Chapter 596: Chapter 596

Xi Jing’s lips parted slightly, wanting to say something, but not knowing how to begin, her brows furrowed—it really wasn’t a good occasion for chatting and sharing feelings.

"Eh, Emperor Sheng has arrived!" Suddenly, a male director sitting next to them exclaimed, interrupting their conversation.

It wasn’t just their production crew, people from other crews also couldn’t help but lift their heads and look outside, eagerly anticipating the grace of Emperor Sheng’s arrival.

The red carpet was of moderate length, and when Sheng Yan and his group entered, the previous group was still at the end of the carpet, not yet left, taking a brief interview with the reporters.

Upon Sheng Yan’s arrival, the attention of the whole venue was drawn to him, and the other group remaining on the red carpet was ignored by everyone.

Sheng Yan wore a set of light ink-colored Confucian clothes embroidered with subtle patterns, his feet in crescent white star-draped moon boots, his head adorned with a Sun and Moon Crown, walking slowly with an elegant and outstanding demeanor.

Standing by his side was not a female companion but Director Li of "World," who was also dressed in Confucian clothes. Unlike Sheng Yan’s, which leaned toward white, his outfit was darker, a deep blackish hue.

Walking alongside Sheng Yan, Director Li completely became a foil, further accentuating Sheng Yan’s dazzling presence.

It was bad enough that he was not as handsome as the others, nor as tall, nor as young.

He Jinxia thought thankfully that Director Li had done something with his hair, avoiding a disheveled look; otherwise, if he brought over his image from the set...

Cough cough, it probably would have been even more unbearable to witness.

Due to Sheng Yan’s status and the significance of the awards "World" was nominated for, their walk on the red carpet was scheduled to be slightly longer.

This allowed the photographers surrounding the red carpet to indulge in their shooting spree and the stars who had already entered the venue and taken their seats to feast their eyes to their hearts’ content. Googlᴇ search n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net

As if that wasn’t enough, the real climax of the entire awards ceremony was when the camera in the center of the stage finally moved, and the first instant it did, it focused on Sheng Yan!

The audience sitting towards the back, who couldn’t see the red carpet scene and could only guess blindly about the stars walking the carpet, suddenly boiled with excitement seeing the person on the big screen!

"Ah—Sheng Yan! Emperor Sheng! I love you!"

"Emperor Sheng, Emperor Sheng, cutting through thorns, you create miracles!"

"When Emperor Sheng makes his entrance, who dares to compete!"

Not only were the audience’s slogans catchy, but the props they had prepared were impressive too. He Jinxia took a sweep back and couldn’t help but be somewhat amazed.

The audience sitting behind held up support items unique to Sheng Yan—a glittering square seal engraved with the words "Emperor Sheng"!

She admitted Sheng Yan was very famous, but not to the extent that every audience member entering the venue would be holding his support items, right?

Upon closer inspection, He Jinxia realized someone was distributing Sheng Yan’s support items—it was something Sheng Yan’s fans had prepared with their own money.

Next to her, Duan Yu’s voice came with envy: "Just as an actor, and he already has such great influence; even if he stars in a lousy film, I believe many viewers would still buy it, right?"

Following closely, Xu Xiuzi said: "Setting aside Emperor Sheng’s international status, just for his good looks, I reckon many people would buy in."

He Jinxia spoke indifferently, "Although one’s appearance can potentially be altered in post-production, status and identity are hard-earned through true effort.

Stars who have reached this level are particularly vigilant about their reputation. Why would they engage in making terrible movies or simply relying on their looks, thereby harming themselves while only slightly hurting the competition?"

Duan Yu agreed, "True, these types of stars also assess the market themselves. They analyze thoroughly before choosing which films to act in or which brands to endorse, fearing it might damage their reputation."

He sighed softly, his tone filled with a hint of hope and longing, "I wonder when I’ll be able to invite a star like him to act in my film. Perhaps it’s an impossible dream for my entire life..."

He Jinxia shook her head and said with a smile, "Not necessarily. If the movie you direct wins the Best Original Screenplay or Best Film at one of the major film festivals, as long as the new script is good, I believe no actor could refuse your invitation."

Duan Yu couldn’t help but murmur, "Even so, I might not have the funds to hire them. I make art films, and art films are the hardest to draw box office, making them difficult to profit from and rarely attracting investors."

He Jinxia shook her head again, but this time she said nothing.

Her reaction only piqued Duan Yu’s curiosity even more. He asked again, "Do you really think that one day I could afford to hire superstars like Emperor Sheng?"

He Jinxia’s gaze swept over the crew, who were also curiously watching her.

She chuckled and teased, "Every actor has different pursuits. Some want to be a box-office guarantee, while others aim for awards. There are also those who simply enjoy the act of performing. How would you know if they would agree or not if you don’t try?"

"Thinking too much about it now is useless. When you reach a certain height in the future, you might not have these worries anymore."

A look of disappointment flashed across Xu Xiuzi’s face. She had hoped to get some news about Sheng Yan from He Jinxia, but it turned out to be a conversation that amounted to nothing.

Xi Jing and Duan Yu appeared to be lost in thought.

Duan Yu had a premonition that if he wanted to get Sheng Yan to act in a film in the future, he might seek the help of He Jinxia.

Suddenly, another round of excited screams emanated from the audience area behind. Phrases in Huaxia language were interspersed with foreign languages. After a few seconds, the foreign languages completely overpowered the Huaxia language.

He Jinxia looked up and saw on the big screen of the stage a different crew slowly walking onto the red carpet—another superstar!

The "World" crew stepping onto the red carpet seemed to be a signal, followed by the entry of heavyweight crews, each featuring a superstar!

He Jinxia only had a rough understanding of the crews nominated for the Golden Bear Award, and she was completely unclear about the significance behind the films.

Luckily, beside her was the talkative director Duan Yu, who couldn’t help but share his thoughts on the films as the crews appeared.

"That’s the ’Festive Speech’ crew. Oh, I must say that this film is simply amazing—I’ve watched it three times!

Robert portrayed the down-and-out Ariel so convincingly; it’s hard to imagine someone who grew up in a wealthy family like him could understand the poor so well, let alone portray them to such perfection!

I think this is the pinnacle of Robert’s acting career. He overcame his limitations. In the past, he often played haughty and arrogant characters, even when playing a poor man, he did it with great dignity.

There’s an inherent arrogance about him, a personal style that’s hard to change, and it’s something other actors don’t have. He became famous for—and also trapped by—this style. To my surprise, he managed to change it in this film!

Of course, he hasn’t completely changed; the film’s ending does reveal some of his previous style, which is a slight imperfection. Oh, and the screenwriter is so talented. The content of the speech was fantastic..."

As Duan Yu gave his animated commentary, the "Festive Speech" crew reached the end of the red carpet, and the next crew, "Mist Jungle," slowly started their walk on the red carpet.