This director is vindictive.

Chapter 246 Two Top-Tier Web Series
Chen Mo's answer surprised both Guan Hu and Wang Jun.

The main reason they discovered was that what Chen Mo said seemed to actually be true.

Because their previous promotions did indeed claim to "restore history" rather than "adapt from history"!
But how can a movie truly recreate history?

Actually, this is entirely a character filter. If someone else said something like this, they would just think you don't know anything, but when Chen Mo says it, it's a completely different story.

After all, a person's reputation is like a tree casting a shadow. Regardless of others, if Chen Mo says this today, the public will think the same way tomorrow.

However, sometimes when you're in the world, you're not in control of your own destiny!
Although Chen Mo actually praised the film more than he criticized it, and didn't say anything polite or sarcastic, once he spoke, how people interpreted or understood it was no longer up to him.

The media will interpret Chen Mo's words in a comprehensive way.

For example, even though Chen Mo didn't mean it that way before, it doesn't matter what he thinks; what matters is what the audience likes to watch.

Sure enough, the media reports went completely off track that very evening.

"Chen Mo once again demonstrates the art of language, subtly implying that the adaptation of 'The Eight Hundred' is not a fabrication, and that the plot is like a fishbone stuck in my throat."

"Chen Mo once again criticizes 'The Eight Hundred,' highlighting a fatal blunder in its publicity, a sarcastic commentary on the low-level marketing and distribution of 'The Eight Hundred'!"

The "epic recreation" promotion of "The Eight Hundred" may be met with an "epic slap in the face"!

The key point is that netizens who saw the preview screening immediately felt like they had found their tribe.

"Holy crap, Chen Mo really dares to say that! But he's absolutely right, that phone line scene was totally treating the audience like idiots!"

"Guan Hu claimed he wanted to show the audience the most authentic War of Resistance against Japan, but what was the result? Most of it was fabricated!"

"Fighter jets dive and straf, soldiers use their flesh and blood to protect the flag - a typical 'anti-Japanese war drama' plot."

Of course, not all media outlets reported it this way; after all, they also spent money on publicity and promotion.

Compared to "Vanguard", "The Eight Hundred" is at least more watchable.

Especially the film's ubiquitous extreme contrasts and striking visuals, along with its moving scenes, are more than enough for a movie.

On August 21, after the release of the two films, Chen Mo was once again brought up as a benchmark.

"A benchmark in the critical world, the director who dares to speak the truth the most!"

Because everything Chen Mo said before was proven true by the audience after the movie was released.

The flaws of films like "Vanguard" and the highlights and flaws of films like "The Eight Hundred" can almost all be found in the audience's own experiences.

The box office results of the two films were also vastly different.

"The Eight Hundred" has undoubtedly become the biggest winner of this period, although there is certainly some controversy.

Just as Chen Mo said, this movie has both obvious strengths and weaknesses.

Its strengths lie in its cinematic language, striking contrasts, and moving scenes, among others.

The downside is that some plot points don't hold up to scrutiny, and the plot is incredibly illogical!

However, overall, its merits outweigh its flaws.

"Vanguard" fared rather poorly.

Jackie Chan was jokingly told that he's too old and should retire if he can't fight anymore, instead of pushing himself too hard.

The dialogue in the movie was indeed incredibly awkward, and the scene where Yang Yang's head could be cut off but his hairstyle could not be messed up drew a lot of criticism from moviegoers.

The result was self-evident: Vanguard received a score of less than 5 on the internet.

Although there have been many bad Chinese films that have sold well, the ratings on film review websites such as Douban and Mtime are still quite valuable.

At the very least, if a movie has a rating below 5, it's practically guaranteed to be a bad movie.

For a movie to be a box office hit, its rating must at least be above average.

Although "The Eight Hundred" received mixed reviews, it still scored at least 7 points, which is above average and even close to excellent.

Chen Mo's predictions and comments at the premiere have been widely recognized as a bellwether for many moviegoers' choices.

"It has to be Chen Mo! Good is good, bad is bad. From now on, when watching a movie, we can just see what Chen Mo thinks!"

"Indeed, it seems he's never been wrong. If he says it's good, it's bound to be a huge hit; if he says it's bad, it's basically a terrible movie!"

"I suggest that any domestic movies that want to be released should first invite Chen Mo to the premiere, haha!"

Chen Mo hadn't expected it to have such an effect.

However, at this moment, he was watching Yang Mi and Zhao Liying smiling smugly.

How could they not be proud? The box office of "The Eight Hundred" far surpassed that of "Vanguard," and it almost completely crushed it.

Chen Mo has clearly won once again.

However, Yang Mi and Zhao Liying looked at him with sharp eyes.

"I have a feeling we've been tricked by him!" Yang Mi said, biting her lip.

Zhao Liying, unusually, also stood on the same side as her, nodding and saying, "Clearly, he had planned this all along!"

"Hey, you two, you should honor your bet! It wasn't me who brought it up first, you were the ones who wanted to bet! I even said before that I should choose 'Vanguard,' but you two disagreed!" Chen Mo said, dissatisfied.

What a joke! How could he possibly admit that he tricked them?

"Anyway, you're definitely just trying to trick us, this bet doesn't count!" Yang Mi started to cheat.

"No, that doesn't count! Don't get your hopes up! Humph!" Zhao Liying snorted coldly.

"You guys are being really shameless! As the saying goes, a gentleman's word is as good as his bond. Are you trying to go back on your word?" Chen Mo said with dissatisfaction.

Having finally found an opportunity to sleep together again, he wasn't about to let such a chance slip by so easily.

“We’re not gentlemen, we’re women!” Yang Mi said, giving Chen Mo a flirtatious glare.

“Yes! And I have a feeling you already knew about these two movies, you were just trying to trick us.” Zhao Liying said suspiciously.

However, despite their verbal bluffing, Chen Mo never expected that the two of them would sneak into his room one after the other that night.

The main reason is that they feel a sense of urgency, especially since Gao Yuanyuan and others are pregnant, and Zhang Yuqi is even pregnant with twins, which makes them eager to have children as well.

As a result, Chen Mo had to leave the house supporting his back the next day.

Being a man is tough! Especially for men who have women on both sides!

Chen Mo sighed, "As expected, novels are all lies. Wei Xiaobao fighting seven people at once is simply unscientific!"

However, the experience of bringing together two sworn enemies is truly indescribable to outsiders.

Anyway, it gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

Meanwhile, Gao Yuanyuan's due date is getting closer and closer.

Although Yang Mi and Zhao Liying wished they could keep Chen Mo by their side and keep exploiting him until he got pregnant, they were still very sensible.

Knowing this, Chen Mo had to go to Gao Yuanyuan's place next, since she was about to give birth.

Having experienced Jing Tian's childbirth, Chen Mo wasn't as nervous or anxious this time.

Although Gao Yuanyuan is a generation older than Jing Tian and can be considered an older mother, she pays attention to exercise and is in good health in all aspects.

She gave birth to a boy smoothly and named him Chen Yan.

Holding the child, Chen Mo was momentarily stunned. Unconsciously, he already had two children, and three more were on the way.

Soon everyone was sending their blessings and various gifts to Chen Mo's first son.

Mr. and Mrs. Chen rushed over to see their grandson immediately.

The older generation's preference for sons over daughters is deeply ingrained. Although the Chen family wasn't that extreme, you could still see the joy and importance that the parents showed when they held little Chen Yan, which far exceeded their previous affection for their youngest daughter, Dou Dou.

When the elderly couple arrived, they naturally gave Chen Mo a good scolding.

Moreover, once they arrived, Chen Mo was actually the one who started to be disliked.

On the other hand, Chen Mo is jokingly referred to by netizens as an industry benchmark, and is even regarded as a trendsetter for movie viewing.

According to statistics from relevant organizations, the premieres that Chen Mo attended often generated a lot of buzz and exposure, which, although difficult to quantify, was something that many film promotions that cost millions or even tens of millions of yuan could hardly achieve.

This has led to several films scheduled for release during the National Day holiday inviting Chen Mo to their premieres through various connections. These include films such as *My People, My Homeland* and *Jiang Ziya*.

This annoyed Chen Mo so much that he simply refused them all at once.

The reason is simple: he's about to start a new job.

The original plan was not changed because of "Making a Name for Oneself".

Chen Mo had already instructed his writing team and the original author, Zi Jinchen, to polish the scripts for the remaining two web series in the Mist Trilogy.

So, he wasn't making excuses; he really was going to start making preparations.

However, unlike his previous works "I Am Yu Huanshui" and "The Hidden Corner", Chen Mo is going to film these two web dramas next.

It can be said to be the pinnacle of Chinese online dramas.

However, both of these dramas are also shockingly explicit.

The content of "The Hidden Corner" is actually quite explicit, especially the original novel. If it were actually filmed, it probably would never have been released.

In other words, after the adaptation, the ending became more ambiguous, which is why it was able to be released online.

Even so, it has still caused quite a bit of controversy.

The upcoming dramas "The Untouchable" and "The Silent Truth" are arguably much more daring than "The Hidden Corner".

Therefore, Chen Mo made ample preparations to ensure the success of these two dramas.

I made a special appointment with Third Master, who has stepped down as chairman of China Film Group but is still a godfather-level figure in the entire Chinese film industry.

In an old teahouse in Beijing, Chen Mo skillfully brewed and prepared tea.

"Third Master, please!"

Third Master picked up his teacup and took a sip.

He put down his teacup and looked at Chen Mo, even he was filled with emotion: "I remember the first time I met you, you had just released your first movie. I never imagined that in just a few years, you would have reached this level. Truly, the younger generation is surpassing the older! You are a force to be reckoned with!"

"You flatter me, Third Master. Compared to your contributions to Chinese-language films, I've only been fortunate to live in a good era," Chen Mo said sincerely.

Regardless of how others evaluate Third Master, Chen Mo believes he truly deserves such praise.

Therefore, he truly admired him from the bottom of his heart.

"As the saying goes, no one visits the temple without a reason. So, what brings you here?" After some casual conversation, Third Master asked with a smile.

"I'm having trouble controlling the content of the two new dramas I'm preparing to film, so I'd like to ask Third Master for some guidance," Chen Mo explained with a smile.

In my past life, the mastermind behind the Mist Trilogy was Third Master.

Although Chen Mo intercepted the trilogy, there were still things he needed to do.

Of the three parts, "The Hidden Corner" was a bit better, but the latter two, without someone like Third Master's endorsement, would have presented Chen Mo with considerable problems, even with his current status.

"Oh? What kind of drama could make even a great director like you lose control?" Third Master couldn't help but become curious.

After all, the censorship of film and television works in China is quite flexible.

Chen Mo, a top-tier director renowned throughout the country, is known for his flexibility. If even he couldn't grasp the right balance, you can imagine how outrageous things must have been.

"This is the script! Third Master can take a look. I believe you'll understand after reading it." Chen Mo took out the completed story script and placed it in front of Third Master.

Third Master first picked up the script for "The Untouchable Crime" and started reading it.

Chen Mo didn't say anything, but continued to brew tea.

After watching for a while, a look of surprise appeared on Third Master's face.

He put down the script for "The Untouchable Crime" and exclaimed in amazement, "It's a good script! However, the content is indeed a bit outrageously explicit."

"The Untouchable" can be said to be a work that is different from the current domestic suspense dramas.

You could even say that this is a human nature experiment disguised as a suspense film!

It contrasts sharply with social reasoning.

Moreover, it's a stark contrast in terms of hardcore aspects.

You could even call it the Chinese version of "Malice"!
The biggest unconventional aspect of this drama is that the murderer reveals himself in the first three episodes, and the focus of the case shifts from "who is the murderer" to "why the crime was committed".

Meanwhile, the collusion between the protagonist, police officer Yan Liang, and criminal Luo Wen can be said to have completely subverted the traditional police-criminal confrontation model.

"Your script is very interesting! It allows the audience to see the depravity of humanity without having to guess the murderer." As someone who has worked in the film and television industry for forty years, Third Master could see the uniqueness of this script at a glance.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, then frowned slightly and tapped his fingers rhythmically on the script.

“But the scale is indeed too large. If you really film it according to the script, you can forget about your show being released. Even if I were to handle it, it would cause a lot of controversy,” Third Master said to Chen Mo.

"Especially, if the scenes of Li Fengtian harvesting a heart and Zhu Huiru killing her sexual predator were filmed..." Third Master shook his head.

"Also, this character Luo Wen, who commits a series of murders while searching for his wife and daughter, if you write the script like that and film it, it's easy for the audience to sympathize with him. You're completely challenging the bottom line of censorship that 'justice will prevail'," Third Master added.

Chen Mo nodded and said, "But if we don't film it this way, the essence of the drama will be lost. That's why I wanted to ask Third Master for help. How can we showcase it to the greatest extent possible without crossing any red lines?"

"You, you have such great ambitions! You're trying to create the pinnacle of Chinese dramas! You've turned a suspense drama into a human anatomy report—bloody, but every cut is precise." Third Master pointed at Chen Mo and sighed with a smile.

“Even the character of Li Fengtian reminds me of those classic villains, such as the Joker in Batman, Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, and John Doe in Seven,” Third Master added.

Chen Mo smiled and said, "This is adapted from someone else's novel. However, indeed, the character Li Fengtian has a good chance of becoming the pinnacle of villains."

Of course, it also depends on the actors' performances.

“This script is indeed excellent, and it certainly has the potential to become a classic. I’ll lend my name to it,” Third Master said.

Chen Mo was overjoyed and said, "Thank you, Third Master! With your name on the credits, the show is all set!"

"Let me take another look!" With the masterpiece "The Untraceable Crime" as a precedent, Third Master became even more curious about the other book.

He quickly opened "The Silent Truth" and started reading.

This time, however, he read very slowly, and the more he read, the deeper his brows furrowed.

I couldn't help but gasp.

Having worked within the system for decades, he knows better than most that compared to the previous "The Untouchable Crime," this "The Silent Truth" is the most daring!

He couldn't help but look up at Chen Mo, becoming even more amazed by Chen Mo's ambition.

However, considering that Chen Mo is now China's first director to achieve a box office of 10 billion yuan, he still holds this honor alone.

So, two web series don't seem like much.

However, compared to "The Untouchable Crime," this "Silent Truth" or the original novel "The Long Night" is what gives Third Master a bit of a headache.

Nothing more. The former is at most a matter of the scale of bloodshed and violence, as well as the issue of the criminal's characterization.

Although the scale is large, it is not unavoidable.

However, "The Silent Truth" is really hard to evaluate.

The story is, of course, a good story. Even just reading the script, he could feel the impact of the words, let alone when it was made into a film.

But it was precisely because of this that even Third Master became somewhat hesitant.

Because "The Silent Truth" touches on a "forbidden zone" drama that touches on the dark side, corruption, and media silence!
This topic is too sensitive.

The plot, in particular, is also extremely sensitive.

After pondering for a moment and drinking three cups of tea, Third Master finally spoke: "I'll explain, and you write it down!"

Chen Mo quickly took out paper and pen.

"First of all, the background of the case absolutely cannot be in the present! It's best to set it back to earlier times, such as around 2000, to reduce its relevance to the present!"
Secondly, the ending must include the subtitle "The villain is brought to justice".

Furthermore, the direct presentation of underage victims must be avoided!
Finally, the ultimate goal must be to conform to mainstream values. Your script doesn't reflect that, so it won't do!" Third Master said, while Chen Mo took careful notes.

Although some people in the past said that the ending was forced to be bright, the real darkness was never shown!

But if it's actually filmed, then you can forget about ever seeing this show.

(End of this chapter)