website, and later served as a producer for many film and television dramas. It wasn't until last year that he announced he would become the general producer of the Blue Ribbon Awards."

In fact, the role of general producer is somewhat like the artistic director of an international film festival.

If the director is the operator of a film or television drama, the general producer and artistic director are the operators of these events.

They are the ones responsible for the quality and the ones who take the blame.

"It's not normal for Jiang Mingzheng to open fire like that," Chen Ziyan said. "Aside from a few true troublemakers in the country, who would really open fire on the three major awards?"

Lu Yan He said, "Then I have no idea."

Chen Ziyan seemed to have sniffed out some unusual information from these signs.

"Perhaps... something is going to happen at this year's Blue Ribbon Awards."

Just then, Lu Yan He's phone buzzed again.

Yan Liang said in the group chat: Director Wu Zhouyou has decided not to attend the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony.

Lu Yan He asked in surprise: Why?

Although "The Gold Rush" wasn't nominated for Best Director, it was nominated for Best Television Drama.

Yan Liang: The director is filming "Yesterday Replayed," and the schedules clash.

Lu Yan He realized: Oh, I see.

Lu Yan He had thought there was some conflict that made Wu Zhouyou refuse to attend.

Jiang Mingzheng's bombardment had made Lu Yan He overthink things.

Yan Liang: But I feel like the director intentionally found this excuse not to go. Everyone in the group is celebrating the nominations, but he hasn't said a word of celebration. He's probably unhappy about not getting a Best Director nomination.

Lu Yan He: Actually, given how difficult "The Gold Rush" was to film and how high the quality of the finished product is, he should have been nominated.

Yan Liang: I don't know what's going on, but this time when we submitted our entries to the Blue Ribbon, the organizing committee communicated with us several times. There were three people, including me, who were asked to change the category we were applying for. Even Fu Ming, who was originally going to apply for Best Supporting Actress, was asked to apply for Best Actress instead. In the end, none of us got a nomination.

Li Zhibai: Isn't it easier to get a nomination if she applies for Best Supporting Actress?

Yan Liang: Yes, she did get a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Golden Tripod Awards.

Lu Yan He: Did they make her apply for Best Actress too? Although she is indeed the female lead in your drama, your show is primarily centered on you and Wan Yun, the two male characters. Her character is indeed set up as a supporting role in the context of the whole show.

Yan Liang: We don't know what the organizing committee's considerations were.

At this moment, Chen Ziyan suddenly let out an "Oh."

Lu Yan He turned his head to look.

Chen Ziyan said, "The Blue Ribbon will hold a media press conference this afternoon to explain the nomination list and nomination rules for this year's awards."

She put down her phone. "It seems I was right; the Blue Ribbon Awards are indeed planning to stir up trouble this year."

"Linyu, you need to take people there yourself; there should be some major moves," Chen Siqi was also paying attention. Combining the news she had gathered from various channels, she had the same judgment as Chen Ziyan. "I have already applied for an exclusive interview to see if I can get one with Wen Yang. If I can, Li Bi will meet up with you then."

"Okay," Linyu replied immediately. "I'm currently in a meeting at Yuehu Station. I've already booked a high-speed train for an hour from now and will be back immediately. The reaction at Yuehu Station is also quite strong; they have dramas that were shortlisted too."

"I don't know the reason yet, but I've heard that many people in the film and television industry are lobbying others not to attend this year's Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony," Chen Siqi said. "Something must have happened within the Blue Ribbon Awards that we don't know about yet."

Linyu asked, "Will Yan He be attending the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony this year?"

"I don't know, I haven't asked," Chen Siqi said. "He has Sister Ziyan there, so he must have heard the rumors too. Let's figure out what's going on first."

Linyu: "Understood, I'm about to board the train."

"Alright, I'm hanging up then. You should hurry and look at the materials."

"Not attending the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony?" Yan Liang looked at Zhou Ping'an in shock. At this moment, he was even a bit incredulous. "Are you serious, Brother Ping'an?"

Zhou Ping'an said, "Don't be anxious yet. Let me ask you, how much hope do you think you have of winning an award with this nomination?"

"Basically none," Yan Liang said. "But this is my first Blue Ribbon nomination. For me, even just being nominated is a huge honor."

At his age, those who can be nominated for the three major awards can be counted on one hand.

Zhou Ping'an: "I know, but I want to tell you one thing: if you don't attend the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony this time, your next drama, 'The Summit,' will definitely receive a Golden Tripod Award nomination next year."

Yan Liang hesitated for a moment, looking at Zhou Ping'an doubtfully. "Brother Ping'an, 'The Summit' hasn't aired yet, right?"

"Yes, it hasn't aired, but if you can skip the Blue Ribbon, 'The Summit' can help you get another Golden Tripod nomination," Zhou Ping'an said. "It's even very possible you could win."

Yan Liang looked at Zhou Ping'an in silence.

Zhou Ping'an nodded. "Considering the practical benefits, I think this is a condition very much worth accepting."

"Getting a Golden Tripod nomination just by not attending sounds like a pie falling from the sky," Yan Liang said. "It makes me wonder if there's some significance to my not attending that I don't know about yet."

"Someone is dissatisfied with the current Blue Ribbon organizing committee. You also know that this year's Blue Ribbon nomination list is very different from the works shortlisted for the Golden Tripod Awards."

"Is that why the Golden Tripod Awards are dissatisfied with the Blue Ribbon Awards?"

"Of course not," Zhou Ping'an shook his head. "There are others who are dissatisfied. In short, many people will not attend the Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony this time. You are a nominee for Best Actor; if you don't attend, you can get the most generous conditions. I hope you can agree to it."

"If I don't attend, won't that make the Blue Ribbon Awards dissatisfied with me too?"

"We just need to find a legitimate excuse. You're currently filming 'Friends,' isn't that the most convenient excuse?"

"The awards ceremony is on the weekend, and 'Friends' doesn't film on weekends. Anyone can find that out with a simple question," Yan Liang said. "Brother Ping'an, I admit this condition is very tempting to me, but it's too... it's like someone suddenly running up to me and telling me which stock to buy because it's about to rise 90%. It's too bizarre, and it makes me uneasy. So, forget it."

Zhou Ping'an looked at Yan Liang in shock.

"You don't even care about a Golden Tripod nomination?"

"I care, but I care about what I earn fair and square. That way, I can have peace of mind and not feel guilty," Yan Liang said. "I won't accept this kind of thing because it would become a stain on my life forever." ===== CHAPTER 546 =====