Generation Z Artists

Chapter 159 Show, Chaotic Show
While The Oprah Winfrey Show has its heartwarming and humorous side, it is ultimately a program known for its seriousness and depth.

As the conversation progressed into the second half, it became more substantial.

"Fang, you are a genius in every way. So, if you were to summarize, do you think it was hardship that made you who you are, or talent?"

Fang Xinghe pondered for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Hardship corrects direction, talent determines speed, and the two together shape the Fang Xinghe you see."

Oprah keenly recognized the difference between the two adjectives and pressed further: "So, suffering is more crucial?"

"Well, indeed, hardship is more crucial."

Fang Xinghe nodded: "If I didn't have enough talent, it might have taken me twenty years to realize my life's story, but I will still be myself, an indomitable cultural fighter."

Without hardship, I would be a carefree high school student.

Oprah pressed on: "So, you praise suffering?"

"Do not."

Fang Xinghe unexpectedly shook his head: "I will never praise suffering, although it is indeed a shortcut to growth and to polish rough stones into jade. But I sincerely hope that all ordinary people live in a well-protected peaceful and happy environment, rather than being forced to move forward by suffering."

Oprah was startled and moved: "Why?"

"Because enduring hardship does not guarantee success; more often than not, it only brings torment and devastation, Lady O..."

Fang Xinghe looked Oprah directly into her eyes, his attitude so sincere.

"You and I are both people with special talents, so we are able to draw strength from suffering."

But what can suffering bring to ordinary people who have no talent, no background, and no resources, besides ravaging their bodies and minds?

Therefore, I firmly believe that suffering is not something to be praised or celebrated; what is truly worthy of praise and celebration is the attitude of successful people when facing suffering.

This can bring comfort to people.

However, at the same time, we must remember that talent is the decisive factor in getting us out of the mire.

If we successful people avoid discussing the facts and instead sing praises of suffering, it will only bring false hope and hypocritical guidance to ordinary people. This will not only fail to solve problems but will also weaken genuine humanistic concern…

Oprah couldn't help but applaud Fang Xinghe enthusiastically.

"Fang, you have inspired me and enlightened me. Yes, I completely agree with your point of view!"
As cultural icons, our basic function is to guide the hopes of our fans, but we cannot encourage unrealistic fantasies; that is not cool at all, but rather wicked.

And you, Lord Fang, the brilliance of your character astounds me and commands my utmost respect!

really interesting.

The use of "lord" here likely corresponds to her own nickname, Lady O.

The titles "Ms. Ao" and "Mr. Fang" not only imply complete equality, but also signify that Fang Xinghe has been elevated from a rising star to a cultural icon.

Her ability to react and summarize is ridiculously strong, and when Fang Xinghe demonstrates his value, she goes to great lengths to support him.

Fang Xinghe felt that the exchange was very pleasant.

When he smiled sincerely, a burst of enthusiastic applause suddenly erupted from the audience.

"Fang, you're awesome!"

A beautiful woman wearing a low-cut T-shirt, revealing a semi-circle the size of a cantaloupe, jumped up and screamed, making everyone dizzy.

Fang Xinghe glanced over and saw a beautiful red light; this was the first American fanatic he had ever seen with his own eyes.

Thank you.

Fang Xinghe raised his hand and waved lightly to the audience, interacting with them briefly, which drew another round of screams.

People who are obsessed with appearances are the same all over the world.

Oprah waved her hands forcefully to quell the chaos outside: "Stop, babies, stop! I need to continue talking to Lord Fang; this opportunity is too precious to pass up."

She maintained control of the scene and kept the show running smoothly.

"You are China's most outstanding cultural icon. They may not know it, but I do. Come, let's see what Fang has done..."

What followed was a detailed explanation of the science.

Because Fang Xinghe provided very detailed information, the short film produced by the program team was extremely excellent.

The grand scenes caused by Fang Xinghe's book signings in China, the strong praise he received on the evening news, the various controversies in the newspapers, his bravery in shattering a sofa on a TV program, being received by the King of Thailand, the 5-person fan meeting at Tokyo Dome in Japan, and the billboards covering the streets of South Korea...

All these elements combine to create a truly remarkable life.

The audience was stunned and exclaimed in amazement.

They could realize that Fang Xinghe was no ordinary person, but even the most imaginative person would not believe that this was an achievement made by a 16-year-old boy.

The Oprah Winfrey Show's summary of Fang Xinghe was—

A shared idol of 25 billion people in Asia, a phenomenal literary genius, a disruptor and inheritor of traditional Eastern culture, a prodigy with both literary and martial talents, and a unique talent whose contradictions are prominent.

It was very extravagant, but the audience didn't object.

They were still in shock, unable to pull themselves away.

After the short film was shown, Oprah enthusiastically said, "Fang, your English is truly masterful. When you uttered the words 'humanistic concern,' I felt as if I were conversing with an American scholar."

Now I can't help but summarize the talents you possess.

You speak fluent American English and use precise and elegant language when expressing your views.

Your writing skills will make your book a bestseller throughout Asia.

You have incredibly impressive kung fu skills; you easily defeated several bastards.

You seem to have an innate talent for basketball, and you're already at the level of a top draft pick without any professional training.

The ads and covers you shot demonstrate strong versatility and a highly individualistic sense of style.

You seem to be good at everything; your versatility is astonishing.

We just discussed hardship and talent. Your mindset comes from hardship. Now, I'd like to know your thoughts on talent.

I don't know if you know the kind of admiration that ordinary people like us have for a super genius like you, and how you view this?

This is a question with a lot of room for maneuver.

In China, Japan, South Korea, and the United States, the directions and limits that can be explained are different in different countries and cultural systems.

As it happens, the head of the online trolls knows exactly what kind of answers will ignite the most discussion among Americans.

He spoke slowly, as if preaching a sermon, his voice radiating divinity.

“When Time magazine’s Asian edition interviewed me before, we talked about some topics related to culture and religion.”

I told the editor at the time: "My god is myself."

Oprah Winfrey, being a perfect straight man, immediately followed up with curious questions: "That's crazy! Why do you think that?"

"Because I realized very early on that talent is something we are born with, which determines our upper limit, but only a very, very few super madmen can reach that limit. Most of the time, we are just spinning around in a very easy space."

Have I reached my limit? No.

Did basketball legend Michael Jordan ever hit his ceiling? He developed less than half of his natural talent in three-point shooting, so clearly he didn't. Have you hit your ceiling? I still don't think so.

It's just that the very high ceiling allows us to easily reach heights that ordinary people can't achieve no matter how hard they try.

But does this mean that you can't succeed without strong talent?
NO, NO, NO.

Fang Xinghe shook his fingers three times and said "NO" three times.

His tone was gentle, his pronunciation solemn, and each syllable was heavier than the last, which brought a strong sense of persuasion and composure.

If this were a speech, then he would be a master at manipulating the audience's consciousness.

If this was a performance, then he shone brilliantly.

The performance had just begun, and the settlement was far from being reached.

"Therefore, I describe talent as speed. Talented people reach the goal faster, while those without talent cross the finish line slower."

Under normal circumstances, as long as the goal isn't too outrageous, everyone has a chance of crossing the finish line.

However, many people like to argue, and they will ask: If the talent gap widens to a certain extent, what you can do in two years, a stupid person will have to work hard for a lifetime, so talent is the most important thing, isn't it?

This sounds so reasonable that many people comfort themselves by saying they lack talent: I'm not cut out for it, what's the point of trying? I might as well give up.

But that's not the truth.

The truth is: super geniuses like me are extremely rare, and truly stupid people are also extremely rare. According to the principle of mean distribution, most people are middle-of-the-roaders who can achieve their life dreams through hard work.

Has the American Dream ever required talent?
Do you dream of discriminating against stupid people?
No, none of them.

However, the biggest problem lies in the fact that American society ridicules those naive beliefs and that Americans only respect money.

Who exactly deliberately categorized life goals into different levels?
Saving the world comes first, making money second; being a clown who brings laughter to others is the lowest of the low.

Too many people are misled about the goal itself.

In fact, there are only two ends in life.

The first is the physical end point, death, the great and just death that will eventually come.

The second is the spiritual endpoint: self-actualization.

Self-actualization is a happy thing.

Having a goal and pursuing it—that is happiness itself.

Does secular success necessarily coincide with happiness?
No, that's not true. When you think like that, you've actually been deeply corrupted by the capitalist view of money.

Why should a foolish person always pursue the same goals as a wise person?
Why can someone else's definition of success become a cage that binds you for life?

This is just asking for trouble.

In my opinion, talent is merely a tool for pursuing happiness. With talent, we are closer to our life goals; without talent, it doesn't prevent us from pursuing happiness.

I say I am my own god, not because I am so powerful or intelligent, but because I can completely control my desires, clearly understand my pursuits, and walk on the right path of self-realization.

I don't indulge in extravagance, I'm not troubled by money, and I'm not swayed by external things, so I am free and happy.

Does this have anything to do with talent?

No.

Even if I'm as stupid as a pig, I can still do things within my ability to make myself happy.

So it's true that some fans admire me.

But you shouldn't admire my talent, but rather my will. That's the fundamental reason why Fang Xinghe is who he is.

Now, I sit here and tell you these things because of my power.

Even if I weren't so powerful or famous, and could only sit in a primary school classroom in rural China, telling my students some simpler truths, I would still be very happy.

That means that while taking care of myself, I'm also giving the world a little extra love. It doesn't require any special talent, but that's the happiness I want.

After Fang Xinghe finished speaking, he smiled and nodded to the audience.

The next instant, thunderous applause suddenly erupted, and the entire audience rose to their feet in excitement.

Master-level lectures and performances deserve all of this. Fang Shen has never relied on his looks to succeed. His handsomeness is a comprehensive art that combines temperament, speech, thought, voice, facial expressions, and body language.

Oprah raised her hand and wiped away her tears.

She is also a master of performance; although her appearance isn't great, she is more down-to-earth and relatable.

"Well said, so well said..."

They clapped while simultaneously crying and laughing.

"But Fang Ke didn't just talk a good game; he actually did it... Do you know what? He donated half of his income to real charity, such as education for impoverished children, road construction, and giving back to his mentors... How much money is that? At least 1000 million US dollars?!"

Fang Xinghe nodded slightly, but did not speak, which caused another burst of "wow" exclamations from the surroundings.

"My child, I am so proud of you. You deserve the title of Son of Asia. You are amazing, truly!"

The scene was chaotic for a full minute, during which a woman started shouting, "I want to have your baby"—she was an American woman, not a real beauty.

This is very bad; when they get excited, they really dare to have wild fantasies.

However, this also demonstrates the immense brilliance of Fang Xinghe.

No longer in his own backyard, nor in Asia within the same cultural sphere, but in the United States, which discriminates against people with yellow skin, he once again forcibly blazed a new trail.

If there was anything imperfect about this performance, it was that he only emphasized his role as a cultural icon and did not showcase his amazing talents as a basketball prodigy and a kung fu master.

But this was a deliberate choice made after careful consideration.

The Oprah Winfrey Show is ultimately a talk show, and Oprah's fans are also culture enthusiasts; the setting is not suitable for portraying her as a martial arts saint.

In this way, another side is preserved, as well as a greater sense of mystery, which may be more conducive to arousing the audience's expectations.

Clever and generous, they use these marketing tricks to steadily crush the times.

The recording ended in a bittersweet atmosphere. Before leaving, Fang Xinghe looked up again and saw that all the women in the room were dressed in red and blue.

Red is the epitome of fanaticism, blue is the die-hard fan, white and green are less than one-tenth, and the few non-fans are mostly older middle-aged white men.

This situation is stable.

Although the impact and allure of a program broadcast on television cannot compare to that of a live performance, as long as there is a large base of general goodwill, Brother Fang can harvest the leeks in countless ways.

So what if it's just a short-term frenzy?
One wave can make you fat for three years!

But when I make my comeback next time, it won't just be a matter of appearing on a stand-up comedy show again...

Fang Xinghe curled his lips into a smile and gracefully withdrew.

On May 20th, the lottery results were announced, and the Wizards unsurprisingly received the number one pick.

On May 21st, this episode aired, and the number of viewers increased by 5% from the previous episode's 2212 million, approaching the 3000 million mark!
On May 22nd, Dan couldn't help but roar at the team: "We already have the number one draft pick, when is that kid finally coming?!"

It will be soon, tomorrow...

(End of this chapter)