Chapter 460: The First to Leave, Also the First to Arrive

The 69th Golden Globe Awards ceremony has concluded.

Regardless of whether they reaped trophies or regrets this night, or whether they ended up drinking to their hearts' content or drowning their sorrows, the stars who attended the gala will all compose themselves and prepare for the next leg of their journey.

Those who leave first are also the ones who arrive first.

At the entrance of the Beverly Hilton hotel, which looked like a crystal palace, a crowd had gathered, with a black-haired man at the very center.

A group of well-dressed men and women were taking turns hugging him to say goodbye.

First was a blonde man with his hair slicked back.

Chen Nuo shook his hand and gave him a hug.

"Goodbye, Leo."

"Goodbye. When are you coming back?"

"The 25th. I'm coming back to attend the Santa Barbara International Film Festival."

"Alright, give me a call when you do. Remember to bring me some Chinese specialties."

"Do you want some deer antler wine?"

"What?"

"Hahaha, nothing. Bye."

"Bye, have a safe trip."

After Leonardo left, it was another blonde man carrying a gleaming trophy.

The British are not as open as Americans; the two simply shook hands and said goodbye. However, Emma Thomas did invite him to come visit their home in England.

Next was Michael Slane. The Warner executive held his hand and spoke for quite a while. But, perhaps because the initial impression hadn't faded, Chen Nuo felt that this long-winded speech wasn't as intimate as a simple invitation to come over for a visit.

Following him was Charlize Theron.

To be fair, Charlize Theron was truly mesmerizing tonight in her pink Dior haute couture chiffon gown, paired with white Givenchy sandals and Cartier jewelry. Chen Nuo had even heard backstage that Vogue France was planning to name her best-dressed of the night.

Charlize Theron looked at him deeply and said, "Are you really leaving?"

Chen Nuo nodded and said, "Of course, I have things to do."

"What a pity..." Theron glanced at him lightly. "What date are you coming back?"

"The 25th."

"Will you have time then? I mean, time to chat."

"Ahem, I should."

"Then see you then. Bye-bye, have a safe trip."

After this, Natalie Portman, who had just given birth and attended tonight to present the Best Actor award, Meryl Streep and her husband whom he had teased from the stage, the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Morgan Freeman, and the cast of *The Big Bang Theory* who shared a filming connection with him, all came over to greet him.

What surprised Chen Nuo the most was a man wearing sunglasses.

Johnny Depp was still his usual inarticulate self, mumbling, "When you get back to the U.S., let's have a drink."

Chen Nuo laughed and said, "Are you really not gay?"

Johnny Depp laughed and said, "No, I'm not. But don't push me."

"Hahahaha, don't worry, I won't. But just drinks; I don't touch that other stuff."

"Don't worry, I understand. You are Hollywood's Oriental saint, after all."

"What the hell..."

Without Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt, Chen Nuo said goodbye to a host of old and new friends and walked out of the hotel entrance, immediately greeted by a sea of camera flashes.

"Chen, *Inception* won Best Picture. Do you have anything you want to say to your fans?"

"The Golden Globes had excellent ratings tonight. Do you have anything to say to the audience?"

"Do you want to continue being the host?"

"Chen..."

Allison and the Golden Globe staff were blocking the reporters who were rushing up to interview him. Finally, Chen Nuo waved with a smile to the media reporters who had waited so long and hard, then ducked into the limousine.

This was a vehicle specially arranged for him by the Golden Globes to take him, Michelle, and Allison home.

However, he wouldn't be resting; upon returning, he would grab his luggage and call Gulinazha and Linghu, who were waiting at home, to head straight to the airport. Finally, he would sleep on the rented Gulfstream G450.

Once in the car, Chen Nuo untied his bowtie and let out a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to speak to Allison beside him, his phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.

He took it out, glanced at the name, and answered.

After speaking for a while, he hung up.

Allison asked, "James Cameron?"

"Yes."

Chen Nuo recalled the old man's rather happy tone on the phone.

He had said he would watch it, and sure enough, he really did.

Immediately, he said with a serious expression, "When are you going back to Canada?"

Allison was stunned for a moment: "Uh, tomorrow. Why?"

"Tomorrow? Will you make it in time?"

"What?"

"Forget it, you'll come on the plane with us."

"Ah?"

"We'll be flying to Toronto first later; I've already told the aviation company..."

Allison looked shocked and said, "Chen, what are you saying?"

"Don't be so surprised. I just happened to overhear a few things when you were on the phone. Alright, it's settled. But I won't be accompanying you to the hospital then."

"No, Chen, you absolutely don't have to. I mean..." Allison seemed truly stunned, her speech stuttering.

Chen Nuo shook his head and said, "Don't say any more. I'm the boss, listen to me."

The black stretch Lincoln drove through the night streets of LA, moving further and further away from the brightly lit Hilton hotel, gradually disappearing into the darkness, just as every ball must eventually come to an end.

However, for the media around the world, this moment was merely the starting point of their busy work.

Within a few short hours after the Golden Globes ended, media outlets worldwide scrambled to launch extensive, multi-angled reports on this highly topical Golden Globe Awards.

"Meryl Streep claims the Golden Globe for Best Actress for the fourth time, an unprecedented feat. George Clooney pulled an upset to take home the first Best Actor in a Drama trophy of his career.

However, the biggest winner tonight is undoubtedly *Inception*, the super-blockbuster that has swept the globe.

Living up to the expectations of millions of fans worldwide, *Inception* successfully took home Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay on the night of the Golden Globes!

Among them, the most eye-catching and fiercely contested category was the Best Motion Picture – Drama.

In the end, beyond excellent art films and dramas like *War Horse*, *The Artist*, and *The Descendants*, the Foreign Press Association chose the science fiction film *Inception*, which is inevitably a bit surprising.

Does this signify that the mainstream Hollywood film industry is beginning to favor works that have proven themselves in the market during awards season? Let us wait and see."

—— *Variety*

"This was a wild night.

A total of 250 million people worldwide watched the live broadcast of this year's Golden Globes, with the audience in North America reaching 21.3 million. The ratings among the 18-49 demographic hit a staggering 6.8, setting the best record for the Golden Globe ceremony in the past five years.

The Foreign Press Association's bold move to invite Chen, this year's hottest global film star, to host has received a rich return.

This year's Oscar host, Billy Crystal, should feel the pressure mounting; one can imagine that every one of his jokes this year will be compared to Chen's.

I can only say, good luck to him."

—— *The Hollywood Reporter*

"The Savior of the Golden Globes!

Chen Nuo's hosting style made this ceremony distinct from the orthodox dullness of the Oscars and different from the biting and offensive nature of Ricky Gervais.

His humor is more like the wisdom of old-school talk shows mixed with Oriental restraint—interesting, witty, and measured.

I'll say it again: I would pay money to watch his stand-up comedy performance.

Even if the tickets were $1,000 each."

—— *The New York Times*

"Chen's identity as a foreigner brought a new perspective to the night.

His teasing of our Iraq War in his jokes was surprising, yet it is also worth our government's deep reflection.

This is indeed a war that has lasted too long, and it has yet to end."

—— *The Washington Post*

"At the Golden Globes, Chen Nuo teased the nose of the late superstar Michael Jackson, sparking considerable controversy on social media. This is the first time since MJ's passing that someone has publicly discussed the past scandals of the King of Pop.

We randomly interviewed several African Americans on the street to discuss the impact of this incident.

Surprisingly, most of them believe this was Chen Nuo, the Hollywood saint, paying tribute to MJ."

—— *Los Angeles Times* "Mainland superstar Chen Nuo hosts the Hollywood Golden Globes for the first time; his opening monologue receives waves of praise. Westerners say: 'Handsome and sharp-tongued, he can be forgiven.'

Recently, Nuo Zai's new drama is in full swing in Hong Kong. In the studio built at the Tseung Kwan O TV Broadcast City, reporters saw that workers had already begun set construction.

Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild President Eric Tsang stated that Nuo Zai's investment in filming a drama in Hong Kong this time is expected to bring over 300 direct or indirect jobs to local filmmakers, and the large injection of capital will also serve as a shot in the arm for the Hong Kong film industry." —— Hong Kong, China, *Oriental Sunday*

"Chen Nuo takes multiple shots at Harvey Weinstein at the Golden Globes.

After the show, according to *Vanity Fair*, Harvey Weinstein's face was livid, and he did not attend the official post-awards celebration banquet.

The old grudge between Chen Nuo and Harvey can be traced back to the Oscar awards season four years ago—that year, *The Dark Knight* and *Doubt* competed for Best Supporting Actor, and Chen Nuo narrowly defeated Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Four years later, he still hasn't forgotten the old score, his pettiness fully exposed. If the Golden Horse Awards organizers still harbor fantasies about Chen Nuo, it is truly wishful thinking." —— Taiwan, China, *Liberty Times*

"On January 15, 2012, Chinese actor Chen Nuo served as the host of the 69th Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles, USA.

This is the second time he has stood on a globally watched awards stage following the 2011 Oscars. His humorous, witty, and sharp yet graceful hosting style won unanimous praise from domestic and foreign media.

It is reported that Chen Nuo will serve as the jury president for the main competition section of the 15th Shanghai International Film Festival this June."

Relevant experts believe that Chen Nuo’s participation is expected to enhance the professionalism and international attention of the film festival, injecting new vitality into what is currently China’s only A-list film festival." — *China Youth Daily*

"I hope he hosts every awards ceremony, including the monthly employee recognition meeting at Walmart." — Twitter user @thisisnotgary, as of 12:00 AM, received 28,211 likes, 11,120 retweets, and 5,238 comments.

"After watching the Golden Globes, my grandma is now a fan of his. She said, 'He reminds me of a young Paul Newman.'" — reddit user u/movierabbit123

"Perhaps not many people in Japan know this yet, but in addition to *Twilight* and *Inception*, Chen Nuo has also starred in films such as *The Mute House*, *Under the Hawthorn Tree*, and *Mother*, and has won two Berlin Best Actor awards and one Cannes Best Actor award; he is a legendary figure among Asian actors."

If one day he could become the Harrison Ford or Sean Penn of Asia, that would be more than just China’s glory.

"Minasan, issho ni ouen shimashou! (Let’s all cheer for him together!)" — Anonymous user on the Japanese 2ch forum.

"@Gu Da Bai Hua, when will the subtitled version be ready?" — Chinese Weibo user @Yi Ke Kao Di Gua

"Working on it, before 7 PM."

Translation blogger Gu Jianguo stretched, clicked on Weibo, saw this top comment, and replied right underneath it.

Afterward, he took a sip of tea and clicked on the homepage of this "Roasted Sweet Potato." There was nothing on the page. Probably just another student home for the Spring Festival break.

At this moment, there was still a week left until the Spring Festival, and primary, middle, and high schools across the country had already begun their breaks. In early 2012, when Momo was just emerging and Soul had not yet appeared, the bodies and souls of the vast student population had both entered an idle state, causing traffic across the entire Chinese internet to skyrocket, and all sorts of entertainment bloggers took off.

This was already the 100th-plus @ Gu Jianguo had received today.

Below the clip of the Golden Globes opening monologue he had posted at 10:03 AM, nearly 3,000 comments urging him to update had piled up, with over 30,000 retweets and more than 200,000 likes.

From this, it was clear that this time, he had successfully hitched a ride on the traffic.

Gu Jianguo had gotten up at 7 AM, hunkered down by his computer, and handled everything from recording and editing to subtitling and uploading in one go. Within half an hour of the opening monologue airing, he became the first person on the entire web to post the subtitled clip of Chen Nuo hosting the Golden Globes to Weibo.

None of this was in vain.

He had once again replicated the path to success from last year—

Last year, he had "shot to fame" by translating Chen Nuo hosting the Oscars opening, and after another year of hard work, his follower count finally broke 500,000 by the end of the year. As it turned out, this time, just as the Golden Globes concluded and he posted his first teaser video, his followers directly broke through 800,000. Half an hour topped his previous half-year.

Gu Jianguo now really hoped that Chen Nuo would just settle down in the United States and do an English talk show 365 days a year; if he translated that for a year, he would definitely be able to push for ten million followers.

He handled the editing and translation all by himself, and after working for several hours straight, Gu Jianguo was a bit tired. He decided to rest for another ten minutes, wait until he felt refreshed, and then check it one more time before finishing the rest of the video and uploading it.

What to do during these ten minutes?

Browse Weibo.

He opened the Weibo trending list. On this Sunday morning, the top three entries were, unsurprisingly, all news related to the Golden Globes and the man surnamed Chen.

Number one: Chen Nuo says he is Chinese at the Golden Globes (Boiling).

Facing such a cheesy, boring, and ignorant entry, Gu Jianguo chuckled. Once he clicked in, he immediately cursed under his breath: "Shameless."

This was a topic started by an editor at the *Huaxi City Daily*.

Originally, this newspaper from Xichuan could be said to be obscure among national media and had zero influence outside of Xichuan. However, after Weibo appeared, it had used the internet platform over the past few years to start topics related to this person or that person every other day, and now it had become a major media account with over 5 million followers, ranking among the top few in local media.

Hitching a ride on trending topics was its specialty; it was much more professional at it than he was.

Isn't that right?

Just a piece of nonsense like this, as stupid as it was, firmly occupied the number one spot. It probably gained another hundred thousand followers, so where was a blogger like him, who worked so hard to earn traffic, supposed to go to complain? It was laughable.

The Weibo post was written in a very serious tone: "...In recent years, rumors about Chen Nuo immigrating to Canada, the United States, Hong Kong, and other places have been frequent, and many people have believed them to be true. But at this year's Golden Globes, Chen Nuo naturally said on stage, 'I'm Chinese,' shattering all rumors with one sentence... He walked out of the land of Chuanshu, but never forgot his roots... What he represents is the confidence and uprightness of China's younger generation..."

"A whole lot of nonsense, which can be summarized in one word: 'Hitching'." Gu Jianguo commented using his alt account.

Returning to the trending interface to look at number two, "Chen Nuo wishes global *Inception* fans that their dreams come true (Explosive)."

Also here to hitch a ride.

It was Sina Entertainment openly hitching a ride on the trending topic on its own platform.

Gu Jianguo estimated that this freshly baked trending topic would likely surpass the first one before long.

He still remembered the day the nominations were announced, when Chen Nuo was not among the nominees for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globes, and how the entire Weibo was in an uproar.

Countless "Nuo Rice" and onlookers swarmed in, cursing the ancestors of the Golden Globes committee, with words like "blind," "racial prejudice," and "rigged internal selection" appearing one after another.

At the time, he saw many posts cursing Americans, and unable to watch it anymore, he explained on his own account that the Golden Globes judges were the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, not Americans. As a result, he was almost cursed into a rage and eventually had to delete the post to end it. Just from that, he lost nearly 20,000 followers.

From this, one can see how high the current popularity of *Inception* is domestically.

The Sina editor's article was written extremely well. Regarding this headline, this editor—who knows if they graduated from the Chinese department at Peking University or Fudan—flowingly expanded it into four whole Weibo posts, adding up to over 1,000 words.

Gu Jianguo commented: "Dreams may not come true, but the traffic is definitely real."

Continuing to look,

Trending number three, "Hu Xijin says Chen Nuo should apologize (New)."

"Holy crap." Gu Jianguo was a bit surprised by this entry and clicked in.

"...Old Hu feels that Chen Nuo should be abroad and let others see the magnanimity of the Chinese people. There is an old Chinese saying: 'It is better to resolve grievances than to keep them'... In such a public setting, repeatedly provoking others, Old Hu cannot help but feel a bit worried about Chen Nuo's image abroad.

Actually, Harvey has been keeping his tail tucked between his legs these years, and no scandals have appeared. I think it wouldn't hurt to give him a chance to turn over a new leaf. Don't write a person off completely because of one mistake; this harms the tolerant and modest character of us Chinese people.

Old Hu here boldly asks Chen Nuo to show the magnanimity of us Chinese people; it wouldn't hurt to take a step back first and apologize to Harvey..."

Gu Jianguo was instantly impressed.

Clicking into the comment section, sure enough, two groups of people were fighting in a ball.

One side said Old Hu was "calculating and has a global perspective." The other side cursed him as a "bootlicker who treats foreigners like ancestors."

Everyone had their own reasons; profanity, curses, regional attacks... the chaotic battle was a mess.

The heat was soaring to the heavens.

He changed his original opinion; he really was an old fox. Although his ancestral grave probably wouldn't be peaceful tonight, there was no doubt he would be the one topping the trending list in a moment.

After finishing the excitement of the Golden Globes, Gu Jianguo continued to look down.

He had no interest in many of the serious news stories of the day; Gu Jianguo just wanted to see something fun to rest his brain.

Immediately, he saw another one, ranked 13th, a piece of hot news that had just come out not long ago.

It was still related to Chen Nuo, but this time the headline looked quite interesting—

"Chen Nuo's stolen cement slab auctioned in Italy last night."

Gu Jianguo immediately remembered what it was about. At the time, it was a hot topic on Weibo for several days, and he had specifically checked foreign websites to translate and carry over some foreign news.

And this time, it was a report from ifeng.com:

"At the Chinese Theatre last month, the cement slab bearing Chen Nuo’s handprints and signature was stolen, and to this day, the Los Angeles police have yet to release any progress on the investigation.

Today, according to a report by the British *The Sun*, this missing cement slab appeared at a small black-market auction in Italy on the night the Golden Globes were held.

The whistleblower participated in this auction. Several items circulating from the black market appeared at the auction that night, and Chen Nuo’s cement slab was the third to last to go up.

But because there were very few bidders on-site, it ultimately did not reach the reserve price set by the auctioneer, and the cement slab failed to sell.

The whistleblower also pointed out that it is not uncommon for private items of celebrities to appear in the underground black market, such as 'a famous ballplayer's championship ring from 1998' or 'a stolen painting by an artist from 2002' having flowed into the black market, but for an item as heavy and large as a cement slab to be auctioned was a first.

Currently, the Italian police have begun an investigation into the matter."

Gu Jianguo nodded. To handle these Golden Globes matters, he hadn't checked Twitter all day, so he had clearly missed quite a few interesting things. After uploading the video, he would have to go back to foreign websites to see if there were more details leaked, and when he carried those over, that would be another bit of extra traffic.

He picked up his cup and took a sip of water, feeling that his brain had rested enough, and prepared to start working again. He refreshed the page, and suddenly a headline from a news media outlet he followed popped up, catching his eye—

"Zhao Benshan confirmed not to be on this year's Spring Festival Gala."

"Huh?!" Gu Jianguo was stunned and hurriedly clicked into the article.

He saw this report from the official account of *Jingcheng News* write:

"Latest news from the Spring Festival Gala program team: The Spring Festival Gala has currently completed three rounds of rehearsals. Whether the most anticipated sketch by Zhao Benshan can make it to the Spring Festival Gala stage as hoped has remained unresolved.

According to informed sources, due to the program's effect not meeting expectations, the Zhao Benshan team's work was repeatedly asked to be revised by the directing team during rehearsals.

This morning, our reporter learned from the Spring Festival Gala program team that due to health reasons, the Zhao Benshan team has decided to officially withdraw from the preparations for this year's Spring Festival Gala.

This also means that since Zhao Benshan has participated in the Spring Festival Gala for 17 consecutive years, this year will be his first absence from the New Year's Eve stage.

For the audience, this will also be the first New Year's Eve in over a decade without a Zhao Benshan sketch."

"Holy crap, what the hell is this!" Gu Jianguo couldn't help but blurt out.

If there's no Zhao Benshan on the Spring Festival Gala, can it even be called the Spring Festival Gala?

(End of chapter)