It's reasonable for me, a stuntman, to live a crazy life, right?

Chapter 1436 There are no free lunches, only traps!
"Aquaman 2, the Hollywood action/adventure film directed by James Wan, grossed $4963 million on its opening day. Compared to the first film, the second installment has received significantly less positive reviews..."

Yesterday, the anti-fraud film "All or Nothing," produced by Feiyue Films, held a grand premiere event in the capital.

Director Chen Fei expressed his feelings, saying, "May there be no fraud in the world!"

"Jiang Wen officially announced that he will start preparations for a new project..."

On the afternoon of the 21st, Chen Fei made a special trip to the cinema to watch "Aquaman 2".

He was still looking forward to the familiar underwater special effects as the lights dimmed, but as the plot progressed, his brows furrowed more and more.

The villain's motivations are as thin as a piece of paper, the supposedly spectacular underwater battle is just a few repetitive shots, and even the most dazzling visual spectacle in the first film feels perfunctory and rough.

Seeing the main characters forcibly "lower their intelligence" in order to advance the plot, he couldn't help but sigh softly.

In the latter half of the show, the audience was already looking down at their phones, and the screen light was particularly glaring in the darkness.

After the event, Chen Fei checked his phone and saw that the internet was already abuzz with complaints:
"The plot is like a diary entry; I can't remember any details after watching it. It's incredibly boring."

"The special effects aren't even as good as the first one. Where did all the budget go?"

"Has James Wan put all his attention into other projects?"

Opening Douban, the rating plummeted to below 6 points, with comments overwhelmingly expressing disappointment and disappointment. Even many fans of the first film said they "would not watch it a second time."

This is precisely the current state of Hollywood blockbusters: spending huge sums on special effects is less effective than a solid story and sincere expression.

In contrast, "All or Nothing" is a story-driven film that doesn't rely on flashy special effects but instead captivates audiences with its tight narrative and realistic details.

Previously, promotional videos that occasionally leaked online, even if they were only a few dozen seconds long, such as the despair in the eyes of victims trapped in the fraud park, the frantic typing of fraudsters, and the tense moments of police staking out and arresting them, could quickly arouse the curiosity of the audience, and the comment section was full of calls to "see the full story".

At the same time, it was no coincidence that Chen Fei took the initiative to deeply link the film with the topic of "anti-fraud".

Because before preparing for the promotion, he specifically researched many real fraud cases, from "pig butchering scams" to cross-border online fraud, and every plot point could be found in reality.

He knew that a work that could connect with social pain points was more powerful than a simple entertainment film!
This binding effect quickly became apparent.

The official accounts of the public security system proactively forwarded movie-related content, using the promotional video as anti-fraud education material.

Many communities, businesses, and even schools have spontaneously organized discussions on fraudulent methods.

Netizens even spontaneously created memes, turning the movie line "There are no free lunches, only traps" into emojis, which spread widely on social media platforms.

What started as a drama film has gradually become a nationwide "anti-fraud campaign".

More importantly, this binding gives the film an inherent, implicit "mainstream" attribute.

It doesn't shout empty slogans, but uses real stories to hit the pain points of contemporary society!
With the proliferation of scams, everyone from the elderly to the young can become a victim, and the need for "anti-fraud" measures has long been ingrained in people's lives.

Chen Fei had always harbored a strong desire within him.

He didn't want the film to be just "entertaining." He hoped that viewers would be more vigilant after leaving the theater, and that if even one person avoided a scam because of the film, the film would have an extra layer of value.

As the publicity grew, more and more people began to look forward to this life-saving movie.

Many people left messages on the ticketing platform saying, "I not only want to see it myself, but I also want to bring my parents to see it so they can learn how to avoid being scammed."

Based on this, even before its release, "All or Nothing" has already transcended the scope of an ordinary drama film and become a bridge connecting film and society.

This is exactly the result Chen Fei wanted to see!

……

Time flies, and before we knew it, it was the 22nd.

The weather is very nice today.

Lin Hao, still a college student, found his girlfriend Su Xiao early in the morning, clutching two movie tickets for "All or Nothing".

"Don't worry about the exam. After we watch this movie this morning, let's go eat at your favorite hot pot restaurant for lunch, okay?"

"Ok."

Su Xiao smiled and nodded, then followed her boyfriend out of the school.

As they walked, Lin Hao added, "My friend introduced me to an investment mentor who said he guarantees a profit. I'll buy you a new pair of headphones once I've made some money."

"Haha, okay, thank you, honey."

"Say one more, I love to hear it."

"Hehe, I'll call you that every day after I graduate and get married, it's so annoying."

The two walked into the theater to the soundtrack and sat in the middle, towards the back.

Lin Hao handed the popcorn bucket to Su Xiao, casually draped his arm over the back of her chair, and whispered teasingly in her ear:

"I heard this movie is full of real fraud cases. I have to study it carefully later, so I don't get scammed and end up helping them count the money."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Su Xiao playfully pushed him, her gaze falling on the lit-up screen.

The opening scene was somewhat depressing, with the iron fences of a Southeast Asian scam park and the numb faces of the victims, causing the laughter in the theater to gradually fade away.

Su Xiao chewed on popcorn, watching casually.

Her movements suddenly stopped when the "investment mentor's" WeChat interface appeared on the screen.

The familiar profile picture, the "low risk, high return" in the opening remarks, and the "screenshots of insider operations" sent were almost identical to the chat history with "Teacher Li" on my boyfriend's phone!
"Haozi, look!"

Su Xiao's voice trembled slightly as she pointed her finger at the screen.

Lin Hao was still replying to his classmate's messages when he followed her gaze, and his smile instantly froze on his face.

On screen, the victims followed the "mentor" and invested their first sum of money. They quickly received screenshots of "profits credited to their accounts" and were then persuaded to invest more.

Wasn't he doing the same thing last week?
First, I invested 10,000 yuan as a "test," and three days later I received a screenshot of "earning 5,000 yuan." "Teacher Li" said that "the more money you invest, the higher your returns," so I transferred all of my 30,000 yuan of New Year's money that I had saved over three years.

"No...this is impossible..." Lin Hao muttered to himself, sweat beading on his forehead.

He hurriedly took out his phone, opened the chat window with "Teacher Li," and scrolled up the messages one by one.

On screen, the "mentor" began to delay withdrawals under the pretext of "system maintenance and the need to pay a deposit".

"Teacher Li" told him yesterday that "the bank transfer will be delayed over the weekend, and the money will arrive next Monday."

Su Xiao leaned closer to look at his phone, and the more she looked, the heavier her heart became.

The screenshot of profits sent by the "mentor" in the movie and the one Lin Hao received were almost identical, even down to the pixelation marks from Photoshop.

The atmosphere in the theater grew increasingly tense. When the victim on the screen discovered he had been blocked and collapsed to the ground, crying uncontrollably, Lin Hao's breathing became rapid.

He trembled as he clicked on "Teacher Li's" profile picture and tried to send a message...

A bright red exclamation mark appeared, and a message popped up below saying "The other party has deleted you as a friend."

"no, I can not……"

Lin Hao's voice was trembling with tears. Su Xiao quickly grabbed his hand and realized that his palms were covered in cold sweat.

She remembered Lin Hao's excitement last week when he told her, "We'll go on a trip once the money arrives," and how she had reminded him, "Don't rush, safety is the most important thing." Now she realized that all that so-called "hope" was a carefully woven trap by the swindler.

The movie continues, but the scenes of police raiding the fraud park and victims identifying criminals appear to the two as if in slow motion.

Su Xiao forced back her tears and took out her phone to search for "fake investment fraud cases".

The first point is a notice issued by the local police last month, which describes a fraud method that is completely consistent with what Lin Hao experienced in the movie.

Even the nicknames and common phrases used by the "mentors" are exactly the same.

As the lights came on after the show, the audience in the theater were still discussing the plot. Some exclaimed, "It's so realistic!" while others were relieved, "Thank goodness I've never experienced anything like it."

But Lin Hao seemed to have all his strength drained away, slumped in his seat, his eyes red-rimmed.

Su Xiao helped him stand up and said softly, "Haozi, let's go to the police station. Maybe we can get the money back."

The two walked to the police station at the entrance of the cinema. After listening to their story, the police officer on duty took out a stack of anti-fraud brochures:

"What you've encountered is a typical case of fraudulent investment scam. There have been a lot of these cases lately. The movie 'All or Nothing' is based on a real case we've cracked."

The police took their statements, retrieved their transfer records and chat screenshots, and told them, "We have contacted the anti-fraud center and are investigating this fraud gang. We will notify you as soon as we have any news."

As they left the police station, their figures became somewhat forlorn.

Lin Hao gripped Su Xiao's hand, his voice hoarse: "It's all my fault for being too greedy..."

Su Xiao shook her head and gently hugged him: "It's a good thing we watched this movie, otherwise we might still be in the dark. We'll never believe in these 'free lunches' again."

Lin Hao nodded and looked up at the poster for "All or Nothing" outside the cinema.

The slogan "There are no free lunches, only traps" is particularly eye-catching.

In a daze, he suddenly realized that this movie was not just an ordinary movie, but more like a mirror, reflecting the hidden scams in reality and waking up people like him who almost fell into the trap.

After leaving the police station, Lin Hao and Su Xiao skipped their planned hot pot dinner and headed straight to the school.

Back in the dorm, Lin Hao turned on his computer, and Su Xiao, holding her phone, started typing on the keyboard almost simultaneously.

They want to write down their experiences so that more people can see the value of "All or Nothing"!
Lin Hao wrote a long post on the school's online forum, from the shock they experienced while watching the movie to their realization after calling the police; every word was filled with genuine fear.
"If it weren't for this movie, I might still be waiting for that 'mentor's' reply, or even thinking of borrowing money from classmates to invest more."

Every detail of the scam described inside is exactly the same as my experience. I hope everyone will read it and not be as foolish as I was.

Su Xiao posted a video on Douyin, showing her reddened eyes, with screenshots of chat history and movie clips on her computer behind her:
"Everyone must be wary of fraudulent investments! My boyfriend and I were scammed, and we almost got even deeper into it. It was 'All or Nothing' that woke us up. This movie really saved our lives!"

Their posts and videos quickly garnered responses.

Classmates commented, "I'll go see it tomorrow," and netizens with similar experiences sent private messages to share their stories. Some parents even commented, "I want to bring my child along."

Lin Hao and Su Xiao didn't rest; they went to Weibo and Xiaohongshu to share their experiences repeatedly with netizens on different platforms.

One tells ten, ten tell a hundred...

By the afternoon, topics such as "Real-life case of 'All or Nothing'" and "Spotting scams by watching the movie" began to spread on social media, with more and more people spontaneously joining the ranks of recommending the film, and the film's popularity skyrocketed like a snowball.

Open the movie's comment section, and the screen is filled with praise:

"I originally went to see this with a friend, but I ended up clenching my fists the whole time! The scams in it were so realistic. My mom almost fell for a similar 'investment' scheme before. I called her immediately after watching it. I have to recommend this movie to the whole family!"

"Yang Mi's portrayal of the sexy dealer is absolutely amazing! She looks beautiful and cool when she's dealing cards in her red dress, but seeing the fear of being controlled behind her back makes me feel sorry for her. She brought this character to life and completely shattered my preconceived notions about her."

"The plot is not padded at all. Every character, from the victim to the fraudster, is very three-dimensional. The scene of the police arresting the perpetrators at the end was very exciting. It turns out that there are so many people working hard to fight fraud in places we can't see."

"I recommend all students watch this! There are so many scams involving campus loans and fake part-time jobs these days. This movie is like a living anti-fraud textbook, more effective than ten lectures from a teacher."

"I thought it was just a regular drama, but I didn't expect it to have such a strong aftereffect. As soon as I left the theater, I deleted all the unfamiliar friends on my phone. I will never be greedy for small gains again. Thank you 'All or Nothing' for teaching me a lesson!"

As its popularity exploded, the number of screenings naturally skyrocketed as well.

The box office figures for "All for One" were officially released the following morning.

2.33 billion!
The announcement of this result immediately shocked many people in the industry.

It's worth noting that among the films released at the same time, the highest opening day box office didn't exceed 5000 million.

No one expected that this movie, which didn't rely on big-name celebrities and focused on plot and anti-fraud, would have such a strong staying power!

After the news spread, cinemas in major cities immediately increased the number of screenings of "All or Nothing".

Many viewers who couldn't get tickets started waiting for the next show, and the discussion on social media remained high.

However, with the film's popularity, all sorts of troubles followed.

The reason is simple: the film's explosive popularity has inadvertently taken a bite out of the profits of many people...

(End of this chapter)