Chapter 245: Twilight Premiere, A Genius is Dead

Fan Fan Binbing drove slowly and leisurely. By the time she reached the gate of the Korean-only school near Chen Nuo's home, Cui Xueli had likely been waiting for quite a while.

Fan Fan Binbing looked at the tall girl standing at the school gate, constantly looking around, and asked curiously, "Is this that Korean little sister of yours?"

Chen Nuo gave a grunt of affirmation.

Fan Fan Binbing sighed slightly, "Your parents are truly good people." There seemed to be a different sort of implication in her tone.

Chen Nuo actually knew a little bit about her family situation; every family has its own difficult scriptures to recite.

"Alright, you can drop me off here."

Fan Fan Binbing asked in surprise, "Why?"

Chen Nuo said, "What do you mean why? There's no place to park here. Wait for me in the car for a bit. Once I finish my business and come out, you can tell me more about that show of yours."

Fan Fan Binbing chuckled, "Wait for you to finish your business? I'm afraid you'll just run off by then."

Chen Nuo paused for a moment, then laughed, "How is that possible?"

In truth, that was exactly what he was thinking—once he finished his business, he would call Li Er, have him come to the school gate, and he would get in the car with Cui Xueli and take off.

Because while they were in the car, Fan Fan Binbing had just finished talking about some Asian Film Awards, and he had just agreed to it.

As it turned out, she then said that the design director of Chanel had invited her to watch their year-end grand show in Hong Kong, and asked if she could bring Mr. Chen Nuo along as well.

She promised that for the two of them, she would arrange a first-row seat that would absolutely not be snatched, occupied, or require them to squeeze in.

Chen Nuo didn't understand much about it, but Fan Fan Binbing felt that this seat seemed to have significant competitive value, so the woman was once again trying to coax him into watching the show, which he found incredibly annoying.

Fan Fan Binbing said, "I'm just joking with you. I just helped my younger brother with the enrollment procedures, so I'll handle this. If you show up, the commotion will be too big."

Having said that, Fan Fan Binbing didn't wait for Chen Nuo to reply. She stepped on the gas and parked the car directly beside Cui Xueli, lowered the driver's side window, and without caring whether the other party understood or not, said, "Little beauty, get in."

If one were to talk about the Chinese actress with the most star quality in daily life in 2008, if Fan Fan Binbing were willing to settle for second place, perhaps only Gong Li could say, "Should I try for first?"

At this very moment, as Fan Fan Binbing drove a shiny, imposing black G-Wagon, exposing her upper body,

one hand resting on the steering wheel, turning her head to look over,

although a head of jet-black hair covered half her face and a pair of large sunglasses hid her eyes, that vibrant red cherry mouth alone, and that fair, delicate chin—unique and one-of-a-kind across China, Japan, and Korea—

were enough to intimidate a little trainee like Cui Xueli, who hadn't seen much of the world.

And it wasn't just Cui Xueli.

When the Korean girl got into the car at Chen Nuo's beckoning and Fan Fan Binbing stepped on the gas to drive directly to the school gate, the security guard in his 40s who came out to check the situation couldn't even speak a word in front of her.

"Sir, please open the gate. We're going in to handle enrollment procedures for the child," Fan Fan Binbing asked with an incredibly natural expression, as if she completely failed to see the yellow sign standing on the ground at the gate, which had large characters written on it: "No Outside Vehicles Allowed."

The security guard came to his senses and shook his head repeatedly, saying, "No, no. Outside vehicles aren't allowed to park in our school. You can go to the parking lot ahead, just go straight for twenty meters..."

Before the guard could finish, Fan Fan Binbing took off her sunglasses, the corners of her mouth curling up into a smile, while she added a bit of weight to her tone, saying, "Sir, I'm a new driver and I can't find the way at all. Please, help me out~"

This was truly a foul.

Even if the security guard had just arrived in the capital this year and was working here through an acquaintance, not knowing any celebrities—perhaps not even recognizing five out of all the celebrities in China—

this was enough.

Out of those five, Fan Fan Binbing would certainly be one of them.

Chen Mou, who might be one out of twenty, didn't blush either. Watching the retractable gate at the school entrance move slowly, he shook his head and sighed, "Impressive. If it were me, I definitely wouldn't have been able to get in."

Fan Fan Binbing said thank you to the red-faced security guard, then rolled up the car window, turned her head, and said, "I can only manage to get into a school. I'm still far behind one of China's Ten Outstanding Youth of 2008. When the time comes, you can just flash your face, and you might be able to get into the Great Hall of the People."

Chen Nuo shook his head, "Don't talk nonsense. It's still in the public announcement stage, just a nomination. In the end, it definitely won't be my turn."

Fan Fan Binbing laughed in surprise, "What, you think one Oscar isn't enough?"

Chen Nuo thought for a moment and said, "At the very least, one Best Supporting Actor isn't enough."

Fan Fan Binbing was silent for a moment. In this school that felt quite large, she found a parking spot, parked the car, and said, "Then... it seems you need to hurry. It seems you can't be nominated if you're over 29."

Chen Nuo hadn't really checked before, but hearing Fan Fan Binbing say that, he counted on his fingers and it seemed there were only... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 years left.

Six years. That is to say, if he had the intention, he would have to win an award higher than an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor before 2014.

Then try to see if he could walk into the Great Hall of the People in 2014 along with those outstanding individuals from all walks of life, drawing a period on his youth without regrets.

Thinking about it, it really made one feel both melancholy and excited.

How did he, a damn Douyin blogger, end up here today?

... He really had to hurry.

At this time, Fan Fan Binbing had parked the car. She looked back at Cui Xueli, who was sitting in the back seat without a word, and suddenly pursed her lips and smiled, "The little girl is quite cute. So your mother likes this type? Then Liu Yifei should be the one most to your mother's liking."

Chen Nuo came back to his senses from his reminiscence, glared at her, and said, "Stop making jokes about bosses and employees."

Fan Fan Binbing chuckled again and said, "Alright, then I'll take her to handle the enrollment. You wait in the car for a bit."

Having said that, she beckoned to Cui Xueli, pushed open the door, and got out of the car. Cui Xueli, as if possessed, also opened the car door and followed her out.

Chen Nuo hurriedly shouted toward the car window, "You don't even know what grade she's in, you..."

Fan Fan Binbing didn't even look back, raising her hand and waving it toward the sky.

Her eight-centimeter white high heels stepped on the ground, matching the black one-step skirt she was wearing today, and she actually walked with a dashing, wind-like temperament.

Cui Xueli was still dressed in jeans and a T-shirt jacket. At a glance, Chen Nuo knew it was Pan Chengrong's handiwork. Aside from being expensive, there was really nothing good about it.

She looked back at him, as if only then did she remember she should ask for his opinion.

However, Chen Nuo didn't wait for her to speak, directly saying in Korean, "Go ahead, follow her."

Cui Xueli nodded, then turned around in a panic and followed Fan Fan Binbing's pace with quick steps.

Chen Nuo didn't know how Fan Fan Binbing handled things. He only waited in the car for about 30 minutes before he saw Fan Fan Binbing and Cui Xueli, along with several men and women, coming down from the teaching building in front.

In front of the building, the two groups chatted for a while.

Fan Fan Binbing had her back to him, and he didn't know what was said, but in any case, those people who looked like teachers were all smiles, as happy as if they were celebrating the New Year.

Afterward, Fan Fan Binbing waved goodbye to them and brought Cui Xueli toward him.

And those teachers were still standing downstairs, motionless, watching their backs with focused attention.

When Fan Fan Binbing opened the car door and got in, Chen Nuo couldn't help but ask, "You finished so quickly? You don't even know what grade she's..."

Before he could finish, Fan Fan Binbing threw over a form with a fresh stamp on it, saying indifferently, "Take it back and fill it out yourself. Go to whatever grade you want."...

Fan Fan Binbing didn't even eat lunch with Chen Nuo; she drove away directly after leaving the school gate.

She said she had an appointment with "Harper's Bazaar" at 2:00 PM to shoot a magazine cover.

Originally, this was a daily routine for her and nothing strange, but this time it was a little different.

Because this time, her shooting theme was drafted by the editor-in-chief of Bazaar herself after she won the Hundred Flowers Best Actress award for the second time.

The cover text read: "Fan Fan Binbing: I am also a legend."

This legend was all smiles and full of spring breeze when she drove away.

Because she had handled the matter so beautifully, the other legend truly couldn't find any reason to decline, so he had to helplessly agree to go watch the show with her in December.

To go see exactly how good the first-row seats at Chanel were, what kind of spring scenery one could see, and why so many male and female celebrities were flocking to it, as if it were better looking than Victoria's Secret.

But Fan Fan Binbing was truly one to stand and talk without back pain, saying "go to whatever grade you want."

Sitting in Li Er's car, on the way home to report the good news to Pan Chengrong, Chen Nuo asked with an unfriendly expression in Korean, "Xueli, what was your previous educational background?"

Cui Xueli looked at him cautiously and said, "Oppa, I didn't have one before. I went to a performance school... Can I stop studying? Can you help me tell my mother?"

Through Cui Xueli's intermittent recounting, Chen Nuo finally understood that because her family was poor, she had started earning money at 9 years old and had always been drifting through some performance academy, just waiting to get a middle school diploma to debut and earn money.

Chen Nuo truly had a headache, and with a sunken face, he said, "Then you will start reading from the first year of middle school again."

"Let me tell you, don't care about how you are in Korea. Since you've come to China, you have to follow China's rules. Here, a 14-year-old child like you, even if you won an Oscar, has to study obediently in school."

Cui Xueli said in a low voice, "Then what about you, Oppa?"

Heh, quite bold, not convinced, are you?

It's a pity, you've hit a wall with this question; it just happens to be my strong suit.

Chen Nuo curled his lips, revealing a calm smile, "Oppa is a senior in college this year, and I'll be graduating with a bachelor's degree soon."

Seeing Cui Xueli's look of disbelief, Chen Nuo couldn't help but laugh louder and louder, finally laughing out loud, saying, "Oppa isn't a fool like you. Oppa just gave up his studies to act."

"If I had really studied hard and pursued advanced studies back then... Xueli, then you would know what a genius scientist is."

In Cui Xueli's shocked and admiring eyes, Chen Nuo stopped laughing and continued calmly, "But don't worry, I don't expect you to be a scientist, I just want you to learn more knowledge and learn these eight characters. Come, read after me, this is Chinese..."

Cui Xueli's mouth shape was a bit exaggerated, and her accent was also very strange, but her expression was very serious. She actually read it out in one breath: "Self-respect, self-love, self-improvement, self-reliance... Oppa, what do these words mean?"

"You have four years, two characters a year, learn slowly."

Chen Nuo had originally really made up his mind not to attend that Taiwan Golden Horse Awards.

Besides the original reason, there was another very important reason: the last time he went, the Golden Horse left a bad impression on him, very much like that kind of amateur troupe.

However, when he finished the international school enrollment application for Cui Xueli and returned to the Film Academy in early September to pay the tuition for the last year of his four-year college career,

he discovered that the Golden Horse Awards seemed to be truly determined to have him go this time.

Jiao Xiongping, the godmother of Taiwan cinema and the current chair of the Golden Horse Awards Ceng Zhiwei, had actually written him a handwritten letter from Taiwan and entrusted someone to bring it to his company.

"To Little Brother Chen Nuo for your appraisal:

Although we have never met, your reputation has long been like thunder in my ears. I am twenty years your senior, and I hope you won't mind if I call you 'little brother'."

"This year is my last year before stepping down as Golden Horse chair, and this Golden Horse Awards will be my graduation ceremony. Naturally, I want to organize it magnificently. But if you, Little Brother Chen Nuo, don't come, this matter will be hard to complete."

"On behalf of the Golden Horse Awards Ceng Zhiwei, I sincerely invite you to witness the brilliant achievements of Chinese-language films over the past year with us."

"For film, for dreams, for the cause we both love."

"On December 7th, I will be waiting in Taipei with the Golden Horse team, burning incense and waiting respectfully."

"I hope to enjoy the Golden Horse with you, talk about film, and discuss the future."

"Written in Taipei, August 29th, Jiao Xiongping."

Seeing this handwritten letter with rounded and beautiful calligraphy brought to him by Qi Yuntian from the company, Chen Nuo couldn't help but be moved.

After considering for a long time and discussing it with Qi Yuntian, he could only write a reply by hand, writing:

"Big Sister Jiao, thank you for the letter and the warm invitation; I am overwhelmed by the favor. December 7th, we will meet in Taipei. Respectfully, Little Brother Chen Nuo."

The Golden Horse Awards on December 7th might be a very important event for Jiao Xiongping and some filmmakers.

But starting from September 2008, the events happening one after another in the United States were of particular importance to the whole world.

On September 14, 2008, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, meaning the greatest financial crisis in the United States since the Great Depression of 1929 was out of control.

In the following trading days, September 15 and September 17, global stock markets saw a massive collapse in market value, but this was only the beginning of a further crash.

The U. S. S&P 500 index fell 22% from October 1 to October 10, without a single day of gains.

By November 20, 2008, the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq hit new lows, with a monthly decline reaching 20%.

Taking Apple as an example, from its highest point in 2008 to now, the decline reached as high as 57%.

November 25, 2008, New York Hilton Hotel.

Chen Nuo stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the crowds of protesters outside, seeing old blacks and old whites with grief and indignation, holding signs like "Occupy Wall Street," shouting slogans about overthrowing imperialist capitalists, and a smile appeared on his face without him knowing.

Qi Yuntian stood to the side and said speechlessly, "You can still laugh? The U. S. stock account you told me to open, the Apple stock you bought, has already fallen another 5%. We've lost another 1 million!"

There was no help for it; Chen Nuo wasn't a professional, and he didn't know when the lowest point was, so he couldn't help but ask, "What was the price when we entered the market?"

Qi Yuntian said, "$11.91."

Chen Nuo pondered silently for a while, nodded, and said, "It's okay. When the salary for 'Twilight' arrives, at the end of December, we'll buy again and fill the position."

Qi Yuntian said in surprise, "You still want to buy? How many people in the world are still buying stocks now? Chen Nuo, are you mistaken? Do you want to be like those people downstairs and go out to hold signs?"

Chen Nuo sighed and said, "$11-plus per share for Apple stock... sigh, it's expensive, but there's no help for it, just consider it charity. Who told me to be used to their phones? I hope to contribute a little bit of effort so it won't go bankrupt."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 246 =====