Generation Z Artists

Chapter 133 Attitude
"Ha! You were so cool just now, Your Highness!"

As soon as they got back to the hotel, Kadokawa excitedly spun around in the room.

"???"

Fang Xinghe was completely confused. What did I do?
However, Kadokawa didn't offer any explanation, gave a few words of advice, and then hurriedly left.

"Let Haruki accompany you to Osaka. I'm going to teach them a lesson! Wait for my good news, Your Highness!"

Kadokawa Tsuhiko has gone off to do something big, and his older brother, Kadokawa Haruki, has excitedly taken over as Fang Xinghe's local guide.

"My lord, your loyal servant awaits your summons at any time!"

Compared to Kadokawa Tsutohiko, Haruki is more cheerful and outgoing. He is the eldest son of the Kadokawa Zaibatsu, a famous playboy and spendthrift in Japan.

The media described him as dashing, handsome, generous, and gentlemanly, lacking not only the cunning, greed, and materialism typically associated with businessmen, but also a somewhat eccentric temperament that prioritizes art above all else.

He really likes Fang Xinghe.

"Your Highness, now that we're in Japan, we absolutely must experience Tokyo's nightclubs!"

"..."

Well, when it comes to serious matters, Li Yan is more reliable. Chun Shu is the kind of typical cronies who would even be described as a lackey who instigates the young master to do bad things.

However, he had a deeper understanding of the Japanese cultural and artistic circles, and could tell Fang Xinghe about each individual and institution in detail.

“Next, the Sankei Shimbun will be your main base of attack.” Haruki tapped the newspaper. “Ririhiko can’t take it down.”

Our Brother Fang has finally made it onto the social page of the Sankei Shimbun.

Previously, in the literature section of the Sankei Shimbun, he was described as an "unparalleled genius" and a "talented and handsome Chinese aristocrat." Now, in the society section, he has suddenly transformed into a "cultural aggressor created by Red China with the full power of the nation."

Fang Xinghe wasn't familiar with this newspaper, so he asked, "How intense will it be?"

"That's hard to say."

Haruki shook his head: "It's Japan's most representative conservative newspaper, advocating for strengthening the Japan-US alliance and revising the pacifist constitution, and it has a history of making baseless accusations on historical issues. So we can't rule out the possibility that they're spreading rumors..."

Well, it seems the Japanese media are just as pathetic.

Fang Xinghe looked at the article title and smiled: "Then their level is really quite average."

“Don’t underestimate them.” Chunshu’s eyes were gloomy. “Those right-wing guys are really good at modifying things…”

Fang Xinghe understood, turned around and walked to the window, looking down at the opposite side of the building.

A group of right-wing people gathered directly opposite the hotel, wearing white headscarves and holding up banners, demanding that Fang Xinghe apologize.

"Apologize" is a veneer; in reality, it's half profanity and half demand that Japan be expelled—quite violent.

"They came really fast."

"Not surprising, because we've been preparing for this for a long time."

Fang Xinghe suddenly had a thought and asked, "I don't understand, is your money really that effective? Why didn't they attack me before?"

"It's not Li Yan's money that's effective."

Chunshu grinned, shaking his head as he laughed.

"Right-wing media outlets like the Industrial News, Weekly Shincho, and Fuji Television planned to do these things after you became famous. Otherwise, why would the Industrial News's literature section have praised you for more than half a month?"

"Huh?" Fang Xinghe turned his head in surprise. "Are you trying to use me to achieve some goal?"

"I don't know." Haruki raised an eyebrow with a grin. "Anyway, it's always easier to concentrate forces when there's a clear target."

"So now I'm the target, and they want to achieve some deeper goals by defeating me?"

"Yes, Your Highness, that's a perfectly valid interpretation."

Fang Xinghe frowned: "What if I don't fall?"

"That doesn't prevent their political demands from being met, but..."

Haruki paused, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "You'll be like a nail, firmly anchored in Japanese society, cutting through certain things while preserving the final passage..."

Fang Xinghe exclaimed in astonishment: "Has your stance always been this skewed?"

"What kind of stance does the cultural sector need?" Chun Shu suddenly became very roguish. "We're just a bunch of lowlifes who entertain the masses; making money is enough for us."

He's not a lowlife, and neither is Fang Xinghe.

Even as right-wing media began to focus their attacks on Fang Xinghe, they still maintained a high level of respect for him.

This was the leeway that Kadokawa Tsutohiko had secured for Fang Xinghe. The average Japanese person is far too forgiving of top-tier intellectuals.

That evening, Fuji Television dedicated a special current affairs commentary program to him.

The invited guests were Ryoko Sakurai and Kanji Nishio.

The former is the director of Sakura, a far-right online cultural channel in Japan. He is a commentator, writer, advocates constitutional revision and anti-China sentiment, denies the issue of comfort women, and has been criticized and photoshopped into ugly images by South Korean media. He remains notorious to this day.

The latter is a historian and a core member of the "New History Textbook Compilation Committee." He was responsible for the shameless revisions made to the next edition of history textbooks in Japan.

These two, along with the host, just sat there and started chattering away.

"To be fair, Fang Xinghe's writing skills are among the best in the world. As a well-known writer, I would not abandon my conscience to smear him."

Sakurai Yoshiko spoke with great conviction, first establishing herself as a person of fairness and integrity.

Then, a "but".

"But precisely because he was so capable and so young, his unwavering hatred of Japan had a tremendous impact on us, didn't it?"

"Hi!"

Kanji Nishio nodded solemnly: "From what I understand, Fang Xinghe has a tremendous influence among Chinese youth. Since his remarks were published, hatred towards us among the Chinese public has increased by at least 20 percentage points..."

Heaven knows where he got his data, but the host just kept playing along: "Wow! That's terrifying! This will have a huge impact on our import and export, tourism, and even the cultural industry!"

"That's right, Fang Xinghe has that kind of influence."

"But his hatred for us is completely unfounded. Anyone who is truly knowledgeable about history knows that the war started as an agreement to take over. What was originally a good cooperative relationship gradually became impossible due to various reasons and the prevailing circumstances..."

"Hey, back then we were also fighting for the survival of our nation, helping China, North Korea, and South Korea resist Russian aggression..."

"In short, we should control anti-Japanese elements like Fang Xinghe who have been brainwashed by erroneous historical narratives. Even if it is inconvenient for the government to do so, we, the people, should spontaneously unite to punish his erroneous beliefs and never allow him to swagger around on our land again..."

This program left Fang Xinghe's team speechless.

"Holy crap, that's some serious bullshit!"

Chunshu laughed dismissively, "It's only the beginning. They're still controlling the pace. In a couple more days, you'll understand what 'exaggeration' really means."

Actually, it's quite exaggerated now, because Fuji TV's programs are not the only core station holding a conservative stance; TV Tokyo, TV Asahi, and TBS are all similar.

The programs produced by these core broadcasting stations are broadcast on more than 100 affiliated local stations, covering almost the entire country of Japan—even Cangye Xue's coverage did not reach the rural areas, and the criticism against him came first.

Asahi TV: "An arrogant and nonsensical literary madman."

TV Tokyo: "A sensitive, fragile, and obsessive genius."

TBS: "A list of Fang Xinghe's evil deeds of disrespecting his seniors and defying his superiors."

Weekly Shincho: "The glory of the Yamato people must not be tarnished; only blood can wash away the shame of their arrogant words."

Attacks from all sorts of different angles crashed towards Fang Xinghe like a tidal wave.

Furthermore, a new wave of anti-Chinese sentiment has begun to emerge among the general public.

Actually, this isn't entirely because of Fang Xinghe. Media outlets like Weekly Shincho and Sakura Channel have been dedicated to instilling anti-China sentiment for years. They've been doing this for years, but Fang Xinghe has become such a perfect target that this time, the effect is exceptionally outstanding.

Every day, a large number of people call the television station, questioning why such people are allowed to come to Japan to make money.

With a total population of 1.27 million, compared to the sales of 300 million copies of "Cang Ye Xue," it is a complete victory.

Fang Xinghe's fan base had just begun to expand when it was dealt a heavy blow.

Online, one can still see resistance from Fang's fans, but in reality, the disparity is so great that it's impossible to fight back.

The only saving grace is that the Japanese who read "The Snow of the Azure Night" were tolerant and patient enough with Fang Xinghe, and did not rush to abandon him or sever ties.

In addition, Kadokawa Tsutohiko's efforts have begun to show results.

NHK General TV broadcast a special program about Fong Sing-ho, focusing on the scene where Fong Sing-ho silently got into the car after being questioned.

The image freezes on his calm, back-looking gaze, the silent strength almost bursting through the screen. "Wow, what a tough man..."

The host looked at Masahiro Nakai with a sigh: "Right? Nakai-san? You've met Fang Xinghe-san, do you think he's a very tough guy?"

“Yes!” Nakai nodded vigorously. “He really has an iron will, an uncompromising spirit that comes from his very bones.”

Another guest exclaimed dramatically, "They're really different from us Japanese..."

In Japan, whether it's the entertainment industry, the cultural sphere, or even politicians, they wouldn't so brazenly stare directly at the camera after making a mistake.

This made some people think Fang Xinghe was very impolite, while others admired his charisma.

"Like a king's disdain, so cool..."

The female guests had completely different focuses. Mingmo stared at the screen, hissing and drooling, muttering, "He's practically a god of close-ups..."

The other female guests found kindred spirits and immediately became excited.

"Right? Right? The closer the camera gets, the more handsome Fang Xinghe looks!"

"He was completely without makeup this time, wow, he's even more handsome than during the autograph session!"

"How can I possibly grow to be half as beautiful as him?"

Most women in any country are indifferent to their stance; the idea that beauty equals justice is not just an empty phrase.

The topic being discussed on the show was whether Fang Xinghe should apologize, but it was abruptly ended without a clear answer due to various interruptions from the female guests.

What is neutral media?

I want to completely capitalize on the hype, but I don't care about the attitude. Don't give me a chance; if I do, I'll keep trying to ride the coattails...

But neutral media outlets that have been paid will act like this—they show no attitude on the surface, but in reality they keep calling Fang Xinghe "Your Highness," practically treating him like a prince.

What's the use?

We can make every effort to attract female viewers.

Yes, Fang Xinghe has once again had to abandon his male fans who are over 18 years old and focus his attention on female fans to build a solid fan base.

Well, maybe this is just Fang Ge's fate...

Furthermore, under Kadokawa Tsuhiko's full-fledged promotion, Fang Xinghe's personality traits became extremely distinct—proud, determined, tough, and with a will as strong as steel.

That retrospective clip has been used by major television stations; whenever it's discussed, it's guaranteed to be broadcast.

The media described Fang Xinghe's attitude as "the stillness of shattered jade," emphasizing the calmness, because "uncompromising anger" is worthless; it is this rare "absolute calmness" that is most likely to touch the hearts of the Japanese.

As a result, under such high-pressure public opinion environment, Fang Xinghe's number of fans actually began to grow against the trend.

But that's still not the main point. The main point is that the left wing of the cultural sphere has finally taken action.

Only those who are tough and resolute enough are worth the effort to win over.

Fang Xinghe is exactly that kind of person, so after a period of observation, the cultural circles suddenly stood up to support him.

The first one to charge in head-on was a super heavyweight.

Oe Kenzaburo.

Japan's only Nobel laureate in literature, a national treasure-level writer whose status is even higher than Haruki Murakami, and the leader of the Kujo-kai.

What is Article Nine?

Fang Xinghe listened to the translator reading Kenzaburo Oe's article and suddenly asked a question.

Haruki explained: "It is a non-governmental organization initiated by cultural leaders such as Kenzaburo Oe and Hisashi Inoue to defend Article 9 of the Peace Constitution (renunciation of war). Its core ideology is to oppose Japan's military expansion and emphasize the necessity of historical reflection."

"Oh."

Fang Xinghe nodded slightly and continued listening to the translator read the article.

"...Fang Xinghe has the right to hate Japan, but the Japanese have no right to criticize him. He is right; we have committed enormous crimes. Facing history squarely is the only way out for our nation. What has been done will not disappear just because you deny it in a self-deceiving manner. On the contrary, this will only fuel the continuation of hatred from generation to generation..."

Kenzaburo Oe did not directly mention the many-fold star river, but his attitude was very clear.

—It is we who should reflect on this.

Inoue Hisashi followed up with an article: "Many right-wing elements are now trying to incite public opinion through Fang Xinghe's remarks, thereby forming a consensus to revise that period of history, but I want to warn the public: revising history is tantamount to repeating crimes."

With these two heavyweights charging forward, the situation reached a stalemate for a time.

Because the left wing has always been the weaker party, and even the left wing that advocates reflection and anti-war sentiment has some complaints about Fang Xinghe's "bloodbath in Tokyo," they support him but don't really like to praise him.

However, this effectively ensured that Fang Xinghe's reputation did not completely collapse, and Fang's fans received much-needed support, managing to hold on despite being surrounded by ten times the number of enemies.

Just then, Fang Xinghe's autograph session in Osaka began as scheduled.

Upon arriving in Osaka, Haruki Kadokawa, on behalf of Fang Xinghe, blocked the rioting media, saying, "Everyone, there's a special press conference at the autograph session. Please wait until then for the interviews! Fang Xinghe will answer all your questions!"

Fang Xinghe's already high popularity was pulled up to a steep peak.

Tickets for autograph sessions that might otherwise have gone unsold were sold out immediately.

Osaka Dome was once again packed to capacity.

This time, the media presence was much larger, with the entire filming area packed with reporters.

A large number of protesters gathered outside the venue, while Fang's fans brought support banners with various "declarations" written on them. It is unclear whether anyone organized them, but they were basically all red with white lettering.

"We will always support you, Your Highness."

"Continue your rebellion with unwavering resolve, God's Galaxy."

"Love and peace."

"Compromise is the best!"

Even so, the first two hours of the signing session were still quite dull.

The fans who got the chance to meet face-to-face were hesitant to say anything, always cautious and reluctant to speak.

As a result, the talk segment just wouldn't be interesting at all; it felt like everyone was anxiously waiting for something.

They were actually just waiting for it to erupt.

Two hours flew by, and after the intermission began, the media area suddenly became restless.

Asahi Shimbun reporter Katsuichi Honda, thanks to his enormous social influence, got the first chance to ask a question.

He is a left-wing representative who reflects on the war, has conducted on-site interviews with Nanjing survivors, and has exposed the atrocities committed by the Japanese, but his questions are not polite.

"I know clearly how much harm that war caused to your people, but Fang Xinghe, do you know clearly how much harm your 'massacre of Tokyo' remarks have caused to ordinary Japanese people and your fans?"

If a new generation of young leaders with such great influence as yourself does not try to resolve hatred, but instead deliberately incites and guides it, when will the people of our two countries be able to resume normal exchanges?
Do you have a clear vision of the long-term and profound impact this will have?

And are you prepared to take responsibility for those disastrous consequences?

Katsuichi Honda's questions are sharp and profound. He was a respectable journalist who devoted his life to the anti-war cause. He was compassionate, passionate, steadfast, and committed to justice...

But it makes no sense to Generation Z—sorry, I'm a warmonger.

Fang Xinghe, a political commentator from the public, has always maintained that when the right moment arrives, we must wage a rapid war with the strategic objectives of eliminating the enemy's military forces, destroying the enemy's military production capabilities, deterring hostile forces around the world, and resolving nationalistic sentiments.

From this perspective, Japan must sing a little tune: "The east wind releases a thousand trees of flowers at night."

He didn't know if it was right or wrong. He just kept thinking that way and kept hoping for it.

In his previous life, Dafang was only 26 years old, not yet fully mature.

Therefore, the current leader scoffs at the idea of ​​"resolving hatred".

How to resolve it?

Why should you be able to resolve this matter as you please?
His expression turned serious as he stared intently at Katsuichi Honda in the audience, determined to make his stance clear to Japanese society.

As for who I might offend... I'm sorry, I was born to offend some people.

If you're unhappy, then kill me. If you can't, then just put up with it.

The boy's fierce attitude blossomed from the very first syllable.

(End of this chapter)