Chapter 22: He Knows How to Self-Regulate

Yu Youde comforted himself with the thought that Chen Mo was merely an actor who had never directed a single project, so it was impossible for him to produce a decent drama. His mood improved slightly at this realization.

However, he was soon gritting his teeth in frustration again. Regardless of the quality of Chen Mo’s production, he knew that Mango TV—despite their history of cooperation—would use this situation to ruthlessly drive down the price of his own drama. How could he possibly be in a good mood under such circumstances?

This agitation inevitably bled into his directing, causing the atmosphere on set to plummet to freezing point. The actors behaved like frightened quail, but their nervousness only made their performances worse, which in turn infuriated Yu Youde even more. The production schedule began to visibly drag. Everyone knows that haste makes waste, but when it’s your own project and the acquisition director at Mango TV is constantly pressuring you with one bad piece of news after another, it’s impossible to remain calm. His drama, originally slated to wrap in two weeks, now seemed destined for indefinite delay.

Then came another blow. The production company and copyright holders of the original *Meteor Garden* in Taiwan gave an interview to mainland media, where a spokesperson explicitly stated: "*Let’s Go Watch Meteor Shower* is the only officially authorized remake of *Meteor Garden*!"

While they didn’t say it outright, they might as well have called all other versions bootlegs. Normally, audiences might not care about such things given the current climate, but this was different. *Let’s Go Watch Meteor Shower* could openly promote itself as officially licensed, while Yu Youde’s production, *Let’s Watch Meteor Shower*, didn't dare say a word—they didn't even dare to challenge the claim. There are some things you can do, but you certainly cannot talk about them.

Yu Youde was filled with regret. Truth be told, if he had been willing to pay for the rights back then, it wouldn't have cost him much, but he had never even considered it. Now, he was suffering in silence. He watched the other side promote their show, fully aware that they were plagiarizing him—or rather, intentionally trying to disgust him. If they were just making a remake, why not call it *Meteor Garden* or *Boys Over Flowers*? Why choose a title only one character different, *Let’s Go Watch Meteor Shower*? Isn't that just a blatant "there is no treasure buried here" sign? Yet, even knowing they were doing it to spite him, he was powerless. If he dared to challenge them, he would be the one inviting disaster.

As for his previous threats to sue Chen Mo and the producers of *Let’s Go Watch Meteor Shower*? What a joke. Did he think the court was his private playground? Most agonizing of all was that Mango TV was a public broadcaster that cared about its reputation. Now, his only hope was that Chen Mo’s drama would turn out to be a disaster; otherwise, Mango TV might refuse to purchase his show altogether. He had invested heavily in this project, holding over half the equity.

To make matters worse, trouble kept piling up. Because of his own fame, and the fact that his drama was a clear imitation of *Meteor Garden*, he had secured several product placement deals—so many, in fact, that the revenue from these placements could have covered the entire production cost. But now that *Let’s Go Watch Meteor Shower* had appeared with legitimate authorization and was slated to air before his own, those sponsors were getting cold feet. They had paid for placements expecting high ratings, but now that it was unclear if his show would even be broadcast, they were unwilling to throw good money after bad. He had to plead and bargain, promising they could pay after the show aired, just to keep a few of them on board, but he still suffered heavy losses.

He wanted to kill Chen Mo, yet he found he had absolutely no leverage. Chen Mo was a director now, no longer just an actor. Furthermore, the incident involving Fang Xiaoxiao had forced many in the industry to temper their behavior, and people were keeping their distance from a ruthless character like Chen Mo. He had no way to strike back.

For days, Yu Youde was so infuriated that he developed two pimples on his face despite being nearly forty. What frustrated him most was that he could clearly see Chen Mo’s intention to spite him, yet he had to watch helplessly, unable to even respond. Still, he was skilled at self-deception, constantly telling himself that a minor actor like Chen Mo lacked the talent of a real director. He convinced himself that even if Chen Mo had managed to get his hands on the character names, he couldn't possibly have known the full script. With that thought, he sighed in relief, convincing himself that he was just scaring himself and that the other party was merely trying to annoy him.

As for why Blueberry TV would invest such massive resources into promoting a "trashy show"? He couldn't figure it out, or perhaps he just didn't want to; maybe they were just blind. Regarding how Chen Mo, a small-time actor, could possibly shoot a decent idol drama? Don't make him laugh—if he had that kind of talent, why would he be an actor in the first place?

As for where Chen Mo got the funding? He guessed it must have been the settlement money from the "Stab-in-the-Back Cult" incident. He was green with envy. It was supposed to be a setup to ruin Chen Mo. Even after the surveillance footage was released, it should have taken Chen Mo a long time to shake off his tarnished reputation. The pressure from his agency to apologize had been a certainty—and once he apologized, he would be in the wrong regardless of the truth. But no one expected Chen Mo to disregard all convention, turning a hopeless situation around by holding a press conference, refusing to apologize, and labeling Du Chun and the others the "Stab-in-the-Back Cult," instantly igniting a firestorm. Then, with a single charge of "online defamation," he terrified the whole group, effectively ending Fang Xiaoxiao’s career.

And as for Chen Mo himself? He walked away with a huge settlement! That money made Yu Youde’s mouth water. Yet this guy was such a petty, vengeful creature! He actually used that settlement money to film a show with a title almost identical to his own, and even bought the official rights, just to spite him! All he had done was attempt a little "unspoken rule," and it didn't even work! What was the big deal?

Yu Youde grumbled internally, his resentment and hatred for Chen Mo reaching a fever pitch. The most awkward part was that he realized he had to just swallow it, which was agonizing. Still, he clung to one hope: that Chen Mo’s terrible show would be released only to be drowned in the audience's scorn. In the end, instead of disgusting him, Chen Mo would have simply paved the way for his own success. At that thought, his mood inexplicably improved. One could say he was truly gifted at self-regulation.