The moment the announcement echoed throughout the grand hall, the entire venue erupted into applause.
"Congratulations to Getting Home!"
"Congratulations to Director Luo Zheng!"
"Winner of the Golden Lion Award for Best Picture at the 59th Venice International Film Festival!"
The applause crashed through the auditorium like a tidal wave.
For a brief moment, Luo Zheng simply sat there.
It wasn't that he hadn't prepared himself for the possibility.
Rather, even after everything he had experienced, hearing those words spoken aloud still felt slightly unreal.
The Golden Lion.
One of the highest honors in world cinema.
A few seconds passed before a smile slowly appeared on his face.
Beside him, Gao Yuanyuan's eyes had already turned red.
She looked even more emotional than he was.
Luo Zheng gently squeezed her hand before standing up.
Then he turned toward Zhao Benshan.
The veteran actor was staring blankly at the stage as though his soul had temporarily left his body.
Luo Zheng laughed and opened his arms.
"Teacher Zhao."
Only then did Zhao Benshan react.
The two embraced heavily.
Immediately afterward, Luo Zheng hugged Song Dandan and producer Chen Guofu as well.
The entire Getting Home crew was overwhelmed with excitement.
No one had expected that their first trip to Venice together would end with the highest honor of the festival.
Just as Luo Zheng prepared to walk toward the stage, a figure suddenly intercepted him.
It was Lee Chang-dong.
The Korean director grabbed Luo Zheng's hands firmly.
His face was filled with genuine excitement.
"Director Luo Zheng, congratulations."
"And thank you."
Luo Zheng paused slightly.
Lee Chang-dong smiled.
"Thank you for bringing another major international award back to Asian cinema."
His words were sincere.
In the eyes of many Asian filmmakers, competing on the international stage was never easy.
Every major award won by an Asian director helped raise the visibility of Asian cinema as a whole.
Luo Zheng smiled and shook his hand.
"Director Lee, you're being too kind."
Only then did he continue toward the stage.
Under countless spotlights, Luo Zheng walked calmly up the stairs.
At the center of the stage stood Gong Li.
The Golden Lion trophy rested in her hands.
As the chairperson of the jury, she personally presented the award.
As a Chinese actress.
To a Chinese director.
For a Chinese film.
The symbolism of the moment was impossible to ignore.
Camera flashes exploded from every direction.
Luo Zheng could already imagine tomorrow's headlines.
Some would celebrate.
Some would question.
Others would undoubtedly speculate about favoritism and insider influence.
But none of that mattered.
The result had already been decided.
And he had prepared for every possible controversy long before arriving in Venice.
Gong Li handed him the trophy.
The golden lion glimmered brilliantly beneath the lights.
Then the two shared a brief embrace.
The applause intensified once again.
"Next, please welcome Director Luo Zheng to deliver his acceptance speech."
Gong Li stepped aside.
The microphone was now his.
Standing beneath the spotlight, Luo Zheng looked out over the audience.
Hundreds of directors.
Actors.
Producers.
Distributors.
Film critics.
For a brief moment, all the nervousness he had felt before the announcement completely disappeared.
Only calm remained.
A calm confidence.
Holding the trophy in one hand, he smiled.
"Thank you, Venice."
"Thank you to the jury."
"And a special thank you to Chairperson Gong Li."
The hall became completely silent.
Everyone listened carefully.
"This film is about a promise."
"It is about the meaning of going home."
"It is about ordinary people and extraordinary perseverance."
He glanced toward Zhao Benshan and Song Dandan.
"Thank you to Teacher Zhao Benshan and Teacher Song Dandan."
"You gave this story its soul."
"The power of film is not in creating fantasy."
"It lies in recording the heartbeat of real people and the land beneath our feet."
"This award belongs not only to our crew."
"It belongs to every filmmaker who continues to believe in telling sincere stories."
"Thank you."
He bowed deeply.
Then raised the Golden Lion high into the air.
The response was immediate.
Thunderous applause shook the hall.
The standing ovation lasted for nearly a full minute.
When Luo Zheng returned to his seat, he barely had time to sit down before the trophy was snatched away.
Gao Yuanyuan held it first.
Then Zhao Benshan.
Then Song Dandan.
Then Chen Guofu.
Everyone wanted a closer look.
Everyone wanted to touch it.
The trophy passed from hand to hand like a sacred treasure.
The emotions in their eyes could not be hidden.
For Chinese filmmakers, international awards carried extraordinary significance.
Before Luo Zheng, only a handful of Chinese directors had managed to win the highest honors at major international film festivals.
Now Luo Zheng had joined that exclusive list.
And he had done so at an astonishingly young age.
His future seemed limitless.
Zhao Benshan rubbed the trophy lovingly.
The expression on his face made Song Dandan burst into laughter.
"Teacher Zhao, if you keep touching it like that, people will think you've fallen in love."
The hall around them filled with laughter.
Song Dandan quickly took the trophy away.
"Instead of staring at the trophy, why don't you ask Director Luo to win you a Best Actor award next time?"
The moment she finished speaking, Zhao Benshan's eyes lit up.
He immediately turned toward Luo Zheng.
"President Luo."
His tone was unusually serious.
"When are we shooting another award-winning movie?"
"I'm available anytime."
The surrounding people burst into laughter.
Luo Zheng shook his head helplessly.
"Teacher Zhao, we haven't even celebrated this award yet."
"And you're already planning the next one?"
Zhao Benshan grinned.
"Well, opportunities don't wait for anyone."
"What if another Golden Lion is waiting for us?"
Luo Zheng laughed.
"We'll talk about it when I find another script."
"Good enough!"
Zhao Benshan immediately accepted the answer.
"As long as you remember me."
The conversation drew more laughter from everyone nearby.
Even Song Dandan couldn't hide her envy.
She silently made a note to herself.
If Luo Zheng ever prepared another awards-focused project, she absolutely had to find a way onto the cast list.
Beside them, Gao Yuanyuan quietly watched Luo Zheng.
Her gaze never left him.
The young man beside her had just stood on one of the world's most prestigious stages and accepted one of cinema's highest honors.
The admiration in her eyes grew stronger than ever.
Perhaps in the past she had hesitated.
Perhaps she had worried about the other women surrounding him.
Perhaps she had even considered walking away.
But tonight, watching him hold the Golden Lion trophy beneath the lights of Venice, all those thoughts disappeared.
Some battles were worth fighting.
And some people were worth holding onto.
Above Venice, fireworks illuminated the night sky.
The 59th Venice International Film Festival officially came to an end.
Yet for Luo Zheng, the night was far from over.
The official celebration reception began shortly afterward.
As the newest Golden Lion winner, Luo Zheng naturally became the center of attention.
Directors approached him.
Actors approached him.
Distributors approached him.
Even veteran filmmakers who rarely initiated conversations came over to congratulate him.
Throughout the evening, Luo Zheng moved through the crowd with Gao Yuanyuan by his side.
While others celebrated, he quietly conducted business.
Marvel was currently expanding its international distribution network.
This festival provided the perfect opportunity.
Several films that Luo Zheng remembered performing well in the future immediately attracted his attention.
By the end of the reception, he had already negotiated multiple deals.
Among them were the North American distribution rights and DVD rights for Oasis and The Magdalene Sisters.
Director Peter Mullan had originally hoped to leave Venice with the Golden Lion.
Instead, he left with a lucrative distribution agreement.
While not as glorious as winning the festival's highest award, it certainly softened the disappointment.
By the time the reception ended, he was so grateful that he nearly treated Luo Zheng like a lifelong friend.
Unfortunately, he also drank far too much.
When people finally looked for him, they found him sleeping beneath a table.
The sight amused nearly everyone present.
Late that night, back at the hotel, Luo Zheng finally had a moment to relax.
Fresh from a shower, he sat on the edge of the bed replying to countless congratulatory messages from China.
Calls.
Text messages.
Congratulations from friends.
Congratulations from competitors.
Congratulations from people who hadn't contacted him in years.
Everyone suddenly remembered him tonight.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in China, another woman stared unhappily at her phone.
Fan Bingbing looked at the unanswered messages she had sent earlier.
Not a single reply.
She glanced at the clock.
By now it was already very late in Venice.
Immediately, her imagination began working against her.
Thinking about Gao Yuanyuan accompanying Luo Zheng in Venice only made her more annoyed.
The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became.
Finally she threw herself onto the sofa.
"You little fox..."
She muttered under her breath.
"Enjoy your victory while you can."
A stubborn light appeared in her eyes.
"The one laughing at the end is the real winner."
"Just wait."
The competition had only just begun.