Start by Spending One Billion [Entertainment Industry]

The Golden Woods Award and Chinese cinema—before this, almost no one would associate the two, even though the award was famously known for being attainable as long as a film gained global popularity.

When Sheng Quan read about the Golden Woods Award in the novel, the author had lavished pages of descriptions on how prestigious the award was in the highly competitive global entertainment industry, while Chinese films had remained virtually invisible on its stage.

Seasoned readers (like her) could guess the plot’s direction from this point.

—Got it. The author would have their brilliantly crafted characters rise to fame one by one, dazzling internationally and sweeping awards that were previously out of reach.

Cliché? Sure. Predictable to veteran readers? Absolutely. But the journey was undeniably satisfying!

That was exactly the mindset Sheng Quan had when she continued reading.

Then, after the author had vividly brought these exceptional characters to life, making it crystal clear to readers that all they needed was a chance to shine… the author abandoned the story.

Even now, the memory made Sheng Quan grit her teeth in frustration.

Fortunately, ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‍all she had to do was step outside to see the recording studios, training rooms, and dance halls filled with bright-eyed artists under her company’s banner—many of whom had "vanished without a trace" in the original novel.

Chairwoman Sheng’s mood instantly lifted, replaced by a gleeful satisfaction at having altered the original plot:

If the author wouldn’t write about China winning awards, she’d take her people there to claim them herself!

And Sheng Quan wasn’t the only one feeling this joy.

When The Cultivator received its nominations, domestic media had already erupted in a frenzy of coverage.

["The Cultivator Sweeps Six Golden Woods Nominations, Nearly a Full Slate"]

["The Cultivator Gains Massive Overseas Popularity, Earns Golden Woods Nomination"]

["A-List Director Joss Masson Declares The Cultivator a Surefire Winner for Best Picture"]

Five years. In that time, Chinese cinema hadn’t just failed to win at such prestigious international awards—it hadn’t even secured nominations. Instead, the annual ritual had become watching celebrities shamelessly crash the red carpet.

Occasionally, news would break about some star being escorted off for gatecrashing, and even those who weren’t fans or didn’t follow entertainment news would feel a mix of embarrassment and anger.

As veteran moviegoers would say, "What a disgrace!"

Sure, foreign celebrities crashed red carpets too, but with Chinese films absent from nominations, seeing their own stars "humiliate themselves" on the global stage felt like a national embarrassment.

And now? A Chinese film had not only earned a Golden Woods nomination—it had scored six, a rare feat.

Media outlets weren’t the only ones thrilled. Netizens were ecstatic.

["With six nominations, we’ve got to win at least one, right?"]

["My cousin studies abroad, and she says The Cultivator is huge among her classmates. Shopping platforms are already selling cultivation tools, lol."]

["I’ve been overseas for years, and this is the first time I’ve seen a Chinese film this wildly popular."]

["I work at a burger joint, and customers ask me if cultivators are real. I said probably not… but who knows?"]

At this stage, everyone remained cautiously optimistic, discussing the possibility of winning just one award—two at most.

After such a long dry spell, even those daydreaming about multiple wins were quickly reined in by more level-headed voices:

["This year’s competition is brutal. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves—imagine the humiliation if we celebrate now and end up empty-handed."]

Picture it: the entire nation’s media hyping up a surefire victory, only for the awards to bypass them entirely. They’d become a global laughingstock.

This wasn’t paranoia—it was the last shred of dignity Chinese film fans could cling to after years of disappointment.

Ironically, The Cultivator’s strong chances made everyone even more cautious, terrified of jinxing it.

Even reputable media outlets stuck to measured analyses, weighing the competition and predicting which categories The Cultivator might clinch.

Clickbait accounts running headlines like ["Golden Woods Belongs to China This Year"] or ["Chinese Film Dominates with Six Wins"] were swiftly ratioed into oblivion.

Previously, no platforms had livestreamed the Golden Woods ceremony—after all, Chinese audiences had zero interest in the proceedings.

They’d usually wait for post-award recaps and gossip roundups.

But a month before the ceremony, platforms started fielding calls from viewers nationwide demanding live coverage.

Under this public pressure, one platform after another announced they’d broadcast the awards live.

Some insiders thought the decision was rash and pointless.

["They’re just jumping on the hype. Who’s gonna sit through three-plus hours of this?"]

["Even the edited replays barely got viewers. Live streams can’t even be fast-forwarded—no one’s got that kind of patience."]

["This is a mistake."]

Then, as the ceremony began, viewers flooded in.

Not only did they watch—they spammed live comments and lit up social media with real-time reactions.

["Oh hey, Kazan’s here too!"]

["First time watching an awards show—way more hype than I expected."]

["LMAO someone just ate it on the red carpet."]

["I’m here! When does The Cultivator crew arrive?"]

The excitement peaked when The Cultivator’s team hit the red carpet.

["HERE THEY COME!!!"]

["Jiang Zhen! JIANG ZHEN MY KING!!"]

["How is he even hotter in person than on-screen??"]

["Dead at the foreign paparazzi losing their minds over him—just how famous is Zhen-ge abroad?"]

["HAHAHA he’s speedwalking! Photographers are scrambling to keep up and getting blocked."]

["Did y’all hear that one guy yell ‘Jiang! Slow!’ in broken Chinese? SO LOUD LOL."]

["HE YIN! HE YIN YOU’RE GORGEOUS MY QUEEN!!"]

The sight of foreign photographers chasing Jiang Zhen for shots was an ego boost for viewers.

And as the rest of the cast followed, the cameras didn’t let up—a stark contrast to past headlines about "gatecrashers ignored by photographers."

Amid the lively discussions online, the hashtag #JiangZhenWalksTooFastOnGoldenWoodsRedCarpetChasedByPhotographers# trended, followed shortly by other actors like He Yin also making their way onto the hot search list.

This time, the Golden Woods Awards ceremony was no longer an outsider in the Chinese entertainment scene.

[The moment Director Xu Man and Director Stephen shook hands really got me—you can tell Stephen admires Xu Man so much!]

[Jiang Zhen’s seat is so close to the front, and his posture is so proper, LOL!]

[I spotted Sheng Quan—she looks stunning tonight too! The entire "Cultivator" crew is just packed with beauty, even the director and investors are gorgeous.]

[To the comment above, take a look at the bald guy sitting next to Sheng Quan and the middle-aged man a few rows ahead—they’re also investors in "Cultivator."]

[It’s starting! It’s starting!]

And then, the entire nation erupted in celebration.

That night, livestreamers who were watching the broadcast and analyzing the event with their audiences grew increasingly exhilarated.

Despite covering the film industry, their commentary took on the fervor of sports commentators during a championship match.

"Congratulations to He Yin for winning Best Actress!!!"

"Congratulations to Jiang Zhen for taking home the Golden Woods Award for Best Supporting Actor!!!"

"Congratulations to Director Xu Man for winning Best Director!!!"

"6666666!!!! Congratulations to 'Cultivator' for winning the Golden Woods Award for Best Picture!!!! Six nominations, four wins—'Cultivator' is the undisputed champion of the night!!"

"Let’s give it up for 'Cultivator'!! For the entire crew!! For the director, the actors, and Sheng Quan—cough—sorry, my voice cracked. I need some water."

It’s no exaggeration to say that when "Cultivator" won Best Picture, countless people were so thrilled they could’ve run laps around their neighborhoods.

While the media and online influencers helped build this wave of national excitement, at its core, it was pure pride.

Who said China doesn’t make great films?

Who called China a cinematic wasteland?

Who claimed Chinese celebrities only go to these events to cling to the red carpet?

Our "Cultivator" didn’t just win Best Picture—it took home four awards.

People all over the world loved "Cultivator" and our actors.

In an era where the global entertainment industry holds immense influence, "Cultivator’s" triumph felt like winning an Olympic gold medal.

Excitement, joy, pride, and happiness!

In college dorms across the country, students erupted in cheers the moment "Cultivator" was announced as Best Picture.

They even started chanting in unison:

"Cultivator!! Cultivator!! Cultivator!!!"

Dorm supervisors shouted at them to quiet down, but even they couldn’t suppress their smiles.

Similar videos spread like wildfire across social media, and instead of criticizing the late-night outbursts, netizens found themselves just as fired up.

[Don’t blame these students—I was so hyped I almost ran outside myself!]

[Ten years!! Ten years!! Finally, a Chinese film wins big!!]

[Can’t blame them for losing it—five years without a nomination, a decade without a win, and then suddenly four awards in one night? Anyone would go wild.]

[Cultivator!! Cultivator!! Cultivator!!!]

[I’m both thrilled and jealous—I’ve seen so many photos of Sheng Quan posing with international A-listers. She’s all smiles surrounded by all those gorgeous stars, and I’m just here green with envy.]

[Sheng Quan has done so much good in this world—she deserves every bit of this glory!]

Sheng Quan was indeed having the time of her life.

While the original novel didn’t delve much into foreign entertainment industries, it was obvious that in a world where global cinema thrived, international stars were just as dazzling.

As an investor in "Cultivator," Sheng Quan’s 300 million yuan investment might not have been eye-popping in the hyper-competitive international market, but simply attending the Golden Woods Awards was a status symbol. Getting a few photos with celebrities wasn’t hard.

And once people learned she was the backer of "Cultivator," their smiles instantly warmed.

She reveled in snapping pics with foreign heartthrobs and beauties, while Jiang Zhen, He Yin, and the others were also swarmed for photos.

Xu Man was equally in demand. For a young director to helm a film like "Cultivator," win Best Director, and cement herself as a prodigy—it was no surprise everyone wanted a piece of her.

After the ceremony, Sheng Quan and the team stayed in Country A for a while longer.

There were interviews to give and film-related events to attend.

Sheng Quan wasn’t too interested in those. The real reason she lingered was that after Xu Man’s career progress bar skyrocketed to 70% and Jiang Zhen’s leapt to 65% post-awards, she decided to ride the high and try her luck with a system lottery draw that very night.

While people wondered why the "Cultivator" team hadn’t returned home yet, Country A’s media exploded with news:

A legendary private estate, once valued at $1.13 billion, had changed hands.

The new owner?

Reportedly, a Chinese national.