Nobody knows movies better than me

Chapter 10 Winning the award is just the first step.

After several awards were given out, it was time for the short film competition awards to be presented.

Surprisingly, the award presenter was Fan Bingbing.

Although not a famous director, a beautiful actress standing on the stage exuding charm is enough to make male college students' imaginations run wild.

Ye Xiaoyi glanced at the lecherous looks on the faces of the male students around her and couldn't help but mutter a curse under her breath. Then she looked at senior Zhang Jun, who... well, he was staring at the beautiful woman on stage with an admiring gaze.

It seems that the senior students are just like them, all birds of a feather, Ye Xiaoyi thought to herself.

Zhao Liangchen was asking Zhang Jun, "Senior, is this the Bingbing you were talking about?"

"yes!"

Zhang Jun raised his eyebrows smugly: "How about it? Didn't I tell you she's pretty?"

"It's really beautiful!"

Zhao Liangchen's eyes lit up: "Are all the beauties in the entertainment industry like this?"

"You could say that each has her own unique beauty, but there are probably very few who are as beautiful as her."

Ye Xiaoyi, standing to the side, complained, "Senior, this is an awards ceremony, can you guys be a little more serious?"

"I'm being very serious! I'm seriously criticizing her beauty, how serious!" Zhang Jun said confidently.

Zhang Jun's blatantly lewd behavior infuriated Ye Xiaoyi, who rolled her eyes.

Before anyone could say anything more, Fan Bingbing announced the winning short film on stage: "The winner of the Best Short Film Award in this year's College Short Film Competition is... 'The Tuner,' Tsinghua University."

Despite the positive word-of-mouth over the past few days, coupled with Hou Yu's assurances, Zhang Jun finally breathed a sigh of relief when he actually won the Best Short Film award.

At this moment, cheers erupted from the Tsinghua University contingent. This was an honor won for the school, and everyone shared in the glory.

Students and faculty from other universities applauded and offered their congratulations.

Although universities are known as microcosms of society, many university students are still as innocent and carefree as those in an ivory tower, unlike adults who are full of calculation.

Many students from other universities have watched the short film "The Tuner" in the past few days. Its excellent quality has already won them over, and none of them have expressed any dissatisfaction.

There was only one person who was unhappy, and that was Lu Zhengyu.

He thought that with his meticulously produced short film and his father's connections, he was a shoo-in for the award.

But then came "The Tuner," whose impeccable quality left no room for him to manipulate the situation, leaving him only to watch Tsinghua University win the award with resentment.

When the Tsinghua University team received applause and went on stage to give a speech, Lu Zhengyu felt like the whole world was against him.

Lu Zhengyu's mind became distorted when faced with problems, leading him to develop some unusual ideas.

"It's definitely because you students don't understand my short film. You're all a bunch of people who don't understand art. Just wait, I'm going to go abroad to win awards, and when I come back I'll see your ugly faces."

Zhang Jun was unaware that one person in the crowd below the stage had been provoked and was on the verge of exploding.

At this moment, he walked with a calm stride, and together with Ye Xiaoyi, Zhao Liangchen and more than a dozen classmates, he went on stage to receive the award.

Zhao Liangchen eagerly took the trophy and held it above his head; winning an award was a great sense of accomplishment. Zhang Jun also gestured to Ye Xiaoyi to deliver an acceptance speech on behalf of Tsinghua University.

Ye Xiaoyi didn't stand on ceremony. Standing in front of the microphone, she gave a lengthy thank you speech to the organizing committee of the college student film festival, to the school leaders, and to her classmates.

"Finally, I would like to thank Zhang Jun, the director and screenwriter of the short film. Without him, we would not have been able to make such a high-quality short film."

Would you like to ask Senior Zhang Jun to say a few words to everyone?

Amid cheers from the audience, Zhang Jun stood in front of the microphone.

Then everyone realized that the creator of the short film was actually quite handsome, even somewhat resembling Vic Chou of F4, making him a campus heartthrob at Tsinghua University.

Feng Dapao then said to those around him, "This young man is suited to be a star."

Fan Bingbing's beautiful eyes sparkled as she gazed at Zhang Jun's handsome profile, her mind wandering. She even began to imagine the sensation that would ensue if Zhang Jun entered the entertainment industry.

This wasn't just her fantasy; Fan Bingbing knew perfectly well how sought-after a talented, handsome, and young director was, and how many actresses would go crazy for him.

Who wouldn't want to be like Chen Hong, marrying a successful director and reaching the pinnacle of life?

Fan Pangbing is a keen observer and opportunist; she saw Zhang Jun's vibrant energy and ambitious nature. Therefore, she decided to have a chat later and exchange contact information.

Zhang Jun was unaware that Fan Bingbing had also started to have her eye on him. At this moment, he stood calmly in front of the microphone, naturally the center of attention on stage.

"What's wrong? Are you all confused to see a handsome guy like that?"

A soft chuckle came from the audience.

Zhang Jun continued, "Don't be confused, I am the screenwriter and director of 'The Tuner,' and also a senior student at Tsinghua University who is about to graduate. That's right, I'm also worried about my graduation defense recently."

This statement resonated with everyone, especially the senior students present, whose anxiety about their graduation defense was only slightly less than that of the college entrance examination.

"Someone once told me, 'Why don't you take the postgraduate entrance exam and find a job step by step? It would be better than working in an industry with an uncertain future.'"

Zhang Jun said, "I've also been thinking about this question: why can't I work in the industry I love? Why do I have to follow a predetermined path step by step?"

Don't young people have any right to make their own choices?

I suddenly recalled a scene: when I'm seventy or eighty years old, lying in a rocking chair wearing reading glasses, I'll reflect on what regrets I haven't made up for in my life.

I suddenly thought of the movies I love, but I've never had the courage to take that step, that brave step, to try them.

I don't want to regret it when I'm old, so I've decided to pursue my dreams now and strive to make sure my life is not wasted and I have no regrets.

So here's wishing everyone the courage to pursue their dreams; young people of the new era should have their own drive.

Let's all strive together!

It must be said that in an era when people still read magazines like "Youth Digest" and "Reader" to gain confidence and strength, Zhang Jun's speech was like a bowl of strong chicken soup.

Decades later, people have begun to dislike this kind of inspirational quote, but back in 2004, it was easy to move today's young, impulsive, and idealistic college students.

The applause from the audience was thunderous; clearly, this statement resonated with contemporary college students.

While clapping, Feng Dapao said to those around him, "No wonder he's from Tsinghua University; this guy is not only handsome, but he also speaks eloquently!"

Both sides agreed that the award was well-deserved.

Lu Zhengyu's face turned green; he hadn't heard a word Zhang Jun said. The speaking spot on stage was supposed to be his, but it all went to that damned Zhang Jun.

But there's nothing we can do; we have to swallow our resentment.

According to his father, Lu Fangzhen, the other party is backed by Tsinghua University and cannot be offended; taking a step back will open up a whole new world.

Peking University next door is also feeling bad, especially Huang Xiwen. He had confidently boasted that Peking University's short film was definitely better than Tsinghua University's.

But after watching the short film about Tsinghua University and then looking at our own, no matter how biased we are, we can't say such things.

Looking at Zhang Jun's mature and confident demeanor on stage now, even several female students from Peking University are somewhat infatuated with him, which makes Huang Xiwen quite jealous.

He was still young at heart; anyone could see Huang Xiwen's forced demeanor.

Fortunately, CCTV6's broadcast did not show any close-ups of him, otherwise it would have been a huge embarrassment.

After finishing their speeches, the Tsinghua University team stepped down from the stage.

Holding the trophy in her hand, Ye Xiaoyi was very proud. With this achievement, she finally had the qualifications to be the president.

Zhao Liangchen, feeling flattered by the praise from those around him, decided to try his luck in the entertainment industry, make a name for himself, and maybe even win a Best Actor award.

The most important thing is picking up girls. When he went on stage just now, Zhao Liangchen could smell Fan Bingbing's perfume, which was even more potent than an aphrodisiac.

Fortunately, he didn't ask Zhang Jun for his opinion, otherwise Zhang Jun would have suggested that he study hard at school and try to take the postgraduate entrance exam or something.

To succeed in the entertainment industry, one needs to have unique characteristics. Apart from his gloomy boy persona, Zhao Liangchen doesn't possess any of the qualities a star actor should have.

This isn't the era of internet traffic we have now; it's not easy to make someone famous these days.

The awards ceremony continued, and with Fan Wei winning Best Actor for "July of the Car Watcher" and "Warm" winning Best Feature Film, this year's College Student Film Festival came to a close.

Overall, although there were suspicions of behind-the-scenes manipulation, the awards ceremony itself was not very controversial, but it generated a lot of buzz.

Just as Zhang Jun had predicted, the moment the awards ceremony ended, he was surrounded by more than a dozen media outlets backstage.

Tsinghua University's victory this time was not unexpected, and his name was mentioned repeatedly, thus gaining fame without spending a penny.

Facing the media for the 'first time' in his life, Zhang Jun remained completely calm and answered all kinds of questions with ease.

"Zhang Jun, did you really write and direct this short film yourself?"

You've already won an award, why are you asking such a basic question?

Zhang Jun replied, "Of course, if you don't believe me, you can interview the teachers and students of Tsinghua University; they can all testify for me."

Another reporter asked, "Zhang Jun, how do you feel about winning this award?"

Clearly, this is a relatively official media outlet, so Zhang Jun's formulaic remarks, while unremarkable, will not cause any unnecessary trouble.

"Zhang Jun, your short film 'The Tuner' is outstanding. Would you be interested in adapting it into a feature film? Do you plan to pursue a career as a director?"

Zhang Jun gave a good answer to this question: "The adaptation of 'The Tuner' depends on the specific circumstances, but I personally think that the story still has room for expansion."

As for my future career, yes, that's right, I will continue to work in the directing industry.

These are all topics of discussion: Tsinghua University students are giving up academic pursuits to become film directors. It's not that it's wrong, but rather that they've taken this career leap quite far.

Students at Tsinghua University seem to love artistic creation; first there was Shui Mu Nian Hua, and now there's Zhang Jun.

Before Zhang Jun could even catch his breath after the interview, Feng Dapao came looking for him.

"Young man, would you be interested in working on my film crew? As my assistant director...?"

Upon hearing this, Fan Bingbing and those around him who knew Feng Dapao's character all turned their attention to Zhang Jun.

This is a rare opportunity. Feng Xiaogang has an outstanding track record in the commercial film industry. No one would disagree that he is one of the best directors in China today.

Being able to learn from him is a rare opportunity.

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Zhang Jun shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Director Feng, I have my own plans, so I won't trouble you."