This director is vindictive.

Is Chapter 236, "The Vanished Women," being released? (Seeking monthly votes)

"Fame and Fortune" has finally been officially scheduled for release.

With theaters collectively promoting the film, it's safe to say that if it were any other time, a movie like "Rise to Fame" would certainly have garnered attention, even if it had the reputation of director Chen Mo, who has directed films worth billions, and popular stars like Hu Ge, Liu Yifei, and Yang Mi, as well as veteran actors like Fan Ming and Chen Minghao.

But it will never reach the level it has today.

It's almost fair to say that in any open cinema, audiences can see ubiquitous promotional trailers, posters, and banners for the movie "Fame and Fortune".

Moreover, in order to stimulate consumption and encourage more viewers to buy tickets and go to the cinema again, even ticketing platforms such as Maoyan have taken the initiative to launch a series of ticket subsidy activities.

For example, watching a movie for 9.9 yuan, etc.

It can be said that Chen Mo and "Making a Name for Themselves" have absolutely the perfect combination of timing, location, and people this time.

With the lockdown just lifted and audiences eagerly awaiting new films, the only "big-budget" movie with a confirmed release date so far is "Fame and Fortune".

The cinema industry urgently needs a film to boost market confidence, encourage more films to be released, and attract more viewers to the cinema.

Other platforms, such as ticketing platforms, share the same mindset as cinemas.

"Making a Name for Oneself" became the biggest beneficiary during this period.

This situation is something many filmmakers envy and resent, after all, the treatment is too high.

Of course, as the first person to try something new, Chen Mo did take a certain risk by choosing to release the film at this time.

Cinemas have been open for more than two months, but because no new films dare to be released at this time, cinemas can only show some relatively new films, such as "Ne Zha".

It's not that there aren't any new movies being released, but most of them are just small-scale productions. Compared to a "blockbuster" like "Fame and Fortune," directed by a top director like Chen Mo and featuring a star-studded cast, they are indeed far inferior.

However, such exaggerated publicity, and the almost 100% screening scale revealed by theaters, can be said to be the first time in history.

However, no one said anything about theaters monopolizing screenings, because at this moment, there were actually quite a few movies that had already finished showing.

For example, Jackie Chan's "Vanguard," and several big-budget films that were withdrawn from the Spring Festival release schedule at the beginning of this year. In fact, many movies have already been filmed and completed, but no one is willing to release them at this time.

As one netizen put it: "Envy, jealousy, and hatred? Why didn't you do that earlier!"

"It has to be Chen Mo. When others retreat, he goes against the tide. Isn't this the treatment he deserves?"

"No matter what, I'm definitely going to see it!"

Of course, other films are also taking a wait-and-see approach. In their view, Chen Mo's "Fame and Fortune" is a test question to see how it performs and whether it will have an impact. If even Chen Mo's film fails to meet expectations, then they will probably have to wait some more.

Time flies, and finally, the movie "Fame and Fortune," which has been heavily promoted for over a month, is about to be released nationwide.

In fact, the pre-sale box office results are very encouraging!
In its previous form, "Fame and Fortune" only had a few million in pre-sale tickets because it didn't have any big-name stars and its promotion was lackluster.

In the end, it was only thanks to the contrast with its peers and the good word-of-mouth of the film that it achieved a comeback.

However, Chen Mo's version of "Making a Name for Oneself" is definitely different. From the film's inception to its start of filming, and now its upcoming release, the promotion has been nonstop. Coupled with Chen Mo's own appeal and the star power of Hu Ge, Yang Mi, and Liu Yifei, it's full of hype.

Therefore, the two are truly incomparable.

Even so, Chen Mo was still astonished by the pre-sale box office figures.

"Rise to Fame" opened its pre-sale channels about a week in advance. As a result, the pre-sale box office exceeded 7 million yuan just from the start. By the time of the premiere on July 30, the pre-sale box office of "Rise to Fame" had exceeded 3 million yuan.

Although it can't compare to the staggering 800 million yuan in pre-sale box office of "Detective Chinatown 3".

But that's a sequel, after all, with the first two movies as a foundation.

And it was during the Spring Festival season.

This data is enough to make cinemas overjoyed.

In fact, the pre-sale box office figures were released immediately, making many people realize that market enthusiasm had returned.

And it's even more exaggerated than before the pandemic!

"Pre-sale box office for 'Fame and Fortune' exceeds 3 million yuan! The film market is regaining its heat, and Chen Mo may become the biggest winner!"

"With over 100 million yuan in box office revenue and over 300 million yuan in total pre-sale box office, 'Fame and Fortune' has fired the first shot in the return of films to the market!"

"Truly making a name for oneself, 'Making a Name for Oneself' has exceeded expectations in pre-sale box office, and its market prospects are promising!"

After this news broke, many film distributors who had been waiting and watching were filled with regret, because the pre-sale box office figures already spoke volumes.

The situation they had feared did not occur.

Sure enough, it's not that audiences don't want to go to the cinema, but rather that there's really nothing that can attract them.

The key point is that Chen Mo not only won favors from the theaters, but also pocketed real money, and as a result, he can enjoy the super treatment of almost full screenings. Who wouldn't be envious?

Netizens, however, were delighted with this.

"Great minds think alike! I've already bought the tickets and am just waiting for the movie to start!"

"I went to see a new movie in the cinema before, and I felt terrible after watching it. It's not that we don't want to spend money to see a movie, it's that I don't want to spend money to be fed a mouthful of shit and pee."

"No problem. Chen Mo's movies are guaranteed to be at least above average, even if you buy a ticket with your eyes closed!"

"Are you all stupid? You're all just watching and waiting for someone else to clear the minefield for you, but it turns out that what you're facing isn't a minefield, but a welfare zone!"

"Wow, there are advertisements for 'Fame and Fortune' everywhere I go. This movie is what I've been hearing about the most these past few days. I hope it won't disappoint!"

On the evening of July 30, the premiere of "Fame and Fortune" was held in Beijing.

This premiere was a true star-studded event, arguably the first major entertainment event of the year.

After all, such a grand scene has been rarely seen since the Spring Festival.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say this is the first time this year.

The most talked-about gossip, or rather the scene, remains a staple of Chen Mo's movie premieres.

That's a huge gathering of entertainment stars in the first row.

"Fame and Fortune" was no exception. In the first row of the premiere, just like in the past, were the young actresses from the domestic entertainment industry.

However, at this year's premiere of "Fame and Fortune", many people were surprised to find that quite a few people were absent.

Chen Mo's close female friends, Jing Tian, ​​Zhang Yuqi, Gao Yuanyuan, and Fan Binbin, were all absent.

This prompted many media reporters to start thinking about how to fabricate a news story.

After all, this is Chen Mo's new film release, and it's also the first truly new film release since the pandemic this year.

As a result, four of Chen Mo's semi-public confidantes were absent at once!

It's hard not to let people's imaginations run wild.

"Hey, why are so many people absent this time? Only Yang Mi and Zhao Liying attended. Could it be that there's trouble at home?" Some entertainment reporters who had finished taking photos couldn't help but discuss.

"There must be something wrong, otherwise they wouldn't have missed the show!"

"Tsk tsk, it has to be Chen Mo, this is definitely going to be a headline story!"

"What kind of problem do you think it could be? Is there a real backyard fire?"

"That can't be right, can it? There wasn't a hint of anything, and even if something went wrong at home, it wouldn't be like this, with four people suddenly absent, would it?"

"I wonder if it's inconvenient for him to come?" another reporter guessed, stroking his chin.

"Inconvenient for you to come? You mean... impossible, right? Four at once?"

In fact, news spread very quickly that four members of Chen Mo's ever-present harem were suddenly absent from the premiere.

The internet exploded very quickly.

It's not just that there's a lack of movies this year; in fact, even entertainment news is relatively scarce.

Chen Mo is a rising star, so when this happened, netizens naturally flocked to the news.

Even before the premiere officially started, the hashtag #ChenMo'sBackyardIsOnFire# immediately appeared on the trending search list.

Many netizens went to the Weibo accounts of Gao Yuanyuan, Fan Binbin, Jing Tian, ​​and Zhang Yuqi to inquire.

@Gao Yuanyuan: "Why didn't Sister Yuanyuan go to the premiere? Did your relationship break down (voice cracks)!"

"Yeah, we haven't seen much news about Sister Yuanyuan lately. Did something happen?"

"Waiting for a response!"

"Sister Yuanyuan! Did Chen Mo cheat on you?! (Angry)"

"You idiot upstairs, she hasn't even admitted it, what cheating nonsense are you talking about!"

Gao Yuanyuan responded immediately, but her response was quite unusual.

She didn't write a long post or offer any explanation; instead, she simply released a classic still from the movie "Caught in the Web" featuring Ye Lanqiu—wearing sunglasses, with a cold gaze and a mocking smile on her lips.

As for the caption? She couldn't even be bothered to put a period.

The truth is, Gao Yuanyuan has been staying home almost all the time lately because her belly is getting bigger, and even her walks are indoors. After all, she's a public figure, and also because of the current pandemic, she doesn't want to take any risks.

However, the side effects of pregnancy are quite significant, and she has gained some weight recently.

So, she couldn't help but open her old photo album to look at her beautiful self from the past. When she saw the question from netizens, she subconsciously picked a picture and posted it.

The result is that this one photo speaks louder than a thousand words.

Netizens immediately went wild.

"Holy crap! Ye Lanqiu! Isn't this the ultimate level of 'I don't care to explain'?!"

"Sister Yuanyuan used a line from a movie from 7 years ago to slap Chen Mo in the face: 'People treat each other like dogs; who has time to care what a dog thinks?'"

"I remember Ye Lanqiu saying in the movie, 'You men, not a single one of you is any good.'"

"@ChenMo, think about it carefully."

"Sister Yuanyuan's move is simply divine! The pinnacle of response in the Chinese entertainment industry!"

Chen Mo was at the premiere at the moment, unaware that things had already turned upside down outside.

However, some people just enjoyed watching the drama unfold.

Fan Binbin surprisingly liked Gao Yuanyuan's Weibo post immediately, and then posted a completely black photo with the caption: "."

Netizens immediately captioned her: "Binbin: Sister, hang in there, I'm outta here!"

In fact, she was sitting there rubbing her stomach and chuckling to herself.

Playing games is fun!
However, her inexplicably black screen photo formed a perfect connection with Gao Yuanyuan, making netizens speculate wildly.

Is this an admission of a breakup? Or a lament for a lost love?

"No, sister, say something! Even just a period would be fine!"

"The idiot upstairs, confirmed. Isn't there an ellipsis? What's the difference between that and a period?"

The difference between a period and an ellipsis (omitted).

"Wait, is this a meme war going on across time? Or is a movie coming to life after all these years?"

It's no wonder netizens are speculating so wildly, mainly because Gao Yuanyuan posted a photo of Ye Lanqiu from the movie "Caught in the Web".

In the movie "Caught in the Web", Chen Mo played Yang Shoucheng.

He is the boyfriend of Chen Ruoxi, played by Fan Binbin, but his official love interest is Gao Yuanyuan.

Look at this collaboration between the two, it's absolutely amazing!

"Wow, the movie is becoming reality? Chen Mo is completely gone? In the movie, he broke up with Chen Ruoxi, Ye Lanqiu passed away, and Yang Shoucheng is still single!"

"No problem! Chen Mo probably never imagined that the movie would become reality and affect him personally, right?"

"So the question is, what exactly happened?"

However, at the same time, Jing Tian also posted a Weibo post in response to inquiries from fans and netizens.

Her Weibo post was very short, consisting of only one sentence: "I'm fine!"

Then add a selfie.

The little rich girl is indeed in a very good mood; the little guy can already call out "Mama, Mama."

So, I posted one.

In the photo, she has exquisite makeup, a sweet smile, and a sunny courtyard in the background.

However, sometimes it's not about what you think, but what everyone else thinks.

Fans quickly commented: "She looks amazing! She's completely unaffected!"

Bystander A: "'Very good'? Does it mean 'I'm fine, but Chen Mo is finished'?"

Haters: "What are you pretending to be all serene about? You got dumped and you're still laughing?"

Netizen B: "Chen Mo would never fall out with Jing Tian, ​​right? Maybe she's just not available?"

"Hehe, how come that's such a perfect match?" "I'm fine" = "I'm fine, but I don't know about others~"

Compared to Gao Yuanyuan's passive-aggressive behavior, Jing Tian's actions were "a smile hiding a knife."

Gao Yuanyuan's attitude was "I don't bother explaining," while Jing Tian's was "Explain? You think you're worthy?"

"One kills with movie quotes, the other destroys hearts with a customer service smile."

However, as if by unspoken agreement, Zhang Yuqi suddenly updated her social media after Jing Tian posted "I'm fine"—

Image caption: A screenshot from the movie "The Mermaid": She plays Li Ruolan, a domineering and arrogant female CEO.

The caption read: "Ha, men."

After the tiger girls finished posting behind the screen, they burst into laughter.

She was even happier after seeing the comments from netizens.

"Holy crap! Sister Yuqi just unleashed her ultimate move!"

"She's channeling Li Ruolan! 'I'm rich and beautiful, why would I need a man?'"

Chen Mo: Damn it, this is AOE damage...

"I feel that Chen Mo's next movie could totally be a 'Missing Girlfriends' movie, hahaha!"

"I think your suggestion is really great, it's similar to 'Make a Name for Yourself'!"

Some netizens immediately created a story about Chen Mo's new film, "The Vanished Girlfriends"!
Casting Highlights: Everyone plays themselves!
Gao Yuanyuan: Coldly delivering her lines—"You know nothing about the truth." (Possessing Ye Lanqiu from "Caught in the Web")

Jing Tian smiled and said, "I'm fine," but the next second the camera cut to her burning the group photo.

Zhang Yuqi: With a cigarette dangling from her lips, she sneers at the male lead: "Men? Ha, a burden." (Li Ruolan reappears in "The Mermaid")

Fan Binbin: Makes a cameo appearance as the "mastermind," and in the post-credits scene, he raises an eyebrow at the camera: "This is what you call real 'fame and fortune'."

@ChenMo, Director Chen, how about I be your screenwriter?

In no time, netizens went crazy for gossip, turning what was originally a fabrication into something that seemed like solid evidence.

Chen Mo, however, was still completely unaware of what was happening.

After all, he was still going through the formalities at the premiere.

Little did they know that the outside world's attention on "Making a Name for Oneself" had been completely stolen by "Chen Mo's Backyard on Fire" and "Chen Mo's Car Accident".

Back to the premiere of "Fame and Fortune".

After completing all the procedures, the movie began to play.

As soon as he stepped off the stage, Zhao Ming silently took out his phone, opened the Weibo trending topics, and handed it to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo took it with a blank expression, and after reading it, he felt terrible.

What the hell is this?
However, most of the time it was a mix of laughter and tears.

Why didn't the four of them attend? He certainly knew best.

Jing Tian said it was because her little baby was very clingy and she couldn't leave him.

As for Gao Yuanyuan and the other two, especially Gao Yuanyuan, she was already quite far along in her pregnancy. She couldn't possibly attend the premiere with such a big belly, could she?
Fan Binbin and Zhang Yuqi are the same; they are already showing signs of pregnancy.

If they actually come, that would be truly explosive news.

However, Chen Mo was left speechless, both amused and exasperated by Gao Yuanyuan and her friends' bizarre responses and the various inexplicable interpretations from netizens.

In fact, at this very moment, things are exactly the opposite of what netizens think.

Yang Mi and Zhao Liying, who attended the premiere, were the ones who were most envious and jealous.

After all, nobody had it before, so that's fine.

But now, all four of them are pregnant, and Zhang Yuqi, that tiger woman, is even pregnant with twins, leaving only the two of them.

Yang Mi was the most frustrated. During this time, she had been by Chen Mo's side the whole time, which meant she had a real advantage, but in the end, there was absolutely no reaction from him.

"Don't worry about it!" Chen Mo shook his head. Let them make a fuss if they want, as long as they have fun.

He genuinely didn't care much.

This kind of thing is just everyone's wild speculation, and Chen Mo is unlikely to reveal the truth.

Although it's impossible to keep this a secret forever, Chen Mo still doesn't want it to be exposed for now.

(End of this chapter)