Chapter 171: The Sad Champion

“It’s simple. There’s a talent I think you’ll like!” Zeng Zhiwei’s smiling face was incredibly adorable, forming a stark contrast to his extremely mature appearance in his teens, which sometimes made it hard for Xiao Ran to accept.
“A talent? Why not recommend him to Jiahe? Mr. Zou values talents greatly!” Xiao Ran was puzzled. Hong Jinbao had supported Zeng Zhiwei before, and Zeng had even gone to New Art City once for Hong Jinbao’s sake. There was no reason not to recommend him to Jiahe.
Zeng Zhiwei scratched his head awkwardly before saying, “That person admires you very much and says he only wants to work with you. Besides, he’s a newcomer and has a hard time standing out. You know how it is.”
Xiao Ran was shocked. He hadn’t expected he had fans. He had underestimated himself. Ever since the release of his uniquely styled and powerful film “Dark Flowers,” he had quietly gained a group of loyal fans, just as people were fascinated by his scripts about traveling at sea.
Zeng Zhiwei had been promoting newcomers for quite some time. Xiao Ran was well aware that Peng Haoxiang, the director of “Hire a Killer to Shoot Someone,” was promoted by Zeng Zhiwei. Similarly, Huang Jingfu, the director of “Jianghu,” who used to make short films, was also promoted by him.
However, what was happening now couldn’t really be called promotion. Zeng Zhiwei himself wasn’t even considered an experienced figure; it was more like a recommendation. After some thought, Xiao Ran, who had always been eager for talent, said, “No problem. Have him come to the Phantom Headquarters for an interview tomorrow. And bring his works too!”
It seemed no one would disturb them anymore. Xiao Ran chatted and strolled around with others before returning to his seat. Lin Qingxia had already arrived and was talking with Fa Ge and Hong Gu. When they saw Xiao Ran, all three couldn’t help but laugh. Zhong Chuhong even said with a smile, “A Ran, if the company can win as many awards as last time, plus good box office results, then it will truly surpass Jiahe!”
It wouldn’t be easy! Xiao Ran thought. There were indeed some strong players among Hong Kong’s production companies. What pleased him even more was that a few new directors whose names he hadn’t heard of before had emerged from other companies. This was a good sign—more filmmakers meant stronger Hong Kong movies.
Still, Xiao Ran was confident about this edition. Smiling lightly, he said, “A Hong, do you think the company still doesn’t surpass Jiahe? Winning awards is never the ultimate goal; the market is everything. How about this? If the company wins everything this time, I’ll marry you. If we lose, I’ll marry you instead!”
This remark made Wei Dongling, Liu Hua, Mei Yanfang, Zhang Guorong, and others who were eavesdropping in the back nearly burst into laughter. Lin Qingxia just covered her mouth and giggled secretly. Zhong Chuhong’s face turned red instantly. Suppressing her laughter, she pretended to be angry, “You’re getting bolder and bolder. I’ll make you pay when we get home!”
Though she said that, Zhong Chuhong’s heart was tumultuous. Someone as outstanding as Xiao Ran would likely be unforgettable to anyone else. Sometimes, Zhong Chuhong was even confused about what she was thinking. But one thing was clear to her—Xiao Ran belonged to Lin Qingxia, forever.

Xiao Ran also found it interesting. Historically, the relationships between these celebrities weren’t that close, but his arrival changed everything. The filmmakers and stars on the Shadow Camp side were all smiling and chatting cheerfully; everyone seemed very close, with no sense of distance at all. Xiao Ran liked this harmonious atmosphere.

The 8th Golden Horse Awards were vastly different from previous years. Historically, films that made it to the nomination list were often pushed aside. With a total of fourteen awards, “Spy Change” received twelve nominations—a truly astonishing figure. “Dark Flowers” also got eleven nominations, not including cases where the same film received multiple nominations for one award.

Director Du Zifeng and co-director Chen Musheng’s “Urban Special Police” surprisingly received two technical nominations, which took Xiao Ran by surprise. After all, “Urban Special Police” had a highly innovative concept at the time and already showed traces of Du’s later style.

Historically, however, this film failed both critically and commercially. The lead actor, Li Zixiong, who became famous thanks to “True Colors of a Hero,” was never cast as the lead again and could only appear in a cameo role in “Infernal Affairs 3,” a tragic fate.

But soon, Xiao Ran understood why. It was due to the influence of “Dark Flowers”—“Urban Special Police” shared a similar style, being dark and violent. Thus, history changed. Similarly, Leung Ka-fai’s “Net of Heaven and Earth” also received very positive reviews.

Wong Ka-wai’s “Carmen in Mong Kok” also got a considerable number of nominations. In addition, two works by up-and-coming directors received significant nominations this year. It was clear that this would be a Golden Horse Awards dominated by the Shadow Camp.

This time, it wasn’t Zeng Zhiwei who hosted, but Chen Xinjian and Feifei. After some pleasantries, the ceremony finally began. The first award presented was for Best New Actor, with nominees including Wu David from “Tonight’s Starry Night,” Ho Pei-tung from “Child Gang,” Su Renyao and Feng Feier from “Dark Flowers,” and Zhou Huimin from “A World of Three.”

Su Renyao won the award. However, this meant Xiao Ran was certain that Su Renyao, who was also nominated for Best Actor, would not win. Thinking that his rival had one less chance, Xiao Ran felt relieved.

Next was the Best Film Song category. Last year, “Heavenly Voices” wasn’t very strong, so the Shadow Camp was supposed to be the weakest in this category. Yet, unexpectedly, they were strong—out of six nominees, four were from the Shadow Camp. One of them was Eric Tsang’s “Diary of a Man,” along with three songs from “A Chinese Ghost Story.” In the end, Zhang Guorong’s song from “A Chinese Ghost Story” won the award.

The Best Film Music category had been officially renamed Best Film Score. In this category, the Shadow Camp received three nominations: one each for “Dark Flowers” and “Spy Change,” plus “Carmen in Mong Kok.” The other two were from “Seven Little Fortunes” and Lai Siu-tin’s “Red Lipstick.” Surprisingly, it was Lin Daoyun’s song from “Dark Flowers” that won, marking another consecutive winner.

In terms of best action direction, only “Spy Change” and a urban action film directed by Yuan Heping, along with Liu’s team, brought honor to “Shadow”. The Hong family’s team and Cheng’s team each received one nomination, with Guan Xin from “Spy Change” winning the award. Guan Xin seemed a bit at a loss for words on stage; after imitating others in thanking some people, he thanked Xiao Ran before stepping down. Xiao Ran couldn’t help but smirk—he was very confident in this category. One of the highlights of “Spy Change” was its crisp and decisive action sequences, without any slowness. If there were any awards for car chases or similar stunts, “Spy Change” would have won them as well. For best supporting actress, “Shadow” had four nominations, but it was Feng Feier from “Dark Flower” who won. When the list of best art direction was announced, Xiao Ran was slightly surprised to hear Li Rengang’s name—Li was the director of “Black Hero”, but seemed to lack true talent despite his skilled techniques. There were six nominations in this category, with “Shadow” still taking four: “Dark Flower”, “Spy Change”, “Carmen in Mong Kok”, and “The Legend of the Ghostly Beauty”. In the end, Zhang Shuping’s “Carmen in Mong Kok” won. For best cinematography, “Shadow” dominated almost completely; aside from missing out on one award for “Red Lipstick”, Huang Yongheng from “Dark Flower” won again, becoming a consecutive winner. For best supporting actor, “Shadow” had three nominations, with Zhang Xueyou from “Carmen in Mong Kok” winning. Best editing undoubtedly went to “Spy Change”—given its smooth action sequences, it was bound to win. So far, all the awards had gone to “Shadow”. After all, last year, Golden Harvest and Diamond Film didn’t release many films, not to mention Hero Film, and Tian Luo wasn’t strong enough yet. In terms of quality, both “Dark Flower” and “Spy Change” were ahead of their time, so winning awards was a given. “Finally, it’s time for best screenwriter—I’m really excited!” Feifei’s slightly shrill voice sounded genuinely enthusiastic as she fixed her gaze on Xiao Ran. “It’s unimaginable that our proud top screenwriter from Hong Kong has received three nominations this time. If he wins this award, it means he’ll achieve a three-peat!” The guests were Zhang Manyu and Wu Siyuan. When the two stood on stage, Wu Siyuan said with a smile, “Actually, I’ve always admired one person—exceptional whether acting as a screenwriter, director, or boss. I can’t believe someone can have so much energy. How about we take a look at the nomination list first?” A clip of the nomination list appeared on the big screen, changing as a deep male voice read aloud: “The nominees for Best Screenwriter at the 8th Hong Kong Film Awards are: Luo Qirui, Zhang Wanting, ‘Seven Little Fortunes’; Qiu Dai’anping, Li Bihua, ‘Red Lipstick’; Xiao Ran, ‘The Legend of the Ghostly Beauty’; Xiao Ran, ‘Dark Flower’; Xiao Ran, ‘Spy Change’!”

“Amazing! Truly incredible!” Zhang Manyu exclaimed. Although everyone already knew the nomination list, they shared the same feeling as her. It was indeed absurdly impressive—winning for two consecutive years was remarkable, but even making it to the final round for three years in a row was a clear sign of strength.

“I’ve watched all these films, and I think Xiao Ran’s nomination is entirely deserved!” Wu Siyuan wasn’t flattery; it would have been strange if Xiao Ran hadn’t received a nomination.

“Director Wu, do you think Xiao Ran can achieve three consecutive wins? If he really does, it will be a miracle for Hong Kong’s film industry!” Zhang Manyu wasn’t lying. Fa Ge becoming a consecutive winner once already made him almost legendary. If Xiao Ran could win again, it would truly be an unprecedented miracle.

Wu Siyuan smiled and said, looking at the audience, “I think the key this time lies in whether anyone can beat Xiao Ran to win this award. Let’s take a look—perhaps we’re about to witness the birth of three consecutive victories…”

What was Xiao Ran doing now? He remained calm as a rock, without the slightest sign of excitement. Though he greatly desired three consecutive wins, he knew better than anyone that it was *Spy Change*—not his other works—that he truly wanted to win with. Yet, with such a great script like *Dark Flowers*, winning the award seemed inevitable, and he understood that.

“The winner of the 8th Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Screenwriter is…” At this point, Wu Siyuan handed the answer to Zhang Manyu. A strange expression appeared on her face as she glanced at the audience before declaring, “The best screenwriter is… Xiao Ran… *Spy Change*!”

Zhang Manyu’s voice, like thunder, shattered Xiao Ran’s calm composure. He stood there at a loss, his mind in chaos, unable to sort out his thoughts. All he could hear was one voice: “Xiao Ran… *Spy Change*!”

He couldn’t believe it was true, but hearing the uproar in the audience and seeing people congratulating him, he was stunned. How could *Spy Change* win this award? It wasn’t until Lin Qingxia gently pushed him that he came to his senses. He hugged Lin Qingxia, Zhong Chuhong, and Fa Ge tightly before stepping onto the stage.

Receiving the award from Zhang Manyu, Xiao Ran still couldn’t calm his excitement, enthusiasm, and confusion. He knew he could stand here, but he never expected it to be thanks to *Spy Change*, as he himself felt *Dark Flowers* was far stronger.

Standing in front of the microphone, Xiao Ran pondered for a moment, trying to calm his excitement. Looking at the excited audience, he told himself that he had won this award through his own merit: “I’m excited because I’ve made history!”

“But I’m also very sad!” The audience was confused, not sure what Xiao Ran meant. He glanced around before fixing his gaze: “Why can I make it to the final round with multiple nominations for three consecutive years and even achieve three consecutive wins? Let me tell you why—because there are no competitors.”

“Don’t you all understand?” Xiao Ran smiled bitterly. He had indeed been happy to win the award for himself, but upon deeper reflection, he began to feel sad. “Three consecutive championships are my honor, but they are a shame for Hong Kong screenwriters and Hong Kong cinema. I hope there won’t be four consecutive championships! Anyway, thank you to the judges!”