Generation Z Artists

Chapter 164 The Fist Emerges from the East, My Martial Arts Are Proud!
Since he returned to China to perform the procedure, he should naturally accept the interviews that are required.

So, at the Wangfujing Hotel, Fang Xinghe held his second domestic press conference.

Suddenly, more than a dozen television stations and thirty or forty print and online media outlets arrived.

Upon hearing the news, Xtep and Jeanswest rushed over to sponsor the event.

Even though Fang Xinghe clearly stated that he might not renew the contract, both companies still had no regrets and insisted on joining in the fun.

The press conference began grandly in the banquet hall, and as Fang Xinghe walked toward the stage, a flurry of flashes went off.

Today he wasn't dressed in any outlandish outfits; he wore light-colored, hand-stitched jeans, a simple white T-shirt, and the still-popular Xtep Galaxy No. 1 sneakers.

Her hair was simply styled, without any accessories—the jewelry slots were deliberately left empty for the big spenders.

His plain appearance doesn't stop him from being handsome.

In the first segment of the press conference, Wang Chali informed the media about Fang Xinghe's trip to the United States, confirming the rumors of his bid for an NBA spot.

When the Q&A session began, the room descended into chaos.

As the leading newspaper, People's Daily got the first opportunity.

"Fang Xinghe, why did you suddenly decide to play basketball?"

Fang Ge blurted out: "I have an innate love for sports. It may be because I have too much energy. Before the second year of junior high school, I didn't like studying, so I could only relieve stress through various sports."

At that time, CCTV happened to start broadcasting NBA games, Jordan was aiming for his second three-peat, and the "Slam Dunk" manga was going viral among students. Everything was so wonderful, which sparked my longing for basketball.

But I never thought about making basketball my profession, so I just practiced the basics quietly in my spare time as a form of rest and entertainment.

Until last year, when I was doing an event in Japan, I felt their passion for the NBA. While chatting with a Japanese agent, I suddenly wondered: with my physical abilities, what level would I be at in the NBA?
Since then, a seed has been planted in my heart, and I have begun to intensify my training to improve my technique.

This year is the year I fulfilled my wish. I originally just planned to take advantage of my youth to experience it firsthand, to discover and face the gap between myself and the highest level of basketball.

The result was quite unexpected; it turns out the NBA isn't as unattainable as people think…

"???"

For Fang Xinghe, this was something that needed to be explained clearly, and it was also part of the legend.

However, after hearing his explanation, the reporter had even more questions on his mind.

Brother, do you want to hear what you're actually saying for yourself?
So many professional athletes can't even get close to the NBA, and you just casually train, and then you start complaining that the NBA is too bad?
hiss……

The sound of slurping cold noodles echoed from the first row to the last. Then, chaos erupted in the hall as everyone raised their hands, each with their own questions.

As expected, Wang Chali chose the reporter from Jilin Daily.

"Young Master Fang."

The familiar-looking reporter stood up excitedly, immediately launching into a tirade of accusations and asking probing and direct questions.

"You have neither received professional training nor played any formal competitions, yet you have stood out among a group of black rookies. When the news spread back, people across the country tossed and turned day and night, feeling both excited and deeply incredulous."

Scientific research shows that the athletic talent of people of Asian and Caucasian descent is far inferior to that of people of African descent, which has been fully demonstrated in many important sports such as track and field, basketball, and boxing.

But you managed to defeat those flying and burrowing black monsters despite being outnumbered—that's so illogical! Could you share your reasons with us? Or perhaps it's your personal interpretation?

Upon hearing the question, Fang Xinghe frowned, feeling particularly uncomfortable.

He originally didn't want to talk about this in detail, as it would seem like he was bragging, but seeing the same reaction from all the reporters in the audience, he became furious.

What about self-confidence?
Can't you all stand up straight?!
Does not.

This is exactly what Chinese people lack nowadays, otherwise they wouldn't be so excited.

Fang Xinghe sensed everyone's expectations and decided to brag on orders—after all, he needed a reason to convince the people of the country.

More importantly, he instilled a sense of national pride in his fellow countrymen, which was the most important thing he could do.

"I don't have a scientific explanation, but I do have some personal understanding."

The head of the online trolls started fabricating stories again, and this time he was quoting extensively from classical texts.

"Back when I first went to Wudang to learn martial arts, my teacher, Master Zhong Yunlong, systematically explained the essence of kung fu to me—"

Chinese martial arts are the essence of combat skills summarized and refined from battlefield battles during the era of cold weapons.

What is the core of martial arts? Power generation.

Where does strength come from? From muscles and bones.

External training methods such as lifting stone weights, drawing heavy bows, wielding broadswords, and pushing stone mills are essentially the same as modern equipment training; they all aim to strengthen muscles and bones and increase strength.

Internal cultivation methods such as standing meditation, guiding exercises, small frame exercises, and breathing exercises integrate and release energy, maximizing the leverage of power.

Therefore, the natural talent of one's musculoskeletal system determines the upper limit of strength and agility, which is what is traditionally referred to as "innate bone structure".

Techniques such as stance training and small frame exercises determine the output power, which is what is traditionally referred to as skill level.

To hone skills to a top level, two core qualities are required—

The first is comprehension, and the second is coordination.

This is the whole secret of Kung Fu. Each school and style trains the muscles, bones, and skin externally, and cultivates the breath internally, all in an effort to reach the ultimate output.

The same principle applies when we apply kung fu to basketball.

Black people are tall, with long limbs, high muscle density, and well-developed tendons such as the Achilles tendon; they are naturally blessed with a strong physique.

Basketball courts are everywhere in the United States. Basketball is the most popular and lowest-cost sport in Black slums. They practice various skills from a young age and are very proficient.

But does that mean they're invincible? I disagree.

Athletic talent is a very complex concept that varies from sport to sport.

In the field of swimming, only a handful of the world's top 100 athletes are Black, and their excessively high muscle density is actually a weakness.

In the world of table tennis, intuitive judgment and ultra-fast reaction are key, which is why we are so strong that we have no rivals.

In strength-based sports such as weightlifting, long limbs and a short torso are a major disadvantage. At the recently concluded Sydney Olympics, the women's weightlifting team swept all the gold medals. Are we lagging behind in strength?

With 5 gold medals in diving, 4 in badminton, and 3 in gymnastics, Chinese athletes excel in events requiring precise self-control and the ability to leverage coordination and flexibility.

Even in basketball, an area where the opponent has an absolute advantage, I have proven to everyone that understanding and coordination are enough to make up for a lack of natural talent.

The strengths of the Chinese people lie in their wisdom, dexterity, coordination, and resilience. History has taught us the strategic thinking of using our strengths to attack the weaknesses of our enemies, not to make us submit to or fear anyone!
You've etched the idea that Asians are inferior to whites and blacks into your minds, but I haven't. I won the game, and I shut people up too.

Now, let's re-examine the so-called athletic talent. Is there any absolute strength or weakness?

It's just a preference determined by the project rules.

If cold weapon group charges were to be restarted, the Mongolian compatriots would still be number one in the world; if dragon boat races were held on narrow waterways, the Guangdong brothers would also amaze the world.

So I can tell you very clearly—

Black people aren't strong, Chinese people aren't weak, and I defeated them. It wasn't some nonsense about the weak defeating the strong; it was a display of strength from the East, a testament to the glory of martial arts!

The moment the words were spoken, the hall fell silent for a split second.

Immediately afterwards, enthusiastic applause suddenly erupted, and the friendly forces, their faces flushed, clapped their hands vigorously.

Damn, that's so inspiring!

They not only thought it in their hearts, but some even shouted it out loud.

"Damn, Fang Xinghe is so damn handsome!" Your brother Fang has always been a person with a great presence. His Mandarin is standard, his voice is magnetic, and his speech has a natural resonance. His 90-point speaking skills are both rhythmic and emotional, and he can bring the tension to the top in every live interview.

But this time it still surprised everyone.

That arrogant disdain for the world is beyond description.

Moreover, he didn't just talk big; he proved his words and thoughts with concrete actions, leaving no room for doubt.

Later, Yao Ming also inspired the nation, earning the only Hall of Fame inductee for a Chinese player. However, his excessive humility and composure made fans and even the Chinese people feel that something was missing.

Now, Fang Xinghe stood tall with his sword drawn, declaring with a resounding voice, "My fists come from the East, and my martial arts are renowned!" This immediately brought the media present to a fever pitch.

"Fang Xinghe! This is from China Youth Daily..."

"Young Master Fang..."

"Fang, Fang, I'm from South Korea..."

Before the applause had even subsided, the media erupted into chaos, scrambling for the next opportunity to ask a question.

Wang Chali finally managed to control the situation and, as was his nature, called out to the Beijing Youth Daily.

The reporter they sent today was Zhao Chunhua again.

Sister Zhao's face was flushed, and as expected, she asked about the one-on-one match with Jordan.

"There's a rumor circulating in the American media that you had a one-on-one matchup with Jordan during your Wizards tryout and won, which almost led to a fight. Could you tell us what exactly happened?"

"They did fight a few rounds, but it wasn't a proper one-on-one fight."

Fang Xinghe struck a good balance, neither damaging national morale nor displaying any smugness or petty smugness.

"At that time, I saw Jordan and was eager to challenge him to a one-on-one match."

But after he took off his sports uniform, I found that he no longer had the identity and qualities of a player, and his physique was out of shape, so I decided to give up.

But Mr. Jordan was very competitive, so he decided to play a few games with me to personally experience my abilities, as part of the tryout.

The American media wanted to create a big news story, so they dug everywhere for the so-called truth about that war.

What truth is there really?
Mr. Jordan still had his experience and skill, but his athleticism had been severely diminished. He couldn't keep up with my speed, and I couldn't withstand his strength. In the end, I successfully completed the test, but that wasn't a victory.

Zhao Chunhua pressed on, "Then what about the conflict between you?"

Fang Xinghe had already decided to reveal the truth in public to pave the way for the story to come, so he nodded with a smile.

There was indeed a minor conflict.

Jordan is a man who is extremely hungry for victory, and so am I. When we got into the heat of the game, he started trash-talking me, and I retaliated.

But we exercised great restraint and decided to let our skills speak for themselves, rather than our status or martial arts prowess.

After the match, we had a very intense and unpleasant but frank conversation and decided to schedule a time to play again.

I will continue to hone my skills, and he will begin to regain his physique. When the time is right, that match will be our official showdown.

"Wow……"

A collective sigh of regret rippled through the audience.

Everyone felt that the result was "as expected" and "not surprising," so there was nothing to be shocked about. It would be news if Fang Xinghe wasn't arrogant or wild, and what's surprising about him arguing with Jordan?

However, a reporter from the sports weekly suddenly yelled out.

"Wait! Fang Xinghe, is Jordan making a comeback?!"

Huh? That's right!

The media suddenly realized that the key point of this story was that Jordan started rehabilitation training because of Fang Xinghe!
"I don't know."

The head of the online trolls was well-versed in the media principle of telling half the story and leaving the other half unsaid, spreading his hands and denying everything.

"He decided to get back to full health so he could teach me a lesson. I'm going to experience the level of a healthy Jordan. That's all we agreed on. As for whether he'll come back to play? To be honest, I don't care that much."

The audience immediately erupted into chaos.

Smart people already know how to write articles—Basketball legend Michael Jordan may make a second comeback because of Fang Xinghe!
This will be a huge news story that will shake the world.

Aside from Africa, Danzi's influence extends to every corner of the world, wherever there is a basketball court and people playing basketball.

The reporters were in a state of confusion for a while, asking many questions, but Fang Xinghe didn't answer any of them.

After maintaining order, they immediately called on the next newspaper – Xinmin Evening News.

The friendly team's questions were always so thoughtful. They asked, "If you were drafted number one by the Wizards, would you continue your studies? Or would you go to the NBA?"

This was precisely the hook that Fang Xinghe most wanted to plant.

"No, I haven't decided yet."

A troubled look appeared on the face of the online troll leader, which finally made him seem older and more like a teenager.

Although it's fake, it's precisely when the performance reaches its peak that it touches people's hearts the most.

"My foundation is literature, and I love literature, but I don't know what else I can write besides youth literature. I lack accumulation, experience, and life experience. I don't think I can write truly profound works."

This left me feeling very confused, which is why I suddenly had the idea to try my luck in the NBA draft.

When I made this decision, I just wanted to relax and didn't pin my future on basketball.

But who would have thought? It turns out the NBA isn't so unattainable after all, and that I can do it too.

Therefore, the current problem is very troublesome and complicated.

I know that many people have high hopes for me, hoping that I can make a name for myself in the NBA and prove that we Chinese can do it too, and that we yellow people are not inferior to any other race.

But my true desire is to become a director, make movies, promote traditional Chinese martial arts, and at the same time, bring the stories in my mind to life through film and television...

What do I love more? Basketball, movies, literature?
I thought I had the answer, but now I suddenly realize, no, I don't.

So please stop asking me if I can get the top score in the college entrance exam.

I do not know.

Please stop asking me if I'll play in the NBA.

I still don't know.

There's still a long time until the draft and even next season. What will happen in the meantime?
I'm just as curious as you are, so let's wait and see.

The only thing I'm sure of right now is taking the college entrance exam, going to university first, and then fulfilling our bet with Jordan.

What happens next requires my consideration, and also a bit of...divine will.

As he uttered the last word, Fang Xinghe sighed softly.

This is proof that divinity has been defeated by humanity, and it is also a kind of bewilderment that Fang Xinghe has never shown before. But this does not make him seem weak. On the contrary, everyone can read a subtle expectation on his face.

This scene, or rather this expression, went viral on social media that day among fans of the maid, girlfriend, older sister, and mother.

Oh, there's no WeChat Moments yet, so no one can screenshot it and use it as their screensaver, but that's okay. They'll feel sorry for Hehe and create a huge wave of support for him.

The day after Fang Xinghe returned to China, the core fan base, which had become restless and disorganized due to his disappearance for several months, suddenly became excited again.

But it's not just the fan base that's surging with energy.
"The fist comes from the East, and my martial arts are renowned." These mere eight words have almost overturned every street and alley they cover!
(End of this chapter)