This director is vindictive.

Chapter 358 says that in the end, we were the biggest faithless ones.

After joking around with Yang Mi and Liu Yifei for a while, Chen Mo stopped smiling and asked them seriously, "Do you know where the most serious problem lies in this incident?"

Yang Mi and Liu Yifei were both unusually quiet at this moment, because they knew in their hearts that they were indeed the ones who had caused the trouble. Liu Yifei, this "pig teammate," had insisted on bringing up the novel "The Heartbroken" and even suggested that netizens discuss it. What's even more outrageous is that Yang Mi actually agreed, and now everyone is in a very passive position.

Chen Mo continued his analysis: "Actually, how to adapt 'The Heartbroken' into a movie is my responsibility as the director. With so many readers of the original novel, it's impossible to satisfy everyone."

And to be honest, I didn't care about these things anyway.

As for the idea of ​​linking the movie and the wedding, I admit it wasn't well thought out, but if it's well-made, the audience will find their own reasons to accept it.

"But the most fatal thing is..."

Chen Mo pointed out incisively: "You leaked this plan to netizens in advance!"

The two women then realized what was going on.

Indeed, if they had only announced from the beginning that they were adapting "The Heartbroken" into a movie, without revealing the wedding details, the outcome would have been completely different. Even if some people guessed it was a promotional video for the wedding, as long as the official channels didn't confirm it, people would at most just sigh. If the film was of high quality, there wouldn't have been so much skepticism.

However, Chen Mo still doted on them. This time, he mainly wanted to give them a reminder, especially since Yang Mi had become a bit arrogant lately. This lesson came at just the right time.

Yang Mi asked curiously, "So how do you plan to convince the original author? This time, it seems like they're not entirely satisfied either."

Chen Mo smiled mysteriously and said, "Don't worry about that. Actually, we've all overcomplicated things. He's a professional science fiction writer. We've been racking our brains here trying to come up with a solution, almost burning our brains out, but we forgot that professional tasks should be left to professionals!"

Chen Mo picked up his phone and dialed a number. After the call was connected, Zhao Ming's voice came through: "Director Chen, we have contacted Teacher He Xi. He has agreed to meet at the Aerospace Cafe at 3 pm tomorrow."

"A space-themed café?"

Yang Mi's fox-like eyes lit up, and she unconsciously drew circles on Chen Mo's chest with her finger: "Is that the place the 'Wandering Earth' crew often went to?"

Liu Yifei suddenly picked a grape from the fruit plate and popped it into Chen Mo's mouth: "I remember their Black Hole Latte has dry ice in it."

The coolness of the chilled fruit lingered on her fingertips, causing Chen Mo's Adam's apple to bob.

"Let's talk about professional matters in professional settings."

Chen Mo grabbed Yang Mi's wrist, which was trying to provoke her, and with his other hand, he opened the tablet and brought up the original text of "The Heartbroken": "Look at this description of the mother burning her savings to print the manuscript before she died—"

His fingertips hovered over the yellowed pages of the e-book, and the morning light filtered through the gauze curtains, casting dappled shadows on the words, "Mom doesn't actually understand your thesis, but Mom believes in you."

Yang Mi suddenly fell silent, her hair falling to cover her reddened eyes: "So you want Teacher He Xi to..."

"Let him personally handle the adaptation."

Chen Mo stroked her slightly trembling lips with his thumb and said with a smile, "No one knows better than the author how to present those mathematical formulas and that sense of loneliness that was ahead of its time in the original work."

Liu Yifei suddenly jumped onto Chen Mo's back: "What about the wedding collaboration?"

"Shh-"

Chen Mo turned around and pulled the two of them into his arms, the coconut scent of the shower gel mingling with the aroma in his nose: "Let's talk about it after we meet He Xi tomorrow."

In fact, Chen Mo was also thinking about meeting He Xi.

He certainly couldn't actually say he wanted to adapt the story; it was because Liu Yifei mentioned it briefly, since Yang Mi wanted to make a sci-fi promotional video to promote her wedding documentary.

However, this did not stump him.

Actually, "The Heartbroken" is just a very short story.

However, the story's allure is also closely related to the current social reality.

Chen Mo never considered himself a truly "perfect" and selfless person.

Making movies is partly a hobby, but if it can influence some people or events and express some of my own thoughts, that would be even better.

The novel was written more than 20 years ago.

But in reality, back in 2000, the aura of celebrities wasn't as dazzling.

Back then, celebrities didn't earn as much money as they do now, and the gap between the rich and poor wasn't as large.

On the contrary, Chen Mo believes that "The Heartbroken" is more suitable for this era!

As Chen Mo scanned the relevant news, he thought about what he should say at tomorrow's meeting.

He quickly came up with an idea.

The following afternoon, a rotating nebula was projected onto the dome of the Space Cafe.

The moment Chen Mo pushed open the door, an older man in a plaid shirt stood up from the window seat. His eyes behind his glasses seemed to hold countless parallel universes.

"Teacher He, thank you for waiting."

Just as Chen Mo was about to shake hands, the other party pushed a handwritten manuscript paper towards him.

He Xi's fingertip tapped on the densely packed formulas: "Director Chen, do you know why the Riemann Hypothesis is so fascinating?"

Before waiting for an answer, he asked and answered himself: "Because it stands on the boundary between the known and the unknown—just like your idea for a space wedding."

Chen Mo paused for a moment, and to be honest, he didn't understand it at all.

He Xi suddenly laughed and said, "Hahaha! Director Chen, are you surprised? Actually, I don't understand these mathematical formulas either! I'm a science fiction writer, not a scientist or a mathematician! When I was in college, I majored in automation. Although I dabbled in it, I didn't really go that deep!"

Chen Mo couldn't help but smile slightly.

He almost forgot about that.

is not that right?

The other party is neither a mathematician nor a scientist. Although he wrote about a "persistent mathematician" like He Xi, he is actually a literary creator!
Yes, the humanities and sciences are indeed clearly distinct.

Chen Mo couldn't help but laugh; this person was indeed an interesting one.

"Actually, I'm very curious about how Director Chen came up with the idea of ​​adapting 'The Heartbroken'? After all, this novel was published more than 20 years ago. And it's just a relatively short story."

"Could it really be because of the 'wedding'?" He Xi asked curiously.

"Has Professor He noticed that this novel is quite 'ahead of its time'?" Chen Mo said with a smile.

"Ahead of its time? What does Director Chen mean?" He Xi asked, puzzled.

"The income of celebrities today is beyond imagination, while the income of scientists is almost incomparable!"

This has sparked a lot of debate, with people arguing that the stars people should idolize are science stars, not entertainment stars.

In reality, even minor celebrities earn more than many ordinary people, and even more than many unknown scientists.

But despite the many voices that express this sentiment, ironically, I saw a news report a while ago. Chen Mo paused here.

He Xi asked cooperatively, "What news?"

Of course, he was also quite curious.

"A female PhD student was scammed out of 85 yuan in a telecom fraud!" Chen Mo said. He pulled up the news article and handed it to He Xi.

There are quite a few comments below.

Some netizens commented that this reflects a lack of practical skills and high academic achievement, with one netizen remarking:
"Can I call this what is called high scores but low ability?"
Just like college students who can't take care of themselves when they go home for vacation, so they bring their clothes home for their parents to wash.

That's a bit too silly.

They've probably all gone crazy from studying too much.

"Doesn't use social media, isn't good at socializing, and is completely focused on work...a bookworm?"

This viewpoint has been refuted by many netizens.

One netizen retorted: "Those who call PhDs and post-doctoral researchers bookworms, don't you think about this: if society didn't have these specialized people, would technological progress be so fast? They've invested their time, and their research results are meant to give back to society. What good does your empty talk do for society???"

"Exactly! Some people who only know how to use Weibo are useless in real life, all they do is talk big, and they're jealous of others' abilities. If everyone were like them, would society progress? These researchers have made tremendous contributions to society and the country. It's because of them that the country is as prosperous and strong as it is today. Some people are just jealous!"

"No matter how stupid or how easily they are deceived, they are still in a high-end realm that you can never enter!"

"Everyone has their own living environment, why should we be required to live in the same way as you?"

He Xi was somewhat astonished as she flipped through the pages.

Some netizens expressed their emotion: "I actually feel a bit moved. He has devoted himself entirely to scientific research. From another perspective, isn't he also sacrificing himself for the country through selfless work?"

"I would say that we should take our hats off to such researchers. It is because of their dedication and even sacrifice that the country and society have been able to make steady progress."

However, some netizens said that not all highly educated people are bookworms, and while they admire them, they hope that they will pay more attention to the things around them.

"People are just calling them bookworms. There are plenty of highly educated people who aren't bookworms!"

"I admire this dedication to scientific research that has lasted for ten years, but I hope you can pay more attention to the things around you!"

"What's wrong with society these days? Why are people criticizing the victims instead of the scammers?"

He Xi smiled bitterly and said, "So, this made you think of 'The Heartbroken'? And of He Xi?"

Chen Mo nodded and said, "Arguments on modern online media often turn into battles, fierce and protracted, with clearly defined sides. What? You have no stance? No stance is still a stance! Indifference is aiding and abetting evil! The battle continues..."

"This PhD is certainly not He Xi, but in some ways, she is very similar to He Xi!"

He Xi nodded and said, "Yes! But if He Xi were born in modern times, would the outcome be different?"

Chen Mo shook his head and said, "It won't be any different! Being one step ahead is genius, being two steps ahead is madness. Even if he were born in modern times, he would still be hard to understand!"

Chen Mo picked up his coffee and took a sip, his gaze drifting through the floor-to-ceiling window to the launch tower of the space city in the distance: "Professor He, do you think society today is really more tolerant of 'advanced' ideas than it was twenty years ago?"

He Xi paused for a moment, then said wistfully, "On the surface, it seems so—at least for now, no one will send physicists who study string theory to a mental hospital."

He suddenly stopped and wrote the word "flow" next to the formula!
"But the real dilemma has become..."

"It has become suffocating in the trending topics and algorithms."

"The short opening theme of The Big Bang Theory always excites me—it encapsulates the magnificent epic of human technological civilization, from Copernicus gazing at the stars to Galileo breaking free from constraints; from Newton blessed by the apple to Einstein revolutionizing time and space. These shining names are like stars adorning the night sky of history."

But have we ever considered that the LED lights illuminating the room, the smooth-sliding mobile phone screen in our hands, the car engine that carries us to our commute, and even the elevator cables running at a constant speed overhead—these commonplace conveniences are all the result of countless "useless" studies.

Science is a never-ending relay race. The "mistakes" of predecessors may become the foundation for successors, and the "futile efforts" of yesterday may be the breakthrough for tomorrow.

When Zu Chongzhi was calculating pi by candlelight, did he ever imagine that this string of numbers would become the code for building a space station?
As we enjoy the benefits of modern technology, do we remember those "heartbroken" people who were let down by the times?
History is always so cruel—it only remembers those who reap the rewards, but forgets those who paved the way with torches in the long darkness.

Ultimately, we all enjoy the legacy of scientific giants, yet we often become the most forgetful and unfaithful ones. As Chen Mo spoke, he himself became absorbed in his own words.

My thoughts gradually changed.

To be honest, he wasn't that great, and I hadn't thought that much about it before.

But upon reflection, I suddenly realized that the story of "The Heartbroken" is truly meaningful.

He Xi nodded and said, "Yes, nowadays people only know the celebrities who frequently appear in front of the public and how high their income is, but they will never know the names of other people."

Admittedly, their work was inherently clandestine, but they were at least fortunate—they achieved something in their lives. But what about the many others? Like He Xi, they buried themselves at their desks, calculating and refining day after day, neglecting sleep and meals. They had no entertainment, no time for family; their lives consisted only of paper, pens, and formulas no one understood. They exhausted their lives, yet might not even leave behind a name.

Chen Mo nodded and continued, "The old professor at the university, on the last day of his life, was still discussing his research with his colleagues despite his illness."
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, while others were enjoying family reunions, he was alone in the laboratory. But what is the reality?

The path of scientific research is never just pure academic pursuit—there's fierce competition in the lab, backstabbing in grant applications, and deceitful maneuvering during promotions.
A PhD's salary isn't even enough to provide a decent life for his family.

Life isn't all about poetry and distant horizons. It's mostly about the mundane realities of daily life, the struggles of making ends meet, and the helplessness of having your ideals worn down by reality time and time again.

If we ourselves cannot achieve a state of lofty detachment from worldly concerns, how can we expect researchers to willingly burn their youth based solely on passion?

"He Xi and Xia Qunfang are heartbroken, and of course they are in pain. But what's even more frightening is that if there are more and more heartbroken people like them, it will ultimately be ordinary people like us who suffer."

Can you imagine life without electricity? Without WiFi, cell phones, cars, and subways?

...But behind all of these things that we take for granted are countless people like He Xi making silent contributions.

They were misunderstood, ignored, and even ridiculed, yet they persisted in their seemingly "useless" research. And by the time their findings truly changed the world, we had long forgotten their names.

Ultimately, we are the biggest beneficiaries, yet also the most ruthless forgetters.

He Xi looked at Chen Mo with some surprise as she listened to his slightly agitated emotions and said, "Director Chen, to be honest, do you know what I thought when I saw the news about the collaboration between 'The Heartbroken' and the wedding?"
I regretted it then, because I thought you didn't understand "The Heartbroken" at all, but now I'm even more confused. You obviously do understand it; on the contrary, you understand it very well.

But I don't understand, if that's the case, why do it?

Chen Mo had thought about how to answer this question before he came.

He sighed and said, "Because reality is that classics and technology both take time to develop, scientists and artists throughout history have rarely experienced the carefree life of Li Bai, but have mostly experienced the sorrow of Du Fu."

I remember that day, the news reported on an elderly man who had dedicated thirty years of his life to scientific research, but was accused of being "unfilial" because of it.

But there are many, many more people like him in this world. They stand silently in laboratories, at desks, and in those forgotten corners, dedicating their lives to propelling the world forward.

Until one morning, they woke up to find their hair completely white in the mirror. Some people finally received their honors, their names engraved on monuments; while many others continued their lives as usual, going to the market to buy groceries, doing laundry and cooking, living a simpler life than people imagined.

There is a play called *The Story of the Lute* in the Song and Yuan dynasties. In *The Story of the Lute*, there is a scholar who was living happily with his wife, but his father forced him to go to the capital to take the imperial examination. Thinking that "disobeying my father is unfilial," he had no choice but to go. He actually passed the exam and wanted to return home to fulfill his filial duty, but the emperor wouldn't let him leave, saying, "Disobeying the emperor is disloyalty."

This delay lasted for decades. His parents starved to death back home, and his wife had to sell her hair to bury them. Only after his wife begged her way to the capital did he cry and say: "After all, my writing has ruined me, and I have ruined my parents."

This sentence reflects the sentiments of countless people who bury themselves in their studies and delve into knowledge.

Those who work tirelessly for scientific research, those who neglect their families for their ideals—aren't they all like this? On one hand, there's their beloved career, and on the other, the family they've neglected.

We enjoy the technological advancements they bring, yet we often forget to say thank you. Today, I want to bow deeply to all the "heartbroken" who silently propel humanity forward.

However, "The Heartbroken" is too heartbreaking. As a director, I can't do much to help, but I think, at least, can I give these dreamers and heartbroken people a reward for their persistent research?

The word 'perfection' is used to contrast with 'regret', and the word 'stars' is used to echo 'faint light'.

This is another core theme of "The Heartbroken": all solitary explorations will ultimately be proven valuable by time.

(End of this chapter)