Generation Z Artists

Chapter 279 The King of Glory Banquet
Fang Xinghe clashes head-on with Chen Kaige! A fight breaks out on the spot!

The ridiculously difficult course is selling like hotcakes again.

The moment readers see the title, their hands are already reaching into their pockets.

Even if you know it's fake and impossible, you can't help but want to see what's going on.

Of course, after watching it, you'll regret it and want RMN to refund your money.

When my senior sister brought the newspaper into the restaurant, she was furious and clenched her fists.

"This difficulty level is getting more and more disgusting! Should we sue them? They're always posting nonsense here, what kind of rubbish are they writing?"

Fang Ge, on the contrary, didn't get angry at all. He leisurely read through the entire text while drinking his porridge.

Well, aside from the fact that the action scene was purely a gimmick, the other details are quite accurate. It seems that someone who attended the meeting revealed the details, which were then exaggerated by the author.

In the style of historical writing, Fang Xinghe is portrayed as a bully, arrogant, disrespectful to his elders, and rampant when he gains power.

The author, filled with extreme anger, spoke out in defense of Kai Zi, his words dripping with grief.

"Director Chen Kaige, as one of the world's leading film masters, has made indelible contributions to the artistic value of Chinese films on the international stage."

The predecessors planted trees, and the descendants took the shade.

Any filmmaker who came after should be grateful to Director Chen for his contributions to the promotion and development of Chinese cinema.

It could even be said that without "Yellow Earth" and "Farewell My Concubine," it's questionable whether Fang Xinghe would have had the opportunity to become a film actor—when the market is unhealthy and on the verge of death, no one can profit from it.

However, this highly respected senior was cruelly humiliated to his face by a petty person, which is both infuriating and heartbreaking.

While the development of the film market certainly requires commercial films and commercial superstars, the most important thing for developing the cultural industry is always moral character!

Blah blah blah, stirring up emotions.

It worked again.

To this day, the number of people who like Fang Xinghe and those who hate him is basically fixed, while the remaining large middle group oscillates back and forth depending on specific events.

Those who hate him need not be mentioned; they get excited at the slightest sound.

The middle group has become somewhat more resistant and less easily swayed, but they are still willing to watch his antics.

Generation Z born after 00 certainly can't understand the current situation—our Brother Fang is so awesome, why are there still far more people who hate him than people who like him?
Because in this era, if you don't admire foreign things, you're an exception.

If you still look down on Hong Kong and Taiwan, then you're a monster.

Furthermore, their denigration of freedom and democracy makes them enemies of the Way—enemies of our Way.

This situation is a unique characteristic of China during a special historical period.

Strictly speaking, from the reform and opening up until 2016, there was never any genuine national self-confidence or cultural self-confidence in China; there was only a distinction between the active and passive factions.

Including those pillars of the nation, everyone who did the work gritted their teeth and persevered, driven by ideals and resisting pressure with passion. No one dared to be certain that we could do it or that we could win.

Those who do nothing but stand by and point fingers are even more convinced that China is doomed.

At the dawn of the internet revolution, those who believed they had seen the world and the truth were the most vocal and made the biggest fuss, which in turn brought about a vigorous wave of self-reflection.

Given this context, Fang Xinghe's emergence inevitably puts him in opposition to the majority of Chinese people, regardless of his personal will.

Whether it's achievements or honors, they only make the haters hate them more, the cultural elites more opposed, and the neutral groups happy for a short while.

With a mere ten million or so valid fans, they couldn't possibly lose an online fight, but they couldn't possibly win in real life. Otherwise, the number of viewers for "Hero" wouldn't have been only 2.5 million, but rather 2500 million.

The success of "Hero" is just a small step; establishing genuine cultural confidence remains a long and arduous task.

Fang Xinghe was fully aware of this, so he simply smiled in the face of the new uproar.

"Why sue? There's no need."

"Then let them keep jumping like that, shall we?"

"Let's dance to it," Brother Fang shrugged. "If all we hear are songs of praise and flattery, where will the buzz come from?"

Wang Chali immediately nodded: "Yes, that's right. The hype in the US has already died down, mainly because they couldn't keep arguing about it."

In North America, Heroes' popularity can only be described as barely maintained, relying entirely on Sony's public relations efforts.

The anti-liberal tide is still ongoing, but the focus has long since shifted away from Fang Xinghe. Not long after he returned to China, his banner was taken over by all sorts of demons and monsters.

After all, Fang Sheng is Chinese. The media will cheer for him when needed, but once the initial impact is over and it's time to divide the spoils of victory, it will immediately become a stage for You Ang's own people to perform.

The American media group's methods were anything but crude. They tacitly crowned Fang Xinghe with a lauded title, unanimously praising the literary and philosophical value of his article "The Sino-American World," quickly achieving complete one-sided support.

Under these circumstances, the free camp dared not provoke him any further, and the battlefield quickly dispersed and shifted.

The best articles and the most powerful emotions are gradually losing their appeal.

Instead, various slogans from different organizations and politicians have emerged.

There is never just one way to manipulate public opinion, and the United States is very adept at it.

What Fang Xinghe found most surreal was that Xiao Dong had been so fond of talking back twenty years ago.

He claimed on the show: "SR and I are very good friends, my kids admire him, yes, we share the same views and opinions on many things, we both dislike that kind of disordered freedom, and we agree that America right now is just awful... You know what? Nobody knows better than me how difficult it is to be a fighter in this kind of environment..."

Well, it was quite difficult. After the show aired, there was no response, but there were quite a few voices mocking him for trying to ride on the coattails of the show.

Our Brother Fang is doing well now, even Xiao Dong is getting involved with him...

However, the sharp drop in popularity of the individual in North America may not be a bad thing, as it allows the audience to focus their attention on "Heroes" itself rather than arguing about the ideology of a foreigner.

The film thus fully capitalized on Fang Xinghe's popularity, slowly reaping box office profits with a screening scale of just over 1000 theaters.

It entered a period of calm until the end of February.

Or it could be described as a period of building momentum, because North America has entered its annual awards season.

"When do we leave?"

Wang Charlie was particularly excited about this, his face beaming with anticipation.

Once the boss wins an award in the United States, he will be able to return home with honor and glory, and the feeling will naturally be very different.

"After the victory celebration banquet."

Fang Xinghe raised his hand and glanced at the date—the Patek Philippe watch on his wrist was a gift from the Kung Fu Emperor.

Today is the 26th, and the celebration banquet is scheduled for the 28th. Its scale is unprecedented.

For example, while the national media were all following and reporting on the sensational news of the "Fang-Chen dispute," nearly a third of the entertainment pages were still dedicated to the celebration banquet for "Hero."

Japanese super director Takeshi Kitano attends a victory celebration banquet!

South Korea's top girl group, S.E.S., will perform at the heroes' celebration banquet!

Nicholas Tse: No, I will not participate.

Hendrik Willem Van Loon may have been unable to attend the banquet due to scheduling conflicts, and instructed the media to convey his congratulations on his behalf.

Taiwanese media's cynical remarks: "Heroic celebration banquets are extravagant and hypocritical; it's better not to go."

Director Chen Kaige stated that he would not participate and added that scoundrels like Fang Xinghe are not worthy of respect.

The celebratory banquet and the conflict between Fang and Chen have together formed the main theme of recent domestic entertainment news.

On the one hand, Fang Xinghe is suffering repeated defeats in the industry's public opinion arena.

On the one hand, there is Fang Xinghe's brilliance in the commercial arena.

These two things will never conflict in later generations, but in the present day, they conflict fiercely.

In 2003, art films were at the top of the industry's hierarchy of contempt, while commercial films were utterly worthless. Xiao Gangpao had been the box office champion for several years, but when it came to meetings, it wasn't even worthy of talking to Kai Zi.

Therefore, the explosive success of "Hero" does not affect the condescending attitude of the so-called artists, while its commercial influence is indeed enormous.

Amidst this chaos, the victory celebration banquet proceeded as scheduled.

On February 28th, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, the entertainment industry hosted its biggest event of the year.

From the afternoon onwards, the red carpet outside was dazzling with stars. Almost all the big names in mainland China were there.

Uncle Ge, Director Chen, Teacher Feng, Sister Song, Uncle Benshan...

Four Dan and Two Bing, Gong Li and Man Ting, Brigitte Lin and Joey Wong, Princess Na Ying...

Huh? It seems like quite a few Hong Kong and Taiwanese celebrities have snuck in there?
Yes, because this celebration banquet was not hosted by New Pictures or Galaxy Films, but was organized by China Film Group and orchestrated by the Film Bureau.

Beforehand, Lao Han repeatedly tried to appease Fang Xinghe, begging him to give him some face.

"The success of 'Hero' is not just your own achievement, but also the biggest victory for China's cultural industry in recent years. The higher-ups have decided to hold this celebration banquet. You are the main characters, but the supporting actors from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong will also be present..."

Blah blah blah, the theme is both subtle and clear—this is the cultural department's most important achievement, give them some face, don't do it!
Brother Fang gave me this face, but it wasn't for nothing.

He asked, "What about my scripts and movies from now on..."

Old Han gritted his teeth: "Give me the green light as much as possible!"

"Okay, let's go."

Thus, this grand event, which brought together top stars, directors, company executives, and sponsors from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong, came about.

The red carpets of that era weren't as extravagant as they are today, but female celebrities still braved the cold wind to compete for attention.

Low-cut top, long skirt, long white legs, elaborate makeup...

The reporters were having a blast taking pictures, and the fans waiting nearby were in an uproar.

They even invited the retired Jewynn Palace to come; what a grand gesture that is!
However, the real battle is yet to come.

Singaporean singer and actor, Im Kwon-taek, the current top star in Chungmuro, South Korea, Japanese master Takeshi Kitano, and top actors Choi Min-sik, Jang Dong-gun, Koji Yakusho, and Nanako Matsushima...

And fellow idol groups like SMAP, H.O.T., S.E.S., and Morning Musume...

Around 5 p.m., as the last few limousines arrived, the scene erupted into frenzy.

Spielberg walked the red carpet with Leonardo DiCaprio and Anne Hathaway.

These two guys managed to get over $100 million in box office revenue in the US by associating themselves with Fang Xinghe and demanding screen time, even under pressure from "The Lord of the Rings." They made a fortune quietly and quietly, so before awards season, they returned the favor by coming to support Fang Xinghe.

The domestic media were stunned.

Even when the giant ship was wreaking havoc, they didn't see Leonardo DiCaprio alive in the country!
"Leonardo!"

"Jack!"

"Director Spielberg..."

The flashbulbs went off like crazy, and the reporters shouted frantically.

The old man and Brother Li were very accommodating; they stood in front of the autograph board for a while and answered questions from the audience.

In reality, these were all pre-prepared questions and official answers, yet they still managed to satisfy all the media outlets.

Fang Ge was so angry he laughed—how shameless! Do they all have more fans than me combined? Do they have as much popularity as me? A foreigner's approval is worth a hundred points of my achievement?
But there's nothing we can do about it; that's just how things are these days.

The old man said, "Hero is a great movie. The box office doesn't lie, and neither do the upcoming awards. I have full confidence that it will win awards. Its commercial success cannot overshadow its artistic excellence and uniqueness. Director Zhang and SR have contributed an indisputable masterpiece."

Clapping enthusiastically.

Little Li said, "SR is a perfect genius, and even more so, a perfect brother. Communicating with him is always so pleasant, so I couldn't wait to come and find him... Wow, China is truly a beautiful and great country!"

Squeak, waa, screaming enthusiastically.

Sister Annie's visit wasn't in vain; she even managed to get a shot on camera.

“SR is a wonderful younger brother—handsome, mysterious, intelligent, and talented. Of course, there’s nothing like that between us, but I love him, loyally and passionately…”

On a side note, in Hollywood or the United States today, confessing your feelings to Fang Xinghe is not a shameful thing.

Admittedly, he is a foreigner, an Asian, and even a Chinese, but America is always exceptionally tolerant of talented and strong individuals. Bruce Lee was the last exception, and Fang Xinghe is the current one.

Strictly speaking, Fang Xinghe is more popular, accepted, and recognized in a certain sense because he has everything Bruce Lee had, and he also has things that Bruce Lee didn't have, especially that crucial high-status attribute—cultural leader.

This thing will eventually backfire on him; Europe and America won't tolerate the Chinese culture he represents roaming freely in their own backyard forever.

However, at least for now, Brother Fang has only gained benefits.

In fact, in Hollywood, the title of "Fang Xinghe's first girlfriend" is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

For any female celebrity, supermodel, or newcomer, achieving this feat will bring incredibly broad monetization channels and a unique rise in status.

This achievement is equally valuable to South Koreans and Japanese, but domestic girlfriends don't reap much benefit and only cause trouble.

That's why so many beautiful women flocked to the scene, with actresses from eight countries gathering together.

Unfortunately, Brother Fang was as resolute as iron and didn't even glance at them.

At 6 o'clock sharp, a large group of leaders, along with Mouzi, Fangzi, and Jiezi, smashed the ice sculpture that read 54 billion RMB.

—The price is in RMB, and the figure is huge.

The string of zeros following 54 is dizzying to look at.

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause. Men, women, young and old in the Chinese entertainment industry were green with envy, feeling a mix of emotions as they clapped wildly under the watchful eyes of their superiors.

In his opening remarks, the leader stated: "This is a glorious chapter in Chinese cinema, and even more so, the beginning of its glorious future..."

Fang Xinghe's smile deepened considerably.

Boss, you're overthinking it. The next Chinese film to gross over 50 billion globally might have to wait more than a decade…

Anyway, "Young You" is definitely out of the question, and his next film is also unlikely to be successful. "Hero" is actually quite difficult to replicate.

One leader after another went on stage, and everyone was very happy.

But soon, as Fang Xinghe shared his thoughts, speaking in a joking tone, many people stopped laughing.

He wasn't particularly excessive; he was just a little too straightforward.

"Today is a great day, so even though I saw some people who made me unhappy, I decided to generously forgive you."

"Hero" is the standard answer given by mainland filmmakers. Perhaps in the eyes of some so-called artists, its artistic value is not that great, but it has a clear logic to success, an easily replicable overall framework, proven market value, and a stable and reliable production and distribution process.

so……"

Fang Xinghe spread his hands under the spotlight, smiling with a playful yet mocking expression.

"Copy it."

His voice was calm and unhurried, yet it was astonishing.

"I allow anyone or any company to learn, learn from, copy, or replicate our entire operation."

I sincerely hope that you can achieve even greater success using the same approach.

Hong Kong and Taiwanese capital and directors have always loved doing this kind of thing; welcome.

Some unscrupulous companies and directors in mainland China also lack this level of innovative talent. The answer has been given to you, so come on.

One flower does not make a spring. The industrial rise of Chinese cinema requires more capital and human resources. We never wanted to be dictators; we are just a group of pioneering explorers.

Whether you do it well or not, this is a valuable exploration and a useful supplement to Chinese cinema.

However, I still have something unpleasant to say upfront…

Fang Xinghe slowly surveyed the scene, his face, already bearing a hint of authority, as still as a deep sea.

"You can copy poorly, but you can't copy terribly."

Given a standard answer, if you still produce a bunch of terrible films to appease the audience, what awaits you will not be flowers, applause, and success, but rather the judgment of the people.

Our "Hero" is not only the answer, but also the benchmark, and the standard by which the First Emperor firmly established himself in people's hearts!
This is the most profound value and significance of "Hero," which I share today for your mutual encouragement.

After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.

So many people, their minds went completely blank...

(End of this chapter)