Chapter 792: You Will Always Be My Pride

When Jeff Bridges introduced her and the camera panned her way, Natalie Portman flashed a brilliant smile, presenting her absolute best. When he introduced Scarlett Johansson, she smiled and applauded along with the crowd, looking as though she didn't care in the slightest about the competition or the award.

But only Natalie Portman knew just how nervous she truly was!

After applauding, she discreetly dropped one hand to her side and grabbed the hem of her dress. The dark red fabric was already crushed like a rag in her grip.

She knew this was her best chance to win. Just how much had she sacrificed for this very day?

When she was initially rejected by the Léon production team, she refused to accept it. She deliberately waited along the route director Luc Besson took after work, intercepting him to fight for another audition—a move that ultimately launched her dream acting career.

To achieve fame, when George Lucas visited Michael Mann on the set of Heat, she did everything she could to show off in front of him. That won her the role of Padme Amidala and made her a world-famous movie star.

To smooth her path in Hollywood and cultivate a unique image, she had temporarily stepped away from the industry to study at Harvard University, and even went to Israel for further studies, all to curry favor with the old men of the Jewish Circle...

Just how much had she given for today?

For today, she had even tried to make a deal with that devil, Duke Rosenberg!

Natalie Portman's expression remained unchanged, but she clenched her fists tightly.

Not far from her, Scarlett Johansson was also nervous. Gripping one of Duke's hands, her smile looked somewhat stiff. Despite being deeply influenced by Duke, how could she not want to win at a moment like this?

Jennifer Lawrence's arms hung by her sides, her fists clenched tight. Even knowing her chances of winning were incredibly slim, no one wanted to give up on such an important award—one that could alter the very trajectory of a career.

Annette Bening and Nicole Kidman were much more relaxed. They knew perfectly well that unless World War III broke out tomorrow, they had absolutely no shot at the award, and they didn't even harbor any fantasies about it. As Hollywood veterans, they knew exactly who the strongest contenders for Best Actress were this time around.

Regardless of what they were thinking, however, they all displayed excellent acting. They smiled radiantly, as if Jeff Bridges was going to read out their names in the very next second.

Leaning back in his chair, Duke was very relaxed. He seemed incredibly confident.

A camera remained continuously trained on their side. Scarlett Johansson maintained a bright yet reserved smile, her eyes drifting across the faces of her rivals on the big screen as she waited for the final answer to be revealed.

"The Oscar winner is..."

On the stage, Jeff Bridges opened the envelope and paused. "Scarlett Johansson, Gravity."

The moment Scarlett's name rang out, Duke took the lead and stood up. Beside him, Mrs. Leah stood up as well. All the surrounding cast and crew members rose to their feet. With their section as the epicenter, everyone in the Kodak Theater soon stood. The applause was a bit scattered at first, but it quickly grew unified and thunderous.

Regardless of what anyone else thought, at this moment, all they could do was stand and applaud!

A standing ovation from the entire audience! Thunderous applause!

"Congratulations, my dear!"

Duke opened his arms to Scarlett. Covering her mouth in disbelief, she threw herself at Duke, hugging him fiercely.

Then, she stepped past Duke and hugged Mrs. Leah tightly.

"Thank you. Thank you, Godmother!"

Resting her head on Mrs. Leah's shoulder, tears shimmered in Scarlett's eyes. Only those who knew her well understood the role Leah Rosenberg had played in her upbringing.

Lifting the hem of her dress slightly, Scarlett Johansson walked onto the stage and accepted Hollywood's highest acting honor from Jeff Bridges.

Offstage, Natalie Portman applauded along with the crowd, her face completely expressionless. The trace of chill in her heart had now spread through her entire body. It wasn't until Scarlett Johansson stepped up to the microphone that she was finally certain—she had truly lost the Best Actress award she had dreamed of.

Her mother and her fiancé, Benjamin Millepied, were quietly consoling her, but Natalie Portman couldn't hear a single word they said. She only felt as if she had plummeted into an ancient ice cave at the South Pole, freezing to the bone...

Mustering every ounce of strength in her body, Natalie Portman slowly turned her head, inch by inch. Her eyes finally landed on that tall, straight figure. He was simply watching the stage, as if Scarlett Johansson was the only thing in his eyes. To him, a loser like herself couldn't spark the slightest bit of interest.

He was a devil! A Satan from hell!

If it were possible, Natalie would have used every curse word in every language to damn him, but none of that could change the reality of her defeat.

She slumped back into her seat, the light gradually fading from her bright eyes.

"To me, this is a magical moment, an incredible journey."

Standing at the very front of the stage, Scarlett looked visibly thrilled. "This is the most beautiful moment of my life. I never thought I would be able to stand on this stage. If I said I hadn't prepared a speech beforehand, I would definitely be lying."

Looking down at the Golden Statuette in her hands, Scarlett continued, "Along the way, I've felt incredibly lucky. I want to thank the people who have walked this path with me, everyone in the cast and crew, and my friends and family. They have always believed in me and supported me, especially my family... Godmother, Duke, I love you!"

With limited time, Scarlett quickly added, "This award means the world to me. I feel incredibly honored. No words can express how I feel right now, and I will never forget this night! Thank you so much!"

Having finished her speech, she walked backstage under the guidance of the staff.

Upon entering the backstage area, Scarlett didn't go far, nor did she head to the interview zone. Instead, she stood near the stage. The organizers didn't try to rush her, either, since the next award to be presented was Best Director, which was directly tied to Duke.

Hilary Swank passed by Scarlett and walked onto the Oscar stage.

"Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, Francis Coppola, Clint Eastwood—the ranks of Oscar Best Directors are filled with immense talent."

Standing before the microphone, she delivered her lines in a steady voice. "At last year's ceremony, a female director won this award and made history. She is also here at the Oscars today. Please welcome Kathryn Bigelow."

As Hilary Swank finished speaking, the tall and imposing Kathryn Bigelow walked onto the stage. Carrying a large envelope, she took Hilary Swank's place at the podium.

"This year has seen a succession of brilliant, unforgettable films."

The female director spoke a bit like Sofia Coppola, with a faint nasal tone. "The directors are all brimming with talent. We gather here tonight to appreciate their work and pay tribute to them."

Turning to look at the big screen, she spoke in sync with the footage playing. "The nominees for Best Director this year are: Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan, David Fincher for The Social Network, Tom Hooper for The King's Speech, Duke Rosenberg for Gravity, and David O. Russell for The Fighter..."

"Who will take home Best Director?"

This was undoubtedly the topic Wang Ziming cared about most. Sitting in front of his computer watching the live stream, however, his brows furrowed.

The host on the live broadcast and the guest named Zhang Yibai were currently discussing the matter.

"In my opinion, Duke Rosenberg is the first one to be eliminated."

Judging simply from his way of speaking, Zhang Yibai was definitely an Oscar expert. "His production style has never followed the School Faction route. Furthermore, Gravity is a sci-fi film. In the 83 years since the Oscars were founded, no director has ever won Best Director with a sci-fi movie!"

On the surface, his words made a lot of sense. Wang Ziming couldn't help but worry—would the Oscars follow convention and give Best Director to someone else?

Zhang Yibai was still talking endlessly. "I think the most likely winner is David Fincher, followed by the director of The King's Speech, Tom Hooper..."

Even as he spoke, Kathryn Bigelow had already opened the envelope. She glanced down at it quickly, then read out the answer: "And the Oscar Best Director is... Duke Rosenberg!"

On the live broadcast, Zhang Yibai was instantly struck dumb, seemingly unable to believe the result.

In front of his computer, Wang Ziming pumped his fist hard. "He won!"

Inside the Kodak Theater, thunderous applause had already erupted. It seemed no one was surprised that Duke had managed to win the Best Director Golden Statuette with a sci-fi film.

In truth, it wasn't much of a surprise. Even ignoring Duke's seniority and his global promotion of Hollywood commercial blockbusters, the fact that he had previously won the Best Director award at the Directors Guild Awards had already foreshadowed this outcome for everyone.

The applause was deafening. Amidst the thunderous clapping, Duke stood up, and the entire Kodak Theater rose to its feet once again!

The director standing at the front was the number one box office earner in history. He was the first director in cinematic history to surpass ten billion dollars at the box office, a true flagship figure of Hollywood!

Whether they loved him or hated him, no one could change that pile of incredibly glorious data.

After standing, Duke first looked over at Mrs. Leah. His mother, once so elegant and noble, was gradually growing older. There were unmistakable wrinkles on her face, and streaks of white had appeared in her brown hair...

This was the person who had educated and raised him; she was the most important person in his entire life.

"Thank you, Mom!"

A heart full of emotion was distilled into a single sentence.

Hearing Duke's words, Mrs. Leah gave him a gratified hug. "Well done, Duke! You will always be my pride!"

Gathering his emotions, Duke high-fived the members of his crew one by one in celebration, then walked onto the stage.