Generation Z Artists

Chapter 183 Affecting Overall Stability
Fang Xinghe's declaration was like an asteroid crashing into the sea, creating a huge hole and then sending up a hundred-meter-high wave that crashed into the entire Asian entertainment industry.

Hong Kong was the first to erupt in chaos, Taiwan followed suit, the mainland fell silent in fear, and Japan and South Korea were overjoyed…

There was simply too much information and the pace was too chaotic. Even Fang Xinghe himself lost a full understanding of the situation.

Well, we can only focus on the big picture and let go of the small details, grasping the core essence.

August 8th felt like a year.

After finishing the book signing in the afternoon, Fang Xinghe kept his promise and went directly through customs back to Shenzhen.

From the moment I got in the car until late at night, the phone never stopped ringing.

The quickest to react was Mr. Yang, the general manager of Emperor Group, who personally called Fang Xinghe's work cell phone.

"Oh dear, Mr. Fang, what happened? How did things get to this point? Sigh... Hong Kong paparazzi will stop at nothing to stir up trouble, so why bother with them?"

Yang Shoucheng is a Hong Kong businessman with a blemish on his record, but overall he is quite shrewd.

A skilled strategist doesn't need to achieve great feats; just the fact that he can manipulate Jiang Wen and Xie Tingfeng is enough to earn him respect.

That kind of "manipulation" wasn't some kind of psychological manipulation or PUA. Everyone knows how difficult Xiao Xie is to deal with, yet he bowed deeply to Lao Yang at the company's annual meeting and often said frankly, "President Yang is like a father and brother to me."

The story of Bole and the talented horse is vividly embodied in them. If Lao Yang were replaced by the two brothers from Huayi, who would dare to imagine how terrible the result would be?

Before today, Lao Yang was already very close to Fang Xinghe's port area partners.

But now...

Fang Xinghe replied casually, "That's just his personality, there's nothing I can do about it, Mr. Yang. Thank you for your concern."

Such a distant response made Yang Shoucheng's heart skip a beat. He knew that things were probably beyond repair.

He simply stopped mentioning the collaboration and offered his concern like a friend.

"I understand. You are like the sun at eight or nine in the morning, and you can't stand dirt."

Since you have your own ideas, I won't try to persuade you. However, today is the princess's birthday, and we have a party tonight. Why don't you come out and relax? I can introduce you to some friends.
Don't worry, they're all smart people; they won't believe everything they hear or be influenced by those stupid media outlets.

Old Yang spoke with great earnestness.

“I know you’re impatient with these social engagements, but having more friends means having more options. Having these people supporting you can help relieve a lot of the pressure from the island…”

There are indeed some big-name celebrities in Hong Kong worth courting. They have a firm stance and don't care about the outside world's fuss. They're good people to befriend.

But Fang Xinghe was not willing. When he did something, he either didn't do it at all, or he did it to the extreme.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Yang, I've already finished my seclusion. I appreciate your kind offer, but I'll definitely do it next time."

Yang Shoucheng felt a pang of anxiety, but there was nothing he could do but maintain his composure.

"Okay, if you need any help, please feel free to contact me. The doors of Emperor Entertainment are always open for you."

After hanging up the phone, Yang Shoucheng spread his hands to Huo Wenxi: "Mani, your wish is over."

"It hasn't even started yet." Huo Wenxi muttered to herself, frowning, clearly unwilling to give up. "Strange, what exactly is he trying to do?"

"I don't know." Yang Shoucheng shook his head, his expression complicated. "In any case, it's definitely not because of willfulness."

"Of course, he's different from Tingfeng. NIC is a real fool, while Fang Xinghe has never suffered a loss in all this time; on the contrary, he's getting more and more popular every day."

Huo Wenxi paused, then sighed.

"I really wanted to sign him to a record deal and give him two movies to star in, but now it's too late. The industry probably won't accept him anymore."

“Mani, don’t overthink it. We can’t offer enough. And…”

Yang Shoucheng hesitated for a long time, unable to make a decision.

"what?"

"Hmm... Is it possible that he can really support himself in mainland China, so he doesn't need our acceptance at all?"

"I do not know."

Mani Fok shook her head with a wry smile, her brows furrowed into a deep frown.

"No one can judge his situation, so please don't ask me anymore..."

The two stopped talking, and for a moment, they were both in a daze.

The media is relentlessly criticizing Fang Xinghe, slapping him with accusations of being ridiculous, self-important, and ignorant of his own limitations. However, some clear-headed insiders have begun to confront the unease.

Fang Xinghe may seem like just an idol, but there has never been such an idol in history.

He is too famous, too rich, too talented, and too unruly.

Each individual aspect may seem insignificant, but when combined, their destructive power increases exponentially.

Yang Shoucheng couldn't even imagine what would happen if Fang Xinghe actually went to the NBA for two years and made a name for himself. What would his seemingly "joke" ban ultimately become?

Even if he doesn't go to the NBA, his current level of independence is enough to make people wary.

People on Hong Kong Island think this way, and so do people in Taiwan.

"The entire island's media is criticizing him, but so what? Damn it! You guys are too optimistic!"

Zhou Ling, with a thick cigar dangling from his lips, wore a disdainful expression on his fleshy face.

"That kid has a billion dollars in assets now, he's as wild as a wolf, he throws money around like water. If he decides to take out 5 million to play with you guys, what are you going to do about it?"

The person he mocked was Chen Jianyong, the head of the artist management department at Fulong Productions.

Fulong Productions is the company of Ge Hongfu, the godmother of Taiwanese variety shows, and Ge Hongfu is currently collaborating with Angie Chai to develop F4.

F4's management contract is currently with Angie Chai, but it will be transferred to Ge Hongfu in the future, which is normal history.

Fang Xinghe's sudden emergence has caused many things to change; this is a reality.

To put it simply, Ge Hongfu, who was outwitting Chai Zhiping, suddenly felt that F4 wasn't so appealing anymore, and his mouth watered as he looked at Fang Xinghe.

But Fang Xinghe didn't care about the capital in the Greater Bay Area, so she wanted to give them a hard time, saying, "Don't even think about going to the island if you don't sign a contract."

The cause is so simple, yet so reasonable.

The result was so absurd, yet so natural.

"Brother, the entertainment industry isn't like real estate or finance. What's the use of just throwing money at it? If you want to develop and get things done, connections are the most important thing."

Chen Jianyong smiled obsequiously, not even bothering to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"Grandma didn't want things to turn out like this, but Fang Xinghe is too arrogant. He comes to our territory to hold events and doesn't even bother to pay respects at the dock. Even the gods would be angry!"

"Your mother's territory! What era are we living in, and you still call this territory?!" Zhou Ling cursed as soon as he opened his mouth. "You guys are envious, I'm envious of his money-making ability too, what kind of dock are you talking about?"

"Oh yes, yes, but brother, please don't get angry with me. I was just following orders..."

"Damn it! You brain-dead idiots! I was even thinking of getting him to film a new drama, and you guys ruined it all!"

Zhou Linggang grew angrier the more he thought about it, and threw his cigar at the other person.

Chen Jianyong didn't dare to dodge. His older brother Zhou was no ordinary person. A few years earlier, what he would have thrown would definitely have been more than just cigars.

"Brother, calm down. Mom will definitely apologize to you in person later. Now is not the time to get angry. You must help me!"

Helping others is helping yourself; Zhou Linggang certainly understood this principle.

"Alright, I'll try making a call. Damn it, you're more trouble than you're worth!"

After he made the call, Fang Xinghe quickly received a notification from his superiors.

I won't mention which specific departments were involved, but it was basically the same old reminders about "the impact."

Friends called one after another to offer their condolences, bringing one piece of bad news after another.

However, it did not affect his good mood at all.

Future department head: "You were too impulsive today. Hong Kong and Taiwan are not like other places..." Fang Xinghe: "I haven't filled out my application yet."

Director: "But then again, Beijing Film Academy isn't an ordinary school. This little thing in the entertainment industry won't cause a huge uproar!"

……

Chen Danya: "It's too late today. I reckon tomorrow, those bastards will definitely swarm and curse you. Aren't you scared?"

Fang Xinghe: "I couldn't be happier. I hope they can come up with something new. It's been a long time since I've seriously written an article to criticize someone. I'm really looking forward to it."

……

Wang Yali: "How about we don't go to Taiwan tomorrow? I received news that many people there are extremely dissatisfied with you. Those people have shady backgrounds, so let's not confront them head-on..."

Fang Xinghe: "I can't go back on my trip. There are a lot of baby's breath there too, and I have to be responsible for them."

Wang Yali: "Then don't get into any more conflicts with the media. It's too ugly to cause a scene where people across the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong are criticizing you."

Fang Xinghe smiled confidently: "Don't worry, there will be more people criticizing them than not."

Indeed, later that evening, the Bay Area was filled with people hurling insults at each other.

Some people criticized Fang Xinghe, some criticized Sister Ge, and many more criticized the Hong Kong media.

The reason for this division is that the port area and the bay area face completely different realities.

Hong Kong's film and television industry is currently very strong, with directors, stars, capital, and industry talent all surpassing those on the mainland, hence its high-handed attitude.

In the Bay Area, however, movies are dead, and the economy is sustained only by TV dramas and variety shows, leading to a stronger desire to make money.

F4 is currently holding concerts all over the world, and they've only released a few songs? What are their singing skills like? What are their next plans?
The conditions are simply not right; the more concerts they hold now, the more they damage their potential.

But that's exactly what Ge and Chai did. Forget about settling down, they were just busy making money.

Richie Jen's boss, Yang Peipei, is the same. Regardless of whether you are suitable or not, she will push you into any role you can get, and while the popularity is still there, she will make as much money as possible.

As a result, its popularity with audiences plummeted, its commercial image collapsed, fans complained bitterly, and its scale shrank rapidly...

"Taiwan is just like that, even more short-sighted and greedy than the port area."

Fang Xinghe held a meeting with his team with a cold smile, making his point very clear.

"Go to Taiwan tomorrow, don't be nice to them, we must reiterate our attitude and stance. Only by making them feel the pain will they learn to respect people."

He said it, and he did it.

On August 9th, at a photobook signing event held in Taipei, Fang Xinghe spoke frankly to the media.

"Now that I'm here, where are the people who threatened me that I wouldn't be allowed to come to the island if I didn't sign the agreement? Stand in front of me!"

There was total silence in the audience.

Are you crazy?! You're talking about this publicly?!

This is a secret that cannot be made public. Everyone in the industry knows the cause and the result, but no one dares to mention it.

Threatening Fang Xinghe is not shameful.

But after the threat, nothing came of it. Instead, Fang Xinghe came to his door and yelled at him, which was incredibly humiliating.

The media present stammered and hesitated, creating an extremely strange atmosphere.

Several seconds later, the reporter from Dongfeng TV forced a rebuttal: "You're just a newcomer in the film and television industry. What gives you the right to blacklist the Hong Kong and Taiwan entertainment industry? You don't have that kind of influence!"

Fang Xinghe sneered and replied, "Without any reason, what weight does a reciprocal countermeasure need to be?"
From the age of 12, if anyone glared at me, I had to glare back. If anyone insulted me, we'd have to fight.

I might not win, but I won't tolerate being humiliated. You want to use me to establish your authority? Hah, you've come to the right person!

The person asking the question was immediately speechless.

The other reporters were also secretly groaning; this was completely unreasonable, and they felt guilty!

It's not that they don't want to deny it, but Hong Kong media, Japanese and South Korean media have already thoroughly investigated the incident.

The headline of today's Dong-A Ilbo entertainment section is "Taiwanese Godmother threatens to blacklist Fang Xinghe, but ends up being unilaterally blacklisted by Fang Xinghe herself."

Damn it, we've embarrassed ourselves internationally.

A CCTV reporter deliberately stirred up trouble: "With the level of expertise in mainland China, it's impossible to operate without us! Fang Xinghe, you have not only affected the overall peace between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, but also caused enormous damage to the mainland entertainment industry!"

It's all done well, and then your brother Fang continues his rampage.

"What can you possibly understand? You cover songs from Japan, copy Korean dramas, put a bunch of noisy, lewd hosts on variety shows, and as Chinese people, you don't read history or recite poetry. You've turned the proper Chinese tradition into a bunch of narrow-minded islanders. If it weren't for a group of masters like Li Ao, Li An, and Nan Huaijin supporting you, the cultural world would be a complete wasteland."

With a whoosh, the press section erupted in chaos.

Everyone says you shouldn't hit someone in the face, but Fang Xinghe was different; he insisted on slapping them hard across the face.

After a series of slaps, the implants were knocked out.

The key point is that he spoke the truth. He completely saw through the false prosperity of Taiwan's entertainment industry.

"you!"

Many people were so angry they were furious.

"Shut up, okay?"

Feeling refreshed, Fang Xinghe stared at the reporter and said, word by word, "How the entertainment industry in mainland China develops is our own business, so don't try to dictate the spiritual needs of 12 billion Chinese people. You don't have that kind of authority."

Finally, the boy raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you know the difference between retreating to the rear and waiting for the right time, and fleeing in a sorry state and deceiving yourself?"

The expressions of the group of people below changed drastically.

No one responded, and Fang Xinghe did not provide an answer.

He suddenly laughed, raising his voice slightly, and an arrogant arrogance immediately shone from his eyes.

"This is what you call affecting the overall peace situation!"

Lore!

These words, spoken by Fang Xinghe, were incredibly impactful, causing all the reporters present to wear masks of pain.

It hurts, it hurts too much.

This is the classic approach: using the coldest attitude and the sharpest angle to pierce the eunuch's eggshell.

It was not only painful, but also extremely humiliating.

The press conference ended badly, with reporters leaving amidst groans, and Fang Xinghe was portrayed as a demon that very day.

Taiwan has very lax control over this matter; people can fabricate whatever they want and do whatever they want.

Fang Xinghe: The people of Taiwan are a bunch of frogs in a well!

Fang Xinghe launched into a tirade, completely losing his composure.

Fang Xinghe: Stop pointing fingers at us in mainland China, you're not qualified!

After the news was released, the Chinese internet was in an uproar, and a super meme was born more than a decade ahead of schedule.

As for the reaction from the Taiwanese public, Fang Xinghe was unaware of it and didn't care at all.

I'll vent my anger and then leave. Don't you dare talk to me about saving face, it won't work.

Those who were willing to reconcile and "condescend" to visit him were all turned away before they could even enter his hotel room.

With a flick of his sleeve, he left gracefully, leaving behind only a rumor for Taiwan—

It seems that director Zhang Yimou's new film is because he is refusing to release all Hong Kong and Taiwanese actors...

(End of this chapter)