Chapter 438: Weibo Night, Berlin, and the Oscar Nominations

"It's fallen into chaos this quickly?"

Lin Nan had heard an unbelievable piece of news—Big Dog had only just finished his seventh-day memorial, and Pony had already begun its internal power struggle.

"It's already the talk of the industry. Zhong Zhong Lifang, the general manager of Pony Pictures, has finally submitted her resignation after being called in for a talk by the group's board of directors on the 3rd of this month. Her mind is made up."

Yue Jun said with a face full of lamentation.

Everyone knew Zhong Zhong Lifang was a famous strongwoman in the industry, and she had a tacit understanding with Li Ming, to whom she owed a debt of gratitude for being recognized and promoted.

The two of them had made Pony, that "family-style" giant ship, display jaw-dropping strength and battle records in industry competition.

"The timing is interesting—right after the seventh-day memorial…"

Lin Nan muttered softly. This fulfilled the last of their friendship, sent him off on his final journey?!

"Bullshit board of directors. The investment firms don't meddle in the company's management and operations. Everyone on the board has the surname Li. They've always opposed handing power to outsiders.

Now that the chairman is gone, how could they possibly let Zhong Zhong Lifang keep her hold on power? But this is moving way too hastily! In the eyes of the many film and TV companies in the industry, Pony is now left with nothing but a bunch of idiots."

Lin Nan nodded. He agreed with Yue Jun's view.

Apart from fools, no one would believe Zhong Zhong Lifang left voluntarily.

After all, Pony's growth to its current scale was inseparable from her contribution. What "parent" would just abandon their own "child" like that?

"Rather than being swept out the door, it is indeed better to step down on one's own. That way one preserves a shred of dignity and can leave with grace."

Suddenly, Lin Nan thought of something and looked at Yue Jun. "Hasn't anyone tried to poach her?"

"How could they not? Huayi, Bona, Enlight, Stellar Mega—all of them reached out at the first opportunity, but she firmly turned them all down, saying she'd be temporarily leaving the film and TV industry."

"Well, she's a woman of principle." Lin Nan clicked his tongue in admiration.

…………

With the end of early January, the few blockbuster films of the He Sui season had basically run their course.

"Personal Tailor" had just barely crossed the 700-million-yuan box office threshold, with daily takings down to barely over a million.

Looking at it now, one could see that whether Huayi had obtained the extension key or not seemed to have no bearing on the final outcome.

Because "Personal Tailor" was certainly going to miss 800 million at the box office—half a month or even a full month of extra screening time wouldn't have helped.

And "New Police Story 2013," starring Jackie Chan, Miss Jing Tian, Liu Ye and others, had also raked in 510 million over 18 days amid mixed reviews.

At this point, daily takings were still four to five million—the result of the relevant department's "special consideration."

Lin Nan had to admit that Wanda's invitation for him to invest in this "New Police Story 2013" was indeed a guaranteed profitable deal, and also a matter of personal favor.

At this point, less than twenty days remained until He Sui's Eve. This period was the precious "borrowed time" for the other He Sui season films.

Liu Liu Yifei came running up to Lin Nan, holding two invitation letters and a seating chart, looking a bit dazed.

Only then did he realize—he'd forgotten to tell Liu Liu Yifei.

"Oh dear, I was so excited those few days I forgot to tell you. I promised Cao Dong we'd both go to the Weibo Night together. Haha…"

Lin Nan took the invitation letters from Liu Liu Yifei's hand and said with a smile.

"You! Now I have to rush someone to negotiate schedule adjustments with the brand side, otherwise the timing will be really tight."

Miss Liu puffed out her cheeks, a little annoyed. But since Lin Nan had already promised someone else, she would naturally prioritize cooperating with him.

"We're just going to sit there and watch the performances. Cao Dong even asked me if I wanted any award—you and I could pick freely. But I refused. We don't need those 'flashy' awards."

Lin Nan said cheerfully, looking at Liu Liu Yifei before him—smiling, cheeks puffed out, rolling her eyes in that cute little way of hers. She was utterly adorable.

"Hmph, I'll forgive you this time, but next time you have to tell me first thing. My assistant was scared silly."

Liu Liu Yifei said, punctuating her words with a little punch to Lin Nan—the kind so light you could barely feel it.

"Please apologize to her for me."

Lin Nan said softly. Affecting others was indeed a bit embarrassing.

The assistant being startled was inevitable—their own boss suddenly had an extra event on the schedule that she hadn't known about, and mishandling it could cost her her job!

…………

Guo Guo Jingming's leap from writing to directing, with two "Tiny Times" films raking in high box office, had undeniably set a "fine example" for the industry.

And now, here came another one.

Bona and several other companies joined hands with Han Han, holding a press conference directly, and the news quickly spread through the film and TV circle and online.

"Following Guo Guo Jingming, young writer Han Han makes his first cross-industry move, set to direct his screenwriting debut: 'The Continent.'"

"New director Han Han stated that casting for 'The Continent' officially begins today, and that the film will use real Yanji Sect and strength-based actors wherever possible… widely seen as a jab at 'Tiny Times.'"

…

Setting aside what the fans thought, the film circle and the internet were lively again.

"Veteran art directors, cinematographers, and actors switching to directing—that can still be explained. But a writer jumping straight into being a film director? Will his debut really be self-directed? Can they actually direct?"

"Another 'Guo Guo Jingming,' another 'director' aiming at the 'fan market'!"

"The barrier to entry is way too low now, isn't it? Can any Tom, Dick, or Harry just become a director?"

…

Like Guo Guo Jingming, Han Han also had a massive fan base.

So the film he directed—at least his debut—naturally met all the basic requirements of a "fan film" right out of the gate, making it hard to lose money.

Lin Nan was at the company, having just finalized the date for the annual meeting.

Reading the news online at this moment, he couldn't help but sigh, "This is nothing yet—it's only going to get livelier from here."

A knock came at the door, and Lin Nan saw Yue Jun come in.

"Huo Huo Wenxi from Emperor Motion Pictures called. Post-production on 'Ip Man 3' is about to wrap up, and they're asking when we want to set the release date."

"Post-production isn't even finished, and they're already in this much of a hurry?"

Seeing Lin Nan's puzzlement, Yue Jun couldn't help but laugh:

"I don't know why they're in such a hurry. All I know is that Emperor Motion Pictures' 'As the Light Goes Out' flopped again."

"The one starring Xie Xie Tingfeng?" Lin Nan chuckled.

"Yes, this film was moved up to release on the 3rd.

It had an investment of 120 million RMB, yet after 10 days of public screening, the total box office is only 72.2 million, and the daily box office has dropped to just over 700,000."

Yue Jun's expression carried a hint of mockery.

"Yang Yang Shoucheng always wants to promote Xie Xie Tingfeng, but he has never been able to carry the box office on his own. Wait a few more years; perhaps, by comparison, he will become a top star."

Lin Nan made a casual joke, which drew a loud laugh from Yue Jun:

"How is that possible? Unless the mainland is utterly rotten, haha..."

Since the online gala was renamed Weibo Night a few years ago, this event has leaned even more heavily toward the entertainment circle.

Moreover, as Sina gradually became the dominant force in the Weibo field over these years, Weibo Night has become a gathering that countless stars within the industry flock to.

This year, actors, stars, and artists in the film and entertainment industries clearly sensed something different.

Because the official guest list released by Weibo Night included many big shots from within the industry.

Not only would big directors like Zhang Zhang Yimou, Feng Feng Xiaogang, Jiang Wen, and Ning Hao attend, but the bosses of major film companies like Enlight Media, Huayi Brothers, Bona Film Group, and Star Media were all present without exception.

There were even Lin Nan and Liu Liu Yifei, appearing on the guest list for the first time in several years!

Such a lineup inevitably made actors and stars in the film industry think deeply.

"The IPO for Weibo is already in countdown. For the upper echelons of the industry, this is no secret."

Why was this year's Weibo Night so grand? Going public is the core reason!

Lin Nan stood before Liu Liu Yifei's exclusive dressing mirror, adjusting his clothes while explaining verbally.

And Miss Liu had long since changed into a simple white ladies' casual suit.

She wore black high heels, had only a wristwatch on her hand, and her heavy makeup made her look even more radiant and imposing.

"Do I really not need to change into a gown or a skirt?"

Liu Liu Yifei walked up to Lin Nan and asked with slightly furrowed brows.

After all, since she was going to an awards ceremony, she still felt that wearing this outfit was somewhat inappropriate.

"It's fine; you aren't going as a female star, Producer Liu!"

Lin Nan emphasized the last three words. "Besides, it's so cold outside; why wear a skirt?"

"Hehe, mm-hmm, you're right." Liu Liu Yifei nodded with a smile.

Six o'clock sharp in the evening.

Outside the China World Trade Center Phase III, there was already a sea of people; the red carpet was surging with crowds, and countless fans around were waving support boards.

Unlike the red carpet at a film festival, where some stars are not qualified to attend.

Weibo Night is different; the range of stars spans from first-tier to third-tier.

Here, works might be secondary; what matters most is one's status and fame within the industry.

Popular artists from both sides of the strait and Hong Kong and Macau, as well as stars who exploded in popularity in 2013, could all be seen on the red carpet.

Leading male actors included Huang Huang Xiaoming, Deng Chao, Chen Kun... Zhong Zhong Hanliang, Lin Lin Zhiying, Wu Wu Qilong, and others.

Leading female stars included Little Zhang Zhang Ziyi, Fan Li Bingbing, Yang Mi, Liu Liu Shishi, Ni Ni... and others.

It also included guests, contestants, and film crews from this year's popular variety shows like "Super Boy," "Where Are We Going, Dad?," and "Tiny Times."

After these came the major directors and bosses of major film companies, arranged in strict hierarchy and clear order.

When Lin Nan and Liu Liu Yifei stepped onto the red carpet, they could hear voices shouting things like "Lin Dao, good luck with the Oscars."

The seats in the venue were arranged in neat rows: six columns, fifteen rows, with thirty-six people per row. Different areas and different positions were strictly divided.

"Princess Xixi, one-tenth belongs to me. Hmm, it also belongs to you."

Liu Liu Yifei, of course, knew what Lin Nan was talking about; she smiled and nodded, "Mm-hmm."

"Lin Dao, Producer Liu, this way, please."

A staff member hurried over to escort Lin Nan and the other person onto the red carpet in the venue's aisle.

Many people noticed Lin Nan and Liu Liu Yifei, who were attending Weibo Night for the first time.

The gazes of the female stars focused mainly on Liu Liu Yifei; she was wearing a ladies' casual suit, not a gown or skirt like them!

Everyone understood what this meant. Liu Liu Yifei was not coming as a female star, but as a producer and a capital investor.

Holding hands, Lin Nan and Liu Liu Yifei followed the staff member, walking all the way toward the first row, ten meters away.

Passing the third row, they saw the current popular young female stars: Yang Mi, Liu Liu Shishi, Ni Ni, Yang Ying...

"Lin Dao, Liu Yifei..."

Having worked together in the past, Yang Mi was the first to greet them.

The second row consisted of Little Zhang Zhang Ziyi, Fan Li Bingbing, Huang Huang Xiaoming, Huang Bo, Deng Chao, and others; greetings rose up one after another.

The first row was lively; except for a small portion from internet companies, the rest were bosses from the film industry, major directors, and their families.

"Lin Nan, you and Liu Yifei are here."

Jiang Wen, with his rough voice, waved from the fourth seat in the first row; Ning Hao was right beside him.

"This seating arrangement lacks skill; Liu Yifei and I are actually separated."

To Lin Nan's right sat Jiang Wen; further right were Ning Hao, Liu Liu Yifei, Zhou Yun, and Xing Aina; then, across the aisle, on the other side in the fifth column, sat Chen Chen Kaige, Chen Hong...

"What's wrong? Everyone is the same; do you want to switch?" Ning Hao joked.

Many people in the industry from the nearby second and third rows were looking over here, smiles on their faces.

"Come on, Senior Sister Zhou Yun, let's switch, or Director Jiang, Ning Hao, you two could both shift one seat to the left..."

In the end, Lin Nan sat to Liu Liu Yifei's left, next to Ning Hao.

A group of industry stars and artists watched, dumbfounded, then immediately figured it out.

Only Lin Nan could casually switch seats at an occasion like this!

Try letting another star do it — they might actually drop dead!

The stage was performing, while Lin Nan and the others chatted.

Jiang Wen's "Gone With the Bullets" was wrapping up in two more days.

But what the few of them discussed most was the Berlin International Film Festival and the Oscars, whose shortlists would be announced the day after tomorrow!

"Who is this? Their singing is way too bad?"

Jiang Wen watched the singer on stage, muttering nonstop.

"Oh, seems like he's from 'Super Boy,' isn't it on the big screen, Hua Chen…" Ning Hao kindly reminded.

When Lin Nan came, he was already mentally prepared.

This Weibo Night's awards were all watered-down goods!

What "Male God Award," "Female God Award" — four people collect them at the same time.

Liu Liu Shishi, by officially announcing her relationship with Wu Wu Qilong, cashed in big on traffic and took home a grand prize. Chen Kun, leveraging his identity as the initiator of a charity event, took home another.

The first row was closest to the award stage, able to clearly see every star's face — and vice versa.

Face to face, Liu Liu Yifei in the first row was so conspicuous, so glaring, in the female stars' sightline on stage.

She was the youngest in the first row, surrounded entirely by industry bigwigs…

……

Weibo Night ended, and stars everywhere were showing off those worthless trophies, certificates, and group photos.

The entertainment circle's favors and hierarchies were laid bare nakedly at this one Weibo Night.

Online, massive numbers of fans were still stepping on rivals and boosting their favorites.

But after just one night, Weibo Night was instantly pushed off the headlines of every major media outlet.

"The Berlin International Film Festival committee, at 11 a. m. Beijing time, announced the shortlists for the Main Competition, Panorama, Short Film Competition, and other sections."

"Director Ning Hao's 'No Man's Land,' Director Lou Ye's 'Blind Massage,' Director Diao Yinan's… have all been shortlisted for the Main Competition, and will compete together for this edition's Berlin International Film Festival Jin Xiong!"

The film industry was in an uproar.

This was the first time in several years that multiple Chinese-language films had been shortlisted for the Berlin Film Festival Main Competition at once — the hopes of taking the gold were very high!

Ning Hao was probably thrilled out of his mind, posting over a dozen Weibo posts in a row, thanking many people — besides the main creative team, also Lin Nan and Han Han Sanping!

Before long, a call came in from Bad Monkey's side.

The instant Lin Nan tapped speakerphone, he heard an ear-splitting roar: "Come out tonight, my treat, anywhere you want…"

"Hahaha, he's over the moon."

Liu Liu Yifei lightly covered her mouth, laughing as she spoke.

A slew of actors and artists in the industry were congratulating Ning Hao, wishing him a smooth February Berlin trip and a successful capture of the Jin Xiong.

Early in the afternoon, Xing Aina was already summoning Lin Nan and Liu Liu Yifei.

Director Ning was throwing his money around this time, heading straight for the most expensive private kitchen.

None of the leads of "No Man's Land" were absent, and plenty of close industry friends came too — Han Han Sanping even brought Han Jianü.

More than ten people, from a little past seven in the evening until ten — they truly had endless things to say, tears and snot flowing, a rare sight!

On the way back, Liu Liu Yifei drove; Lin Nan had been forced by Ning Hao to drink half a glass of baijiu.

"I've never seen him bawl his eyes out like that before — this time I really broadened my horizons."

Liu Liu Yifei held the steering wheel with both hands, joking with Lin Nan.

"Did you record it?"

"Haha, everyone recorded it — 'Director Ning bawling drunk,' just thinking about it is hilarious."

Liu Liu Yifei laughed even harder as she said this.

"Four years of pent-up emotion, completely released — if it were me, I might cry too!"

Lin Nan clicked his tongue twice, a little moved.

"Oh, right. Did you notice — tonight Huang Bo and Xu Zheng seemed weird, barely talking, even a bit cold."

That casual remark from Liu Liu Yifei left Lin Nan with nothing to say.

"Probably had a falling out?" he thought.

Another night.

News of the Berlin International Film Festival was still the headline in entertainment news.

But around two or three in the morning, new news came back — this time, from Hollywood.

……

In the morning, Lin Nan was woken up by countless phone calls.

In his dream, his phone seemed to have been buzzing for two or three hours.

At some point, Lin Nan fumbled for his phone on the nightstand and answered without even looking.

"Lin Dao, the Oscars, the Oscars…"

Yue Jun's shout carried a tremor of excitement.

At that moment, Lin Nan was wide awake.

"Holy shit, it's been announced?"

"Announced. You, you should see for yourself. The industry's blown up, everyone's looking for you, haha…"

…………

From three in the morning, until 11 a. m.

The media, the film and television industry, the internet—basically everywhere was flooded with the news, and it was still flooding!

"Excerpt from the Academy Daily:

Directed by Feng Feng Xiaogang, the mainland film *Back to 1942* regrettably missed out, failing to secure a nomination for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The Hong Kong Island film *The Grandmaster* successfully made the Oscar Best Foreign Language Film shortlist."

……

"Excerpt from the Academy Daily:

Directed by Chinese director Lin Nan, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Jessica Chastain, and others, the film *The Invisible Guest* has received nominations at this year's Academy Awards.

The nominated categories include: Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Screenplay—four major awards!"

The film industry really did explode.

To be precise, the entire film and television industry was shaken by the news coming back from Hollywood.

Feng Feng Xiaogang failing to get a Best Foreign Language Film nomination was one thing—everyone was already used to it.

But Lin Nan?

A nomination for a regular Oscar category!

The last mainland director to enter a regular category was Zhang Zhang Yimou, with his film *The Flowers of War*.

The final result was—not a single nomination.

And this time, Lin Nan made it into four categories, all of them the major awards listed up front!

Before the sky had even brightened, the internet was already in an uproar.

"Holy crap, four nominations! If he wins, Lin Dao will be making history for the mainland!"

"No comparison, no hurt—my sympathies to Director Feng for one minute…"

"Lin Dao is badass, he really broke into the Oscars."

"Looking forward to *The Invisible Guest* being released domestically."

……

Lin Nan didn't even know how to describe how he was feeling right now.

His Weibo, Lin Nan Pictures' Weibo, Liu Liu Yifei's Weibo—all of them were "overrun with people."

The congratulations, teasing, and flattery from people in the industry could drown him.

Lin Nan glanced up at Liu Liu Yifei, who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa with her bare white feet.

She was hugging a tablet, chatting with someone—who knows who—and laughing without a care in the world.

"You'd better take a look—they're having quite the 'party' under your Weibo."

Liu Liu Yifei winked and made faces at Lin Nan. As his family, she was still basking in the joy of *The Invisible Guest* being nominated for four Oscars, sharing in his glory!

"Mm, let me see how these people are kissing up to me, hehe…"

He didn't know until he looked—seeing it really refreshed Lin Nan's "three views." The ones he was on decent terms with, every single one of them talked more off the wall than the last.

"Lin Dao, big sis here has the three major Chinese awards grand slam, and my foreign language isn't bad either—I'm just missing the three big European festivals and Hollywood film awards. Take me along next time, big sis can warm your bed… eeeheee…"

"Damn, Brother Xun, we only did a *Women Who Flirt*, no need to evolve like that, right? I'm getting goosebumps here… Lin Dao, how about considering me instead."

"There will always be a spot for me, Zhu, on Lin Dao's thigh!"

"Old Zhu, scoot over, make some room!"

"Once you win the award, you'll definitely put it at Liu Qianqian's place—let me borrow it for a couple of days next time."

"Congratulations Lin Dao, see you on the Oscar red carpet."

……

Below the Weibo post were dense, packed messages—from the wee hours until noon, several thousand in total, and still growing.

Plenty of industry folks had simply turned Lin Nan's Weibo into a chatroom—utterly speechless!

Lin Nan had thought that his nomination might cause a bit of a stir in the film and television industry, but he hadn't expected the impact to be this huge!

At dawn, it not only made twelve seconds of the morning news, but Beijing Film Academy simultaneously updated the news on its official website and Weibo:

"Congratulations to our outstanding Class of 2002 directing department alumnus Lin Nan, whose foreign-language film *The Invisible Guest* has successfully been nominated for the Oscar for Best Director, Best Actor… Wishing him a smooth Oscar run!"

All that was fine, but the media—never one to miss a chance to stir the pot—actually went and interviewed several other major directors, especially Feng Feng Xiaogang. Wasn't that rubbing salt in the wound?!

"Wishing Lin Nan immediate success—he's always been excellent."

"The Oscars? Then he'd better prepare for failure—Hollywood awards aren't that easy to win. To date, I've only won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film."

"First of all, congratulations to him for not being eliminated like me… keep a level head, foreign awards are neither here nor there."

"Lin Nan, big brother here supports you—next time you shoot a foreign-language film, remember to cast me as the male lead!"

"He owes me a meal—he ate one of mine."

……

(End of chapter)