This director is vindictive.

Chapter 407 The Lonely City of the Tang Dynasty Forced Out by Bystanders

The matter may seem to have come to an end, but the repercussions are far from over.

Chen Mo's move was too lenient, and the public opinion, or rather, the gossip surrounding him, wasn't quite satisfying enough.

Chen Mo's fans and onlookers were particularly displeased after seeing the apology statement and Chen Mo's nonchalant and sarcastic response.

We had all our sunflower seeds and cola ready, but they're all gone?
That's it?

This is outrageous! This melon isn't even sweet anymore!

As a result, many netizens and fans flocked to Chen Mo's Weibo to make jokes and tease him.

"That's it? No, Chen Mo, your news-making machine isn't working so well this time either. You're so vindictive, and that's it?"

"The 'Knife-Stabbing Cult' is not satisfied. Why are they so fiercely attacked and constantly used to 'whip the corpse' against us, but they only give Little Cannon a half-hearted blow? Attached image: Is there no law? Is there no justice? .JPG!"

"Chen Mo, you're not good this time either! Back then, the Backstabbing Cult even threw away the urn containing the ashes, and now this is all you do against Little Cannon? [doge] I suggest you change your name to 'Chen Three Seconds'!"

(Image: A meme depicting Chen Mo holding a 40-meter-long sword but only extending it by 1 centimeter)
"The way he sent that apology letter overnight was just like my final exam makeup test—every word screamed 'I was wrong, but I'll do it again next time!' Chen Mo, why don't you keep hammering me? [Angry at his lack of self-respect.jpg]"

(Viral video: A clip of "audience trash" playing on a loop)

"Whisper 3.0 didn't even have a chance to work before it was over? Chen Mo, have you been kidnapped? If so, blink twice!"

Zhao Liying couldn't help but laugh and joke when she saw these comments, saying, "Look, netizens are saying you're no good!"

Chen Mo pinched him irritably and said, "Don't you know whether I'm good or not?"

"Then this reporter would like to know, Director Chen, why did you stop here this time?" Zhao Liying didn't seem to care, and even sat on Chen Mo's lap, pretending to be a reporter conducting an interview.

"Because they are completely different. The 'Knife-Stabbing Cult' was an attempted murder, while this is at most spitting on the ground," Chen Mo said calmly.

However, the onlookers didn't just make fun of it; they also offered suggestions and advice.

"I suggest Chen Mo just start filming 'Shade Grass' and release it at the same time as 'Sunflower'! I've even thought of a title—the female lead filming a bed scene in a down jacket, maximizing artistry! [doge]"

Image: A photoshopped poster for "Shade of Grass" featuring Zhao Liying wrapped up like a rice dumpling, in a still from a "passionate scene" with the male lead a meter away.

"The scheduling conflict is too lenient. They should learn from Director Feng's 'Personal Tailor' and make a 'Public Tailor'! The plot would be something like the director asking actresses to wear down jackets to auditions, with the audition room's air conditioning set to 40 degrees Celsius [so hot their makeup melts off.jpg]"

"Don't listen to these idiots upstairs spouting nonsense, just make a new movie already, any kind of movie will do, Director Chen, it's been so long since you've had a new film released!"

"You know what, it's really true! It seems like there hasn't been any news since 'The Heartbroken'."

When Zhao Liying saw this post, she couldn't help but look at Chen Mo with curiosity.

"By the way, besides the wedding promotional video, do you have any other filming plans? Look, your fans and netizens are all waiting," Zhao Liying said.

Chen Mo stroked his chin and nodded, saying, "That was indeed the original plan. After all, as you know, they were all very anxious."

"And now?" Zhao Liying asked jokingly.

"Well, these netizens have given me a wake-up call. We can't let this wave of traffic and buzz go to waste. Look, although it started strong but ended weakly and left a mess, the traffic has definitely been consumed by his new film. We've become publicity tools, haven't we?" Chen Mo felt more and more that it was really true!

Zhao Liying was also taken aback for a moment.

Thinking back carefully, it seems that, perhaps, from the very beginning, they used Chen Mo's claim that the scenes were too explicit for her to refuse to act in the film as a publicity stunt.

Although public opinion took a turn for the better later, it ultimately fizzled out.

Now, "Sunflower" has become a well-known topic even before filming has started. You could say that, in terms of exposure and publicity, they have already achieved their goal.

On the contrary, she and Chen Mo, apart from exchanging some verbal sparring, seem to be nothing more than mere tools.

Zhao Liying suddenly felt her brain couldn't process what was happening.

She and Chen Mo clearly had the upper hand in this round, while the other side seemed to be in a bit of a mess.

It was also criticized by netizens.

But in reality?

Who are the real beneficiaries? Chen Mo and her?
No, what did she gain? Nothing! And Chen Mo? Nothing either!

So, this whole thing has turned us into mere tools for promoting others?

"The city is full of tricks, I want to go back to the countryside!" This is Zhao Liying's current state of mind.

Chen Mo only just realized that he had really been tricked by the mille-feuille!

"Then, what are you planning to do?" Zhao Liying was also a little uncomfortable. She had only refused to act, but people had used it to create hype. The key point was that although Chen Mo seemed to have retaliated, he ultimately did not gain any benefits.

Since Chen Mo doesn't have any new films at the moment, he doesn't need any promotion. Almost all the attention has been taken by the other party's new film, "Sunflower"!
Although Chen Mo gained some emotional value, the other party became the biggest winner.

"Since netizens haven't had enough of the drama, and Always 3.0 is still a long way off, I'll add some more drama for them!" Chen Mo said with a smile as he looked at the comments in the comment section.

"But how do we do this? Do you have an idea for your new film?" Zhao Liying asked curiously.

Chen Mo shook his head and said, "No, at least not for now. But we have netizens, right? We can ask them to recommend it and generate some buzz in advance." Chen Mo hadn't originally planned to do this, since preparing and producing a wedding promotional video would take a considerable amount of time. However, he had now changed his mind.

We need to balance both aspects.

Anyway, Chen Mo remembered that "Sunflower" was released during the Qingming Festival in 2025, which is more than a year away from now, so there is still plenty of time.

Therefore, Chen Mo decisively posted on Weibo.

"Thanks for the invitation. It's definitely my fault for not giving everyone a satisfying dose of gossip. However, I don't really have any plans for a new film at the moment. How about you guys give me some suggestions? Or tell me what kind of films you'd like to see?"

Chen Mo's Weibo post immediately caused an uproar.

After all, netizens were just joking and making fun of him; they never expected Chen Mo to actually listen to them and stage a schedule clash.

But this time Chen Mo actually listened to advice and even asked everyone for suggestions, which greatly increased the sense of participation.
So, everyone suddenly became incredibly excited and started leaving comments.

However, most of the comments and suggestions from netizens were rather bizarre.

For example, one netizen commented: "Sunflower is about the story of female prisoners. I suggest Chen Mo just use the material to make a movie about the entertainment industry, like 'Prison on Fire'!"

Some netizens joked, "The Shallows 2 would be perfect; let Yang Mi just land and fight with a harpoon!"

Of course, there were also some more serious suggestions.

"Stop talking nonsense. Chen Mo, aren't you best at making realistic films? Didn't 'Article 20' mention school bullying before? Why don't you make a movie on that topic?"

"I suggest making films about domestic violence. That domestic violence case isn't over yet. We could make a series of movies to bring it to life and help the victims!"

"I think there's no need to keep making realistic films. We can try something different, something lighthearted, or something action-packed. There were rumors before that they were going to adapt 'Edge of Tomorrow,' right? That would be perfect!"

"Science fiction is fine too, how about 'The Three-Body Problem'?"

Immediately, netizens began offering suggestions.

Chen Mo was watching quite intently.

To be honest, Chen Mo really doesn't want to touch realistic films for the time being.

The main problem is that filming those kinds of sharp social realities is really too mentally taxing.

He also needs to prepare a promotional video for his wedding.

So I'll pass on that for now. As for science fiction movies, like "The Three-Body Problem" and "Edge of Tomorrow," those are more reliable.

However, it's definitely not possible to meet the time requirement. The special effects for the former can't be made in less than a few years, and for the latter, the other party is unwilling to sell the rights because they are still making sequels.

Chen Mo was scrolling through netizens' comments looking for a target.

Suddenly, I realized that Zhao Liying's side had been quiet for quite some time.

He couldn't help but turn his head to look, only to see Zhao Liying staring intently at her phone screen.

"What are you looking at? You seem so engrossed." Chen Mo asked curiously as he leaned closer.

Zhao Liying simply leaned against him and showed her phone to Chen Mo.

"I just saw a comment from a netizen saying that they want you to adapt this moving advertisement, 'The Last Transfer in the Northern Desert of the Tang Dynasty'! I'm looking at it right now," Zhao Liying said.

Chen Mo paused for a moment, then looked at his phone screen.

Chen Mo had seen this advertisement, or rather, this short film, in his previous life, and he was deeply moved by it back then.

Before that, he really didn't know this history. After watching the film, he made a special effort to learn about the relevant history.

I have to say, it was truly stunning!

Watching it again now, even though the short film is several years old, still moves him deeply.

Especially the final scene, when the song "Qin Shi Ming Yue Han Shi Guan" plays, and the white-haired soldiers hold torches and form a long marching line, the sense of awe is still overwhelming.

This is an advertisement from UnionPay in 2019, which received rave reviews and moved countless people.

A lone city stands amidst thousands of miles of desolation, its inhabitants all white-haired! How tragic! How desolate!

After watching it, Chen Mo remained silent for a long time. To be honest, this short film really is very suitable for adaptation into a movie.

There's not even a need to change the plot too much, because although this film is short, it's more complete than many movies.

Of course, if it's really going to be adapted, it can't remain unchanged, so the script is crucial.

Looking at Chen Mo's expression, Zhao Liying was also a little curious: "So, you have an idea?"

Chen Mo nodded and said, "This is indeed very suitable for adaptation, and..."

(End of this chapter)