Generation Z Artists

Chapter 191 Practice cooking more, okay?

"Laugh! Why have you all stopped laughing?"

Ji Bao is really something else; they deliberately used bold black font to put this sentence at the very top of the front page, and then Fang Xinghe's article was on the second page.

At first glance, they seem unrelated, but upon closer inspection, they are all slaps aimed directly at the face.

"Pfft!"

Yu Hua couldn't help but laugh and slap Shi Tiesheng's thigh hard.

Shi Tiesheng couldn't help but turn and stare at him: "Although I'm not in pain, are you sick?"

Liu Zhenyun couldn't stop laughing either: "Hey buddy, why aren't you laughing? Isn't it funny?"

Shi Tiesheng couldn't keep up the act any longer. He grinned, baring his teeth, and burst into loud, raucous laughter.

"That feels so good! That's fucking satisfying!"

People who felt relieved were everywhere, all over the country.

Beijing People's Art Theatre.

Feng Yuanzheng, his face flushed, clutched three newspapers in his arms and asked everyone he met, "Have you read Xiao Fang's new article? Sigh, my student is such a troublemaker."

"You have such bad luck," Vice President Pu said sourly. "How did Fang Xinghe end up in your hands?"

"Hahahahaha!"

Feng Yuanzheng was overjoyed; his little tail was practically sticking up to the sky.

"Those aren't students I took on; they came to me wanting to become my disciples. Do you understand the difference?!"

Success in his acting career is no longer Feng Yuanzheng's proudest achievement; the only thing he can't help but laugh about is Fang Xinghe's initiative to become his apprentice.

"Brilliant!"

He Bing gave a thumbs up, unusually blatantly agreeing: "Your good student really brings honor and pride to our mainland!"

In fact, the Beijing People's Art Theatre and the Hong Kong and Taiwan entertainment industry don't have any major conflicts because they have little cooperation and few frictions.

However, on the other hand, these days, anyone who has been to Hong Kong and Taiwan has probably had an unpleasant experience. From customs to hotel staff, from dining to shopping, from the level of hospitality to the attitude of partners, nothing is without its thorns.

Song Dandan felt this deeply.

"When I went to Hong Kong last year, wow, I suffered huge losses on top of smaller ones. They were all so shameless, it made me so angry. I wanted to give them a good dressing down on the spot, but I didn't dare. When you're on someone else's turf, you have to swallow any unpleasantness. Nobody's on your side..."

"That's right! I made a scene once and went to the mall manager, but the manager was even more sarcastic and mean, which made me so angry that I couldn't eat for several days!"

Once the grievance session started, it couldn't be stopped.

"These days, going to Hong Kong or Taiwan is practically a guaranteed way to get bullied. You'll get twenty cold shoulders in two days. Guess what? You've actually gotten a great deal!"

"That's why Xiao Fang is the most awesome. He's really not one to be trifled with. If you dare to touch me, I'll slap you across the face right now."

"He's really talented; he delivered such a satisfying critique! I laughed at him for about half an hour at home..."

Mentioning this article brought a burst of laughter and joy.

Because it's neither obscure nor heavy, it focuses on being interesting and seriously chatting with you, making you smile knowingly, laugh again and again, and ultimately feel completely relaxed in the laughter.

If we look at this in 20 or 30 years, when netizens have seen everything and have developed strong resistance, the sense of joy and impact will naturally decrease significantly.

Can you imagine what kind of excitement that was in 01?
Sister Yi wrote a short article specifically commenting on Fang Xinghe's dog-training story.

She wrote: "Fang Xinghe's skill in manipulating words is astonishing. Looking at all his articles, they span multiple styles, from serious and aloof to playful and satirical, and also plain and simple."

I have never seen any other writer who can adjust his writing style at will according to different needs; he is the only one.

The new article continues to downgrade in style, becoming more colloquial and relatable to everyday conversation. However, the main themes are layered and progressive, with emotions gradually intensifying until finally, in just a few dozen words, all the pent-up emotions are unleashed, leaving the reader feeling thoroughly satisfied.

This is not the clumsy writing that some people claim; it is a masterpiece of effortless artistry.

Comparing "Sex," "Azure," and "Taming" side-by-side, it's hard to believe they were all created by the same person, a 16-year-old boy.

Such boundless imagination is unparalleled among modern writers, and I am increasingly convinced that Fang Xinghe, at 35, will surely become a master.

She didn't mention the content of the article at all. What metaphors or allegories? I don't understand.

All I know is that Fang Xinghe used the most appropriate words to achieve his writing intention, and that's the most amazing thing. The more skilled you are, the more you can appreciate that.

Many people in the literary world agree with Sister Yi's opinion.

Da Ye wrote: "What is Fang Xinghe's writing style? Has he not yet developed a personal style, or has he already mastered a wide range of styles and can write with ease?"

The sense of regret and melancholy that permeates "Our Youth" makes it a landmark work in youth literature.

The satire in "The Dog Taming" is far less profound and poignant than "Sex," but one makes people laugh and the other makes them cry, both achieving the best effect.

Fang Xinghe's writing can make people cry their hearts out or laugh until they applaud. This isn't because he lacks style; he's a versatile genius..."

A few hot-tempered individuals seized the opportunity to launch a tirade: "Well said! Some people just deserve to be scolded; why do they keep spouting so many strange things all day long!"

The literary world reacted enthusiastically and unanimously supported Fang Xinghe, which is quite rare.

Because the mainland literary circles already had grudges with those two places, let's not go into the details, it's a messy history, anyway, Brother Fang made them happy, so they happily supported Brother Fang.

In contrast to the overwhelming consensus in the literary world, public opinion was mixed.

Those who like him adore him to the point of obsession, while those who dislike him feel that Fang Xinghe has insulted their sacred land.

County Experimental School.

As he passed by an extra desk, he saw his good buddy slumped over it, his round head sticking out, and he slapped him across the face.

"The posture is wrong, get up and go back to sleep!"

Duo Yu was stunned for several seconds before getting up and chasing after him.

"Fuck you!"

The boys laughed, and the girls laughed too; the fun was different, but the joy was the same.

This scene is not limited to experimental high schools; across schools at all levels across the country, "get up and sleep again if your posture is wrong" has become a popular meme.

Considering the context of the original text, this slightly cheeky style is the most interesting part.

The meme, when used in the right context, naturally went viral, sparking a heated discussion among young people who were not originally the target audience of the article.

"Are Dahei and Erhuang really like that?"

"I think so? Fang Xinghe never lies."

"Sigh, what a disappointment. I used to really like Hong Kong stars..."

"How boring! Nobody's as good as Fang Fang!"

In fact, Hong Kong and Taiwan are very sacred places in the hearts of junior and senior high school students.

Too few people have been there and haven't personally experienced those infuriating things, so naturally they all have a good impression of it.

Developed, advanced, wealthy, with towering buildings and people dressed in suits... What a wonderful place!

In addition, and most importantly, Hong Kong's continuous output of films and music over the years—who wouldn't yearn for that place?
However, Fang Xinghe handled the situation very cleverly. He didn't preach any grand principles or complain about the unfair treatment he received. He simply scolded the person in a playful manner and explained the past and future events in a dramatic way.

This earned him the most neutral readers; as long as they weren't particularly fond of Hong Kong and Taiwan culture, they would at least have a laugh.

If you laugh, the filter will break.

Moreover, this approach, which avoids any resentment, is a plus in terms of official reputation.

When the head of the Hong Kong Liaison Office saw the article, he could only shake his head and smile bitterly.

"Good lad, you really dare to write that."

The deputy, who had been dealing with complaints all day, was still leisurely enjoying himself.

“They’ve already prepared their reasons in advance—I’m only 16, chasing chickens and dogs is just for fun, how can we make a big deal out of it?”

"Heh, what a shrewd guy... He even uses his big name to insult people, so who would dare to cause him trouble?"

"There's probably no way to get him out of the system. Besides pretending not to see it, there's really no other way." "I heard a rumor, I don't know if it's true or not: the person in the propaganda department is very satisfied with Fang Xinghe."

"Wow, really? He's such a troublemaker..."

"The exact words were roughly: 'At such a young age, you can see the hardships your family faces, accurately grasp the current development priorities, and have a great sense of the big picture, which is rare.'"

The deputy suddenly couldn't help but laugh again: "He's said all the good and bad things himself, openly criticizing and secretly praising, satisfying those who should be satisfied and jumping up and down those who should be jumping up and down. This kid is definitely good material for entering the system."

"Come on! How big of a heart would you have to be his boss?"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

The senior officials of the Hong Kong Liaison Office were all smiles and laughter, no longer as overwhelmed as before.

Fang Xinghe's article has another essential meaning—to untie the official line.

Mom is Mom, and I am me. Mom doesn't support me doing this, and she's too lazy to bother with a kid like me messing around.

This part seems particularly ridiculous in Fang Xinghe's article, but the relevant departments can indeed sit back and ignore the bickering between the two sides.

Don't ask why, the answer is political literacy.

While they were chatting, another Hong Kong Island gentleman called his deputy to protest.

The second brother immediately retorted impatiently, "He's just a kid making a fuss. How old are you? This is such a small matter in the entertainment industry, maybe with the cultural sector involved too. How much impact can it have? You guys handle it yourselves!"

The British loyalist turned ashen with rage.

Oh shit!

But we really can't solve it!
That damn Fang Xinghe, with a dog's face, dog's heart, and dog's temper!

Paying to publish this in the newspaper yourself? Are you crazy?!

Oh, and there's another interesting little detail here—Brother Fang was so worried that Hong Kong and Taiwan wouldn't be able to see the mainland newspapers that he sent the original article to both Hong Kong and Taiwan newspapers.

To avoid the two newspapers being hesitant to publish the full article, one of them spent 50 yuan to get me on the front page!
As a result, while the situation on the mainland was in turmoil, it was also in turmoil in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

How many people actually broke down?

It is difficult to obtain specific figures.

In any case, the evening paper that day and the morning paper the next day were filled with various celebrities angrily denouncing Fang Xinghe.

But they lack the skill to retaliate—writing articles to insult others seems simple, but it's not.

Everyone can fluently utter profanities like "grass mud horse" and "pussy," but when it comes to striking at the heart without using vulgar language, there are very few masters throughout history.

Between Hong Kong and Taiwan combined, only Li Ao could go toe-to-toe with Fang Xinghe.

Li Ao was indeed excited and took the initiative to go out to accept media interviews.

However... he ended up stabbing himself in the back.

"We're just someone's watchdogs in the village, do you agree? As watchdogs, we have to pay for our own bones, isn't that shameful? Fang Xinghe's writing isn't great, but this time his criticism was spot on, and I felt very satisfied. What about you, Erhei?"

The authorities were so angry they almost wanted to send him back to prison...

Old Li is that kind of person. Hu Yinmeng commented on him personally: "His way of life involves too much business operation."

This guy comes from "Xing, who is uncomfortable without hype". He has criticized Fang Xinghe's works several times before, but failed to make a big impact. Now he has finally realized his dream of "touching porcelain" (a Chinese internet slang term for blatantly blaming someone for something else). Congratulations!

However, his firing did cause secondary harm to Erhei, making the people and the authorities extremely embarrassed.

However, aside from issuing a strong protest or saying something like "Fang Xinghe's works are nothing special," they really had no other tricks up their sleeve.

Then Old Li, shirtless, stepped in and posed his second question: "You all hate Fang Xinghe and want to curse him, but can you win the argument? Come on, let's see who can write a substantial response! I'm the only one on the whole island who's worthy of exchanging blows with him!"

Although it was an act of using someone else to elevate one's status, it did indeed serve as a silencing factor.

Erhei's cries quickly grew weak, perfunctory, and dismissive.

Taiwanese forums were filled with lamentations, with many questioning, "Why are our intellectuals so useless?!"

When someone criticizes you with an article, you can only respond with an article.

This is an unspoken rule in the cultural world.

Imagine a cultural celebrity writes an article specifically to criticize you, which goes viral and reaches a huge audience. And then you stammer out a curt "Fuck your grandpa!" How incredibly embarrassing is that?!
Here's the problem: Taiwan can't respond.

Fang Xinghe is clearly using his personal status to mess with you. Your talk about the mainland is useless. You can only launch a counterattack against Fang Xinghe personally.

But what are his weaknesses?
Aside from that unreliable father, there's really nothing to criticize him for.

At most, it's just spreading rumors, and the harm is very limited.

Li Ao is best at seizing on a small flaw and exaggerating it into a brilliant critique, but he's only interested in creating hype and has no intention of helping them confront Fang Xinghe head-on.

Therefore, everyone could only place their hopes on the group of intellectuals in Hong Kong.

Are there any intellectuals in Hong Kong?

Yes, there are Jin Yong, Ye Si, Liu Yichang, and various other famous martial arts writers.

However, Jin Yong was unwilling to get involved in this matter. Zhang Dahuzi had taken over his copyright and had promised him a big deal half a year ago: "For the next TV series, I will definitely invite Fang Xinghe to be the lead actor!"

Jin Yong had high hopes for this.

Fang Xinghe is really good at fighting and handsome. The bearded man is also good at filming big scenes. If this is done well, I wonder how much the subsequent copyright fees will increase.

Or let's not think of it so darkly; Jin Yong himself hoped that his novels could produce another classic male protagonist.

Ye Si and Liu Yichang were too old to "bully the younger ones"—in fact, they weren't good at doing this kind of cursing, and they couldn't even last two moves.

So, all that's left are the entertainment and media circles jumping up and down in protest.

The entertainment tabloids have no bottom line. Unable to find any other way to fight back, they actually resorted to attacking Shu Qi and Li Lizhen.

"Years ago, Fang Xinghe always watched Lizhen's movies and used them to shoot airplanes. Next time you come to Hong Kong, we'll treat you to Zhenzhen soy milk. Isn't that great?"

The actresses were so angry that their faces turned ashen.

But what good is that?

The picture is just meant to make people laugh.

What's even more interesting is the stunt performers. During a TV interview, one after another, they gave the middle finger to the camera, shouting, "You damn bastard! Waaaaaaah..."

Even funnier.

Hung Po, as the top brother after Hendrik Willem Van Loon, was so angered by the article that he cursed: "What kind of skill is it to just talk big? If you have the guts, let's have a real fight! If I lose to you, I will represent the Hong Kong martial arts world and host a banquet to apologize to you!"

Fang Xinghe ignored him completely.

When pressed by the media about his attitude, Brother Fang simply smiled and brushed it off.

If there's a chance in the future, I'm always ready to fight you, but you can't come up to this table today!
When writers in Hong Kong and Taiwan saw this scene, they suddenly felt much better—a sense of superiority arose spontaneously.

We may not be good at it either, but at least we're not as humiliated!

These lowlifes in the entertainment industry are truly useless at everything!

So, Fang Xinghe ignored everyone and left for the United States three days after publishing the article.

No matter how loud the insults or how many foul words are used, if a substantial response cannot be written, it is all just the lament of a defeated dog.

My article went viral, it was hilarious and made people laugh. You barked twice, how many of you could hear it? How many of you could remember it?

The day before his departure, the front page of the Jilin Daily featured another line of bold black text.

That was Fang Xinghe's final response to the matter.

There are only five characters—

Practice makes perfect, okay?

That day, muffled coughing could be heard everywhere in both places...

(End of this chapter)