Chapter 128: Dare You Accept?! A New Mission!

The news that Wang Mo had secured the guests spread back, leaving everyone at both Mango TV and the variety show department of Yunhai Media wide-eyed with shock.

"The guests are locked in?"
"Just like that?"
"Did I hear that right?"
"It took less than five days?"
"How did he pull it off?"
"It’s absolutely blinding."
"I seriously suspect President Wang is cheating."

Everyone’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. The disbelief was particularly palpable in the variety show department at Yunhai Media. Initially, they had deemed the project unfeasible, largely because they believed no celebrity would agree to take their children on a parenting reality show. Yet, the very part everyone considered the most impossible had been handled by Wang Mo in a mere few days—even including an A-list Hong Kong star like Lin Shaopeng!

When Yuan Xiong received the news, he was dumbfounded once again. Since when did this kid know how to produce variety shows? He had been sleeping in the same room as Wang Mo lately and had never noticed any such talent. He felt a sense of frustration. What would it take to uncover Wang Mo’s secrets?

In truth, Wang Mo didn't actually know how to produce a variety show. Although he had spent the last few days leafing through a few introductory books on the subject, he remained clueless. After finalizing the location and the guests for *Where Are We Going, Dad?*, he called over Director Guo Chen. "Director Guo, I’ll leave the filming to you. I’m only responsible for production supervision."

Guo Chen replied with immediate seriousness, "Rest assured, President Wang, I will complete the filming of *Where Are We Going, Dad?* with the highest quality and standards."

As he spoke, he felt a twinge of shame. As a veteran director, he could easily see that the real difficulty lay in selecting the location and inviting the guests, both of which Wang Mo had already conquered. Furthermore, every detail of the filming—from the games to play, how to interact with the local villagers, and how to structure the narrative—had been clearly laid out by Wang Mo. He only needed to follow the detailed script. If he couldn't handle that, he might as well give up.

Yet, as Guo Chen felt embarrassed, Wang Mo mirrored his sentiment: "I’ll have to rely on you, Director Guo. It’s just that I don't know much about directing, so I need you to put in the extra effort."

Wang Mo was sincere. He knew that handing the directing entirely to Guo Chen was the wisest choice. Guo Chen was a seasoned variety show director at Mango TV, and his team was the most professional available. With their experience and the guidance of his detailed script, Wang Mo was confident they could film a version of *Where Are We Going, Dad?* that would rival its predecessor.

Guo Chen, however, felt awkward at the comment. "President Wang, you are truly modest. You don't know directing? Do you take me for a three-year-old?"

Wang Mo just smiled, offering no explanation.

Soon, the filming of *Where Are We Going, Dad?* officially began. Wang Mo led the crew and guests to their first location: Ling Shui Village in Beijing. After observing for a couple of days, he realized that Guo Chen was indeed experienced; he executed the required shots and content perfectly, often adding delightful surprises. Wang Mo was completely reassured. True to his word, he offloaded the work to Guo Chen, even treating his own supervisory duties with casual indifference.

Feeling an immense sense of trust, Guo Chen was moved. "President Wang trusts me so much; I must repay him."

After the shoot at Ling Shui Village concluded, Wang Mo sought out Guo Chen. "Director Guo, I won't be following for the rest of the filming. I'm leaving it entirely in your hands."

The filming for the show would span several months, likely stretching into March or April of the following year, with the broadcast scheduled for after the New Year. Wang Mo didn't have that kind of time to waste; there was plenty waiting for him back at Yunhai Media.

Upon hearing this, Guo Chen was once again touched by Wang Mo’s deep trust. "Please rest assured, President Wang. I guarantee the best results, or you can hold me accountable."

"I trust you," Wang Mo said with a smile.

As he was leaving, Guo Chen hesitated repeatedly before asking a question that had been circling his mind for some time. "President Wang, there is a question I’d like to ask, but it might be offensive, so..."

Wang Mo interrupted him. "Go ahead."

Guo Chen said, "When you first contacted us, the name on your card was Wang Yan. But I’ve always felt you look very much like a certain celebrity. The more I look, the more I see the resemblance in your appearance, height, and even the way you speak. Coincidentally, he was also with Yunhai Media. But that star ran into trouble and his reputation collapsed. I..." Guo Chen paused, debating whether to continue.

Wang Mo laughed. "The star you're talking about... is his name Wang Mo?"

Guo Chen nodded quickly. "Yes, exactly! He even guest-starred on a show I directed, so I’m quite familiar with him. He resembles you in every way, and since he shares your surname, I was just curious."

Wang Mo smiled brightly. "It’s perfectly normal for you to be curious. Because that Wang Mo... is me."

With that, he turned and walked away. Behind him, Guo Chen swallowed hard, his heart submerged by an invisible, surging tide.

***

Due to his busy schedule with the variety show, Wang Mo hadn't livestreamed for a while. He expected his popularity to have plummeted upon his return, but that night, as soon as he went live, the viewer count rapidly climbed past 30,000. Countless netizens flooded the chat:

"Xi Lou, are you scared?"
"Must be scared, that’s why you haven't been streaming."
"Hahaha, so many talented streamers have signed up, and you’re the only one who hasn't."
"Don't be a coward, Xi Lou!"
"Internet celebrities really can't be trusted. It seems all your so-called talent is just hype."
"Obviously. Which big influencer isn't pushed by capital?"
"A fraud exposed by the light."
"If you don't sign up now, it proves you're just a hype machine with no real skills."

Wang Mo stared at the comments, completely bewildered. He looked at Yuan Xiong, who stood behind him, only to find the same confusion in his eyes. Yuan Xiong immediately ordered the staff to find the cause. A minute later, a staff member wrote a note: *Check the backend messages.*

Wang Mo opened the backend and saw a prominent invitation from the official Douyin account:

[Respected "Xi Lou": To promote cultural exchange and enhance interest in literature among our users, Douyin is partnering with the "Shanshui Society" to host the "Shanyin Cup" Poetry Cultural Exchange. It is scheduled to be livestreamed on Douyin on January 25th. As a talented creator on our platform, we cordially invite you to participate. If you agree, please click the button below.]

"Oh?" Wang Mo realized why the viewers were so agitated. The email had been sent ten days ago. Today was January 22nd; the event was only three days away.

After reading the message and browsing the comments, he understood. The "Shanyin Cup" was a large-scale event with generous prizes: 1 million for first place, 500,000 for second, 200,000 for third, and 100,000 for five excellence awards. Douyin had invited over twenty talented streamers, and they had all accepted—except for him, the most popular and "talented" one in the eyes of the fans. Naturally, rumors were flying.

Wang Mo’s gaze fixed on the words "Shanshui Society." A quick search revealed that it was the largest community of poetry enthusiasts in China, where most of the country's top poets and literary experts were active. Many of its members were well-known in real life as heads of local literary societies or prominent figures in the field. To some extent, the "Shanshui Society" represented the current state of Chinese poetry.

Douyin was partnering with them to elevate the platform's prestige. While the event was technically hosted by Douyin, the Shanshui Society was the driving force. The streamers were essentially there to make up the numbers; no one expected online influencers to compete with real-deal poets. Even Xi Lou, despite his fame for the modern poem *Facing the Sea, with Spring Blossoms*, was still just an "influencer" in their eyes.

As Wang Mo pondered this, a system chime sounded:

[New Task Released]
[Task: Secure first place in the "Shanyin Cup" Poetry Cultural Exchange and earn over 1 million in reputation.]
[Reward: Silver Treasure Chest x1, Bronze Treasure Chest x2.]

Wang Mo looked at the task thoughtfully. First place... This was the first time the system had issued such a significant task since he acquired the "100 Modern Poems" collection. First place was always a dazzling position, yet one fought for with blood and tears. In any field, to reach the top, one must "contend."

It seemed the system felt his progress in poetry was too slow and needed to push him. Very well. Since that was the case, he would give a stellar performance in poetry.