This director is vindictive.

Chapter 597 Local Culture and Tourism: I gave you a chance, but you were useless!
The fan meeting hosted by Chen Mo was even more lively than the Spring Festival.

The scene that caused a frenzy across the internet left countless netizens exclaiming, "I've never seen anything like this before!"—who would have thought that a director's fan meeting could trigger such a crazy nationwide celebration?
"This is the most outrageous fan meeting I've ever seen!"

This is how many people feel.

The main thing is that the hottest topics on the internet right now are all related to this unprecedented fan meeting.

Many people even came up with ways to increase their chances of winning the lottery, and what poses would bring them the best luck. Although everyone knows it's all nonsense, people just want to have some fun, and the data is actually quite good.

The offline slots were locked by Chen Mo, requiring real-name authentication, and the invitations were also linked to the applicant's identity, making them non-tradable.

However, the online slots are different.

10 online slots would be a huge number for many live streams, but for Chen Mo, it was just a drop in the ocean.

Most outrageously, on second-hand trading platforms such as Xianyu and Zhuanzhuan, the number of participants in online live broadcasts has been inflated to thousands of yuan by scalpers.

It's important to understand that this is merely an online viewing opportunity; there are no physical tickets or in-person attendance. Even so, demand is overwhelming, and transaction volume is soaring. This situation has left many onlookers bewildered – "These days, even watching a live stream requires buying scalped tickets?"

The data shows that a lot of them were actually bought by foreigners, which is ridiculous.

Actually, those who know, know what's going on at fan meetings and movie fan gatherings—it's all about making money off fans.

Those celebrities who are usually known for their fan economy were all stunned when they saw this scene.

Although they often have tens of millions of Weibo followers and have always been proud of their ability to support their fans in rankings and controlling comments, they are nothing compared to the phenomenal frenzy caused by Chen Mo's meet-and-greet.

The agent of a popular young actor lamented privately, "The buzz we generate from ten fan meetings can't compare to the impact of just one Weibo post from him."

They were certainly envious, but they also knew they couldn't learn it, absolutely couldn't.

The two are simply incomparable!

Netizens' comments were spot on: "Fan meetings of ordinary popular celebrities are essentially disguised ways of 'harvesting leeks' - either requiring fans to buy a certain number of merchandise or setting high membership thresholds. To put it bluntly, they are trying to find ways to take money out of fans' pockets."

The whole process is like a celebrity "charity" to their fans; getting an autograph and a photo is considered a huge blessing for the fans.

But Chen Mo's approach completely overturned this pattern. Everyone knew perfectly well that attending his fan meeting would guarantee a reward—either tangible perks or a chance to win generous prizes. This incredibly generous style had become deeply ingrained in people's minds, turning his fan meetings into true "fan benefit days." No wonder even overseas netizens couldn't resist and flocked to join the fun.

One netizen joked, "This must be what they call 'money power,' right? Even fans on the other side of the world have been attracted here!"

"Hehe, let's not talk about anything else, just take this: round-trip airfare and accommodation are all included. This even covers overseas fans. How many idol stars can do that? They can't, they simply can't, you understand?"

"Holy crap, why does everyone seem even more enthusiastic than during the 814 Welfare Festival?"

"That's perfectly normal. The 814 Welfare Festival is open to everyone, so the odds of winning are relatively limited. But this time, although the number of winners is limited, it's still pretty much a 100% chance that you'll win. You might not become rich overnight, but at least you'll get a valuable gift."

It's worth mentioning that because this fan meeting was held at Erhai Lake in Dali, the number of participants hadn't even been drawn yet.

The Dali Culture and Tourism Bureau is currently experiencing both extremes – Chen Mo's fan meeting is being held at Erhai Lake, and although the participants have not yet been officially selected, the tourist city has already fallen into a state of jubilation and chaos.

Chinese people have always loved to join in the fun, and Dali is already a famous tourist city. With Chen Mo's fan meeting as a benchmark, Dali's cultural tourism industry won big in just a few days.

Hotel and guesthouse bookings across the city surged 500% in a week, with average prices soaring to eight times the off-season level. A popular guesthouse owner admitted, "Even the warehouse has been converted into temporary beds, and they're fighting over them for 888 yuan a night!"

Even more outrageous is the scalper market: hostel beds originally priced at 200 yuan are being resold for 3000 yuan, and people are actually buying them with the gimmick of "Chen Mo's same Erkuai breakfast".

Tourists from all over the country, no, from all over the world, have their eyes on this place.

Many people are booking their travel itineraries in advance.

When there are many people, all sorts of problems naturally begin to arise.

In fact, issues like overcharging tourists and offering different menus for different customers exist in tourist destinations all over the country, but usually, because they are not concentrated in one area, they are only exposed occasionally.

However, once tourists gather in large numbers, this problem will be amplified because the entire internet will be paying attention.

In reality, for local residents, sometimes too much noise isn't necessarily a good thing.

As a result, some controversy arose.

Initially, many people were dissatisfied because the Chen Mo fan meeting incident had boosted tourism in the area, naturally leading to price increases for guesthouses, hotels, and even general merchandise.

Normally, this is just following the market trend and there's nothing wrong with it, but some merchants have raised prices outrageously.

This instantly filled the tourists with resentment.

"This is outrageous! Ten times the price! A full ten times the usual price! Are they crazy for money? I can understand price increases, doubling or tripling the price is acceptable, but ten times? They're treating us like suckers!"

"The key point is that the Yin-Yang menu is outrageous. I came here to have a good time, but they pulled this on me. I'm speechless!"

"The service was absolutely terrible."

Suddenly, all sorts of problems began to emerge.

It was already under intense public scrutiny, and now, due to a lapse in management, it has become a national embarrassment. Actually, the local cultural and tourism authorities have always been quick to handle these kinds of incidents.

However, this unprecedented fan meeting far exceeded expectations, catching the local cultural and tourism authorities off guard. Although Dali is known for its large tourist population, this was the first time hundreds of thousands of people had flooded in in such a short period. Management faltered, and problems naturally followed.

For a moment, they were in a flurry of activity.

The once-flowing streets of the ancient city are now completely congested. Taxi drivers complain that "it can take half an hour to travel just one kilometer," electric bikes weave in and out of traffic, and pedestrians can hardly move an inch.

Some tourists even joked, "Is this a 'human crawling contest' instead of a visit to see Chen Mo?"

The price of roasted milk fan at a roadside stall has increased from 10 yuan to 30 yuan, and the price of homestays has tripled.

Local residents complained: "During the off-season, we beg people to come; now, during peak season, we beg people to leave!"

Some tourists even posted on Weibo complaining: "A bowl of rice noodles costs 98 yuan? Chen Mo, come and manage your fan economy!"

Garbage collection is lagging behind, with trash cans piling up like small mountains. Too many tourists taking photos and checking in at Erhai Lake have trampled the lawns bare, and some online celebrities have even gotten into fights over the best spots for photos.

Environmental volunteers were frantic: "If this continues, Erhai Lake will become a sea of ​​people!"

Scalpers and scammers are taking advantage of the situation. Some are impersonating staff to collect "fast-track fees," and stalls selling fake autographed photos are springing up everywhere. Police officers are handling dozens of disputes a day, their voices hoarse from shouting: "Can't Chen Mo's fans calm down?!"

The local residents, who were originally warm and hospitable, are now being driven to resentment.

Breakfast shop owner Lao Li complained to the camera: "People start lining up at 3 a.m., keeping the neighbors awake! We welcome tourists, but they can't treat Dali like a vegetable market!"

Even more irritable middle-aged women blocked the road and shouted: "Chen Mo! You can hold an event, but first give us compensation for emotional distress!"

As public opinion intensifies.

Chen Mo was caught off guard.

However, tourism and cultural industries in other regions are filled with envy and resentment.

Previously, it was Chen Mo's freedom to choose where to go, but now it's different. Damn it, you guys don't have the ability, which has caused a lot of complaints.

Then don't blame us for wielding hoes.

The first to make a move was Chang'an Culture and Tourism, after all, back when Fan Binbin retired from the entertainment industry, Chen Mo organized the 814 Welfare Week, and the Millennium Chinese Costume Show.

They have plenty of experience in handling such a surge in tourists.

So, Chang'an Culture and Tourism took the lead in posting a nine-grid photo of the grand occasion, accompanied by the caption: "The ancient capital of thirteen dynasties deserves the prestige of a top-tier director! @ChenMo, the people of Chang'an miss you!"

The key point is that local netizens are also happy to get involved, as regional competition has always existed.

Therefore, seeing the Dali cultural tourism sector in such a mess, with even local residents complaining, they suddenly felt a sense of superiority. After all, their visitor numbers were no less than this time, but they never had any problems.

So everyone chimed in: "We gave you a chance, but you didn't take it! Come to Chang'an! We'll take as many as you want. Price gouging? No way! Whoever raises prices will go out of business! @Chang'an Culture and Tourism"

"Come to Chang'an! We people of Chang'an are warm and hospitable. Come here, and I'll treat you to some delicious food!"

Seeing that Chang'an Cultural Tourism was abandoning all martial ethics and starting to dig people up with hoes.

Other local cultural and tourism sectors are also getting restless.

Not to be outdone, Tianfu Culture and Tourism released a video of a panda cub eating bamboo.

"Director Chen, choose us! You get to choose the venue for the meet-and-greet—Kuanzhai Alley, Jinli, or the Panda Base! PS: Winning audience members can pet a panda!"

Netizens are frantically tagging Chen Mo: "Who can resist this? I don't care about the online spot, I have to go for the offline one!"

Hangzhou's cultural and tourism sector is launching a major initiative.

The official Weibo account posted a long image detailing the advantages: "Free admission to West Lake! Unlimited Longjing tea! A light show at Leifeng Pagoda! @ChenMo come to Hangzhou, and we'll arrange for the White Snake to sing 'Waiting for a Thousand Years' for you!"

It even included a screenshot of a document with the city leader's approval: "Fully cooperate with Chen Mo's team, provide them with money and manpower as needed!"

As the people of Harbin, the "Ice City" of Northeast China, have gained fame in recent years due to their cultural tourism, they have also joined the fray.

Harbin's cultural and tourism sector used large characters in the snow to spell out "Chen Mo NB" and shouted: "Brother, come to Northeast China, we'll cook you in an iron pot (just kidding)! Winners will receive a mink coat!"

The comments section instantly turned into a stand-up comedy routine: "Culture and Tourism Bureau: The mink coat is borrowed, remember to return it after you're done!"

Chen Mo: I don't believe you for a second!

Suddenly, all the pressure fell on Dali's cultural tourism sector.

After all, local cultural and tourism authorities have completely abandoned all pretense of decency and are openly poaching talent.

Of course, they really had nothing to say about this, after all, they hadn't done their job properly and had given the other party an opportunity!
If they can't handle this immense wealth, the entire Dali cultural tourism industry will truly lose face in the world. They can't afford to lose face like this, and they absolutely cannot lose face like this!
(End of this chapter)