Generation Z Artists

Chapter 362 A Bountiful Harvest of Star Points
The finale of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" in Japan and South Korea was ridiculously grand.

The head of the online trolls knew exactly how to entice viewers. During the Japanese and Korean broadcast period, he ignored "The Return of the Condor Heroes," refusing any interviews or event invitations, leaving the media, fans, and drama enthusiasts frustrated and angry.

As viewership ratings soared, a molten passion was building within them, just waiting for an opportunity to erupt.

But Fang Gou just wouldn't give it to him.

Until... it alarmed someone at a higher level.

After releasing his book on April 1st, Fang Xinghe held three book signings in Changchun, Beijing, when he suddenly received an invitation from the South Korean presidential office.

The current top star in South Korea publicly invited director Bang Sung-ha to visit the Blue House.

If you ask me what kind of honor this is, Fang Xinghe himself doesn't think so.

It's not surprising that politicians in democratically elected Western governments would do anything outrageous in order to gain votes and approval ratings.

But it wouldn't be right to say that this isn't an honor.

South Korea is, after all, one of the top ten developed countries in the world in terms of comprehensive strength. For a head of state to take the initiative to invite foreign non-governmental organizations to conduct cultural visits is a major event that would be recorded in the family genealogy in southern China.

When the news spread, fans across the country were overjoyed, and Fang Ge's Star Value immediately increased by 4 points.

The novel "The Return of the Condor Heroes" was a huge hit in South Korea for several months, yet it only contributed 2 Star Points, which shows how much this honor motivates Chinese people.

To be honest, Fang Xinghe himself was also very surprised.

Before he could even find out why, the national foreign affairs department came to his door.

The staff member spoke to Xinghe in a friendly manner: "That Mr. Lu may visit China this year. Inviting you now is both a way of sending a signal and a way of observing and testing the waters."

Fang Xinghe listened without asking any questions, so the other party continued, "The country doesn't need you to do anything special. Our visit is simply to remind you of some diplomatic etiquette."

Subtext: Follow the procedures obediently, don't cause trouble, and don't get angry!

They were somewhat panicked.

Although Fang Xinghe is now 20 years old and no longer the impetuous minor he once was, his rebellious and assertive personality has never changed.

If he doesn't handle the conversation well, and then starts ranting in front of the president like he did back in Japan, the leader probably won't bother him, but he'll be in for a headache cleaning up the mess...

Fang's answer was unequivocal: "I'm not that kind of person!"

Damn it, they're such a worry...

After a chilling farewell from the foreign affairs department, Fang Xinghe embarked on his final journey to finish filming "The Return of the Condor Heroes," with his first stop being South Korea.

Upon landing, the airport was cleared, a red carpet was laid under the cabin door, and the presidential secretary greeted the passengers.

Brother Fang has been to South Korea many times, but this is the first time he has received such hospitality.

I feel like this will make it onto South Korea's national news and become a major story.

Fine, whatever.

Fang Xinghe accepted it calmly, because no matter how much infighting there was in South Korea, it wouldn't affect him at all. The simultaneous huge success of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" in China, Japan, and South Korea gave him both a transcendent status and value in the unification campaign, making him extremely safe.

It could even be said that South Korean chaebols must respect his "influence" in many matters outside of South Korea.

—Strong positive influence, explosive negative destructive power, that's the image of Brother Fang.

Therefore, being a nice guy like Michael Jackson is definitely the worst choice.

One can be kind, but not weak; a coward would never receive such respect from Koreans.

Since the place we visited was too sensitive, it's best not to go into the details.

Mr. Lu's final fate was not good, and Fang Xinghe had no interest in establishing a personal relationship with him, so the meeting was very formal.

In front of the media, Fang Xinghe received a medal as the "Ambassador for China-Korea Cultural Exchange" and was showered with praise.

One key sentence states: "...providing an excellent example for cultural exchanges between China and South Korea..."

Fang Xinghe instantly understood the true meaning: They're about to start copying, aren't they?
Upon further inquiry, it turned out that South Korean television stations were indeed frantically seeking to purchase scripts for historical war dramas. Since they lacked a martial arts culture, they were trying to capitalize on the grand scale of period dramas, clearly starting to "borrow" from other sources.

Fang Xinghe couldn't control it, was too lazy to care, and even found it funny.

Currently, Korean dramas have an advantage in modern romance dramas. That drama, "I'm Sorry, I Love You," is practically a smash hit in China. Instead of leveraging your strengths, you're trying to emulate me in terms of spectacle and action. You're out of your minds.

Go ahead and freeload, you're all just stepping stones, you'll all lose money!
……

Fang Xinghe made headlines in the political section of South Korean news that day.

"World-class director and award-winning actor Fang Xinghe visited the Blue House and was awarded the Medal of Cultural Exchange Ambassador. He is the first Chinese artist to receive this honor. The popularity of 'The Condor Heroes' once again proves its leading influence in Asia..."

At this moment, Fang Xinghe was attending KBS's victory celebration banquet.

The media were allowed to take photos in the first half of the event, and they all looked very respectable.

In the second half, all the media were out, and the original girl group members knelt down like princesses in a private room to pour drinks for him and Samsung's Lee Jae-yong.

Fang Xinghe frowned: "What's going on?"

"Isn't that what they're meant to be used for?"

Half-drunk, Young Master Li waved his hand impatiently: "Fine, all of you, get out."

Once only the two of them were left in the room, he asked again, "You like actresses? Indeed, they're less troublesome. Wait a moment, I'll make the arrangements."

Brother Fang sneered dismissively: "What I want to do is none of your business."

Young Master Li wasn't angry. He laughed and said, "On this land, I'm definitely more effective than you. You can only tempt me with benefits, while I can suppress me with power... Would you like to taste what it's like to have Jin Xiliang and Li Ying'ai together?"

"No," Fang Ge refused decisively, then launched into a tirade, "Is this how you've always done things? So low?"

Young Master Li laughed heartily, his unrestrained demeanor completely different from his usual public persona.

"It's low-class, but you don't understand South Korea. Here, only the simplest and most brutal pressure can solve problems best. There's no patience at the top and no time to waste at the bottom. You don't understand!"

"Hey, isn't your time more valuable? Work with me, it's the simplest thing to do!"

Young Master Li wasn't really trying to pimp for Fang Xinghe; he just wanted to demonstrate his power.

Fang Xinghe calmly replied, "My influence is more valuable than time. Your boasting will only undermine my trust in you."

"Your influence won't be destroyed by one or two dogs."

Young Master Li slowly savored his cigar, his expression cold: "I thought you didn't need to be so cautious anymore. Your wariness of me is somewhat inexplicable. Fang Xinghe, we are the most complementary partners. I would even be willing to let my little sister date you."

Fang Xinghe pretended not to hear the second sentence and only considered the first.

Indeed, his collaboration with Samsung goes beyond just StarNet.

More precisely, StarNet's social networking, QQ's instant messaging, and Tencent's collaboration with the South Korean gaming industry are key elements in Samsung's internet strategy and its direct competition with Naver.

Fang Xinghe chose Samsung over Hyundai CJ Naver in South Korea and Sony over SoftBank in Japan, also based on considerations of competition.

SoftBank is a major shareholder of Line, Fang Xinghe is a major shareholder of Tencent, and Kakao is QQ's Korean competitor...

Those whose core businesses conflict are enemies, while those whose businesses complement each other are friends—this is easy to understand.

Samsung struggles to make a significant impact on the internet sector and appears particularly powerless in the face of the challenge from digital conglomerate NAVER.

However, Samsung's enormous political and business influence can provide comprehensive protection for Fang Xinghe's interests in South Korea.

Therefore, the two of them are almost a match made in heaven.

Mr. Lee's audacity can actually be interpreted as another form of sincerity: a crazy, deep-rooted Korean-style mutual trust.

However, Fang Xinghe didn't like it. "Your understanding of influence is too shallow. I won't tolerate such a stain on myself, and of course, I'm really not interested in it either."

What exactly is influence?
Actually, it can be understood this way—

South Korea's first-generation girl groups were like toys that could be taken at will by chaebols.

Once the second-generation girl groups achieve huge international fame, it will be more profitable to manipulate the actors than to manipulate them.

Then, as fourth and fifth generation girl groups continued to expand their international influence, female idols suddenly became free. They could not only date openly, but they were also no longer at the beck and call of chaebols.

South Korean society has never improved, but international fame and international fans have added a huge cost of enslavement to idols... regardless of gender.

On the left is making money, on the right is international controversy. The cost and benefits are seriously disproportionate. The conglomerates are not stupid and will not necessarily target the top celebrities to show off their privileges.

From the first to the sixth generation, the more the Korean Wave expanded outwards, the better the living environment became for well-known idols.

Therefore, we can draw the conclusion that influence is a different kind of enormous power from wealth and power, especially when it comes to foreign affairs, where it is far more valuable than domestic wealth and power.

When collaborating with a South Korean GM like Samsung, Fang Xinghe's only trustworthy asset is his international influence.

Therefore, he will not take any actions that diminish his influence.

This is both a restriction and a protection, and also the vigilance one must maintain when dancing with wolves.

Lee Jae-yong stared intently at Fang Xinghe for a long time before sighing, "You're terrifying... When I was your age, I had to squander my power every day, otherwise I couldn't sleep at all."

"You still enjoy squandering power."

Fang Ge didn't hold back at all, sarcastically saying, "Because of your unreliability, I've decided to reduce your stake by 2%. Of all my partners, Samsung is the worst."

“Of course.” Lee Jae-yong seemed not to hear him. “But I want 55% of the shares of the Korean QQ subsidiary.”

Fang Xinghe agreed.

If QQ doesn't receive Samsung's full support, it simply can't beat Kakao in South Korea. This is a fact that history has already proven, so there's no question of loss.

It's just setting up an independent subsidiary; no big deal.

As long as Samsung is willing to pre-install QQ on its phones, Fang Ge is willing to give them an extra 10%.

Once Koreans get used to QQ, WeChat in the mobile internet era will let Xiao Li know why the flowers are so red.

"So, the next question is—when 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' is rebroadcast, I want it to air during prime time."

"OK, let the Cultural Industries Research Institute push for the lifting of the ban on Chinese products, right? It's not easy, but it's not too difficult for Samsung either."

"That's enough for today."

"and many more!"

Young Master Li called out to Young Master Fang, rubbed his hands together, and smiled somewhat obsequiously.

"So, what do you think of my sister?"

"Li Yinxin?"

Fang Xinghe stopped, feeling a pang of regret, then proudly raised his chin.

"I don't sleep with fans, so don't ruin our pure relationship."

Fang Xinghe didn't notice when Li's younger sister's fate changed.

Anyway, she was one of the first die-hard fans in South Korea, and later became one of the first die-hard fans. Together with Kim Jae-hee and a group of chaebol heiresses, she supported the core of the South Korean starry sky, and still does today.

Changes happened imperceptibly. Comrade Fang Xinghe, the artistic young woman who became the leader, committed many sins and changed many lives.

Of course, by the time he officially announces his marriage, the rooftop will probably be quite crowded...

Love can drive people mad, and Fang Xinghe can drive people to extreme madness.

After the celebration banquet, Fang Ge picked and chose from Korean variety shows and recorded an episode of "Go Fighting!".

He had no sense of humor; he just showed off for a while, then left without paying attention to when the show would air.

As a result, that episode became a massive hit, easily setting a record.

But let's leave that aside for now. Brother Fang has to go to Japan to appear on the show again, so that everyone can benefit.

The Japanese government did not give Fang Xinghe any honors, and even treated him with indifference. However, with the Japanese traitor Sony and his loyal dog Tanabe, Fang Xinghe's trip to Japan was still a sensation, shaking the whole country.

Given: The Condor Heroes had an average viewership rating of 42.33% in South Korea and 34.65% in Japan.

Question: In which country did "The Return of the Condor Heroes" achieve greater success?
Without a doubt, it's Japan.

South Korea only has three major channels, and there are no dramas competing for the same time slot, while Japan's ratings are purely hard-earned, making them of a different quality.

"Winter Sonata" was a phenomenal hit in Japan with a 20% rating, so what level is "The Return of the Condor Heroes"?
A miracle, a national drama.

The habit of watching dramas on social media has brought about a surge in offline popularity. In just over 20 weeks and four months, the entire cast of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" became popular again and again, and any little thing they did would make them trend on social media.

Koreans admire Fang Xinghe's handsomeness and Liu Yifei's beauty, and are proud of Son Ye-jin, Jun Ji-hyun, and Choi Min-sik.

Japanese people love it all and immerse themselves in it with genuine emotion.

When Son Ye-jin died, men across the internet burst into tears, calling her "the epitome of a first love that cannot be let down but is ultimately missed," and "Gongsun-chan who occupies the last soft corner of men's hearts," and so on, with a whole host of super-praiseful words.

Li Mochou is even more outrageous, with all sorts of nonsensical and exciting phrases like "the queen who slaps and slaps (referring to the way her whisk lashes out like a whip)," "the perverted witch of love," and "the mad and proud demon."

Not to mention Yui Aragaki and Janine Chang, one is an energetic loli and the other is an intellectual beauty, they always sit in the front row on any show.

Even Sister He Qing has over 18 official fan club members in Japan, and is nicknamed "the world's most mature woman" and "dream wife".

The Japanese color batch is absolutely outrageous...

With everyone involved, everyone was frantically promoting the show, and even veterans like Feng Yuanzheng and Wang Jinsong went through a period of unbearable torment.

Fang Xinghe, however, disappeared completely.

So when they learned that he was finally coming, the Japanese girls blocked Haneda Airport for him and bought up all the outdoor billboards in Tokyo.

Note that it's all of them!
When people bottle things up too much, they really can go crazy.

Fang Xinghe already owns more than 1000 plots of land in Tokyo, and with this additional 7000, it's safe to say that if you're in a prime area of ​​Tokyo, you'll inevitably see stills, photos, advertisements, or private shots of Fang Xinghe whenever you turn your head.

The Japanese girl's madness terrified the Tokyo police, who warned Fang Xinghe in advance: he was absolutely not allowed to show his face at the airport!

When Fang Ge took the airport bus out, he glanced around and felt there were probably 2 people.

He didn't know if it broke the record, but the number of fans of Japanese faith had already surpassed that of China, the UK, South Korea, and Europe, making it the number one ranch.

However, even after all this, Fang Gou was still not satisfied—while discussing business with Sony, he also called Nen Xian over, planning to reunite with her on a Japanese TV program.

Those who know him understand that he wants to build momentum for selling his show in the US, while those who don't might think he wants to blow up a Japanese TV station.

If the ratings for the first time these two appear together on this special day are below 35%, regardless of the program, the station manager will have to commit seppuku as an apology.

Even if the station manager doesn't want to cut it, the fans blocking the way downstairs will cut it for him.

Don't ask if it hurts; anyway, one knife to each person is definitely not going to be quick...

When the news of the event reached China, the Chinese people were stunned – wait, what level of star is our Xiao Fang now?
Are Japanese people really that obsessed with Chinese celebrities?

Is he mentally unwell?
Indeed, the Japanese mentality is most suitable for a madman like Fang Xinghe. He has many critics and many fans. He just appeared on a TV show once, and his star value increased by 4 again. It was a great success.

(End of this chapter)