Chapter 193: Continuing Disputes
The results of the Contention Awards and the Golden Flame Awards had already been announced one after another. Among the three major awards, the only one yet to be held was the Critics’ Choice Awards, which naturally drew a great deal of attention.
However, the Critics’ Choice Awards had always been somewhat unconventional. Its judging style was different from that of the Contention Awards and the Golden Flame Awards, and its results often turned out to be unexpected.
—At least, that was what the audience had believed before this year.
Yet, on the night of the Critics’ Choice Award ceremony, the results were so predictable that they became unexpected.
“The winner of this year’s Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actor is—Lu Xu, Fearless Life! Congratulations!”
“The winner of this year’s Critics’ Choice Award for Best Director is—Miao Zhi, Fearless Life! Congratulations!”
“The winner of… Best Picture is—Fearless Life! Congratulations!”
With three consecutive trophies going to Fearless Life, the buzz around the Critics’ Choice Award exploded.
[Absolutely no suspense!]
[Honestly, this was the most straightforward awarding in the history of the Critics’ Choice Award. I even suspect that if the Golden Flame Award hadn’t deliberately slighted Fearless Life during its ceremony, the Critics’ Choice Award wouldn’t have handed out its trophies this decisively!]
[No matter what… Lu Xu just won his third Best Actor trophy! Congrats, Lu Puppy!]
The Golden Flame Awards? Liu Rennong? Fans had long thrown them to the back of their minds. Since Lu Xu had made it clear that he had no interest in participating in the Golden Flame Awards, his fans saw no need to pressure the committee for an explanation—forced recognition was never sweet.
Even without the Golden Flame Awards, Lu Xu could still shine elsewhere.
In a way, fans weren’t so much angry about Lu Xu not winning the award as they were displeased with the Golden Flame Awards’ arrogance.
At the very least, Zhu Qiong wasn’t someone who had been artificially propped up. Him winning Best Actor at the Golden Flame Awards was still better than it going to someone completely random.
But Fearless Life was truly a pity—it was such a great film, such a great role.
[Trash Golden Flame Awards! Trash Liu Rennong!]
The ceremony had just ended, and fans couldn’t help but vent their fury at Liu Rennong. Then, they saw a trending post featuring Lu Xu’s interview. In the footage, Lu Xu’s voice was firm and powerful as he delivered one striking sentence:
“Some people have no bottom line.”
#LuXuSlamsGoldenFlameAwardsLowStandards
#LuXuFiercelyCallsOutLiuRennong
[Both the Contention Award and the Critics’ Choice Award went to Fearless Life. Honestly, this year’s Golden Flame Award feels pretty worthless.]
[Anyone with eyes can see that Fearless Life and the other films aren’t even on the same level.]
[No wonder Lu Xu and Director Miao work so well together—they’re exactly the same kind of person.]
…
Since Lu Xu had publicly fired shots, the Golden Flame Awards responded once again. However, netizens noticed that their attitude was even more indifferent than last time—they practically insinuated that Lu Xu was narrow-minded.
Meanwhile, Liu Rennong, who had remained silent since the Golden Flame Awards ceremony, finally made a statement. He emphasized that he had been busy filming recently and had only just come across the rumors circulating online.
As for Lu Xu’s “criticism,” he claimed he wasn’t bothered by it. He believed in being tolerant toward younger artists and showing the composure of a senior in the industry:
“I understand—Lu Xu was just one step away from sweeping all three major awards. He must be feeling quite disappointed. In such circumstances, saying some irrational things and acting out is understandable.”
“I suggest he collect himself and move forward. There will always be more awards to win.”
Lu Xu: “……”
Netizens: “……”
[As expected, when it comes to making people sick, industry veterans like Liu Rennong are on another level.]
[Damn, he’s clearly the perpetrator, yet he acts all magnanimous like he’s graciously forgiving someone. Who the hell needs his forgiveness? Everyone knows why Fearless Life didn’t win, don’t they?]
Many netizens shared the same sentiment, but unfortunately, their voices were too weak to make an impact on Liu Rennong’s side. Instead, haters took this opportunity to mock Lu Xu for being a sore loser.
At this moment, Director Miao Zhi stepped forward.
“The Golden Flame Awards has been around for decades—so why is there such a huge controversy this year? If everything was fair and square, why is the official account controlling the comments? The criticism of the Golden Flame Awards isn’t just coming from our Fearless Life team. Please, listen to the audience. Don’t let a prestigious award with decades of history and a solid reputation be ruined overnight.”
“The first controversy in this year’s selection process was the doubts surrounding Liu Rennong as the jury chairman. I suggest a thorough investigation into the screening schedules of How Much Do You Know and Silent Killing. If Liu Rennong is innocent, then let’s clear his name. Otherwise, no matter what films he directs in the future or what events he participates in, there will always be controversy.”
Miao Zhi refused to let go of the scheduling issue.
Liu Rennong might preach about tolerance and forgiveness, but his own actions were still under suspicion. What right did he have to “forgive” others?
If they truly wanted to clear Liu Rennong’s name, then they would have to face the reality that he might not even be qualified to serve as the Golden Flame Award’s jury chairman in the first place.
The Golden Flame Awards organizers wanted to defend Liu Rennong, but Miao Zhi had already drawn a clear line—screening schedules and award results were separate issues. One had nothing to do with the other.
Miao Zhi even stated, “When Fearless Life was released, the theaters told me about all sorts of ‘difficulties.’ I tried to fight for more screenings but couldn’t get them. Now, I’m personally willing to pay someone to investigate what kind of difficulties made the theaters unwilling to make money. I believe I’m not the only one—many netizens must be just as curious.”
During interviews, Miao Zhi didn’t come across as aggressive like Lu Xu. His tone remained calm, showing no intention of picking a fight. Yet, the moment he spoke up, Liu Rennong’s side immediately announced that he wanted to focus on filming and had no interest in getting involved with the Golden Flame Awards’ disputes anymore.
Miao Zhi even called Lu Xu and told him not to bother with Liu Rennong. “When there’s no conflict of interest, he seems easygoing. But the moment your interests clash, he won’t stop until he’s destroyed you.”
In a way, Liu Rennong’s attitude toward Lu Xu exposed his true nature.
If he were still the high-and-mighty director he once was, he wouldn’t have even needed to respond. To him, Lu Xu would have been nothing more than a minor actor, someone he could simply ignore while basking in his own arrogance. Instead, he had chosen to personally come forward and mock Lu Xu.
Shen Wenjie’s revelations had already put cracks in the image of the “perfect” Director Liu Rennong.
And the Golden Flame Awards’ selection process had further exposed Liu Rennong’s pettiness—Fearless Life losing out on awards ultimately boiled down to the past grudge between him, Lu Xu, and Miao Zhi.
One thing after another had chipped away at Liu Rennong’s credibility.
The trust in the Golden Flame Awards had also eroded—though it wasn’t openly discussed, the vast majority of both the audience and industry insiders remained silent.
…
In reality, the ripple effects came even faster than netizens had expected.
First, a mid-career director revealed that for next year’s awards, his production team would primarily consider submitting their film to the Contention Awards and the Critics’ Choice Awards.
“Personally, I feel that our film… might not be as good as Fearless Life. There’s no doubt that the Golden Flame Awards has the highest selection standards among the three major awards, and I don’t think our film has a chance of competing.”
The director’s wording was subtle—he praised the Golden Flame Awards by calling its standards the “highest,” but anyone could tell he was actually mocking its lack of consistent criteria.
To the arrogant Golden Flame Awards committee, Lu Xu and Miao Zhi were simply making a fuss over nothing. But for the silent onlookers within the industry, the situation sparked a sense of shared unease.
Fearless Life had grossed nearly 4 billion at the box office. Miao Zhi and Lu Xu were far from unknown figures in the industry. If even they couldn’t receive fair treatment at the Golden Flame Awards, what hope was there for smaller productions with far less influence?
Last year, the How Much Do You Know screening scandal had already been exposed. For many filmmakers, Liu Rennong’s continued presence in the industry was nothing short of a cancerous tumor.
It was one thing for him to manipulate film screenings. But did he have to meddle in film awards as well?
How were ordinary film crews supposed to survive?
Of course, most directors still maintained a façade of professionalism. When approached by reporters, they diplomatically stated that their teams would “try to participate.” But whether they actually would or not—that was a different story.
Beyond that, while the decision to appoint Liu Rennong as jury chairman was made by the Golden Flame Awards committee, it didn’t mean the entire industry agreed with it.
A senior filmmaker—one of the pioneers who had helped establish the Golden Flame Awards—privately sighed multiple times. He lamented that building trust in a film award was no easy task; it took generations of effort. Yet, that trust could crumble in just a single night.
“Ten years ago, Liu Rennong was qualified to be the jury chairman. Now? Clearly, he’s not.”
The senior filmmakers chose not to say too much because they had already withdrawn from the frontline of the film industry. The current mainstream directors and actors no longer belonged to their generation, and blindly interfering would only make them seem overbearing and unwelcome.
But no one had expected that, despite the film industry’s commercialization spanning just a few decades—and the Golden Flame Awards existing for about the same length of time—a figure as outrageous as Liu Rennong would emerge.
…
The Contention Awards committee remained silent regarding the Golden Flame Awards’ selection, as it had always maintained a more traditional and professional stance. However, the Critics’ Choice Awards took a different approach. Over the following month, various publications released in-depth analyses of the films nominated for the Critics’ Choice Awards.
This was a longstanding tradition of the Critics’ Choice Awards, something that had never stirred much controversy in previous years. However, due to the ongoing dispute between Fearless Life and the Golden Flame Awards, this year’s analysis gained significant attention.
Everyone already knew that Fearless Life was an exceptional film—but what exactly made it so good? Why did it deserve to win? The critics’ analysis broke it down using clear, accessible language for the general audience.
Ultimately, film critics stood by Fearless Life. After all, who were film reviews written for? The audience had always been the primary focus.
The Critics’ Choice Awards was, after all, a professional accolade. It had no deep-seated grudge against the Golden Flame Awards and didn’t need to openly attack it. However, judging by the frequent use of terms like “audience,” “standards,” and “fairness” in its official publications, it was evident that the Critics’ Choice Awards was also displeased with the Golden Flame Awards’ decisions.
The three major awards—the Contention Awards, the Critics’ Choice Awards, and the Golden Flame Awards—were collectively referred to as the “Big Three.” While they cooperated, they also competed with each other, all while helping shape the reputation and development of Chinese cinema.
If the Golden Flame Awards lost public trust, the Contention Awards and the Critics’ Choice Awards wouldn’t necessarily benefit either.
On that day, a notoriously sharp-tongued entertainment media outlet published an article titled “Unraveling Liu Rennong’s Deep-Rooted Ties to the Golden Flame Awards,” exposing a fraction of the intricate connections that led to Liu Rennong’s appointment as the jury chairman.
