[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-that-year-in-huayu":3,"chapter-that-year-in-huayu-that-year-in-huayu-chapter-14":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","That Year in Huayu",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2286850,4473,"Chapter 14: Golden Horse","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-14",14,"\u003Cp>Lin Nan felt very awkward, standing there like an idiot, having to say \"I'm in the Directing Department\" every now and then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new freshmen were very enthusiastic; it had only been three months since *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* left theaters, and the buzz was still there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a few days into his sophomore year, good news arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yang notified him that Lin Nan had been nominated for Best New Performer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shanghai Film Group called to say *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* had been nominated for Best Original Screenplay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The school teachers were very happy, and Lin Nan was excited too; Best Original Screenplay was fine, but this year was the world of *Infernal Affairs*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the news came out, the public finally realized that Lin Nan, the director and lead actor of *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind*, had also acted in *Blind Shaft*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the crew of *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind*, it was a different story; many who had originally decided not to attend regretted it, as having a nomination made all the difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the list had already been finalized with Shanghai Film Group: Lin Nan, Zhu Yawen, Zhou Yang, and Jiang Yiyan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the screenwriter, director, lead actor, and even the producer, they were all just Lin Nan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within two days, the congratulatory calls never stopped, and the messages on Penguin never ceased; many were from people he had only met when visiting the school next door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin, wishing the film success in winning... Tang.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shanghai Film Group started promoting again, bragging about their \"keen eye for talent\" for months; Lin Nan was almost embarrassed by it, as his skin hadn't been tempered to the level of a master director yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The *Lotus Lantern* crew hitched a ride on the hype, though they had checked with Lin Nan beforehand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first *Infernal Affairs* was released; after being shelved for a year, it was finally let in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This series would also be the final glory of Hong Kong cinema.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those with a keen sense of smell had already started actively embracing the mainland; *The Proud Twins* had already been filed, and word was that *The Handsome Siblings* was also preparing for project filing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One had to admit that *Infernal Affairs* was a classic; coming out of the theater, everyone said so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The film critics' reviews were overwhelmingly positive, and it was indeed good, but these people were truly turncoats; they always thought the moon was rounder abroad, and took the opportunity to step on a large number of mainland films, including Lin Nan's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, everyone had already seen the disc of this film, so this theatrical release was just a distribution experiment by China Film Group, but Lin Nan and some classmates still came to show their support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard the investment was over twenty million; that's too daring.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The remake rights have already been sold; that alone sold for nearly two million USD, so what do you think?\" someone explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's a miracle it was made, and an even bigger miracle that it made money.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough, *Warriors of Heaven and Earth* and *Me and My Dad* were no match for the momentum of *Infernal Affairs*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Golden Horse Awards announced the nomination list, and the two items related to Lin Nan were still there; now the people around him were even more excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A nomination represents a possibility, but being shortlisted means entering the finals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a few days after the shortlist was announced, with a month left until the awards ceremony, the teachers started asking him when he would ask for leave, saying he just needed to give them a heads-up when the time came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, most student awards happened at the school next door, so the school was under pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Cell Phone* started large-scale promotion; another masterpiece from Director Feng, reflecting social reality, and all participants were powerful, acting-oriented performers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Cell Phone* held a promotion at the Film Academy, and Lin Nan was there too; Fan Bingbing wasn't \"Master Fan\" yet, but she was very beautiful, the type mature men liked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director Feng could be called the ace of Huayi, and he was also a man full of inspirational stories; if not for his looks, he would be a perfect novel protagonist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Director Feng talking and laughing on stage, Lin Nan suddenly thought of a line: It doesn't matter if a man is old and ugly, the most important thing is to have talent...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That made a lot of sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The release date for *Cell Phone* was set for December 18th, and Lin Nan would definitely not be in the mainland by then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As time drew closer, Shanghai Film Group started asking, and Lin Nan had to prepare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yawen was already packing his luggage and asking about his suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We don't need to worry about this; Shanghai Film Group has prepared it. Tell the two of them that the gowns are the same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan told Zhu Yawen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On December 1st, the four of them dragged their suitcases and left school, accompanied by a staff member from Shanghai Film Group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin, the leaders will meet up with us over there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan nodded; they were flying from the school, and Shanghai Film Group was departing from their side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After landing, they saw the people from Shanghai Film Group waiting to pick them up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin, President Ren is here too,\" someone said to Lin Nan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this year's Golden Horse, besides the four of them, there were almost no mainland artists, and certainly no major awards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But many mainland companies came; after all, the Golden Horse was still the benchmark of the Chinese-language film circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red carpet was on December 13th, as was the awards ceremony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hotel where they stayed was with the Shanghai Film Group people, and Lin Nan went to see President Ren.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two met in the second-floor coffee shop, and the other party brought a secretary—a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"President Ren, hello,\" Lin Nan took the initiative to greet him; the other was a big shot, and he was a junior, so he had to be polite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin, you're so young; the younger generation is to be feared. Being able to come and compete this time is also your credit; among the major film studios, only our Shanghai Film Group has works competing,\" President Ren said this very happily, not being subtle at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nowadays, policy favored commercial films—that is, films that could sell tickets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director Zhang had Zhang Weiping, and foreign film companies favored him. China Film Group was the leader, located in the Beijing circle; Feng Xiaogang and Chen Kaige were both close to it, and Huayi was also at the core of the Beijing circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There weren't many directors who could sell, and almost all had fixed partners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin, do you have any plans for a new film?\" President Ren asked, taking a sip of coffee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many thoughts flashed through Lin Nan's mind, \"I plan to prepare a new film in the first half of next year.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, you have a plan? What genre is it?\" President Ren asked, the smile on his face giving a feeling of a spring breeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is no script yet, but it should still be a commercial film,\" that was all Lin Nan could say; after all, the person in front of him was his financier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good, commercial films are good; what the higher-ups encourage are commercial films. When the budget is out, let me know; whatever is missing, I'll cover it for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>President Ren was very generous, patting his chest and taking full responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tropical fruits were very cheap here, and for the past few days, Lin Nan and Zhu Yawen had been eating them in every possible way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the noon of the 13th, Lin Nan had already changed into a black suit provided by Shanghai Film Group. Zhu Yawen chose a blue one, which was very flashy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two ladies were in standard evening gowns. In a few hours, the red carpet would begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the representative of the production company, Shanghai Film Group, President Ren was dressed very meticulously in a Zhongshan suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At three o'clock, Lin Nan and President Ren were in one car, and Zhu Yawen and the others were behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Municipal Art Center, it was already a sea of people on both sides; getting out of the car, Lin Nan saw Li Yang walking over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Li,\" Lin Nan took the initiative to hug him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter continued to greet President Ren.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides fans, there were many reporters with long lenses and short cannons on both sides, both Chinese and foreign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan needed to walk the red carpet twice; in order, *Blind Shaft* was after *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* because it had the Silver Bear endorsement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More and more cars arrived, and quite a few drove away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan saw those people from Hong Kong; the two, Liu and Liang, were contenders for Best Actor tonight. *Infernal Affairs* was too strong; Simon Yam and Daniel Wu couldn't beat them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main awards were all claimed by *Infernal Affairs*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Walking up now is the crew of *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind*...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan didn't hear clearly what was said, as it was mixed with some accents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He followed in President Ren's footsteps, with Zhu Yawen, Zhou Yang, and Jiang Yiyan at his side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two women were very excited because people around were shouting their character names from the film.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin, I heard you are still in school, yet you are already a film director and lead actor, and the box office is so good; what are your thoughts?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Questions on such occasions were always this direct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's alright; there are plenty of people like me in school.\" Lin Nan didn't say much, just brushing it off; he didn't know what to say either. Mostly, President Ren was holding court—he was a leader, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entering the venue, they were led to a seat in the middle-back; Lin Nan wondered if they would have been sitting in some corner in the back if not for President Ren.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan turned back; Director Li Yang was still waiting for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he walked the red carpet again with Li Yang, even the host was stunned for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am also one of the lead actors in this film.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan said, and Li Yang added, \"And one of the investors.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Silver Bear director is different; these people who fawn over the powerful and trample the weak were all speaking nicely now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The host of the awards ceremony was half a man and a woman, the woman from Hong Kong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Golden Horse could be said to be contracted by Hong Kong films.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Best Feature Film, *Blind Shaft* lost to *Infernal Affairs*; Best Director, Best Actor and Actress, and Best Supporting Actor all came from Hong Kong films.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* won Best Original Screenplay; nominated, shortlisted, and won—no gaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan didn't have a hard time going up to receive the award; he finished his standard acceptance speech and came down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>President Ren took the trophy Lin Nan handed him, looked at it, and returned it to Lin Nan, \"Keep up the good work in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several people took turns, and Lin Nan sat down next to Li Yang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Best Adapted Screenplay, Li Yang.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yang stood up happily, hugged Lin Nan, and went up; the spotlight flashed over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Best New Performer, *Blind Shaft*, Lin Nan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Lin Nan only had one thought in his heart: \"It's here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You've harvested two awards in your first film festival; Director Lin, do you have any acceptance speech?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, Brother Li Yang, for giving me this role and officially bringing me into the industry. Thank you, President Ren, for investing in me to film *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind*. I will continue to work hard. Thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although they weren't the most important awards, Lin Nan was very satisfied; there were two of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good lad, you're really singing my praises,\" Li Yang punched Lin Nan; he could tell that Lin Nan's speech just now came from the heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's a pity, I won't be able to film in the mainland for five years.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Nan nodded and said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over here, the competition for the most intense awards began; Best Feature Film and Best Director both went to *Infernal Affairs*. The battle for Best Actor was also an internal struggle within *Infernal Affairs*, with Liu Dehua losing to Liang Chaowei by a single vote.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time will prove whether a person's stance is crooked or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The news in the mainland is probably drafting headlines right now,\" President Ren remarked. *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* winning an award, regardless of which one, was to his credit as far as the Shanghai Film Studio was concerned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was right; the emerging web portals had already posted the big headlines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lin Nan wins Best New Performer and Best Original Screenplay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin Nan, from the 2002 Directing Department of the Film Academy, at the 40th Golden Horse...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the awards ceremony ended, Lin Nan and Zhu Yawen slipped past a few people and rushed over to the Heavenly King Liu to ask for an autograph, and even had someone from the Shanghai Film Studio help take a group photo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Lin, remember to look for me if there's a chance to collaborate; the salary is negotiable,\" although Heavenly King Liu had a hooked nose, his character was impeccable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are too kind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2288,"2026-06-20T03:22:09.099Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","1f39c6ed9358329880d4c7cfe4173c096f08851177719e33a1e6bd39230f6cf6","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-15","that-year-in-huayu-chapter-13",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-in-huayu-cover.jpg"]