Chapter 477: This is a Dirty World (8600 words, requesting monthly votes)

Chen Nuo forgot where he had seen that sentence in his previous life; it might have been in *Yi Lin*, *Zhiyin*, or perhaps on Hu Xijin’s Weibo.

After all, he was unlearned and unskilled back then, and his cultural level was nothing to speak of, so he was only fit to scavenge these stale scraps to eat.

He couldn't remember the source, but at this moment, as the image of himself kissing an ugly man appeared on the screen and the entire audience burst into uncontrollable laughter, he inexplicably thought of that sentence—

"The scarcest thing in the world is not money, but the resources to make money."

His eyes were fixed on the big screen, but Chen Nuo’s thoughts had long since drifted far away.

When he first saw this sentence, he didn't actually have a deep understanding of it. It wasn't until later, when he became a moderately famous short-video influencer by posting on Douyin and MCN agencies came knocking one after another, pulling out eight-figure or even nine-figure signing bonuses and shamelessly begging to sign him, that he finally understood.

And in this life, having become an actor and then a boss, with his identity switching back and forth, his understanding of this sentence had reached a new level.

The profession of an actor is actually like the characters in certain online games known as "late-game classes."

You are very weak in the early stages, where anyone can step on you, and you have to accept all sorts of unspoken and spoken rules. A small actor who hasn't made a name for himself can even be given a cold shoulder by the lady handing out lunch boxes on set.

But once you survive the early stages and make it to the late game, as long as you haven't deleted your account or quit the game, you can become the strongest existence among all classes.

Because you have become a resource for making money,

Or rather, an amplifier for capital.

If you can amplify it by 50%, then most directors will come to kiss your feet and try to get close to you.

If you can amplify it by double, then over 80% of capital will treat you like a father.

If you can amplify it by triple, he, Young Master Chen, could even go lick Dilraba.

And if you are aiming for the ultimate goal of amplifying it by three or five times...

What does kissing a man matter!?

Out of 100 actors, all 100 would smile faintly, without a moment's hesitation, and go for it immediately.

Once a top-tier actor enters a performance state, under that incredibly strong self-persuasion, this is simply not a big deal at all.

However, when filming this scene, Chen Nuo had actually intended to fake it.

Because he wasn't getting paid.

Receiving notice from the Academy Awards organizing committee to arrive in America a few days early to film an opening segment for this year's Oscars was unpaid volunteer labor.

He had come and cooperated with Billy Crystal to act, which was already generous enough. If he had really had to film it, he actually wouldn't have been able to wrap his head around it at the time; there was no reason for him to run to America for volunteer labor.

However, at this time, Alison, who had always been very concerned about his public image, stood up and expressed a different opinion. This ultimately led him to choose to give a breakthrough performance on the Oscar stage in front of the whole world.

Hearing Liu Yifei beside him and the entire audience laughing their heads off, Chen Nuo sighed—

Hopefully, it was all worth it.

"Is this what you went to film when you first arrived in America a few days ago?" Liu Yifei asked with a smile, her eyes squinting as she turned her head.

Chen Nuo nodded, said "Mm," and kept an eye on the camera's position, ready to laugh along at any moment.

"Was this required by the screenwriter?"

"What else? No choice, had to sacrifice for art."

"Hahaha, I think it's so interesting, haha. But it's just too unfair to you."

"It's acting, it's normal. The camera is coming over, watch your expression, smile."

At this time, Billy Crystal continued to imitate and pay tribute to the other seven Best Picture nominees in the opening short film.

Afterwards, after thoroughly igniting the atmosphere in the venue and in front of television screens, and amidst the announcer's introduction, he finally walked out from behind a curtain of brilliant white light in the middle of the stage.

The entire venue erupted in enthusiastic applause.

At this moment, the theater's big screen began scanning the audience, first giving a shot to Meryl Streep's row, then the image shifted to Chen Nuo's face. The image of him smiling and clapping appeared on the big screen.

Unfortunately, Liu Yifei was laughing in vain; only one of her arms appeared in the frame.

Soon, the camera cut to the area where George Clooney was, and finally returned to the center of the stage.

Billy Crystal was wearing a vintage tuxedo, looking exactly like a mad scientist from a 1960s black-and-white sci-fi movie.

He greeted the audience on all sides, "Thank you, thank you."

He then walked to the center of the stage, bowed with a full face of smiles, and began: "Thank you all, this applause is truly—'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.' Today is my ninth time hosting the Oscars, so... please call me 'War Horse'."

With just one short sentence, he both responded to the applause and smoothly threw out the names of two Best Picture nominees—*Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close* and *War Horse*—instantly drawing a round of light laughter and applause.

Next was a series of customary opening remarks, teasing, well-wishes, tributes, and a few rhyming jokes, which could be called textbook-level old-school host rhythm.

However, Chen Nuo had no interest in listening.

Having hosted the Oscars twice and attending for the fourth time, he no longer had the enthusiasm of the past. Liu Yifei was listening with great interest, laughing out loud while watching the stage, but he felt somewhat listless. Seeing that the camera wasn't scanning over again, he simply lowered his head, took out his phone, and checked for any unread messages.

It turned out there were quite a few.

Over 50 unread WeChat messages, and more than a dozen text messages.

He didn't dare to click on WeChat now; after all, if certain pictures popped up, it would be embarrassing if someone saw them.

Text messages were relatively safer.

He clicked on the text messages, and sure enough, they were all from his "old" friends over 40.

The one at the very top was from Jiang Wen:

[I often chat with Wang Shuo, Old Ma, and the others, saying don't think you have any idol baggage; in fact, when your Brother Nuo starts acting, he is absolutely the most damn willing to go all out in all of China. Those two grandsons didn't believe it. After today, there will surely be no more controversy. Destroying your own image just for an award, I concede, I admire you.]

Chen Nuo smiled, feeling a little proud in his heart, and replied: "You flatter me."

He could fool Liu Yifei, but he couldn't fool those with a discerning eye.

This really had nothing to do with sacrificing for art; it only had to do with winning an award later.

Going all out to kiss a man was to deepen the impression of him being "capable of acting" and "daring to act" in the eyes of those Academy members.

You have to know that the so-called "acting powerhouse label," even with innate talent, is fed to the judges through one desperate work after another. Just like Leonardo, going to film *J. Edgar* to play a homosexual, going to *Django Unchained* to play a villain, and rolling in mud and eating raw meat in *The Revenant*.

And it's not just actors; directors are the same.

Like Director Lou Ye, filming all kinds of scars and man-made disasters, all for the sake of exchanging a few smiles in front of those cold and arrogant faces at Cannes, Berlin, and Venice.

Two words can summarize it: fawning. That's all.

However, in Alison's words, he was a bit better than Director Lou; it couldn't be called fawning, at most it was just batting an eye. It was also easier than Leonardo's, not needing to be so desperate, just using such a short, few-second segment to achieve his goal with minimal effort.

Because, if simply attending the Oscars wasn't impressive enough, then once this short film was shot, these Academy members would likely have an extremely deep impression of his Oscar nomination and his courage to break through himself for the next five or ten years.

So, one day in the future, when he truly brings a blockbuster film and, as a foreigner and a person of yellow race, challenges for the Oscar for Best Actor, perhaps it will allow the scales in those people's hearts to tilt toward him just a little bit.

This was the reason Alison used to persuade him.

It was all interests, all calculations.

This world is inherently this dirty, and this is how it operates.

Based on this advice, Chen Nuo felt that the $300,000 bonus he gave the woman was money well spent.

After replying to Jiang Wen's text, he put his phone back in his pocket.

At this time, Billy Crystal on stage changed the subject and began the usual opening song and dance show as before. At the same time, the cameraman began to wander near him, indicating that there would soon be shots of him.

"#Holding the Oscars on this wonderful night# Oscar, Oscar, who will win?#"

After singing two lines, Billy Crystal looked around the venue with a smile: "You didn't think I wouldn't sing tonight, did you?"

The venue erupted in laughter, and he added another line: "But—we have to hurry tonight. There are nine nominated films this year!"

The music started, and Billy began to sing jokes about each nominated film in a teasing manner.

"He doesn't want to speak, don't ask him to speak,

But if *The Artist* wins an Oscar,

He will say—merci beaucoup~ (French: thank you very much)"

The camera immediately cut to the French lead actor of *The Artist*—Jean Dujardin, who smiled shyly and nodded in greeting.

Then the rhythm of the music changed, and Billy sang again:

"This horse is your horse,

This horse is the horse Spielberg filmed in *War Horse*,

Now the Oscars might favor this horse,

And Tom Hanks has long since become the past."

The screen shifted, and the image froze on the smiles of Mr. and Mrs. Spielberg.

After singing, the rhythm of the music suddenly became cheerful, and the atmosphere heated up.

"Leonardo plays the most vicious FBI director in history,

He used to be very handsome, now he has a lot of meat on his stomach.

But kid, if you lose tonight,

Don't be sad, there's still cake waiting for you after the ceremony—"

Billy dragged out a long and exaggerated tail note, the venue erupted in laughter, and the camera gave a shot to Leonardo, who pursed his lips with a helpless smile.

Subsequently, Billy walked quickly to the other side of the stage, and the style changed again.

"Is this a dream?

Yes, my dear,

Nolan's dream is always without limits,

One thought, one layer of reality,

Deeper than love."

As he spoke, he stepped down the stairs and walked into the aisle.

This time the camera gave a shot to Chen Nuo, and his slightly shy smile appeared on the big screen.

This time Liu Yifei finally succeeded in showing her face; the camera followed Billy as he swept over, and the woman's long-prepared smile was finally able to be captured.

Billy reached out slightly and sang with a smile:

"Chen, he dances in a suit while the world spins,"

Like a hybrid of Bond and Cheng Long,

he is the new darling of the global box office."

Each line was more exaggerated than the last, and waves of laughter rose higher and higher in the venue.

Just then, Billy walked up with a funny yet suave gait, and Chen Nuo also watched this big-foreheaded man perform with a smile.

Billy looked into his eyes and sang:

"Nolan says he is the embodiment of inspiration,

will the Oscars wake up from their dream and give him a little golden man?"

Then he suddenly reined in his smile, straightened his face, and his tone deepened:

"But to tell you the truth,

if there is a sequel,

I hope you don't act like this—

mess up your hair,

dirty your face,

and it would be best if you were gay.

So you can leave some money for other film companies!"

"Hahahaha!"

The whole audience burst into laughter.

Chen Nuo was also laughing.

Afterwards, Billy Crystal also sang the last line of this short segment with a smile: "At least stop doing talk shows or hosting, leave us a bite to eat~"

……

……

"Another boring Oscars, damn, is there anyone who feels the same way as me? I can say that apart from the opening, this entire awards ceremony is worthless. Although Billy is also a host I like, he is really old. I can guess what he's going to say next as soon as he says the previous line. Goodbye, ABC, I'd rather watch the Golden Globe Awards rerun than waste time here. Perhaps I'll come back at the end to see if 'Inception' actually won Best Picture."

When the time reached past 8:00 PM LA time, which was around 11:00 AM Jingcheng time, and the 84th Academy Awards ceremony was halfway through, such a post appeared on Twitter, immediately attracting many people's comments and attention.

"This is a fact. The Oscars are aging, and the only person who can bring back its youth is sitting in the audience."

"Dull and boring jokes, long and uninteresting pacing. When Chen and Billy kissed at the beginning, I thought this year would be crazy, but I didn't expect its brilliance to be only at the start."

"Boring show, I went to play LOL after watching the first award. Is there anyone here playing this game?"

"I'm already at a bar now, just picked up a beauty. Let me tell you a trick: I've discovered that over 50% of the young chicks in this country are interested in Chen Nuo right now. You just have to brag to her that you have his autograph or phone number, and there's a 70% chance she'll go home with you tonight. If Chen doesn't work, then switch to Leo. The combined success rate will be 100%!"

"Billy can retire, I'm serious. It's still the same old routine from the 90s, and we've already been in the 21st century for 10 years now!"

"Only Leonardo and George Clooney can make me perk up."

"OMG, Emma Stone is out to present an award, she's like a maniac tonight, haha!"