hapter 461: Again and Again
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
People were crowded around the square. The long red carpet and the security guards were already in place. Some stars, producers, directors and judges were chatting happily by the carpet.
Qin Guan and Sister Xue joined the first group as soon as they arrived. They found Director Gus chatting with other people happily. He embraced Qin Guan warmly.
"Qin Guan, I'm nominated for the top Cannes award… I'm so excited..." He was about to cry.
They were meeting again after a long time apart, so they had a lot to talk about. Suddenly, an enchanting woman got on the stage.
It was Monica Bellucci in a white dress. She raised the curtain of the festival and introduced the first group of guests, who started walking on the red carpet one after the other.
The carpet symbolized the path of an indie film. It was short, yet it bore the dreams of so many people. Gus was a sensitive man. His hands started trembling when he heard his own name.
"We are here to support you!" Qin Guan tried to encourage the excited man.
"Yes! We are all together!" He gripped Qin Guan's hand. "Go! It's your turn. Think of our crew!"
Qin Guan sighed. I'm not a girl. Let go of my hand.
"Just remember the day we were shooting among the maple trees. You walked with me, carrying the camera. You were a natural that day. Today, we are here together. You, me and that camera."
As the scene played back in Gus' mind, he became a professional, devoted director again.
They were walking shoulder to shoulder, both of them wearing black formal suits. Qin Guan's looks couldn't outshine Gus' confidence and glamor.
Sister Xue was watching them with a delighted smile. Qin Guan considerately yielded the best position to Gus. He was a hero worthy of the flashlights.
After the bombardment of the cameras, the flashes and the questions was over, Gus returned to the backstage area. He was calm, not worried about any personal gains or losses.
It's my destiny to win it. It's my fate to lose it. I will know the final result soon.
By then, Qin Guan had returned to the end of the red carpet, following the instructions of the organizing committee.
"Director Gus, I have two more appearances to make for my sponsors. Will you be okay here alone?"
Gus came back to his senses and smiled at Qin Guan kindly. "Of course. Every director I have heard so much about is here. This is the place of my dreams."
Qin Guan told him goodbye and ran to the indicated position, where the Armani director was waiting for him anxiously.
"Quick! Calm your breathing. It's your turn. Walk to the end, then come back as soon as possible for Tiffany."
"No problem." An assistant smoothed the wrinkles on his back with a set of professional tools and adjusted his bow tie to the standard position.
The sponsor show began. This was actually the most exciting part of the festival. The first show was L'oreal's, which was a brand from France. Qin Guan was standing behind a tall, slender female model.
"Next up is Armani, a sponsor for men's formal wear..."
As the host made an introduction, Qin Guan walked on the red carpet.
He was like a treasured sword coming out of a scabbard, like a pearl discovered in the sand, like a diamond polished after a long time.
Zhang Ziyi and Lou Ye, who were chatting with the first group of guests, cast a look at the red carpet. So did everyone around them.
Qin Guan showed his true abilities as a top model. Some reporters recognized him.
"That's Qin Guan! He is the only Asian exclusive model of Armani!"
"Yes, check the playback! He was here with Gus!" The guy who had spoken was an editor of an indie film magazine, so he was familiar with the directors of indie films.
"Yes, he is the leading actor. The film was in theaters in North America. The box office of the second week was almost two million dollars!"
That explained it. French people liked handsome men. The flashlights twinkled again as the reporters and the audience watched Qin Guan make a turn at the end of the red carpet and ran back to the other end again!
What a shameless guy. Other people only tried to stand on the carpet a little longer, but that guy wanted a second round! Handsome guys were easily forgiven.
Both the media and the stars were surprised. An actress from another country turned to her agent. "Did he pay double to walk the carpet twice? Is there a Cannes red carpet appearance combo?"
Darling, this is not a KFC.
Then the host explained for everyone to hear. "Tiffany is the jewellery sponsor..."
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Chapter 462: Unexpected Winner
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Like a soldier receiving a command, Qin Guan pulled the sleeve of his shirt up a little to reveal the latest sapphire mechanical wristwatch before he stepped on the carpet again.
It was the third time! It was hard for everyone to ignore Qin Guan. Sister Xue was daydreaming as she stared at the end of the carpet.
In her mind, Qin Guan represented all the brands of the festival. From beginning to end, he stood still on the carpet as the host read the list of brands. The reporters were taking pictures of him like crazy.
Hey! Wake up, please!
"Sister Xue! Sister Xue!" Qin Guan waved his hand before her eyes helplessly. My agent is daydreaming again. I have to remind her about the debut everyone in the film circle is most excited about. Besides, we have to follow Gus into the hall to receive feedback from critics and judges from all over the world.
In the Palais des Festival, the nominated films were playing in a loop in the small halls. If one had enough time to spare, they could watch them all.
Of course, indie films were not entertainment-oriented. Those depressing, horrifying stories could shock people deeply.
The professional judges were talking about what they had watched in low voices.
"The long shooting in that earlier scene was pretty good. It dragged a little though..."
"An unavoidable shortcoming of a documentary. The second act was better. It was hard to show the internal conflict, but Gus recorded it with a camera. That is not an easy feat."
"Yes. Splendid performances. I think every detail was meaningful, especially that Asian actor. He made the character come alive during the scene in the bathroom."
"Complete narration… An overall good film..."
The judges had a good impression of "Elephant". It got a score of 8.8. Finally, the large screen was turned off and the lights were turned on. Qin Guan and Gus walked onto the stage slowly. There was a loud applause.
It was for the two men who had devoted themselves to art, the director who had made another outstanding film and the young actor, who had been a nobody at the time. They gave hope to all the unknown talented people in the film industry.
Words couldn't express Lou Ye's feelings. Compared to the simple narration of "Elephant", his film was too obscure.
In "Purple Butterflies", it was always raining. Depression, boredom, disappointment… All this, just to meet the demands of a minority audience. There was also a short erotic scene in the end, which had been added to sell tickets. People were hardly shocked by the film. There was no true emotion in it! That was its major shortcoming.
After watching all the films of his competitors, Lou Ye sat under the stage, feeling lost. His main actress, Zhang Ziyi, was accompanying him.
His friend Qin Guan was sitting in front of him, right beside Director Gus. He had believed that the boy could only get a role in a commercial film.
From his point of view, Lou could see Qin Guan's diamond buttons shining under the lights. He was rethinking everything, not just his own films, but also the casting rules in China. Why did everyone think that Qin Guan couldn't act in an indie film? Because he's not good enough? No!
Cannes, the holy shrine of indie films had accepted him and acknowledged his ability. The problem were the categories of Chinese indie films and the limitations of independent directors.
It was not a problem of the actor, but a problem of the director. To be precise, a problem of the directors of a whole generation and the entire Chinese film industry. They were blocking the way of an outstanding actor.
It's time for us to open the doors and take a look at the landscape outside. We need to look at the hearts of the audience.
The director was enlightened.
The host began to announce the individual awards. Lou was calm. His aim was not the cinematography, music or art design award, but the two most popular ones.
"The nominated actors for Best Actor of the 56th Cannes Festival Awards are Qin Guan from China, ****** from Iran, ******* from Turkey..."
The cameras shifted to the candidates.
Qin Guan remained calm. He was good at dealing with such situations. The audience thought he was unmoved by the possibility of winning or losing the award. The director couldn't help but fix the cameras on Qin Guan's face for a while.
The host took a deep breath and opened the envelope that contained the name of the winner of the highest honor for any indie film actor. He read the results slowly.
"The Best Actor of the 56th Cannes Festival Awards is Qin Guan, who portrayed Eric in 'Elephant'..."
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Chapter 463: A Shameless Speech
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Applause followed. All the cameras from different directions turned to Qin Guan. Qin Guan was stunned, but he maintained a poker face. Actually, he had thought he was just a guest at the ceremony. He was completely taken aback by the news...
Sister Xue looked even worse. Snot was silently running down her nose. There's so many cameras! I can't lose face before Qin Guan and all the Chinese people here...
Everything Professor Li and Teacher Rong had taught her finally took effect.
Teacher Rong always said that everything could be solved with a smile. Qin Guan smiled and stood up in an elegant manner. He hugged Gus, who had stood up to congratulate him.
He didn't forget to shake the hand of the Turkish nominee in respect.
Qin Guan left his seat and walked to the stage. All the flashes and the cameras were following him.
The host gave him a cup symbolizing the highest honor of an actor.
The Cannes Festival cup was the prettiest among the top 10 international film awards. It had a crystal foundation and it was decorated with beautiful golden palm leaves. The organizing committee had considerately placed the cup in a box, which made it more convenient to carry.
As Qin Guan took it, a nameless emotion surged in his heart. He held the cup tightly.
Actually, he was concerned about his career as an actor. It had only been an experiment for him before, but now he was worried about the critics' comments on his work. Actually, he was always waiting for recognition from others, even if it was just an insignificant praise. Deep in his heart, he was expecting to get something back. The cup was an acknowledgement of his effort.
He turned back with the cup, facing the audience under the stage. They were all people who had devoted themselves to indie films. And they were all cheering for him.
He felt pure happiness. He took a bow before them and pulled the microphone up a little. He stood as straight as a pine in the snow.
"Hello, everyone. I know I'm a stranger to most of you. I'm Qin Guan. I'm from China and I'm an actor."
The man looked elegant and handsome, like a traditional Chinese painting. He had been a misfit all his life, but he exuded a strange sense of comfort.
He spοke neither too fast nor too slow. His voice was clean and deep. Everyone could feel his excitement.
"I think I'm daydreaming. All the faces of the talented people in the audience seem like a dream to me. I pinched my own thigh to make sure. It still hurts!"
"Ha ha!"
The serious atmosphere became merry. What a funny, lovely guy!
"I'd like to thank my director, Gus Van Sant, who picked me among a lot of actors and helped me through the whole process."
Gus was about to cry again. As a director, any award for his film was a recognition for him.
"I also want to thank the crew, who worked really hard for my career behind the scenes. They always trusted me."
Sister Xue covered her face with a handkerchief. The camera turned away from her, respecting her privacy.
"I want to thank all the nameless heroes behind me. Without your silent support, I would never have made it this far."
Cong Nianwei was watching the live broadcast online. She felt like laughing instead of crying. Xu Xiaoxiao, Lan Jin and He Ming, who were watching the ceremony on TV, were really happy. Yes, we did help him a lot.
Rongzhi was the most shameless though . Bro, I'll always be your silent supporter.
Qin Guan had no idea about their blessings. He was just expressing his sincere feelings.
"Some of my old friends, who were really talented directors, tried to change my mind. They told me that my face was not for indie films." Suddenly, Qin Guan smiled.
The talented audience, which included directors, stars, producers and French ministers, saw him smile clearly on the large screen. His smile was like a feast in Heaven, like every flower blooming at the same time.
"See?" Qin Guan continued. "My face is too handsome for indie films."
"I never realized the power of my face until now, when I'm standing on the stage of the Cannes Festival, accepting an award. It is right only for the best films, as well as the best actor... Ha ha..."
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Chapter 464: Devotion
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Everyone burst into laughter at his words. The audience had originally been absorbed in his looks, but when they thought about it carefully, he was quite right. Considering his perfect appearance, he had so much work that he could do. Some shrewd men fell into deep thought.
Qin Guan lifted up his smiling face and continued his speech calmly.
"I would like to express my gratitude to the judges and all my supporters. They granted me a great honor, even though I am a nobody. This award is not my final destination though, but a milestone in my career as an actor. I'll try to make a great contribution to the hall of international indie films."
"In the future, indie films will be my priority. I hope I will be able to improve in my following work. I also want to thank my sponsors..."
Upon hearing that indie films would be his priority, the directors and scriptwriters under the stage got excited.
Sister Xue, who was still holding her handkerchief against her face, stopped sobbing. What? Indie films? The salary for an indie film varies from nothing to hundreds of thousands dollars! With that international award, people will kneel down before you with piles of bills when you come back to China!
She cast a subconscious look at Gus. Maybe he hadn't expected that Qin Guan would win the award for Best Actor. It's my fault. I should have prepared a speech for him in advance to avoid his nonsense.
Suddenly, the people sitting around her began to greet and congratulate her for Qin Guan's speech.
"Hello, I work for a French film company. He's a really good actor..."
"Madam, please accept my greetings..."
Lou Ye, who was sitting behind her, hugged her like a close friend. "Don't forget me when you become rich and famous, sister."
Who is your sister?
Qin Guan took a deep bow and got off the stage. Along the hallway, people welcomed him with open arms. They were all kindred spirits who loved indie films. When he returned to his seat, Qin Guan embraced Gus and patted his shoulder in excitement.
"Qin Guan!" Zhang Ziyi shouted from behind him, opening her arms. She was trying to promote her career abroad.
"Camera No. 3, 15 degrees. Zoom in!" The director recorded the scene in time. The two Chinese actors were hugging on the large screen.
"Congratulations, Qin Guan!"
"Thank you. Cheers!" After expressing their mutual appreciation, they returned to their separate seats. Lou Ye, who was waiting for Qin Guan with open arms, was ignored.
"F*ck! He is too tall to see me!"
Qin Guan decided to give the clown a lesson. He stood up and embraced Lou warmly. Suddenly, everyone noticed their difference in height.
Lou returned to his seat, fully contented.
"Director Lou, why were you so eager to hug him?" Zhang asked him in a low voice.
Looking around him, Lou replied in a mysterious voice, "He is one of the winners. I've heard older guys say that winners are blessed. You can steal some luck from them. In ancient times, if a famous scholar touched a kid's head, that kid would become smart."
Zhang was left speechless by his explanation. He is like a superstitious peasant. What if the scholar had tried touching a mentally handicapped kid?
The award winners were announced one after the other.
"The Best Director of the 56th Cannes Festival Awards is... Gus Van Sante!"
Director Gus stopped crying. He still had tears on his face as he got on the stage with a bounce.
Despite his ambitious nature, his hands were shaking. People couldn't even see the award in his hands clearly. His legs were shaking too. Fortunately, they were hidden behind the podium. His speech was exciting, fluent and well-prepared.
He played the scene back in his mind countless times. His most beautiful dream had been realized.
He, Gus Van Sante, had finally fulfilled his childhood dream. He had become a renowned director.
He got off the stage, crying silently. Nothing could stop his tears of happiness. Only one thing could divert his attention. The blue ribbon of the festival, the Palme d'Or.
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Chapter 465: Another Female Acquaintance
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
The host was introducing the nominated films one by one while highlights were shown on the screen. The audience was absorbed in the films, laughing and crying depending on the scene they were watching.
Director Gus covered his nervousness by wiping his tears away, while Lou was praying to all the oriental and occidental gods. Qin Guan felt nervous for the two competitors. After all, they were both his friends.
The music faded away and the lights dimmed. Everyone fixed their eyes on the thin paper in the host's hands. After reading the paper, the host lifted his microphone up.
"The winner of the Palme d'Or of the 56th Cannes Film Festival is…'Elephant'!"
Suddenly, Gus and Qin Guan bounced out of their seats, while Lou collapsed on his chair.
Gus walked on the stage to make another speech. "Elephant" was undoubtedly the biggest winner of the festival. It had been nominated for three awards and won all three of them.
Everyone applauded as flowers and colorful ribbons fell from the ceiling, signifying the perfect ending for the winners. There were also plenty of people who left feeling sad and lonely. Lou Ye was one of them.
A celebration feast for Gus would be held with the judges and several tycoons of the film industry attending it. Qin Guan showed up for a while, but then he disappeared, leaving Sister Xue there alone.
He was sitting in bed in his room, holding the phone. The person on the other end of the line answered the call. Qin Guan spoke in a quiet voice.
"Hey, it's me."
"I know."
"I won the Best Actor Award..."
"Yes, I saw. Congratulations!"
Qin Guan smiled proudly. "What did you think of my speech? Were you touched?"
All the happiness and romance in the air came to an end with that shameless question. Cong Nianwei didn't want to talk to him anymore.
"We'll talk tomorrow. I'm in class now." They were in different time zones.
"I miss you."
"I miss you too."
Fortunately, her boyfriend went back to normal again as they said goodbye.
Qin Guan came back to his senses and realized he had a boring night in France ahead of him.
Bang, bang!
"Qin Guan, it's me!" Lou was outside. Qin Guan opened the door for him in confusion.
"How did you know I was here?"
"I saw you leave. Look who's here!"
Qin Guan looked outside. Zhang and Li Bingbing were standing behind Lou.
"What are you doing here?" Qin Guan grimaced at his acquaintance.
"Did you even see 'Purple Butterfly'? I had a role in it." Li folded her arms across her chest. He's so handsome!
Qin Guan closed his mouth slowly. Actually, he hadn't watched the film. Besides, Li only had a supporting part in it.
Li cast a disgruntled look at Lou. "I thought that you would win the award. No celebrations. No parties. I'll return with bare hands. I feel so miserable!"
She sneered at Zhang Yang and Lou Ye.
"And you, Qin Guan! You won the Cannes Best Actor Award! Why are you hiding in your hotel room? You have to treat us tonight! Your Sister Li is here!"
Damn!
In 10 minutes, Qin Guan was walking along the back street of the hotel in a pair of slippers and J Clothing sportswear.
There was a famous southern-style restaurant in Cannes. Its specialty was maionese with bruised garlic bulbs. During the film festival, Bernard Brochant, the Mayor of Cannes, had invited all the judges there for dinner.
According to Jiang Wen, the restaurant smelled like Chinese dumplings restaurants. In the afternoon, when they'd gotten together to evaluate the films, the meeting room had felt like a gas chamber. Even gum could only do so much.
Only a restaurant like that could attract the attention of such foodies.
That night, Cannes was bright with lights. They walked among the crowd leisurely.
A long-lens camera craned around a small alley behind them. After a few clicks, it disappeared in the dark.
"Here it is!" Lou found the restaurant easily. He was a frequent guest at the film festival.
"I've reserved a table for four. It's Mr. Lou..."
"Okay. Follow me, please."
Only then did Qin Guan realize that this had been planned. Lou had set up a trap for him with Li.
He looked at the decorations secretly. Luckily, it looked like a family restaurant, not a gourmet one.
They took their seats. Qin Guan let out a long breath of relief when he saw the menu. My wallet will be safe.
It was a traditional French menu. According to the rules, there were 13 dishes, starting with appetizers and ending with dessert. New menus only offered three to five dishes though, and the arrogant French didn't use English, except for tourists.
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Chapter 466: An Unreliable Affair
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
"I'll have the smoked silver carp, oysters and maionese as an appetizer..."
"I want an onion soup. Any other ideas?"
"French fried foie gras and lamb chops as a main course... Caviar or snails for a hot appetizer... Pudding or ice cream for dessert..."
The waiter felt sad when he saw the four Asians walk in. My English is really poor, dude.
Most French people looked down upon other languages. They ignored the fact that English was the most frequently used language in the world.
However, the handsome guy among them could order in perfect French. The young waiter couldn't believe his luck.
The manager won't yell at me. That guy is beautiful both in and out.
Everyone was eating, chatting and smiling. The atmosphere was quite merry in the restaurant. It was warm and nice, which made the guests feel right at home. On the contrary, western restaurants in China were usually very classy.
The dishes were served one after the other. Qin Guan was intrigued by the maionese in the small, white plate, but he was not interested in the juicy foie gras. On the plate were three pieces of bread with a crisp crust. Qin Guan spread the maionese on the bread and took a large bite. He tasted a mixture of yolk, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt.
"Wonderful!" Qin Guan said, sighing in satisfaction. The other three people looked at the two pieces of bread left on the plate silently.
A sneaky figure appeared outside the window. Click, click...
In the picture, Li was trying to grab the bread from Qin Guan. The photo made them look deliberately intimate with each other.
The temptation of delicious food didn't depress Blair, who was standing outside. He had volunteered to come to Cannes in search of some striking news for The New York Times. If he took advantage of those photos, he could make a good report.
Overjoyed, he returned to his hotel without lingering outside the restaurant. Then he began to process the photos on his laptop.
Gradually, a controversial, catching entertainment report was composed. The executive editor of The New York Times received an email from him soon. He read through the content quickly and checked out the photos. Then he forwarded the email to his staff and made a call.
"Ask the editor to check the text again. If there are no mistakes, the report can take up half a page of the entertainment section tomorrow."
The entertainment section only took up eight pages of the newspaper, so Qin Guan would attract the attention of the readers.
Qin Guan had no idea about what was happening. He was saying goodbye to Lou Ye at the airport. By the time he saw Sister Xue off, another ordinary morning had dawned in New York.
"Xu Xiaoxiao, take a look over here. Isn't this your classmate?" Xu's father shouted at his son as they sat at the table eating breakfast.
"My classmate? In the entertainment section? Did he win the award?"
Xu spotted Qin Guan right away. He was hugging a charming Asian beauty. They seemed to be very familiar with each other. In another photo, Qin Guan was holding a piece of bread in his mouth, while the beauty was almost sitting in his embrace. She was looking at him affectionately.
The title was also very catchy. "Cannes Best Actor winner meeting a girl in secret. Betrayal!" Blair had included all the information he had collected from OMG.
Handsome Asian actor… Talented Columbia student… Childhood sweetheart… Cannes Best Actor Award winner… Secret meeting… Cheating...
He had used ambiguous words to mislead the readers.
Xu nearly tore the paper apart. As Qin Guan's loyal fan, he knew about the relationship between him and Cong Nianwei. Their love was as solid as gold. Xu was really jealous of them.
Liar! You just wait and see!
"The New York Times!" Rongzhi threw some coins at the owner of the bookstore before he read through the newspaper. My idol is in Cannes...
"What the f*ck… Liar! You just wait and see!"
If Blair had known the consequences of that report, he would have chosen another victim in Cannes.
As soon as Qin Guan went out of the terminal, he saw Cong Nianwei surrounded by a group of friends from Columbia, as well as He Ming and Lan Jin, who looked very happy to be there.
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Chapter 467: Countermeasures
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
"Hello! What are you doing here? Are you throwing me a party? Are there any presents for me? Or did you just realize the advantages of marrying me, Wei? Do you want to propose to this famous, handsome guy?"
Cong Nianwei rushed up to Qin Guan. The crowd around her looked ready to explode. She would rather be with a normal guy.
"What's going on?"
"Take a look at this."
Qin Guan opened the newspaper and almost spit out blood. He tried to explain anxiously.
"Wei, this is a f*cking lie. It's nonsense! You know I have cooperated with Li Bingbing. If I wanted to date her, I wouldn't have done so in public."
"I know, don't worry." Cong Nianwei tried to comfort Qin Guan, who was about to go insane. Aren't I the victim here? Shouldn't I be comforted?
"I won't let that guy get away with it! What did the other newspapers report?"
Xu had bought several copies of other newspapers, where there were reports on the Cannes Best Actor winner without any gossip.
"This is fake news. He has to pay," Qin Guan said with a frown. Everyone agreed and began to make plans.
"That's right. I will get my hands on the original photos. There must be something wrong with them," Rongzhi said first.
"I know some good Chinese lawyers. This is a race discrimination case. They'll be killing two birds with one stone. They'll get famous through this case!" He Ming suggested.
Lan Jin didn't object to the idea. "The best way is to root the enemy out. How much would it cost to buy The New York Times?"
Everyone fell silent at his shameless proposal. He was a lazy guy spending his spare time in an outside coffee bar, talking about a newspaper worth one billion yuan...
It was both funny and stupid.
He Ming stopped him. "How much money do you have? Shut up and stand still!"
Xu was enlightened. "If we can't inflict a critical strike to his spirit, we'd better eliminate him in flesh. Does Han Zhujiu have any spare time? Has there been any human trafficking recently?"
Dude, can we talk about this in private? This is a crowded airport! People are looking at us as if we are idiots.
"I will discuss it with my agent. I think Qu is familiar with media conflicts in America. Then I'll come to you for help if I need any."
"Okay!" Everyone was eager to do something. They would even risk their lives for him.
Such funny guys!
On the way back, Qin Guan got a call from Qu Xuemei. She had already formed her own opinion on the matter.
The headquarters of VOGUE America were much larger than those in China. The building was more crowded and busy.
Qin Guan was in Qu's office, learning about her way of dealing with things. She was his part-time agent in America after all.
"I'll have a lawyer send a letter to the reporter and the chief editor of The New York Times."
Qin Guan choked on his tea. Can't we negotiate with them first? That would be very rude!
Seeing the doubt on his face, Qu said, "This is America, not China. It's common to quarrel openly here. You don't want to promote yourself by taking advantage of this?" She pointed a delicate finger straight up.
Qin Guan shook his head firmly. I'm not a small star relying on these affairs.
"You don't want to depend on the media for publicity?"
Qin Guan shook his head again. Such popularity would only do harm to an Asian actor. An inappropriate affair would humiliate him in the eyes of the public.
"People think that the Chinese like to pour oil into troubled waters. I'm not that tolerable though."
Qin Guan shook his head again and again. Qu looked like a lion ready to roar.
No one could prevent a woman from fighting, unless they wanted to die first.
"No problem. I'm always at your disposal."
Qu felt a warm stream in her heart. Qin Guan trusted her... She knocked on the desk gently with her fingers.
"You don't need to worry about these things. You have powerful friends, don't you? I will give the case to Cui Ming, a Chinese lawyer. He has already accepted it because of your friend. You don't need to pay him either. He said some rich guy has already paid for you."
"Only the phrase 'plain sailing' could be used to describe your life and career. The matter is settled. Go! I'm busy now."
Qu told Qin Guan to leave without hesitation. Beauties always cause trouble. He managed to cause trouble even at an award ceremony!
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hapter 468: Unknown Sentiment
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan stood up with reverence and awe and walked to the door. I'm lucky to have such a reliable agent. When he pushed the door open, Qu said from behind him, "Congratulations for your award. Okay, you can go now!"
Everyone focuses on the gossip and forgets about my award.
The belated congratulations made his sad heart fall even more. When Qin Guan's steps faded away in the hallway, Qu let out a soft breath.
Under her desk was a safe exactly like the one in her office in China. It was also for Qin Guan's collection.
Qu opened it with the key easily and put the newspaper inside. She took it back again after glancing at the photo. She looked at Li Bingbing carefully and smiled. Then she picked up a small pair of scissors from her desk and cut Li's image from the photo.
Disappointed with the hole, she scanned the desk, searching for something to cover it.
There was a photo frame on the desk. She took her own smiling photo out of it and pasted them together. Although the colorful photo didn't match the black-and-white paper well, she was satisfied with her work.
Could this be considered a group photo?
She pasted the photo to the inside of the safe carefully. On the photo, both she and Qin Guan were smiling softly. She closed the door of the safe and locked it, hiding the strange but harmonious photo. It was locked in the dark safe, as well as in her heart.
That was what secret love was like. It could remain a secret for a person's entire life. Qin Guan, who knew nothing about her feelings, returned home tiredly.
The door was open, and a familiar figure was working in the small kitchen wearing a yellow apron. It was a Chinese tradition to eat dumplings before a journey and noodles when one came back. His girlfriend was preparing warm noodles to welcome him home.
"I'm back."
Turning around, Cong Nianwei smiled at him under the light of the setting sun. "Welcome back. Are you hungry?"
"Of course!"
"Wash your hands for dinner."
"Okay!" Qin Guan said in a loud voice, partly out of joy and partly out of hunger.
His luggage was already unpacked. Everything was in place. The gold crystal cup was sitting on a shelf quietly. This was his first award.
Everything was just right.
White noodles were poured into a blue porcelain bowl, the stringy gravy covering them. Steam was slowly rising up before Qin Guan's face. Suddenly, he felt humidity in his eyes. It was probably from the steam.
Qin Guan felt deep emotion in his heart. It was different from when he had been on the podium. He knew that this was love, the kind of feeling found only in locked hands and joint steps.
"Cong Nianwei."
"What?"
"One day, that shelf will be filled with awards. They will all be for you. All my awards are yours."
"So? You want to fill the whole shelf before marrying me?"
Qin Guan looked at the shelf. It had three layers, but only one lonely cup on it.
"Well, there are also all the awards we won as kids. Yours should also be taken into account."
What a shameless guy! The two of them hugged each other. It was a sunny day. Cong Nianwei didn't say anything about the affair.
A confident woman never paid attention to gossip. It was sad not to believe one's own boyfriend.
On the other side of the ocean, a riot was taking place. The news about the Cannes Festival had spread to China through some domestic reporters stationed in France. They had originally gone there for Lou Ye, but they had been surprised by Qin Guan.
In two days, the news were in a prominent place in every newspaper.
"The third Best Actor in China has been born. It's Qin Guan, a young 22 year-old actor."
"The Chinese film lost the Palme d'Or, but a Chinese actor won in Cannes."
"The acting skills of the handsome Best Actor winner."
An American movie! A leading role! An indie film! Best Actor Award at Cannes! Everyone cooperating with Qin Guan was shocked.
The directors of the sixth generation swallowed their own toothpaste while brushing their teeth. Director Zhang Jizhong dropped his breakfast, while Zhang Weining smiled in his office.
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Chapter 469: Breaking News
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Everyone who was focused on the Cannes Festival heard the news. In foreign countries, not a lot of people were interested, but indie film fans knew that Qin Guan had won the Best Actor Award of the 56th Cannes Festival.
He was the third Chinese actor to get that award after Ge You and Liang Chaowei. Everyone wanted to toast to that.
Qin Guan's female fans went crazy online. His fan club was expanding at a high speed. His official fans were as many as 100,000. Most of Qin Guan's acquaintances were frightened. They hadn't expected their son, fellow classmate, and friend to win the award. Only the word "f*ck" could express their sorrow.
...
"Got it!" Rongzhi shouted with sparkling eyes after working all night long. He had finally found out who Blaire, the freelance writer of The New York Times, actually was.
Then he discovered his apartment address and IP address through the local network station. Finally, he invaded Blaire's computer.
Counterfeiters always saved the original photos or documents in a folder that they never opened in their whole lives. Rongzhi found Blaire's secret in an encrypted folder.
"Show me your secrets. OMG is waiting!"
Rongzhi rubbed his hands happily. Then he opened the folder and checked it out.
"What the f*ck... What's that?" Current affairs… Entertainment gossip… Rumors... Real news were twisted into completely different reports.
There were 40 fake reports in total. Blaire had been publishing them in The New York Times for more than a year. It seemed that The New York Times, the newspaper with the highest sales volume in America, published unverified news quite often. Blair was a frequent writer of the newspaper. What a joke!
If the chief editor was careful, he could have found the loopholes. However...
Emboldened by his initial success, Blair had continued his unscrupulous fabrication.
Rongzhi took an excited breath and copied all the proof. Like a dedicated professional, he sent it to both Qin Guan and Vivian. As soon as she got everything, Vivian posted it on OMG, complaining openly about her idol.
Yes, that's right. Complaining!
Qin Guan's romantic life was discussed heatedly on the forum by people interested in gossip. They were all really happy about the news.
In America, such stories were common among both ordinary people and stars. Female fans though, who tended to be perfectionists, couldn't accept that.
Childhood sweethearts? You cheated on her as soon as you won the award! Besides, that girl was not even beautiful!
They had a unique opinion on Chinese beauties. They preferred dark skin and thick lips, so Li Bingbing did not match their taste.
The story changed really quickly though, when everyone found out about the fake news fabricated by The New York Times. It was unbelievable! Now everyone knew about the fake news published by the most popular newspaper in America.
In a few minutes, the netizens had gone crazy. The striking news were on OMG, where everyone gathered to spread it.
In 10 minutes, the editors of all the mainstream media and portal websites had heard. Phones rang again and again. Will Ryan, the chief editor of The New York Times, rushed into his office.
The directors of all the sections were crowded inside, although it was not working hours.
"Talk… Anyone got through to Blair?"
Ryan rubbed his temples tiredly. The aggressive, achievement-oriented man was in big trouble.
"According to our technical staff, the material online is real. Blair is a fraud."
"We have to make an announcement tomorrow to correct the fake news..."
"Blair stole information from other media. Now we have to negotiate with those writers and publishers."
"The victim of his latest story was the Cannes Best Actor winner. His lawyer has sent us a letter..."
The calm, efficient man seemed overwhelmed by the bad news. He lowered his head, and then looked up again. Before he could say something to his startled staff, the phone rang again.
"Chief editor, you have a call from the board..."
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hapter 470: Devastation
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Ryan held his works back. He left the meeting table to take the call, his mind completely occupied.
He hung up after a while, looking defeated. Looking at all his subordinates, he said, "Get to work. Tomorrow, we'll have a press conference and I will resign."
Silence prevailed in the room. How could a tiny mistake result in something so terrible? Ryan's career was finished because of that mistake. Everyone was cursing Blair through their teeth. He was the one who had implicated their superior.
Where is he? Did he escape this horror?
Wrong! Blair had no idea what was happening. He had been arrested and was being held at the Queens Police Station, waiting for bail.
This was the joint achievement of Rongzhi and Xu Xiaoxiao. Rongzhi had sent Blair's schedule to Xu, so he could tail him.
Han Zhujiu's men were very good at blackmail. They had provoked Blair and gotten him to beat them up. Then one of them had fallen down and started rolling around and crying. He had looked like he was dying and hurting all over his body.
His partner had caught Blair and called the police. The charismatic actor had been sent to the hospital, while poor Blair was being held at a temporary detention facility.
Drunk men, thieves, gangsters and drug addicts were being held there. There was no decent person around.
Han Zhujiu was standing outside the cellar door, filled with anger.
"Zhong Yueshen? It's me, Han Zhujiu."
A man at the innermost corner stood up slowly. He had an overwhelmingly strong body.
"Your job. Five hundred dollars. No wounds." Han waved a few bills at Zhong.
"Come bail me out afterwards," the man said with a poker face, trying to bargain with Han.
"No problem! How long?"
"Thirty minutes. Fifty percent in advance."
"Deal!" Han stuffed three bills into Zhong's pocket, sealing the deal. They talked in low voices in Chinese.
Blair had no idea about the important discussion taking place. He only felt disgust for the Asian men who had tried to blackmail him. He is not a good guy. He's familiar with those criminals. When I get out, those monkeys will never get a penny from me. I'll hire the best lawyer there is. I'd rather spend my money on a lawyer!
He was daydreaming. Meanwhile, Zhong was looking at him as if he was made of gold.
It was another busy night at the police station. The policemen were busy with multiple cases, so they ignored the screams coming from the detention facility.
Han walked out of the station leisurely. He lit a Liqun [1] cigarette and enjoyed it. They cost 13 yuan a packet and were much better than Camels.
An Asian guy with short hair entered the external relations office of the police station and knocked on the glass.
"I want to bail out my friend, Zhong Yuesheng."
"Okay, sign here."
The poor man was used to being his subordinate. Han had decided to bail him out.
Under the dim light of the lamps, two strong men were walking along the street. The taller one maintained a distance from the other one.
"What about Blair?"
"Hurting, but no internal injuries..."
Their Chinese accent lingered around the corner.
The next day, nearly all the newspapers published the news about The New York Times in their headlines. The countless articles seemed to question the credibility and authenticity of the media. Even the newsboys were more serious about their work.
As the source of the news, The New York Times was sold out as soon as the copies were placed on the newsstand shelves. Its rising sales volume crushed all the other newspapers.
The press was depressed about the situation, as it reflected a crisis in their honesty, as well as the real attitude of their readers. The newspaper's competitors were wild with joy. The New York Times would need another chief editor to turn the situation around.
As he walked on campus, Qin Guan was greeted by his schoolmates, both familiar and unfamiliar ones. Everyone was curious about the gossip circulating, but as well-educated citizens, they didn't ask any rude questions. Besides, the girls only admired him more after that incident.
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