The Best Director

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“Golden Globe Awards conclude, a 22-year-old Best Director is born!” — Los Angeles Times; “Wang Yang breaks Coppola’s 30-year record to become the most dazzling young director.” — The New York Times; “Nicole Donnie wins Best Actor and Actress, Wang Yang achieves a young miracle.” — The Guardian of the United Kingdom; “History is made at this moment, he is a gift of the century.” — San Francisco Chronicle; “Heroes are always young! Wang Yang is marvelous!” — Apple Daily of Hong Kong; “Chinese-American director Wang Yang wins Golden Globe for Best Director.” — People’s Daily of China…

Thump thump thump! Piles of freshly printed newspapers were placed on shelves, and the covers of the entertainment sections and gossip tabloids varied, but nearly all featured people in black suits and beautiful evening dresses, their faces beaming with excitement as they held aloft the Golden Globe Awards. One particularly tall and handsome young man with black hair took up almost half of the cover. He wasn’t holding the award for Best Supporting Actor or Best Actor, but for Best Director.

This was the cause of the sensation; to have such a young age for an award winner was considered a youthful storm even for actors, let alone for a director! It was a shock to anyone who saw it! Wang Yang’s fame soared rapidly—if he were a stock, it probably would have gone up over 400% overnight!

Regarding the outcome of this director’s award, the internet buzzed with film fans and supporters shouting their approval, while others voiced dissatisfaction and skepticism. Was the Golden Globe given to Wang Yang just for the sake of sensationalism, or was it something else?

“I absolutely support Wang Yang winning the award! He’s fantastic! The trophy is either for this one or for that one; why not Wang Yang because of his age?” said user Carter Lance in Yahoo’s comments, visibly excited, with many other voices of support: “Do we have to give it to Martin Scorsese before those people are satisfied? Wang Yang brought a lot of surprises to the otherwise dull Golden Globe!” “Wang Yang is the pride of us young people!”…

In various entertainment websites, there were many voices of opposition. Telfer, whose avatar was a young man, commented, “Wang Yang only got the award because he’s young, they wanted to attract attention.” Townsend wrote, “I just don’t like seeing him ranked above Coppola.” Matt wrote, “That bunch of journalists have turned Wang Yang into a miracle. I have never watched his movies and never will.” And Guna yelled, “Wang Yang, go die——!”…

The public either loved or hated Wang Yang. Yahoo’s poll “What do you think about Wang Yang receiving the Golden Globe for Best Director?” showed that 56% of the people chose “Satisfied, no problem”; 40% selected “Opposition, this is a mistake”, and the remaining 4% clicked “I don’t care”.

No matter what public opinion was like, after the Golden Globe results were announced, Wang Yang became the most noticed and talked about person. Fans around the world were getting to know him, all exclaiming “Oh my goodness!”

Of course, the Golden Globe was not a one-man show for Wang Yang. The real stars of the screen always maintained high popularity, with events like Nicole Kidman being crowned queen and Robert Downey Jr.’s acceptance speech being hot topics.

With both Wang Yang and Downey winning awards, the media that wanted to mock the two naturally had no more grievances to dig into. Instead, they shifted to poignant stories, as a successful drug rehabilitation is always an inspiring tale. Yet, eye-catching gossip was not left behind, such as the awkward encounter between Downey and Sarah Jessica Parker after his plea for forgiveness speech, where the media revisited their past.

When Downey was interviewed, a journalist brought up the topic, and he said directly, “Sarah is a great woman. I wronged her in the past, and I feel very sad and horrible about my former self. Now she’s happy and joyful, and I’m delighted for her. Congratulations on becoming a mom.” On the other hand, Sarah Jessica Parker said, “I’m relieved to see Downey make amends. Everything else ended 12 years ago; do not report inaccurately.”

Several gossip newspapers irresponsibly speculated, “Are Wang Yang and Downey preparing to come out together?” However, compared to that baseless, tomato-smashed boredom by fans, the focus was more worthy on Wang Yang’s official girlfriend, the new American sweetheart.

This was the hottest red carpet snippet from this year’s Golden Globes: Jessica Alba falling down backstage at the Hilton Hotel! Several journalists who were doing backstage reveals captured the entire process with dozens of high-definition photos. She walked down the hallway with a smile, greeted them, took a few more steps, then suddenly stumbled and fell forward…

She quickly got up, her face turning red with embarrassment, and left hastily, covering her face… The media reacted differently to these photos; the gossip paper Hollywood Show published a shot of her surprised expression as she fell, with the captioned speech bubble: “Where is my Wang Yang?”

The article jokingly stated, “During last year’s NBA Christmas Day match, Wang Yang took down flying Shaquille O’Neal, saving Jessica from an attack; but this time, he couldn’t protect her.” The page also featured a photo of her lying face down, with thought bubbles reading, “Should I pretend to faint?” The article concluded, “Wang Yang might have taken Best Director, but Jessica celebrated in her own way ahead of time.”

Responses varied from straightforward reporting, playful teasing, to subtle sarcasm across the media; online, the fans also had diverse reactions. Jessica’s fans naturally said it wasn’t a big deal—anyone can trip and fall, right? Event seekers relished in malicious comments, such as some of Wang Yang’s long-time crazy female fans, who took the opportunity to mock her fiercely.

“Forgive me for saying this, but she’s like a stupid, fat pig,” Caitlin GO used insulting words in her comment on the photo collage; with a tone of sighing, Amelia wrote, “Jessica, what do you want me to say about you? You made Best Director’s perfect night imperfect.” Britney Gold wrote, “I’ve been hoping to see the news of Yang breaking up with this idiot in the papers the next day for years now, how come it hasn’t happened yet?” …

There are fans who are already fantasizing about Best Director being with his rumored love interests, like Natalie Portman, Rachel McAdams… while many of Jessica’s fans are expressing their support for her to go back to being single!

But the majority of sincere fans who wish them happiness are refuting these voices. Do they really want to see another childhood sweetheart couple fall apart? Since Britney and Justin split up, Yang and Jessica had become the most-watched young couple, childhood sweethearts, reunion after a long separation, sweet and loyal… Although their love story was incredibly stable, their street snaps were very popular; if anyone wanted this fairy-tale couple to break up, they would be the first to disagree!

Best Director himself also briefly mentioned this on his blog: “WOOOOOOOO—who is this girl!? Don’t you guys think she’s super cute? I’m totally smitten!”

The bright early spring sunshine poured into the living room where Danny lay quietly on the fabric sofa, his eyes seeming a bit sad as one hand slowly twirled his large ears. Jessica leaned against the sofa, staring blankly at the TV screen in front of her. A documentary was playing on the channel, and she frowned slightly—how did she end up falling like that?

Remembering those reports and comments, Jessica shifted uncomfortably, stroking Danny’s head, as if she could hear that harsh laughter again. Her right thumb supporting her chin, she pinched her own mouth and let out a gentle sigh.

Wang Yang, who was standing not far away with his arms crossed and leaning against the wall, looked at her furrowed brows. He had already said a lot to comfort her and cheer her up, telling her not to mind those boring people’s words, but her mood continued to be very low. The laughter and chatter had turned into daydreaming, and the entire house had become somber. What to do? After thinking for a bit, he walked over and suggested with a smile, “Sweetheart, let’s go out and have fun?”

“I don’t want to go out.” Jessica gave him a faint smile, watching him sit down and then pushed against his body with both hands, laughing, “Yang, I told you I’m fine! Go take care of your work, I really am okay!” She proudly tilted her chin upward, laughing, “I couldn’t care less about what others say, ha!”

Wang Yang sat steadfastly and wrapped his arms around her slender waist, saying, “I don’t have much to take care of right now, there are lots of producers, you know I don’t need to handle everything myself.” He picked up the remote and turned off the TV, his spirits high as he chuckled, “How about we go shopping?” Seeing her shake her head with no interest, he continued, “Go to the beach for some fresh air? Hike? Amusement park? Bar? It’s daytime now, so how about a club? Visit another city?…”

“No, Yang.” Jessica raised her hand to cover his mouth, smiling, “I don’t want to go anywhere right now, I just want to stay at home.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek softly, her voice gentle, “Yang, I know, thank you. But I really am fine… I am a bit unhappy, but it’s nothing! I’ll be better tomorrow, trust me! I’m going to practice kung fu.” With that, she stood up laughing and walked toward the garden.

Wang Yang shrugged helplessly, turning to Danny, whose ears drooped, and asked, “Buddy, what do I do?”

A red wooden dummy stood on the lawn, accompanied by the sounds “he he heng ha,” Jessica kept punching and kicking it, her eyes alight with a fire, it was unclear whom she imagined the dummy to be.

“Ah—” she yelled out, lifting her left foot and violently kicking the dummy, and with a “pong,” the dummy that had been kicked askew almost toppled backward, and she herself staggered almost falling. “Oh dear!” she quickly went to pull the dummy back up, wiping her forehead and taking a deep breath.

Sitting on a distant wooden bench, Wang Yang almost laughed out loud; she was clearly so adorable in every move, what was there to be unhappy about? Although she wanted to “recover by herself,” he didn’t want to see her looking downcast for even a minute. Just as he was thinking of ways to cheer her up, his phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated, likely congratulatory calls from friends.

The screen displayed “Natalie,” he had already received her congratulatory message. Wang Yang answered, “Hi.” Natalie on the other end immediately laughed in an “excited” stream, “Hi, Best Director! You crazy guy! Wow, is it true? I’m going to star in the new movie by the Best Director, the female lead! Ha ha—definitely no regret in agreeing! Congratulations!”

“Thanks!” Wang Yang watched Jessica, who continued to punch and kick nonstop, desperate for a solution, and asked, “Natalie, do you know about what happened to Jessica? The fall?” Natalie laughed, “I saw it, what about it? Mmm… if I’m not mistaken, she’s not happy?” Wang Yang looked up at the blue sky and white clouds and said, “Yes, I’ve tried comforting her with many words, but none worked. How can I cheer her up?”

“Oh SHIT, aren’t you aware that I’m pursuing you, and you want me to help you soothe your girlfriend?” Natalie’s voice was full of disbelief, and Wang Yang could not help but laugh, “Have you?” After a few seconds of silence on the phone, Natalie let out a long sigh, murmuring a few OKs, “Alright, I guess I have no chance for now; who knows about the future? BFFs then, BFFs, truly depressing!”

“But helping a BFF cheer up his pretty girlfriend, not a bad experience.” Natalie laughed heartily for a few moments, then suddenly asked, “Do you know why some people want to be actors, love being actors? Don’t tell me fame and fortune, I’m talking about those who dream about it when they’re very young, 6 years old, 7 years old, what do they know?”

Wang Yang knew this type of question didn’t need an answer and let her continue by saying a “YEP.” Natalie went on, “You know? I loved wandering the streets when I was little and then see if anyone was watching me. Once someone did, I would think, ‘Wow, that little girl is so cute!’ ”

Natalie chuckled a few “cackles” and said, “This is my story, not Jessica’s. OK, let’s formally enter ‘doctor diagnosis’ mode!” She cleared her throat with a cough and solemnly said, “Psychologically speaking, many actors enjoy acting and engage in the performing arts because they had unpleasant childhoods filled with unfavorable experiences. They want to become someone else, not wanting to be themselves, and those actors who appear so cool and beautiful on TV and in movies, along with those amazing stories, they make them… Wow, I want to be an actor!”

“Jessica was bullied all the time as a child.” Wang Yang turned his head to look at Jessica in the distance, panting from the fight, and scratched his forehead helplessly, “I protected her for a while, but then she moved to Los Angeles, and then the bullying started again.”

“I’m talking about this type because I know your story. Damn it! I lost here too!” Natalie seemed to be gritting her teeth as she cursed, took a breath, and continued with a laugh, “Simply put, why do they long to become someone else? The fundamental reason is they lack a sense of recognition; no one praises them, no one says ‘you’re awesome’, no one cares about them, and so they lack self-recognition, hence they want to be someone else.”

She found it very amusing and laughed heartily, saying, “It’s all about recognition. In fact, they don’t want to become someone else; they just hope to receive recognition and care from family and friends. The ugly ones want others to praise their beauty; those who have no one to play with want others to play with them; those whose birthdays are forgotten long for someone to wish them ‘Happy Birthday’…”

She hummed and laughed, “If you had told Jessica how pretty she was, played with her, protected her, all those years ago… I bet you did all that, right? Do you know why she adores you? Psh, you think there’s no reason?”

“You mean to say, if it were you who did those things, she’d also be crazy about you?” Wang Yang smiled and shook his head. What Natalie was saying, he had indeed done before. That box of cookies was her first birthday gift from a classmate; perhaps that was why, after almost ten years of separation, Jessica still remembered him…

“That wouldn’t work; she’s not a lesbian, and neither am I, but we would become the best of sisters!” Perhaps the thought of them walking arm in arm made Natalie laugh uncontrollably before she became serious again, “So now you understand why stars love to walk the red carpet? Being surrounded by those flashlight bulbs, they can receive a great, great deal of recognition, and it’s exhilarating! However, sometimes the validation of a thousand people, ten thousand people, even a million people can’t compare to one.”

Natalie paused and smiled, “That one person Jessica truly cares about, the one she really wants to prove herself to. This person is usually the first one who recognized her, and so she wants more and more from that person, not to disappoint them, to prove they were right, to prove that she is great… It’s like a pyramid, or maybe dominoes, where that person is the one at the very front; if their acknowledgment falls, her whole confidence system would go… snap, snap, snap. Without their thumbs-up, she wouldn’t be truly happy. Do you know who that is?”

As Jessica stopped panting and walked to sit on the swing by the sycamore tree, Wang Yang looked at her and asked with a doubtful smile, “Me?”

“Maybe it’s her dad,” Natalie laughed heartily, then added earnestly, “Unless abused by the father, most girls who grew up unhappy during their childhood will have some sort of Electra complex because dads protect them, give them a sense of security. But you’re the long-legged uncle, so YES! Despite Jessica being a popular teen superstar, I think what she craves the most is your approval. That’s your girlfriend’s issue.”

Hearing this analysis, Wang Yang began to understand, but he couldn’t quite grasp the thread and frowned in confusion, “But I have given my approval! I’ve offered plenty of comfort and praise, and at first, she was fine, but then that damned Paris Hilton and the internet…” He recounted the events of the party.

“Oh really? Nevertheless, I think it’s because of you,” Natalie said with a hint of exasperation, “It must be the pressure she feels around you, which could come from Hilton, the media, or herself. Even though she knows you love her, so what? Without your recognition, her subconscious will make her feel valueless around you, which will lead her to depression on one hand, thinking ‘Oh, I’m so useless,’ and on the other hand, anxiety that she might lose you.”

“The more she loves you, the more intense it gets, which is actually quite normal. I get stressed being with you too, you crazy guy! But I still want to be with you, haha!” Natalie chuckled, then said with a mischievous tone, “I’ll tell you, all I have to do is call Jess right now and say ‘Do you realize how pathetic you are?’ and she’d break down! But I’m destined to be the bad girl stealing boyfriends, never mind.”

“Natalie, if she breaks down, I’ll break down too,” Wang Yang shook his head, his gaze shifting to Jessica slowly swinging on the swing nearby. Pressure? Depression?… His eyes suddenly widened, recalling the movie! Her voice, tearful, echoed in his ears: “I want to make a movie with you!”

Recognition?! He smacked his forehead in self-reproach, “You’re too beautiful, you don’t fit the part.” What kind of approval was that? It seemed to comfort her at the time, but now that he thought about it, she just buried it deep inside…

Wang Yang bit his lip forcefully, he had indeed been neglectful, not only of her but of his parents, even old Mr. Wu while he was still alive… forever busy, busy, moving forward, working… Despite loving his own family and woman, he hadn’t spent time caring for them, making them happy… What was this life all about? Was there a right or wrong in it?

He couldn’t help recalling what he said to Paris Hilton about “lifestyle” at the HBO party… His mind was in turmoil, annoyed, Wang Yang scratched his head and asked, “So do you have any cure?”

“Maybe you don’t need to be so tense, everyone has down times, it’ll pass in a few days, and then you wait for the next critical moment.” When he heard her say this, Wang Yang immediately disagreed, “That’s not a good solution, is there another?”

Natalie hummed, seemingly pondering the answer, and after a few seconds, she finally smiled and said, “First off, keep letting her know you love her, to generate enough security so that the pressure naturally fades, but don’t just say it; secondly, recognize her worth, let her feel valuable inside. If you love and recognize her, then what’s the problem? As for specific methods, I don’t know, you figure it out!”

Wow!” Wang Yang saw that the topic had come to an end, and although his problem wasn’t solved, he couldn’t help but marvel, smiling at his phone, “You understand Jessica better than I do, unbelievable!” Natalie showed no joy in being “affirmed” and said with a light smile, “It’s just psychological deduction, usually quite accurate. Want to hear me analyze you?” Wang Yang laughed, “No, thanks! But I think I should study some psychology, this is amazing, you’re truly a master of love!”

Natalie, however, sighed deeply again, “I know too much about the principles of love, which is why I hardly feel moved by someone’s pursuit… I need someone who makes my heart skip a beat at first sight, like you! Haha!” As she said this, she burst into laughter, her voice coy, “Do you know how funny you were at that coffee shop audition? You floored me, a Best Director like a drowned rat!”

“That was Quentin Tarantino.” Wang Yang laughed, stood up, and said, “Alright, I’ve got to think of something now. Thanks, Nat!” Natalie laughed heartily, “What’s there to thank me for? A brother’s business is my business! Bye!”

Putting down his phone and looking at Jessica still swinging on the swing, Wang Yang propped his chin, pondering. “Affirming her” seemed like the best way was to make a movie with her, and he had promised that after “MIT-21-TEAM” he would do just that. The question was what kind of role would suit her? What did he want to shoot now? Lifestyle?…

Before Wang Yang could think further, his phone in his pocket buzzed again. He took it out and answered, “HELLO… Yeah, okay! Continue with the work on the MIT side, we need to win them over with sincerity.” He talked for a while before ending the call, his fist clenched in some excitement.

It concerned “MIT-21-TEAM”; the Caesar’s Palace Hotel had agreed to provide the filming location for the crew, it seemed the title and fame of “Best Director” had helped them make their decision. However, MIT was still under negotiation. He figured that the main reason why “Winning 21” hadn’t been authorized was because they created a villainous MIT professor, while the existence of the blackjack team was a fact.

So, after he promised repeatedly that the film would not insult MIT in any way and clarified the script’s characters and story settings, MIT had already begun to waver; with the addition of “Best Director,” he felt there was a great chance of persuading the esteemed school.

“But why does Jessica keep falling all the time?” Wang Yang thought, walking back toward the house, recalling her “achievements” over the past few years—tripping over herself during dance practice, being tripped by Danny in the living room… Those scenes flashed before his eyes, and he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. There was no reason; that was just her. But he really, really found it adorable and fun—he’d swear on his blog!

Thinking of her “achievements,” Wang Yang intentionally lunged forward, propped his hands on the ground, and started doing push-ups, muttering with a laugh, “This is pretty interesting! 1, 2, 3, 4…” Suddenly, his eyes rolled, and he stopped, letting go with his hands and lay flat on the grass, his hands and feet pulled together and stiff as he mimicked swimming movements… He laughed heartily, an idea gradually taking shape in his mind. Weren’t there people on the internet who mocked how ugly Jessica’s falls were?

If he also lay flat on the ground like Jessica! Wang Yang suddenly jumped up, snapped his fingers, and laughed as he talked to himself, “Take a photo and upload it to my blog, let’s see if that bunch will laugh!” And what about it if they laughed? He wanted them to laugh—be it with joy or mockery, it didn’t matter… Jess, we’re in this together! Wang Yang pulled out his phone and dialed a number, laughing, “Joshua, let’s do something together.”

In the quiet park, with trees casting their shade, the click-clicking of the camera shutters resounded intermittently. However, at this moment, the one pressing the camera shutter was no paparazzo.

“Josh, take a few shots of me in this position as well,” Wang Yang said, lying flat on the clean stone path with his back to the sky and limbs gathered together, looking like a zombie who had fallen. Joshua stood next to him, holding the digital camera, clicking away from all angles and exclaimed, “We really look like fools! What kind of dumb luck did that brute have!” Lying motionlessly on the ground, Wang Yang laughed, “Right, two silly men in love with her!”

“Has there ever been a Best Director like this? Yang, you seem even more unbelievable now!” Joshua, with amusement written all over his face, directed the camera at Wang Yang’s bottom, pressing the shutter and chuckling, “Let them see the Best Director’s ass!”

After hearing a lot of clicks, Wang Yang pushed himself up off the ground and stood up, laughing, “Stop the chatter! Quickly think, where would it be cooler to lie down?” His eyes scanned around and then fixed on a large garbage bin not too far away, laughing, “Got it! I’ll lie on top of the garbage bin, keep shooting!”

Wang Yang walked over and, with agile movements, lay down on top of it, his body straightening out in mid-air, holding himself up with the strength of his waist and abdomen, and laughed, “Okay, start!”

“Here we go!” Joshua crouched down and clicked away, then laughed with delight, “Have they ever seen a Best Director like this? Soaring above a garbage bin, hahaha—!”

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PS: Today, August 12th, is Wowri’s birthday, everyone wishes Wowri a happy birthday, yeah? How about showering me with some monthly and recommendation tickets as birthday gifts, thank you! Wowri also needs everyone’s recognition and love! ^0^