Chapter 20: The Large Red Banner

Monday, February 19.

Early in the morning, reluctant office workers were rushing to catch buses, barely making it to work on time to start another daily grind.

"Is this for real? Did Sina Entertainment just make this up? This is too exaggerated," Wang Mei muttered, opening her computer and staring at the headlines featured on the Sina Entertainment homepage.

She clicked through, and a series of large headlines immediately appeared:

"Rising Director Cao Yang Launches Surprise Attack on Berlin, Sweeps Two Major Awards"
"51st Berlin International Film Festival: Cao Yang Becomes the Biggest Winner"
"Li Xiaoran Crowned Berlin Best Actress, First from the Mainland to Achieve the Feat"
"Young Director Cao Yang Wins Jury Grand Prix"
"On the Beach at Night Alone Secures Two Silver Bears"
...

Tucked between the bold headlines was a line of smaller text: "Wang Xiaoshuai Wins Best Director at Berlin Film Festival."

With photos as proof and detailed reports to back it up, Wang Mei shouted in surprise, "Everyone, look! There's a young director named Cao Yang who went absolutely wild at the Berlin Film Festival yesterday."

Her colleagues nearby immediately perked up, leaning in with curiosity. One exclaimed, "My god, did someone die at the Berlin Film Festival?"

"Wow, this director is incredible! He produced a Berlin Best Actress winner."

"Jury Grand Prix? What's that? Never heard of it."

"You don't know? Zhang Yimou is amazing, right? That's exactly what he won at the Berlin Film Festival last year."

"Wow, that's impressive."

"Who is Li Xiaoran? She doesn't seem very famous."

"Best Actress—a Berlin Film Festival winner! That's huge. Isn't this the first time someone from the Mainland has won Best Actress in Berlin?"

"First time in the Mainland."

"Is the Berlin Film Festival a big deal? How does it compare to the Golden Rooster Awards?"

"This Berlin Best Actress title is much bigger. It's a first for the Mainland. Only Gong Li has ever won Best Actress at Venice, and now this Li Xiaoran."

"She is so pretty. 'On the Beach at Night Alone'—what a strange movie title. I'll definitely go see it when it's released."

"Call me when you go."

"Count me in."

...

Similar scenes were playing out all over the country. Using large, bold headlines and exclusive, comprehensive reporting, Sina Entertainment eclipsed all other web portals, sending its traffic skyrocketing. Editor-in-Chief Hu was absolutely thrilled.

Huang Lei returned from an overnight stay early that morning, needing to teach his classes. As he walked toward the gates of the Beijing Film Academy, he noticed a group of students from the student council busy hanging a banner, which piqued his curiosity.

"What's the occasion? Why are you hanging this?"

"Professor Huang..."
"Professor Huang..."
"Professor Huang..."

The students greeted him quickly. One committee member explained with a smile, "Director... Director Cao's film won two Silver Bears in Berlin. The school ordered us to hang this up first thing this morning to celebrate."

Huang Lei was momentarily stunned. Which "Director Cao" had enough clout to warrant a school banner for two Silver Bears? While winning two Silver Bears at once was impressive, they weren't the Golden Bear, Golden Lion, or Palme d'Or. Even for an alumnus, this seemed a bit over the top.

Huang Lei ran through the names in his head. There weren't any particularly famous directors named Cao. Could it be that kid Cao Baoping, who went off to film something in secret? He hadn't heard anything about that. Besides, did he have the talent for it? Winning two Silver Bears at once?

Forget it, he couldn't think of anyone. Just as he was about to ask, he saw the large banner fully unfurled.

Text: Warmly congratulate our school's Directing Department student, Director Cao Yang, for winning two Silver Bears.
Small print: The practical film "On the Beach at Night Alone" won the Jury Grand Prix and the Best Actress award at the 51st Berlin International Film Festival.

Student? Cao Yang?

Holy crap!

Huang Lei’s mind raced; he had a memory of the name. Cao Yang! He remembered the junior in the Directing Department who had a wild idea about making a movie and had come to his office to ask him to invite "Milk Tea" Liu.

How could "Milk Tea" Liu possibly take on a student project? However, the kid was a student of Situ. Situ was someone you couldn't ignore; you had to give him face.

He remembered going to the Directing Department to explain to Situ that "Milk Tea" Liu didn't have the schedule, and then he just ignored the whole thing.

Huang Lei slapped his thigh in frustration. *How foolish!* He should have at least called the kid back to give him a polite explanation. Instead, he had taken it upon himself to reject the project and then treated the whole thing as a joke when he mentioned it to "Milk Tea" Liu, who had just laughed it off.

But the point was, the film had won! That was a Berlin Best Actress award—a rare achievement in the entire Chinese-speaking world. With "Milk Tea" Liu's current status, if she had won that award, she would instantly be on the same level as Gong Li or Maggie Cheung—a top-tier star in the Chinese film industry.

"Milk Tea" Liu must hate him now.

Huang Lei was filled with regret. A golden opportunity had once been placed right before him, and he hadn't cherished it. The temptation of two Silver Bears...

It was no wonder the school was hanging a banner. He was still a student! Forget two Silver Bears; even for just one, they would definitely be hanging a banner. A junior student winning a Silver Bear was an incredible display of the school’s teaching achievements. For the school leadership... well, the implications were huge.

Huang Lei thought the school was being too conservative; they should have hung banners all the way to the entrance of the Central Academy of Drama just to show them what real talent cultivation looked like.

Still feeling dejected, Huang Lei arrived at the Performance Department office, only to find it even more chaotic. A group of professors were gathered there, arguing loudly about something.

Huang Lei rubbed his face, forced a casual smile, and walked inside.

"Professor Huang is here! Tell us, shouldn't Old Wang treat us? Two Silver Bears! That's quite the credential."

"Huh?"

Huang Lei was stunned. Why were they talking about two Silver Bears again? Why would Wang Jinsong be treating them?

"I'll treat, I'll treat! Tonight, we'll find a nice place—my treat! Professor Huang, don't forget to come."

Wang Jinsong couldn't hide the smile on his face. He waved his hand dismissively, acting as if it were nothing. "It's really nothing. I just played a supporting role, not much screen time at all. I only contributed a tiny bit. The two Silver Bears don't really have much to do with me; it’s all thanks to Director Cao. He’s young and promising, haha..."

Huang Lei felt his world go dark. The forced smile froze on his face. He felt a tightness in his chest and struggled to breathe.

He remembered now. When Cao Yang had come to his office, Wang Jinsong had immediately offered his support, telling Cao Yang to prioritize students from the school's Performance Department if the roles were a fit. He had been there too, and naturally, he had chimed in.

Wang Jinsong, that old fox, had even joked about asking for a role himself. Huang Lei had almost asked too, but he was afraid of being seen as desperate, so he held his tongue.

Who could have guessed that Wang Jinsong would actually go through with it? That treacherous man!

Two Silver Bears! If that were written on a resume...

Huang Lei wanted to slap himself. Another golden opportunity had been right in front of him, and he had let the two Silver Bears slip through his fingers. It was a glorious career milestone that would have looked amazing on his record—a surefire way to get a promotion and a raise. Damn it all!