Chapter 193 Continuing Disputes

Chapter 193: The Feud Continues

The results of the Contention Award and the Golden Flame Award have been announced one after another. Among the three major awards, the only one yet to be held—the Critics' Award—has naturally garnered major attention.

However, the Critics' Award has always been notoriously unpredictable, with a judging style that differs from the Contention Award and the Golden Flame Award. Its results often come as a surprise.

—At least, that’s what the audience believed until this year.

Yet, on the night of the Critics' Award ceremony, the results turned out to be unexpectedly anticlimactic.

— "The winner of this year's Critics' Award for Best Actor is—Lu Xu, *Fearless Life*! Congratulations!"

— "The winner of this year's Critics' Award for Best Director is—Miao Zhi, *Fearless Life*! Congratulations!"

— "And the winner for Best Picture is—*Fearless Life*! Congratulations!"

Three consecutive awards went to *Fearless Life*, and the internet went wild instantly.

"What a sweep!"

"Honestly, this is the cleanest sweep in the history of the Critics' Award. I even suspect that if the Golden Flame Award hadn’t snubbed *Fearless Life* during their ceremony, the Critics' Award wouldn’t have been so decisive."

"Regardless... it’s Lu Xu’s third Best Actor trophy! Congrats, Lu Xu!"

The Golden Flame Award and Liu Rennong were quickly forgotten by fans. Since Lu Xu had made it clear he had no intention of participating in the Golden Flame Award again, fans didn’t pressure the organizers for an explanation—you can't force these things.

Even without the Golden Flame Award, Lu Xu could still make his mark elsewhere.

In a way, fans were less angry about Lu Xu not winning than they were offended by the arrogance of the Golden Flame Award.

At least Zhu Qiong wasn’t an industry plant—him taking the Golden Flame Best Actor was still better than some random person getting it.

But *Fearless Life* got robbed—such a great film, such great characters.

"Trash Golden Flame Award! Trash Liu Rennong!"

As soon as the ceremony ended, fans couldn’t help but vent their anger at Liu Rennong. Then, they saw tabloid accounts posting clips of Lu Xu’s interview, where he delivered a scathing remark—

"Some people have no bottom line!"

#LuXuSlamsGoldenFlameAwardForLowStandards# #LuXuCallsOutLiuRennong#

"Both the Contention Award and the Critics' Award went to *Fearless Life*. It has to be said, this year’s Golden Flame Award looks pretty weak now."

"Anyone with eyes can see that *Fearless Life* is on a completely different level compared to other films."

"No wonder Lu Xu and Director Miao worked so well together—they’re two peas in a pod."

...

Since Lu Xu had called them out, the Golden Flame Award organizers responded again. However, netizens noticed their attitude was even more condescending than before, almost outright calling Lu Xu petty.

Liu Rennong, who had played the busy card after the Golden Flame Award ceremony, also broke his silence. He claimed he had been too preoccupied with filming and only just noticed the online drama.

Regarding Lu Xu’s "criticism," he said he didn’t mind and that as an elder, he should be more tolerant: "I understand—being one award shy of a clean sweep must have left Lu Xu feeling gutted. In such a state, saying irrational things or lashing out is understandable."

"I advise him to pick himself up and move forward, not get hung up on this. Plenty more awards where those came from."

Lu Xu had no comment.

Netizens: "..."

"Indeed, when it comes to the art of being vile, veterans like Liu Rennong in the industry truly outshine others."

"F*ck, he’s the aggressor, yet putting on this magnanimous act of forgiveness—who the f*ck asked for your forgiveness? Everyone knows why *Fearless Life* didn’t win, right?"

Many netizens expressed similar sentiments. Unfortunately, their voices were too fragmented to have any impact on Liu Rennong, only giving trolls ammo to mock Lu Xu for being a "sore loser."

At this point, director Miao Zhi stepped forward.

"The Golden Flame Awards have been held for decades—why such controversy this year? If everything was above board, why is the official blog silencing dissent? The backlash against the Golden Flame Awards isn’t limited to our *Fearless Life* crew. Please listen to the audience’s voices. Don’t let an award with decades of prestige and acclaim be ruined overnight."

"This year’s judging was first called into question over Jury President Liu Rennong. I suggest a thorough investigation into the scheduling of films like *How Much Do You Know* and *Silent Crisis*. If Liu Rennong is innocent, vindicate him. Otherwise, whether he’s making films or attending events, disputes will follow."

Miao Zhi remained fixated on the scheduling controversy.

Liu Rennong kept posturing about magnanimity and forgiveness, but with suspicions still hanging over him, what gave him the right to "forgive" anyone?

If Liu Rennong were actually "exonerated," he likely wouldn’t even qualify as Jury President for the Golden Flame Awards.

The Golden Flame Awards tried to defend Liu Rennong, but Miao Zhi made it clear: scheduling and awards are separate issues, unrelated.

Miao Zhi even stated, "When *Fearless Life* was released, theaters cited various difficulties—I couldn’t secure more screenings no matter how hard I tried. Now, I’m personally willing to pay for an independent audit into what these so-called 'difficulties' really were that made theaters turn down profits. I’m sure not just me, but the wider public is curious."

During interviews, Miao Zhi wasn’t as aggressive as Lu Xu. His tone was calm, with no trace of aggression. Yet, the moment he spoke up, Liu Rennong’s side immediately claimed he was focused on filming and wanted no part in this Golden Flame Awards circus.

Miao Zhi even called Lu Xu, advising him to ignore Liu Rennong: "When there’s no conflict of interest, he seems easygoing. But once you cross him, he’ll bury you."

In a way, Liu Rennong’s attitude toward Lu Xu revealed his true nature.

If he were still the untouchable auteur, he wouldn’t have needed to respond at all. To him, Lu Xu was just a minor character—he could flaunt his arrogance without stooping to personally mocking him.

Shen Wenjie’s exposé shattered the pristine facade of Director Liu Rennong.

The Golden Flame Awards judging laid bare his vindictiveness—*Fearless Life* lost because Lu Xu and Miao Zhi had past grievances with him.

Scandal after scandal chipped away at trust in Liu Rennong.

The same distrust extended to the Golden Flame Awards—even if unspoken, the deafening silence from audiences and insiders said it all.

...

In reality, backlash hit harder and faster than netizens anticipated.

First, a mid-career director hinted that for next year’s awards, his team would prioritize submitting to the *Contention Award* and *Critics' Award*.

"Personally, I think our film pales next to *Fearless Life*. The Golden Flame Awards’ standards are undoubtedly the highest among the three major awards—I don’t think our film stands a chance."

The director’s wording was subtle, paying lip service to the Golden Flame Awards’ "high standards," but everyone could tell he was mocking their lack of consistent criteria.

To the arrogant Golden Flame Awards committee, Lu Xu and Miao Zhi were just stirring trouble. But the industry’s quiet majority felt a shared sense of injustice.

*Fearless Life* grossed nearly 4 billion. Miao Zhi and Lu Xu weren’t unknowns—yet even they couldn’t get fair treatment at the Golden Flame Awards. What chance do smaller films have?

Last year’s screen-time rigging in *How Much Do You Know* was exposed. For many filmmakers, Liu Rennong’s very presence was toxic.

Films shouldn’t have to face him during release *and* awards season.

What chance do indie films even have?

Of course, the vast majority of directors maintained their decorum. When interviewed by reporters, they represented their crews by saying they would "try their best to participate," but whether they actually would or not remains to be seen.

Additionally, selecting Liu Rennong as the Jury President was this year's Golden Flame Awards organizers' decision, though it does not mean the industry unanimously agreed.

A veteran in the industry, who had participated in the founding of the Golden Flame Awards, privately sighed several times, saying that earning trust for a film award isn’t easy—it takes the efforts of generations—yet that trust can collapse in a single night.

"Ten years ago, Liu Rennong was qualified to be the Jury President. Now, clearly, he isn’t."

The older generation was reluctant to say more because they had already stepped back from the spotlight. The current mainstream directors and actors were no longer from their era, and meddling blindly would only breed resentment.

Yet no one could have imagined that, in just a few decades of film marketization and the Golden Flame Awards' existence, someone like Liu Rennong would rise to prominence.

...

Regarding the Golden Flame Awards' selections, the Contention Award stayed largely silent—they’ve always been more traditional. However, over the following month, the Critics' Award published breakdowns in industry journals of several films nominated for their award.

This had always been the Critics' Award's tradition, and in previous years, it barely made waves. But this year, due to the controversy surrounding *Fearless Life* and the Golden Flame Awards, the Critics' Award's analysis drew enormous attention.

Everyone knew *Fearless Life* was excellent, but what made it award-worthy? The analysis explained in plain, audience-friendly terms.

The critics still stood on *Fearless Life*'s side—after all, who are film reviews written for? The audience has always been the primary focus.

The Critics' Award, being a professional accolade, bore no ill will toward the Golden Flame Awards and had no need to disparage them. Yet, judging solely by the recent posts on the Critics' Award's official blog—filled with words like "audience," "standards," and "fairness"—it was clear they were dissatisfied with the Golden Flame Awards' decisions.

The three major awards, collectively known as the "Big Three," have both cooperation and competition among them, yet they jointly advance the reputation and development of Chinese-language cinema.

If the Golden Flame Awards lose trust, the Contention Award and Critics' Award might not fare much better.

That day, an entertainment outlet known for its sharp critiques published an article titled *Unraveling the Entangled Relationship Between Liu Rennong and the Golden Flame Awards*, giving audiences just a glimpse of the iceberg behind Liu Rennong's appointment as Jury President.