Generation Z Artists

Chapter 126 The Value of the Method

Fang Xinghe still cannot understand the Koreans' morbid pursuit of "beauty and appearance".

Yes, they don't pursue beautiful things, they only care about appearance.

So, unlike the situation in Japan, Fang Xinghe didn't experience any cultural discussions in South Korea at all. He gained considerable fame and several nicknames simply by having some photos go viral online.

"Wow! This is definitely the Son of the Sun!"

"Wow! How can there be such beauty in the world?"

"Is this fresh and natural look really real? Good heavens! What's the point of all that hard work putting on makeup? I'm going crazy."

"Damn it! This bastard is really... I really want to kneel in front of him and have him stomp on my back with his bare feet and rub it hard on the floor!"

At this moment, South Korea's internet is far more developed than that of China, and opening high-resolution photos is effortless, so its dissemination power is quite terrifying.

When Fang Xinghe's photos began to circulate wildly on Korean websites, each post was met with a barrage of praise or insults.

After the hype started, a large number of young South Korean girls surrendered, claiming that they had "no resistance to the other party's starry face."

This is particularly interesting.

Because Seoul is so small, they have many opportunities to get up close to their own country's celebrities, which makes it particularly easy for them to lose that sense of mystery and awe, thus demystifying them.

This has led to an extremely divisive situation—they are the most fervent fans, and they are also the most fanatical antis.

Perhaps this is a case of "familiarity breeds contempt"?
Almost every young girl in South Korea is a fan of celebrities, but not everyone idolizes their own country's stars. Superstars from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Europe, America, and Japan all have a large following in South Korea. Even H.O.T., which suddenly became a sensation, did not manage to dominate a quarter of the domestic market.

In a small country known for its unity, such an outcome is actually quite surreal.

Of course, Fang Xinghe did not become popular among the general public.

He's currently just a celebrity with a stunningly handsome face and several exaggerated nicknames, whose photos have dominated the internet multiple times. In reality, his most popular place is a plastic surgery hospital.

Kyobo Bookstore, Hyunam Publishing, and Geumseong Publishing, three major Korean publishing houses, all sent heavyweights to communicate with Fang Xinghe, but Wang Charlie stopped them. Then they began to frantically flatter Wang Charlie, telling him many interesting stories about Fang Xinghe in Korea.

What shocked and puzzled Wang Charlie the most was that Brother Fang's photo was openly displayed on the walls of most plastic surgery hospitals in Seoul.

This is copyright infringement!

“I can sue them on your behalf and make them pay compensation. Believe me, given the large amount involved, this sum will definitely be substantial.”

Wang Chali decided to personally oversee this matter.

Plastic surgery clinics must be very rich, right?
But he still doesn't understand: "Does anyone really get plastic surgery to look like my boss?"

“Every man and most women ask this question.”

Li Bingyu, the president of Jin Xing Publishing House, replied meaningfully: "Please pay attention to my wording. What I mean is that every man who goes to a plastic surgery clinic for a consultation will point to Fang Xinghe's photo and ask: Can we achieve that kind of effect?"

Wang Charlie didn't immediately grasp the intricacies of the situation and asked bluntly, "You mean, my boss's face is extremely popular in your country?"

"more than."

Li Bingyu shook his head.

"This is a level of beauty that has unified the aesthetic standards of both men and women throughout history, comparable to the legendary handsome men. It strikes the heart of us Koreans at first glance. Mr. Leslie Cheung did not achieve this, Mr. Leon Lai did not achieve this, Mr. Chow Yun-fat did not achieve this, Mr. Takeshi Kaneshiro did not achieve this, Mr. Takuya Kimura did not achieve this, and even Leonardo DiCaprio did not achieve this..."

Wang Charlie found it particularly unbelievable.

"But my boss doesn't even have a unified aesthetic standard in China."

Why? Tell me why.

Lee Byung-wook calmly replied, "Because your aesthetics are more diverse, or perhaps because you are more tolerant and don't care about the minor differences between bare face and makeup."

But we are different. We have very high standards for appearance. Natural, bare face is the best. If it's not natural but looks natural after surgery, it's the second best. If the surgery is bad and we have to make up for it with makeup, it's the worst. If you're ugly even with makeup, you don't deserve to be a human being.

Fang Xinghe's most widely circulated photos are all without makeup. This androgynous beauty, which combines Eastern charm with a clear Western jawline and exotic eyes, is so unique. It is a type that has never appeared before. It can make a huge impact at first glance and has all the elements to become a legend.

Mr. Charlie, our girls like idols with their edgy, unconventional stage makeup because that's all they have, not because they don't appreciate natural beauty.

I'm certain that if Fang Xinghe were to come to South Korea and film just one drama, he could become the most popular foreign star in Korean history, even surpassing Leonardo DiCaprio.

"Oh oh oh."

Wang Charlie finally understood half of it.

In China, Fang Xinghe's looks are superior to any male celebrity, but this advantage is not magnified to the point of being a generational gap.

The two posters were there, one of Fang Xinghe without makeup and the other of HOT with makeup. To the naked eye, there was no difference. It all depended on whose work could bring more filters.

Fang Xinghe's heterochromatic eyes with a gray base and brown membrane did indeed give him a lot of recognition in China, but the extra points were not exaggerated, because our country is vast and diverse, with many ethnic groups living together. There are ethnic groups with exotic styles in the Northeast, Southwest, and Xinjiang, so Chinese people will not be particularly surprised.

But it's different in South Korea. South Koreans' discerning tastes give them an extra boost to the beauty of natural bare faces, and they are irresistible to the impact of this exotic look.

Later, both Gulnazar and Dilraba caused a sensation on Korean forums with their beauty, garnering millions of "likes," which reflects this situation.

"So you mean my boss has become very popular in your country just because of his looks, without any works being promoted?"

"Well……"

Li Bingyu carefully replied, "The popularity isn't particularly high, but the foundation is exceptionally strong."

So far, the mainstream media has not reported on Fang Xinghe extensively. We are missing an opportunity, and that opportunity should be the publication of "Cang Ye Xue". As long as we hold one or two book signings, I am confident that the mainstream media will also go crazy. That will be real hype.

You may not be familiar with our Jinxing Publishing House. I am, in fact, the most skilled cultural businessman in all of South Korea at marketing and hype, far surpassing the old-fashioned types at Kyobo Bookstore and Hyunam Publishing.

Suddenly, out of the blue, Wang Charlie asked, "Have you read 'The Snow of the Night'? It's really popular in South Korea?"

"Of course, I even read all three versions. My Chinese character recognition level is quite high."

Li Bingyu nodded with great pride.

At this time, it had been only 20 years since South Korea abolished Chinese characters. People of his age were the last generation to have received a complete Chinese language education during their youth.

Therefore, it is not surprising that he can read the Chinese version of "Cang Ye Xue" fluently.

Li Bingyu spoke eloquently about his understanding of "Cang Ye Xue".

"Of all three versions, the most profound and wildly beautiful is undoubtedly the reverse version, and I believe Japanese society will go crazy for it."

The most somber and depressing version is the initial one, which is the most likely to receive praise from the mainstream Korean literary world and has the potential to win literary awards.

However, the most popular, most fan-attracting, and most likely to make Fang Xinghexi's popularity explode is definitely the revenge version. Young girls will cry their hearts out for Chen Cang and have sleepless nights. If Fang Xinghexi were to shoot a corresponding set of photos and insert them into the book, fans would definitely blur the line between reality and fantasy and regard Fang Xinghexi as their absolute dream lover.

To be frank, I don't understand why your domestic publication, *Cang Ye Xue*, can't even be bothered to include a single photo of Fang Xinghe.

This guy wasn't bragging; he really is a marketing genius.

Of course, the head of the online army is more skilled at it.

The reason why the photos were not included in "Cang Ye Xue" is because Fang Xinghe has greater ambitions and does not want to be tied to Chen Cang.

His literary image and personal image are very distinct. His personal image has been portrayed in a very three-dimensional way in China, making him far more charismatic than Chen Cang.

But in South Korea, it doesn't matter; being labeled isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Anyway, he can't use idol dramas to break into the Korean market in the short term, so he might as well use Chen Cang to reap some profits first.

Starlight points shouldn't be wasted; who knows what great uses they might have in the future?

When Wang Chali reported to Fang Xinghe, he had basically already chosen Jin Xing Publishing House.

Holding two autograph sessions in South Korea is a great idea.

There's no reason why Korean idols should bombard our market while we can't fight back, right?
The tanks couldn't get through, so my buddy went himself.

Domestic softies, take a good look at how your Brother Fang wages a culture war!

……

Time flies by amidst the chaotic busyness.

Four major events occurred throughout June.

The first thing is that the selection of the National Outstanding Students concluded this month, and Fang Xinghe easily won the award.

He was naturally awarded the title of Provincial Outstanding Student, not to mention the City-level award, which he achieved in his very first year of high school.

This thing is meaningless to a writer, but when Fang Xinghe actually switched to the entertainment industry, its power became enormous.

The experts and scholars who placed "high hopes" on him all criticized him for his self-degradation, while similar idols in the industry will tremble in his shadow. That's fine, it gives us something to talk about.

He was not awarded the National Outstanding Communist Youth League Member Award this year on May Fourth Youth Day, which has sparked a minor controversy.

Perhaps the group has other considerations?

Fang Xinghe didn't know either, but many fans felt sorry for his brother and felt sorry for him.

Not winning the prize was actually more beneficial than winning it...

The second major matter was that Li Er Gongzi ultimately sought out Fang Xinghe to discuss Tencent Holdings.

The caller was the head of his investment company.

Young Master Li was a bit aloof and didn't speak to Fang Xinghe personally.

Two days after being rejected, Xiao Ma nervously called to ask, "Young Master Li wants to invest in Tencent, should we accept?"

Fang Xinghe countered, "Are you short of money right now?"

"We're short," Xiao Ma said honestly. "Although the revenue from QQ Show has made up for a large portion of the shortfall, we still need a lot of funds to continue expanding."

Tencent has grown faster than it has in the same period in history.

Thanks to Fang Xinghe's encouragement, he wrote an article in "My Youth" specifically about QQ, and even "childishly" showed off his special skin.

Once this marketing stunt was launched, QQ's downloads and usage exploded. So even though QQ Show purchases also surged, the two factors offset each other, and Tencent still faced constant financial pressure.

"I can take out ten or twenty million at any time."

Fang Xinghe spoke domineeringly, and before Little Ma could hesitate, he directly blocked his escape route.

"Consider this a personal loan to the company; I don't want your shares. QQ is currently in a period of rapid growth; why would we accept investment now? No matter who inquires, let's wait two years before making a decision!"

Little Ma happily agreed.

"Alright, big brother!"

This is a complete reversal of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. I wonder how much trouble Su Muwu, the recorder of Fang Xinghe's daily life, will face in the future...

The third thing was that Tou Tou Men and Hei Yan Quan brought in several website managers from Zhongguancun to interview Mr. Fang.

The first two names sound familiar, and they seem to be influential figures, but Dafang doesn't pay much attention to business matters, so I can't recall them right now.

When the third person came on stage, Fang Xinghe immediately made his decision: You're the one!

The visitor was named Liu Dongqiang.

At that moment, his business at JD Multimedia in Zhongguancun was booming, and he had no idea how those two had managed to seduce him into coming here.

Qiang Ge frankly stated, "Selling CDs, CD burners, and other electronic products is ultimately not a long-term solution. Due to some personal reasons, I sometimes feel anxious and lost about the future. Mr. Fang, I often read your articles and find them very inspiring and empowering. So, after hearing about your idea, I suddenly really wanted to give it a try..."

Wow, Qiang, you might be born to do e-commerce.

My fan site only touches on online sales, and it's ridiculous that it's lured you here.

As for his so-called personal reasons, Fang Xinghe guessed that it might be related to his first girlfriend.

This isn't important; what's important is whether Brother Qiang can run StarNet well.

What do you think?

Anyway, after Fang Xinghe had a detailed discussion with him about the overall concept, he quickly handed over all the tasks.

When it comes to starting a company, Qiang is far more capable than Xiao Fang.

In terms of compensation, the offer of an annual salary of 30 yuan plus a 10% stock option commitment was overturned by the joint investment proposed by Brother Qiang himself.

Fang Xinghe invested 450 million yuan, and Qiang Ge invested 50 yuan plus management shares, accounting for 15%.

As a result, his annual salary dropped to 20, and Brother Qiang began to work hard towards the IPO.

Don't think this is just empty talk. The structure and model of the StarNet platform have an extremely broad mass base throughout Asia.

Apart from India, where people don't follow celebrities much, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia are all hotspots for celebrity worship, with some countries even being fanatical fan zones.

Fang Xinghe's paid private chat room system and open, bloody battle system on the topic square are ahead of their time. Isn't it more interesting than Douban and Weibo combined?

Moreover, once the mobile internet era arrives, no one is more suitable than Xingwang to transform into a social platform—with a top layer and a bottom layer, the public belongs to the public, and the fans belong to the fans. This is extremely helpful in purifying the platform's atmosphere and extending its lifespan.

The decline of Weibo is 90% due to the alienation of the general public by the fan culture.

While bystanders enjoy watching the drama unfold, nobody likes being fed garbage every day. Limited isolation is almost the best solution.

The only problem with Xingwang now is how many years Qiang Ge can stay and when he will actually start to pursue a real e-commerce business. Fang Xinghe is open to this and has decided to let things take their course.

Commercial success, if it doesn't bring about a significant cultural impact, is merely a matter of accumulating numbers and is not worth paying attention to.

……

The fourth point is still from a business perspective.

Xtep has finally unveiled the ultimate prototype of the "Galaxy Generation" shoe.

Similar to its predecessor, it still features flame patterns, with a fiery Chinese red that exudes a kind of unrestrained arrogance rarely seen in this era.

In fact, President Ding once wanted to create a starry river effect, but unfortunately, the technology of that era was not mature enough, and the printing and dyeing process could not meet Fang Xinghe's pursuit of aesthetics, so the beautiful design was eventually shelved.

Instead, a flame-themed color scheme representing rebellion, passion, and flamboyance was adopted.

In terms of craftsmanship, these shoes are the best in their class.

The shoes have a very snug and comfortable fit, excellent resistance to deformation, and are extremely lightweight compared to basketball shoes. The seal script character "方" on the tongue has a strong cultural aesthetic.

Fang Xinghe put them on and quickly fell in love with them.

"Fantastic! How much does it cost?"

Mr. Ding was also very excited and frankly replied, "The cost of mass production is around 150 yuan, which is a bit expensive. We need to sell it for at least 258 yuan to have enough profit margin. So I'm really torn between setting the price higher to go for the high-end market and ensure R&D profits, or setting it lower to go for a more affordable, high-volume approach..."

After a brief moment of thought, Fang Xinghe suggested, "Let's go for 398. Go for the high-end line in running shoes, but don't directly compete with Nike and Adidas' high-end basketball shoes. Now is not the time."

Basketball shoes, like Jordan, will not fall from grace until 2030.

This is because the god of basketball has endowed it with too much cultural connotation and spiritual value, which is a gap that cannot be bridged simply by domestic shoe technology surpassing it.

All luxury goods have a story—or more fundamentally—all premiums must have a story.

Fang Xinghe's story is not yet worthy of challenging Nike and Adidas; that's the objective reality.

Later, Li Ning became a leader in many technological fields, but do you think domestic consumers will accept their high-end product line?

The financial statements are right there in the open; this isn't something that can be solved by being stubborn.

Patriotism has its limits. Trying to compensate for a lack of brand value by exploiting patriotism will ultimately be counterproductive.

President Ding accepted Fang Xinghe's suggestion.

This may actually lead to lower sales, but it has a win-win effect on building Xtep's brand power and maintaining Fangxinghe's market positioning.

He came in a hurry and left in a hurry, rushing non-stop to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and South Korea.

Xtep plans to take advantage of the nationwide release of "Azure Night Snow" across Asia to directly achieve international fame.

He has less than two and a half months to open flagship stores in cities such as Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur in order to maximize his chances of capitalizing on this wave of popularity.

It was difficult, but Lao Ding was tired but happy. He borrowed from everyone in the hometown association and took out loans, betting everything on Fang Xinghe like the most crazy gambler.

Many of her fellow villagers advised her against taking such a risk.

But he just laughed wildly: "No, you've never seen Fang Xinghe in person, so you'll never understand. If I don't dare to gamble with someone like him, I don't deserve to be rich!"

The entire shoe manufacturing industry in Fujian and Guangdong was in an uproar.

Some mocked, some were tempted, but of course, the majority were observers with strong reservations.

Time marches on relentlessly, and the moment to test Fang Xinghe's true worth has arrived once again...

(End of this chapter)