Chapter 618 Oscar Night 1


    Los Angeles.


    Ed Harris and Amy have moved from their cheap, shabby apartment to a mid-range detached house.


    Last year, Ed''s play "Space Heroes" was released, telling the story of the birth of the U.S. space program and the first astronauts. There are seven astronauts in it, all of whom are prototypes, and he plays one of them.


    The film did well, but what''s even more amazing is that the astronaut he played announced his candidacy for president, but ultimately failed because his opponent for the party nomination was Ronald Reagan.


    However, Ed''s reputation has been boosted, and "Space Heroes" has received 8 more Oscar nominations. It can be said that he is now famous.


    "Have you noticed that after meeting Chen, our luck got better?" Amy said.


    "Yes, who would have thought that "Orphan", which we earned a salary of 20,000 US dollars, would win more than 20 million at the box office? Who would have thought that "Life is Beautiful" would be nominated for an Oscar? For a small actor like me, two works Nominated at the same time…”


    Ed shook his head, eating dinner in his mouth, and said, "So I always thought Chen had magic!"


    "If he can win an award and become somewhat famous in Hollywood, I think he has long been interested in coming to the United States for development. There may be opportunities for cooperation in the future."


    "We were friends!"


    "Ha! Yes, we get along well, and his wife is also very nice. Speaking of which, last year when they got married, they even mailed a small gift. After the Oscars, we can get together."


    Both of them have a great impression of Chen Qi and Gong Xue, and they also want to maintain their friendship.


    Ed himself was not nominated, but as one of the leading actors in "Heroes", he will also attend the Oscars, so "Life is Beautiful" will not be considered.


    …


    Washington.


    Chen Xiangmei is also paying attention to the news.


    For the sake of Mr. Liao, she helped to set up the project for "Life is Beautiful". She never imagined that this film would be so successful, that it would go from Berlin to Los Angeles, and that it might even make history.


    After Liao Gong passed away, she couldn''t remember Chen Qi at all, but now she was a little interested again.


    "Xiaojuan!"


    Chen Xiangmei told her assistant, "If you win the award, please congratulate me in my name. After all, this movie has something to do with us."


    "OK!"


    …


    New York.


    Shadra was on the phone with a friend from the publishing industry.


    "Last year''s article "Interstellar Dinosaurs" didn''t get much response. There were only a few letters from readers. However, the ideas and settings in it were good and very novel. If you still have other works, you can show them to me."


    "Of course, this young man is great. He is about to participate in the Oscar... By the way, does a genuine Oscar-winning screenwriter add to the novel?"


    "We can hype up the author''s identity, but the key depends on the work."


    "Okay, I''ll look for a chance to chat with my Chinese friends."


    Shadra hung up the phone and sincerely prayed for Chen Qi to win the award. Victims of concentration camps in the United States derived from "Life is Beautiful" kept in touch with Chen Qi.


    He has few connections and resources in the United States, that''s all.


    …


    April 9th.


    At four o''clock in the afternoon, Chen Qi and Gong Xue ate something to pad their bellies and changed clothes in the room.


    Are there any stylists or designers? Even the makeup was done by Gong Xue himself.


    She wore a dark blue satin cheongsam embroidered with floral patterns, a pair of high heels, and her hair was simply pulled up. This look is within her safe zone and you can''t go wrong.


    Chen Qi wears a suit and wears glasses like a dog. Gong Xue put on lipstick in front of the mirror and suddenly said: "Curse, if someone offers me a drink at the dinner, do I want to drink it?"


    "You can only communicate with US officials and ignore those celebrities. If anyone bothers you, just come to me or stay with Bureau Liu."


    "Um!"


    Gong Xue nodded. It wasn''t like she didn''t understand anything. Especially after being indoctrinated by Chen Qi, she formed an impression that Hollywood was a lot more perverted. Copper smelting, group sex, humiliation rituals, and child sacrifice all scared her.


    The so-called sacrifice of children does not mean killing the children, but giving the children to the organization for fun. Humiliation rituals, such as the lively Lisa dancing Crazy Horse show - I don’t know whether it is true or not, but humiliation rituals are almost of this nature.


    It''s all a kind of obedience test. If you pass it, you are one of your own.


    Those old white men and squids like to do these things...


    "It''s done!"


    "Let me see!"


    Chen Qi pulled Gong Xue up and looked at her, making sure there was no mistake, and said with a smile: "Let''s go!"


    The two of them went out, joined Liu Zhigu and his entourage, went downstairs, and then with a loud "wow" sound, they saw a black Lincoln extended limousine parked outside, shining with American style and dignity.


    "Are we sitting here? Is it excessive?" Liu Zhigu was shocked.


    "This is all sponsored, it''s okay to sit down!" Chen Qi said.


    "You go first!"


    "You first, you first!"


    "Don''t push me to give way. It''s embarrassing. Sister, come here!"


    Chen Qi didn''t care about that and pulled Gong Xue into the car. The other three people also got up cautiously. Their buttocks looked like boils and they couldn''t get used to it. Li Wenhua also touched the seat and whispered: "Real leather!"


    "Otherwise, it''s leather? Such a big car!" Yan Shunkai also whispered.


    A stretched Lincoln like this will be too expensive to buy as a wedding car in a few decades, so it will have to be a Dagong or a Maybach.


    But it was already a dimensionality-reducing blow to the Chinese who were still using toilet paper to wipe their butts with toilet paper. Chen Qi sighed secretly, leaned back tactically, and imitated Chen Kaige''s demeanor: From now on we will be the upper class!


    When we arrived at the Los Angeles Music Center, we stopped quite far away and had to wait in line for the red carpet ceremony.


    "There are so many people!" Li Wenhua looked out.


    "There are so many reporters, it feels like there are more than in Berlin." Yan Shun said.


    A car was lined up. They couldn''t see any stars, but bursts of cheers reached their ears. Chen Qi envied the simplicity of a few people. They had not experienced the span of decades and felt that an Oscar was an Oscar. Even if they didn''t win it this time, they would come back next time!


    In fact, the 1980s and the beginning of the new century were the two best periods for Chinese-language films to win awards. Once it’s over, it’s gone. No matter how good the film is, it won’t be given to you. It will only be given to Song Dandan’s stepdaughter—the one who made “The Eternals” and knelt down to repent of the Japanese atomic bombing.


    Of course, no one would care about Oscars at that time.


    As the motorcade moved forward slowly, the cheers became clearer and clearer. Everyone looked outside, and the mysterious and haloed American literary and artistic figures finally made their appearance.


    The splendid female stars, the overwhelming flashing lights, the TV reporters who are more excited than the stars... far more intense than Berlin, as if the haze floating in the sky over Los Angeles is filled with a kind of redundant value of the industrial age.


    Chen Qi didn''t even recognize him. He only recognized Jack Nicholson, who had already acted in films such as "One Flew Over the Cuckoo''s Nest" and "The Shining". He was a big star in Hollywood.


    Finally, after watching Meryl Streep walk down the red carpet, he and his party got out of the car.


    Liu Zhigu couldn''t walk on the red carpet, so four people went up.


    "Life Is Beautiful" is very topical, and reporters are not stingy with film. As they walked a few steps, the three men fell behind slightly, letting Gong Xue take the lead.


    She stopped and waved, accepting the cameras from all directions, looking bright and elegant in an elegant cheongsam.


    After taking the photo, Chen Qicai stepped forward to hold her hand and walked across the red carpet.


    (End of chapter)