Generation Z Artists

Chapter 423 Returning to the 3000 Million Level
Five seconds later, Conan jumped up, his face flushed, and exclaimed in admiration.

"Wow! Wow! Wow!"

"What is this? Is it the real, secret sword technique from your Chinese Kung Fu? One strike, one bad guy?"

"Friends, look!"

Conan holds up a pen to the camera: "SR has done an artistic touch on my pen!"

In the focused image, a unique pattern is clearly visible on the pen body—∧∨∧∨∧…—circling continuously around the entire body, as even and harmonious as carving.

【Wow……】

The audience below the stage kept exclaiming, screaming, and whistling.

They had not only never seen one before, but they could never have imagined that a sword could be so magnificent.

Let's do it again!

Suddenly, someone started to jeer, and then a large number of spectators followed suit, shouting "foie gras!"

Please, let me see it again! I didn't see anything clearly before!

Jesus, you are the true Holy Son!

"Mom, I'm going crazy!"

The fervor of the atmosphere caused Fang Xinghe's level 5 faith fans to surge by 4 places.

With fewer than 200 audience members, what kind of ratio is that?
You should know that they were originally fans of the show, and almost none of them were fans of the show!
This performance won back 82 core fans, 31 die-hard fans, 7 fanatic fans, and 4 die-hard fans, demonstrating its impact.

Once it airs, how popular will it become?
I can't even imagine it, I can't even guess it!
However, Wu Shengfang did not indulge their pleas at all. He said, "What do you mean by 'do it again'? Your father isn't a street performer."

The first performance was to broaden your horizons; the second performance will be when the bait is in place and it's time to haul in the net...

Dog Fang smiled faintly, feeling extremely happy.

Then, when responding to Conan, he started to nitpick—now, the initiative is in my hands, and this is not an illusion.

"It can be considered a secret sword technique, but it's not art."

He exuded an air of superiority, appearing both carefree and relaxed.

"Actually, this is a variation of a practical sword technique. Due to limited resources, I was unable to demonstrate the essence of the entire technique. I can show you its true destructive power next time we have the opportunity."

"Wow!"

Conan seemed to be only filled with amazement, his speech became extremely fast and his pronunciation extremely heavy.

"So, what kind of swordsmanship is this? Does it have a name? Is it the most powerful skill from your era of cold weapons?"

"of course not."

Fang Xinghe chuckled to himself.

After a moment's thought, he used his English proficiency of 90 points to translate the most pretentious Chinese vocabulary into a way that they could hear clearly but couldn't understand.

"This sword technique comes from history, is accumulated in civilization, and is finally brought to its full potential by me. In a metaphysical sense, it is called prosperity and splendor."

Metaphysical, meaning knowledge that transcends tangible entities.

Just that one word was enough to make the whole audience gasp.

Fang Ge's pretentious poses seem to have no end.

"Therefore, I named it the Sword of Flourishing Glory."

wow~⊙o⊙

Conan's eyes widened, his brilliant mind momentarily blank, and he had no idea how to respond.

The rhythm was entirely in Fang Xinghe's hands.

The arrogant man conjured a dazzling sword flower with one hand, then held the longsword upright in front of him.

The hardened sword, made of a special alloy, has very poor elasticity and flexibility. Its hollowed-out blade is more aesthetically pleasing than deadly, making it both grand and magnificent.

He chuckled leisurely, "As for whether it's the most powerful... of course not. There are countless martial arts techniques in China, each with its own unique characteristics. There has never been the strongest skill, only the strongest person."

Conan astutely interjected, "You're the strongest person in the history of Chinese martial arts?"

"Yes, it's me."

Fang Xinghe accepted without any politeness or modesty.

【Wow……】

The audience erupted in cheers and shouts of "Holy crap!" and "Oh my god!" once again.

The entire production team was ecstatic that the show had reached this point, so Conan stopped his antics and tried to steal the spotlight, instead taking on the role of the straight man and guiding the final steps.

What was it again?

Oh, the conflict with the fighting world...

"I completely believe you now, really, SR, I believe you one hundred percent!"

Conan's passion is so intense, it's almost like he's shouting.

"If it weren't a UFC-style ring match, but a no-holds-barred, life-or-death struggle, no one could possibly be your match!"

The crowd erupted in cheers of "YES!"

"However, on the other hand, although your swordsmanship is indeed abnormally strong, this is a civilized society. Martial arts is a sport with protective rules, you know? If the martial arts community continues to provoke you, what will you do?"

Conan used his language to present a possibility to all viewers.

"What I mean is, they might continue to nag in the media, mocking you for only being good with cold weapons, and ridiculing this outdated style..."

I can already imagine what they'll say—

Hey buddy, where are you from? My god, do you still use melee weapons where you are? If you just want to kill someone, why not use an assault rifle?
Mixed martial arts is a fighting art of fighting with bare hands; we are not killers!

What good is a beautiful performance?
Do you dare to participate in the arena battle?
Stop talking nonsense, let's have a fight. If you win, then I'll brag about your crappy kung fu!
……

They will do it, I guarantee they will!
And what about you? What do you think? What are your plans?

"me?"

Fang Xinghe smiled slightly, raised his hand, and lightly flicked the spine of the sword.

Clang!
Amidst the dragon-like sword cries, Fang Biwang's lazy tone stood out all the more.

"It depends on my mood."

"If I'm in a good mood one day, I might subsidize them a little for the buzz?"

"After all, you all know..."

Fang Xinghe looked directly at the camera with a smile in his eyes.

“We’ve never been on the same level.”

……

The program was recorded on Tuesday and was rushed to air early Thursday morning, with only a day and a half of promotion.

Then, unsurprisingly, it exploded, causing a sensation throughout North America.

The Late Show's regular viewership averaged only 1500 million, but this time, it more than doubled, peaking at 3700 million.

The broadcast started at 12:35 a.m. Eastern Time, and the champion reached the summit around 1:10 a.m. during the swordplay performance.

Subsequently, multiple trending topics on Weibo attracted massive online traffic, and by 8 a.m. on Thursday, when major media outlets released their morning reports, the phenomenon also ignited the real world.

#Star River.Swordsmanship#
#Mysterious Eastern Swordsmanship#
#shenghua，the Sword of Flourishing Glory#
#Pride and Arrogance#
#Compassion and holiness#
……

Fang Xinghe's personal image in North America has never been so contradictory; what was once distinct has suddenly become blurred.

Fans and critics of Fang each created a trending topic, offering extremely strong criticism and praise for his personality.

While the number of fans skyrocketed, the number of haters seemed to increase even faster.

The main reason is that the remarks were too controversial.

That statement was utterly contemptuous.

"This is the real Chinese Kung Fu. You know almost nothing about the cruelty and magnificence of 5000 years of cold weapon warfare."

His expression, his posture, his tone of voice, his aura...

Nothing about it is not painful.

This is a condescending, dimensional attack on the Americans from the perspectives of national system, history, and civilization.

You don't believe it because you're ignorant and easily surprised. You're ignorant and easily surprised because you lack history.

Since you have no history, you are not worthy to understand my kung fu.

……

That sounds like overreacting, like an overinterpretation.

The problem is that a significant portion of Americans actually think that way.

In this emerging and powerful immigrant nation, there are all sorts of internal conflicts. Some are out in the open, but people pretend not to see them; others are hidden in people's hearts, and they may erupt at any time.

Fang Xinghe's attitude has earned him admiration from many, but it has also deeply stung many others.

Under the hashtag #PrideAndArrogance#, a torrent of insults and abuse ensued.

“I have studied Chinese history, from being bullied in World War I to being a major country that ceded territory and paid reparations in World War II.”

"A civilization that uses spears to fight against Western rifles, lol."

"F**k you! Monkey! Take your sword and get out of America!"

Why is he so arrogant?

"Yes, a fantastic swordsmanship performance, a glorious civilization of cold weapons, and a corrupt, backward, poor, and ugly ancient Eastern country... You can only boast about history!"

"Stop it, okay? As an overseas Chinese, I finally gained the affection and recognition of my neighbors, colleagues, and superiors in the United States through humility, and now you've ruined it all! Why don't you go back to your China?"

"So in the end you still don't dare to step into the ring, right? If you really fight, the werewolves will twist your head off!"

……

The new pace is so huge that it also has the backlash of the previous "saint" marketing.

In the United States, no marketing campaign is immune to backlash; the bigger the hype and the more recognition it receives at the time, the fiercer the backstabbing and counterattacks will be.

Even if you are a genuinely good person who wasn't marketed, when it's time to be criticized, you'll still be put on the cross and judged.

Fang Xinghe chose to become famous in the United States, so he couldn't avoid these issues.

Ironically, most people who criticize him don't actually have a clear purpose.

Racial discrimination, cultural prejudice, jealousy of talent, hatred of wealth, taking one's anger out on others, rebellious mentality, mindless following of trends...

Chaos is a constant in this area, coming in waves, one after another.

This time, however, Fang Xinghe chose to get involved himself.

"He's finished!"

Many people in Hollywood were thrilled and secretly took advantage of the situation.

"Keep going, he's definitely finished!"

All the scandals and rumors hidden beneath the huge advertising budget began to stir.

Since Sony is running out of promotional funds for "Hurricane," it's now a buffet time for everyone, and those who want to participate will naturally find their own angles.

If this situation is allowed to continue, then the current situation will become quite chaotic.

It's half positive and half negative, making it difficult to control.

However, at this crucial moment, Dana White led the entire fighting world in a fierce attack.

They split into three groups, each with a distinct approach, dominating the entire negative public opinion landscape.

The first stance: hardline confrontation.

"SR is a complete coward! What kind of bullshit kung fu is that? It's just an excuse for not daring to step into the ring!"

"How many times do I have to explain before you understand? All this so-called Chinese Kung Fu is just fancy footwork! If he can wield a sword, then I can wear armor, so what's the point of that thin piece of iron?"

"I hereby declare: I accept any challenge from SR! Fight however you want. Whatever the rules, whether weapons are used or not, I'll be here waiting for you!"

"You dare to scare a tough guy like me with a needle? Come on, stick it in my ass!"

The hardline opposition collectively named Fang Xinghe, featured him in the biggest media outlets, made the most outrageous statements, and subjected him to various forms of humiliation, forcing him to confront them in the ring.

……

The second stance: neutral and belligerent.

Neutrality is their attitude, but belligerence is their nature. This faction still insists on challenging Fang Xinghe to a duel.

"I certainly can't do what he did on the late-night show, but under UFC rules, I won't lose, I guarantee it with my integrity."

“SR is not an amateur who knows nothing; he has some skill, and I am even more looking forward to competing against him.”

"Oh my god, I'm so curious about his Chinese Kung Fu! I'd give anything to have a private match with him! Everyone wait for my good news, I'll talk to his agent right away!"

"I don't think there's anything wrong with what he said. Of course, capable people can be proud. Before we've even fought, his remarks weren't arrogant. I'll fight him, don't rush me."

……

In the fighting world, there are two consecutive stances, both of which are to challenge Fang Xinghe to the ring.

Because there were so many people speaking, and each of them was famous, their combined strength quickly swayed public opinion.

—This led to this crossover competition.

Apart from the stubborn die-hard haters, the rest of the criticism stopped running rampant and instead flocked to "support UFC to take down Fang Xinghe".

The new trending topic quickly rose to the top of the search rankings as soon as it appeared.

#UFC Team Challenge SR#
Then, the third approach emerges: rebranding and whitewashing.

It's an overt criticism, but in reality, it's guiding everyone to believe that Fang Xinghe has the ability to win the gold belt in his weight class.

Brazilian MMA superstar Anderson Silva, who has shown potential to be the "strongest ever," has become the focus of attention with some fair comments.

"To be honest, I don't like SR's personality; he underestimates modern mixed martial arts."

This is not an easy competition to win; you have to put in a lot of hard work to practice strength, fitness, agility, resilience, and a variety of techniques, including standing, ground fighting, grappling, and break free...

I know that being armed is definitely more powerful than being unarmed. I've handled guns before. With a bang, no matter how many years you've trained, you're dead from 500 meters away.

But this is not a fight.

The significance of UFC lies in allowing us to unleash our most primal fighting instincts in a fair environment and under fair rules, using only our bodies and minds, without tools, to defeat one strong opponent after another.

That's an amazing thing, but he looks down on this kind of amazing thing that only real men do. Shit! I'm so angry.

Of course, I must admit that SR possesses top-tier fighting talent.

His explosiveness is historic, as is his agility, and he also has incredible coordination. Did you notice his use and control of the sword?

I can't do it. Nobody I know can.

This is so incredible, I'm even tempted to learn Chinese Kung Fu—if I have the chance, I will.

Honestly, I'm very jealous of SR. I believe that with proper training, he could easily take the middleweight title.

The world is just that unfair; the efforts of ordinary people are worthless in the face of true talent.

So guys, I suggest you make thorough preparations before you provoke him.

Even without weapons, this guy is a very formidable opponent. Don't underestimate him; the reputation of the entire UFC rests in our hands!

Spider speaks in a very down-to-earth style, and when interviewed, it's like a casual chat without much thought.

But it is precisely this simplicity that makes Fang Xinghe's supporters believe that their idol is not only skilled in swordsmanship, but also strong under any rules.

What will happen when such trust is combined with humiliation and insults?
The answer is expectation.

From the Star God Cult to the official Starry Sky Cult, from die-hard fans to casual followers, from onlookers who love a good show to eager haters...

The combined will of everyone has clashed, giving rise to the same expectation—

Get into the ring!
Fight a thrilling and exhilarating battle to prove yourself against the strongest UFC champion in the same weight class!

The number of people urging him on Weibo has increased from less than one in a hundred ten days ago to seventy or eighty percent now.

Aside from the Dream Girls who were still heartbroken for their brother, everyone else was itching to start a war immediately.

Those who oppose Fang are looking forward to a trial, those who support Fang are looking forward to a new miracle, and the general public is looking forward to a grand and evenly matched contest.

The wind that Fang Xinghe and others had been waiting for finally arrived.

However, he did not rush to express his opinion, so eager onlookers flocked to the cinema to watch Fang's action film, which already had extraordinary significance.

On its third weekend, "Taken" returned to the 3000 million mark at the daily box office.

(End of this chapter)