Generation Z Artists

Chapter 149 Crazy birth? Crazy life!
The incident began because Fang Xinghe did not give a single media interview during the exam period, so the reporters had no choice but to interview his fellow test takers—they had to give an answer, after all.

Then, a fellow candidate from the second round of interviews, who hadn't made it to the third round, became very agitated and complained, "During our exam, the examiners asked us all sorts of questions, scrutinizing even the slightest flaw. Fang Xinghe was different; he hadn't even finished answering a single question before the examiners gave him full marks..."

The reporter, seizing the opportunity, pressed further: "You mean, Fang Xinghe received a pre-arranged offer?"

"Who knows? Anyway, his interview was just a formality. It's not just my opinion; all the other candidates there could tell..."

"So you think this matter greatly affects educational equity, right?"

"Oh right, it's not because I didn't pass the exam that I'm upset, I just feel it's unfair. In the same interview, our questions were so difficult, they were hard to answer, and then we had to undergo particularly harsh evaluations. But his questions were so simple. Does being famous give you that privilege?"

The conversation was published in the newspaper as "Fellow examinee questions Fang Xinghe: Does money and fame allow for rigged operations?"

The newspaper itself wasn't a major publication; it was just a local metropolitan newspaper in the capital, with very limited influence.

However, Fang Xinghe is currently very popular, and any news involving him generates buzz, which has indeed stirred up some waves.

Several media outlets reprinted the story, and netizens further amplified it, which eventually attracted the attention of a major newspaper whose name is not mentioned.

This major newspaper, whose surname is Nan, mobilized its resources and followed this lead to dig deeper, eventually uncovering Fang Xinghe's written test scores.

On February 23rd, the front page headline featured an article personally written by Cheng Dayi: "Where is Educational Fairness? Fang Xinghe Cheated in Art Exam!"

The article confidently claims that Fang Xinghe's actual score on the written test was 88.5, ranking third, but when the results were announced, it suddenly became 95.5, ranking first in the preliminary test.

During the second round of auditions, Fang Xinghe received special assistance from the Directing Department of Beijing Film Academy. He won the department head's high praise with a very simple question and ultimately entered the third round with excellent results.

It cannot be ruled out that the questions were leaked in advance.

The article strongly criticizes this behavior that disregards educational fairness and tries its best to incite readers' emotions.

Fang Xinghe already has everything he needs, and there is absolutely no need for him to compete with ordinary candidates for such low-value opportunities.

I don't think there's anything wrong with him getting a spot in the Beijing Film Academy's undergraduate program; he fully deserves it. However, the way he obtained it is both disappointing and infuriating.

Even if the Beijing Film Academy gave him a special admission spot, it would be far better than what he has now!
I really can't understand why you, who are already so famous, influential, and powerful, would deprive ordinary candidates of their honor and opportunities.
Are you such a sore loser? Do you have to be number one in things like this?

If you want to compete, fine, but can't you just rely on your own strength fairly and squarely?
To resort to such underhanded tactics and backroom deals to maintain their invincible aura is shameful, despicable, and unscrupulous!

On a smaller scale, this is bullying a group of ordinary test takers who have no connections, no network, and no reputation.

On a larger scale, this is a blatant abuse of authority to manipulate educational fairness!
Fang Xinghe, you owe the real top two candidates an apology!
Beijing Film Academy, you have let down the country's support and expectations!
Although this is just a small matter, the fact that you abused your power so much over something that doesn't affect the final outcome shows that you have absolutely no respect for educational fairness. It's unimaginable how you will be capable of unimaginable evil when faced with greater interests…

Cheng Dayi's article immediately stirred up a storm upon its publication.

This topic is far too sensitive, and his writing style is far too inflammatory.

In a short time, print media reprinted the story on a large scale, critics flocked to the scene, and the heat of the story exploded rapidly, catching people off guard.

Zhao Chunhua and Wang Yali called Fang Xinghe immediately.

"Xinghe, what's going on?"

"What's going on?"

Fang Xinghe threw the basketball back onto the court, puzzled, and asked in return.

As Zhao Chunhua explained the situation, the smile on the boy's face gradually faded.

"I have no idea, and I haven't made any requests to the Beijing Film Academy. Please wait a moment, I'll ask someone."

After the final exam, the head of the directing department left him his contact information, but Fang Xinghe never called it. He never expected that their first communication would be under these circumstances.

"Director Xie, this is Fang Xinghe."

Xie Xiaojing sounded frustrated, and without Fang Xinghe asking, he took the initiative to explain.

"Xinghe, we've wronged you..."

Fang Xinghe calmly replied, "No need for formalities. Let me figure out what's going on first, okay?"

"My family is in trouble. Some people don't like me, and some people don't like you. What else could it be?"

Director Xie clarified the matter in just a few words.

"88.5 points is true, and 95.5 points is also correct. There is no standard answer to the essay questions in the general knowledge section. It depends entirely on the personal style and predetermined standards of the examiners."

In previous years, we were used to being stricter with grades. Giving low scores helps to instill a sense of awe in students and prevent them from becoming arrogant before the start of the semester. That's one reason.

Many test takers this year have done specialized training, spending a lot of time doing practice questions. At the same time, they have studied the styles of the examiners and graders. These things are not secrets. Many of the training classes outside are run by school teachers. They can easily find out who sets the questions and who grades them this year. Their styles and preferences are obvious. Then they teach test takers to answer questions in a targeted manner to get as high a score as possible. That is the second point.

Combining the two reasons, there were indeed two candidates ahead of you in the initial grading.

In previous years, it would have been fine, but I later looked at your exam paper. From my personal perspective, although your answer was somewhat unconventional, it was very insightful upon reflection, showing a rare and forward-thinking approach.

The old-fashioned folks don't like it, but I personally love it, so I've re-rated it.

Who would have thought that such an internal matter could be known to reporters in detail?

Good grief, you, the head of a department, have this little bit of control?
Fang Xinghe found it somewhat unbelievable, but upon closer reflection, he felt he could understand it—if even a top-secret national research institution could produce spies, how could an art school be so monolithic?
But as much as I understand, I'm still annoyed. This kind of incompetent teammate is just so frustrating.

"I don't necessarily have to compete for first place. The scores are already set, so what's the point of you interfering?"

"Wasn't that because I was unconvinced?"

Director Xie was a little weak in the face: "If we're talking about cheating, those other candidates were the ones who cheated! They were glued to the question bank every day and even studied the examiners. Compared to them, how much time did you have to study and prepare for the exam?"

"That doesn't matter at all."

Fang Xinghe didn't dwell on the details at all; he didn't care who took shortcuts and who didn't.

From the imperial examinations in ancient times to the civil service exams in modern times, this kind of thing has never changed. Who wouldn't study the style of the examiners and cater to their preferences if they had connections?

“I don’t have time to think about it, so I have to allow others to beat me. The way you’re doing this has really caused me a lot of trouble.”

"I'm sorry, Xinghe, but don't worry, I'll figure out how to issue a statement right away! We at Beijing Film Academy will take the lead in this matter!"

Director Xie is very sincere and has a good attitude, but unfortunately, Fang Xinghe estimates that Beijing Film Academy can't withstand it.

Things unfolded as he had predicted.

The Nortel Networks Center quickly issued a public statement, but the media and the public were not convinced, and the topic quickly escalated, sparking a major debate about educational equity.

It is quite rare that Fang Xinghe has become the target of criticism again after such a long time.

Yeah, it feels kind of familiar~~~
Fang Xinghe wasn't worried, but his friends were frantic, calling him one after another to inquire.

After hearing his explanation, Yu Hua laughed so hard he slapped his thigh: "Damn! Isn't this just like trying to flatter someone and ending up slapping their leg?"

Yes, that's essentially what it is.

From a common-sense perspective, Director Xie's actions are perfectly reasonable; it's his legal right—our department admits students, so why can't I grade the papers a second time? Even college entrance exam essays have a review system.

However, when combined with Fang Xinghe's influence, this is no longer just a matter within the directing department, but has expanded to a social issue of educational equity.

Fang Xinghe was indeed wronged; he was caught in the crossfire even though he was lying down. But being a public figure means facing these kinds of things; there's no way around it.

"What are you going to do?"

Yu Hua was quite concerned about him, and even decided to personally go into the water: "Do you need me to put in a good word for you? Just let me have my way next time we drink."

"No need, I plan to do an interview and see how it goes."

"Are you confident?" "No, but we still have to take the risk."

Fang Xinghe wasn't being modest; he really wasn't very confident this time.

The current situation is one that cannot be calmed down by reason alone.

All sorts of freaks got involved, and the public was very emotional. Educational equity has always been a sensitive issue in China, and there are really not many people who would still be reasonable when faced with something like this.

Yu Hua understood. Instead of comforting Fang Xinghe, he chuckled and praised him, "You've got guts! A real man! I see now, this little thing won't break you, so I'll just stand by and watch the show."

Fang Xinghe smiled knowingly: "Alright, see. Get your peanuts and melon seeds ready, and remember to clap when it's time to clap."

After hanging up the phone, optimism faded, and stagnation returned.

The decline in popularity is too rapid. This time, trending on social media has not only failed to bring him a boost in star ratings, but has instead continued to undermine his foundation.

In reality, the likes of the "13 Ugly Ones" were jumping around, and the Beijing elites were overjoyed to step on them. Even Han Han posted a satirical article about it.

Online, even the strong support of Fang's fans couldn't suppress the situation. Fang's detractors insisted on "Fang Xinghe cheating in the art exam," refusing to listen to any explanations and clinging to the moral high ground.

Everywhere was in chaos and turmoil.

My senior sister compiled some highly representative comments, which seemed particularly pessimistic.

Yang Shuo: "Directing is a good profession. Any good person who enters this industry will become black-hearted and rotten. Looking at it this way, Fang Xinghe is really suitable to be a director. He has amazing talent."

It seems this guy had a falling out with Little Cannon. Before leaving the country, he unleashed a map-wide attack, settling all his scores at once. He was incredibly satisfied.

Xiao Gangpao didn't dare to respond, but the others in the Beijing circle kept trying to smooth things over, shifting the blame to Fang Xinghe.

Ye said, "Don't generalize Fang Xinghe's cheating to the whole industry. He's too arrogant. Arrogance always brings trouble. If it's not this, it'll be that. He'll get away with it sooner or later."

This statement represents the opinion of a considerable number of people. It can be said that few people in the "traditionalists" can accept Fang Xinghe.

The so-called traditionalists are generally conservative middle-aged people who hold power and position in various industries.

They used to dislike Han Han, and now they dislike Fang Xinghe. Essentially, they are just resisting any new force that wants to change the dynasty.

The same book, "Azure Night Snow," is classified as realistic literature in Japan, but as new youth literature in China. Why is that?
It's not because Japan lacks conservative forces, but because Fang Xinghe can't touch the interests of Japan's conservative intellectuals, so he can praise them as he pleases to show his magnanimity and let foreign monks perform their own drama.

But with Fang Xinghe's rise to prominence in the domestic literary scene, where will they stand? That will truly affect their own standing.

Another group of middle-aged people, who had no power or status and were doing terribly, were even more disgusted with Fang Xinghe's behavior than those who had suffered losses.

When we were young, if we got a little cocky, we'd be bullied and bullied, wasting half our lives in frustration and unfulfilled ambitions. You, on the other hand, are doing so well despite your arrogance. Why is that?!

They talk at length about educational equity, but in essence they don't care about this bullshit equity; they only care about seeing Fang Xinghe suffer.

"What's with the arrogance? You're going to get into trouble now."

This statement represents their stance; it's illogical, driven by strong emotions, and will never be convinced by any explanation.

Han Han: "Educational equity? Has our country ever had such a thing? Fang Xinghe didn't do anything seriously wrong. He was just exercising the power that every person in a position of power naturally possesses in our country. Criticizing him is meaningless. What should be criticized is the system and the prevailing atmosphere."

The angry young man Han has finally stepped onto the stage of history.

This wasn't the first time he'd satirized anything, but it was the first time he'd spoken out about "public social issues that are unrelated to him."

Fang Xinghe didn't know if there were any unpredictable forces involved, but it was clear that he was prepared.

Lieyan Mountain: "We've discussed the topic of educational equity countless times, and we'll continue to discuss it in the very distant future, because it's a fundamentally unsolvable problem in our country. Germany's rigorous fairness, Japan's shameful fairness, and America's democratic fairness—each type of fairness is good. Unfortunately, we've chosen the 'holy judgment' system for selecting scholars. The important thing isn't fairness itself, but whether you're a scholar or not..."

It's still the same old public intellectual tactic of distorting concepts and inciting emotions, unchanged for ages, but it works very well—at least it works very well in the current era.

Fang Xinghe wanted to applaud them after watching them. Seriously, we can criticize them for being bad, but we can't say they're incompetent.

Amidst this raging tide of public opinion, Fang Xinghe's small boat seemed poised to capsize at any moment.

Of course, that's not the case. With his core support base, a mere Black Tide wouldn't kill him.

However, he was under unnecessary pressure from the school, the county, the province, his friends, and his partners, so he had to step forward and do what he was supposed to do.

So he specially chose an auspicious day to be interviewed by Jilin TV News.

On this matter, for the first time, Wang Charlie's management team disagreed with him.

"There's no point in you responding now; this is a completely unresolved topic."

"I know," Fang Xinghe said calmly, "but this pressure is something only I can bear."

Everyone remained silent.

The interview proceeded "smoothly" and was broadcast on the provincial evening news on February 26.

The reporter cautiously brought up the issue of educational fairness, intending to give him an opportunity to defend himself, but Fang Xinghe simply smiled dismissively.

"The preliminary test only determines whether a candidate can enter the retest, and has nothing to do with the subsequent admission. However, if the school has a strong desire to admit a candidate, then the so-called test paper is meaningless."

As for the so-called educational equity...

I can say this definitively: the art college entrance exam has never been fair.

The answer was astonishing, leaving everyone speechless.

Fang Xinghe seemed completely unaware of the uproar his words would cause, and remained calm.

His reasoning is correct. Not only are there many examples of actors who rely on their looks to get ahead, but there are also many directors who are "recommended students." For example, Guo Fan, one of the three outstanding directors, was also chosen and valued by Wang Hongwei because of his filming experience and unique perspective, and was admitted to graduate school in a different major.

There are countless similar examples.

But is this what the audience wants?

The vast majority of Chinese people just want to see Fang Xinghe apologize!
Instead of apologizing, he added fuel to the fire that was already burning.

"The art industry is the same all over the world. Standardization means taking only the middle range that can be quantified. This can ensure fairness, but at the cost of giving up the upper limit and creating a group of mediocre people."

Non-standardized free sourcing means that there will inevitably be a huge amount of room for maneuver, resulting in various ambiguities that are difficult to convince the public.

So, in our film and television industry, or even more broadly in the entire cultural field, how should we determine the criteria for selecting material?

Is it about maximizing fairness, or giving more weight to talent?
When the public's artistic level and aesthetic literacy are insufficient to supervise the conclusions drawn from the selection of materials, does the so-called fairness still have any practical meaning?
These are questions worth considering for everyone, and arguing about them isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Fang Xinghe's profound thinking was so captivating that the reporter fully understood his logic and couldn't help but ask, "So what's your opinion?"

Fang Xinghe smiled lightly: "I am a beneficiary of this discretionary power, so my opinion is not important. Most people don't need my reasoning and logic, and I don't intend to reason with them..."

Amidst the reporters' astonished gazes, Fang Xinghe slightly raised an eyebrow and boldly declared:

"I just want to tell you that no one in this year's Beijing Film Academy applicants is ranked ahead of me, so no matter what the school's reason is for giving me extra points, I don't think it undermines fairness. On the contrary, it's the best care for them."

Because I will be the best director in China.

It's not the best of any generation, but the first of all time.

So stop discussing whether there are any shady dealings in the art exams; I deserve any privileges.

That concludes my response to the bonus point incident. I'll stop here; please stay tuned.

The news broadcast left the world stunned.

(End of this chapter)