Chapter 65: Chapter 64
When the Oscars were held in the evening in North America, the sky was already dark in the distant East.
Xu Yuling didn't wait for her alarm clock to ring. She quietly got up, crept over to her desk, and turned on the computer. Today was the Oscars, and if all went well, her brother Xu Can might walk up to the podium!
Xu Yuling wanted to witness this exciting moment live.
In her class group chat, notifications were already buzzing—it was lively as ever. Over the past two years, Xu Yuling, now a sophomore, had managed to turn all her classmates into fans of Xu Can. Especially her best friends, who all jokingly talked about wanting to be her sister-in-law.
"Wishful thinking!" she thought with a smirk. "My brother's girlfriend is a country music diva! And don't forget Sister Shitou!"
The recent string of gossip and scandals had left Xu Yuling a bit confused. Paparazzi often captured photos of Xu Can looking cozy with two famous beauties. Publicly, they all claimed to be just partners and good friends. But what was the real story? She'd definitely have to get her brother to explain it all to her someday.
"Why hasn't it started yet? When will they announce Best Supporting Actor?"
"I'm guessing it'll be a while since they usually start with the technical awards."
"Oh, what a bummer. I was hoping to see 'The Dark Knight' sweep."
"Looking for a stream online?"
"No way! The bootleg versions are terrible. Besides, I want to support Xu Can! I'm planning to buy the Blu-ray!"
"Yeah, mention piracy in front of Xu Yuling, and you'll get an earful! She might even report you to her brother."
"Lingling, how about some signed photos? This time, the price goes up!"
The last autographed photo of her brother that Xu Yuling had sold went for 1,000 yuan, making her a tidy profit. Unfortunately, Xu Can had been too busy recently, so she hadn't had a chance to ask him for more photos.
"It's starting! It's starting!"
It was still winter break, so everyone was at home, watching the live stream and chatting. Back then, there weren't many video platforms, so you could only watch the Oscars on foreign live broadcast websites with significant delays. One such site, GalaxyTV+, was just launched by Xu Can and allowed simultaneous streaming of the Oscars ceremony without needing a VPN, making it quite friendly for Chinese movie fans. Xu Yuling used it to watch, and it worked smoothly.
First came the technical awards. The Bourne Ultimatum starring Matt Damon won Best Editing; Atonement won Best Original Score, while Falling Slowly from Once took home Best Original Song. This gentle love song was a hit in 2007, even making it onto the Billboard charts.
Finally, Best Animated Feature went to Ratatouille. They were fortunate to release it a year early, as otherwise, they would have faced tough competition from WALL-E. Best Cinematography went to There Will Be Blood, and Best Art Direction went to Sweeney Todd, beating out The Dark Knight.
One by one, the award winners took the stage, but there was still no sign of Xu Can. Xu Yuling was starting to feel sleepy, not noticing her mother quietly opening the door.
"What's this? Didn't you sleep this morning and now you're staying up late playing games?"
"No, no! I'm watching the Oscars. My brother might appear!"
"Xu Can? At the Oscars?"
Xu Can's aunt couldn't believe it. She had seen him grow up and couldn't imagine that the little boy she knew could be nominated for an Oscar.
Just then, the camera showed a close-up of Xu Can. He was wearing an exquisite custom Armani suit and sitting among many Hollywood superstars. He didn't just fit in—he stood out, outshining others with his calm demeanor.
Despite all the glitz, Xu Can was there to enjoy the experience, not to win. In his previous life, The Dark Knight had only won two awards, so he didn't expect much more this time.
Over time, the reputation of the Oscars had declined due to various controversies, and it was no longer the ultimate honor in the film industry. For Xu Can, the next film, La La Land, would be his real shot at Oscar glory. He also had plans for Birdman, Gravity, Parasite, and Joker.
At the moment, Xu Can was more focused on making movies and raking in box office revenue. Spider-Man had earned him $15 million, John Wick $140 million, and The Dark Knight $170 million, including box office dividends. Iron Man was on track to reach $950 million, netting him at least $300 million after taxes and investments.
In just two years, Xu Can had gone from a part-time extra in a coffee shop to the youngest billionaire in North America, with assets exceeding $500 million and nearly $100 million in liquid capital. And he was just getting started. His movie empire, music empire, and online streaming empire were only beginning to take shape.
With all this success, a small award didn't matter much to him. It wasn't about whether they would give him the award, but whether he would accept it.
Finally, after a lengthy ceremony, it was time for the most anticipated awards of the night.
"The Oscar for Best Supporting Actress goes to... Tilda Swinton!"
For her outstanding performance in Michael Clayton, the androgynous British actress stood up to receive the award. Sitting nearby, Xu Can shook her hand and congratulated her.
Tilda Swinton was known for her roles as the Ancient One in Doctor Strange and Archangel Gabriel in Constantine. Today, she looked just like Gabriel, dressed in a sharp white suit.
As Tilda gave her acceptance speech, Emma Stone, sitting next to Xu Can, nudged him under the table.
"Xu, have you prepared your speech?"
"What speech?"
"The one for Best Supporting Actor. It's coming up next."
"Relax, I'll wing it."
"Eh?"
Emma thought Xu Can would take the Oscars more seriously, but she realized this was just how he was. Preparing a speech in advance would be out of character for him.
After Tilda Swinton left the stage, the host, Jon Stewart, did a quick two-minute comedy routine before introducing the presenters for the next award.
Back in China, it was already morning, and the sun was rising. Xu Yuling, still glued to the live stream, was now watching alone. Her parents had gone to work, leaving her free to watch without interruption.
"The moment we've all been waiting for!" she typed excitedly in the chat.
"Finally, it's Xu Can's turn! I'm so nervous!"
"It should be in the bag, right?"
"Not necessarily. The competition is tough this year, especially with No Country for Old Men."
The tension was palpable as everyone hoped Xu Can would become the first Chinese actor to win an Oscar.
The presenters for Best Supporting Actor were Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman, better known as "Uncle Wolf." Jackman was his charming self, even cracking a few jokes about how competitive the category was this year.
"Wow, this year's Best Supporting Actor nominees are all heavy hitters," Hugh Jackman quipped. "If you don't win, don't come after me—blame the Oscar judges!"
Scarlett Johansson chimed in, "Hugh, you should talk to Xu Can about getting a superhero role. You wouldn't have to worry about supervillains anymore."
"Great idea," Hugh responded, scanning the audience. "Xu, where are you sitting?"
The camera zoomed in on Xu Can, who smiled as the audience laughed.
"No problem," Xu Can said into the mic, charming everyone. "You keep working out, and we'll find a role for you. Maybe not Deadpool, though—you're not talkative enough. That's more Ryan Reynolds' style."
Ryan Reynolds, sitting in the audience, laughed along with everyone else.
"How about Wolverine? You'd be perfect for that role."
"Love it!" Hugh Jackman exclaimed, as the audience burst into applause.
After the banter, it was finally time to announce the nominees for Best Supporting Actor. Clips of each nominee played on the big screen, each earning applause from the audience.
When Xu Can's clip from The Dark Knight played, the applause grew louder. His portrayal of the Joker had clearly resonated with the audience.
"How about I perform a magic trick?"
"It's simple, we kill the Batman."
"Why so serious?"
"I'll show you. When the chips are down, these civilized people…they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve."
"You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you because you're too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever."
The camera panned to the nominees, capturing their reactions. Hugh Jackman opened the envelope and saw the winner's name.
And Scarlett Johansson, standing next to him, smiled slightly, clearly pleased with the result.
"The winner of the 80th Oscar for Best Supporting Actor is…"
"He's the most charismatic character in Gotham City, the best villain in film history of the 21st century, and the most unforgettable figure of 2007…"
"The Joker from The Dark Knight!"
"Congratulations! The Oscar goes to… Xu Can!"
The entire Kodak Theatre erupted in applause as many Hollywood stars stood up to give Xu Can a standing ovation. He had broken the mold, winning an Oscar for a comic book character—something unheard of before.
Notably, he had also become the first Chinese actor to win an Oscar. This was a moment of immense pride for him and for the global Chinese community.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Xu Can said as he walked up to the stage to accept the award.
Finally, as the crowd quieted down, Xu Can began his speech.
At this moment, Xu Yuling and her classmates erupted into cheers. They had witnessed history in the making. Their hero, their idol, had achieved greatness on the world stage.
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