[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr":3,"chapter-the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-20":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Academic Director: Reborn in the Film Industry",{"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},2297020,4493,"Chapter 20: Red Banners","the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-20",20,"\u003Cp>February 19, Monday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early in the morning, reluctant office workers rushed to catch buses and arrived just in time, beginning the daily grind of a new workday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this for real? Is it just some made-up nonsense from Sina Entertainment? This is too exaggerated.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Mei opened her computer, looked at the news headline pushed by Sina Entertainment, and muttered to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clicking through, a row of large headlines immediately appeared:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cutting-edge director Cao Yang strikes Berlin, wins two major awards\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The 51st Berlin International Film Festival, Cao Yang becomes the biggest winner\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Li Xiaoran crowned Berlin Best Actress, becomes the first from the mainland\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young director Cao Yang wins the Jury Grand Prix\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Two Silver Bears captured in a single night by the seaside\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the margins between the large headlines, there was also a line of small print:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wang Sheng wins Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With pictures as proof and descriptive text, Wang Mei shouted in surprise: \"Everyone, look! A young director named Cao Yang went crazy at the Berlin Film Festival yesterday.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her colleagues nearby perked up immediately, leaning in and exclaiming, \"My god, did someone die at the Berlin Film Festival?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wow, this director is so badass, he produced a Berlin Best Actress.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jury Grand Prix? What's that? Never heard of it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don't know? Zhang Yimou is amazing, right? That's exactly what he won at the Berlin Film Festival last year.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wow, amazing, amazing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who is Li Xiaoran? Doesn't seem very famous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Best Actress, a Berlin Best Actress! Amazing, amazing. This is the first time someone from our country has won a Berlin Best Actress, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First time from the mainland.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is the Berlin Film Festival very prestigious? How does it compare to the Golden Rooster?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This Berlin Best Actress is even more prestigious. It's a first for the mainland. Only Gong Li has won a Venice Best Actress before, and now there's this Li Xiaoran.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This sister is so pretty. *On the Beach at Night Alone*—the movie title is a bit strange. Let's go see it when it's released.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Call me when you go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Count me in, count me in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Similar scenes were happening all over the country. Sina Entertainment used large headlines and exclusive, comprehensive coverage to crush other portals, and their click-through traffic soared instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Editor-in-Chief Hu was so happy he didn't know which way was up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Lei returned early in the morning after spending the night out; he had a class to teach this morning and had to be back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking to the gate of the Beijing Film Academy, he saw some student union members busy hanging a banner and couldn't help but feel curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What day is it today? Why are you hanging this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher Huang...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher Huang...\" \"Teacher Huang...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several students greeted him quickly. One of the staff members smiled and explained: \"Director Cao... Director Cao's film won two Silver Bears in Berlin. The school had us hang this up early this morning to celebrate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Lei was momentarily stunned. Which Director Cao had such influence that the school would hang a banner for him over two Silver Bears?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although winning two Silver Bears at once was impressive, it wasn't a Golden Bear, Golden Lion, or Palme d'Or. Even if he were an alumnus, was it really worth such a grand celebration?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Lei went through his mind, but there wasn't any famous director with the surname Cao. Could it be that Cao Baoping kid had secretly made a film? He hadn't heard any news about that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, did he have the ability? This was winning two Silver Bears at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget it, he couldn't remember. Just as Huang Lei was about to ask, he saw the large banner already hanging up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Main text: Warmly congratulate our school's Directing Department student, Director Cao Yang, on winning two Silver Bears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Small text: The student film *On the Beach at Night Alone* wins the Jury Grand Prix and Best Actress at the 51st Berlin Film Festival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A student? Cao Yang?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holy crap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Lei's head heated up; he had an impression now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Yang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered—that junior student from the Directing Department who had the wild idea to make a movie and even came to his office to ask him to invite Milk Tea Liu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could Milk Tea Liu accept a student's practice film? But the other party seemed to be a student of Old Situ. That was Old Situ; he could ignore the student, but he had to give face to Old Situ.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed to have gone to the Directing Department specifically to explain to Old Situ that Milk Tea Liu didn't have the schedule, and then he ignored the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Lei slapped his thigh. How foolish! Why didn't he think to give the person a reply back then? Even a polite phone call would have been better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was over. He had made the decision to reject it on his own, then told it to Milk Tea Liu like a joke. Milk Tea Liu had just smiled and didn't take it seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the key was that he had won! That was a Berlin Best Actress, a rare existence in the entire Chinese-speaking world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Milk Tea Liu's current status, if she had won a Berlin Best Actress, she would immediately be on the level of Gong Li or Zhang Manyu, her status skyrocketing to become one of the top-tier actors in the Chinese-speaking world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Milk Tea Liu must hate him to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Lei felt such regret. A golden opportunity had once been placed before him, but he didn't cherish it. That was the temptation of two Silver Bears...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder they hung a banner. This was a student currently in school! Forget two Silver Bears; even if it were just one, they would definitely hang a banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A junior student winning a Silver Bear—the effect this had on showcasing the school's teaching achievements was boundless. And for the school leaders... tsk tsk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Lei thought to himself that the school was still being conservative; they should have hung more banners. If he were the principal, he would have hung them all the way to the gate of the Central Academy of Drama, letting them see what \"talent cultivation\" really meant!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Depressed all the way, Huang Lei arrived at the Acting Department office, but to his surprise, it was even livelier inside. A whole group of acting teachers were making a racket, and he didn't know what they were doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Lei rubbed his face with both hands, squeezed out a smile, and walked into the office with an air of nonchalance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Teacher Huang is here. You tell us, should Old Wang treat us? Two Silver Bears! What a credential that is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Lei was stunned. Why were they talking about two Silver Bears again? What was Wang Jinsong treating them for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll treat, I'll treat! Tonight, let's find a nice place, it's on me! Teacher Huang, don't forget to come.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Jinsong couldn't suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth, waving his hand with an indifferent expression. \"It's nothing, really. I just made a cameo as a supporting role, didn't have much screen time, just a little bit. I contributed very little. The two Silver Bears don't have much to do with me. Director Cao is the amazing one, young and promising, haha...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything went black before Huang Lei's eyes. The smile he had squeezed out froze on his face. He felt it was difficult to breathe, and his chest felt tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered now. When Cao Yang came to the office, Wang Jinsong had immediately said he supported it and urged Cao Yang to prioritize students from the school's Acting Department if the roles were suitable. He had been there too, and he must have said something similar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That old guy Wang Jinsong had even joked about whether he could save a role for him. He had almost opened his mouth too, but he was afraid Cao Yang would take advantage of the situation, so he didn't.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who would have thought Wang Jinsong actually went! What a scoundrel, what a scoundrel!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two Silver Bears! If this were written into a resume...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Lei wanted to slap himself. A golden opportunity had once again been placed before him, two Silver Bears posturing in front of him, and he had still turned a blind eye and failed to cherish it. That was a glorious resume entry that could go into his file—promotions and raises, it was all fucking useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1435,"2026-06-20T05:36:32.009Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","ccdde759592408f7d423fc72f2c988cc6a9e11800b0abbd1fb32d756b62c7a71","the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-21","the-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-chapter-19",411,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-academic-director-reborn-in-the-film-industr-cover.jpg"]