This director is vindictive.

Chapter 221 Come on, let’s hurt each other!

Chen Mo and the others were naturally discussing this matter as well.

"Will Xu Guangtou really be blacklisted?" Fan Binbin asked.

Chen Mo nodded and said, "Definitely! The nail that sticks out gets hammered down! And by doing this, he's basically slapping all the theater chains in the face! Of course, the most important thing is profit!"

“If we don’t ban him, anyone can do this kind of thing in the future. So, whether it’s for deterrence or to make an example of him, he will inevitably be banned!” Chen Mo added.

To be honest, Chen Mo can understand the approach taken by "Lost in Russia" and Xu Guangtou, but he still feels that they are too eager for quick success and instant benefits.

Actually, "Lost in Russia" is not the first film to obtain the film's official seal and then be released online instead of in theaters.

But the problem is that at this most critical juncture, when cinemas across the country were shut down and facing a harsh winter, it set the worst example.

"What do you think he was thinking? I remember when he filmed 'Lost in Thailand,' he was quite honest. How could he change so quickly? Do you think he would have imagined this outcome?" Fan Binbin asked.

Xu Guangtou is now definitely a big name in the industry.

After all, the "囧" series is indeed very famous.

Back when he made "Lost in Thailand," he had just transitioned to a new career path, so naturally he couldn't afford to be arrogant, nor did he have the capital to be.

But after many years, they are no longer the same people they used to be.

For example, when "Dying to Survive" was released, they offered an exorbitant price.

Normally, such things should be consensual, but Chen Mo and he had some kind of familial bond, yet he still acted like this, which is enough to show that his character is questionable.

"He couldn't possibly have been unaware of the consequences, but perhaps he didn't think they were that serious." Chen Mo wasn't Xu Guangtou, so naturally he wouldn't know what the other party was thinking.

Moreover, Chen Mo also couldn't quite understand it. If you were to say that Huanxi Media also wanted to create an online movie platform and disrupt the entire industry, that would be utter nonsense.

What is Huanxi Media's market value? Compared to the entire industry, it's really just a tiny speck.

What even ByteDance, iQiyi, Youku, and Tencent Video couldn't do, how could a small company like Huanxi Media achieve it?
Therefore, Chen Mo was actually a little confused about what the other party was thinking.

It can only be said that they were too eager for quick success and instant benefits, and did not consider the long-term drawbacks that would result from doing so.

I bet the other party is regretting it now, right? After all, this incident has blown up a lot.

More than half of the cinemas nationwide are boycotting him.

The saying goes, "Will the one who started this have no descendants?" For cinemas, a movie is really nothing. But the problem is, if you set an example and it works well, what about others? Will they follow suit? If that happens, then even if they reopen for business, it will be too late.

That's why they reacted so strongly. Obviously, given Xu Guangtou's shrewdness, he couldn't have been unaware of this, but he clearly didn't expect it to be this serious.

Shengshi Pictures is no exception; this is due to the overall economic environment.

Moreover, although the lockdown meant Chen Mo could still continue filming, the costs were indeed much higher.

It's not just Chen Mo's crew; other TV series crews face the same challenges. The most difficult ones are actually not TV series crews, but movie crews.

After all, cinemas have closed, and it's unknown when they will reopen. Compared to TV dramas and web series, although the pandemic has increased the difficulty and cost of filming, at least there are no problems with the streaming platforms.

And it's even a positive development.

After all, while we can't watch movies anymore, we can still watch TV and stream shows online.

"Hey, have you two forgotten something?" Chen Mo suddenly called out to Fan Binbin and Zhang Yuqi, who were about to leave.

"What?" they both exclaimed in unison, both somewhat confused.

"It's a bet!" Chen Mo said.

"Since the Spring Festival film season has been cancelled, the bet is obviously over, right?" Fan Binbin said with a glint in his eyes.

"No, 'Lost in Russia' was sold to ByteDance and has been released. I'll calculate the box office based on the selling price, so I still win!" Chen Mo wasn't going to let them off so easily, especially since it concerned his future happiness. Of course, he had to fight for it.

"How can that be considered?"

"Then why can't it count? A bet is a bet! Is someone just a sore loser?"

"Anyway, I haven't lost, Yuqi, say something!" Fan Binbin started looking for allies.

She had long since realized that Chen Mo harbored ill intentions.

However, she underestimated Zhang Yuqi's "wildness"!
These tiger girls are the kind of fierce women who can slap their ex-boyfriends in the face, okay?

Moreover, Fan Binbin forgot that the two are not only temporary allies, but also competitors!
Zhang Yuqi licked her lips, looked at Fan Binbin, and then at Chen Mo.

Fan Binbin, in particular, suddenly felt very excited!
"I'm willing to accept defeat!" Zhang Yuqi suddenly surrendered, leaving Fan Binbin completely bewildered by her move.

For a moment, she felt that Zhang Yuqi was just like Xu Guangtou.

This is blatant betrayal! What happened to our alliance? What happened to our shared destiny?
She betrayed me! Why do women have to make things difficult for each other?! Zhang Yuqi, your name is betrayal!
As Zhang Yuqi spoke, she winked at Chen Mo, as if to say, "How are you going to thank me?"

Chen Mo was naturally overjoyed and wished he could hug her and kiss her.

The pressure was on Fan Binbin, but she wasn't some naive girl; she just didn't want Chen Mo to succeed so easily.

But right now, Zhang Yuqi's betrayal really infuriated her.

"Zhang Yuqi!" Fan Binbin glared at Zhang Yuqi through gritted teeth.

"Darling, look at her!" Zhang Yuqi started acting up again, hiding behind Chen Mo and pretending to be pitiful. It seems everyone can pull off a little tea ceremony if needed!
"Sister Binbin, this is where you're wrong. You were the one who proposed the bet, and now you're denying it," Zhang Yuqi started being sarcastic again.

Fan Binbin was furious!
"I'll admit defeat if you want! But I have one condition!" Fan Binbin said suddenly with ill intent, glancing at Zhang Yuqi.

"What are the conditions?" Chen Mo asked, unable to contain his joy.

"Come with me, I'll talk to you alone!" Fan Binbin glanced at Zhang Yuqi, which gave Zhang Yuqi a bad feeling.

It feels like I shot myself in the foot!
However, Fan Binbin is indeed not someone to be trifled with!
Chen Mo followed Fan Binbin over, and Fan Binbin whispered a few words in his ear, muttering them resentfully!
Chen Mo looked puzzled at first, but then he laughed. Could this be considered a case of the snipe and the clam fighting while the fisherman benefits?
He didn't expect such a good thing to happen. But, I didn't realize, sister, you're so clever!

That night, Chen Mo not only unlocked the achievement of sleeping together in the same bed, but Fan Binbin also got her revenge.

As for how he retaliated, nobody wants to see that, so we'll skip it! Anyway, someone laughed until they cried, cried and laughed again, then cried and cursed, until finally begging for mercy.

In the end, even Chen Mo couldn't bear it anymore; tickling the soles of the feet was truly "torture"!

Of course, Zhang Yuqi, that fierce woman, isn't one to suffer losses easily. After promising Chen Mo numerous conditions, she successfully made him turn against her. Cough cough, the main tactic was to switch sides. Sister Binbin, it's not that I lack principles, it's just that she offered too much.

Then, the tables turned, and the next day, this mature woman's already fertile breasts had noticeably increased in size by one size! It just goes to show, when women get ruthless, they can be terrifying!
Of course, although Chen Mo achieved his goal, and even exceeded expectations, he was really exhausted!

He finally understood the saying, "When you reach middle age, you have no choice but to soak goji berries in your thermos!"

Many things can only be done zero times or countless times.

Once some bottom lines are crossed, then there are no bottom lines at all.

Anyway, Chen Mo was tired but happy.

Continued until
On this day, Fan Binbin suddenly ran to the bathroom and started gagging halfway through his meal.

Then Zhang Yuqi followed suit, and upon investigation, it turned out that the two of them were pregnant at the same time!

However, this is also thanks to Chen Mo's hard work during this period!
Chen Mo was dumbfounded!

They used to be surrounded by women, but once they both got pregnant, they became incredibly protective of their unborn children. Worried that they wouldn't be able to resist Chen Mo, they both ran away.

This left Chen Mo in a situation where three monks had no water to drink!
This is utterly heartless! What have I become? A heartless tool?
Although Chen Mo was happy to be a tool, it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality!

They used to be very well-off, with one every day, and occasionally even the chance to sleep together in a big bed with one on each side. But now, there's nothing left but bland food.

Chen Mo was unhappy, and the whole crew felt terrible.

He didn't get angry; he just kept going on and on.

Unfortunately, during the pandemic, visiting the set was quite difficult, so the crew had to suffer. With the pandemic, people couldn't go out much, so watching dramas became one of the few forms of entertainment.

As a result, the popularity of TV dramas and movies has naturally increased. After all, the supply and demand relationship has changed, and the balance of power has shifted!

Both television stations and online video platforms are now desperately seeking new customers.

Especially for rising stars like Chen Mo, his works naturally became the target of pursuit by several online video platforms.

Moreover, there is the excellent example of "I Am Yu Huanshui" that came before it.

In fact, during the pandemic, people spent significantly more time watching TV, whether for watching dramas or playing games.

And there are also benefits. Because of the pandemic, everyone is unable to go out, which has actually strengthened the bond between family members. This is an unexpected bonus!

Several video platforms have been paying close attention to "The Hidden Corner" since filming began.

Tencent Video initially thought it could gain an advantage by striking first, but unfortunately, the other platforms were not to be outdone.

In fact, netizens are also paying special attention, because during the pandemic, there were indeed fewer new dramas than before, but people's demand has actually increased.

The works of a renowned director like Chen Mo naturally become the focus of everyone's attention.

Ultimately, Tencent Video acquired the rights to the miniseries "The Hidden Corner" again, and this time the price was even higher than for "I Am Yu Huanshui".

Of course, expecting it to be ridiculously high is unlikely. The final transaction price was 1.5 million yuan for the whole package, and this time, it directly included priority rights to Chen Mo's remaining two web series.

In fact, it's not just Chen Mo's side; other companies that have finished dramas have all seen their prices rise by at least 10% to 20%!

And this is just the beginning. It's worth noting that the filming time for a TV series is often longer than that for a movie. During the pandemic, not to mention the difficulty of filming, the cost is much higher than usual, and the filming progress is also much slower than usual.

Therefore, this price is expected to rise further.

But that wasn't what Chen Mo was concerned about.

Currently, the epidemic is at its peak, and after Wuhan was locked down, a series of prevention and control measures were implemented across the country.

Donations of money and supplies began to be widely reported by the media.

The most attention-grabbing of them all is undoubtedly Chen Mo and his female confidantes.

The main reason is that Chen Mo directly pledged the donation on their behalf.

Fanxing Medical Equipment Factory alone donated as many as 500 million masks, as well as many other medical devices that are currently in short supply.

The total value adds up to one billion.

Even if the cost is divided among Chen Mo and his female confidantes, it is still the highest among many celebrities in the entertainment industry.

Chen Mo never intended to make money from this, but sometimes things just don't go as planned.

Or rather, the country never fails to reward those who truly love their country.

For example, this time, Chen Mo's Starry Sky Medical Equipment Factory can be said to have truly made a huge leap forward.

After all, no one had stockpiled as much as Fanxing Medical Equipment Factory before, since masks weren't exactly a mass-market product; they were a niche medical product.

But now, due to the outbreak of the epidemic, which is global, masks have become scarce, with a huge shortage, and the price of raw materials has also increased dramatically.

This naturally led to the market price of masks being dozens of times higher than before.

And this is still the market price!

Chen Mo certainly wouldn't hoard goods like those unscrupulous businessmen; he immediately cooperated with the local authorities to sell at market price.

Even so, the profits are still frighteningly high!

And yet, this has been praised by countless people!

"This deserves a big thumbs up for Chen Mo! Five hundred million masks and a large amount of medical equipment were donated without hesitation. At this time, the value of these things is far more than just money!"

"That's right, he really is willing to spend. I suddenly remembered laughing at Chen Mo for not knowing how to do business. Damn it, it turns out I was the clown!"

"So, wouldn't you say this is a case of good deeds being rewarded?"

"But he also made a fortune, okay? The price of masks suddenly increased so many times!"

"They deserve to earn this money. Besides, they donated so much, and the masks were sold according to market demand and under official management. That's much better than many other people, isn't it?"

"Aren't there enough news reports about sky-high priced masks lately? Compared to those people, Chen Mo is really too conscientious!"

"Just for this reason, I'm definitely going to watch Chen Mo's new drama!"

"Even if that's not true, I'm still determined to pursue it, okay?"

"I used to dislike him because he was such a jerk, but this time I suddenly realized that nobody's perfect. If he didn't even have this one flaw, then he would be too fake!"

"The flaws don't detract from the overall merit; Chen Mo did a fantastic job!"

Chen Mo genuinely didn't intend to make this money, so he has decided to donate it later.

He feels guilty taking this money, but it's also a hot potato! Although many people seem to think he deserved to earn this money, the duration of the pandemic has exceeded everyone's expectations, as has the demand for masks and other medical supplies.

He has a clear conscience about making money from movies, but he really doesn't want to earn that kind of money.

Of course, he really doesn't lack that little bit of money!
Because of this incident, Chen Mo, who already had a good public image, rose to an even higher level.

In fact, despite the vast majority of people's opinions, in this era where "love" is becoming increasingly materialistic, Chen Mo's generous spending on his female confidante overshadows his true nature as a "scumbag."

But in reality, there are still many people who are very unhappy with Chen Mo because he is really too much of a scumbag, and he is an openly scumbag at that.

Many people even said that Chen Mo set a bad example for the public, and some even shouted for Chen Mo to get out of the entertainment industry, although this was only a minority.

But it is true! But this time, at this critical moment, Chen Mo did not hesitate and donated billions of scarce resources without hesitation.

He certainly garnered a lot of goodwill! Especially in the entertainment industry, his decisions are truly unique!
Other celebrities might donate supplies or money, but they certainly wouldn't donate hundreds of millions like Chen Mo did.

Of course, everyone also overlooked the fact that Chen Mo is not only a director in the entertainment industry, but also a boss! His status and position are inherently different.

During this period, the actions of celebrities have been watched by countless eyes. For example, Zhou Jie was praised by many people this time as well.

Just then, "The Hidden Corner" announced its completion and began its first wave of promotional hype.

The drama "The Hidden Corner" is completely different from "I Am Yu Huanshui".

While "I Am Yu Huanshui" is undeniably heart-wrenching, and Yu Huanshui certainly has a miserable life, it can at least be described as a story of initial hardship followed by eventual triumph.

Although the beginning was indeed horrific, the crazy plot that followed was really satisfying, right?
However, "The Hidden Corner" can be described as a completely dark drama.

If "I Am Yu Huanshui" became popular because of the themes of "being unable to control one's own destiny in middle age" and "everyone laughs at Yu Huanshui, everyone is Yu Huanshui," then "The Hidden Corner" can be said to have become popular overnight because of its dark and gloomy music!

In his previous life, Chen Mo felt a sense of unease upon closer examination.

Not to mention the references in "The Hidden Corner".

What's with all this talk of "Let's go hiking" and "Do you think I still have a chance?"

In his previous life, it was a viral sensation that went viral on social media. Moreover, Chen Mo felt that the "Take You Mountain Climbing" meme would likely become even more popular because he was the director.

As for why? You guess?

Chen Mo quickly edited out the first trailer, which was very short.

Chen Mo didn't add much; he simply used the "dark fairy tale" of "The Three Little Chickens."

In his view, the story of the "Three Little Chicks" was already chilling enough on its own, and adding other content would feel like "adding a dog's tail to a sable coat" or "doing something superfluous."

(End of this chapter)