We asked you to make an anti-corruption film, but you made one in the name of the people!

Less than half an hour after the first two episodes of "In the Name of the People" aired, the entire internet exploded.

It received a 9.2 rating on Douban.

More than 3,000 people rated it, and 70% of them gave it five stars.

This drama occupied four of the top ten trending topics on Weibo.

#In the Name of the People Premieres# - First.

#ThroatYongActingSkills# - Third.

#Zhao Dehan's 200 Million Yuan in Cash# - Fifth.

The comments section was as lively as if it were Chinese New Year.

"Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! The first episode is already this intense? What is the Supreme People's Procuratorate trying to do?"

"I watched Teacher Hou Yong's crying scene five times, and each time I got goosebumps!"

"With over 200 million in cash piled up in front of me, even I would go weak in the knees."

"When Zhao Dehan said I didn't spend a single penny, I actually felt a little sorry for him... Do I have a problem with my values?"

"You're not alone upstairs. Hou Yong acted so well, he brought that greedy yet cowardly feeling to life."

"The Supreme People's Procuratorate's productions are truly exceptional; they're bold yet not preachy—amazing!"

"Just who is this Lin Mo? He's already this amazing on his first time acting in a drama?"

"I've already recommended it to everyone in the office; let's watch it together next week!"

"It's been a long time since CCTV's prime time slot has been this exciting. Looking forward to what's to come!"

"Zhao Dehan was just a section chief and he embezzled 200 million yuan. How much must the bigger tigers behind him have embezzled? I don't even want to think about it!"

Some netizens even took screenshots of Hou Yong's crying scene and turned them into GIFs, captioned #FearOfBeingPoor.jpg#

In less than an hour, the picture went viral across the entire internet.

Some netizens also dug up old interviews with Hou Yong, discovering that he barely ate for three days in order to portray that haggard look in order to play this role well.

"That's what a real actor is! Unlike those young idols these days, who have to use eye drops to act out a crying scene."

"Teacher Hou Yong has been deified!"

"I suggest awarding Professor Hou Yong a lifetime achievement award."

Of course, there were dissenting voices, but they were quickly drowned out by positive reviews.

……

The next morning, as soon as Lin Mo arrived at work, he realized something was wrong.

At this time of day, the main entrance is usually deserted; you can just swipe your card to enter.

Today, several people were standing at the door, and their eyes lit up when they saw him, just like when they saw a celebrity.

"Brother Lin! He's here!"

"Director Lin! I watched last night's show, it was amazing!"

"Brother Lin, what happens next in the plot? Give me a heads-up!"

Lin Mo was surrounded, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Everyone, please don't give away spoilers, can you watch it for yourselves?"

"Just a tiny bit! Just a tiny bit!"

"Yeah, Brother Lin, we can't wait any longer!"

Lin Mo finally managed to squeeze through the crowd and swipe his card to enter the building.

The situation inside the building was even more outrageous.

The people queuing at the elevator entrance all turned their heads when they saw him.

Old Li from the office was the first to speak: "Xiao Lin! My whole family watched it last night! My wife said your filming is better than those big directors!"

Xiao Zhou from the disciplinary inspection team was even more direct: "Brother Lin, when are you filming your next movie? Could you arrange a role for me? Even a minor character will do!"

Lin Mo felt uncomfortable being praised so much that he quickly got into the elevator.

The moment the elevator doors closed, he heard someone outside shout, "Director Lin is awesome!"

When Lin Mo reached the floor where the publicity department was located, he took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Sure enough, the office was in an uproar.

Xiao Wang was the first to rush up: "Brother Lin! You're famous! Have you checked Weibo? Your name is trending!"

"What?" Lin Mo was taken aback.

Xiao Wang shoved his phone right in front of him.

The 23rd trending topic on Weibo: #Lin Mo, the director of In the Name of the People#

Lin Mo himself hadn't expected it.

He clicked on it and saw a screenshot of his Baidu Baike (Baidu Encyclopedia) entry.

I don't know which netizen had the ability to dig up his basic information—a staff member of the Publicity Department of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, 26 years old, a graduate of an ordinary university, and who had previously acted in several micro-films.

The comments below are varied and diverse.

"Twenty-six years old? Two years younger than me? I'm still doing manual labor, and they've already made a drama with a 9.2 rating on Douban?"

"A civil servant at the Supreme People's Procuratorate? That's an amazing resume, working within the system and also being a director."

Is Director Lin still single? Waiting for an answer!

"Wake up, upstairs!"

Lin Mo's lips twitched as he watched.

"Brother Lin, you still haven't answered me. What happens next in the story?" Xiao Wang leaned closer again.

"Yeah, Brother Lin, is Secretary Dakang good or bad?"

"That Gao Yuliang doesn't seem like a good person. Is he the mastermind behind this?"

"What happened to Qi Tongwei? What became of him?"

A group of people gathered around, chattering amongst themselves.

Just as Lin Mo was about to speak, a cough came from behind him.

"cough!"

Everyone turned around and saw Old Han standing at the door, his face as serious as ever.

"What are you all doing gathered here? Don't you have any work to do?"

Everyone immediately dispersed and returned to their positions, even faster than during military training.

Old Han looked at Lin Mo: "Little Lin, come with me, Prosecutor Zhao wants to see you."

"Okay."

Lin Mo followed Lao Han out of the office and headed up to the eighth floor.

Along the way, Lao Han's expression relaxed, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Old Han asked.

"It's alright, but my phone vibrated all night." Lin Mo took out his phone and waved it. "It was all congratulatory messages, and from several film and television companies."

"That's normal." Old Han nodded. "Prosecutor Zhao called me last night and told me something."

"What is it?"

"The ratings are out."

Lin Mo's heart tightened: "How much?"

Old Han held up two fingers.

"Two point one percent?"

"Two point three percent." Old Han laughed. "The highest premiere ratings in nearly three years for CCTV-1's prime time slot."

Lin Mo gasped.

Two point three percent.

What does this mean?

The most popular drama on CCTV-1's prime time slot last year only achieved a 1.7 rating when it premiered.

"In the Name of the People" went straight to 2.3, and that was in the first episode.

"And another thing," Lao Han continued, "the online viewership, from midnight last night to eight o'clock this morning, in just over nine hours, exceeded two hundred million."

Lin Mo paused in his steps.

Two hundred million?

One night?

"Prosecutor Zhao said the data is still rising." Old Han patted Lin Mo on the shoulder. "Little Lin, you're really famous this time."

Lin Mo took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

But my heart was still racing.

……

Eighth floor, Prosecutor Zhao's office.

When Lao Han knocked on the door and went in, Prosecutor Zhao was on the phone.

"Okay, thank you so much... Yes, we'll cooperate fully... Alright, we'll contact you later."

After hanging up the phone, Prosecutor Zhao looked at the two of them, his smile impossible to hide.

"Sit down, sit down."

Lin Mo and Lao Han sat down on the sofa.

Zhao Jian walked out from behind his desk and sat down on the sofa, very close to Lin Mo.

"Xiao Lin, I watched the show last night," Prosecutor Zhao said, getting straight to the point.

Lin Mo nodded, waiting for Prosecutor Zhao to continue.

"I didn't watch a preview, I watched the whole TV show," Zhao Jian laughed. "My wife didn't know I'd seen it. After the first episode, she kept asking me questions, like what happened to Zhao Dehan in the end, and whether Secretary Dakang was a good person. I told her not to ask me, just watch it herself. She got upset."

Lin Mo and Lao Han both laughed.

"You know about the ratings, right?" Prosecutor Zhao's smile faded, and he became serious.

Old Han nodded: "I told Xiao Lin on the way, it's 2.3%."

"More than that." Prosecutor Zhao held up three fingers. "The broadcasting department just called me and said the final data is out: 2.47%, rounded up to 2.5%."

2.5!

Lin Mo was startled.

It's even higher than what Lao Han said.

"This data represents the best premiere performance for CCTV-1's prime-time slot in the past five years," Zhao Jian said in a loud voice. "In the past five years!"

Old Han added from the side, "Prosecutor Zhao, didn't Xiao Lin sleep well last night?"

"I didn't..."

"Stop being stubborn," Old Han interrupted him. "Who could sleep in that situation?"

Zhao Jian laughed heartily and patted Lin Mo on the shoulder.

"Xiao Lin, I also called the department leaders last night to report on the progress of this drama," said Prosecutor Zhao. "The department leaders' opinion was—very good, keep it up."

Four words: Very good.

There were no extra compliments, but Lin Mo knew that this was the greatest affirmation.

"Prosecutor Zhao, what about the follow-up publicity?" Old Han asked.

"CCTV has already made the arrangements," Zhao Jian said. "Xiao Lin will be on an interview program, and there are also several live broadcasts on various platforms. I'll let you know when the times are finalized."

Lin Mo nodded: "Okay, Inspector Zhao, I'll follow your instructions."

"There's one more thing." Inspector Zhao looked at Lin Mo, his expression turning serious. "Since last night, several film and television companies have called me, wanting to collaborate with you."

Lin Mo was taken aback.

"You don't need to rush to agree or refuse," Prosecutor Zhao waved his hand. "Your most important task right now is to broadcast 'In the Name of the People' well. We can talk about the rest later."

"I see."

Inspector Zhao then looked at Lao Han: "Lao Han, keep a close eye on Xiao Lin. He's in the spotlight right now, so don't let him get involved with any shady people or things outside."

"Understood." Old Han nodded.

"Alright, that's all. Go and get busy."