The Entertainment Industry in Turmoil: Young Actresses All Want to Rise to the Top

Chapter 344 The Capitalist Art of a Top Villain

The drama "Love O2O" has come to its finale.

That night, the real-time viewership of Tomato TV soared all the way up, eventually settling at an incredible high of 3.52%!

This number not only shattered the dignity of all satellite TV channels in the same time slot, but also directly broke the highest viewership record of Tomato TV this year, becoming the well-deserved "King of Dramas of the Year".

On the battlefield of the internet, Mohen Video, as the exclusive broadcasting platform, delivered a battle report that sent shivers down the spines of the entire Chinese entertainment industry.

The total number of views for "Love O2O" has exceeded 18 billion, with an average of over 60 million views per episode, attracting over 1050 new registered members to Mohen Video.

GG's investment promotion business raked in a staggering 3.2 million RMB.

In this battle, Shen Mo not only made a fortune, but also shattered the industry barriers.

After this battle, Mohen Video's total number of members is now just one step away from Kiwi's.

He won both of his consecutive matches against Kiwi and Penguin videos.

Shen Mo, with the most ruthless approach, deeply imprinted the eight words "Ink Trace Productions, Guaranteed Quality" into the minds of all investors and audiences.

For a time, the headlines in the technology and entertainment sectors were dominated by the news that "Mohen Video is rising and reshaping the long-form video landscape."

Online, onlookers have already begun their feast.

"This isn't a video website, it's like they're driving a Gundam into the Chinese entertainment industry to mow down crops and rake in money!"

"The first half of the video on Tencent Video was so exciting, but then the sound went completely silent. Who's next?"

"Need you even ask? That pair of pants is the only one left on Youku, iQiyi, and Tencent Video!"

"Excuse my bluntness, but those pants are garbage!"

"To be honest, I don't think the pants look good!"

"You talk like you think just because you're optimistic, the pants will win!"

Faced with the terrifying momentum of Mohen Video's triumphant return, Kuzi, backed by Alibaba's Digital Media and Entertainment Group, finally couldn't sit still.

Alibaba's top management was furious and directly granted Pants a special grant of 100 million yuan.

They couldn't just stand by and watch Shen Mo continue to grow stronger.

Moreover, in their view, this super IP fantasy epic, "Ice Fantasy," directed by Guo Jingming and starring Feng Shaofeng, is a masterpiece.

It's not bad at all; in fact, the chances of winning are much higher.

After all, Guo Jingming's "Tiny Times" trilogy, despite its terrible reputation, still had a large following and its box office soared.

At the same time, in order to overwhelm Shen Mo in terms of momentum, Guo Xiaosi once again demonstrated his unparalleled PPT aesthetics.

Three days before its launch, the entire Alibaba ecosystem was activated.

Major apps started pushing trailers for "Ice Fantasy" around the clock, and the trending topics on Sina Weibo were dominated by Kuzi's purchase of a piece of ice and snow empire.

Guo Jingming himself made a public statement at the press conference, his words filled with arrogance and provocation.

"Ice Fantasy is a true audiovisual revolution in the history of Chinese TV dramas. We spent tens of millions on Hollywood-level special effects."

"Some platforms always like to produce modern urban dramas about love and romance, which is too narrow-minded."

"What audiences truly want to see is an epic fantasy that belongs to the Chinese people!"

This passage is both an open and subtle dig at Shen Mo's recently concluded drama "Love O2O," while also taking a jab at the upcoming realistic drama "Ode to Joy" that Mohen Video is about to air.

Driven by the dark hand of capital, public opinion across the internet was instantly stirred up.

Many marketing accounts even started stirring up trouble, claiming that "Shen Mo's winning streak is about to end under Alibaba's invincible financial power."

In an instant, a great battle was about to break out, and there was even a hint of suspense in the "battle between two strong powers".

However, most netizens are reasonable.

After all, what Mohen brought up was the "Ode to Joy" filmed by the "Five Beauties" consisting of Liu Tao, Jiang Xin, Li Qin, Bai Lu, and Tian Xiwei.

"Holy crap! A Magnolia Award-winning actress, a Best Supporting Actress, a Consort Hua, plus two actresses with box office earnings exceeding one billion!"

""

"This TV series cast? You think you can beat them? The hype almost made me believe Guo Jingming could win!"

"The guys over there are still bragging about their white hair, blue eyes, and colored contact lenses, clamoring to defeat the nuclear weapons on Mohen's side."

How could we lose? Tell me, how could we lose with this lineup?!

"Putting aside the cast, having watched the four 'Tiny Times' films, I can't convince myself that this director and screenwriter's script can surpass that of Mohen, who has produced 'My Love from the Star,' 'The Journey of Flower,' and 'Love O2O.'"

Facing the combined attack from Kuzi Video and Guo Xiaosi, Shen Mo, in his office at Mohen Capital, looked at the online uproar and let out a disdainful sneer.

"Epic fantasy? Hollywood special effects?"

"Just a death throes!"

The next day, at 10:00 AM.

Mohen Video, in collaboration with Blueberry TV, released a 3-minute final trailer for "Ode to Joy".

When netizens instinctively clicked on the trailer titled "Symphony of Shanghai," everyone's fingers froze instantly.

In an instant, the barrage of comments exploded, and the server kept lagging due to the massive influx of traffic.

If Guo Jingming's "Ice Fantasy" is a "pseudo-blockbuster" built on traffic and cheap special effects.

The trailer that Shen Mo released was a "super bombshell" that used top-tier capital, ultimate aesthetics, and large-scale industrial production to smash the aesthetic standards of the entire television industry!

The first second of the trailer doesn't have glaring saturation, nor the "heavy skin smoothing" and "pale color" filters that are rampant in the Chinese entertainment industry.

What appears on the screen is an extremely understated yet luxurious cinematic widescreen display.

Shen Mo directly used the ARRI Alea 65 camera series, which is used for shooting top-tier blockbusters, paired with a top-of-the-line anamorphic widescreen lens.

In the scene, Shanghai slowly awakens in the early morning light on the horizon, with the cool-toned glass curtain wall of Lujiazui blending perfectly with the warm-toned street life.

As the camera pans across the character's face, you can even clearly see the delicate texture of the skin and the sophisticated bone structure revealed under top-notch lighting.

This high dynamic range and story-driven contrast of light and shadow sent shivers down the spines of netizens accustomed to fast-paced idol dramas.

This isn't a TV series, it's like bringing a Hollywood movie directly to the small screen!

When the "Five Beauties" appeared one by one in the trailer, fashion bloggers and girls across the internet went crazy.

Shen Mo directly broke through the barriers of the domestic fashion circle, inviting the former editor-in-chief of VOGUE to personally handle the makeup and styling of the crew, with all costumes, makeup and props benchmarking against the haute couture and ready-to-wear of top international brands.

When Liu Tao's Andy first appeared, she had a messy yet neat shoulder-length short haircut, wore a classic camel coat from Ma, Mara, and paired it with a custom-made high-quality Armani silk shirt.

Without any unnecessary embellishment, it highlights the aloofness and asceticism of a top CFO.

Li Qin's Qu Xiaoxiao is the complete opposite extreme, wearing Chanel's early spring resort collection, Dior's limited edition haute couture mini skirt, and carrying Hermès' latest Birkin bag.

Under the guidance of top lighting technicians, the jewelry on her body radiates a dazzling and pure luxury glow, perfectly showcasing the image of a quirky, rich second-generation fairy with a net worth of over 100 million.

Even the characters played by Jiang Xin, Bai Lu, and Tian Xiwei had exquisite makeup and styling that were flawless from every angle.

Every lipstick shade and every silk scarf accessory is precisely welded to the character's personality.

Even before the trailer finished airing, searches for "Ode to Joy style items" on Taobao have already exploded!

If Guo Jingming's "Tiny Times" portrayed luxury as the nouveau riche's way of piling up paper luxury bags, then Shen Mo's trailer showcases a truly soul-stirring capitalist heavy industry.

In the trailer, accompanied by a deep cello background music, a Porsche Panamera with extremely sleek lines cuts through the water on the Yan'an Elevated Road in a downpour, reflecting the dazzling neon lights of Shanghai.

The car window slowly rolled down, and Andy's cold and beautiful face flashed by in the rearview mirror.

Moreover, the cars Qu Xiaoxiao drives in the show, as well as the top-of-the-line cars driven by bigwigs in the financial world and celebrity banquets she attends, are all real cars worth millions or even tens of millions of yuan. The roar of the engines, enhanced by top-notch sound effects, makes the audience's eardrums tingle.

The filming locations throughout the series perfectly captured the magical and realistic aspects of Shanghai.

The rooftop terrace of the Peace Hotel on the Bund, the Tomson Riviera luxury apartments on the Huangpu River worth over 100 million yuan, and even the top office buildings in Lujiazui with ceilings as high as five meters and panoramic views of the entire Bund.

Every empty shot, every push, pull, pan, and tilt, exudes a suffocating feeling built with real money.

What gave the audience the most thrill was the detail when the camera zoomed out to the 22nd floor of the Ode to Joy apartment complex.

The three adjacent apartments, from the texture of the wallpaper, the imported Nordic solid wood furniture, to the various high-end kitchen utensils, though only briefly shown, truly captured the viewer's attention.

In Liu Tao's room, an entire wall was covered by a huge multi-screen monitoring computer with a faint blue glow, exuding a sense of technology and the cool demeanor of a top elite.

Li Lin's room features a pop art-style color-blocking design that is both flamboyant and rebellious.

In the shared apartment, the space belonging to Jiang Xin, Bai Lu, and Tian Xiwei is filled with a warm, cramped yet vibrant atmosphere full of life.

The realism created by top-quality materials is like a powerful punch, hitting every viewer hard in the heart.

As the trailer played to its final second, the scene gradually froze on five stunningly beautiful women standing side by side on the riverbank, with the dazzling night view of the Oriental Pearl Tower in the background.

After a brief period of silence, the comment section was completely overrun.

"Holy crap—this is what you call a big-budget production!"

"Look at the quality of their clothes! Guo Xiaosi, look at their luxury cars, mansions, and other clothes!"

"This has completely shattered the ceiling of the fashion and automotive industries, hasn't it? Porsche, Hermès haute couture, a real-life Bund scene—how much money must have been burned?!"

"Liu Tao is so cool! Jiang Xin is amazing! Li Qin is incredible! Bai Lu is so clever! Tian Xiwei is so sweet!"

"Tell me, pants, what are you going to use to hit me?!"

'

High judgment.

Shen Mo hadn't even let the actors say their lines yet.

Based solely on the top-tier industrial configuration revealed in this trailer, it almost brutally pinned Kuzi and Guo Xiaosi to the floor!

At 8 PM on September 6th, "Ice Fantasy" and "Ode to Joy" were launched simultaneously.

Countless viewers who were drawn in by Guo Jingming's boast of "Hollywood special effects" were completely dumbfounded the moment they clicked on "Ice Fantasy".

On the screen, Feng Shaofeng wore a crudely made white plastic wig, with two frighteningly large blue contact lenses covering his eyes, and his armor exuded a strong Pinduoduo plastic feel.

What's even more outrageous is the so-called tens of millions of dollars in special effects. The snow-capped mountains in the background look like static textures from the last century, and the actors' fight scenes look like an adult-themed modified version of Balala the Fairies.

The comments section was instantly turned upside down like a mudslide.

"This is hilarious! Is this Hollywood special effects? This is more like a disgrace to the Snow Kingdom from Balala the Fairies!"

"My eyes! Feng Shaofeng, if you owe loan sharks, just blink! Why did you have to play this plastic, non-mainstream character?!"

"Guo Xiaosi, give me my money back! What kind of eye-watering garbage did I just watch?!"

When viewers grumbled and pulled out of their pants to watch "Ode to Joy" on Blueberry TV and Mohen Video, they were met with a true soul-crushing experience.

At the very beginning of the series, Li Lin, who plays Qu Xiaoxiao, is dressed in haute couture, charming and sharp-tongued, bringing to life a quirky and eccentric rich second-generation vixen.

Jiang Xin's portrayal of Fan Shengmei, beneath her sophisticated and self-serving exterior in the big city, reveals a poignant truth in every glance that perfectly captures the hardships of modern working-class people.

Especially when the plot reaches the point where Jiang Xiaoguo, played by Bai Lu, encounters a scumbag at work, and Fan Shengmei's vampire-like family begins to bare its fangs—

Shen Mo used a sharp scalpel to cut open the pain points of the entire society on the prime-time screen!

#Ode to Joy: Class Gap#

#Fan Shengmei's family with insufficiency#

#Qu Xiaoxiao's Sharp Tongue in a Row#

Within half an hour, eight out of the top ten trending topics on Weibo were occupied by "Ode to Joy"!

Millions of urban men and women are engaging in a frenzied discussion, sharing a deep sense of empathy.

The full network data was released the following day.

The premiere of "Ode to Joy" on Blueberry TV achieved a viewership rating of over 2.1%, and its views on Mohen Video reached a staggering 2 million!

It's important to know that this was achieved even though Shen Mo looked down on "Ice Fantasy" and didn't invest heavily in its promotion like the previous two installments.

On the other hand, "Ice Fantasy," which started strong but ended weakly, saw its ratings plummet from 1.2% at the beginning to 0.4%.

The comments section on the Pants playback page was filled with angry shouts of unsubscribing members.

The pants' investment and film selection skills were completely ruined overnight by Shen Mo's "Five Beauties Team," turning them into a series of resounding farts.

This battle was by no means an evenly matched contest.

This was a textbook example of Shen Mo's devastating attack on Kuzi and Alibaba Entertainment!

The next day, in a private room at Xuelu.

Shen Mo, dressed in a plain Tang suit, leaned back lazily in a rosewood chair, slowly and methodically warming the tea set.

Beside him, Cai Huaijun, the head of Mohen Video, sat upright, his brows furrowed with the fierce and sharp spirit of a series of victories.

Sitting opposite them were two top giants who usually wield considerable influence in the entertainment industry, including the CEO of Tencent Video.

Sun Zhonghuai, and Gong Yu, CEO of Kiwi Fruit.

At this moment, each of them had a copy of the industry overview data that had just been released this morning in front of them.

The ratings for "Ice Fantasy" plummeted to below 0.4% the following day, and viewership plummeted, causing Alibaba's entertainment sector stocks to crash at the opening.

Meanwhile, Mohen Video's "Ode to Joy" trended on more than a dozen hot searches across the internet, with an outrageously high user acquisition and retention rate.

Looking at the man opposite them, who was excessively young, yet whose every move seemed to have a deep-seated scheme against them.

Sun Zhonghuai and Gong Yu exchanged a glance, both seeing a bitterness and utter awe in each other's eyes.

Two wins in two matches.

Shen Mo beat them to their knees.

"Old Sun, we've been fighting a money-burning war for years."

"The result—President Shen only needed two months and two dramas to show us what a true dimensional reduction attack is."

Gong Yu was the first to break the silence.

He picked up his teacup, chuckled self-deprecatingly, then raised the cup with both hands and bowed slightly to Shen Mo.

"Mr. Shen, this cup of tea is a tribute to your discerning eye and your skillful management."

"Kiwifruit, this time we admit defeat, and we accept it!"

Sun Zhonghuai, who always boasted about having Tencent's backing and being incredibly wealthy, also restrained all his arrogance at this moment.

Looking at Shen Mo's calm and detached demeanor, he felt a sense of pressure, as if he were facing the head of a top conglomerate.

"Mr. Gong is right."

Sun Zhonghuai sighed, bowed his head slightly, and spoke with utter respect and admiration.

"With two wins in two battles, you have almost completely rewritten the rules of the long-form video industry, setting a benchmark for the entertainment industry by stepping on us."

"We old folks have to admire them!"

Seeing these two industry giants, who are usually looked up to by countless people, now treating him with utmost respect, Shen Mo finally managed a faint smile.

"The long-form video industry burns money and loses money every year. You guys don't get tired of it, but I get tired just watching it."

Shen Mo put down his teacup and glanced at the two of them.

"After these two battles, I believe you two have witnessed the strength of our Inkmark."

"Moreover, our Mohen Pictures not only has cross-shareholding with Tencent Pictures, but is also a shareholder of Kiwi."

"I think that cooperation is actually the most cost-effective option for us than competition."

Shen Mo tapped his long, slender hand lightly on the table, then turned his head to look at Cai Huaijun beside him.

"This gentleman is someone you two are probably familiar with: Cai Huaijun, the current president of Mohen Video."

Shen Mo leaned back and clasped his hands together.

"In the future, the long-form video platform section of Mohen will be mainly operated by him."

"I hope the three of you can work together happily in the future."

Sun Zhonghuai and Gong Yu also understood Shen Mo's attitude.

Mohen Video is just one segment of Mohen Capital. In terms of status, Sun and Gong should be on par with Cai Huaijun, who is under Shen Mo's control.

Previously, Mohen didn't have a long video platform, so he had to rely on Tencent Video and iQiyi, which is why he had a lot of contact with Sun and Gong.

But in the future, they are clearly no longer qualified.

Even though it might seem disrespectful, that's the truth. Besides, when it comes to wealth, Shen Mo is indeed far superior to them.

Just the fact that he is a shareholder of Tencent is enough to leave Sun Zhonghuai speechless.

Sun Zhonghuai and Gong Yu raised their teacups together and smiled slightly at Cai Huaijun.

"Mr. Cai, I've heard so much about you."

"I've heard about your methods at Mango TV before; it's a pleasure to meet you today!"

Sun Zhonghuai took the initiative to extend an olive branch.

"You're too kind, Mr. Sun."

Cai Huaijun responded calmly, but in his heart, his admiration for Shen Mo had reached an unparalleled level.

It was he who elevated himself from a local TV station manager to a position where he can now stand shoulder to shoulder with CEOs of major companies!

Shen Mo pursed his lips slightly.

"I think that what General Manager Sun and General Manager Gong did before was actually not wrong, they just chose the wrong target."

"The long-form video market is indeed too crowded, and I don't think there's a need for so many companies to compete for a share."

A cold, sharp glint flashed in Shen Mo's eyes.

"I think instead of the three of you teaming up against Mohen, why don't the three of us team up to deal with Kuzi?"

Upon hearing Shen Mo's words, Sun Zhonghuai remained calm and composed.

After all, Shen Mo had already expressed his thoughts on this matter during a phone call some time ago.

After careful consideration, he did indeed agree with it.

Compared to dealing with Mohen, it seems like a better option to target Alibaba, a competitor of Tencent in multiple sectors across China, and to block their expansion in the cultural and entertainment sector.

Gong Yu's heart skipped a beat, but then greed and excitement burst forth in his eyes!

To deal with Mohen, who has been deeply involved in the entertainment industry for many years, has extensive connections and artist reserves, and has super production capabilities.

It's still about dealing with the pants company that has been losing money year after year, has almost zero production capacity, and is even less willing to continue receiving financial support from Alibaba.

For Gong Yu, this was not a difficult decision.

Without needing to say much, the two had already made their plans.

Under Shen Mo's detached framework, the largest and bloodiest three-way alliance in the history of Chinese long-form video entertainment was officially formed.

The outside world is still celebrating the high ratings of "Ode to Joy".

Little did they know that with a single thought from Shen Mo, the pants were destined for a tragic fate of decline, even to be trampled and devoured!

This is the art of capitalism employed by top-tier villains.

As usual, I'm asking for your monthly votes!

If you're passing by, feel free to give your child a monthly pass!