Chapter 332: Cheers

It was also before going to the 60th Berlin Film Festival award ceremony.

Luo Man Polanski, in a suit and leather shoes, in a hotel room, widened his eyes and roared angrily at the few people opposite: "Why should I leave? Just because he said a few words up there? Now we are about to set off, you want me to leave?"

Several assistants looked at each other, one of whom nodded helplessly and said: "Yes, Luo Man. Just because Chen Nuo mentioned you on Facebook, plus the *Der Spiegel* interview, public opinion is now too unfavorable for us. That's not just any platform, the world's number one social platform, Chen Nuo has more than 20 million fans on it! Now the news I got is that if you attend the award ceremony today, you are very likely to be arrested and then extradited by the Germans to the United States. This is really dangerous."

Luo Man Polanski gritted his teeth, his face changing uncertainly: "I'm not leaving! I will never admit defeat to that Chinese kid. Let the police come, let them arrest me for what happened 30 years ago!"

Several assistants looked at each other again and nodded: "Okay, I understand."

Luo Man Polanski saw this, but suddenly felt a little panicked, and hurriedly asked: "Wait... do you think, how likely is it that the German police will really do this?"

"I don't know, but, we guarantee you, Luo Man, returning to France now is the safest way."

"If... I win the award, will the Germans still do this?"

"Perhaps only that Jin Xiong Award can protect you. However, Luo Man, are you sure you want to gamble?"

"... Damn it! According to what you said, does it mean that from now on I can only stay in places like France and Denmark?"

"I don't know either. Perhaps from now on, we really have to be careful everywhere."

"I % # ¥! @ # ¥! %! That Chinese kid, one day! I will make him pay the price!"

Generally speaking, film festivals like Cannes and Berlin have very little coverage in China.

Unless there are Chinese actors winning awards, it is possible to have one or two headlines on some portal websites.

Especially CCTV, which has always turned a blind eye to these film festivals in Europe.

It will neither report some award-winning news in real-time in the entertainment section like portal websites such as Sina and Tencent, nor will it engage in any text live broadcast

There are two reasons.

One is that most filmmakers who attend these film festivals have a rebellious streak.

Secondly, compared to Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, and others at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre, who the hell knows who those so-called famous Filipino or Romanian filmmakers on the red carpet of the Berlinale are?

Don't say domestic audiences don't know the ropes; audiences all over the world are the same.

Otherwise, why would Cannes' Gilles Jacob have to sell his old face every year to get some Hollywood superstars to walk the red carpet?

Otherwise, why would Berlin's Dieter Kosslick organize activities like "Cinema in the Community," and why would "Under the Hawthorn Tree" be shortlisted?

"So, Teacher Bi, do you mean that 'Under the Hawthorn Tree' was shortlisted for the Berlin Film Festival because Kosslick wanted to increase the Berlin Film Festival's viewership?" Zhu Jun sat in the CCTV. com live text broadcast room for the 60th Berlin Film Festival and said with a chuckle.

Compared to the Oscar broadcast two years ago, the internet conditions this time were significantly better; not only was there no stuttering, but the resolution of the live stream was also very high.

This made the more than 300,000 viewers who had opened their computers at 9:30 AM and logged into the live room on time exclaim in the chat box: Bi Bi Chenggong, Teacher Bi, actually looks so ugly; why is Director Chen Chen Kexin's face so pitted; and Teacher Zhu Jun's eye bags are too heavy—it feels like his nightlife is too intense.

As for Director Zhang Zhang Yibai, who had spoken about Chen Nuo two years ago, where did he go?

He was caught for drug use at the end of last year, and he's probably still in the detention center now...

As a result, the relevant person in charge at CCTV. com was so annoyed they almost vomited blood, swearing never to invite these mainland art-house directors again.

Therefore, they spent a lot of money to invite Chen Chen Kexin to sit here.

Bi Bi Chenggong nodded and said: "That's right. I can tell you a piece of gossip: 'Under the Hawthorn Tree' was almost screened out during the selection phase, and in the end, it is said that it was Kosslick who insisted on keeping it, which is how it entered the main competition unit."

Zhu Jun smiled: "Teacher Bi, the credibility of this kind of gossip isn't very high, right?"

Bi Bi Chenggong smiled: "It's not high, but it is a possibility. Although I haven't seen it yet, I have friends who have already seen it in Germany. Because of that song by Chen Nuo, this movie is currently being hyped up very hot domestically. But judging from the current situation, the romance film Director Zhang shot this time has encountered severe cultural incompatibility. It will be very difficult to win an award this time."

Zhu Jun turned his head and said: "Director Chen, what is your take on Teacher Bi's view?"

Chen Chen Kexin said with a chuckle: "I also have friends who have seen this play in Germany, and they sent me messages saying it's so good and so moving. When it's released in Hong Kong or mainland cinemas, I will definitely go to support it."

Zhu Jun smiled: "It seems that the two friends have a disagreement on this play. Okay, we have received a message from the front: Luo Man Polanski has decided not to attend this awards ceremony due to health reasons. Uh, how do the two of you see this?"

Bi Bi Chenggong said: "Afraid, right? I think that should be it. If he really dared to appear in public, judging by the public opinion of the past few days, there is clearly a feeling of not taking the United States seriously. I think for him, this should be a wise decision."

"What does Director Chen think?"

"I don't know what you are talking about, haha."

Zhu Jun maintained his smile: "Now Chen Nuo and the others haven't walked the red carpet yet, and I want to take this opportunity to interview Director Chen Chen Kexin. We all know that Chen Nuo's first commercial film after his debut was your 'Perhaps Love,' and that happened to be a musical. You should have also listened to his singing at the Spring Festival Gala. Do you think he has made progress in singing?"

The reason for spending the effort to invite Chen Chen Kexin to the live broadcast room was exactly this.

Sure enough, as expected. When Chen Chen Kexin talked about the various anecdotes of Chen Nuo filming 'Perhaps Love' back then, the number of people online in the live broadcast room also rose steadily.

"... So I knew at that time that this kid would definitely be able to get ahead in the future. I really didn't expect that in a few days he would win the Best Actor award; hahaha, I am so surprised."

After this segment was finished, Zhu Jun heard the director's voice in his earpiece and immediately said with a smile: "Okay, the number of people online in our live broadcast room has exceeded 500,000. Everyone can see that a voting option has now appeared below our video."

"What award do you think 'Under the Hawthorn Tree' can win at this Berlin Film Festival?"

"There are the Jin Xiong, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and others. You can participate after registering, and the deadline is before the awards ceremony begins. Friends who guess correctly will have the chance to win various prizes we are giving away. The first prize is a signed photo of Chen Nuo from the backstage of the Spring Festival Gala. Our event is being notarized by the Beijing Notary Office throughout, so please actively participate in the voting."

Following Zhu Jun's words, the live chat box, which was already arguing intensely, saw a waterfall-like flood of messages.

"Is this for real???"

"Chen Nuo's signed photo?"

"No way!"

"Signed photo?"

"I'm going crazy, I want it, I want it, I want it, sisters, which one should I vote for?"

"Chen Nuo really isn't good this time, absolutely no chance. Vote for 'Other'!"

"If Chen Nuo can win an award, I'll eat shit while doing a handstand. Vote for 'Other'. Nomi, believe me, if you want the signed photo, vote for 'Other'!"

"I don't believe it! Brother Nuonuo will definitely win another Best Actor award and slap you people in the face. I'm voting for Best Actor!"

"'Hawthorn Flower' is very nice to listen to, I hope Chen Nuo can win an award. But I also want the signed photo... I voted for 'Other'."

"Buying Chen Nuo's autograph here, 20,000 per piece, honest prices."

"20,000? There are probably less than ten signed photos of Brother Nuonuo circulating outside. The only ones 100% confirmed to be signed by him personally are two, signed during the Golden Horse Awards, and that was in Taiwan. The others are unknown if they are real or fake. There is also a signed down jacket from the 'Return of the Condor Heroes' period, which has been verified. It is currently in the hands of a friend of mine. 20,000, haha, only enough to buy one chicken feather from that down jacket."

Compared to two years ago, it can be seen from the chat content that the proportion of 'Nomi' who call him 'Brother Nuonuo' among the live broadcast audience has greatly decreased, but the number of casual fans has greatly increased; it's hard to tell if this is good or bad.

Not only has the broadcast been going on for nearly 20 minutes with over 500,000 viewers, but it also made the backstage director feel at ease. Taking advantage of the heat of the Spring Festival Gala and Chen Nuo to drive traffic to CCTV. com, it seems to have had a good start.

Before continuing the chat, Zhu Jun took a look at the real-time voting data; currently, "Other" and "Best Actor" are ranked first and second.

"Other" already has 83%, the second-place "Best Actor" has 9%, and the remaining 8% is divided among "Best Director" and "Best Actress."

He immediately smiled: "Then I will also interview Teacher Bi and Director Chen to see their views on the various awards. Teacher Bi, what award do you think 'Under the Hawthorn Tree' can win this time?" Bi Bi Chenggong said: "I think... still 'Other'. Maybe Best Screenplay or something else."

"And Director Chen?"

"I think Best Actor is very certain. I am also very optimistic about Director Zhang's Best Director and Liu Qi Yifei's Best Actress. If we are a little luckier, the Jin Xiong is not impossible."

This is what you call a Hong Kong old fox; this is a Hong Kong old fox.

Zhu Jun has hosted 'Artistic Life' for many years and was not surprised; he wanted to ask more, but a line of text flashed across the screen, and he immediately said loudly: "Alright, Chen Nuo and the others have started walking the red carpet!"

On the live broadcast screen, the reporter sent several photos of the red carpet from the front.

Although the Germans didn't clear the area completely like in Cannes, they clearly cleared a local area for the three filmmakers from China to be bathed in the spotlight.

All three smiled quite reservedly, and many foreign fans could be seen waving posters in the background.

Below, there is also a text report from the reporter on the front: "Director Zhang Zhang Yimou, Chen Nuo, and Liu Qi Yifei have arrived at the red carpet at the entrance of the Berlinale Palast. Here, they were warmly welcomed by many fans."

"'Under the Hawthorn Tree' trio quickly passed through the fan zone and walked onto the red carpet to accept the reporters' photography."

At this moment, the liveliness in the Beijing live broadcast room had multiplied several times compared to before.

"Why isn't there a live broadcast? A few pictures aren't satisfying. I voted for 'Other', but now I'm a bit nervous."

"Chen Nuo is really handsome in formal wear. Liu Qi Yifei is still good-looking when she doesn't smile. Best Actor is well-deserved."

"Chen Nuo is just a vase; this time 'Hawthorn Tree' is just here to accompany the runners. 'Other' is definitely correct!"

"Look at those foreigners in the pictures, damn, they are crazier than us domestically."

"'Hawthorn Tree' has a 1.7 rating on the screen this time. Last place, and you still expect him to win an award?!"

"Those who slander Brother Nuonuo don't understand the effort behind him at all, those sleepless nights of practice, those hardships of repeatedly pondering the role. Brother Nuonuo has always worked silently and let his strength speak; rumors and gossip cannot hurt him. We fans will build the strongest fortress for him, guard his dreams, and let him move forward with peace of mind."

"I'm about to vomit. Among these fans now, the most disgusting ones are the Nomi, even more disgusting than the Yumi."

"I've watched Brother Nuonuo's Spring Festival Gala song many times, and my tears won't stop flowing. I really hope more people see Brother Nuonuo's shining points and accompany him to the peak."

"Can the room manager ban these brain-dead Nomi?"

The lively scene didn't last long,

because a new piece of text immediately jumped out in the live broadcast room: "Chen Nuo and the others did not accept interviews from reporters; after quickly passing through the red carpet, they walked into the Berlinale Palast."

At the same time, a photo was attached.

A group photo of the three standing on the steps of the Berlinale Palast.

Whether it was Chen Nuo, Liu Qi Yifei, or Zhang Zhang Yimou, there wasn't much of a smile on their faces.

If Chen Nuo had known that CCTV was conducting a live broadcast, he might have lingered on the red carpet for a while longer, struck a few handsome poses, and cooperated with the reporters to take a few more photos.

But the key is that he didn't know about this at all, so at this moment, he really wasn't in the mood to stay there, and even less wanted to deal with those reporters.

The few of them were in a rush, and in just five minutes, they hurriedly finished the red carpet and arrived at the cold buffet reception specially prepared for the guests at the Berlinale Palast.

Quite a few people had already gathered in the reception; looking around, many people were holding beer in one hand, eating and drinking, and chatting warmly, the whole atmosphere full of rich German style.

The food at the cold buffet was very rich, take whatever you want to eat, typical German food, all meat dishes that are particularly suitable for drinking.

Zhang Zhang Yimou took an interpreter and was busy looking for those familiar people to exchange pleasantries.

Chen Nuo and Liu Qi Yifei found a corner, preparing to relax their mood.

They didn't drink beer because beer is a diuretic, and the awards ceremony would last for two hours later; the Chinese bladder couldn't handle this tossing. So both of them picked a cocktail from the table.

"Cheers."

"Cheers. Chen Nuo, actually I think you still have a chance, really."

"Alright, stop talking, drink."

Chen Nuo and Liu Qi Yifei clinked glasses and drank the red-and-green wine in their cups.

After drinking, they smacked their lips.

It is estimated that the organizing committee of Germany, this famous "hometown of drunkards," was worried that a group of people staggering around drunk would appear at the awards ceremony, which would have a bad impact, so the alcohol content of this wine was not adjusted high; it tasted icy, cool, and sweet, and it was quite good.

Looking at Liu Qi Yifei again, she seemed to like the taste of this wine quite a bit.

The two of them chatted like this while eating. Liu Qi Yifei took a light sip of wine, a hint of worry revealed in her eyes, and asked Chen Nuo: "Chen Nuo, you say, what would happen if you didn't win an award?"

Chen Nuo smiled, "What could happen?"

Liu Qi Yifei pouted slightly, as if she was a little angry and a little aggrieved, saying: "Aren't you worried? Will there be many people laughing at you then? After all, everyone's expectations for you are very high."

Chen Nuo smiled and said: "Don't always blindly think about these things, okay?"

Liu Qi Yifei sighed lightly, a bit disappointed: "But, this is the first play I collaborated with you on, I really don't want it to end like this..."

Chen Nuo chuckled: "It's okay, when you go on the roadshow, work harder, visit more places, and sell the box office better. Calm down Director Zhang's anger."

Liu Qi Yifei hummed in a very discouraged way, "I'm not afraid of this... sigh, forget it, let's drink. At most I..."

She didn't finish what she was going to say.

And, it was clearly her who wanted to drink,

but in the end, because the waist of the dress she was wearing was too tight, she could only take small sips. Chen Nuo didn't have these concerns; unknowingly, in the end, he drank significantly more wine than Liu Qi Yifei.

"Chen Nuo, are you okay?"

Very fortunately, for this awards ceremony, the organizing committee gave 'Under the Hawthorn Tree' seats not in the first row, but in the fourth row.

He swapped seats with Old Old Mouzi, moved to the inside, and generally speaking, it wasn't very conspicuous.

Sitting on his left was a foreign young man who greeted him when he first sat down; it sounded like he was speaking Russian.

On the right, near the aisle, was Liu Qi Yifei.

Hearing her question, Chen Nuo whispered: "Do I look like I have a problem?"

Liu Qi Yifei covered her mouth and said: "I see your face is so red... you wouldn't really be drunk, would you?"

(End of chapter)