Returning to Taiwan in 2000 as a patriotic artist

For several days in a row, the entire island of Taiwan was talking about one person: Gu Bei.

The moment the program aired that evening, viewers were moved to tears by Gu Bei's story of searching for his family.

next second.

Gu Bei's words instantly made some people feel psychologically uncomfortable!

Meanwhile, Chai Zhiping, the producer of "Super Sunday," was sitting in front of the television watching the rebroadcast.

When Gu Bei said those words, she took a deep breath and dialed a number.

On the other end of the phone, Ge Fuhong was looking at the stars on her balcony.

"Fuhong, have you watched the show?" Chai Zhiping's voice was a little strained.

"I've seen it." Ge Fuhong said calmly.

"What should we do?"

"What do you mean, what should we do?" She picked up her black tea and took a sip. "It's Gu Bei who's at the center of the controversy, not you."

"That kid has some serious ambitions."

Chai Zhiping was stunned.

She hadn't expected the public opinion to be so intense, and she was afraid she wouldn't be able to control it and it would affect her.

Why did we suddenly start talking about Gu Bei's ambition?

"What's the explanation?" she asked, somewhat curious.

"Zhiping, have you thought about this?" Ge Fuhong's voice remained calm.

"How many people fled to Taiwan back then, and how many longed for their relatives on the mainland?"

Too many, far too many.

Let alone others.

Even the two of them have ancestral roots in mainland China.

Before Chai Zhiping could answer, Ge Fuhong immediately analyzed: "Sometimes it seems like you're not offending either side, but in reality, you're pleasing neither."

"Gu Bei has made his choice."

Entertainment news programs on various channels were interrupted for emergency broadcasts.

The hosts of "Urban Entertainment" were more cautious in their wording:

"Mr. Gu Bei's story of searching for his relatives is indeed very touching."

The entertainment editor of a certain newspaper removed the original headline overnight and replaced it with a large photo of Gu Bei, with the headline:

"New singer Gu Bei made outrageous remarks."

The article was strongly worded, and he was thoroughly vilified.

In contrast, the China Times' report was much milder: "Gu Bei, a newlywed from Taiwan, successfully found his relatives and emotionally expressed, 'We are all of the same origin, why are we so eager to harm each other?'"

The Lianhe Daily wrote in its entertainment section headline: "Gu Bei's remarks have sparked heated debate, with some criticizing him and others supporting him."

The most interesting one was the People's Livelihood Weekly, which wrote on its front page in a rather bland way: "Gu Bei: My grandfather wants to be recognized as a member of his ancestral clan."

For several days in a row, Gu Bei's phone was in a state of constant explosion.

The Nokia phone kept vibrating with a blue screen, and my inbox was flooded with interview requests from reporters.

He simply turned off his phone and bought another one, using it only to contact people close to him.

"Hey, Gu Bei, where are you?" Yang Wanqing's voice was unreadable.

"In the office."

"I'll be right there."

Twenty minutes later, Yang Wanqing rushed into the studio in high heels, followed by Xiaoyun, who was holding the day's newspaper.

Gu Bei took the newspaper and glanced at it: "You wrote it really fast."

"You're the hottest topic in Taiwan's entertainment industry right now."

Yang Wanqing sat down on the sofa. "The good news is that your popularity has skyrocketed overnight, and there's a group of people protecting you."

The bad news is, there's also a group of people criticizing you.

"They don't have time to attack Jay Chou anymore, do they?" Gu Bei put down his newspaper.

"Pfft"

Yang Wanqing burst out laughing: "The data for 'Lovely Woman' has skyrocketed."

"The official website has accumulated over 100 million visits, and MP3 downloads have exceeded 50."

She pulled a report out of her bag. "There are many IPs from mainland China leaving messages on the message board, expressing their support for your statement."

"However, isn't this price a bit too high?"

"Being infamous is still fame, right? My song hasn't even been released yet, and I'm already a hit." Gu Bei's lips curled up slightly.

Wait until one day he says: "Don't catch a cold!"

Let the haters go crazy then.

Just then.

The phone rang suddenly, and Yang Wanqing answered it and listened for a few seconds.

"What? Really?"

After hanging up the phone, she excitedly looked at Gu Bei: "Hit Fn sent a message: 'Lovely Woman' has topped this week's 'Hito Chinese Chart'."

Hit Fn's "Hito Chinese Chart" is one of the most authoritative music charts in Taiwan.

The list compiles weekly broadcast data from 30 radio stations across the island, covering major cities such as Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung.

"Oh?" Gu Bei was taken aback. "This is a pleasant surprise."

In its previous life, "Lovely Woman" would have ranked outside the top 70.

Unexpectedly, it quickly gained popularity.

"Hmm~" Yang Wanqing glanced at the text message, "The second place is now Sun Yanzhi's 'Darkness Falls,' and the third place is Mayday's 'Gentle.'"

Gu Bei smiled.

They actually overshadowed the less popular singers.

Jay Chou must be laughing in his sleep right now.

"And there's more!" Yang Wanqing continued, "Pop Music Network, Zhongguang Pop Network, and FeiDie Radio, these three largest radio stations, have all ranked 'Lovely Woman' in the top three of this week's playlists."

"They're voting for me with the number of views," Gu Bei said.

Yang Wanqing nodded: "Yes, musicians speak through their music."

However, the storm has only just begun.

The following day, Green Wah held a press conference, launching a fierce attack on Gu Bei:

"How could an entertainer who makes money in Taiwan utter such ungrateful and disrespectful remarks!"

Footage from the press conference was broadcast on various television stations.

That afternoon, Lan Lin immediately retaliated:

"What Gu Bei said is true; many people's ancestors did indeed come from the mainland."

"Recognizing one's ancestors and returning to one's roots is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation."

The public opinion field was instantly torn in two.

The battle is also spreading across various BBS forums.

On PTT (Taiwanese online forum), supporters and opponents are arguing fiercely.

Supporters say he dares to speak the truth, while opponents clamor for his arrest and interrogation.

Amidst the uproar, a netizen with the ID "taipeiboy" posted:

"Stop arguing. Don't you guys think 'Lovely Woman' is really good? I'm a straight guy and I've been listening to it on repeat all day."

The replies to this post unexpectedly veered off-topic into a heated discussion about whether Jay Chou is handsome or not.

Online arguments are ultimately a game for keyboard warriors.

What truly puts pressure on Gu Bei is the resistance from the real world.

A karaoke bar in Taipei announced the removal of the song "Lovely Woman" from its menu, citing "the song's content is not suitable for playing in the establishment."

Ironically, the karaoke bar's reservation hotline was overwhelmed with calls that very night.

They were all calling to greet his relatives.

The receptionist explained it over a hundred times in one night, until her voice became hoarse.

A DJ at a radio station in Kaohsiung said on his program, "We will no longer play 'Lovely Woman'."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the phone in the control room rang. A listener called in: "Then I won't listen to your radio station anymore."

At the same time, the website of Suibian Studio received over 150 million visits, almost causing the server to crash.

Most of the support came from netizens in mainland China.

"Jay, how's the songwriting going?"

Gu Bei walked into the temporary studio.

Jay Chou was sitting in front of an electronic keyboard, writing and drawing with a pen in his hand.

"Hey, Gu Bei, you're here." He rubbed his eyes, clearly a little sleep-deprived. "The music for 'Niang Zi' is finished, it's awesome, just waiting for Wen Shan's lyrics."

"He's locked himself in his room and hasn't come out for two days."

"Two days?" Gu Bei frowned.

"Yes, I even brought his food to the door." Jay Chou pointed to the lunchbox by the door. "He didn't even eat."

"Won't they starve to death?!" Gu Bei quickly went over and knocked on the door.

"Wenshan? Came out for some fresh air!"

"Don't make a sound, I'm thinking of the last rhyme." Fang Wenshan's voice came through the crack in the door, sounding somewhat weak.

"If you don't come out, I'm going to tear the door down." Gu Bei was speechless.

After two seconds of silence.

The door lock clicked open.