The Best Director

Chapter 441: Chapter 441: A Burst of Anger for the Beauty

“Remember! Her favorite is the twisted face, twist your mouth from side to side, roll your tongue, roll your eyes upwards, and then make a ‘Ohh ahh’ sound, just like this…”

The afternoon sky was exceptionally blue and clear, devoid of the rare torrential rain to disrupt this annual film and entertainment event. In the driveway of a residence in Beverly Hills, a black Lincoln was parked, with makeup artist Roland and assistants waiting for the two protagonists and their daughter to finish saying goodbye. On the verdant lawn, Jessica, wearing a light blue off-shoulder evening dress with her long hair draped over her shoulders and long crystal earrings, was stunningly charming. Suddenly, she contorted her face into a grimace and made a strange noise: “Ohh ahh! Ohh ahh!”

Alexis, who was holding Keke, observed seriously while Joshua felt rather speechless. “Aren’t you afraid of ruining your makeup by doing that?” Jessica immediately stopped, and looked at Wang Yang, who was dressed to the nines, and he nodded. “Although it’s unlikely, it’s possible.” Joshua spread his hands helplessly. “What’s there to worry about? We will take good care of Keke! I love her no less than you do, let’s get going!” Alexis laughed, “Yes, I’m glad you trust us.”

“Only you,” Wang Yang winked at her. If it were only Joshua, he wouldn’t trust him, plus the two Grandmas were already in the house, having made an “early exit”, and the two Grandpas would arrive later. They would take care of Keke together and watch the live broadcast of the Golden Globe Awards ceremony tonight.

Having received multiple award nominations and being one of the presenters, he had many tickets for the dinner, but since his family members preferred not to cheer on-site, he gave them to other crew members.

Feeling provoked, Joshua nearly collapsed. “Please!” The red carpet, the ceremony, the celebration party… to be separated from Keke for so long was truly hard to bear. Jessica was not joking, “Of course I trust you guys, it’s just that I can’t relax without going through these things.” She said seriously, “After feeding her, you must not let her sleep right away; at least make her laugh for more than five minutes, got it? And…” Joshua tilted his head with a blank expression. “Sister, you wrote it all down in a detailed table, I know everything!”

“OK!” Jessica finally ended her long speech, leaning towards Keke to make a face with her tongue out, and the little angel immediately laughed, “Oh oh oh!” Jessica kissed her lovingly. “Bye-bye, love you!” Wang Yang also kissed her. “Bye-bye, love you!” The two then walked towards the Lincoln.

“Bye-bye! Good luck! Bring back a few trophies for Keke to play with!” Joshua waved and cheered them on. Wang Yang, who hadn’t said much, suddenly turned back and shouted while walking away. “Joshua, I don’t like those whiskers of yours, too deformed. Shave them off, they’ll scare her.” Jessica raised her black, elegant handbag high. “I totally agree!”

Joshua subconsciously touched the sparse mustache between his upper lip and nose, thinking it looked fine. Somewhat anxiously, he asked, “Is it really that weird?” Alexis observed seriously, “It’s okay, I don’t mind… maybe, yes, it’s a bit deformed, but it has character.” Keke swung her arm around in a circle, and let out a laugh as if mocking him, “Hehe oh!” In a panic, Joshua widened his eyes. “Oh! Did you see that? Did you see? Now Keke is doing it too! The favorite thing for this family to do is to put me down!”

After the black Lincoln started up and drove off towards the Hilton Hotel, the ceremony’s venue.

Looking at the scenery receding outside the window, Wang Yang’s mood wasn’t very buoyant because these days he had started to seriously contemplate everything about “I Am Legend” and mull over the desolate and lonely feeling, which often left him distracted and silent.

“HEY.” Jessica thought he was worried about the outcome of tonight’s event. After all, the previous two times with “Juno” and “District 9”, they were just hopeful contenders, so she was relaxed. Tonight, however, they were the frontrunners for Best Picture and Best Director! She patted the back of his hand and encouraged in a low voice, “Don’t worry, we will get it! And even if we don’t, you know… what’s the big deal? ‘Firefly’ is a classic regardless of whether or not it wins any trophies.”

“Thanks, but I’m not worried,” Wang Yang shook his head slightly, invigorating himself to momentarily shed the negative emotions for this was another season of harvest! The now dazzling “Firefly” was bringing him back to the halls of the Golden Globes and the Oscars! It belonged to “Firefly”, to “500 Days of Summer”, and not to “I Am Legend”! He clenched his fist and waved it a few times, laughing, “Okay, now I’m full of fighting spirit!” Jessica also clenched her fist and waved, “It seems so, let’s clean up!”

“Clean-Up!” “Clean-Up!” “Clean-Up!”…

Outside the Hilton Hotel, the red carpet buzzed with activity, with the “GOLDEN-GLOBE-AWARDS” sign standing next to the long Walk of Fame. Reporters and fans went crazy for the stars, with flashing cameras and shouts rising and falling, a truly dazzling scene on the red carpet crowded with celebrities and big names.

The second most important award of the awards season, the 63rd Golden Globe Awards! Broadcasted to over 130 countries and territories globally, with hundreds of millions of viewers tuning in. In mainland China, CCTV-6 would broadcast it on the 17th at 22:00; and in America, NBC would continue to live broadcast the much-anticipated event, starting at 20:00 Eastern Time on the 16th. “Will the amazing Yang win his second Best Director award? What will his acceptance speech be like? How will ‘Firefly’ fare? Must-watch NBC!”

Before the event, NBC heavily promoted Wang Yang as a key figure for the revival of the Golden Globe Awards, as everyone was well aware that the success of the show hinged on “Magical Yang.”

Last year’s 62nd event attracted a meager 16.7 million viewers, a nearly 40% drop from the 26.8 million viewers of the 61st event, marking not only an embarrassing record but also a historic low in viewership. Moreover, the Golden Globe Awards only ranked third in viewer ratings during the 9:00-10:00 PM timeslot, trailing behind ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” and CBS’s “Cold Case.”

The reasons for this phenomenon were multifaceted. First, many of the nominees and films lacked popularity. For instance, Cling Eastwood might have been endlessly charming in his youth, but now he probably only appeals to grandmothers. Secondly, going head-to-head with “Desperate Housewives” led to a significant loss of housewife viewers. Thirdly, the list of award presenters was mediocre at best, and without the heartthrob “Magical Yang” in the banquet hall, it meant a loss of attention from a large number of young and Asian viewers.

Considering the high expectations audiences had for “The Lord of the Rings 3” the previous year, it was not surprising that it achieved record viewership. This year, “Firefly” boasted even greater popularity than “The Lord of the Rings 3!” With films like “Brokeback Mountain” and “Good Night, and Good Luck” tackling sensitive subjects, with Magical Yang in attendance, what reason was there to fail?

At the very least, the goal was to rebound to over 20 million viewers, with the aim of making a comeback and reaching new heights! This year NBC and the association pulled out all the stops, not only moving the ceremony date from Sunday to Monday to avoid “Desperate Housewives” but also being meticulous in inviting award presenters. Wang Yang would present the Best Actress in a Television Musical or Comedy award, joined by Kate Beckinsale, Evangeline Lilly, Natalie Portman, Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Adrien Brody, Leonardo DiCaprio, Penelope Cruz, Mariah Carey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Denzel Washington…

The nomination list was equally star-studded, with Wang Yang, Johnny Depp, Russell Crowe, “Heath” Ledger, Charlize Theron, Sarah Jessica Parker, Scarlett Johansson, Michelle Williams, Reese Witherspoon, George Clooney, Peter Jackson, Spielberg, Ang Lee…

It was a grand party!

Under the bright sunshine, the red carpet buzzed with the noise of superstars mingling around. Then at the entrance of the red carpet, a slowly approaching black Lincoln came to a halt, and a waiter dressed in a red vest and suit pants graciously opened the door. Wang Yang and Jessica stepped out of the car hand in hand, their faces beaming with radiant smiles. After three years, they were back! The photographers behind the barriers immediately erupted with excitement, flashes flaring and shutters clicking away. The stars of the night had arrived! They shouted in unison: “Yang! Yang!” “Jessica!”

Best Original Song, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Picture in the Drama category, Best Picture in the Musical/Comedy category, Best Series in the Musical/Comedy category—he had six nominations! He was an unprecedented live miracle, the man destined to be the center of attention that day, this was his party!

“Yang, tonight you’re presenting the award for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy TV Series, how are you feeling? Everyone’s really looking forward to your appearance.” Photographers with their cameras were bustling non-stop, stars and celebrities sashayed in front of the flashing cameras; meanwhile, the interview area was no less lively, with stars being surrounded by journalists and answering all sorts of questions: “I’m very happy to be here,” “I’m feeling quite nervous!” “I’ve seen a lot of people I wanted to see,”… NBC’s special correspondent Kathy Griffin caught up with Wang Yang and Jessica.

Facing the entire NBC live broadcast crew, Wang Yang looked into the camera on the photographer’s shoulder and, smiling at the microphone in the reporter’s hand, said, “Thank you, that makes me start to feel a bit pressured, but I think I won’t let everyone down.” Kathy Griffin laughed and said, “Sounds like you’re well-prepared, how many versions of your speech have you prepared?” Wang Yang shrugged, “Well, I’ve thought of some jokes for the awarding speech; as for the other acceptance speeches, unless I’m not able to be present, I won’t prepare too much.”

“Hi, Yang!” “Hello, magical Yang!” “Hey, Yang!” “Yang, congratulations.” “Hey, buddy!!” “Magical Yang!!”… The Lay couple smiled and approached him; Evangeline Lilly smiled as she walked up; small Robert Downey Jr. opened his arms to hug Wang Yang; Spielberg greeted him; Ang Lee greeted him; the nominees from The Big Bang Theory, Desperate Housewives, and others also immediately smiled and approached to greet him…

Without any need, Wang Yang was the busiest and most popular person on the red carpet. No matter where he went, he was constantly called over for a laugh and a few words; the media’s flashes and microphones barely left him for a moment, even when Jessica stepped away to talk to Eva Longoria.

Today, Scarlett Johansson wore a low-cut red evening gown, her golden curly hair cascading over her shoulders, her ample bosom partially exposed, her skin snow white—very sexy and stunning. She was currently being interviewed live by E! channel and website reporter Isaac Mizrahi. Mizrahi, an openly gay fashion designer and a well-known figure in the fashion world, still managed to stun her when he asked in a flirty tone, “Scarlett, what are you wearing under your dress tonight?” Scarlett was caught off guard and laughed awkwardly, “Not much.”

“Not much? But you look really sexy, surely you’re wearing sexy lingerie, right?” Mizrahi laughed a few times, and even the countless viewers of E! channel were momentarily dumbstruck. Was this guy out of his mind? Suddenly, on the TV screen, Mizrahi actually reached out to touch Scarlett’s towering chest, jokingly saying, “Let me feel…” Then, another hand appeared on the screen, firmly stopping Mizrahi’s hand. Scarlett immediately stepped back, the audience’s eyes lit up, as if there was a good show to watch!

Just outside the Hilton Hotel on the red carpet, Wang Yang happened to pass by and grabbed the guy’s wrist with one hand, twisting it hard, and stared at him coldly, “What are you doing?” Mizrahi cried out in pain, “Oh, oh! I was just joking.” Surprised, Scarlett turned to Wang Yang and then flashed him a charming smile. If it weren’t for him, she would have been publicly groped. She said with a laugh, “Hi, magical Yang!”

As the camera’s focus shifted, Wang Yang appeared on the television screen, and countless female fans in front of their TVs were thrilled, clapping and cheering, “Wow!” Well done, Magical Yang!

“Hey, Scarlett,” Wang Yang smiled at her, letting go of Mizrahi, “This joke’s gone too far.” He smiled at the live camera pointed at him and said, “Hello, everyone! That wasn’t a nice joke, it was pretty bad.”

“I was just joking around, wondering what it feels like to touch…” Mizrahi evidently still hadn’t given up, and while Wang Yang wasn’t paying attention, he quickly reached out for Scarlett’s chest again despite the looks of many around them. But Wang Yang was faster, intercepting him once more!

Scarlett frowned, not sure whether to laugh or give a cold face; she smiled and said, “I don’t like that kind of joke either.” Wang Yang had already realized that this was no joke; it was a malicious act, either the personal conduct of a crazed reporter or some publicity stunt cooked up by the E! Channel. He eyed the wide-foreheaded male reporter and questioned, “You’re… Isaac Mizrahi, right?” Having worked on “The Devil Wears Prada,” he knew many in the fashion world.

“Yes, that’s me. Hello, Magical Yang.” Mizrahi had no intention of interviewing the great director. Wang Yang sincerely said, “Sir, this is really not funny.” Mizrahi laughed and said, “Got it, thanks for the interview with E! Channel.” He then moved on to other stars.

Whatever cheap idea this was, Wang Yang felt that Mizrahi’s bizarre behavior wasn’t aimed at Scarlett, especially since his harassment had failed. “See you later!” Wang Yang said to Scarlett before quickly following the E! Channel’s crew.

As expected, Mizrahi proceeded to interview only female celebrities, teasing each one. Charlize Theron, clad in a sexy black see-through evening gown exuding Athenian allure, was told by him that she played “a lesbian with rotten teeth” in “Monster” and was asked how she felt about it. As Charlize Theron laughed, unsure how to respond, Wang Yang suddenly emerged from behind and asked, “Isaac, do you think she performed well?”

Mizrahi, his anger rising a notch, maintained his smile and said, “She did a great job, but she was just too ugly in the film…” Wang Yang interrupted him, “That’s why we all say Charlize’s performance in ‘Monster’ was great. Let’s give her a round of applause!”

A round of applause erupted as Charlize Theron, unable to contain her mirth, smiled enchantingly. The live broadcast displayed this charming smile to numerous viewers, but now, everyone’s interest was on Wang Yang, who was teaching Mizrahi a lesson. Mizrahi clapped a few hands, then moved on to the next star, asking the red-dressed Rachel McAdams with a low-cut back, “Rachel, what kind of underwear are you wearing under your evening gown?”

“What? None, haha!” Rachel laughed as she answered and shot puzzled glances across to Wang Yang. What was going on? Mizrahi laughingly pressed, “Then what about the body hair inside there?” Wang Yang’s anger shot up, asking, “Are you out of your mind!?”

“Sorry, maybe I was too presumptuous,” Mizrahi feigned an apology, ignoring both the tight-lipped Rachel and the frowning Wang Yang, and moved towards others. “He’s crazy, don’t mind him,” Wang Yang patted Rachel’s shoulder, holding back his rage as he continued to follow. Watching them move away, Rachel heaved a sigh but couldn’t relieve the frustration inside. How embarrassing to be humiliated by that trivial man! If it weren’t for Yang, would that guy have gone even further? Damn it! So excessive…

After Terry Hatcher and others, it was Natalie Portman’s turn, wearing a black, off-shoulder, knee-length dress and without a handbag. Mizrahi asked with a smile, “What do you do if you need your phone, credit card, or even…a condom?”

“Hahaha!” Natalie responded with laughter, not in the mood to answer him, only looking towards Wang Yang beside Mizrahi. What happened? Before she could communicate with her eyes, Wang Yang once again stepped into camera view, “I’ll lend her mine.” Natalie felt an odd surge of gratitude. Thanks, bro! Actually, I can handle it myself. She greeted with a smile, “Hi, Yang!” She laughed, “I’m sure I won’t need those things tonight.”

“Are you really sure?” Mizrahi ignored Wang Yang’s interruption and decided to dismiss him altogether, continuing to question Natalie. But Wang Yang reached out and covered the camera lens, loudly saying, “Enough, Mizrahi, stop this. It’s so boring.”

Mizrahi finally couldn’t contain his blazing rage, glaring at Wang Yang, “Excuse me, Mr. Wang, why are you following us? You’re ruining our interviews.” Wang Yang let go of the camera, laughing without hesitation, “Haha, why? Because I found some fun! You know, you don’t come to the Golden Globes every year, and it’s even rarer to find this kind of amusement. The chance of both happening together is too slim! The latter is even less likely because it’s a passive situation. Last year? Next year? Where are you going to find an idiot like Isaac Mizrahi? Huh? You can’t!”

“Oh!” Natalie internally exclaimed, admiring the rapid-fire pace and sharpness of the language, KO! So cool!

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?” Mizrahi, a renowned designer with his company and a personal show, acting as an interviewer? Would he even consider the role if it weren’t for Ted Harbert, the chairman, and CEO of E! who graciously invited him? And now to be spoken to like this, as if being slapped across the face! In a fury upon fury, he had always known that Magical Yang did not see eye to eye with the fashion industry! This Chinese kid truly had no respect for anyone!

“I said you’re a boring idiot.” Wang Yang stepped closer, his chin slightly raised, looking down at him with contempt. “WHAT?”

Maybe others would be mindful of Mizrahi’s homosexuality, not wanting to say much for fear of being seen as attacking a group, thus tolerating his “jokes.” Wang Yang was not afraid; he was a staunch ally of the LGBT community. Watching Mizrahi’s eyes blazing with anger, he continued to laugh. “I know you. You think you can joke around and disrespect women, disrespect others just because you’re gay and that you can vent your bad mood on anyone. What the hell are you trying to do?! You are tarnishing the image of homosexuals. All this I’m saying is not to defame homosexuals; I’m describing you as a person—just you, Isaac Mizrahi, fool.”

Natalie glanced at the camera lens, oh God, this was live, right? The eyes of the people around also turned at the sound, and a fight on the red carpet was rare. From afar, Robert Downey Jr. noticed Wang Yang’s clenched fists. This was…

“SHUT UP! What right do you have to limit our interview?” Mizrahi tried to interrupt Wang Yang loudly, but Wang Yang looked at him mockingly and asked directly: “Hey, Isaac, what kind of underwear are you wearing? Do you shave? Do you have any private tattoos?” Teased by this provocative voice, Mizrahi got irritated, infuriated by the embarrassment of being exposed, and couldn’t help but push Wang Yang, who had come closer, cursing, “Who do you think you are!? Idiot!”

That’s what I was waiting for! From the moment this scumbag flirted with Rachel, Wang Yang had been furious. Then Natalie… damn it! His right fist, previously injured, suddenly swung and with a “thud,” it heavily struck Mizrahi’s left cheek!

Struck by intense pain, Mizrahi didn’t react in time, nor did Natalie, the cameraman, or the surrounding people! Wang Yang’s left hand had already reached out, grabbing Mizrahi’s shoulder, moving forward, with a trip and a twist, “Thud!” Mizrahi was helplessly knocked down onto the red carpet, one hand covering his cheek, the other his chest, curling up and crying out in pain, “Oh my God, oh…”

“Oh—”, “WOO—”, “Oh heavens—” The crowd around gasped in shock, reporters rushed over, security personnel also hurried over, a fight on the red carpet! Flashes burst forth, and tonight’s protagonist… Magical Yang!!

“Not bad, it still works.” Wang Yang didn’t even glance at Mizrahi on the ground, twisting his previously broken right hand contentedly, regaining most of its strength, not bad at all!

“Mr. Wang, please remain calm!” Several security officers rushed over frantically, ready to restrain the great director. But Wang Yang gave them no trouble; he spread his hands: “He pushed me first, everyone saw it! And I was just joking, I just wanted to hit him and see what it felt like.” He looked down: “Right, Isaac? I feel great, how about you? HOW-ABOUT-THAT? HUH?”

Although she didn’t understand his true sarcasm, Natalie, with a racing heart, was the first to raise her hand: “Yes, Mr. Mizrahi was the first to make a move, I can testify.” Many others around also said, “Yes, I saw it too.” “I’m not quite sure what happened, but it doesn’t seem like it’s Magical Yang’s fault.”

“Mr. Wang, please don’t hit anyone again.” The security officers didn’t want the evening’s protagonist to be taken to the police station; some helped Mizrahi up, some kept an eye on the great director, and the reporters started asking questions… Wang Yang nodded in agreement and, looking towards the E! channel camera, blew a kiss with a smile: “Hey guys, don’t start fights, unless it’s with a bad guy, love you all!”

“Where did Yang go?” At the other end of the red carpet, Jessica looked around puzzled, not finding Wang Yang anywhere. She saw Scarlett a few meters away and approached: “Hey, Scarlett! Have you seen Yang?” Just then, she suddenly heard people around her shouting: “Magical Yang hit someone! Isaac Mizrahi!” Jessica’s eyes widened: “WHAT?!” Scarlett looked excitedly in the general direction: “Oh my… he’s a hero.” Charlize Theron laughed on hearing this: “Magical Yang? Wow…” Rachel laughed heartily, her pent-up frustration vanishing, refreshing! She shook her head with a smile: “What can you do with this guy?” Evangeline Lilly voiced her admiration: “Typical Magical Yang!”…

Magical Yang is so cool! The viewers in front of the TVs were in frenzy, the Golden Globe Awards red carpet was the center of attention! A live broadcast!

This explosive news quickly spread online, reaching around the world instantly, Magical Yang knocked down a reporter on the red carpet!! Temporarily, the reason is unknown, the details of the incident are unclear, and whether he will attend tonight’s awards ceremony is also uncertain! (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to cast your votes and monthly tickets at Qidian, your support is my greatest motivation.)