Chapter 42: The Core Fan Base

Time finally ticked past the third day amidst the agonizing torment of the fans.

Early in the morning, Wan Bao'er sprinted to the newspaper kiosk outside the lane, crouching by the window and wagging her tail frantically like a happy little puppy.

Upon seeing her, the owner beamed with joy.

"Little Wan, you're awfully early today. Everything's prepared for you right here~~~"

"Thank you! How much is it?"

"Twenty-five yuan and forty-five cents. Just give me twenty-five point four!"

"Twenty-five! I'll make up the loose change next time~~~"

Wan Bao'er tossed down the money, scooped up the stack of newspapers and magazines, and trotted back home on her tiptoes. Rushing straight into the living room, she casually split the newspapers into two piles.

"Dad, half for you, and the rest is mine."

Father Wan looked at the towering stack before him with a headache, shaking his head and chuckling wryly: "So many, how am I supposed to finish reading all these? I only managed to look at two papers yesterday..."

"You've got plenty of time anyway, so just read them slowly~~~ I don't care, I spent twenty-five point four today, you have to reimburse me!"

Father Wan chuckled out loud: "Reading leisurely to see how the media criticizes him?"

"Hateful!" Wan Bao'er was thoroughly outraged, "You're doing this on purpose to tick me off!"

"My mistake, my mistake." Father Wan immediately surrendered, rubbing his temples with a wry smile. "Then, knowing full well that they're all scolding him, why on earth buy so many? Wouldn't just buying the Beijing Youth Daily be enough?"

"I don't care, I just want to stand together with him and face it all! Anyway, you have to pay me back for the newspapers!"

"Alright, alright, I'll pay, I'll pay, I'll give you another fifty yuan. That should be enough for tomorrow's too, right?"

Father Wan waited for a long while without receiving a response. Turning his head, he saw that his good girl had already immersed herself entirely in the Beijing Youth Daily.

"Sigh, daughters grown up are not meant to stay..."

Muttering sourly to himself, he simply picked up a newspaper featuring Fang Xinghe and began glancing through it half-heartedly.

He had no objections to Fang Xinghe, nor was he particularly curious about him.

Over the years, he had witnessed far too many young talents, child prodigies, and monstrous geniuses. Yet, stretching the observation period over time... they all turned out to be rather mediocre.

The youth of their generation mostly only respected their fathers, possessing exceptionally high standards.

However, the article "Destiny Yet Unsettled," reprinted in the Guangming Daily, managed to arouse a sliver of interest in him—you love it or hate it? It carried a hint of banditry, which was rare.

Initially somewhat casual, Father Wan found himself involuntarily drawn in the more he read.

It was not until his mother called the two of them for dinner and Wan Bao'er became lively again that he snapped back to his senses with a start.

Oh?

This was more than just slightly interesting. Aside from a pure youthful perspective, Fang Xinghe was actually capable of viewing matters from such a height?

Not easy at all...

Wan Bao'er was equally high-spirited, chirping away as she discussed it with her father.

"Dad, what kind of person do you think Fang Xinghe is?"

Mother shot her a glare: "Fang Xinghe this, Fang Xinghe that, all you know every day is Fang Xinghe! Look at how arrogant he is. How is he any different from those South Korean wooden sticks?"

"Those are idol boy bands, bringing people strength through music. How are they wooden sticks?"

Retorting defensively for a moment, Wan Bao'er suddenly changed her tune: "Forget it, their musical standards and Fang Xinghe's literary talent are indeed not in the same league. Wooden sticks they may be, but you are not allowed to scold my little brother Xinghe!"

Oh? Had she changed her tune?

Mother Wan widened her eyes slightly, finding it utterly incredible.

"Didn't you used to love that H.O.T. group the most? You plastered their posters all over the wall and wouldn't let me criticize them even a little bit."

"When was that?"

Wan Bao'er flatly denied it: "You're slandering me! Those were just posters a good friend gave me; I couldn't hurt her feelings, so I only put them up for a bit out of politeness. My true loyalty belongs exclusively to little brother Xinghe!"

Mother Wan was furious, opening her mouth to scold her once more.

In the Wan household, she had always played the role of a strict figure, placing great emphasis on Wan Bao'er's education and discipline.

Before she could speak, however, she was stopped by the ultimate daughter-obsessed father on the side.

"Stop, stop, stop. You know, you really should pay attention to your educational methods and approaches from now on. Fang Xinghe's essay is, in a sense, very well and truly written. Bao'er is a big girl now and understands many things. You can reason with her, and if something is right, she will listen. You can't have only criticism and no encouragement; that's not good."

Wan Bao'er happily hugged her father and stuck her chin out defiantly at her mother: "Hump! See that? Someone capable of accomplishing great things has a completely different breadth of mind!"

Mother chuckled in exasperation, tapping her little head: "Fine, fine, I have no breadth of mind, and punishing you in the past was just because I wanted to bite you!"

One could tell from this remark alone that she had, in fact, also read Fang Xinghe's article "Knowing Yet Unyielding."

"That's not true." Wan Bao'er knew when to quit while she was ahead, smiling cheekily. "I know you're doing it for my own good. You and Dad have given me so much love, but I've also reached an age where I have my own thoughts."

Father Wan chuckled heartily to smooth things over, yielding entirely to his daughter: "Fang Xinghe's article indeed carries very positive significance for teenagers.

Being overly rebellious is certainly no good, but refusing to submit is an exceptional quality. Nothing is more important than a resilient heart.

Fang Xinghe possesses the backbone of your grandfather's generation. I can understand why you admire him, and I am willing to accept it."

The true subtext was actually: You worshiping those South Korean wooden sticks is something I neither understand nor accept.

He had said plenty of things like this earlier, but unfortunately, it had been useless.

Today was different. Wan Bao'er nodded obediently: "Mm-mm-mm, I know now! I won't do it anymore, I promise!"

Mother Wan's brow did not relax; clearly, she remained displeased in her heart.

"Still, you cannot go around idolizing celebrities, especially Fang Xinghe. His personality is far too..."

Yet Wan Bao'er was exceptionally quick-witted, refusing to let her mother finish. She trotted back to the living room, retrieved the Beijing Youth Daily, ran back, and smiled ingratiatingly: "Dad, Mom, shall I read Fang Xinghe's new article to you?"

The couple exchanged glances and shook their heads helplessly.

Without waiting for their consent, Wan Bao'er began to read "The Town Exam Taker" aloud with deep emotion.

The first part of this essay essentially discussed a class perspective.

Namely: How I, born in a poor small town, once viewed the world, and what kind of impacts I endured after bravely stepping out.

From Wudang to Shanghai, first embracing the tranquility of Taoism, then experiencing the prosperity of the magic city, and finally returning to the town, tranquility and bustling prosperity took root deep within a barren soul simultaneously. The adolescent restlessness that once found no outlet suddenly irrigated a tiny flower.

The verdant stems stretched upward with all their might, the blossoms bloomed brightly and fragrantly, while the silent roots burrowed deeper and deeper into the dark soil...

Writing no longer filled with hostility, it was instead brimming with metaphorical hints.

Fang Xinghe did not directly write out any possibilities, but the three symbols of stem, flower, and root, along with the dynamic changes resulting from them, were enough to let people imagine any possibility.

Were the stems the vitality of youth?

Were the blossoms the blooming of hard work?

Was the root of silence the true heart?

It could be, but not necessarily only that; it might even not be that at all.

Fang Xinghe's writing was no longer as explicit and fierce as "Knowing Yet Unyielding." His urge to step out of the town was intense, but the destination he ultimately pointed to was not about becoming exceptionally powerful, crushing something, or achieving glory, but rather the somewhat illusory "being faithful to oneself and clarifying one's true heart."

On the surface, it didn't look fierce or cool at all, but in the final sentence, "I choose to take exams," it sublimated into ultimate steadfastness.

When Wan Bao'er looked at the mountain as a mountain, she only sensed an upward, exuberant spirit.

What Mother Wan saw was the older generation walking barefoot out of the mountains, carrying their heads, bathing in blood, and using the most tenacious will to grow until their lives bloomed into magnificent red flowers.

As for Father Wan's perspective, his associations reached much further and higher...

From poverty and blankness to the current blooming of wealth and prosperity, but the blossoms attracted bees and butterflies, the stems bore unbearable weight, the rooting soil was barren and urgently needed irrigation, and the root system itself had a few...

Of course, none of them grasped the layer of Taoist tranquility.

The tranquility of the root and the motion of life were both contradictory and unified.

Unless one had experienced a great sudden enlightenment between life and death, it was difficult to comprehend that contradictory philosophy of quietly dormant hibernation in the dark while desperately extracting nourishment from barrenness.

Life and death, yang and yin, motion and tranquility—the essence was far too metaphysical, something that could only be intuitively felt, truly hard to express.

And when Wan Bao'er finally read that lyrical passage that sublimated the main theme, the couple, immersed in thought, were struck right in the chest without the slightest defense. Their entire bodies tingled, sending shivers from the soles of their feet straight to their crowns.

"Everyone's ultimate mission is to seek the self, and then sincerely remain faithful to the self. We are not here to escape this native soil, but to set out on the road, to see different scenery, to cleanse the soul with a broader world, to transform from hating everything to loving everything, from disdain for everything to respect for everything, and finally to delightfully discover—this world is not what I fancied it to be in my youth, yet I still love it."

Until Wan Bao'er's voice faded away, Mother Wan still felt an overwhelming sense of disbelief.

"Did Fang Xinghe really write this?"

"Mhm! Who else?"

"Splendid!" Father Wan raised his volume involuntarily. "It possesses height, and it possesses gravitas. Brilliant!"

A strong sense of melancholy suddenly arose in Mother Wan's heart as she gazed blankly out the window: "We are soon to leave this native soil as well, but we are not escaping. We are simply... In short, it is truly hard to part with..."

The Wan family had already decided to immigrate to Hong Kong and send Wan Bao'er abroad for her studies.

Regardless of the reason, being on the verge of leaving the hometown where one was born and raised, which held decades of heavy memories, was bound to bring sorrow and apprehension.

At this moment, hearing such sentences truly brought a mix of emotions welling up from the heart.

This was high-frequency resonance, and it came at precisely the right time, echoing their exact sentiments.

To others, it might sound like empty elaboration, but to the right ears, it was the finishing touch.

"It is indeed an exceptional piece of writing. Fang Xinghe's spiritual world is vast and beautiful."

In just a split second, Mother Wan's view of Fang Xinghe shifted from negative to positive. Her favorability skyrocketed to a remarkably high position.

Being understood, being touched, and being consoled by someone else's words was truly a rare happiness and fulfillment.

Compared to that, things like wanting to break his father's legs or scolding media scum were, in the eyes of someone at her level, simply not worth mentioning.

She decisively changed her tune, her attitude doing a 180-degree flip.

"Aside from being slightly radical, Xiao Fang genuinely has a lot of spirit deep down. Your generation consists entirely of little ancestors and great darlings who have never suffered a single hardship and are all spoiled rotten—it's quite disgraceful. Since you like him, you should learn more from him and stop being so unfocused..."

"Wow!"

Wan Bao'er let out a cry of surprise: "It's rare to see you praise anyone! So the two of us are on the same front now! Come on, follow me, and join the great Fang-fan organization!"

Father and Mother Wan sprouted question marks over their heads.

Fang-fans? Organization?

What on earth was this now?!

...

In Tianjin, on her way to dance class, Mao Xiaotong bought a copy of the Beijing Youth Daily from a newspaper kiosk.

Having no time to read it carefully, she merely flipped through it roughly, seeing that Page 13 was entirely taken up by Fang Xinghe's new article, and that the color page on Page 12 featured a new photo of him. She was overjoyed.

"Haha, awesome!"

Mao Xiaotong was thoroughly satisfied with today's paper, cradling it carefully in her arms as she happily headed to the practice room.

Upon arriving in class, two girls who had been chatting idly saw the newspaper in her hands and swarmed over with a "wow": "Xiaotong, you bought the Beijing Youth Daily too? Do you want the color page in the middle?"

Mao Xiaotong's fur instantly stood on end as she shielded the newspaper behind her: "Of course I want it! What do you guys want?"

"No, we don't want anything..."

One of the classmates was startled by her, pouting and muttering weakly: "If you won't give it, you won't, what's with the rush..."

The other classmate's eyes lit up instead, and she asked excitedly: "You like Fang Xinghe too? Right? Oh my, then we're fellow Fang-fans!"

"Fang-fans?" Mao Xiaotong blinked in confusion.

Liu Jingjing nodded frantically: "Yeah, yeah! Fans of Fang Xinghe, abbreviated as Fang-fans on Tianya!"

"Tianya? Fans?" The poor student was clueless and hadn't understood at all.

"It's Fans, F-A-N-S, an English word meaning zealous enthusiasts, the guardian community of a specific idol!"

Liu Jingjing was immensely proud, as if announcing a momentous event.

Mao Xiaotong, however, was genuinely interested, murmuring the word several times over and finding it increasingly pleasant to the ear.

"Fang-fans? Of course I am. I've liked him since May."

"Then I'm even earlier!" Another girl, Wang Yutang, stepped closer to proudly announce, "I've liked him since the April cover of Mengya!"

Mao Xiaotong felt a slight discomfort in her heart and let out a cold snort: "His first article hadn't even been published back then. What did you like about him?"

"He's handsome! He's handsome enough to make me dizzy!"

Wang Yutang was so frank that Mao Xiaotong was instantly left speechless.

Young girls of this era... no, young girls of any era, all loved handsome celebrities.

Asking them to appreciate Wang Baoheng's great performance in Mr. Tree would be forcing them, but if you asked them which star was handsome, they could rattle them off like a living catalog.

There was no need to be overly harsh about this; 99% of young girls passed through this stage. The earlier Zhu Shimao, the even earlier Tang Guoqiang, and even tracing all the way back to Pan An, had all once been the dream lovers of a generation of young maidens.

However, Mao Xiaotong was one of the very few exceptions.

Initially, she hadn't liked that face; she possessed an innate vigilance toward men who were too handsome. It wasn't until she drew immense courage and strength from "Knowing Yet Unyielding" that she began to worship Fang Xinghe more fanatically than anyone else.

Therefore, seeing that Liu Jingjing and Wang Yutang only liked Fang Xinghe for his good looks, she felt a sense of grievance.

"Good looks are the most insignificant of Fang Xinghe's virtues. You should be paying attention to his talent!"

"I am paying attention! I read every single issue of the Beijing Youth Daily."

"Then where is your newspaper?"

"I put it back on the newsstand after reading it!"

"Huh?!"

"The previous issues didn't have Fang Xinghe's pictures anyway, why would I buy them? Because I like Fang Xinghe, my mom won't give me pocket money anymore, so I have to save up the little treasury I have left to buy Fang Xinghe's first book."

Wang Yutang's articulate retort completely baffled Mao Xiaotong.

She realized that her worship of Fang Xinghe seemed to be on another level—not only had she bought the Beijing Youth Daily, but she also planned to go elsewhere to collect all newspapers and magazines featuring him.

Yet she was far more interested in that book.

"Where did that intelligence come from? Is Fang Xinghe going to publish a book?"

"It was talked about in the Xinmin Evening News!" Liu Jingjing eagerly snatched the answer, "That report mentioned that Fang Xinghe is currently writing his first major full-length work—it's a novel!"

Wang Yutang added: "And also, also, the Xinmin Daily has already booked a new exclusive interview with Fang Xinghe!"

Mao Xiaotong kept both pieces of news locked in her heart, making up her mind to start saving money diligently from this moment on.

She could not lose to Wang Yutang, absolutely not!

...

Wang Yutang, Wan Bao'er, and Mao Xiaotong represented three classic types of Fang-fans.

The first type: Because their parents detested Fang Xinghe, their affection was unacceptable to the adults and had to be hidden in the shadows.

This situation was likely the mainstream, given Xiao Fang's current reputation... hehehe!

Still, it wasn't a major issue; at worst, could he be any worse than H.O.T.?

Uh, it actually seemed rather hard to say...

The second type: Catalyzed by his works, their worship of Fang Xinghe finally won the tacit approval, or even support, of their parents.

Many parents suddenly realized that aside from a slightly wild temperament, Fang Xinghe was genuinely top-notch in every other aspect.

Not only were those three interview articles widely discussed, but "The Town Exam Taker" also combined both aesthetic appeal and upright righteousness.

For their child to like Fang Xinghe was understandable and not necessarily a bad thing.

Consequently, the act of idolizing Fang Xinghe became legalized in certain households, granting many Fang-fans a more relaxed space to openly declare their affection.

Some open-minded parents were even willing to discuss Fang Xinghe's works and personality in detail with their children.

This greatly expanded the total fan base of idol Xiao Fang and enriched the composition of his supporters.

Although that subset of middle-aged parents generally held only shallow affection and it was hard for them to upgrade further, their value had never been to provide starlight points.

Their significance lay in providing economic support to young Fang-fans, multiplying the overall consumption capacity of the fandom several times over.

At this point, Fang Xinghe finally possessed the capital to independently publish a book and make it a bestseller.

The third type of Fang-fans was represented by Mao Xiaotong.

They lacked family support because they were children carrying hidden wounds, guarding their inner thoughts and rarely speaking of them to others.

They independently and stubbornly worshipped Fang Xinghe. They might be financially strapped, but they were steadfastly resolute at the level of willpower.

Virtually all of Fang Xinghe's existing fanatical fans originated from this demographic.

For the exact same article or report, a shallow tier-one fan might provide only 1 starlight point, whereas they could provide anywhere from 15 to 50 points.

Beyond that, they were also the most solid fortress when massive waves crashed down.

With the iron wall unbroken, no matter what kind of blows Fang Xinghe suffered, he would forever have the opportunity to make a comeback.

The first category of looks-based fans, much like the middle-aged shallow fans, possessed far too much fickle, spur-of-the-moment, pressure-intolerant duckweed DNA. Their massive numbers resembled blooming flowers, liable to be scattered by the wind at any second.

Only when the latter two types of fans merged could they truly and solidly establish a bedrock for Fang Xinghe, allowing him to stand firm amidst the wind and waves and fish in peace.

Even if what he fished up turned out to be a shark, they would still exchange a few bites to see who sat at the top of the food chain.

Therefore, mere negative black tides still on their way... let them come and be tested.