This director is vindictive.

Chapter 402 Art can be stripped, but don't strip my body.
Even though Little Cannon was arrogant, she was still very clear-headed.

It's fine to ride the wave of popularity, since it's a true story.

But if they were to actually use members of the Backstabbing Cult, it would be a clear indication that they were targeting Chen Mo.

She didn't want to really offend someone to death!
Feng Dagang frowned and said, "Alright!"

Clearly, he wasn't really that confused, unable to distinguish right from wrong.

"I asked my assistant to contact several marketing accounts and release the news 'Zhao Liying refused to act due to the content' and 'A certain actress sacrificed for art' simultaneously."

She paused, then added a word of caution: "But we have to find the right balance. In the end, we still have to come back to the film itself. When filming starts, you can explain yourself: 'Some scenes may seem offensive, but they are actually using pain to awaken conscience.'"

Feng Dagang twirled his teacup in his palm, reflecting his sly smile: "That's it! Let Chen Mo's 'caution' become our 'courage,' and see who's really giving whom face! Besides, when the movie is released, I'm looking forward to slapping him in the face!"

Xu Fan finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Feng Dagang's words.

However, he was a little worried, after all, Chen Mo was the god of investment in the entertainment industry.

This reputation isn't just for show; he actually doesn't think highly of Lao Feng's film. Does that mean the film is really bad?

Unfortunately, despite her concern, she couldn't persuade Little Cannon.

Chen Mo had no idea that his refusal would break Xiao Gangpao to this extent.

What's more, the other party actually wanted to use this opportunity to create hype.

Soon, marketing accounts began releasing news such as "Zhao Liying refused to act in Feng Dagang's new film due to its explicit content" and "Feng Dagang's new film focuses on marginalized female groups."

The marketing account also claimed that Chen Mo helped Zhao Liying refuse!

Zhao Liying was already quite popular, and this incident, involving her relationship with Chen Mo and Feng Dagang's new film, has further increased her popularity.

Furthermore, the fact that it was Chen Mo who refused on Zhao Liying's behalf makes this story even bigger.

With Xu Fan behind the scenes pushing things forward, it quickly began to spread.

Soon, onlookers started discussing it.

"Really? If it's true that you refused because the content was too explicit, doesn't that seem unprofessional?"
Isn't Director Feng's film usually realistic? Xu Fan's scenes in "Aftershock" were quite ruthless; is Zhao Liying being overly pampered by Chen Mo?

"I'm guessing the script definitely has the suspicion of 'exploiting suffering'! Feng Dagang has been fond of this kind of 'pseudo-realism' in recent years, using marginalized groups as sensational material. Chen Mo was right to stop it."

"Tsk tsk, as expected of Chen Mo, this is spot on. From a man's perspective, I also can't understand those directors' penchant for making their women film kissing scenes, or even intimate scenes with other men! (Just kidding!)"

"Too explicit? Tsk tsk, talking about this makes me wide awake. So, the question is, just how explicit is it?"

Soon, more details about Feng Dagang's new film were unearthed.

Of course, it was intentional, after all, it was for the purpose of promoting the movie.

Xu Fan's idea is actually correct, because "too much content" is often not a flaw in domestic films. On the contrary, it is probably because of various restrictions in recent years that everyone has a deep-rooted feeling that the censorship is too strict.

Therefore, things that are too explicit often pique the audience's curiosity even more.

Against the backdrop of widespread criticism that domestic films are "restricted," the "controversy over content" has become the best selling point.

Undoubtedly, the hype surrounding this topic was successful.

Soon, netizens were divided into three factions.

One faction supports Chen Mo and Zhao Liying.

After all, Feng Dagang has quite a few haters!
"This makes the news? What's wrong with actors not wanting to take roles? Just because it's a Feng Dagang production doesn't mean they have to accept it. That doesn't make sense, does it?"

"No problem, it's perfectly normal. Zhao Liying has Chen Mo and Shengshi Pictures backing her, so she doesn't lack resources. There's no need for her to take on such a controversial role. As a man, Chen Mo doesn't want to see his woman filming explicit scenes, which is also normal, right?"

"I'm just baffled. Why does a realistic film have to be explicit? Chen Mo is the director in China who is best at making realistic films. Why don't his films have so many so-called explicit scenes? I don't understand. Those directors claim to be artists and then make actresses take their clothes off. Is it not okay if they don't take their clothes off?" "Hehe, they really have to have their cake and eat it too. This is obviously just a publicity stunt for their new movie. If you take it seriously, you'll lose."

One faction supports Feng Dagang.

After all, Feng Dagang still has influence in the domestic film and television industry.

The title of former king of Lunar New Year films was well-deserved.

It still has quite a few fans.

"Hehe, different directors have different styles. When Chen Mo directed 'Dying to Survive,' wasn't Liu Sihui's performance quite daring? Now you're criticizing art films? Director Feng's courage to tackle sensitive topics is admirable; some people should stay out of his way!"

"Shouldn't actors be dedicated to their work? If Chen Mo is so protective of Zhao Liying, what kind of actress is she? She can't film this, she can't film that, she might as well just retire from the industry!"

"Domestic films are too constrained. Director Feng dares to film the real plight of marginalized groups, which is true realism! Some people are afraid to touch sensitive topics themselves, but they stop others from making them. It's ridiculous."

However, this was quickly refuted: "Hilarious, Chen Mo doesn't dare to touch sensitive topics? Isn't 'Dying to Survive' a sensitive topic? Isn't 'Article 20' a sensitive topic?"

"Zhao Liying is an actress, and whether or not she accepts a role is her own choice. Why should Chen Mo make that decision for her? So many people are eager to act in Director Feng's films, but he just read the script and rejected it outright, which clearly shows that he doesn't trust Director Feng's abilities."

"Which of 'I Am Not Madame Bovary' and 'Youth' didn't receive both criticism and applause? But in the end, the box office and awards proved everything! This time, 'Sunflower' focuses on the redemption of female prisoners, and the subject matter itself deserves support. I'm afraid some people have been touched on a sore spot, haven't they?"

"Isn't Chen Mo just a bully who runs rampant because of his capital and popularity? Director Feng has been in the industry for decades, does he need to point fingers at him? If 'Sunflower' is really made into a heartwarming film based on the original novel, that would be a waste of the subject matter! We should tear off the fig leaf of society!"

"A complex character like the White Fox could definitely win an award if played well, but Chen Mo vetoed it? Director Feng's films can help actors transition to other roles. Zhao Liying might as well stick to sweet romance dramas for the rest of her life!"

There is also a neutral faction, or the rational party.

"Neither side is wrong. Director Feng's insistence on a realistic style is understandable, but actors also have the right to assess the risks of a role. Chen Mo, as an investor and partner, showed his strength by refusing the role on behalf of Zhao Liying, but capital intervention in casting is common in the entertainment industry. Instead of arguing about right and wrong, we should focus on whether the final film respects the real situation of marginalized groups."

“In China, ‘scale’ is a sensitive word. Director Feng’s willingness to tackle this subject matter is commendable, but Chen Mo’s caution also reflects the reality of the industry—scenes with explicit content are likely to be cut during the theatrical release, rendering the actors’ efforts futile. This is essentially a game between creators and the censorship system, and should not be simply attributed to individuals.”

Chen Mo quickly learned about this as well.

However, he didn't care too much. At his level, frankly speaking, it's perfectly normal for people to try to ride his coattails.

Moreover, the other party was indeed telling the truth and didn't go too far, so he had nothing to say.

Once the movie is released, everything will become clear.

What Chen Mo didn't expect, and what Feng Dagang and Xu Fan didn't expect, was that although they had guided the public opinion, the direction of public opinion gradually began to get out of control.

Many netizens began to focus on the feud between Chen Mo and Feng Dagang, as well as Chen Mo's petty behavior.

It started when a netizen, clearly an insider in the industry, revealed the information:

"Many people may think that Chen Mo and Feng Dagang didn't have much interaction before, but actually this isn't the first time Chen Mo has turned down a role from Feng Dagang for the sake of his confidante! The previous two times were related to Fan Binbin!"
One was "I Am Not Madame Bovary", and the other was "Cellphone 2"!
The exact reason why Chen Mo stopped Fan Binbin in "I Am Not Madame Bovary" remains unknown, but "Cell Phone 2" proves that Chen Mo's choice was correct!
The film "Cell Phone 2" sparked Cui Yongyuan's revelation of the entertainment industry's dual contracts, ultimately leading to the film's cancellation.

From this perspective, Chen Mo's actions this time clearly indicate that he is not optimistic about Director Feng's new film!
Furthermore, from a man's perspective, I personally think Chen Mo's actions are perfectly justifiable. After all, he's not Feng Dagang, as seen in "Aftershock," hehe!

This revelation quickly sparked a new round of jokes and discussions, but the tone shifted somewhat.

"In that case, Chen Mo's refusal was perfectly reasonable. After all, Director Feng has a history of such behavior. The original novel of 'Aftershock', 'Aftershock,' doesn't have any passionate scenes. And to be honest, even if that passionate scene were deleted, it wouldn't seem to have any impact on the movie, right?"

"No problem, Chen Mo's actions are those of a real man! Look at how he protects his woman—in Director Feng's 'Aftershock,' he had his wife perform a passionate scene with another man. To be honest, as a man, I really can't understand it. The key point is that he was the director, which means he arranged the scene and was also on set watching!"

Chen Mo directly helped Zhao Liying reject roles with explicit content. Think about it, haha. (doge)

"Hilarious! Feng Dagang considers it 'sacrificing for art' when he films his wife in a nude scene, but when someone else refuses to act, he's labeled 'unprofessional'? What a double standard! I support Chen Mo; a real man should act like this. Who wants to see their woman being bullied on screen?"

"When Chen Mo was filming 'Dying to Survive,' Tan Zhuo's pole dancing scenes were all shown as backs and silhouettes, and Liu Sihui's bed scene was glossed over with a closed door shot—that's what high-class sexiness is! Director Feng should learn from this, stop making actresses take off their clothes so easily, that's not art, that's just perverse taste!"

"Tsk tsk, the two are really different. Perhaps it's because of their different hobbies and tolerance?"
After all, Director Feng was willing to personally film his wife's intimate scenes with other men for the sake of art. That truly shows his dedication to art! A true artist, thumbs up!
In comparison, Chen Mo seems a bit petty. Couldn't he learn from Director Feng? Sacrifice your girlfriends for art? We'd actually be looking forward to it!

(End of this chapter)