Chapter 100: The Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival

(Thanks again to Brother Long Shao for the generous tip, and to Longhun Xingyu for the support as well. Much appreciated. Black Car really needs to be bookmarked and recommended. Also, everyone, don’t forget to cast your votes for Black Car in the Sanjiang poll! It seems the ranking is quite low now, and honestly, Black Car almost forgot about it too. Thank you all for your support!)

“Wow!”
“Aiya!”
“This…it’s so beautiful!”

Facing Haiqing’s wide-open mouth and her repeated exclamations of surprise, Wu Xiang felt immensely amused. “Regret it now, huh? Told you not to go with me to shoot the film. Hehehe…”

“Aiya! It’s all your fault! If I’d known your filming would turn out this stunning, I definitely would have gone!” Haiqing wasn’t even looking at Wu Xiang anymore; her eyes were glued to the photos he had brought back—pictures of the vast grasslands and the grand battle scenes. She regretted it deeply.

Indeed, Wu Xiang was quite the mischievous fellow. As soon as he returned, he presented these photos like a treasure, sharing his experiences with Haiqing.

They were truly beautiful—not just because of Ning Hao’s technical skill, but because the scenery and the shots themselves were works of art.

Haiqing genuinely regretted missing out, not only because she wasn’t part of such a monumental film but also because of Wu Xiang’s current miserable state. “Xiao Wu, next time don’t always go off filming by yourself. Look at you, you’re terrifying.”

She was, of course, referring to Wu Xiang’s injuries—he was still wearing a sling on one arm.

Wu Xiang felt touched; although she sometimes had a temper, she cared about him. He said, “Xiao Hai, hearing you say that really makes me happy, hehehe…”

He chuckled foolishly, lacking any trace of a sophisticated, up-and-coming director’s artistic aura.

“Silly! Hehehe…” Haiqing laughed too. Actually, she had missed Wu Xiang quite a bit during the long time they hadn’t seen each other, though she wouldn’t admit it—too embarrassed to say so.

One had to admit, their love life was at the level of elementary school kids.

When Wu Xiang returned to the capital, he naturally planned to start post-production on "The Emperor Wu of Han," but soon realized that post-production couldn’t be done quickly—not for technical reasons, but because he simply had no time.

There was truly no time. Suddenly, numerous things had sprung up. Even if he finished filming earlier, he still wouldn’t have time for post-production because it was the 50th anniversary celebration of the Film Academy.

This was a major event—the nation’s top leaders had sent congratulatory messages. Many big names, industry giants, and renowned directors had all returned. Haiqing said she had been reduced to serving tea and running errands during that time.

Hearing this, Wu Xiang felt conflicted. He had missed such a grand occasion and the chance to meet so many big shots. Wasn’t that a pity?

But soon enough, another opportunity arose.

Both the Hundred Flowers Awards and the Golden Rooster Awards extended invitations to Wu Xiang, and there were prizes involved—he had to go.

These two awards were now combined under the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, held in rotation across major cities. Last year, in 1999, it was held in Wu Xiang’s hometown, Shen City; this year, it was Nanning’s turn.

If Wu Xiang hadn’t foolishly messed things up last year, he could have proudly shined in his hometown. But oh well, it was nice to have the chance this year.

Naturally, he asked Haiqing if she would go. She immediately asked if there was an award for her. Wu Xiang had no choice but to answer honestly—no.

“Then why go?”

Haiqing had always been unclear about self-promotion.

Wu Xiang contacted Zhang Jingchu, but she said she had taken on a role and couldn’t attend, plus she had no award either. So Wu Xiang reached out to Brother Kun, bringing along Xiao Ming and Huang Xibo, plus a few others from the crew willing to make the trip for fun.

Zhang Jingchu hadn’t won because the competition was just too fierce.

“...The 23rd Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress goes to Zhang Ziyi!…”

Thanks to her outstanding performance in "The Road Home," Zhang Ziyi took home the grand prize. The Hundred Flowers Awards were based on audience votes, and Zhang Jingchu had a high vote count too, but with the recent release of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and widespread piracy, Zhang Ziyi’s popularity exploded, pushing Zhang Jingchu just a bit behind.

Next came Best Actor.

“...The 23rd Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actor goes to Chen Kun for 'The First Intimate Contact!'”

“Brother Kun! Congratulations!” Wu Xiang couldn’t believe it himself and gave Chen Kun a big hug—one-handed, of course.

“Did I really win? I thought you were just messing with me,” Chen Kun said in disbelief. Although he had won at the University Student Film Festival before, this was different. That one was a student event, and "The First Intimate Contact" had advantages.

“Congratulations!” Xiao Ming also came over to hug Chen Kun. Although the two shared feelings for the same woman, they respected each other professionally. At this point, Xiao Ming admitted his acting was still a bit rough compared to Chen Kun.

“Thank you! Thank you!…”

Then came Brother Kun’s emotional acceptance speech, with tears welling in his eyes, ready to fall at any moment.

The Hundred Flowers Awards had nothing to do with Wu Xiang; it was the Golden Rooster Awards that concerned him.

The Golden Rooster was not audience-voted but decided by professionals, so the winners were mostly veteran actors and famous directors.

Best Director was awarded to two people this time: Zhang Yimou and Chen Guoxing, for "The Road Home" and "Born to Be Wild," respectively.

Best Actor went to Teacher Chen Daoming, whose superb performance in "1919" essentially carried the entire film. Best Actress was Gong Li, who also gave an excellent performance in "Beautiful Mama."

Supporting Actor and Actress awards went to Lei Ming for "Life or Death Decision" and Chen Jin for "Born to Be Wild," respectively.

Particularly noteworthy was "Life or Death Decision," which, despite not winning many awards, boasted an astonishing box office.

1.16 billion yuan—this blockbuster surpassed the previous 870 million of "The First Intimate Contact," becoming the top-grossing domestic film of the year. It seemed unlikely any other film would surpass it.

A movie breaking the billion-yuan mark was incredibly rare nowadays, yet it wasn’t a commercial blockbuster, and hadn’t yet ushered in the era of big-budget domestic films. But it highlighted the public’s intense interest in anti-corruption themes.

Several technical awards were divided between "The Road Home" and "Born to Be Wild," until…

“The Special Best Director Award goes to Wu Xiang for ‘The First Intimate Contact’!”

Applause erupted warmly. Brother Kun, Xiao Ming, and Huang Xibo all came over to hug Wu Xiang.

To be honest, Wu Xiang thought, “Why can’t they just drop the ‘special’ part?”

Still, he acknowledged Zhang Yimou was truly more skilled—his mastery of the camera and artistic insight were remarkable.

“The revolution is not yet successful; comrades must continue to work hard,” Wu Xiang thought to himself.

Before he gave his acceptance speech, the host asked:

“Director Wu Xiang, are you injured?”

It was obvious—Wu Xiang had one arm in a sling, the other still immobilized.

Wu Xiang answered naturally, “Yes, I got hurt while shooting my new film. I was trying horseback riding, and I slipped. That’s how it happened.”

“Ouch, that sounds dangerous. Was it serious?”

“Not too bad. The doctor said it’s a tendon and bone injury—it takes a hundred days to heal…”

The exchange between Wu Xiang and the host was impromptu, no script prepared. But the crowd and entertainment reporters listening took notice.

Among the audience, one person looked at Wu Xiang differently—she had just won Best Actress.

After the awards ceremony, many gathered to chat, take photos, and attend a banquet. Those not there for the food saw it as a chance to network.

“Teacher Li, the two Teachers Li, I’ve long admired both of you!” The two were none other than Li Youbin and Li Xuejian from "Born to Be Wild."

“Teacher is undeserving of such praise. Director Wu, your name is well known in the industry,” Li Youbin said with a teasing tone but a smile, clearly joking.

“Not at all. I wouldn’t dare show off in front of Teacher Li,” Wu Xiang replied obediently.

“Hahaha…look at this kid, so young and already making films that earn more than us,” Li Xuejian said happily. He admired Wu Xiang’s respectful demeanor despite his youth. After all, Wu Xiang topped the 2000 box office charts.

“You really have a knack for filmmaking,” praised Li Youbin. “I saw ‘The Great Flood’ last year—very good, very moving. I haven’t seen this year’s film yet—it might not suit me at my age. Haha…”

“Not at all, you don’t look old,” Wu Xiang said smoothly, knowing to respond to Li’s self-deprecation with a smile. “Actually, I really love your film ‘Born to Be Wild,’ it’s truly excellent.”

Wu Xiang was sincere. Before his rebirth, “Born to Be Wild” was his favorite patriotic film. It vividly depicted the indomitable spirit and struggles of the older generation—every character a hero. They slogged through hardship, dreaming of developing the atomic bomb. Watching it filled one with strength.

That was why Wu Xiang wanted to speak with the two teachers—they were his idols.

“Comrades, ho hey! Let’s pound it! Ho hey!
One pound, one pound, tightly pounding, su luo luo hei!
For our country, ho hey!…”

This was the work chant sung by Teacher Li Xuejian in the film, which Wu Xiang found particularly stirring.

Li Xuejian immediately joined in, “On the Gobi Desert, ho hey! Innovating industries, ho hey!”

Perhaps the voice lacked magnetic charm or technique, but the song energized listeners.

However, such a bold, manly trio made it hard for others to join in—they just couldn’t break through.

;