This director is vindictive.

Chapter 281 Global Sour Lemon Awards: A Night of Revelry for Chinese Netizens, and a Time for Foreign Netizens to Break Down

Chinese netizens spread the word and were overjoyed by these extremely simple rules.

Unlike Chinese netizens who were excitedly sharing the news and giving countless likes, overseas netizens were genuinely envious and their teeth ached from the jealousy.

It's true that you don't know the harm without comparison; overseas netizens are really envious! They can't help but be envious! That's a benefit worth billions!

Moreover, there are quite a few high-value prizes inside, and the key is that there are no tricks involved. Anyone can participate in the draw, and the winning rate is not low.

After all, Chen Mo's last live stream proved that he really wasn't like others who put on a show of deception; he was genuinely giving away freebies!

Such a great opportunity, but because they are not Chinese citizens, do not have Chinese nationality, and are not located in China, they can only watch and cannot participate. How can they not feel envious, jealous, and resentful?

Especially when ByteDance decided to connect the live stream to the international version of TikTok, enabling simultaneous live streaming both domestically and internationally, it made overseas netizens even more envious.

ByteDance's move was intended to attract more overseas users to TikTok, ostensibly so that they could watch the live-streaming extravaganza without needing to bypass internet restrictions or use VPNs.

But this only made them more frustrated, because they could only watch others eat meat while they couldn't even get a sip of soup!
Watching others win big prizes while you can't do anything but watch is an incredibly painful feeling.

As a result, overseas users on TikTok flooded the #ChenMoGiveaway hashtag with comments like, "Why are prizes only available to addresses in China?!"

As the live stream date approaches, the "sour grapes" behavior of overseas netizens is intensifying. The hashtag #ChenMoGiveaway on TikTok has surpassed 10 billion views, and the comment section is flooded with protests in various languages:
"This is unfair! We are also TikTok users, why can't we participate?" (in English)

"Chen Mo's live stream is broadcast globally, but the perks are only for Chinese viewers? Heartbreaking!" (Spanish)

"I suggest ByteDance create an international version of the lottery, even if the prizes are smaller!" (Japanese)

"This is discrimination! Discrimination against foreigners, just like how we foreigners are often called 'laowai' (old foreigners) by Chinese people when we visit China!" (in English)

On TikTok's international version, the comment section of the hashtag #ChenMoGiveaway has been completely flooded with sarcastic remarks. The number of comments from overseas netizens is increasing at a rate of tens of thousands per minute, even spawning multiple sub-topics.
#WhyChinaOnly (Why only China?) — Western netizens collectively broke down, posting their "humble" TikTok viewing records and questioning why they couldn't participate in the giveaway.

#FakeGiveaway – Some radical users accused Chen Mo of “discriminating against overseas fans.” Despite the live stream not being advertised as being for a global audience, the emotional rants still garnered a lot of likes.

#TeachMeChinese — Some netizens have taken a different approach and started researching how to quickly "become a Chinese citizen," with some even posting their Chinese learning notes: "Is it too late to register for a Chinese ID card now?"

Chen Mo wasn't particularly concerned, after all, he had never thought about playing the international version.

However, ByteDance could not ignore such public pressure, so it launched an emergency public relations campaign.

The overseas business division held an emergency meeting overnight. Early on August 12th, the official TikTok account released a bilingual announcement:

"To thank users worldwide for their support, we will add 10 'International Lucky Draw' prizes (randomly given away Xiaomi headphones, snack gift packs, cosmetic gift packs, etc.), but the main draw rules remain unchanged."

The announcement calmed the emotions of overseas netizens somewhat, but some influential figures still complained: "10 copies? China has 5000 million copies! The difference is huge..."

Of course, these were just side stories. In fact, ByteDance did contact Chen Mo after hearing about the enthusiasm of overseas netizens, asking if they could respond to the overseas netizens and appease them.

They also tentatively inquired about the possibility of hosting a global live broadcast in the future.

Although Chen Mo hadn't considered overseas netizens in the first place, the enthusiasm they showed this time was indeed somewhat frightening.

Moreover, in theory, there is no problem with global live streaming, since it doesn't cost Chen Mo any money. However, it is certainly not realistic at present.

So, although he didn't agree to do any global live streaming, he still responded.

"The essence of the giveaway is to give back to the domestic audience, just like how the NBA championship parade only gives out commemorative T-shirts to home fans. However—" he changed the subject, "if the overseas viewership is still this high next time the live stream is broadcast, I will consider planning a special global giveaway event."

Chen Mo's response can be seen as putting an end to this controversy.

After all, it's not realistic to suddenly turn it into a global live broadcast!
However, Chen Mo's response still garnered praise from many overseas netizens.

Most people expressed understanding and anticipation.

"Although I can't participate in the lucky draw this time, I understand. A live stream involving hundreds of millions of people definitely needs to be planned in advance!"

"I hope the next one can truly achieve global harmony!"

"I envy Chinese netizens again. Why are there so many rich people in our country who are richer than Chen Mo, but they have never thought about giving back to the public? They just want to put our money into their own pockets!"

Only a small number of people still expressed discrimination, but Chen Mo didn't care at all.

As time goes by, the time for this truly "highly anticipated" live broadcast is getting closer and closer.

Netizens' enthusiasm is growing.

Some netizens suggested that Chen Mo should simply make live streaming a regular thing, like Singles' Day and Double Twelve, and create a special sales event!

This suggestion quickly garnered a huge number of likes and shares.

"This is a great suggestion, and I feel there's a very high chance it will succeed!"

"The current live stream is just as popular as those shopping festivals; a special deals festival is definitely in order!"

"That's right. There weren't any shopping festivals before. Since we can create shopping festivals, why can't we have welfare festivals?"

"Isn't the 'Benefit Festival' much better than those shopping festivals where the tricks get increasingly complicated and you end up finding things are more expensive than usual? I wholeheartedly support it!"

Chen Mo rarely posts a response: "A welfare festival is something we can consider, but let's discuss it after this live stream ends!"

To be honest, Lei Jun and Lao Wang had jokingly mentioned this "welfare festival" before.

And indeed, at present, it is quite feasible.

Chen Mo's response reignited public opinion.

Financial media analysis states: "The cross-border replication from shopping festivals to welfare festivals is essentially an upgrade of the traffic economy. If Chen Moruo can transform the live streaming IP into a fixed festival, it will not only consolidate user stickiness but also reconstruct the cyclical pattern of e-commerce promotions."

Meanwhile, creative suggestions from netizens have begun to emerge: "It is suggested that the welfare festival be set between 618 and Double 11. August 814th would be a good day, which can greatly alleviate the fatigue of 'shopping spree'!"

"We could add a lottery system, such as allowing viewers to earn points based on their viewing time, which can then be directly redeemed for goods!"

"It's not just Chen Mo who can do this; everyone else can also distribute welfare benefits on Welfare Day!"

The hashtag #814WelfareFestival# quickly became a trending topic.

Interestingly, in the past, whether it was the Double Eleven shopping festival or the mid-year promotion, these "festivals" were actually specially launched by merchants, but the "welfare festival" is actually spontaneously created by netizens.

Discussions about the welfare festival have been endless, but many people have found that, in fact, the buzz and exposure generated by Chen Mo's live stream, as well as the enthusiasm of people to participate, have even surpassed the well-known mid-year promotions, Double Eleven shopping festivals, and so on.

Perhaps this proves the saying, "Sincerity is the ultimate weapon!"
As the hashtag #814WelfareFestival# trended on Weibo, netizens' creativity and enthusiasm completely ignited social media. The topic garnered over 800 million views on Weibo within two hours, spawning numerous related sub-topics. #WelfareFestivalCouponGrabbingContest#—netizens shared their "preparation lists": from screenshots of accounts registered under the family's real names to "tactical deployment diagrams" of multiple devices logging in simultaneously; some even created Excel spreadsheets to analyze the winning patterns of past live streams, claiming to have found a "mystical formula."

#What if the Welfare Festival came true# - Joke writers are making wild jokes: "I suggest changing the statutory holidays to August 814th, since shopping festivals don't give holidays, but welfare festivals must have paid leave!" "From now on, the calendar will mark: Qixi Festival is Valentine's Day, and August 814th is 'Poverty Alleviation Day'."

So far, it can be said that although there is no merchant endorsement for the "Welfare Festival", netizens have spontaneously designated August 14th as the so-called "Welfare Festival"!
Even several encyclopedias have added new entries for "Welfare Festival".

The entry states that Chen Mo single-handedly created a universally recognized "festival"!
Financial commentators quickly followed up with a quick commentary, stating: "The popularity of the 'Welfare Festival' concept reflects the public's desire for 'de-routine' welfare benefits. If it becomes a fixed IP, it may subvert the logic of e-commerce promotions—after all, Singles' Day requires calculating discounts, while the Welfare Festival only needs to sincerely 'give away money'."

The popularity of the "Welfare Festival" has also made businesses see the value it contains.

Douyin took the lead by posting an official statement praising the "Welfare Festival" and stating that they will consider holding related welfare giveaways on August 14th every year in the future!
ByteDance is fast enough, but other vendors are not slow either.

Soon, many domestic platforms, including several e-commerce giants and some major brand manufacturers, began to acknowledge the concept of the "814 Welfare Festival".

They also indicated plans to launch welfare festival-related activities in the future!

In no time, the "814 Welfare Festival" actually took shape. It's conceivable that as long as Chen Mo's welfare live stream is successful, then in the future, whether Chen Mo admits it or not, the merchants will not allow this welfare festival to disappear.

After all, this is a huge opportunity for them to attract traffic!

As for giving out benefits, what's that little bit of money? As long as the results are good, they really don't care about that little bit of money.

Inspired by the "Welfare Festival," ByteDance also began its final pre-live broadcast promotion.

On the evening of August 13, Douyin's splash screen ad was changed to a countdown animation: a red envelope kept expanding and finally exploded into the golden words "2 billion welfare".

With reservations exceeding 3.2 million, server stress tests have triggered emergency responses three times in a row.

What's even more interesting is that Douyin actually incorporated a meme into this splash screen ad.

A small word "start" was added after "20 billion in benefits"!
This clever move by TikTok quickly gained traction, with many netizens making fun of it.

"That word 'starting' is so well used! It suddenly reminds me of those billboards where the most common thing is 'everything is 1% off or more'!"

"Haha, no problem. Before, it was 10% off and the starting price was so much, which looked very tempting. But in reality, the word 'starting' made everyone see the other party's scale. But this time, Chen Mo's 'unlimited benefits' with a guaranteed minimum of 2 billion also made everyone see Chen Mo's scale. This time, Chen Mo is definitely on a grand scale!"

"Damn it, it makes me so angry! Those consumer finance loan interest rates, they advertise all sorts of low interest rates in big letters, then secretly add a 'starting from' at the end. When you actually look at it, you realize that the number is just for show, you can't actually enjoy it!"

"No problem, this word 'qi' reminds me of Pinduoduo's 'cut a knife'—always 0.01% short!"

Media commentators also remarked: "The difference between '20 billion' and 'starting from 20 billion' reflects the public's keen ability to deconstruct 'word games' in the internet age—but this time, everyone is willing to be 'tricked'."

Overseas netizens also joined in the fun, leaving machine-translated Chinese comments: "起=maybe? Can the international version of TikTok also use 'maybe'?"

On the same day, even CCTV's official WeChat account published an article titled "Qixi Night: A New Economic Phenomenon Behind a Live Broadcast," which quoted experts as saying, "This live broadcast has transcended the commercial realm and become a sample for observing domestic consumption vitality and the internet ecosystem."

Brands, of course, were not to be outdone. After all, the price they paid this time was considerable, so they naturally hoped that the live stream would be as exciting as possible and would not be averse to any opportunity to create hype.

Inside the Xiaomi Science and Technology Park, Lei Jun was recording a promotional video in front of a mobile phone camera: "10 mobile phones have all been put into storage, and the logistics system has been upgraded!"

The camera panned across the walls of shipping containers in the warehouse, and the comments section exploded instantly:

"Lei Jun's move is on fire!" "Have you already got your winning phone case?"

Coca-Cola launched a limited-edition "Qixi Festival bottle" with "lemon-flavored emoji" printed in both Chinese and English on the bottle, subtly mocking overseas netizens for being "jealous," which ironically triggered a buying frenzy.

Meanwhile, in the live-streaming workshop of BYD's factory, a thousand Song PLUS vehicles were neatly arranged, each with a special "Chen Mo Qixi Festival Special" plaque on its windshield. Old Wang shouted into the camera, "All winning vehicles are exempt from purchase tax, and we even cover the license plate processing service!"

It also garnered countless likes, and BYD's decision to even cover the license plate processing service made Zhou Hongyi the target of another round of ridicule.

Vanke launched the #IfIWinAHouse# challenge on Douyin, and netizens went wild with the memes:

"The first thing I'll do after winning the lottery: fire my boss!"

"The central room? I suggest directly changing it to a sub-venue for Chen Mo's Welfare Festival! The winner of the central room draw will receive a 10-year free live stream voucher!"

"The scope has been broadened! What's Zhongfang compared to this? Chen Mo should give away 'Earth residency rights' in his next live stream. Mars colonization is too far away, let's do a 'welfare ball' first!"

"To be precise, it's called 'Silent Room'! The winner collects rent every day without having to go to work, but must watch 8 hours of live stream—a gift from the Blessing Festival (doge!)"

"Wake up, upstairs! If you get a room, remember to share half with me. I'll help you spam the 'Generous Boss' comment section!"

Many people were surprised to find that the "welfare festival" was appearing more and more frequently, and many people had even begun to get used to this "festival" that had only just appeared!
To put it bluntly, for these so-called commercially created "festivals" to gain public acceptance, they must make people feel real "benefits"!
In the early years, shopping festivals offered genuine discounts, and there weren't so many tricks involved. But in recent years, shopping festivals have become more and more of a formality.

Because there are so many promotional activities from merchants; they hold so-called discount events for every holiday.

Just like Pinduoduo's 10 billion yuan subsidy, it has long become a "normal" practice!
From initially enjoying real benefits, to later actually avoiding so-called shopping festivals and mid-year promotions, frankly speaking, it's entirely the platform's fault.

However, the reason why the "Welfare Festival" was accepted so quickly is mainly because people are familiar with this type of "festival" and have a high level of acceptance. In addition, Chen Mo's live broadcasts that gave away benefits have genuinely benefited tens of millions of people, so they naturally hope that this welfare festival can become a reality.

In fact, many people on the internet have created a so-called "814 Welfare Festival" hashtag, and the hashtag actually quickly went viral due to netizens' likes and shares.

Getting back to the main point, as the live broadcast time approached, "lottery strategies" spontaneously organized by netizens spread like wildfire on social media.

A popular Zhihu post titled "How to Increase Your Chance of Winning" proposes a mystical theory: "Based on data from Chen Mo's first five live streams, users who participated in the interaction during the period when the character '福' (fortune) was trending increased their chances of winning by 37%."

Under the Weibo hashtag #QixiLivestreamBargainHuntingGuide#, a user posted a screenshot of their entire family's (eight members) real-name authentication: "The larger the denominator, the larger the numerator!"

There are even live streamers who specialize in teaching how to better take advantage of deals, and the popularity of these streams is surprisingly high.

The creativity of overseas netizens is even more laughable. On TikTok, a Japanese blogger named "Ichiro-kun" posted a "Tutorial on Pretending to be Chinese," using pinyin to indicate the pronunciation of "I love Chen Mo";

American college students formed a group to film a video titled "A Letter to Chen Mo," collectively holding up a banner with calligraphy that read: "Requesting an international version of the lottery."

A French tourist also posted a photo of themselves at Beijing Airport with the caption: "I'm not Chinese, but my address is in China. Can I still participate in the lucky draw?"

As a renowned director in the entertainment industry, Chen Mo's activities generate so much buzz that it's practically a nationwide celebration, and celebrities in the industry naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to ride his coattails.

Many celebrities also posted screenshots of their live stream reservations on Weibo, with captions such as: "Looking forward to the big giveaway!" and "Director Chen's giveaways are a must-see!"

Yang Chaoyue, a big fan of Chen Mo who laughed so hard her jaw dislocated when he responded, and known as the "lucky charm," posted a short video imitating netizens' "tips for getting freebies," playfully winking at the camera: "I heard that sending bullet comments when the 'Fu' character is flooding the screen increases your chances of winning? Then I'll stay in the live stream room tonight!"

The video immediately went viral on Douyin, with fans imitating it and even creating derivative works featuring the "lucky koi fish gesture".

(End of this chapter)