Chapter 137: Lu Kuan Withdraws from the Competition

November 16, 2002, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan Province, Chiang Kai-shek Cultural Center.

"Sister Mei!"

"Little Lu, you've become a big director now, very busy, and you don't even come to see your sister anymore."

Lu Kuan gave a guilty, sheepish laugh and hurriedly pulled Liu Yifei over from the side.

"Sister, Little Liu is my special envoy. I sent her to take time out over these past two months to record songs in Xiangjiang, and to keep you company while she's at it."

Liu Yifei had arrived last night.

Logically speaking, with a Golden Lion Award under her belt, things like the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers or the Golden Horse were all optional.

But since the *Whiplash* crew was filming in Taiwan Province, and Hou Xiaoxian had come forward several times to invite them, they certainly had to make an appearance at the Golden Horse Awards to show their support.

As for the Hundred Flowers Awards, they would have to wait until next year; films from this year were not eligible for entry.

In other words, it was the Golden Horse Awards that needed *Whiplash* now, not *Whiplash* that needed the Golden Horse Awards.

"That's right, Sister Mei. My scenes for *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* will wrap up next month, and then I'll head straight to Xiangjiang."

Liu Yifei had only attended the celebration banquet at the beginning of the month, and she was quite excited to be able to reunite with the *Whiplash* crew members so soon.

She had already been chattering away to Lu Kuan for a long time about things happening on the *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* set.

She also took the opportunity to convey the strong desire of Hu Zi to have him make a cameo appearance, which, unsurprisingly, was politely declined by Boss Lu.

I have no intention of becoming a part of your hype machine.

Liu Xiaoqiang stood to the side, smiling as she watched her bright and moving daughter; from the red carpet of the Golden Lion to the red carpet of the Golden Horse, her star path had been incomparable.

This had to be credited to the young man before her.

It was just a pity...

It was a pity that just as one thought of something, it appeared; not far away, Fan Bingbing and Zhou Xun arrived together.

"Hello, Sister Mei!"

"Hello, Sister Mei!"

Liu Yifei also reined in her exuberant expression, silently observing this actress who had recently been appearing in frequent gossip columns with Lu Kuan.

She looked at her curvaceous figure wrapped in a gown and her charming, smiling expression.

Hmph, what's so great about that? Just wait a few more years for me!

Lu Kuan had asked Hou Xiaoxian to give her an invitation; Fan Bingbing was here today to mooch off the red carpet and gain exposure.

But Zhou Xun wasn't mooching off Boss Lu's crew; she was the lead actress of *Hollywood Hong Kong* and, like Anita Mui, had been nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Horse Awards.

Anita Mui represented the *July Rhapsody* crew; her first course of treatment had basically ended, and she would be able to make a full comeback in another year.

This trip was also her first public appearance since falling ill with a serious disease, attracting many fans and supporters who came to catch a glimpse of the star.

Fan Bingbing knew Anita Mui, and Lu Kuan introduced Zhou Xun to her.

Added to that was the currently popular Zhou Jielun, and a circle of friends with Lu Kuan at its core began to chat animatedly.

Media from both sides of the strait and the three regions arrived upon hearing the news.

"Everyone, to the crew from the north, I have a message to inform you of."

A sentence delivered with a thick, local Taiwan Province accent interrupted the group.

Everyone looked over to see a serious-looking man in glasses holding a document.

His expression was contemptuous, and his tone was unusually cold: "This is just a verbal notification; please listen carefully and comply."

"During the film festival, members of the *Whiplash* crew are strictly forbidden from accepting interviews, strictly forbidden from attending fan meetings or large-scale gatherings, and must not promote any slogans."

"If there is any violation, you will be deported."

The man in glasses rambled on and on, leaving Lu Kuan and the others with faces as dark as water.

Among the many film awards in the country, the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers had long been weak and declining, while the Hong Kong Film Awards were confined to a corner, open only to Xiangjiang films.

The Golden Horse Awards used to have decent inclusivity and authority, but who knows when it started to go off the rails.

This year's film festival had been imbued with special significance.

After the man in glasses finished his routine "admonition," he glanced at the small flag in Liu Yifei's hand.

"This young lady, you are not allowed to carry this into the venue or onto the red carpet later; please put it away."

This sentence was like lighting a fuse, provoking Lu Kuan into a stern reprimand.

"Shameless! Do you know what you're saying? I'd like to know who set these rules?"

"Hou Xiaoxian didn't mention any of this when he invited me."

Infected by him, Liu Yifei also arched her brows in anger, took another small flag from Liu Xiaoqiang, and held them up high with both hands, looking at the man in glasses provocatively.

The tall man beside her gave her the confidence.

The man in glasses sneered: "You should know where you are; I advise you to be careful."

Boss Lu took a step forward and grabbed the man's collar; the height difference of more than ten centimeters between the two looked quite comical.

"Careful of what?"

He somewhat regretted not bringing Hu Zi into the inner venue; otherwise, he would have definitely let Xiao Mian Zhenghe give the man in glasses a sound beating.

At worst, after the beating, he would just arrange a few roles for Jia Jingwen and have Wu Dun get Hu Zi out.

It was the first time everyone had seen Lu Kuan so furious and ready to throw hands; Anita Mui was afraid he would act impulsively and cause trouble, so she hurriedly stepped forward to ask him to let go.

"Who do you represent? If you represent the film festival organizers, then we will turn around and leave right now, and give up participating in this film festival."

"If you cannot represent the official side, please leave right now and stop spouting nonsense!"

The man in glasses might not have recognized Lu Kuan, but he certainly recognized Anita Mui.

Now, intimidated by the furious Boss Lu, he mumbled threats: "Don't worry about who I represent! You just need to mind your own business!"

The surrounding media had originally been focused on Anita Mui and Zhou Jielun, and now, hearing the news, they rushed over, cameras and microphones in tow.

Boss Lu had wanted to be deafeningly profound and expose the ugly face of this year's Golden Horse Awards, but unfortunately, he was faced with shameless enemy media.

"Back to the lounge."

Boss Lu led Feng Yuanzheng and Liu Yifei back, and asked Zhou Jielun to stay behind to scout for developments.

His status was very awkward, but with such an incident occurring, he had to stand with the crew no matter what.

"Director Lu, they are in the wrong for doing this; let's just withdraw."

Zhou Jielun had originally held high expectations for this exhibition; he had been nominated for Best New Performer and Best Supporting Actor.

But at this moment, there was no time to worry about that.

Anita Mui didn't care; she was already in a semi-retired state, and she had already won a Golden Horse Award in 1988 for *Rouge*, so she followed Lu Kuan back to the lounge.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Boss Lu joked: "What a pity, Teacher Feng's Best Actor, and Jielun and Little Liu's Best Newcomer awards won't be happening."

Zhou Jielun waved his hand: "This is a matter of principle, Director; we all support you."

Feng Yuanzheng cared even less; would a Venice Best Actor care about a dead horse?

"Why don't we just go back now and continue filming *Shoplifters*?"

Everyone laughed at this, and Anita Mui praised Liu Yifei for her heroic spirit in holding the national flag just now.

"Director Lu! I'm late, I'm so sorry!"

Hou Xiaoxian pushed the door open in a rush, his calm and detached expression completely changed; he was apologizing and smiling, almost bowing to them.

"I have been communicating with the committee; all the admonitions and warnings everyone received are void. Please don't withdraw, please don't withdraw!"

He was the chairman of the jury for this year's Golden Horse Awards; although he was quite constrained in his actions for certain reasons, he still had to run around to ensure the smooth holding of the event.

Everyone looked at Lu Kuan in unison; he had just stepped forward, and with his deafeningly profound questioning, he had now become the backbone of the group.

"Director Hou, it is regrettable to see such things happen at the Golden Horse Awards. I believe this has already gone beyond the scope of art and lost the significance of promoting cultural exchange through film itself."

"How about this, let's each take a step back. I won't ask the *Whiplash* crew, but representing myself, I withdraw from this Golden Horse Awards."

"I withdraw too!"

"Withdraw!"

There were those who voiced their agreement, and those who shrank back in silence.

Hou Xiaoxian had made concessions on behalf of the Golden Horse officials; if everyone took a step back, it would be a happy ending, and even if they continued to participate, it wouldn't matter.

Moreover, not everyone had the confidence of Lu Kuan, who already had a Golden Lion Award under his belt and had no need for such regional awards to raise his own value.

Hou Xiaoxian looked at the scene awkwardly, tried to persuade them a few more times, and then left helplessly.

Liu Yifei laughed: "Since we've all withdrawn, why don't we let Brother Jielun take us around? It's my first time in Taipei!"

During the last roadshow, she had already joined the *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* crew and hadn't come to Taiwan Province with the crew for promotion.

Zhou Jielun had also made up his mind to withdraw, but he hadn't expected Lu Kuan, who had been so adamant just a moment ago, to persuade them otherwise.

"I'll withdraw on my own; you guys shouldn't."

Liu Yifei was puzzled: "Why!"

She had also been filled with righteous indignation just a moment ago.

"The media that swarmed over just now are all biased; whatever we say will be distorted."

"If we just withdraw like this, no one will know that we were subjected to unfair treatment at this Golden Horse Awards, and no one will recognize their ugly faces."

"You guys are different; forget about Jielun. If Teacher Feng or Little Liu have the chance to go on stage to receive an award and speak, just say this..."

Boss Lu had a plan in mind and gave them detailed instructions.

The minor turmoil of the Golden Horse Awards quickly subsided; apart from Lu Kuan's withdrawal, the other members of the *Whiplash* crew attended as planned.

Liu Yifei was nominated for Best New Performer, and Feng Yuanzheng was nominated for Best Actor.

There were also Lu Kuan's Best Director, and the film's Best Editing and Screenplay, etc., but if the individuals were not present, the Golden Horse Awards were very likely to change the winners.

This was common in later generations, especially since Lu Kuan had just high-profilely and publicly announced his withdrawal, making these people hold a grudge.

Liu Xiaoqiang sat beside her daughter, thinking of the parting words Lu Kuan had just given her.

"Xixi, what did Director Lu just tell you and Teacher Feng?"

Liu Yifei turned her head to look at her mother: "I can't say! You'll know in a while!"

"This child!"

Liu Xiaoqiang was a bit uneasy, but thinking that Lu Kuan was a very sharp and wise young man, he had no motive to harm her daughter.

Besides, there was still Feng Yuanzheng; he wouldn't trick both of them, right!

The awards ceremony proceeded in an orderly manner, but the atmosphere was somewhat solemn, and everyone was inevitably affected by the external factors just now.

Sure enough, due to Lu Kuan's absence, Best Screenplay and Editing were given to a few obscure Xiangjiang films.

Next were Best Supporting Actor Anthony Wong and Best Supporting Actress Karena Lam.

"It's very strange, why put the Best Newcomer award at the end?"

The filmmakers present were very puzzled; the awards should undoubtedly be from low to high, and now that the Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards had been given, the Best Newcomer award was temporarily absent.

Those in the know had all guessed it.

*Whiplash*'s Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Newcomer, which had a high possibility of winning, had not been revealed.

This was a backstage power struggle!

It could only be said that the intervention of certain forces had turned this artistic event into a laughingstock.

Just as everyone had guessed, the Best Director award went to Xiangjiang film director Fruit Chan, who couldn't even see the taillights of Boss Lu at Venice.

There was an immediate chorus of boos from the audience!

Basically, they were all fans of *Whiplash* and fans of Zhou Jielun.

They didn't care if you were from the mainland or Taiwan Province; such a blatant and biased award should be met with any form of criticism and boos!

Fruit Chan took the award awkwardly and left the stage after saying only a few words.

Who doesn't know who here? This Best Director award was basically picked up off the ground; it won't be long before people dig it up to mock it.

Next was Feng Yuanzheng's Best Actor award, which went to Leon Lai.

Another chorus of boos.

The audience wasn't booing Leon Lai on purpose; they were just expressing their dissatisfaction with the ugly face of the organizing committee; it was too blatant!

As for Best Newcomer, there was no need to think about it; Zhou Jielun and Liu Yifei of *Whiplash* were certainly out of luck.

At this moment, a scene that made people laugh and cry appeared; the host opened the envelope with ease and read out the name of the Best Newcomer.

"The 39th Taiwan Province Golden Horse Awards, Best New Performer, USA, Liu Yifei!"

The audience below was stunned at first, seemingly unable to believe their ears, and then saw the subtitle on the screen, which was a complete mockery.

【*Whiplash*, Liu Yifei (USA)】

Overwhelming discussions came rushing in, more crazy and manic than any time before, almost lifting the roof off!

Outside the venue, Boss Lu and Hu Zi sat together watching the live broadcast, their faces extremely dark when they saw this scene.

No one had expected them to be so insane to this extent.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 138 =====