Generation Z Artists

Chapter 181 The Most Lively Day for Hong Kong's Media

The saying "Wild boars can't eat fine bran" began to spread wildly.

While current communication conditions are not as favorable as in the mobile internet era, television, radio, the internet, and word-of-mouth are still sufficient to capture the largest amount of attention in the shortest amount of time.

TVB stopped broadcasting dramas altogether, instead carrying cameras and rushing to the venue to try and do a live broadcast.

Wang Charlie didn't stop them, but just rubbed his fingers together—"How much money are you planning to give?"
In less than half an hour, they reached an agreement for HK$100 million.

Don't think it's too little. It's free money. Even 5 yuan wouldn't be a small amount. How much do the top ten thieves make after robbing a gold shop? They should all kneel down in front of Brother Fang and pay homage to the patriarch of robbery.

The book signing event was packed with people and generated a huge buzz.

Fang Xinghe's outburst upon landing attracted all the media in Hong Kong and put his die-hard fans on high alert.

Almost all the fans who could attend showed up. The number of attendees was not as large as in other places, but filling the event venue was not a problem—it's just a shopping mall, not Tokyo Dome in Japan.

It is customary to hold a press conference before starting the book signing.

Looking down at the audience, all I saw were arms outstretched, and with their shouts, it was complete chaos.

Fang Xinghe held the microphone, quietly looking at the audience below, neither moving nor speaking, nor trying to maintain order.

After a long standoff, the reporters finally realized something was wrong and gradually quieted down.

Only then did Fang Xinghe speak with a half-smile: "Are Hong Kong reporters so undisciplined? Watch your manners, or you'll become a laughing stock among your foreign counterparts."

Grass!
The media area below the stage immediately erupted again.

Fang Xinghe's opening remarks were of top-tier strength, practically defying the natural order, and infuriating.

"Damn it!"

The Hong Kong media reporters who had mocked Fang Xinghe for his lack of manners were furious. Fang Xinghe's words weren't particularly harsh, but this kind of "an eye for an eye" behavior was really infuriating.

However, some reporters looked around and found that several Japanese, South Korean and mainland Chinese media outlets were indeed chuckling, and they immediately swallowed their profanities.

The audience really quieted down.

Despite many people glaring angrily at Fang Xinghe...

That's great, I'm in a good mood~~~
Brother Fang made no attempt to hide his good mood, smiling broadly as he spoke again: "Raise your hand to ask a question, and whoever is called on will answer. Thank you for your cooperation."

'Who the hell wants to cooperate with you!'

That's what they were thinking, but they behaved very well—raising their hands in unison and not daring to shout again.

Wang Chali was quite adept at slapping faces; with a cold laugh, he arrogantly called out, "Friends from Oriental Daily, you may ask your questions now."

The guy, seething with anger, suddenly stood up.

"Mr. Fang, you're calling Hong Kong people wild boars..."

Before he could finish his question, Wang Chali immediately interrupted: "My friend, please ask your question in Mandarin. I don't understand it."

"you……"

Charlie made the other person so angry that their face turned red.

Having spent a long time with Fang Xinghe, the American senior had mastered the essence of Fang's sharp tongue and added a second blow: "Reporters who don't understand Mandarin, please don't raise your hands. My boss's time is precious and cannot be wasted."

Wow, that makes me even angrier.

The reporter from the East angrily questioned in broken Mandarin: "But Mr. Fang, you not only gave interviews in the local language while abroad, but you also made a point of learning the local language to respond!"

Everyone turned to look at Fang Xinghe.

The boy merely chuckled dismissively: "You know that's a foreign country? Now, on which country's soil am I standing?"

"what?"

The reporter from Oriental Daily was taken aback by the question.

It wasn't because the question was difficult to answer, but because of Fang Xinghe's unwavering and confrontational attitude.

The question of "which country's land" is extremely sensitive on Hong Kong Island.

Too scary!

Few people know that from 97 to the early 21st century, Hong Kong media were very reluctant to discuss mainland politics, and entertainment media dared not touch it at all.

Japanese and South Korean media always criticize China whenever they have the chance. The BBC reports on corruption and economic decline in mainland China every day. Who remembers any Hong Kong media outlet that did this kind of thing around 2000?
No, they're all keeping a low profile.

Even "Poison Apple" is just a tabloid for gossip and rumors these days, without any other attributes.

At this level and at this time, Hong Kong media and Taiwanese media are completely different.

The reporter from the East immediately sat back down and said with an awkward laugh, "Of course it's Chinese land..."

He didn't dare ask any more questions, but gave his friend a wink.

When Wang Charlie saw the two men exchange glances, he chuckled and, with a sharp look in his eyes, directly asked, "That friend from Ming Pao, what's your question?"

The Ming Pao reporter started in English, carefully choosing his words when asking the question.

"I'm sorry, I'm really not good at Mandarin. I can only listen, not speak. Please forgive me."

We certainly acknowledge that we are part of China, but as a region with a unique historical environment, we have long used our own dialect, which has created a huge historical inertia, and this is not our fault.

Language is used for communication, and the environment determines which language we use to communicate.

According to statistics, less than 8% of Hong Kong residents can speak Mandarin fluently. Therefore, if you want to hold an event on Hong Kong Island, you should either use the mainstream language Cantonese or the second most common language English, instead of forcing us to speak Mandarin, which we are not good at.

When Mr. Fang Xinghe went abroad, he learned Japanese, Korean, and English, showing great respect for the local markets.

With your learning ability, adapting to Cantonese shouldn't be difficult. If you really don't have time, you can communicate in English.

But you insist that we speak Mandarin. Isn't that disrespectful to the Hong Kong Island market and the people of Hong Kong Island?
After the news broadcast, how will those Hong Kong people who can't understand Mandarin at all view you?

Monkey Sai Lei!
This guy was meticulous, not only forcefully breaking through Charlie Wong's restriction that "questions must be asked in Mandarin," but also uniting the citizens of Hong Kong Island to pose a soul-searching question to Fong Sing-ho.

Logically speaking, his defense is flawless and entirely reasonable.

From an emotional standpoint, Fang Xinghe is willing to learn English, Korean, and even the Japanese he hates the most, but he is unwilling to respect Hong Kong Island's right to use Cantonese, which is truly disappointing and heartbreaking.

Fang Xinghe, how do you explain this?

"it is good!"

Some reporters clenched their fists and gave a quiet cheer.

Many fans were worried and nervously watched the stage.

In the eyes of most people, this is not a linguistic trap, but a rare display of righteousness and integrity in Hong Kong, which does not tolerate any excuses or sophistry.

Fang Xinghe, of course, did not try to deny it.

He swept it aside from the perspective of family and country.

“When I go abroad to do events, I try to speak the local language as much as I can, because I am an outsider and the locals are not obligated to speak Chinese to accommodate me.”

The beginning is simple, straightforward, and unhurried.

"But when I go to any province in China to do activities, I only speak Mandarin."

Summarize the principles and determine the order of importance.

According to the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Law on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language, Putonghua (Standard Mandarin) is the only common language of the country.

As Chinese people, speaking Mandarin on our own land is not only a habit, an instinct, or a consensus, but also a civic duty based on the Constitution.

I don't expect everyone to have this sense of national responsibility, but I do, and I consistently do.

When I go to Beijing, I don't deliberately speak the Beijing dialect; when I go to Sichuan, I don't speak the Sichuan dialect; when I go to Shanghai, I don't speak the Shanghai dialect.

Speaking a local dialect shows respect for the local people, while speaking Mandarin shows respect for the people of the whole country!

I am not some random Tom, Dick, or Harry that you usually interview. I am Fang Xinghe, and the whole nation is watching me!
Do you truly understand the weight of 12 billion people?

The voice grew louder, the resonance stronger, and the attitude more serious.

“Hong Kong Island is just a region of China, with a population of 672.5 million, accounting for 5%. From the perspective of the main body of the country, at any time, in any environment, and under any conditions, you must take the initiative to align yourselves with the country!”
You told me you don't understand Mandarin; we didn't have that option before.

You think this isn't your fault? Okay, I agree, it's not really a fault.

But I don't accept it.

This is our first time interacting, so to answer your question and make my stance clear—I will not accept any excuses. If you want to interview me again, you must use Mandarin.

If you don't know how, then go learn!
First, make it clear that you want to be Chinese and integrate into the national identity before bringing up these nonsensical questions in front of me!

I am the highest-level idol of the new era in China. Standing on Chinese soil, I only accept interviews in China's only official language. This is my principle.

As for what you Hong Kong Island people think...

You can only look up at me!

Was it harsh or stern? Not really.

Fang Xinghe's attitude wasn't the kind of sternness with furrowed brows; it was more like a mix of coldness, firmness, and an imposing presence.

The hall was completely silent; they could only look up, dumbfounded.

No one could have imagined what would happen before the words were spoken.

After the words were spoken, the intense shock made them feel as if they were in a dream.

While they were all stunned, the sky of stars exploded. "Holy crap, Fang Shen is awesome!"

"A complete mad saint!"

"So powerful! I love it!"

Although Mantianxing knew that their idol was crazy, normal people would never imagine that such a handsome young man could be so insane.

Those who are superficially enthusiastic will be terrified, while die-hard fans will only feel excited.

What is a strong person?
Many teenagers don't have a concrete understanding of this, which is why they regard Chan Ho-nam as their elder brother.

However, upon seeing Fang Xinghe at this moment, one can immediately draw a line—below the line, all is in chaos, and it is still unknown who is strong and who is weak; above the line, there is the strong one, and at present, only Fang Xinghe is strong!
It is a unique, powerful, and domineering force that is difficult to describe in words, yet it is the most effective way to activate all of a young person's potential.

In an instant, Fang Xinghe's die-hard fans surged, with a large number of new fans being converted every second.

Perhaps the upper limit is still not high, and perhaps contempt for mainlanders still outweighs personality cult, but emotions are definitely becoming more intense—either love or hate, there is no middle ground.

……

"The person who came here is not good..."

Almost all the reporters realized that Fang Xinghe's trip to Hong Kong Island was not for the purpose of making money peacefully at all.

But the Hong Kong media reporters had no choice – the opportunity to interview Fang Xinghe in person was so rare that no matter how angry they were, they had to continue.

"Fang Sheng, Fang Sheng!"

After a few seconds of silence, hands suddenly shot up from the audience, who eagerly began to speak, creating a chaotic mess.

Fang Xinghe put down the microphone and coldly watched the scene.

Look how ridiculous it is! The more we humiliate them, the more determined they become to get close to us.

"Silence! Silence!"

Wang Chali worked hard to maintain order, and it was only with great difficulty that he managed to get them to keep their fervor to themselves.

"What's your question, reporter from The Sun?"

The reporter wasn't angry; on the contrary, he was extremely excited, yet he asked an angry question: "Fang Xinghe, what gives you the right to be so arrogant? Hong Kong Island is Asia's financial center; this isn't your backyard!"

Clearly, he only wants to sow discord.

Fang Xinghe decided to respond to his provocation and give him the slap he wanted.

"A financial center? Hah." A disdainful laugh was blatantly obvious, glaringly obvious. "Tokyo is a financial center, Singapore is a financial center, and New York is an even bigger financial center."

Okay, combined with this meaningful statement, it's not just jarring, it's heartbreaking.

But it's not over yet.

Brother Fang is really here to cause trouble; he never intended to show any mercy from the very beginning.

However, Wang Chali quickly interrupted, preventing his junior from saying anything even more unpleasant—"Don't move, I'll do it!"
"My boss has conquered countless financial centers, how ridiculous!"

When he uttered those words with extreme arrogance, his heart was pounding wildly.

Charlie is a good Taoist priest, but that's not really his personality.

but……

After doing the most outrageous thing for the BOSS, I was panicked, but also really happy. It felt like something was spraying out of my head—I was incredibly high.

"Wow!"

The reporters were stunned once again.

Honestly, such a sensational interview has never happened even in the crazy entertainment industry of Hong Kong.

The last celebrity who fiercely criticized them had less than one percent of Fang Xinghe's fighting power.

"I, I, I!"

Reporters from Sing Tao Daily raised their hands frantically.

"ask!"

Wang Charlie has opened up a vast new world, and his arrogant attitude is becoming increasingly adept at it.

Sing Tao reporter: "We can respect each other's language preferences. But the saying 'a wild boar can't eat bran' is clearly an insult to all Hong Kong citizens!"
"Mr. Fang, you come to Hong Kong Island to promote your photo album, making money off Hong Kong people. If they buy the album, they're considered to have good taste; if they don't, they're seen as 'wild boars.' Is that fair?"

That's it?

Such a simple problem, I didn't even need to get involved...

Fang Xinghe sensed that Senior Brother Charlie seemed a bit restless today, so he gave him a look that said: Do you want to have some more fun?

Wang Charlie really wanted it, so he decisively spoke up.

"【Born to Sing】has sold 150 million copies in Japan, South Korea and Singapore and has been widely praised by the fashion industry."

In less developed regions, Southeast Asia, and inland areas, total sales have exceeded 20 copies.

This means that there are no problems with the quality of the photo album, and the high reputation in the art world and the aesthetics of ordinary people are well combined.

However, Hong Kong Island, as Asia's financial center, ranked last in sales, and most media outlets joined together to criticize it, going against the grain of the entire Asian fashion industry.

So, personally, I feel...

Wang Chali took a deep breath, so excited he almost exploded, and stammered out the truth from the bottom of his heart.

"You guys are definitely blind."

As soon as he finished speaking, the audience erupted in a frenzy.

Holy crap, are you fucking insane?!
Fang Xinghe, are you here to do publicity or to fight?

Of course, we're here to fight.

In fact, he has completely given up on the Hong Kong and Taiwan markets and has no intention of pursuing them.

For mainland celebrities, the market value of Hong Kong and Taiwan is nothing more than a dream bubble.

It looks beautiful, but it's actually fragile.

Yes, both places are indeed wealthy, but what's the point of giving that money to the North Koreans instead of Japan and South Korea?
Brother Qian, Brother Yang, Brother Kun, Brother Xia—who among them isn't more handsome than Emperor Tao? But it's no use; they only have eyes for local celebrities.

Is speaking Mandarin a crime? You get glares when you go shopping, and when you order food, they either throw plates at you or give you the cold shoulder. Don't ask, the answer is always the same: come or don't come, it's best if you don't.

This is not a problem that Fang Xinghe can solve. What good is 99 points of looks? It's not even worth a single hair from a K-pop group.

The era of our predecessors venturing to Hong Kong is over. After 97, the relationship between the two places did not improve, but instead fostered more and more estrangement, vigilance and exclusion.

Thinking further, in the future, the market for all his works, including movies, TV series, and novels, will be very small in Hong Kong and Taiwan, so small that it's not worth indulging them at all.

Japan and South Korea are really willing to spend money on me. I can bear to suffer a little, but do you deserve it?
Just do it!

Feeling good is what matters!

So, Shuai Fang gently applauded Wang Charlie, feeling wonderful: "I, your young master, can finally maintain my elegance!"
Indeed, his clapping hands with a smile was extremely elegant, which made the reporters in the audience even more restless, wanting to overturn Fang Xinghe's stall.

Having worked in the media industry for so many years, they had never seen anything so disgusting.

They come to Hong Kong Island to promote themselves while simultaneously engaging in rampant provocations. Do they really think we have no temper?
"Fang Xinghe! On behalf of Ming Pao Weekly, I lodge a protest! You are provoking the entire Hong Kong Island!"

Before Fang Xinghe could reply, Wang Charlie, who had found new amusement, immediately launched a fierce counterattack:

"The global data of StarNet's official cafe is all public. The number of registered users worldwide has exceeded 1300 million, which is twice the population of Hong Kong. Mr. reporter, you are taking yourself too seriously."

"You are utterly rude! The Hong Kong media will definitely blacklist you!"

"Hehe, that's great."

Wang Charlie sneered.

"I'm fed up with your constant spreading of rumors. You're like toads. You'd better keep your word and stop mentioning my boss!"

"Mr. Fang Xinghe! Is this the quality of a top idol in mainland China?"

"Stop dragging my boss into this! I'm American. What does my lack of manners have to do with my boss?!"

The sharks have gone mad.

Charlie Wang is absolutely insane with his killing spree.

It's a mess.

The scene was a complete mess.

Fang Xinghe, on the other hand, was fine. He crossed his arms, leaned back in his chair, and leisurely watched the commotion.

This was indeed the most exciting day for the Hong Kong media, with the news causing quite a stir in half the city even before the press conference ended.

But the situation didn't get any worse. On the contrary, sales of "Born to Sing Wildly" began to rise slightly and strangely at newsstands.

Curiosity? Curiosity is also a form of productivity.

Insults? Those who are insulted are easier to exploit.

In short... splash!

(End of this chapter)