Chapter 52: When It Comes to Red and Black, Brother Fang Is the True Expert

The program ended, and once the little fans were sent off, the house finally settled into quiet.

Fang Xinghe returned to his bedroom and powered on his phone.

Just as it finished loading, the chime of incoming messages sounded. Before he could even glance at them, a call came through first.

He answered casually, and a delighted voice greeted him through the receiver.

“Student Fang, I’m Zhang Jianjun, chief reporter at the Guangming Daily and a good friend of Sister Wang Yali...”

Blah blah, it was another interview request.

What was interesting was that the caller emphasized being “Wang Yali’s friend” first, and only then mentioned being a chief reporter.

Fang Xinghe immediately sensed the respect, yet respect didn’t prevent him from declining: “Sorry, I need to confirm with Sister Yali first. There have been too many scammers lately.”

The implication was clear: you should have Sister Yali and me talk it over.

That was the highest emotional intelligence answer he was willing to offer, and the most time-saving approach.

No, wait—there was an even quicker way—he simply stopped answering the subsequent calls.

Still, over twenty calls kept buzzing in sporadically.

“Strange, the media’s enthusiasm for interviews is unusually high, isn’t it?”

It was already seven or eight o’clock; even overtime didn’t usually extend this far...

Fang Xinghe felt uneasy, suspecting there were deeper reasons he didn’t know.

Sitting at home doing nothing wouldn’t help, so he decided to step outside and check the online forums for any news.

Today, the Tianya Emotional Community was practically his online stronghold. Fang’s fans refused to endure hostility in the literature section or the lofty interrogations about “what film works Xiao Fang has” in the film section. Instead, they gathered under the emotional board moderator “Beside the Water,” creating their own little world.

But the people hanging out here were mostly beauty fans and mother fans; they never discussed literature, though they remembered very clearly who insulted Fang Xinghe... making it hard to judge anything.

Meanwhile, Fang’s fans struggling in the literature section fought daily battles with Fang’s critics with fierce tenacity.

The few fans who stubbornly lingered in the film section were constantly hammered by a mix of young fans, idol fans, movie buffs, and music lovers. Yet whenever they got a chance, they fired back mercilessly: “Wow, how come your so-and-so is so ugly? Sister, are you naturally attracted to monsters?”

The internet’s first batch of parrots was born early because of Fang Xinghe...

The year 1999 hit so abruptly.

Fang Xinghe wanted to check the movements of the first two types of Fang fans to infer the current situation.

Sounded like a solid plan, right?

But no sooner had he stepped outside and before he could turn onto the main road, two girls rushed out from the side.

Long bangs, yellow hair, flushed faces, shrieking excitedly.

“Fang Xinghe!”

“Wow! You’re really handsome!”

Seeing these two women practically lunging at him, the innocent young man said nothing and immediately turned to run.

Signing autographs? No way!

Women from the northeast were truly fierce these days, and those girls hanging out instead of going to school were even fiercer—wild, uninhibited, quick to insult if they disliked you, and if they liked you, they clung and wouldn’t let go.

He wanted popularity points, but not at the expense of his looks...

Fang Xinghe relied on his speed advantage, legs spinning like fire wheels, dashing home in a flash and vaulting over the wall.

Then he held his breath, listening quietly to the sounds outside.

Within seconds, hurried footsteps stopped on the other side of the wall.

“Huh? Where did he go? Huff huff...”

“Maybe, maybe, let’s not chase him? He’s so fierce, what if he beats us up?”

“I’d be happy if he did! What, are you scared?”

“A little... I just want to hang out with him, maybe even sleep with him, but I really don’t want to get beaten up first...”

“You’re an idiot! How can you sleep with him if you don’t get beaten up first? Every flirt in the county wants to get in his bed; who gets beaten first is who gets to go first!”

“Then... maybe we should ask Brother Long? Isn’t he close with Young Master Fang?”

“Listen to him brag! Just because they bumped bare butts in the bathhouse doesn’t make them good buddies! We both look so good, yet Young Master Fang won’t even talk to us. How could he bother with him!”

Fang Xinghe’s mind was filled with black lines, fists clenched tightly.

These two girls couldn’t exactly be called ugly; youthful and vibrant, fair-skinned, scoring at least 70 points on looks.

But even if they scored 90, that wasn’t a reason for them to want to take turns with me...

Listening to those two wild girls loitering around, refusing to leave, the potential victim’s scalp tingled.

Damn, can’t even get out of the house?

Fang Xinghe, who had never been famous before, didn’t know if this was normal; in his era, fangirls were polite, and even billionaire fans sat quietly in the audience, only waving their phones to take pictures.

Why was it so wild around him?

Oh, right, it was 1999... then it made sense.

Stuck at home with no choice, Fang Xinghe called Wang Yali, Chen Danya, and Zhao Chunhua one by one to see if there was any special news.

Wang Yali told him, “All the media in the capital want to interview you now. I’m getting lots of calls every day because I’m connected to you.”

Chen Danya warned, “Don’t rush. Stay calm, watch your words and actions. Your popularity is very high now, and those people will definitely strike back fiercely.”

Feng Yuanzheng advised, “Especially at times like this, you must focus on practicing your fundamentals. Your popularity is still unstable. Don’t get lost in the overwhelming praise outside. Winning Best Actor will be the real beginning of your artistic life...”

All of them genuinely cared for him, which was touching, but none could pinpoint the root cause.

Finally, the little old man Li Qigang, who was free, took the initiative to call: “Fang Xinghe, how come you just turned on your phone? Do you know how many letters we’ve received for you these past few days?”

“Busy, in seclusion practicing.”

Fang Xinghe gave a perfunctory reply, about to hang up, but Li’s urgent words finally made him understand what was going on.

“Don’t rush! Have you seen Xiao Han’s interview?”

“No, what about it?”

“Nothing much, just that he mentioned you. You know the media here—getting an interview with Xiao Han was hard. Naturally, they talked about you. That kid’s inexperienced...”

“Got tricked into talking, huh?”

“Haha, well, sort of... he tried his best...”

Li Qigang rambled on, making a mess of it.

Fang Xinghe understood everything calmly and said, “It’s fine. I don’t get angry easily. Could you please read it out to me so I know what’s going on?”

“This is partly your local media’s fault, stirring up trouble for no reason...” Li muttered quietly.

As he explained, Fang Xinghe gradually grasped the full picture.

The incident stemmed from the repercussions of that interview video.

The Jilin Daily, seeing Fang Xinghe’s current popularity, immediately regretted their earlier careless wording—damn, what was wrong with them before, mentioning “South Korea and the North”?!

The paper quickly abandoned that phrasing, instead labeling Fang Xinghe as the “strongest new-generation literary idol” and the “80s-born ideological pioneer,” showering him with praise.

If it had stopped there, it wouldn’t have been so bad. But the editors at Jilin Daily, perhaps having a habit of taking potshots, couldn’t resist one last jab—criticizing him for being “neither literary nor scholarly,” saying he couldn’t compare to our boy Fang.

They used Han Han as a stepping stone to elevate their own status.

Naturally, Shanghai media wouldn’t stand for it. Why should they be bound and then cut loose at others’ whims?

Though Han Han was just a kid from the suburbs, no way could they let those country bumpkins stomp on him!

So, the usually aloof Shanghai media turned around and latched onto Fang Xinghe, holding on tight and refusing to let go.

Since they were riding on his coattails, every time they mentioned Han Han, they had to include Fang Xinghe. Eventually, bizarrely, this association developed into emotional ties, becoming a professional compulsion to mention both together...

Han Han himself was probably a bit frustrated. Finally, tempted by the “first headline on the Oriental Online Newspaper,” he agreed to a face-to-face interview.

The conversation started pleasantly, then the reporter asked: “Han Han, many people wonder—do you dislike studying, or are you really incapable of it?”

Without much thought, the 16-year-old Han Han replied arrogantly:

“That was in the second year of middle school. Once, I did quite well on an exam, averaging about 91 points per subject. I thought I’d at least rank in the top twenty, but I ended up forty-third in the class.

Since then, I suddenly felt it was pointless and gave up trying to be a teacher’s favorite student.

So it’s not that I can’t learn; I just don’t want to compete for first place in something I’m not interested in.”

Then the assassin’s mask slipped, delivering a sharp strike.

“So actually, you did try, but you simply don’t have the talent like Fang Xinghe, who can effortlessly study his way to first in the province. Realizing you can never beat those geniuses, you gave up trying in this area?”

Han Han immediately got angry.

He was a genuine 16-year-old boy, not some old wannabe child like Fang Xinghe.

“I didn’t give up because of anyone else, but because I thought it was meaningless!”

The reporter rejoiced, pressing further:

“But studying itself is meaningful! Haven’t you read Fang Xinghe’s new articles? He adds more value to himself so that life will be better later. Otherwise, what if you can’t even finish high school?”

Han Han blurted out: “I can support myself by writing books!”

“But where are your books? Fang Xinghe’s first novel is finished and being finalized, probably coming out soon...”

Han Han panicked and jumped right in: “My book is almost finished, too!”

The reporter pressed on: “So they’re about the same period? Aren’t you afraid to compete with Fang Xinghe? By the quality of published essays, you still have some distance.”

Damn!

What a terrible reporter!

Han Han was starting to realize this, but he couldn’t back down now. How could a big kid admit defeat in this situation?

So he grit his teeth and replied: “I’m not afraid to compete with anyone, and I don’t think I’m behind anyone!”

The headline Oriental Online published was outrageously provocative:

“Han Han: I’m Stronger Than Fang Xinghe—Don’t Believe It? Face Me and Find Out!”

The subtitle was even more dramatic:

“Han Han’s New Book Finalized, Vows to Compete with Fang Xinghe”

The introduction was pure hype:

“Han Han once boasted that among all Chinese-language writers, Qian Zhongshu ranks first, he is third. As for second? Whoever you like, just not Fang Xinghe. I have no gap with him; he can’t outrank me...”

After hearing the whole story, Fang Xinghe couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hahaha!”

“Don’t laugh, Han Han’s just not as mature as you...”

Li Qigang weakly tried to explain, but it didn’t help.

“Who’s the kid here?” Fang Xinghe asked with a smile.

“So, has his book finished? It’s better not to release them simultaneously, but one after the other is fine.”

Li Qigang was more embarrassed: “Almost finished. Renjun said that after he dropped out, this kid wrote a novel in under two months. But after the interview, he locked himself in his room, decided to rewrite it, and ended up with over 50 pages of useless drafts in two days...”

“Forget it, no hope.”

Fang Xinghe instantly lost all interest. Without joint hype, what use was the big brother?

Li cleared his throat: “I believe he can write a good work. Now with this motivation, it’s worth looking forward to...”

Fang Xinghe thought about it.

If the big brother wrote with this fire, maybe it’d be even better than "Triple Door" from his previous life?

The more successful the big brother, the more he pushes the younger brother forward. So Fang Xinghe sincerely wished him well.

“Okay, please tell him I’m waiting for the challenge!”

“Cough cough!”

Li Qigang started coughing again.

This kid was getting wilder by the day.

After chatting, Li asked about Fang Xinghe’s progress. “How’s your book? When do you plan to release it?”

“After the New Concept essay collection is out.”

Fang Xinghe answered lazily, “Or maybe when some unexpected incident happens...”

With the current heat, Fang Xinghe surely couldn’t catch up. The new book only had a rough ending framework, needing a second revision for polish.

Since the timeline would stretch, it was better to be patient and refine it well, while waiting for the next wave of attention.

“Unexpected incident?”

Li muttered twice, then hesitated: “A publisher friend suddenly asked me about your relationship with your relatives, whether there’s a big conflict? I didn’t mention your uncle, but I suspect your secret might not stay hidden much longer...”

Fang Xinghe’s heart stirred, sensing something unusual.

“If Shanghai publishers are asking, that means it’s spreading widely?”

“Not quite,” Li assured him. “My friend has wild connections and reliable sources. Other media rushing to interview you mainly focus on Xiao Han and the new book. Not many are really after your uncle.”

“One is enough.” Fang Xinghe chuckled softly. “You’re busy, I’ll ask around.”

He hung up and pondered a moment before calling Zhao Chunhua.

“Xinghe, didn’t you almost get into big trouble? Two reporters from Southern Metropolis Daily have already been to your place!”

Sister Zhao sounded anxious.

“I don’t know exactly where the rumor started, but the source is very reliable... what happened?”

Good, it was confirmed. The incident where Fang almost invited his uncle’s family to barbecue was finally about to be exposed.

“Nothing much.”

Fang Xinghe replied casually, “My mom left me a house that’s about to be demolished. My uncle came over causing trouble. I got angry, so one night I poured half a bucket of gasoline by the wall of his house to scare him.”

It was all true except for the last sentence.

Fang Xinghe knew how to play the journalism game, and played it better than the Southern faction for sure.

“What?!”

Zhao Chunhua was shocked. She had worked in the media frontline for years and was much more sensitive than Wang Yali.

“Was it a big deal? How many people know?”

“Not too big, but many know.”

Fang Xinghe thought a moment and added, “But not many are willing to reveal it.”

Zhao Chunhua gave up hope, speaking urgently and seriously: “You must get a big interview on a major platform as soon as possible to clarify everything carefully.

You don’t understand some media; once they get this kind of scoop, they won’t report objectively and calmly!

Xiao Fang, don’t pin your hopes on their professional ethics or morals. Human flesh buns are your own summary, and now is the best time for them to eat your ‘flesh bun’!”

“I know.”

Fang Xinghe looked at the nearly empty starlight panel, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“Slander, distortion, taking things out of context, rumors, framing, incrimination... all routine, nothing new.”

Zhao Chunhua exhaled in relief: “It’s good that you understand the seriousness. This isn’t like previous minor troubles. If it escalates, it will be devastating to your reputation.”

Is that so?

Fang Xinghe didn’t think so.

The fundamental logic of “reputation” was this—

In the current era, commercializing fame was very limited; only a good reputation could be converted into sufficient economic value. So once a public figure had an indelible stain, it was a serious blow.

The woman Fang admired most in show business was a perfect example.

After Grandma Xiaoqing came out of prison, she could only take minor roles in Hengdian, going from top star to less than livestock.

From a normal perspective, once Fang Xinghe was pinned down, his future would indeed suffer greatly.

But the question was...

Did the rules of today’s era really bind Fang Xinghe strongly?

Or more precisely, did he really need those resource holders to pick and choose based on “reputation”?

Clearly, no.

So he felt no fear, not the slightest. His heart was full of anticipation.

When it comes to playing the game of fame and infamy, Fang Xinghe was the expert.

And an indignant big brother was the best crowbar there was...