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

In mid-March, it had been almost half a year since "Raging Waves" finished airing.

The hype has died down.

But one thing hasn't changed—netizens have the sharpest eyes.

The incident began with a post from a Weibo account called "Entertainment Frontline".

"There's a rumor going around that a director who's made three phenomenal films is in talks with China Film Group, apparently about a medical-themed project. It's not certain if it's his new film, but he was definitely spotted near the China Film Group location. Can you guess who it is?"

The post included a picture—so blurry it looked like it was taken with a landline camera, but you could make out the back of a man wearing a dark blue jacket, walking into the gates of China Film Group.

He wasn't very tall, was rather thin, and looked quite young from behind.

The comments section reacted in just three minutes.

"A dark blue jacket? Isn't that Director Lin? He wore the same one at the awards ceremony!"

"The body proportions are also right, it's Director Lin."

"No need to guess, only Director Lin can be recognized from such a blurry figure."

"Are you guys too idle? You can even scrutinize a mere back view?"

"Nonsense! Director Lin has disappeared for months since 'Raging Storm' finished airing! Not a single word from him! Do you know how long we've been waiting?!"

Two hours after the post was published, [Entertainment Frontline] updated with another post.

"Additional information: According to sources, the screenwriter for this project is the daughter of a powerful figure who also holds an important position at China Film Group. Lin Mo is not the director, but he will participate in another capacity. The specifics are still being verified."

This post caused an uproar in the comments section.

"The big boss's daughter? China Film Group? Han Sanping's daughter, Han Jianu?"

"I know Han Jianu is a screenwriter. She wrote a few short dramas before, but they didn't make much of a splash."

"Director Lin isn't the director? Then who is the director?"

"Another identity—producer?"

"Anything directed by Lin is guaranteed to be a masterpiece; I'd accept it even if he wasn't the director."

"The problem is that the screenwriter is Han Jianu, the director is still unknown, and Director Lin is the producer—is this combination reliable?"

That evening, someone posted a long article on Zhihu titled "All the known information about Lin Mo's new work, and some reasonable speculations."

This article is quite well written.

The original poster first dug up Han Jia's resume—the daughter of Han Sanping, chairman of China Film Group Corporation, a graduate of the drama department of a well-known university in China, who had previously written several short drama scripts with a realistic style and a focus on social issues.

Then I looked into Wen Muye—a young director who has made several short films and won a few minor awards, but has never made a feature film. His personal style leans towards realism, his cinematic language is restrained, and he is good at telling stories about ordinary people.

Finally, the original poster made a judgment.

"Based on all the information, Lin Mo's new project is most likely a medical realist film, with Han Jianu as the screenwriter, Wen Muye as the director, and Lin Mo himself serving as the producer. If this judgment is correct, then this is the first time Lin Mo has served as a producer instead of a director. His choice of a new director and a new screenwriter (at least in the feature film field of new screenwriters) suggests that he may be intentionally nurturing new talent."

"This is consistent with Lin Mo's style—he's not the kind of person who tries to have everything. He chooses the right actors and directors. He's not afraid of others stealing the spotlight; he's afraid of bad films."

The comments section exploded.

"That's an excellent analysis. Director Lin is like that; when he chose Zhang Songwen, Zhang Songwen was just an extra. I believe he chose Wen Muye."

"A medical drama? Is it going to be another anti-corruption one?"

"Medical insurance, seeing a doctor, buying medicine—would it pass censorship if these things were filmed? Director Lin is really daring."

"With Lin Mo as the producer, I think there won't be any problem with it passing the censorship. He knows the limits too well."

"Right now, I only care about one thing—when will the cast be finalized? Will the cast of this drama be another meeting of veteran actors?"

"I'm guessing it's Zhang Songwen. Didn't Zhang Songwen say that he's completely free up his schedule for Director Lin's next film?"

"Gao Qiqiang playing a doctor? Forget it, he might be suitable for playing a patient, though."

Jin Chen: Director Lin, Director Lin, do you have any suitable roles?

"Hilarious! Director Lin's cast is more lively than the backstage area of ​​the Spring Festival Gala right now."

Meanwhile, there were also some activity on Douyin (TikTok).

A Douyin account called "Gossip Lao Zhang" posted a video that read out the key points of the Zhihu analysis, accompanied by a compilation of classic clips from Lin Mo's previous works.

The video ended with the line: "Anything produced by Director Lin is bound to be a masterpiece. When he's not filming, everyone is waiting for him to make a film."

This video garnered over eight million views in one night.

The comments section was filled with the same sentiment.

"When will it be officially announced? I've already subscribed to a membership until 2028."

"Please, hurry up. What's the point of my life without Director Lin's dramas?"

"I've watched 'The Storm' five times, and I discover new details every time. Director Lin, please recommend a new drama."

"I heard this time he's a producer, not a director, but I don't care. The name Lin Mo is a guarantee of quality."

"I have a bold idea—is Director Lin brewing up a big surprise?"

"What ultimate move?"

"In the Name of the People is about anti-corruption, All In, it's about anti-fraud, and it's about cracking down on organized crime. Now, a medical drama... are we going to move into the medical genre?"

"If it's true, then Director Lin has filmed everything that ordinary people care about most."

"My uncle passed away last year because he couldn't afford the genuine medicine. If Director Lin really makes a film about this subject, I will definitely go to the cinema to watch it."

......

The next morning, Lin Mo arrived at the office at nine o'clock as usual, made a cup of tea, and had just sat down when Sun Jianguo pushed the door open and came in.

"Xiaolin, you're trending again."

Lin Mo was taken aback: "What trending topic?"

Sun Jianguo handed over his phone.

Lin Mo took it and looked at it—the eighth trending topic: #LinMoNewWork#

Clicking on it led to the exposé post he had seen yesterday, which had already been forwarded tens of thousands of times.

The netizens in the comments section have already arranged everything for him: screenwriter Han Jianu, director Wen Muye, producer Lin Mo, medical theme, produced by China Film Group, and the cast is yet to be determined.

"How did these people know?" Lin Mo handed the phone back to Sun Jianguo.

"Who are you asking?" Sun Jianguo sat down opposite him, crossed his legs, and looked like he was watching a good show. "Tell me, how long has it been since you last posted anything? Since 'Raging Waves' finished airing, have you posted a single Weibo post? A single Douyin video? Netizens are going crazy. If they don't dig into your past, who else will they dig into?"

"But seriously," Sun Jianguo put down his teacup, becoming a little more serious, "have you communicated with China Film Group? Now that this is gaining traction, it's best to release some official information, otherwise the rumors from netizens will get more and more outrageous, and all sorts of things will be said."

"I'll talk to Chairman Han about it later."

"Right, let's set the tone in advance." Sun Jianguo stood up, patted Lin Mo on the shoulder, and said, "Even if you stay home and do absolutely nothing, you'll still be trending on social media. Do you know what that means?"

"What does that mean?"

"It means the audience trusts you." Sun Jianguo walked to the door, turned back and said, "This kind of trust is more valuable than any amount of traffic."

Lin Mo watched Sun Jianguo leave, leaned back in his chair, picked up his phone, and scrolled through a few comments.

"Anything directed by Director Lin is guaranteed to be a masterpiece."

"When he's not filming, the whole world is waiting for him to film."

"The name Linmo is a guarantee of quality."