Chapter 543: Husband and Wife Take the Field Together

On the red carpet, Gong Huang spoke bluntly, unable to hide her feelings—she had publicly humiliated the Jin Ma Awards, and it was clear she harbored resentment.

Added to the public exposure via images and internet livestreams, this incident became even bigger than before, firmly cementing the Jin Ma Awards.

Last month at the Jin Ma Awards, Gong Huang had confronted them and then gone silent, without further entanglement; the Jin Ma Organizing Committee responded by refusing to apologize—this was a rare opportunity to continue her attack.

The Wangyi enjoyed the spectacle, praising Gong Huang for her authenticity and boldness in saying anything, but most Wangyi also looked down on the Jin Ma Awards, for no other reason than its repeated incidents that hurt national sentiment.

But this had nothing to do with Fang Hong or the Macau Film Festival—it was Gong Huang venting her anger at the Jin Ma Awards herself.

Fang Hong had invited her here precisely to contrast and overshadow the Jin Ma Awards.

Once the host saw Gong Huang had vented to her satisfaction, he signaled her to enter the venue, marking the official end of the red carpet event.

Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian were waiting at the venue entrance to greet them; after all, they had been personally invited by Fang Hong, and Chen Daoming was the future chairman of the Film Association.

They deserved some courtesy and face.

Do you think Fang Hong will compete for that Film Association chairmanship? He has zero interest—it's a non-governmental organization, merely a channel for communication between civil society and officialdom.

Put plainly: you're here to watch over this circle for me, but beyond that, you only have advisory power, no decision-making authority—you don't get to decide.

"Sister Gong Li, Teacher Chen, welcome to our event," Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian stepped forward.

"The film festival is well done, quite good," Gong Huang stepped forward and shook hands with them.

She had been closely following this festival's preparations, and indeed, as the Principal had said, he hadn't lied to her.

They hadn't used her as a publicity stunt—they had genuinely poured real Silver into promotion.

"This is all thanks to your support; without you, no matter how hard I tried, it would've been in vain," Fang Hong smiled.

"Too modest, too modest—this is all your own effort, nothing to do with me," Gong Huang waved her hand, refusing to take credit.

Her presence was merely icing on the cake, offering no substantial help.

"Yes, we came because we saw you truly wanted to run a good film festival—our country truly needs a quality one," Chen Daoming agreed; the Principal coming out to greet them already showed clear attitude.

Fang Hong nodded, affirming it.

"Sister Gong Li, Teacher Chen, please come inside," Liu Tianxian stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter the venue.

The stage and seating in the venue were designed in a circular layout, as if embracing the stage, creating an excellent visual effect.

The seats were divided, with a central aisle to allow award recipients easy access to the stage.

Above the venue were two additional tiers—these were the fan seating areas, also designed in a circular wall-hugging layout to give those above a clearer view of the stage.

The celebrity guest seats were below, close to the stage, while the audience seats above faced backward against the walls, visually separating the audience from the stars—even if someone fell from above, they couldn't hit anyone below.

This made management easier, though of course there was a full security team on-site.

Such an event could never proceed without security, but the security resources were provided by Macau, while the festival paid the costs—clear division of responsibilities.

And all the audience members had bought tickets; whether Macau recouped any of the costs didn't matter—the Chang'e and Jade Rabbit must at least break even—otherwise, why spend so much money on charity?

Around the venue, advertisements from sponsors were posted, including promotional posters from nearby food, drink, and entertainment vendors.

In fact, whether it's a gala or a concert, the biggest advertisers are always local businesses.

Because tourists, after attending and watching, can directly spend money nearby; only with the spread of the internet have major brands increased their advertising.

At this moment, the upper and lower levels of the venue were packed; audience members upstairs held silver glow sticks or flashing signs with their favorite stars' names.

Below, celebrity and notable guests filled every seat—not just stars, but also prominent social figures.

Stars alone couldn't fill the seats, so they invited influential social figures from Macau with some social standing.

The award ceremony hadn't started yet; some people chatted, others waited quietly for it to begin.

When Fang Hong, Liu Tianxian, Gong Huang, and Chen Daoming appeared in the venue, all the celebrities and notable guests turned their gazes toward them.

"I didn't expect Gong Huang would come here," Fan Xiaopang said, even though he'd heard rumors of her arrival—his expression still betrayed surprise.

It was normal: the moment Gong Huang appeared, word spread like wildfire—but her actual presence still caused astonishment.

After all, there had been zero prior rumors of her coming; had they known she'd come, they'd have reconsidered whether to attend at all.

After all, where Gong Huang is, others fade into the background—it's a case of kings not meeting kings.

"Probably invited by the Principal—he still has tremendous influence," Huang Jiaozhu replied, forced to admire the Principal's current network in the entertainment industry.

Even the big and small Wangs couldn't summon someone like Gong Huang; someone of Chen Daoming's caliber could easily refuse the big and small Wangs too.

Fan Xiaopang turned to look at the four, paying special attention to Liu Tianxian; her casual, confident demeanor made him feel slightly overshadowed.

Liu Tianxian's current status in the industry was indeed surpassing them.

Guoji Zhang also watched the group; had she known Gong Huang was coming, she wouldn't have come—now she looked dull and utterly insignificant.

No wonder the Executive Committee didn't give them the closing slot; in terms of status, they simply couldn't match Gong Huang's international industry recognition.

Aside from these two with their own thoughts, most others were fine—just surprised by Gong Huang's unexpected appearance, since no one had heard she'd come.

One could only marvel at the Principal's skill.

Li Bailian's mindset was perfectly steady—she was now moving toward capital.

Tan Sijiang, seated in the front row, rose from his seat and walked down the aisle toward them.

"This is Director Tan," Fang Hong introduced him, to avoid any unfamiliarity.

"Welcome, Miss Gong and Mr. Chen, to Macau," Tan Sijiang extended his hand and shook theirs.

Their status and position warranted such courtesy—they weren't just celebrities, but carried authority.

It benefited both Macau and the film festival.

"Director Tan, you're too kind; a few years ago I came to Macau and had the honor of meeting you once," Gong Huang replied politely.

"Oh, really?" Fang Hong said.

"It was around 2009, during the opening of the Lan Kwai Fong Hotel—Miss Gong was the guest of honor for the ribbon-cutting ceremony."

Tan Sijiang explained, turning to Chen Daoming: "Teacher Chen, this is your first time here."

"Yes, indeed, first time—I feel a different atmosphere," Chen Daoming joked.

"Hahaha, then you must come often from now on."

Tan Sijiang smiled and gestured: "Come, your seats have been arranged already."

The group walked down the aisle, nodding and exchanging polite greetings with celebrities they recognized.

That's how the entertainment circle works—you keep running into the same faces; just seeing someone's face tells you instantly what they do and their status, easy as pie.

Unlike in business circles, where you might have to guess who someone is, since many businessmen keep a low profile.

"This is Director Cui… Representative He… and his daughter."

In the front row, Tan Sijiang introduced Gong Huang and Chen Daoming to Macau's celebrities and officials one by one.

Both men greeted each one in turn.

Then came Zhang Hongsen, Zhang Huijun, and Li Xuejian—no introductions needed; Gong Huang and Chen Daoming knew them all.

After all, they all moved in the same circle, and Zhang Hongsen was even listed in the Film Association.

"Daoming's here—looks like he's really looking forward to this awards ceremony," Zhang Hongsen chuckled.

"Oh, I'm just here to soak up the atmosphere," Chen Daoming replied politely.

As they chatted, they sat together, all familiar with each other; Fang Hong led Liu Tianxian down and sat beside them—this row was full of big names.

"What time is it?" Liu Tianxian whispered. Fang Hong pulled out his phone; Liu Tianxian tilted her head and saw the screen read exactly 8:00.

Both turned their gaze to the stage ahead. The hall fell silent; lights dimmed; a blooming lotus appeared on the giant screen behind the stage.

White mist rose across the stage, turning it dreamlike; dozens of female dancers in gradient blue-and-white gauze skirts stepped forward.

Their figures were supple and graceful, performing a group dance titled "Blossom"—the entire scene was romantic and beautiful, their movements unfolding like lotus petals, rich with symbolic meaning.

Visually, it was impressive—the stage had a 3D depth to it, after all, it cost a fortune.

Can't be stingy compared to the Golden Horse Awards.

As the performance began, CCTV Movie Channel, Star TV, and Macau Television all launched live broadcasts.

Earlier, the red carpet wasn't streamed live—if any channel wanted to broadcast it, the runtime would've been too long.

The red carpet was only briefly interrupted or reported via text snippets; live coverage focused entirely on the awards ceremony.

TV channels can't compete with internet streaming.

Chang'e Technology's live stream of the Macau Film Festival had been running continuously, with over five million viewers now.

Of course, it couldn't match the peak of the Hero Glory Finals, which once drew over ten million simultaneous viewers.

Still, this level of viewership was impressive—this number reflects concurrent viewers at this exact moment; people leave, others join, perfectly normal.

Add in the images, text, and video clips circulating online, and the total number of people who've seen this awards ceremony must exceed thirty million.

Add in TV viewers, and the total live audience becomes incalculable.

As time passed, the live stream's viewer count kept rising, because the director kept cutting to the faces of celebrities in the audience, making fans scream and flood the chat.

After the dance ended, the stage lights suddenly dimmed. From the dark backstage, a figure stepped forward—his gait and build suggested a middle-aged man.

The dim lighting made his face indistinct.

Guests and audience members were puzzled—why so mysterious? Even online viewers wondered: Who is this?

As the figure stopped at center stage, a single spotlight struck him.

"Good evening, everyone. I'm Cui Yongyuan. Welcome to the Sixth Macau International Film Festival Awards Ceremony." Cui Yongyuan spread his arms, his smile crooked, giving the impression he was smiling as if crying.

But people knew he wasn't crying—he just looked like that.

Seeing him in person and hearing his introduction, the guest seats erupted in a "Whoa!" of surprise.

"Applause!" The audience burst into clapping.

It was utterly unexpected—astonishing—the Macau Film Festival had invited this man to host.

This is the guy who says anything he wants! Only the Principal could be so fearless.

Even Zhang Hongsen and Gong Huang in the front row were taken aback—they hadn't expected the festival to invite him.

Inviting him meant the entire ceremony would be full of truth—not a single lie, just blunt criticism and satire.

You could only say the Principal was truly Tandang—unafraid of being criticized, mocked, or ridiculed.

Viewers watching the live stream were either confused or startled.

Those startled knew Cui Yongyuan was the kind who said anything, mocked anything—those who knew him were already flooding the comments.

"This is what a true intellectual looks like—the conscience of society."

"Amazing! The grandmaster of hosting!"

"This man is a warrior—the Principal really isn't afraid of anything."

"Good show coming—let's see how he'll roast this Macau Film Festival and every winner."

"You can only say the Principal isn't afraid of criticism!"

"."

Inviting him to host this film festival was unexpected, bold.

But most viewers didn't yet know him well—yet they felt intense curiosity: Why was this man so beloved and idolized?

It was normal—Cui Yongyuan felt distant and unfamiliar to most people.

Some had heard of him, but didn't truly know him.

Cui Yongyuan's tongue was beyond imagination—he mocked the Principal right on stage: "I don't even know why I'm here. Maybe the Principal paid me too much!"

"Hahaha!"

Laughter erupted instantly—the audience understood he was mocking the Principal for bribing him with money.

Liu Tianxian turned to look at Fang Hong; his expression was calm, as if he had no fear of anyone knowing.

"The Macau Film Festival is fascinating. When they first asked me to host, they offered a sum no ordinary person could refuse."

"I'm not famous, I don't have great talent—but I do have a backbone," Cui Yongyuan added with a touch of humor.

The audience laughed again—exposing the Principal's secrets.

In many people's eyes, this is a stain — the Golden Horse Awards and Golden Rooster Awards wouldn't dare open their books and reveal how much they paid to invite a single person.

Cui Yongyuan dares to say it, and the Principal dares to invite him!

But at the time, Fang Hong really had no way to invite this person — no connections, no social ties; if he went to talk, the other party could out-talk him easily.

So he could only pave the way with money, but it didn't work out.

"But the reason I didn't come isn't because of how much they offered. Paying me to host is only right — the Oscars would have to pay me too, right? I only take what I deserve, no more."

There's nothing wrong with that statement — if you ask someone to work, you have to pay them.

"The reason I didn't come is that I'd never even heard of this film festival. In my impression, it's some unknown, watered-down award. Nobody knows about a watered-down award like this. I'd be droning on up there while barely anyone in the audience listens — what's the point of me hosting? And the festival itself is pointless too.

Later, why did I come after all? It's because I gradually heard about this award, and I also heard that this award features a husband-and-wife team — the Principal gave the money to Liu Tianxian, and let Liu Tianxian serve as Image Ambassador."

"Oh oh oh!"

"Clap clap clap!"

When Cui Yongyuan said this, the audience below immediately erupted in warm applause and heckling.

Even the live-stream chat was scrolling nonstop.

"That move is 666!"

"The number one roaster."

"What does that mean!?"

"Badass, he really dares to say it."

This is a kind of dry humor — those who get it get it naturally, and those who don't can figure it out after thinking it over.

Actually, it's very simple: Cui Yongyuan is saying that this awards ceremony used to be an unknown, trashy award, but after the Principal's promotion and publicity like this, its fame shot up immediately.

And it's still a husband-and-wife team — these two are also running backroom deals, with Fang Hong giving the money to Liu Tianxian, letting Liu Tianxian serve as Image Ambassador for the publicity.

This one move flipped their whole backstory out in the open.

But Fang Hong didn't mind at all — he even contributed applause from the audience; Liu Tianxian also smiled and clapped.

Since her husband dared to invite this person, he wasn't afraid of being exposed; since he wasn't afraid, that means his conscience is clear.

It's perfectly normal — she is a star and artist, her job is exactly this image work: brand spokesperson, brand image person, and the like, that's the profession.

And Fang Hong is the big boss behind the scenes, giving her the business — what's there that can't be said?

(End of chapter)