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

When Lin Mo came out of the screening room, Lao Han was standing in the corridor waiting for him.

"Finished watching?" Old Han asked.

"I've finished watching it."

"What did the leaders say?"

Lin Mo roughly recounted what Director Wang and Prosecutor Zhao had said.

After listening, Lao Han nodded, said nothing, and turned to walk downstairs.

Lin Mo followed behind him, and the two went downstairs one after the other and entered Lao Han's office.

Old Han closed the door, poured Lin Mo a cup of tea, and pointed to the sofa.

"sit."

Lin Mo sat down, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

Old Han sat opposite him, looked at him, and remained silent for a while.

"Xiao Lin, do you know why Prosecutor Zhao made me watch the film earlier?"

Lin Mo shook his head.

"Prosecutor Zhao said this film isn't for me, it's to show me that all these days of hard work haven't been in vain." Old Han paused, "You haven't slept well for over ten days, your eyes are as red as a rabbit's, Prosecutor Zhao saw it all."

Lin Mo didn't speak.

Old Han continued, "You know how Inspector Zhao is. He may not say anything, but he knows what's going on. When he asked me to look at the films, he meant—keep an eye on the people in your department, don't let Xiao Lin get overworked."

Lin Mo felt a warmth in her heart.

"Director Han, I'm not that delicate."

"It's not about being delicate or not." Old Han waved his hand. "You're our Supreme People's Procuratorate's treasure, Prosecutor Zhao's precious darling. If you collapse from exhaustion, Prosecutor Zhao will hold me accountable first."

Lin Mo laughed: "It's not that exaggerated."

"Exaggeration?" Old Han glared at him. "Didn't you see the way Inspector Zhao looked at you just now? That look, he doesn't even look at his own son with that kind of affection."

Lin Mo felt embarrassed by what he said and lowered his head to drink his tea.

Old Han also picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, and his tone became serious.

"Kobayashi, let me tell you the truth."

"Please speak."

"After watching this film you made, I felt choked up." Old Han's voice turned somber. "Those young people who were deceived, those scenes of them being beaten, I sat there from beginning to end, without saying a single word. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk about it, it was that I couldn't."

He paused, looking at Lin Mo.

"But you did a good thing. A very good thing."

Lin Mo put down his teacup: "Director Han, I just made a movie."

"It's not a movie." Old Han shook his head. "What you made isn't a movie, it's something that saves lives. If those people who were tricked into going to northern Myanmar had seen your film beforehand, they would never have gone, even if you killed them."

Lin Mo didn't reply.

Old Han stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Lin Mo.

"When you first came to the publicity department, I felt you were different. You had ideas, you were capable, unlike those young people who just coasted along." He turned around and looked at Lin Mo. "But I didn't expect you to do this well."

Lin Mo opened his mouth as if to say something, but Lao Han raised his hand to stop him.

"Alright, stop being modest. I'm just telling you—work hard, but don't get carried away. Prosecutor Zhao values ​​you, and Director Wang values ​​you too, but you need to make sure you're firmly established."

Lin Mo stood up: "Director Han, I've got it."

"Just remember that." Old Han waved his hand. "Go back and rest. Don't come to work for the next few days. Get some rest and let your eyes recover."

"Alright."

……

Almost everyone had left the screening room.

Director Sun and several people from the Ministry of Public Security left first, agreeing to go to the State Administration for review together tomorrow.

Zhao Jian remained seated in the first row, without moving.

Director Wang didn't leave either. He stood in front of the screen, arms crossed, staring at the now-black screen.

Only the two of them remained in the screening room.

Zhao Jian stood up and walked to Director Wang's side.

"Director Wang, what are you thinking about?"

Director Wang paused for two seconds before speaking.

"Old Zhao, I was just telling you that this film is more effective than anything else, and I'm not just being polite."

Zhao Jian looked at him but didn't reply.

Director Wang turned around to face Prosecutor Zhao, his expression very serious.

"I've worked in criminal investigation for over thirty years and have seen far too many people get scammed. There are elderly women who transfer their retirement savings to scammers, college students who are tricked into going to northern Myanmar and never coming back, and young people who are swindled out of their entire fortunes and then jump off buildings." He paused, his voice heavy. "I've always wanted to find a way to make people remember what they see, so they won't get scammed. I've distributed flyers, filmed videos, and shown warning films, but nothing has worked."

He looked at Prosecutor Zhao and said, word by word, "But today's film is useful."

After a moment of silence, Prosecutor Zhao spoke.

"Director Wang, now that you mention it, I do feel some pressure."

"What kind of pressure?"

"This film is a co-production between our two companies. If it doesn't perform well when it airs, it would be embarrassing."

Director Wang shook his head: "It won't be bad."

"You're that confident?"

"It's not that I'm confident, it's that the film itself is powerful," Director Wang said. "Old Zhao, look at that actor who plays Manager Lu, his name is Wang Chuanjun, right? In the scene where he shouts slogans, I was sitting below, and my back felt cold. It wasn't because he acted fiercely, it was because he acted so realistically. So realistically that I thought he was one of those fraud bosses in northern Myanmar."

Zhao Jian nodded: "He really acted well."

"And there's that young man who played Pan Sheng, Zhang Yixing," Director Wang continued. "The look in his eyes when he sat in the police car at the end made my heart ache. That blank look, that uncertainty about what to do next, I've seen it on the faces of those young people who were rescued. Exactly the same."

Zhao Jian glanced at Director Wang: "Director Wang, you're commenting from a professional perspective."

Director Wang waved his hand: "What professionalism? I'm just an old policeman. But I've been judging people for thirty years, and I can tell the good from the bad, the real from the fake at a glance."

Zhao Jian didn't speak, but a smile played on his lips.

Director Wang remained silent for a while, then said something.

"Old Zhao, thank you."

Prosecutor Zhao was taken aback: "Thank me for what?"

"Thank you for lending me Lin Mo." Director Wang looked at him sincerely. "Without him, this film couldn't have been made. And even if it had, it wouldn't be like this."

Zhao, the prosecutor, laughed: "Director Wang, are you trying to poach my employees?"

"It's not about poaching, it's about expressing my gratitude." Director Wang smiled as well. "Don't worry, Lin Mo is someone from your Supreme People's Procuratorate, I won't steal him. But if I ever need anything related to publicity in the future, you'll have to lend me your services."

After thinking for a moment, Prosecutor Zhao said, "I can lend it, but I can't lend it for free."

"Of course, I'll treat you to drinks later."

"A bottle of Moutai?"

Director Wang's lips twitched: "Old Zhao, you're asking for the moon."

Zhao Jian laughed, but then his expression turned serious.

"Director Wang, let's get serious. You'll need to put in a lot of effort regarding submitting this film for review."

"Don't worry," Director Wang nodded. "I'm familiar with the headquarters; I'll get back to you within a week."

"it is good."