Chapter 123: Applause Erupts, Step Up to Receive the Award! Thirty Years East of the River, Young Man!_1

"Dear honored guests, good evening! Welcome to the annual..." As the guests gradually took their seats,

the formally dressed host approached the stage, microphone in hand, and after delivering the typical opening pleasantries, it was time for a short song and dance performance.

As Ke Jin understood the award ceremony rules,

aside from the grand prize for 'Best Art of the Year',

the art festival's award dinner also featured nine individual Best Art categories.

Of course, if there were only that many awards, the entire ceremony would be very short—it would be over in no time.

To make the event look more prestigious and substantial,

the organizers had also set up several minor awards, such as Best Nominee in each category, Best Newcomer, Best Folk Art, and so on.

It was precisely because of these smaller awards in the lead-up that the subsequent major awards seemed to carry more weight.