novellhall Chapter 27 Dog Barking
Chapter 27 Dog Barking
After the starlight settled, the curtain officially rose.
Hosts Cheng Yu-ling and Cheung Tat-ming launched the 17th Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony with a relaxed and unhurried exchange.
The opening song and dance, speeches, and documentary short films unfolded one after another, with the shimmering light from the crystal chandelier bathing the hundreds of elegantly dressed guests in the hall.
Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design went to "The Soong Sisters," while Best Editing and Best Sound Effects went to "Lifeline."
Following that, "The Spy Who Loved Me" won Best Action Choreography, and "The Soong Sisters" won Best Original Film Score.
A wave of applause crashed against the shore, while the bigwigs in the front row remained composed, only occasionally turning their heads slightly to converse.
The Best New Actor award was given to Lee Chan-sang for "Made in Hong Kong". The young man jumped up from his seat and was patted on the back seven or eight times by the people around him before stumbling onto the stage.
Good-natured laughter and applause mingled together from the audience.
Then, it was the turn of Best Supporting Actor.
The stage lights turned a deep gold. Zheng Yuling's clear voice announced, "Please welcome our five nominated candidates—Zhiwei, Jiang Wen, Luo Jiaying, Pan Canliang, and Zhang Zhen—to the stage."
As the music started, the five people stood up from their respective positions.
Lin Dong's gaze swept across the back row. Jiang Wen stood up from diagonally behind him, straightened the collar of his dark gray shirt, and nodded at him.
Lin Dong raised his hand slightly in acknowledgment.
Meanwhile, Zeng Aizi stood up from his chair. His phone had just been removed from his ear, the screen still lit. He closed the flip phone and, with unhurried movements, slipped it into his suit's inner pocket.
Then he buttoned up the middle button of his bright blue suit.
My back is straight now.
A smile returned to his face.
It wasn't the forced smile he'd given after being slapped in public backstage. It was a confident smile, a smile of having regained control, his short legs moving steadily and confidently on the carpet.
Lin Dong noticed this detail.
He glanced at Xiang Yeqiang.
Xiang Yeqiang was talking to Zou Wenhuai with his head turned to the side, and his peripheral vision seemed to have caught sight of Zeng Aizi, but his expression remained unchanged.
Lin Dong withdrew his gaze, picked up the wine glass on the armrest of his chair, and took a sip.
When Jiang Wen went on stage, he didn't even give Zeng the Dwarf a proper look. Zeng the Dwarf walked behind him, while Jiang Wen took long strides, and the two of them were always three or four steps apart.
The five people stood still. The five nominees lined up in a row, with Jiang Wen standing on the far left.
Zeng Aizi stood second from the right. His neck was so short that it looked like his shoulders were directly supporting his head, but his back was straighter than the etiquette ladies on the stage.
As is customary, Cheng Yu-ling interviewed each nominee, starting from the far left, about their current feelings.
Zhang Zhen said, "Thank you to the director, thank you to the Happy Together crew, and thank you to the organizing committee for their recognition."
Pan Canliang said, "Thank you to the organizing committee."
Luo Jiaying said, "I don't have much to say, I'm already very happy to be nominated."
The microphone was handed to Jiang Wen.
"Jiang Wen, with his role as Song Charlie in 'The Soong Sisters,' delivered a profound and restrained performance!" Zheng Yuling introduced.
"Thank you," Jiang Wen said simply.
The microphone was held up in front of Zeng the Dwarf.
He cleared his throat. His voice, coming through the microphone, was a bit deeper than usual, as if he had deliberately lowered it by half a tone.
"Dudu, your introduction is all just a brief overview; you should give a more detailed description!"
Zheng Yuling laughed and added, "What's so special about you, Viagra? If we're talking about weight—" She deliberately looked him up and down, "...it's definitely not light."
Scattered laughter rang out from the audience.
Zeng the Shorty laughed too. He patted his belly, and the fat under his suit fabric jiggled twice.
"Dudu's right, I am indeed quite heavy!"
The laughter grew louder.
"But to be honest," he changed the subject, his smile still there, but his tone becoming more serious, "I've been in this industry for almost thirty years, both on and off stage. I've seen everything, I've seen all kinds of people. Some people are truly influential, and some people—"
He paused, glancing down at the audience.
"—Just because he has some money on the table, he thinks he's a big shot."
There was a silence of about two seconds in the audience.
Xiang Yeqiang paused for a moment while holding the teacup.
The bigwigs in the front row—Zou Wenhuai and Shao Yifu—did not show any change in expression, but their gazes were all turned in the same direction.
Zeng Aizi's gaze had already found Lin Dong.
"Lin Sheng," he said with a smile, his voice as warm as if he were greeting an old friend, "I wasn't talking about you, don't take it to heart."
I was just remarking—these days, young people spend a few years trading stocks on Wall Street and come back as stock market gurus. Wow, that sounds impressive. But stocks go up and down; who knows what will happen next—right?
He spread his hands towards the audience, with an innocent expression on his face that said, "I was just chatting casually."
Then he continued speaking.
"I'm not saying Mr. Lin is poor. Of course he's rich. I heard he spent 130 million to promote our Miss Li Jiaxin. 130 million! That's incredibly generous. But I've also heard that Mr. Lin is quite frugal in his daily life."
He glanced down at his suit, then looked up with a beaming smile.
"You live in Miss Li's hillside mansion and drive Miss Li's car, right?"
Some people in the audience became uneasy, some were curious, and others turned their heads to focus their gaze in the same direction.
The second row, right in the middle.
Lin Dong leaned back in his chair, his right hand resting on the armrest, a wine glass still in his left hand. He didn't move or speak, but simply raised his eyes slightly and cast his gaze towards the stage.
It's just the last madness of a dying man.
Li Jiaxin's face flushed with anger, and her expression suggested she wanted nothing more than to rush up and tear the short, fat man to pieces.
Lin Dong smiled and patted her hand, telling her not to worry.
"Look at my memory." Zeng the Shorty patted his forehead, his smile both harmless and sly. "I forgot to ask—Mr. Lin, you've been trading stocks in America for so many years, how come you can't even afford a car for yourself? Or is it that you're comfortable using Miss Li's things and are used to them?"
The reactions from the audience were sporadic—occasionally awkward laughter, occasionally whispers.
Jiang Wen glanced to the right, then suddenly reached out and took the microphone from Zheng Yuling's hand.
"You talk too much nonsense."
The sound exploded from the speakers, shaking the entire theater.
"Dudu, I'll just say a few words—my name is Jiang Wen, and I work in film. I'm nominated for Best Supporting Actor today, thank you to the judges."
He put down the microphone.
Zheng Yuling paused for a moment, then quickly continued, "Okay, let's announce the results directly—"
Zeng the dwarf was not annoyed.
He didn't even look at Jiang Wen, but shrugged at the audience below the stage, spreading his hands. His expression, combined with his short and stocky figure, made it seem like he was performing a farce that only he himself found funny.
A few people in the audience chuckled softly. Very briefly.
Zhang Daming tore open the envelope.
"Best Supporting Actor Winner—"
He glanced down at the card, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.
"—Jiang Wen, *The Soong Sisters*!"
The band began to play a melody. Jiang Wen stepped from the far left to the center of the stage, accepted the trophy from the award presenter, bowed slightly, and made a simple yet powerful gesture.
Zeng Aizi was the second in line to shake hands with Jiang Wen. He extended his hand, the same smile still on his face.
Jiang Wen glanced at him, then looked down at the outstretched hand.
Then he turned around, raised the trophy towards the audience, and strode off the stage.
Zeng Aizi's hand was suspended in mid-air.
He withdrew his hand, straightened his suit collar, and followed them downstairs. A smile still lingered on his face.