774 Waterloo

The "Closer" cast and crew were sitting next to the "Million Dollar Baby" crew, which was another strong nominee. Qin Guan felt a little strange during the ceremony.

"Closer" was not nominated for the Best Cinematography or Best Musical Score Oscar. Morgan Freeman smiled kindly at Qin Guan. They were sitting very close to each other. There was only one person sitting between them.

What do you mean by that confident smile? Qin Guan suddenly heard the voice of the host.

"The nominees for the Best Supporting Actor of the 77th Oscar Award Ceremony are Morgan Freeman for 'Million Dollar Baby', Qin Guan for 'Closer', and Thomas Haden Church for 'Sideways'... And the lucky man is..."

He drew out the last word deliberately as the cameraman turned to Qin Guan and Morgan Freeman. The camera swayed between the two men, the expression on their faces visible clearly on the lens. They looked nervous, expectant and a little eager.

"... Morgan Freeman!"

As the name burst out of his mouth, the cameras filmed all the nominees from different angles. The fans watching from home felt sorry for their idol. On the screen, Qin Guan looked stunned for a bit. Then he seemed to be at a loss. His expression was sad, but he eventually smiled warmly at Morgan Freeman.

Congratulations for your success. But believe me, this temporary failure does not reflect my real abilities. 

Morgan Freeman stood up and walked to the stage. As he walked past Qin Guan, he hugged the young man kindly. The two actors, who were of different skin color and age, embraced each other during the grand ceremony. For Morgan, that Oscar was just one more award for his huge collection, but for Qin Guan, who was a new face at the Oscars, it was a necessity.

He was still kind to Morgan though. Their hug seemed to turn the smoke-filled hall into a secret garden. Everyone there was beautiful. Congratulations to you all!

The fans were crying before their TVs. Their eyes were fixed on the lonely actor's back as tears flowed down their faces.

This was the first time Qin Guan had suffered such a loss, but experiencing some ups and downs was important for a young man.

In the end, Qin Guan's trip to America had been both hopeful and frightening.

The feedback of the domestic media and his fans made him feel warm when he returned to China. His loyal fans didn't blame him for his failure. For them, even the Golden Globe had been a surprise.

In the Chinese people's eyes, there was still racial discrimination in the American film industry, so they considered Qin Guan''s outstanding work in that hostile environment a miracle. There were many filmmakers who had failed in the process.

Sister Xue gave Qin Guan the SARFT notice and a script for a mainstream movie called "The Knot".

Qin Guan was satisfied with Yin Li. The plot was a touching tragic love story of the times.

The next day, he showed up at the Beijing Film Studio, which was a famous landmark of the capital.

Qin Guan arrived on time. As a practical director, Yin Li would work on his new film in a studio.

Qin Guan arrived early in the morning at the studio, which was located by the North Third Ring. Figurants were gathered around the entrance as Qin Guan entered the studio and met Yin Li in his plain office.