Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 510 I'll slap you and get lost!

His brother-in-law, Ma Ruidong, perked up and excitedly leaned closer: "Brother, is that President Lu...?"

"Lang Kun?" When Lao Zhao's brother-in-law got closer and saw him clearly, he couldn't help but snort. "He still has the nerve to call? A lousy director can't even handle this little thing."

"Don't speak." Zhao Benshan answered the phone expressionlessly, but his attitude remained warm: "Coach Lang, what exactly does the station mean? I'm completely confused right now, this isn't going to work, is it?"

"Old Zhao, I really did my best." Lang Kun sighed, thinking of the phone call from the bureau leader just now, "This situation is not good. Those people are probably not just trying to ride your coattails. Be careful."

Lang Kun whispered the surname of a superior leader, who was also the one who had the most complaints about Lao Zhao in the past two years, amidst the minor conflicts between Lao Zhao and the station.

"Right now, everyone's talking about protecting you. We're trying to calm things down for the time being. Please try to understand the station's perspective, okay?"

"Everyone else is fine, but this Vice Chairman Han of the Drama Association is really too persistent."

"I understand." Zhao Benshan remained calm on the phone. "Without the Spring Festival Gala, there would be no Zhao Benshan. I appreciate the station's protection. I have nothing more to say. That's all for now."

beep...

Lang Kun reluctantly put down the phone, recalling the turmoil that had ensued, and wondered if Zhao Benshan would be able to get through this safely.

But regardless of the outcome, it's clear that this king of comedy sketches, under the cultural guidance of "pursuing elegance and increasing educational value" in his programs, is also approaching the "seven-year itch" of his show.

When faced with important matters, Zhao Benshan remained calm and focused after putting down the phone. His brother-in-law, Ma Ruidong, did not want to disturb his thinking and dared not mention seeking help from Lu Kuan again.

He had absolute trust in his brother-in-law, who came from the Northeast, and was confident that he could weather this crisis smoothly.

At the same time, in a teahouse in Beiping.

Professor Li and a reporter from the "Heartbeat Daily" sat facing each other, drinking tea.

The latter is the main media platform in Beijing for the largest newspaper group in the country.

They talk big, but their bottom line is low.

But just like the New York Daily News, which specializes in sensational content such as crime, gossip, and sex scandals in North America, it even became the largest-circulation newspaper in the United States in the mid-1920s because of its sensational content.

The logic of using gimmicks and hype to attract attention in cultural products has never gone out of style, from ancient times to the present.

The "Heartbeat News," as the mouthpiece of the Nan region, had just finished interviewing the well-dressed Professor Li, and through this "powerful alliance," it continues to amplify the coverage of Grandpa Benshan.

Mr. Lu's guess was correct. The temporary bankruptcy of the cooperation between Damai.cn and LeTV Culture has changed the situation of their significantly leading online ticketing business, which has greatly displeased Chairman Liu.

Last night, the flirtatious exchanges between Lao Zhao and Boss Lu in the audience during the skit "Not Short of Money" annoyed him.

Just like in his previous life, Professor Li, based on his professional research and "special stance," launched a relentless verbal attack on the King of Comedy.

Old Liu then took the opportunity to ask Nan Fang to cooperate and cheer on the intellectuals.

In addition, the long-standing animosity between Zhao Benshan and some leaders in the bureau and station has led to Zhao Benshan's passive situation in the current group army operation.

Professor Li is currently riding high; she never expected to be so lucky this time, and her voice and influence are growing stronger.

In the tea room, she picked up the handle of the celadon teapot, tilted the spout, and slightly pressed down with her wrist, allowing the amber-colored tea to slowly pour down the white porcelain cup.

"Teacher Zhao's works are like over-fermented Pu'er tea; the surface is mellow, but the inside has been hollowed out by the vulgarity of the marketplace. Editor-in-Chief Luo, you must include this statement of mine."

“Hehe, no problem.” Luo Changping, the chief editor of the in-depth reporting department of Xinjingbao, nodded.

Editor-in-Chief Luo was a key staff member and reporter for "Xin Jing Bao" in 09. In 11, he became the deputy editor-in-chief of "Caijing" and became known for his corruption whistleblowing.

However, in 2021, he was sentenced for insulting the martyrs of the "Ice Sculpture Company," and opinions on his true nature remain to be seen.

"Professor Yinghe, today's interview went very smoothly, and I am very grateful." Luo Changping carefully asked, "May I have the honor of discussing some more personal topics with you?"

Business is coming in?

Professor Li smiled and said, "Of course, we are all colleagues in the cultural industry. Those of us who do academic research admire media professionals like Editor-in-Chief Luo who have a sense of social responsibility and dare to speak out for the disadvantaged."

She took a sip of tea, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes smoothed out. "As I often say, true intellectuals should be like scalpels, dissecting the lesions of society, and the reports on gender equality and rights by The Heartbeat Daily in recent years have precisely confirmed this spirit."

"Haha, thank you for your affirmation, Professor Li. Your open and inclusive vision is truly admirable and rare among female scholars in China."

Offering a compliment, Luo Changping seized the opportunity to back down: "I wonder what Professor Li's opinion is of this famous director, who is a friend of Teacher Zhao and with whom we interacted on the 'Not Short of Money' program?"
"You mean the road is wide?" Professor Li smiled and looked up, a hint of surprise and wariness appearing on his round and soft facial features, which he quickly concealed.

"Yes, this Director Lu is a pillar of the nation, and he even sat in the best seat at the Spring Festival Gala." Luo Changping adjusted his glasses. "I personally admire him a lot, especially from a man's perspective. His romantic escapades are quite numerous, aren't they?"

"A romantic affair? That's an insult to women!" Professor Li said with a look of disdain.

She tapped the lid of her teacup lightly and began her analysis in a cool, academic tone: "Lu Kuan's behavior was by no means a simple romantic affair, but a typical case of 'sexual capital monopoly,' which is to objectify women as 'circulating symbolic currency' by exchanging sexual resources for economic capital."

"This patriarchal legacy of the Hollywood Golden Age studio system is essentially a form of institutionalized rape of actresses by directors, which is especially shameful!"

As Professor Li spoke, his chin lifted slightly, and his nostrils twitched slightly with emotion.

She pounded the tea table heavily with the knuckle of her right index finger, making the celadon covered bowl clang, as if stamping each word with an academic seal.

Luo Changping seemed somewhat embarrassed: "I'm sorry, Professor Li, my awareness wasn't high enough, what I just said..."

“It’s alright. The public’s awareness of this issue is still insufficient, and the rights of minority groups are not protected.” Professor Li said with emotion, “Like Professor Zhao this time, I personally respect him very much. He is a very remarkable peasant artist.”

"But when it comes to this kind of discriminatory issue, I think as a spokesperson for minority groups and an intellectual, I still have to stand up and speak out."

"Clap clap clap!" Luo Changping clapped with a respectful expression. Although there were only two people in the tea room, he was quite embarrassed.

Professor Li readily agreed, waving his hand modestly and saying, "Old Luo, what are you doing?"

Luo Changping was secretly pleased that his supporting role had worked, and then took the opportunity to inquire, "Professor Li, would you be interested in doing an exclusive interview? We can talk about this great director..."

"No need!"

To Editor-in-Chief Luo's astonishment, Professor Li blurted out, his voice suddenly rising an octave.

Seemingly realizing her lapse in composure, she quickly adjusted her expression and gently tucked her hair behind her ear: "Lu Kuan is actually quite a special person..."

Professor Li chuckled twice, his gaze drifting to the window as if some unspeakable taboo was hidden there. "We academic researchers should focus on general phenomena, not on individuals."

“Just like this time when I spoke out on behalf of a special group, I wasn’t targeting Teacher Zhao, but all people who don’t understand, don’t respect, or don’t have different orientations.”

Professor Li was quite satisfied with his explanation and quick wit. He took a sip of tea to calm himself down and said, "Editor-in-Chief Luo, isn't that right?"

Luo Changping smiled, but inwardly he was cursing the old woman for being pretentious and cowardly. She couldn't even go all out on this, yet she wanted to vigorously expand her international business.

"Professor Li, have you ever heard of the Geneva Forum on Gender Equality?"

Professor Li raised an eyebrow: "Of course," as if he had already guessed what Professor Li was going to say.

"They are looking for academic representatives in the Asian region, and our headquarters in Nanfang, as a representative of the regional media, has the authority to recommend participants."

"Professor Li, I greatly admire your academic achievements, but speaking behind closed doors today—"

Luo Changping seemed to be influenced by Professor Li, and only dared to talk in a low voice about the topic of Voldemort: "You still need a social issue and academic achievement that you can be proud of."

"If this is an internationally renowned director, the chief director of the Olympics, and the richest man in mainland China, wouldn't the social educational significance be even more profound?"

Yes, but I will also receive strict discipline.

This is certainly an opportunity for her to step out of China, break out of Asia, and face the world, but the side effects of this drastic measure are too great, and she may even fall before she even gets out.

The reason why Professor Li was still active in posting and selling courses on Weibo in 2025 is because of her understanding of the Buddhist verse "Able to advance and retreat at will, one is a true vessel of Dharma".

"Editor-in-Chief Luo, it's the New Year, let's not flatter or test each other. I just have one question."

"Please speak."

When will Professor Zhu be out?

amount……

Luo Changping said awkwardly, "This matter... is different in nature. We are all very sorry about Professor Zhu's situation, but..."

"What's different? What's different?" Professor Li enjoyed seeing men groveling before her, and said confidently, "It's undeniable that under the current circumstances, we intellectuals do not yet have the right or qualification to arbitrarily comment on the dark side."

"This director, or rather capitalist, appears to be a carefree and unrestrained artist, but I believe Editor-in-Chief Luo knows his true face better than I do."

An awkward silence fell over the tea room.

It must be admitted that Lu Kuan, who no longer concealed his control over Zhijie, Travel Channel, and Focus Media after the Olympics, is a Voldemort that Zhu Nanfang and his ilk are very unwilling to face.

A little grumbling is fine, but once you dare to say his name out loud...

In the past, this might not have been a problem, but starting with pig manure, the struggle between red and black has completely changed.

Voldemort is done playing games! He's not giving the crickets away anymore!
In the eyes of Zhu Nanfang and his ilk in this timeline, Lu Kuan's existence is an unsolvable problem.

In terms of talent, he makes it difficult for the public intellectuals to launch an effective attack in the professional field, and their usual "outsider instructing expert" style of criticism appears pale and powerless in front of him;

In terms of capital, even a powerful group like Nanfang, which could easily eliminate targets using its media matrix, could only maintain an advantage offline, while controlling all the core resources of emerging internet platforms.

Zhu Nanfang's methods of "making a fuss over a topic" and "taking things out of context" have no room to work in the face of Wenjie's powerful public opinion monitoring and counterattack capabilities.

Furthermore, the most crucial issue of power on the Dongda server further deprived these individuals of any room for maneuver.

Since the Olympics, the latter has already received top-level official endorsement. Not arbitrarily using the power that can influence them to manipulate them is already the greatest self-discipline a time traveler can show.

After all, power is a double-edged sword. Unless absolutely necessary, it is better to resolve issues through business rules and legal means to avoid future problems.

As a result, the current situation seems to be that Zhu Nanfang and the others from the previous timeline have collectively transmigrated to a world with wide roads, and it seems that such a tough nut has suddenly appeared, and it is getting tougher and tougher.

He is not an individual who can be swayed by public opinion, but a sophisticated complex of culture, capital, and power.

When criticism loses its object, when anger finds no target, all that remains is a suffocating silence permeating the air above the teacup.

Luo Changping ultimately failed to persuade the cautious Professor Li to make a phone call to his superior from inside the car.

"President Dai, Professor Li is unwilling to cooperate."

"What? Even a spot with the Geneva Association couldn't sway her?" Luo Changping said with a wry smile, "She only asked one question: When will Zhu Dake be available? How am I supposed to answer her?"

“…” Dai Zigeng on the other end of the phone said helplessly, “I know, thank you for your hard work, Lao Luo. Go home and rest.”

"By the way," Dai Zigeng added, "Let's get the rest of the press releases out first. Don't wait any longer; this is something we need to do in one go."

"Ok."

Dai Zigeng sighed inwardly. This matter was also a dangerous tightrope walk for him. If Voldemort found out that he had been involved in this conspiracy, he would probably be implicated as well.

But one's position determines one's stance. No matter how scared one is of something, one is willing to go through fire and water for the sake of one's "ideals" and dog food.

Otherwise, why should he sit in this position?
What's rather ironic is that the reactionaries are now being persecuted by Voldemort to the point that they're comparing themselves to martyrs.

President Dai took out another phone and called the old chairman, the advertising sponsor. The chat didn't last long, but the other party was clearly not in a good mood either.

The obviously unpleasant phone call ended after exchanging New Year's greetings.

Following instructions from his superiors, Luo Changping quickly issued a pre-prepared press release, which seemed to have sparked a major public outcry against Lao Zhao.

It was almost suffocating for this innocent peasant artist who was swept up in the tide of the times.

Luo Changping, chief editor of the in-depth reporting section of "Heart-Stopping News," said: "I didn't even want to mention those two words in 'Not Short of Money' in my report. They insult all the minorities who are oppressed by the mainstream. This kind of vulgar verbal violence stands in stark contrast to the 'silent majority' described by Xiao Bo."

In its New Year special commentary, Southern Weekly published "What Kind of Laughter Do We Need?" by commentator Yan Lieshan.
"Some sketch comedy performances are simply a victory for the culture of ugliness. As 900 million farmers vote with their feet, our nation is losing its ability to appreciate high art. Look at the Vienna New Year's Concert, and then look at the monkey shows performed on the heated brick beds in Northeast China!"

Cheng Yizhong, editor-in-chief of *Heart-Stopping News*, stated: From the "Deception Trilogy" to *Not Short of Money*, these pseudo-realist works are essentially tools for the power to discipline the lower classes. Aren't those scenes mocking Fan Wei a form of psychological bullying of ordinary people by those with vested interests?
Gao Xiaosong, not to be outdone, posted on Weibo: "The imitations of disabled people in the past works of a certain sketch comedy team are essentially no different from the Nazis mocking Jews. Such backward thinking is something we need to be wary of and pay attention to."

At 2 PM on the first day of the Lunar New Year, at a cultural salon held at the One Way Street Bookstore in Chaoyang District, Professor Li, who was invited to attend despite his busy schedule, reiterated to more than 200 university students, professors, and artists:
Comrades!
"Not Short of Money" is not a comedy, but a form of cultural violence.

What we're discussing today is not just a line of dialogue, but a deep-seated form of cultural discrimination!

His sketches, on the surface, are meant to amuse the audience, but in reality, they reinforce a barbaric and outdated set of values.

It casually tossed the term "fartster" into the ears of the entire nation, causing hundreds of millions of people to unconsciously accept this stigmatization of the LGBTQ+ community amidst laughter.

This kind of work is essentially a cultural regression. It packages the crude language of rural Northeast China as "down-to-earth," glorifies mockery of the disadvantaged as "humor," mistakes vulgarity for fun, and treats discrimination as a joke!
Let's all boycott this!
The video of this speech went viral online, and netizens with weak willpower were also drawn into a vicious cycle of "habitual" reflection by the general public opinion.

Supporters are mainly ordinary viewers who believe the skit is just for entertainment and the lines are not malicious, while critics are overreacting.

Although this group of voices is large in number, it lacks organization and is mostly characterized by emotional backlashes, making it difficult to form an effective counter-argument.

This group of public opinion leaders, composed of cultural scholars and advocates for the rights of minority groups, used "cultural discrimination" and "vulgarity" as entry points to characterize "Not Short of Money" as "cultural violence" and called on the authorities to conduct in-depth censorship.

Although the program team has temporarily disqualified "Not Short of Money" from the awards, it has not made any further determination.

However, the continued fermentation of public opinion has already put the person involved in a passive position. If the authorities ultimately adopt the criticism, it may have a profound impact on his artistic career.

This is fatal for peasant artists who rely on building their personal brand to maintain relationships and business empires.

At eight o'clock in the evening, the comedian Wang, who had seen many ups and downs over the years, was drinking alone at home with his brother-in-law.

He was originally going back to his hometown in Northeast China, but because of this incident, he really had to stay in Beiping, otherwise he wouldn't be able to contact his various contacts immediately.

Some things and issues cannot be discussed over the phone.

"Brother-in-law, when do you think those leaders will give us a word and solve our problem?"

Zhao Benshan shook his head: "I don't know. In this world, there are few who offer help in times of need and many who kick you when you're down. You've seen what some people have been saying this afternoon."

In the afternoon, Lao Zhao also made some targeted counterattacks, such as inviting several newspapers and magazines to his home for interviews and having several friends in the industry speak out, but the overall impact was too small, and he was also considering the official attitude.

This is a scene that no one has ever seen before.

When his brother-in-law didn't chime in for a while, Zhao Benshan glanced at him. The latter, who was frowning while holding his phone, suddenly beamed with joy: "Brother-in-law!"

"Why?"

"Lu... CEO Lu posted on Weibo to support you!"

"Oh?" Zhao Benshan put down his chopsticks, and after a long while sighed, lamenting that the favor had not been well spent.

I guess I'm just unlucky to have run into this kind of thing.

The meal was abruptly ended halfway through, or rather, the lively conversation at many dinner tables was temporarily put on hold because of Boss Lu's Weibo post.

When they returned, some drank with even greater gusto, while others could no longer swallow.

At the same time, Professor Li, who was already closely following online developments, put on his glasses and looked at Liu Yifei's Weibo account, named "Vitamin Qian," with great alarm.

That's right, the washing machine is again using his wife's 1600 million Weibo followers.

But there is an even more important reason: this time, as an "opinion leader," he expressed his views on social issues, and the core topics are actually more closely related to women.

Because the vast majority of Professor Li's audience for teaching "profound theories" are women, these are her main revenue-generating clients and target audience.

But the majority of Xiao Liu's fans are teenage girls and white-collar women. Isn't that the best classroom for him to guide public opinion and expose the hypocrisy of public intelligence?
Use good women to beat up bad women!
Inside the study of Wen Yuhe Mansion, Liu Yifei was carefully reading her husband's satirical masterpiece written after dinner.
-
Happy Chinese New Year, friends! This is Lu Kuan.

While having a few drinks at home in the evening, the topic of the public opinion battle that took place during the day came up at the dinner table, and I suddenly felt a strong urge to express myself, just like Professor Li did yesterday.

Of course, today's topic also involves Professor Li and Teacher Zhao...

Huh?
I suddenly realized that I couldn't use the same word to refer to both of them consistently.

Professor Li is a highly educated intellectual, the wife of a renowned writer, and has extensive experience studying abroad.

But what about Teacher Zhao, who acted opposite me and Xiao Liu in "Under the Hawthorn Tree"?
Aside from actors, they are farmers.

Is this why his artistic expression and form are despised by the "high-level intellectuals" who criticize him so harshly?
Returning to Professor Li's insightful remarks:

Frankly speaking, if she hadn't explained the other meaning of "fart spirit" to me, not to mention Teacher Zhao and me, I believe that more than 98% of the audience across the country, including homosexuals, would probably not know.

From this perspective, if any of our comrades are attacked using this term in the future, please remember that the culprit is Professor Li himself.

Thank you for your explanation.

Before today, I had heard of Professor Li and her writer husband.

Because my wife, Xiao Liu, is also a literary and artistic young woman, she has naturally read all the works of Xiao Bo, a writer that no literary and artistic youth would miss.

"The Silent Majority," the "Times" trilogy, "A Pig That Stands Out from the Crowd," and so on.

And just today, when I described Professor Li's criticism of Teacher Benshan to her, she told me in surprise:
This isn't right! Professor Li shouldn't be reacting so strongly.
When I asked why, my wife, who had become as fat as a panda after her pregnancy, painstakingly pulled out Xiao Bo's collection of essays, "My Spiritual Homeland."

It clearly states a sarcastic remark: Too many chickens won't lay eggs, and too many women will only cause trouble.

Huh? Isn't this the kind of discrimination against women and minorities that Professor Li likes to talk about the most?

First of all, I want to state that I absolutely do not believe that writer Xiao Bo was that kind of man. He had an interesting soul and has been gone from us for a long time.

But these are precisely the moral high praises that Professor Li likes the most, and that he used to put on Teacher Zhao this time!

Xiao Liu asked in surprise: Why would such an ordinary line from a skit be taken out of context and subjected to such harsh criticism?
Just like Professor Li's writer husband said, these colloquialisms are the kind of jokes that husbands like me and wives like her would use to belittle and ridicule each other.

Why has the current public opinion situation led to the view that Mr. Benshan, who was on stage on New Year's Eve, has become a moral traitor standing against the people?
What's the point?
If such a colloquialism or slang term derived from "sycophant" is considered an insult to a minority group, then I hereby file a formal complaint with the entire internet:
The actress Liu Yifei, whom you all consider gentle, beautiful, kind, and like a fairy, insults me every day!
She has been stigmatizing me by calling me "washing machine" since I was fifteen years old. She also liked hundreds of posts that were considered offensive online, causing me serious psychological harm!

She's suspected of discriminating against men! I urge the Women's Federation to stand up for me!
Oh, the Women's Federation doesn't care about me, they only care about her.

Yes, from all perspectives, our country has already provided special care for the so-called disadvantaged genders and orientations proposed by Professor Li, which is part of a harmonious society.

So, is Professor Li's criticism of Teacher Zhao correct?
It is obviously ridiculous and laughable, just like the criticism of Zhao Benshan by these so-called "high-level intellectuals" this time.

Out of curiosity, I carefully studied Professor Li's academic views and works, and only then did I discover her true purpose.

She wanted to leverage Zhao Benshan's immense influence on the Spring Festival Gala stage and during the Spring Festival to promote and advocate homosexuality to the people of the whole country, so that it could be accepted and recognized by more members of the public in a more public setting.

This is not difficult to judge. If you want to explore the efforts she has been making over the years, you only need to read her blog posts to find out.

I even saw her heroic deeds online, fighting for the legalization of "homosexuality" and "one-night stands" over the years.

(Don't rush to delete it; the internet has no memory, but Zhijie's backend does.)
To reiterate my stance, aside from my own preference for women, I have no interest in or concern for other people's orientations, and I certainly won't comment on them.

For example, several celebrity, director, and host friends have already been publicly identified:

Through Spielberg, I met DreamWorks co-founder Geffen, Jodie Foster of "The Silence of the Lambs," and Ellen DeGeneres, the host of "The Ellen Show," who once invited me to an interview.

We have a good relationship and can chat normally at Oscar and Golden Globe parties without any awkwardness.

But what's the difference between them and Professor Li?
These individuals all openly declared their sexual orientation and then lived quietly, while Professor Li, who is heterosexual, turned his sexual orientation into a business—a lucrative venture!

A genuine equality movement needs respect and understanding, not Professor Li's kind of "academic extortion."

As a heterosexual, she packaged the demands of sexual minorities as "academic commodities," reaping traffic and royalties by creating antagonism.

This "economics of suffering" approach turns what should be serious social issues into marketing tools, harming those who truly need support and eroding public trust in intellectuals.

Chinese society's values ​​are rooted in family ethics and collective identity, while Professor Li is attempting to forcefully implant Western-style identity governance issues into the Spring Festival Gala, the largest cultural stage.

This kind of cultural transplantation surgery ignores the local context, and its essence is the dissolution of cultural subjectivity.

Even more dangerous is that she links ideas such as "sexual liberation" and "one-night stands" with art criticism, using the name of avant-garde to challenge the bottom line of traditional morality.

If countless such statements continue to permeate society, it will inevitably lead to a chaos in social values.

Young people will lose sight of the difference between tolerance and indulgence, and the foundation of cultural identity will be shaken.

This year, I'm going to be a father.

If I had a daughter, and a cultural peddler like Professor Li were constantly nagging and peddling these ideas in her ear...

As a father, I think I would slap him without hesitation.

roll!
(End of this chapter)