This director is vindictive.

Chapter 242 Li Wei: So I've become the paparazzi's public enemy again?

Li Wei knew he was finished.

In fact, if Chen Mo had simply and brutally blacklisted him, he could have put up a fight a little longer.

After all, if Chen Mo really wanted to do that, given his status and position, it would be perfectly fine for him, and even very simple.

However, if you actually do that, it will trigger a backlash from the public and damage your public image.

After all, in this world, no one really likes that kind of overbearing, domineering capitalism.

At that point, Li Wei could have used public empathy to try and make a comeback.

However, Chen Mo chose not to play that way. He first used Li Wei as a paparazzi to sneak into and secretly photograph celebrities like Gao Yuanyuan. After many people learned the whole story, they found it terrifying.

These days, it's not just celebrities and public figures who suffer from privacy violations; the general public suffers the same fate. Naturally, Li Wei's behavior doesn't elicit any sympathy.

This time, Chen Mo first resorted to legal means, which he is renowned for. There is no one in the entire entertainment industry more famous for using legal means to protect their rights.

Then, by using Gao Yuanyuan's status as a pregnant woman, they gained public empathy and sympathy. Just as Zhuo Wei said, paparazzi are not hyenas and cannot be without any bottom line.

Although Gao Yuanyuan didn't run into any trouble this time because of his secret filming, what if she did?
Pregnant women are a high-risk group. What should you do if they are frightened and something happens?
The reason why Southern Weekly's "See you on Monday" story left people speechless was because they actually had the juicy scoop a long time ago, but because the person in question was pregnant at the time, they didn't publish it until after she had finished her postpartum confinement.

This kind of behavior can be said to be a true embodiment of professional ethics. After all, everyone knows that a pregnant woman is very likely to experience unexpected situations when she is stimulated.

However, Li Wei made the biggest mistake he shouldn't have made: not only did he sneak in and secretly photograph Gao Yuanyuan, a pregnant woman, but he also tried to expose the matter while she was pregnant.

At the same time, you must understand that this is during a pandemic. Li Wei's actions, to some extent, are also undermining epidemic prevention efforts.

"Damn it, this paparazzi is always running around, doing anything for a story. Breaking into someone's neighborhood is also disrupting public order, isn't it?"

"No problem. I suggest the relevant departments take measures. Putting aside other times, we can't let the paparazzi run around like this again during this special period!"

"I support Chen Mo's fight for his rights. If you ask me, Chen Mo is really too soft-hearted. He should just ban this kind of person directly. Why make things so complicated?"

In fact, Li Wei was soon contacted by relevant departments. Although he was not punished, he was given a severe lesson and ordered to sign a guarantee.

Because what netizens said is absolutely right.

As an entertainment reporter and paparazzi, you're not advised to visit others at a time like this, yet you're running around everywhere. Isn't that provoking people?
At this moment, Li Wei was truly filled with regret. He had invested so much money and resources in the early stages, and even took matters into his own hands. Although he did manage to get some juicy material, he ended up losing more than he gained.

Chen Mo simply pressed him down with one finger.

He chickened out and no longer harbored any illusions.

The entertainment reporter who had brought him into the industry called and told him to be timid when necessary.

"You know, we're not exactly well-liked in this line of work, so why did you have to mess with Chen Mo? Let me just tell you straight, do you really think nobody knows about Gao Yuanyuan's pregnancy? Do you really think you're the smartest person?" the senior colleague said.

Li Wei actually understood by now.

That's right. Although Gao Yuanyuan lives in a high-end neighborhood, it's impossible that no one saw her pregnant. So why hasn't anyone exposed it?

Is Chen Mo someone you can mess with?
But before Li Wei could back down, he didn't expect that the consequences of this incident were far from over.

Soon, because of this incident, many celebrities in the entertainment industry began to connect.

Then, a group of 95 celebrities from the entertainment industry jointly issued a "Joint Statement by Artists".

The joint statement from the artists calls for a boycott of paparazzi, car-following, and hotel voyeurism, and demands that platforms remove infringing content.

The statement also specifically mentioned Li Wei's "See you on Monday" case, arguing that Li Wei's behavior as a paparazzi, disregarding human safety and infringing on the privacy of others, has crossed the moral bottom line.

Li Wei was once again dragged out and criticized.

However, this was not the end. Soon, more than 200 studios in China signed the "Privacy Protection Convention," shared the "paparazzi blacklist," and collaborated on evidence collection and rights protection.

For a time, the entire paparazzi circle was in a state of panic.

Actually, these two things have little to do with Chen Mo, because he doesn't consider himself a celebrity at all.

Chen Mo was also a little confused when he saw the news, because he remembered that the "Artists' Joint Statement" to boycott paparazzi's proxy shooting, following cars, hotel voyeurism and other behaviors was supposed to happen next year. He didn't expect that this time, his own matter would give them an opportunity instead.

They then released this "Joint Statement by Artists".

The subsequent Privacy Protection Convention was even more outrageous. He remembered that the incident happened in 2023, but he didn't expect it to appear earlier than expected.

Actually, this really has something to do with Chen Mo. The main thing is that this kind of thing is bound to happen, but it lacks a key opportunity.

Chen Mo underestimated his status and influence within the industry.

The paparazzi and entertainment reporter circles suddenly became very serious as a result, and they naturally couldn't blame Chen Mo.

Whose fault is that? It's all Li Wei's fault!

After all, if it weren't for him, this whole thing might not have happened.

For a time, Li Wei was not only disliked by the public, but even his peers hated him to death.

He was completely dumbfounded.

Moreover, this matter has attracted a lot of attention and traffic due to the large number of celebrities involved, coupled with the recent exposure of Gao Yuanyuan's pregnancy.

As a result, the hashtag #ISupportCelebritiesDefendingTheirRights# suddenly became a trending topic.

These celebrities who issued the joint statement have a large fan base, and the topic itself was already trending, so the number of views exceeded 30 billion in just a few days.

A 2020 entertainment law research report released by a related company shows that celebrities' efforts to protect their privacy rights have resonated with many people, who see them as a source of hope for ordinary people to fight against infringements.

The report states that over 70% of netizens believe that "secretly filming celebrities' children" should be severely punished by law!
Not only did Li Wei not expect it, but Chen Mo also did not expect things to develop this way.

However, Chen Mo also breathed a sigh of relief. After all, although the public didn't seem to have much negative opinion about the pregnancy of several close female friends, such a thing would definitely generate a lot of buzz once the media started talking about it.

He also needs to pay attention to and manage public relations.

Instead, the topic has shifted, and everyone's attention is now focused on the collective rights protection efforts of celebrities. The news about Gao Yuanyuan and others being pregnant has lost its popularity.

It's a matter of reaping what you sow!

Actually, this matter made Lao Wang from Huayi a little depressed.

Why? After all, publicity resources are limited.

"Make a Name for Yourself" has secured its first piece of the pie after the lifting of pandemic restrictions.

The box office has reached nearly 3 billion. Many people have analyzed that although "Fame and Fortune" is well-made and full of gimmicks, if such a movie were released at other times, it would only have grossed 2 billion at most.

It's only because Chen Mo is the director; otherwise, many people don't believe that Hu Ge, Yang Mi, and Liu Yifei can really bring any box office appeal to the film.

After all, although they are famous, their appeal in the film industry is really limited.

The reason why it was almost certain that "Fame and Fortune" would break 3 billion yuan at the box office is mainly because it was a "market-saving film"!
The film's screen share in theaters was an absurdly high 90%, with virtually no competitors during the same period, leaving audiences with no other choice, thus creating a box office miracle.

But the movie "The Eight Hundred" is different; as the saying goes, if you're one step behind, you'll be behind every step of the way.

The film "The Eight Hundred" is scheduled for release on August 21st. Promotional efforts have already begun.

However, with the masterpiece "Fame and Fortune" preceding it, and then the news of Chen Mo's confidantes getting pregnant, it directly stole the spotlight.

This significantly diminished the promotional effect of "The Eight Hundred".

After all, the public's focus is always limited.

Therefore, Wang Jun immediately set his sights on Chen Mo. "Director Chen, you absolutely must come to the premiere of 'The Eight Hundred' on the 20th of this month!" Wang Jun personally called, repeatedly requesting Chen Mo to attend and support him.

"Isn't Mr. Wang afraid that I'll steal the show?" Chen Mo couldn't help but smile.

"Don't worry! Director Guan's film is quite good. We are quite confident in the quality of the movie. Director Chen, just tell the truth when the time comes." Wang Jun was unusually confident.

Chen Mo finally agreed, as the saying goes, "everyone carries a bridal sedan chair."

The entertainment industry is a small world. Although there have been fewer collaborations with Huayi in the past two years, there have still been some. Although there is a lot of criticism of Huayi from the outside world, it really has nothing to do with Chen Mo. Moreover, Chen Mo still thinks this movie is a pretty good film.

Despite its various shortcomings that have drawn criticism, from a director's perspective, Chen Mo genuinely felt that the film was quite well made.

At the same time, he really doesn't have anything to do lately, so it doesn't matter if he goes there.

In fact, Wang Jun invited Chen Mo mainly because he wanted to take advantage of Chen Mo's "magic". In the industry, Chen Mo is not only a marketing genius and a director with billions in revenue, but also a well-known "prediction master"!
"The Legend of the Condor Heroes" has been released for more than 20 days and poses no threat to "The Eight Hundred" at all.

However, "The Eight Hundred" did have competitors in the same release window.

I don't know if it's because "Fame and Fortune" took the lead, received an exaggerated number of screenings, and grossed 3 billion yuan at the box office.

In Chen Mo's memory, Jackie Chan's "Vanguard," which was originally scheduled for release during the National Day holiday, was moved up in time.

And to make matters worse, it clashed with "The Eight Hundred." Clearly, they probably had similar ideas and wanted to strike while the iron was hot. They didn't want to miss out on the film market that "The Eight Hundred" had revitalized.

After all, the situation is constantly changing, and no one can guarantee when it will be locked down again, so everyone is eager to release the films.

Originally, these two films had nothing to do with Chen Mo, since he neither invested in them nor had any of his female confidantes involved.

However, since Wang Jun could think of inviting Chen Mo, the "prediction master," to endorse the show, the Vanguard team could naturally think of the same thing.

Chen Mo and Jackie Chan have little interaction, or rather, Chen Mo has little interaction with that group of filmmakers in Hong Kong.

However, the entertainment industry is also a circle, with smaller circles within larger circles.

Chen Mo and Jackie Chan don't have much interaction, but Jing Tian did act in one of his movies back in the day.

So, Cheng Long contacted Jing Tian directly, hoping to invite her and Chen Mo to attend the premiere of "Vanguard".

"Brother Cheng Long used to take good care of me. It's inconvenient for me to go, so can you go for me?" Jing Tian called, still speaking as directly as ever.

Chen Mo naturally wouldn't refuse his little rich wife's request, and besides, whether he was herding one sheep or two, it was all the same.

Although Chen Mo remembered that there were almost no truly big-budget films by Jackie Chan after "Vanguard," he had no recollection of "Vanguard" at all, only that it was released during the National Day holiday period during the pandemic.

He hadn't even seen it.

However, if this movie had done well at the box office and received good reviews, he wouldn't have missed it in his previous life.

Thinking about it that way, he's probably a complete flop.

But whether he flops or not, it doesn't affect Jackie Chan's status in the industry.

Although "Vanguard" was released on the same day as "The Eight Hundred", its premiere was held a day earlier than "The Eight Hundred".

Otherwise, Chen Mo would really be overwhelmed.

Of course, while Chen Mo thought that "Vanguard" was likely to flop, that didn't mean others thought so too!
On paper, the two films are indeed evenly matched.

First, in terms of the cast, "The Eight Hundred" has a powerful actor, popular idols, and is a big-budget production with a very advantageous subject matter.

Actually, another reason why Chen Mo agreed to Wang Jun's help was that Wang Jun was savvy and knew what he was doing!
Because of Chen Mo, the main characters of the "Backstabbing Cult" in the original "The Eight Hundred," Du Chun and Li Cheng, were replaced. Otherwise, Wang Jun probably wouldn't have extended an invitation to Chen Mo.

After all, he doesn't have the face to do that, does he?
The cast of "The Eight Hundred" has been dubbed a "concentration camp of tough guys"! It brings together a large number of powerful actors and award-winning actors and actresses, making the cast truly luxurious!

On the other hand, although "Vanguard" is at a disadvantage in terms of subject matter, it has the advantage of being a Jackie Chan film.

At the same time, it also used top idols as the lead actors, and its promotional hype was no less than that of "The Eight Hundred"!
In terms of cast, "Vanguard" follows Jackie Chan's usual formula: a combination of superstars and popular actors, with Jackie Chan in the lead role and young actors such as Yang Yang, Allen, and Mu Qimiya joining the cast.

In terms of filming, it still follows Cheng Hu's formula for international big-budget productions. "Vanguard" was filmed in 9 cities in 5 countries around the world, with filming locations spanning three continents: Asia, Europe and Africa, from London in Europe to Victoria Falls in Africa, and then to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

It can be said to be extremely luxurious, and even among this year's movies, there really is no one else like it.

"So, how are you two going to divide it?" Chen Mo was also a bit of a headache looking at Yang Mi and Zhao Liying, who were staring at each other with wide eyes.

The relationship between Yang Mi, Zhao Liying, and Jing Tian is arguably the worst among all of his harem members.

Even after several years, it remains the same.

Sure enough, with the other four women either pregnant or having given birth, Zhao Liying couldn't sit still any longer.

Yang Mi was naturally dissatisfied. She was already in a hurry, and she had finally gotten close to the source, but unfortunately, she didn't get the moon first. She had already planned that she wouldn't leave until she got the tiger this time.

But unexpectedly, things didn't go as planned, and Zhao Liying also showed up.

The two were at loggerheads from the moment they met.

"Why are you here?" Yang Mi's expression turned somewhat unfriendly when she saw Zhao Liying.

"Hehe, why can't I come? I'm not like you. I gave you a chance, but you were useless. It's been so long!" Zhao Liying stabbed Yang Mi in the back right from the start.

"Hmph, we're all equally bad. It's a good thing that someone was one of the first to follow him. It's been so many years and there's still no sign of anything happening. Expecting a miracle is unrealistic." Yang Mi retorted, directly mocking Zhao Liying for being Chen Mo's first woman and having been with him the longest, even earlier than Jing Tian in some ways.

As a result, after all these years, there has been no movement whatsoever.

"Enough!" Chen Mo was so annoyed by the two arguing that he knew he couldn't let them continue, or he would really explode.

"Humph!"

"Humph!"

The two snorted at each other, but did not continue arguing.

Chen Mo secretly wiped away a cold sweat, coughed, and changed the subject, saying, "I'm planning to take you to the premieres of 'Vanguard' and 'The Eight Hundred' respectively. You can choose one."

"Which one do you think is more promising?" Yang Mi and Zhao Liying asked in unison.

"Don't say it!" Then, with perfect understanding, the two spoke at the same time once again.

Chen Mo felt as if there was lightning and thunder between their eyes.

Suddenly, Yang Mi's foxy eyes lit up, and she said, "Hey, don't say I didn't give you a chance, do you dare to take a gamble?"

Zhao Liying retorted, "Let's bet! What are we betting on?"

"Let's bet on the box office of these two movies! Whoever wins will have to grovel before the other!" Yang Mi said with a sly glint in her eyes.

"Hehe, okay! Let's bet!" Zhao Liying said aggressively.

Neither of them would give in.

Chen Mo didn't interrupt at this moment.

To be honest, neither of them seems to have a very good eye for choosing films.

Whether it's Yang Mi or Zhao Liying, it seems that both of their big-screen works have been rather dismal.

Although Yang Mi has acted in many big-screen works, she is really not good at them! If it weren't for "Fame and Fortune", none of the movies she starred in would be worth mentioning.

Zhao Liying was in an even worse situation. In any case, Chen Mo felt that the two of them were just rookies fighting each other.

(End of this chapter)