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

Before the popularity of "In the Name of the People" had subsided, another event suddenly became a trending topic.

Northern Myanmar.

Telecommunications fraud.

The incident started with a video.

A young man in his early twenties, his face covered in blood, knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the camera.

"Mom and Dad, save me... They're going to cut off my kidneys... I really can't take it anymore..."

The video is only a dozen seconds long, but every frame is chilling.

This young man is named Xiao Yang, and he is an ordinary migrant worker in a southwestern province.

Three months ago, he saw a job posting online: "High-paying customer service position in northern Myanmar, monthly income of 20,000 yuan, meals and accommodation provided, easy work."

Xiao Yang was tempted, so he secretly got a passport, flew to Yunnan, and was then smuggled out of the country by someone.

When he arrived in northern Myanmar, he discovered that it was all a scam.

It's not customer service; it's telecom fraud.

Working sixteen hours a day, getting beaten if you don't finish making all the phone calls. Being electrocuted or locked in a water dungeon if you don't meet your sales targets.

Trying to run away? If you catch me, you'll get a severe beating, and in serious cases, my legs will be broken.

Xiao Yang was caught after trying to escape. He was beaten half to death, and the video was even filmed and sent to his parents.

His parents broke down when they saw the video.

Xiao Yang's mother cried until she fainted, and his father called the police and contacted the media.

The media blurred the video, added a detailed investigative report, and released it.

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

The video went viral online and quickly rose to the top of the trending searches within just a few hours.

In the comments section, anger and fear were intertwined.

"Telecom fraud in northern Myanmar should have been addressed long ago! How many people are scammed every year?"

"My cousin was tricked into going there, and he hasn't come back yet. His family is going crazy."

"Are these people even human? Cutting off kidneys? Is that something a human being would do?"

"Can't the government do something about this? Can't they save these people?"

"A relative of mine had his child tricked into going there last year. His family spent 200,000 yuan to get him back, but he's already ruined."

"Why are these job postings allowed? Doesn't the platform review them?"

"Ultimately, the crackdown wasn't strong enough; these people aren't afraid at all."

"Please, country, save those children!"

This topic has caused a huge uproar on Douyin (TikTok).

Several bloggers with millions of followers spoke out overnight, some contacting the victims' families, some explaining the inside story of telecom fraud in northern Myanmar, and some directly calling on relevant departments.

"@Ministry of Public Security @Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have you seen this? We can't ignore this!"

"I suggest the government deploy the army and wipe out these bastards!"

"It's inappropriate for the military to cross the border, but we could work with the Myanmar government to combat them!"

"Unite? Those people in northern Myanmar have government connections, do you think it's that easy?"

"No matter how difficult it is, we have to do something! Those children are still waiting to be saved!"

The online public opinion is rising in waves and cannot be suppressed.

……

the next day.

Yanjing, Ministry of Public Security.

The small conference room was filled with smoke.

A dozen or so people sat on either side of the long table; they were all from within the Ministry of Public Security—heads of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, the Publicity Bureau, the Cyber ​​Security Bureau, and the International Cooperation Bureau.

The ashtrays in front of each person were piled high with cigarette butts.

The meeting was chaired by Director Wang of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security. He was in his fifties, with dark skin and sharp eyes, clearly someone who had worked on the front lines.

"Tell me your thoughts, what should we do?" Director Wang's voice wasn't loud, but every word carried weight.

There was a few seconds of silence in the conference room.

Deputy Director Liu of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, who is in charge of telecommunications fraud, spoke first: "The situation in northern Myanmar is very complicated, with local armed groups holding sway and the central government's control being limited. We have already been communicating through international police cooperation channels, but cross-border law enforcement is not easy, and progress is not ideal."

"Not ideal?" Director Wang frowned. "The internet is in an uproar right now. Do you know how big the public opinion is? If we don't take some concrete actions soon, the people will start criticizing us for inaction."

Deputy Director Liu smiled wryly: "Director Wang, it's not that we're not doing our job, it's just that this matter can't be rushed."

"Can't we rush it?" Director Wang raised his voice. "Can those young people detained in northern Myanmar afford to wait?"

There was another moment of silence in the conference room.

Director Sun from the Publicity Bureau flipped through the materials in his hand and said, "Director Wang, I think we need to change our approach."

"What's the thought process?"

"Public awareness campaign." Director Sun adjusted his glasses. "What's the root cause of telecom fraud? It's information asymmetry. Ordinary people don't know how terrible the scams in northern Myanmar are, which is why they're lured in by high-paying job offers. If we could conduct a large-scale public awareness campaign, letting people know the tricks of telecom fraud and that northern Myanmar is not heaven but hell, far fewer people would be scammed."

Director Wang thought for a moment and nodded: "That makes sense. So, how do you think we should do this publicity?"

Director Sun said, "The conventional approach definitely won't work. Sending out a few notices and posting a few posters won't get anyone to read them. We need to use methods that the public likes to read, ideally creating viral content, like..."

He paused, then suddenly thought of something.

"Like 'In the Name of the People'."

There was a moment of silence in the conference room.

Director Wang's eyes lit up: "You mean, looking for that Lin Mo?"

"Yes." Director Sun nodded. "That young man from the Publicity Department of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the director of 'In the Name of the People.' You all know how popular that show is right now. The fact that he can turn an anti-corruption drama into a phenomenon shows that he has the ability. If we ask him to make a film about anti-telecom fraud, the effect will definitely be much better than if we make one ourselves."

Director Wang pondered for a moment: "Lin Mo is from the Supreme People's Procuratorate. If we want to have him film the footage, we need to give them a heads-up."

Director Sun said, "Director Wang, don't you have a good relationship with Prosecutor Zhao from the Supreme People's Procuratorate? A phone call shouldn't be a problem."

Director Wang thought for a moment and nodded.

"Okay, I'll call Lao Zhao myself."

As he spoke, he took out his phone, found Zhao Jian's number, and dialed it.

The phone rang a few times before it connected.

"Old Zhao, this is Old Wang."

"Director Wang? What's the matter?"

"I have something to tell you. Lin Mo from 'In the Name of the People,' one of your people, I'd like to borrow him for a while."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

"What do you need him for?"

"We need to shoot a propaganda video against telecom fraud. You've seen what's happening in northern Myanmar, right? It's all over the internet. We need to quickly launch a campaign here to let people know the dangers of telecom fraud. Lin Mo is a professional; I think he's the most suitable."

Zhao Jian didn't immediately agree, and asked, "Director Wang, what are your plans for using him?"

"Please ask him to direct a film about combating telecom fraud. The format doesn't matter, and we'll cover the budget." Director Wang's voice was sincere. "Old Zhao, this is a matter of saving lives. Please help us out."

After a moment's thought, Zhao Jian said, "Alright, I'll ask Xiao Lin what he thinks. If he's willing, I have no objection."

"Okay! I'll wait for your good news."

After hanging up the phone, Director Wang smiled.

"It's settled, Prosecutor Zhao has agreed. Now it's up to the young man himself."

Director Sun added from the side, "Director Wang, I think we need to consider one more thing—Lin Mo is now a public figure. If he appears in an anti-fraud video, the impact will be much greater than that of a regular propaganda film."

Director Wang nodded: "You're right, it's best to let him appear on camera. The public recognizes his face."

……

When the news reached the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Lin Mo was editing a Douyin video at his workstation.

Old Han pushed open the door and came in, his face more serious than usual.

"Xiao Lin, come with me, Prosecutor Zhao is looking for you."

Lin Mo was taken aback, put down the mouse, and followed Lao Han up to the eighth floor.

Upon entering Prosecutor Zhao's office, I noticed that Prosecutor Zhao's expression was not very relaxed either.

"Xiao Lin, sit down." Prosecutor Zhao gestured to the sofa. "I have something to tell you."

Lin Mo sat down, feeling a little apprehensive.

"You've seen about the telecom fraud in northern Myanmar, haven't you?" Prosecutor Zhao asked bluntly.

Lin Mo nodded: "I saw it, it's causing a huge uproar online."

"The Ministry of Public Security called and wants your help," Zhao Jian said, looking at him. "They want to make a propaganda video to combat telecom fraud."

Lin Mo was taken aback: "Invite me?"

"Yes." Prosecutor Zhao recounted the whole story. "Old Wang—that is, Director Wang of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security—made the call personally. He said this was a matter of saving lives and wanted you to handle it."

Lin Mo remained silent for a few seconds.

It's about saving lives.

These four words carry immense weight.

"Prosecutor Zhao, what can I do?" Lin Mo asked.

Prosecutor Zhao said, "You decide how to film it. There are no restrictions on the format or length, and they will provide the budget. There's only one requirement—it has to be fast, it has to be effective, and it has to be something that will make the public never want to be fooled again."

Lin Mo thought for a moment, and his mind started working.

Telecom fraud.

Northern Myanmar.

High-salary job opening.

Cut off a kidney.

These keywords, when put together, reminded him of a movie he had seen in his previous life.

The movie was called "All or Nothing," and it was about telecom fraud in northern Myanmar. After its release, it grossed over 3 billion yuan and became incredibly popular.

That movie hasn't appeared in this world yet.

"Prosecutor Zhao, I want to make a movie." Lin Mo looked up.

Prosecutor Zhao was taken aback: "A movie? Not a promotional video?"

"Yes, a movie." Lin Mo's voice was firm. "Telecom fraud can't be explained clearly with just a promotional video. We need a movie to tell a complete story, so that the audience feels fear and vigilance after watching it. That's the only way to be effective."

Zhao Jian stared at Lin Mo for several seconds.

"Xiao Lin, do you know how long it takes to make a movie?" Zhao Jian asked.

"At the shortest, it would take two or three months," Lin Mo said. "But I'll try to shorten the time and finish filming in a month."

"A month?" Prosecutor Zhao's eyes widened.

"Yes, one month," Lin Mo said. "I finished filming 'In the Name of the People' in just over two months, which is fifty-five episodes. A movie, one month is enough."

Zhao Jian took a deep breath, stood up, and took a few steps around the office.

Then he stopped and looked at Lin Mo.

"Okay, go ahead and do it. I'll handle the communication with the Ministry of Public Security; they'll coordinate the budget, actors, and venues."

Lin Mo also stood up: "Prosecutor Zhao, there's one more request."

"you say."

"I want to adapt this film based on real cases. Could you perhaps coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security to review the case files of the victims in northern Myanmar?"

After thinking for a moment, Prosecutor Zhao said, "I need to discuss this with Director Wang. It involves case materials, which aren't so easy to access."

"I understand, I'll just try my best."

"Okay." Inspector Zhao nodded. "Go back and prepare. I'll let you know if there's any news."

Lin Mo turned to leave, but Zhao Jian called him back.

"Xiao Lin."

Lin Mo turned around.

Zhao Jian looked at him earnestly: "You just said this is about saving lives. I believe you. Go do it."

Lin Mo returned to his workstation, turned on his computer, and created a new document.

The title was typed as follows:

"A desperate gamble" - First draft.

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Those images started to appear in my mind.

Young people who were scammed, the iron railings of the fraud park, armed security guards, a fugitive with a broken leg, a child kneeling on the ground crying...

These scenes were so real, so real, that they made him feel choked up.

He had read the book "All or Nothing" twice in his previous life, and each time it sent chills down his spine.

It's not because the filming was scary, it's because—these things are all real.

Lin Mo opened his eyes and placed his fingers on the keyboard.

He started typing.

First line: A young man sits in front of his computer, looking at a job posting on the screen: "High-paying job in northern Myanmar, monthly income of 20,000."

The light from the screen shone on his face, and his eyes were full of anticipation.

He didn't know that the other end of this GG was an abyss.