This director is vindictive.

Chapter 260 Chen Mo's Character Collapses?

To be fair, Yang Mi did show a different side of herself in "A Writer's Odyssey" compared to her past work.

For example, at least the signature move that was shown repeated 5 times in 2.8 seconds in "The Negotiator" did not appear this time.

Of course, if Chen Mo thinks she can break free from the "Queen of Bad Movies" label with this film, all I can say is, she's dreaming!

All I can say is that Yang Mi has indeed improved in this film, but not by much!

After the film screening, the creators went on stage for an interactive session.

Since Yang Mi didn't come, Chen Mo, the game booster, definitely won't let this opportunity pass.

The host then deliberately steered the conversation toward Chen Mo: "Director Chen, do you think Yang Mi's portrayal of the villain this time is a breakthrough?"

The entire room fell silent instantly. Everyone suppressed a laugh and looked at Chen Mo with curiosity.

After all, the relationship between Yang Mi and Chen Mo is almost common knowledge. Will she "sacrifice family for the greater good"? Should we give a neutral and objective evaluation, or just overhype?
Chen Mo glanced at the expectant gazes below the stage and slowly began to speak: "The character of Tu Ling is inherently very compelling, and Yang Mi's performance..."

He deliberately dragged out his words, and as everyone held their breath, he suddenly chuckled: "It's definitely much better than the plastic AI in 'Legend of Ravaging Dynasties'."

The audience erupted in laughter and applause, and Ning Hao covered his face, trying to suppress his laughter.

The audience below were all laughing hysterically.

Chen Mo: I praised him, but not completely!

Translation: His acting has improved, but the extent of that improvement... those who know, know!

"Hilarious! That was a perfect example of Yin-Yang magic! Yang Mi is probably going to smash her phone at home!"

Ning Hao kept winking and exchanging glances with the host, mainly because he had a bad feeling. After all, Chen Mo had even spoken sarcastically about Yang Mi, so how could he be lenient with the movie?
Seeing this, the host quickly changed the subject.

But what's meant to happen will happen eventually.

As is customary after the premiere, the media interview session finally arrived.

Director Chen, what is your opinion of the film "A Writer's Odyssey"?

If this question were asked of other directors or guests, it would be a generic question. But when asked of Chen Mo, it becomes a major source of amusement and a signature question.

Ning Hao and Lu Yang were both a little nervous. Although whatever Chen Mo said, whether it was criticizing or praising, it would bring a wave of exposure to the film.

But nobody wants to be on Chen Mo's "yin-yang" list!

Chen Mo really didn't intend to say anything sarcastic this time, mainly out of consideration for Yang Mi.

After all, I missed their promotion, and they didn't say anything; it's just a way of returning the favor.

Of course, it's impossible for him to exaggerate. Chen Mo also has his pride, and the other party hasn't reached the point where Chen Mo can lie through his teeth.

"Ahem, actually, movies are a very personal thing. After a movie is released, a thousand people will have a thousand different interpretations of Hamlet, and everyone will have their own judgment."

"It's not that if I say it's good, it's definitely good, and if I say it's bad, it's definitely bad!" Chen Mo gave a heads-up, though he figured it wouldn't be of much use.

However, his words only fueled the media's enthusiasm, as they were able to generate countless interpretations from just this one sentence.

See, if a movie is really good, you can just praise it directly, why go through all this trouble?

"As for this movie, I think it's a bit mind-bending and I'd probably need to watch it a second time!"

Chen Mo regretted it as soon as he finished speaking. Damn it, why couldn't he control his mouth?

Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, the audience burst into laughter again. The reporters immediately caught the subtext of his words—that the film's logic was chaotic and required repeated viewings to understand.

Yes, that must be it!
Whether Chen Mo really meant it or not, does it matter? Not at all!
Master Chen Yin-Yang is online, you know what that means!
Ning Hao sighed and rubbed his forehead, while Lu Yang looked extremely embarrassed. The two of them exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat helpless.

They clearly understood the underlying meaning in Chen Mo's words.

If Chen Mo knew what they were thinking, he'd probably beat the drum to protest his innocence. You really can't blame him!
He has already tried to be tactful, and the plot is so complex that it needs to be watched twice. That's not a derogatory term at all; it can be interpreted as the plot being very complex and worth watching twice!
However, his public persona has already been fixed.

You really can’t blame him!
The media reporters were satisfied. It was definitely you, Chen Yin-Yang Master!

Actually, they didn't understand that what Chen Mo was talking about wasn't about Yin and Yang, but as the saying goes, that's not important.

What matters is what others think, and how we, the media, interpret it!

The premiere has ended, and Chen Mo's "subtle comments" unsurprisingly made "A Writer's Odyssey" a trending topic, except the hashtag was "#ChenMoSaysAWriter'sOdysseyNeedsASecondWatching#".

Chen Mo's "subtle commentary" quickly went viral online, with major entertainment media outlets reporting on it with headlines such as "Chen Mo hints at the logical inconsistencies in 'A Writer's Odyssey'" and "Chen the Yin-Yang Master delivers another golden quote: This film needs to be watched twice to understand it," and the comment section was bustling with activity.

"I know how to do this reading comprehension, but I need to do it a second time" means "I couldn't understand it at all the first time".

"The person upstairs got a perfect score on reading comprehension, hahaha!"

Chen Mo: Praising is impossible, absolutely impossible in this lifetime!

"As expected of Chen Mo, praising someone sounds like scolding them, and scolding someone sounds like praising them. Schrödinger's comment!"

Of course, some people defended the film, saying, "It could clearly be interpreted as a complex and profound plot, so why is it all being interpreted negatively?"

Unfortunately, these people completely misunderstand the thoughts of those who are just enjoying themselves and watching the drama unfold.

Whether the movie is good or not is really not important. What's important is that you interpret Chen Mo's words as a matter of Yin and Yang, and that's what makes it interesting!
"Are we reading a movie review? We're watching Chen Yin-Yang Master, okay?"

"Does it matter how good or bad the movie 'A Writer's Odyssey' is? It doesn't matter at all, okay?"

"We're doing a reading comprehension exercise, understand?"

The premiere's trending topics hadn't even cooled down yet, and netizens' fan creations were already in full swing. Someone cut Chen Mo's "I need to watch it a second time" into the movie trailer, added suspenseful sound effects from "Approaching Science," and boldly titled it—"The Reading Comprehension of Assassinating Chen Mo: The Second Half the Director Didn't Say."

The comments section instantly turned into a joke-telling arena:

"I suggest the production company release a 'Chen Mo Translator' to decode sarcastic remarks with one click."

"A second viewing? No, what Chen Yin-Yang Master means is 'the first time to see the special effects, the second time to look for the logic, and the third time to find that there is no logic at all'."

"Speaking of which, I bet Da Mi Mi is wishing she could die, right? She asked you to boost her account, not to play Onmyoji!"

Chen Mo's scathing critique of Yang Mi has been widely discussed.

That evening, Yang Mi suddenly updated her Weibo with a post: "Some people say 'I've improved,' but then they turn around and send me to the trending topics (smile) (smile)." The post included a poster of her character from "A Writer's Odyssey" and a meme of a phone screen cracked.

A wave of fans immediately appeared below.

Honey: I tolerated it, but not completely!

"So, wouldn't you say this is a case of husband and wife working in harmony? Yang Mi's sarcastic remarks are really well-executed!"

Translation: He's smiling on the surface, but inside he's probably wanted to assassinate Chen Mo a hundred times over, right?

Meanwhile, Chen Mo's phone was also bombarded with messages from all sides. He glanced at Yang Mi's Weibo, shook his head and smiled helplessly, then casually reposted and commented: "The poster is well taken. Next time you drop your phone, remember to get an old Nokia. It's cheap and durable." The accompanying picture was a screenshot of the plastic-looking special effects from the movie "Legend of Ravaging Dynasties".

"See, I've done right by you this time, haven't I?" After Chen Mo posted the message, a bunch of onlookers watched, and he turned to Yang Mi and said.

Yang Mi asked, somewhat annoyed, "Is this movie really that bad?"

"Well, the director and screenwriter did try to make the story more accessible, but to be honest, the original work had some problems, so..." Chen Mo shrugged.

Then he looked at Yang Mi with some curiosity and said, "By the way, didn't you read the original novel when you accepted the role?"

Chen Mo was genuinely puzzled. He didn't know if it was a problem with his own comprehension, or with the comprehension skills of Yang Mi and the other actresses.

The original work wasn't that famous to begin with, and its logic itself has major flaws, which is obvious to anyone with a discerning eye.

“I saw it!” Yang Mi said.

"And then? Did you understand?" Chen Mo asked.

Yang Mi was at a loss for words.

"Okay, it is a bit strange, but the script is very easy to understand! I don't see anything wrong with it!" Yang Mi said stubbornly. Seeing Chen Mo's helpless expression, Yang Mi couldn't help but kick him: "What's with that expression? The script was revised by the screenwriter. The original novel has logical problems, but the movie version has made many adjustments. The audience hasn't read the novel, so why would they think so much!"

"Hehe, whatever makes you happy!" Chen Mo said with a smirk.

What the hell are the viewers thinking if they haven't read the novel?

To be honest, Chen Mo really couldn't understand what the screenwriters and directors were thinking. Technical issues were understandable, but couldn't they see the obvious logical problems in the plot?
However, Chen Mo also admired Ning Hao and his team.

Clearly, they should have anticipated the consequences they would bring. Sure enough, the next day, the official Weibo account of "A Writer's Odyssey" released a new poster. In the poster, Tu Ling (played by Yang Mi) is holding a sign that reads "Second Reading Guide," with the caption: "Don't understand? Then read it again—Chen Mo's certified version."

They're quite capable.

Of course, this is also why everyone knows that Chen Mo's words are easily misinterpreted and misinterpreted by the media.

But the reason why they still want to invite Chen Mo to the premiere is that being infamous is still being famous!

Regardless, the exposure and buzz surrounding this event are undeniable.

Soon after, the premiere of "Detective Chinatown 3" followed.

Chen Mo couldn't refuse such a kind invitation. However, after watching it this time, he finally understood why "Hi, Mom" ​​managed to turn the tide despite being at a significant disadvantage.

The main point is, how should I put it? If Chen Mo were to tell the truth, he would say that he finally understands why the Q organization chose Qin Feng—because only he can tolerate such an outrageous plot!

Detective Chinatown 3 truly deserves its title as the most "lively" movie of this year's Spring Festival season! It's so lively that you'll forget it's originally a mystery film.
He's basically given up; he figured if you invite me, I should be prepared.

So, when the reporter asked that signature question...

Chen Mo's answer truly revealed his Onmyoji nature!

"Director Chen Sicheng's imagination is truly boundless!"

Especially the reasoning part; I spent two whole hours guessing, only to find out in the end that the murderer was… the director's imagination!

Chen Sicheng was both amused and exasperated by Chen Mo's answer, while the media reporters were practically bursting with excitement.

There's no way around it. If the first sentence was normal enough, then what the hell is this? The ending reveals that the murderer was just the director's imagination?

Has the Onmyoji evolved into the Onmyo Master?
However, Chen Mo's path to becoming an Onmyoji remained steady, and he continued:

Wang Baoqiang's performance remains consistently excellent!
Liu Haoran's face is still as striking as ever!
The action scenes were absolutely explosive!
From street racing to a chaotic brawl at Shibuya Crossing, every frame is incredibly expensive, and every second raises the question: 'What does this have to do with solving a case?'

"Pfft!" Some media reporters at the scene even burst out laughing.

They guessed Chen Mo would make a harsh comment, but they didn't expect that Chen Mo would stop pretending this time and not even say any polite words.

Did he see through his defenses?

Moreover, isn't Chen Mo afraid of being torn apart by fans of Detective Chinatown? Although many of them think that what Chen Mo said makes sense, the question is, is this really a good thing?

"Holy shit!" Chen Sicheng almost couldn't help but swear.

He and Zeng Maojun looked at each other, and to be honest, they were really on edge at this moment.

We can understand your identity as a Yin-Yang Master, Chen Mo, but this is really a bit of a shock, okay?
However, since Chen Mo had already given up and was determined to go all out, he naturally wouldn't give him any face.

"Okay, everyone, don't get me wrong. Actually, Detective Chinatown 3 is a successful commercial film overall! — As long as you don't watch it as a mystery."

Soon, the media turned their guns on Chen Sicheng.

"Director Chen, do you think the evaluation of Director Chen Mo is too harsh?" The reporters, of course, were eager for a good show and hoped that Chen Sicheng and Chen Mo would break up on the spot.

But in reality, neither Chen Sicheng, Chen Mo, nor Zeng Maojun really cared that much.

"Director Chen Mo's comments were quite creative. Actually, we just wanted to bring joy to the audience. As for whether they were too harsh, wouldn't you say we got what we wanted? I think after tonight, at least we've generated some buzz, right?"

The premiere interviews have ended.

Even Chen Sicheng and Zeng Maojun looked at Chen Mo with resentment in their eyes.

Although they had told Chen Mo beforehand that they weren't afraid of his harsh criticism, they were afraid he wouldn't speak up.

To their utter surprise, Chen Mo's scathing review was this spicy.

"Director Chen, do you really think that the reputation of 'Detective Chinatown 3' will be that much worse than the previous two films?" Zeng Maojun asked.

Chen Mo glanced at Chen Sicheng and said, "Be prepared. Although commercial films don't need logic, as long as the audience laughs a couple of times and curses a couple of times in the theater, the box office is guaranteed! Especially for sequels like this, but the expectations for your film are too high, and it has always been positioned as a mystery film, so what I said was still being tactful."

Chen Sicheng and Zeng Maojun both looked rather grim.

It wasn't because Chen Mo spoke the truth.

Rather, it was because they were worried about the film's prospects and also considering how to deal with the situation Chen Mo mentioned.

As expected, Chen Mo's sarcastic commentary once again went viral online after the premiere!
#Chen Mo: The murderer in "Detective Chinatown 3" is the director's imagination#
#Chen Mo: What does "Detective Chinatown 3" have to do with crime-solving?#
The topic quickly became a trending topic.

However, this time, the public response was not just mockery or jubilation.

After all, "Detective Chinatown 3" is indeed the most anticipated film of this year's Spring Festival, and there are quite a few fans of the Detective Chinatown series.

At the premieres of both of Chen Mo's films, he directly launched a scathing attack.

Therefore, it still caused quite a bit of controversy.

"I have a feeling that Chen Mo is trying to smear the company this time. No matter what, Detective Chinatown 3 shouldn't be that bad, right?"

"Chen Mo should still be attending the premiere of 'Hi, Mom,' right? It seems that Shengshi Pictures invested in this movie, so hopefully he'll treat everyone equally!"

"Yes, I have a feeling that the so-called movie-watching trend is now being influenced by profit. I'm waiting for Chen Mo's scathing review of 'Hi, Mom'!"

Chen Mo finds it hard to say whether Wanda has been behind these public opinions, but this time the public opinion is indeed starting to diverge.

Some people are just watching the drama unfold, still choosing to trust Chen Mo's judgment.

However, many people couldn't help but start to have doubts, after all, the first two films in the "Detective Chinatown" series were of quite good quality.

So, is the third installment really as disappointing as Chen Mo claims?

It's hard not to then wonder if Chen Mo is paving the way for the movie he invested in.

After all, the competition in this year's Spring Festival film season is fierce, and the biggest competitors are undoubtedly "Detective Chinatown 3" and "A Writer's Odyssey"!
Even some haters started stirring up trouble.

"Heh, there's no such thing as someone who's truly not swayed by self-interest and dares to speak the truth. It's all just a persona. Let's wait and see Chen Mo's persona collapse!"

"Waiting for Chen Mo's scathing review of 'Hi, Mom.' It's a short film made by an amateur director. Will Director Chen, a renowned director, end up praising it instead?"

"With a stake in this, I'm guessing Chen Mo will give 'Hi, Mom' a good review. Just wait and see!"

"When interests are involved, isn't double standards normal? Do you really think Chen Mo is so 'daring to speak the truth'?"

For a time, public opinion was in an uproar.

This sudden reversal of public opinion has surprised many people.

After all, that's Chen Mo!
Seeing the growing public opinion online, Chen Mo rubbed his temples. He turned to Yang Mi, shook his head, and chuckled, "Well, now we've really become 'yin-yang capitalists'."

"You don't seem to care too much?" Yang Mi asked curiously.

"What's there to care about? It was just something I expected," Chen Mo said, shaking his head indifferently.

In fact, Chen Mo had indeed anticipated this shift in public opinion.

He had foreseen this when he made that comment about "Detective Chinatown 3".

A quick glance at the trending topics revealed that the tag #ChenMoDoubleStandardWarning# had already climbed to seventh place. In the comments section, someone even imitated his tone and made a meme: "Predicting Master Chen's commentary on 'Hi, Mom': 'Director Jia uses maternal love to kidnap the audience's tear ducts (applause)'."

(End of this chapter)