Because the ceremony had not yet begun, there were no people on the stage, only a few staff members maintaining order.
The entire convention hall was decorated in a style similar to a Western palace, magnificent and opulent. The interior height was close to a hundred meters, with dense crystal chandeliers overhead. Su Mojin felt a heavy sense of dizziness looking up.
Lin Yan and Su Mojin's seats were in the second row, very close to the front.
As the two sat down, many people arrived around them, but they didn't know each other and didn't speak, maintaining a quiet atmosphere.
"I thought I just saw someone very familiar."
Sitting on the red chair, Su Mojin leaned close to Lin Yan's ear and whispered.
At this moment, Su Mojin was wearing a silver evening gown, and paired with diamond star earrings, she exuded the aura of a wealthy socialite.
"That's this year's Hollywood Best Actress, probably invited to present an award."
Following Su Mojin's gaze, Lin Yan saw a very attractive Western woman. It wasn't surprising for a Best Actress to appear at the Laureus Awards. In fact, many of the women around the hall were world-class supermodels.
Lin Yan hadn't arrived exactly on time, but he wasn't too early either. Before long, the venue quickly filled up. Nearly a thousand people occupied the rows of red chairs. The athletes were mostly seated in the front, with reporters behind them. There were no judges; once the awards ceremony began, it meant that the winners had already been finalized.
Under the bright lights, several banners, pulled by machines, slowly descended from the ceiling of the hall. Two hosts took the stage, and the awards ceremony officially began.
"Welcome everyone to the Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony. I am your host, Stina!"
Wearing a golden evening gown, the blonde beauty host was someone Lin Yan had seen before. This woman had hosted previous Laureus Awards.
With a pure English accent, her opening introduction was very official, and a round of applause erupted from the audience.
Stina, the most beautiful host of the international Laureus Awards ceremony, stood beside the Best Actress Su Mojin had just seen. Both were pure Western faces, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, their beauty comparable.
"Today, we have invited 233 top athletes from the sports world to be here. First, let's welcome them with applause..."
Stina's pure and magnetic voice, amplified by the microphone, filled the entire hall.
Another thunderous applause came from the audience.
Lin Yan knew that the opening remarks were next. He leaned back against the chair, preparing for a long haul.
The opening remarks lasted a full two minutes. The script was as cliché and dull as ever. According to Lin Yan's memory, these general statements alone would take nearly half an hour.
His thoughts drifted. Lin Yan's gaze fell upon the banners in the hall. The banners hung high on the walls surrounding the hall, depicting the winners of the Laureus Best Male and Female Athletes in previous years. There was the "World's Fastest Man" who set the 100-meter record of 9.58 seconds, and the legendary seven-time champion in F1 history...
Lin Yan's gaze swept over them one by one. These individuals did not conflict with his memories from his previous life.
"I hope I have the chance to stand there today too," Lin Yan murmured inwardly.
Huh?
Just as Lin Yan finished his sweep and was about to retract his gaze, a cool, small hand grasped his under the chair.
Lin Yan turned his head and looked at his wife. Su Mojin winked at him playfully, very subtly.
Knowing that his wife was also a bit bored, Lin Yan responded by squeezing her soft, boneless hand. Holding it, he found it felt exceptionally good.
"Damn it, hurry up and announce the awards! What are you dawdling for!"
"I wonder if Lin Shen can win an award. I'm worried!"
"Damn it, can you hurry up? This is too slow!"
At the same time, in China, Hao Dong was also live-streaming the Laureus Awards ceremony from home. His fans in the bullet comments were furious about Stina's drawn-out opening speech. They were only anxious about whether their idol could win the highest award, not about listening to her brag about how great the award was.
However, impatience was useless. This was the reality of a grand occasion. The opening ceremony was extremely long, but the grandeur was undeniable. The screens throughout the hall displayed ever-changing patterns in sync with the hosts' words and the rhythm of the background music, creating a magnificent spectacle.
"Guys, I'm leaving for now. I'll be back in half an hour."
"You go ahead. I'm not leaving. I must witness Lin Shen winning an award today."
"..."
Just as Lin Yan had expected, about half an hour later, Stina finally finished all the introductory segments. Then came speeches from several important leaders and influential figures in the sports world. All of these combined took another nearly half an hour.
"Next is the awards presentation. I believe everyone has been looking forward to this segment for a long time. So, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. First, let's invite the nominees for the Best Breakthrough Award!"
Finally, as the audience watching the broadcast was about to lose patience, the main event finally began. Lin Yan straightened his back and sat up from his chair. Su Mojin also instinctively withdrew her hand.
The awards presentation began with the Laureus Best Breakthrough Award. Thirty-seven people were nominated for this award. Upon hearing Stina's words, these thirty-seven nominees visibly tensed up.
The screen behind the stage began to scroll, and a list appeared before everyone present.
"The winner of this year's Breakthrough of the Year Award is..."
"Wilder Barron! Let's congratulate him."
The recipient was a bearded man. Lin Yan raised his hands and applauded. The people around him in the audience did the same, their applause thunderous. This Breakthrough Award winner was the annual champion in tennis this year, a well-deserved honor.
Next, the Breakthrough Award, Comeback of the Year Award, Sporting Moment of the Year Award, and Team of the Year Award were announced one by one. People from various fields stepped onto the stage to receive their awards.
These award winners were basically individuals who held a dominant position in their respective sports, including legendary tennis stars and world golf champions.
"Honey, why do I feel like that person's expression isn't quite right."
"Because his award is a consolation prize."
In fact, among these secondary awards, apart from the Comeback Award and Team Award, most of the others were consolation prizes. These consolation prizes were awarded based on criteria that were rather obscure, without specific standards, but the recipients were undoubtedly deserving.
That world golf champion had been nominated for a major award, and now being given a secondary award clearly indicated his elimination.
The fans in the bullet comments were not concerned with these awards; their eyes were fixed on the screen, eagerly anticipating the next award.
"Alright, we've quickly reached the final..."
It wasn't until the host announced the Newcomer of the Year award that the fans in the bullet comments became nervous.
"We've placed the Newcomer of the Year award at the end today because the recipient of this award is truly extraordinary. Even I have immense admiration for this Easterner."