This director is vindictive.

Chapter 455 The whole internet is urging us to speak: Chen Mo, say something!
That's why they say these people have become so shrewd.

The main reason is that they really don't dare to make up any smear campaigns against Chen Mo. If it were any other celebrity, they would start with a picture and then make up all the details.

But Chen Mo is different. He doesn't act like a public figure at all. Others might get a lawyer's letter warning, or at worst stop posting, or delete the post and apologize in a half-hearted way. Anyway, they've already gained traffic. Receiving a lawyer's letter means they can gain another wave of traffic.

Therefore, these rumor-mongers have truly been spoiled by the celebrities in the Chinese entertainment industry.

But what about Chen Mo? This guy rose to fame based on the first case of online defamation, the "Backstabbing Cult" back then, that name has almost become a sentimental one.

Because Chen Mo really doesn't play the lawyer's letter game; by the time you receive one, it's most likely a court summons.

In short, they have no sense of martial ethics!
But Chen Mo's news channel is really appealing, especially if there's negative news about him, then it's even more appealing!
A walking traffic generator!
Look at how many times he's dominated the trending topics this year!

So whether it's marketing accounts, bloggers, or film critics, they all want to ride the wave of traffic!

Such an opportunity is truly rare!

After all, commenting on your movie and expressing your opinion on it isn't defamation, is it?

If Chen Mo dares to sue, that would be a case of capital suppression!
So they were all incredibly passionate! They didn't say anything, they just kept criticizing.

They used all sorts of exaggerated phrases like "a cancer in the Chinese entertainment industry" and "get out of the entertainment circle."

That was some serious spitting! He was probably secretly gloating, thinking, "Serves you right for being a Versailles, for showing off your love, for being a scumbag! You've finally met your match!"

Supporters and critics were locked in a fierce battle, but the box office of "Ocean Wedding" remained unaffected. In fact, the controversy even drew in some people who were initially uninterested to buy tickets to see the film.

Of course, most of these critics don't care about the impact on box office revenue; all they care about is whether it generates viewership.

Unfortunately, the only flaw was that Chen Mo himself remained completely silent; otherwise, it could have sparked a second wave of excitement.

In fact, it wasn't just these people who wanted Chen Mo to come forward and respond; his supporters also left messages on Chen Mo's Weibo.

"You've remained completely silent? That's not like you! Show some of the spirit you had when you confronted the Backstabbing Cult back then, or we'll look down on you!"

"People are calling you a cancer, and you're still silent? What a coward! You wiped out the Backstabbing Cult back then, and now you're just pretending not to see a few clowns?"

"No way, no way? The Chen Mo I remember, who repays kindness and avenges wrongs, isn't like this at all! Hurry up, let's start the war!"

"Chen Mo, you've changed! Where's the ruthlessness you showed when you became a legend after the 'Knife-Stabbing Cult' incident? Now you're being attacked head-on and don't even dare to utter a sound? #TheCancerOfChineseFilmIndustry# is trending at number one on Weibo, do you really think you've become a saint and cultivated your character?"

"Remember that line? 'Fighting against heaven, fighting against earth, fighting against man is endless fun!' Now a bunch of keyboard warriors are pointing their fingers at you and accusing you of ruining the movie. Can you tolerate this? My youth is over!"

"It's terrifying to think about! Are these film critics backed by powerful investors? Their films were crushed by 'Ocean Wedding' and they're resorting to mudslinging? Chen Mo, if you back down, who will dare to innovate in the future?"

Netizens are just funny people; as long as someone takes the lead, they quickly follow suit.

Not only netizens, but even some marketing accounts and Weibo influencers couldn't help but join this urging battle.

One marketing account bluntly stated: "When critics use the 'death of cinema' argument to hold creative work hostage, silence equals indulgence. Chen Mo, you are not alone now; you represent all labeled innovators! Please, stand up and say 'let a hundred flowers bloom,' and save the children!"

"Urgent! The haters next door have started betting on when you'll back down! Why don't you post a Weibo saying 'It takes seven years for a mermaid pearl to become a pearl, and seven years for a hater to turn to ashes'? We'll crowdfund to buy you a trending topic, and we'll split the winnings 50/50!"

To be honest, Chen Mo was speechless.

He originally had no intention of responding. After all, as a public figure, movies are a reflection of one's character, and negative reviews are perfectly normal. If he were to respond to each one, he would have nothing to do. But now he's really stuck in a difficult position.

These silly netizens clearly know how to provoke others!
This has led to hashtags like #ChenMoSpeaking# trending on social media; it's unbelievable.

The key issue is that the hype seems to be escalating, so what can Chen Mo do?
On the set of "The Great Tang Dynasty"!
"Hahaha! Look, the netizens are really excited! And what those people said was really awful, so why don't you just give in to them?" Fan Binbin said cheerfully.

"Do you need to tell me? I've already scheduled an interview with Film Weekly." Chen Mo rolled his eyes at Fan Binbin, this woman who seemed to thrive on chaos.

"How do you plan to retaliate?" Fan Binbin asked curiously.

"You'll find out when the time comes," Chen Mo said noncommittally.

Soon after "Ocean Wedding" surpassed 15 billion yuan at the box office on its seventh day of release, Chen Mo finally granted an exclusive interview to "Film Weekly." The interview took place on the set of "The Great Tang Dynasty"!
Film Weekly is also a media outlet with a relatively good relationship with Chen Mo.

Their editor-in-chief, Zhou Qingquan, has always been a staunch film critic for Chen Mo.

Chen Mo's decision to grant a special interview to Film Weekly this time can be seen as giving the magazine face.

Chen Mo sat cross-legged in front of a low table in the style of the Tang Dynasty, accepting this exclusive interview with Film Weekly. The reporter sent by Film Weekly to interview Chen Mo was also a top-notch journalist, who immediately asked, "Right now, the whole internet is debating whether 'Ocean Wedding' qualifies as a film. What do you think of these criticisms?"

Chen Mo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and gave a signature smile: "That's an interesting question."

When "The Promise" was criticized as a "bloody steamed bun incident," no one questioned whether it was a movie. When the "Tiny Times" series flopped, no one expelled it from the film industry. Even when "Dream Chasing in the Entertainment Circle" set a record for the lowest score on Douban, no one called it a cancer.

Why is it that when my films have high box office returns, they're asking me to redefine cinema?

This reporter had a good tolerance for laughter and managed to hold it in.

He was genuinely surprised by Chen Mo's answer, mainly because he didn't expect Chen Mo to bring up "The Promise," "Tiny Times," and even "Dream Chasing in the Entertainment Industry"!
He was wondering what the reaction would be when those people saw this interview.
Poet Chen: Thank you and your whole family!

Guo Xiaosi: This is so unfair!
Director Bi: Please let me go!

Chen Mo suddenly pointed to a replica of a Tang Dynasty bronze mirror in the room: "Look, this mirror is called a 'cultural relic' in archaeological reports, it's a prop in my new film, but it's just a handicraft at a Panjiayuan market."

The same thing can function differently depending on the context. "Ocean Wedding" is a catalyst for remarriage at the Civil Affairs Bureau, a case study of cultural digitization at a technology forum, and in a movie theater—of course, it's just a movie.

The reporter pressed further: "But critics argue that you've replaced the art of filmmaking with marketing."

Chen Mo said calmly, "What is film art? Or rather, what is the purpose of marketing? It's to get audiences to go to the cinema to watch movies!"

The days of "good wine needs no bush" are long gone.

Which movie doesn't do marketing and promotion?
Hollywood thrillers can be made into mockumentaries and used for viral marketing online, and what's the result?

The reporter was at a loss for words. In fact, he knew that everyone has subjective thoughts. To put it bluntly, everyone, without exception, is a double standard party.

The example Chen Mo cited is actually quite simple: marketing deserves the most credit, but what was the result?

Just because it's a Hollywood movie, everyone's praising it to the skies.

The reporter then asked, "Some people say that such movies are meaningless. What do you think?"

Chen Mo laughed, not out of anger, but with a hint of sarcasm.

He took out the script of "Ocean Wedding", opened it, and pointed to the annotation of a certain scene: "Here I wrote 'Use the belly markings of a humpback whale to simulate the scale of a chime bell,' do you know why?"

Before waiting for an answer, he asked and answered himself: "The Zhou Li records that weddings should be accompanied by 'bells and drums,' but modern people can't understand the chime bells. I thought, what if we transformed the bronze patterns into the grooves of a whale, and translated the melody of 'Guan Ju' into a 52-hertz whale song—wouldn't that be the most romantic 'bells and drums'?"
What is the significance? Does promoting traditional culture count?
Does letting love return to its purest form count?

When discussing the "Seven-Year Pearl" controversy, Chen Mo suddenly stood up, walked to the prop shelf, and took down a Tang Dynasty tri-colored pottery jar. "Do you know how divorce documents were written in the Tang Dynasty? 'Let us part ways amicably and each find our own happiness,' how dignified!"

He tapped the jar and said, "Divorce is like a war these days, so I used mermaid pearls to create a digital 'divorce agreement'—two pearls light up when they are 1314 kilometers apart, and fade when they are far apart. This isn't just an Easter egg; it's clearly a thermometer for modern marriage!"

"What's the current box office figure for 'Ocean Wedding'? Have you been following it?" the reporter suddenly asked.

Chen Mo nodded and said, "It's over 1.5 billion, how about that?"

"Some people say that 'Ocean Wedding' doesn't deserve its box office success."

Chen Mo was genuinely happy this time.

He interrupted the reporter directly, saying, "This question is actually meaningless, but I'll say it anyway."

"I've noticed that many people nowadays like to say things about blockbuster movies, like whether they deserve their box office success."

For example, when "Wolf Warrior 2" achieved record-breaking box office and became a phenomenon, many people started to feel sour, saying that the movie did not deserve such box office success and that it was making money by selling patriotism!

There are also films like "Hi, Mom" ​​and "Man Jiang Hong," and so on. Whenever a movie's box office is high, there are always a lot of comments like these.

I don't understand what the people who said these things are trying to express.
Whether they deserve it or not, they've already achieved such box office success!

If you pay close attention, you'll find that these blockbuster movies, which many people criticize as not deserving of such box office success, all have a very positive core message.

Moreover, these high box office figures only emerged after creating a "phenomenal" craze!

Then many people started analyzing the logical flaws in the movie, but what movie is perfect?
In fact, viewers have the ability to discern. If they feel they have gained something from watching a movie, then that is what they consider a good movie.

If you feel you're not good enough, that only represents yourself!

(End of this chapter)