Chapter 416
A True Saint
Chapter 416 A True Saint
During the interview, the award-winning actor's performance wasn't over yet.
The beginning was all about showing off, so the ending should have brought it back down and added some emotional moments.
Don't think it's tacky; Americans love it.
"Excuse me, I have to go back now. Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
Fang Xinghe adopted an attitude of "I can't be bothered with you guys, I don't like hype at all," and kept trying to get rid of the media's entanglement.
That won't do.
The reporters present would definitely disagree. They had finally managed to catch him once, and even if they got beaten up, they had to ask all the questions they could.
"SR, could you tell me about Tommy's current condition? How is he?"
"very good."
"Great?!" the reporter exclaimed in horror. "But according to the information I found, ALS is a terminal illness!"
"so what?!"
Fang Xinghe suddenly turned around, stared at the questioner, his eyes slightly red.
"What do you want to know? I can't save him? Fine, I really can't save him, are you satisfied now?"
Star Real, who was so genuinely emotional, lost his composure in front of the media for the first time.
The reporters were deeply shocked.
However, no one sympathized with him; the hyenas only became more frenzied, trying harder to tear him apart.
“I’m sorry, that’s not what we meant. It’s certainly not your fault, we all know you’ve done your best. What I meant was, what are your true thoughts about his condition…”
The increasingly excited reporters asked increasingly cautious questions.
Fang sneered inwardly, but his expression remained indifferent, as if to say, "Whatever."
"He's fine. That's my honest opinion. Tommy's a man, he knows what he's going through and what he's going to face. As long as you don't bother him, I believe he can make his countdown go on bravely and beautifully."
So, I'll patiently answer your ridiculous questions here, so stop bothering him, okay?
"OK, OK, we definitely won't bother him anymore!"
The reporters readily agreed, but probably only a very few of them truly possessed such a sense of morality; most scoffed at the promises made.
With such a huge buzz, why shouldn't we eat it?
Just wait and see!
Fang Xinghe wasn't unaware of their thoughts; he simply didn't care, or perhaps he was simply looking forward to it.
Go ahead and try. You probably won't be able to interview the innocent Tommy. At most, you can only harass his parents, and those two adults certainly know how to respond.
How can this not be considered part of play?
……
As they got closer to the parking lot, the number of valuable and sensational questions dwindled, and the few remaining heavyweight media outlets grew increasingly anxious.
These are two professional entertainment print media outlets: Film Weekly and Star.
TNT News and Los Angeles News, two Taiwanese media outlets.
In addition, Yahoo! and YouTube are two online media outlets.
The tiger's beating was anything but elegant; when it got angry, it became very ruthless.
“SR, I believe you don’t need hype, but I also believe you must have ambitions for your film. Otherwise, you could have just quietly gone to Tommy’s door to surprise him instead of choosing this time.”
I mean no offense, but American netizens are very curious about your personality and thoughts. Could you perhaps elaborate a bit more?
Have they found another angle?
As expected, the American media are stubborn and won't give up so easily.
Unfortunately, this was no challenge for the cheater Fang Xinghe. After a brief thought, his response was extremely thorough and profound.
"When exactly I will visit Tommy is, of course, up to me."
I did consider, as in all previous cases, quietly giving him the money and setting aside a sufficiently quiet time to visit him at his home in a way that wouldn't disturb the outside world.
However, I think that the sudden appearance of Tommy right after he had just seen the hurricane, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, would be an even more stunning surprise.
Clearly, I succeeded. Tommy was exceptionally energetic and lively today, behaving like a real man. I'd call him Rambo Tommy.
Hahahaha...
Fang Xinghe raised his hand to suppress the laughter, and continued to speak eloquently like a compassionate saint.
"At the same time, public visits are also a powerful form of advocacy—advocacy for the rare disease ALS."
Every complex illness deserves wider attention from society, including Tommy and his parents, as well as all children with serious illnesses supported by the SR Charitable Foundation.
I can't save everyone by myself, but together we can—me, my starry sky, all the good people my influence can reach, and those who are already working tirelessly for the lives of others.
Our standing together is the miracle itself.
"Wow……"
The scene was in an uproar, and the holy light emanating from Fang Xinghe was so bright it was almost blinding.
A round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the sidelines, as reporters who had lost their chance to ask questions but didn't want to leave collectively offered their respect.
Regardless of whether it's true or not, the scene was touching.
Then someone inexplicably shouted, "SR, are you really not considering becoming a citizen? If you run for president in a few years, I'll definitely vote for you!"
That's outrageous, damn it!
However, after thinking about it carefully, Fang Xinghe felt that it really wasn't a dream.
After 2030, roughly four or five years from now, if he hasn't completely fallen out with the US by then, he might actually have a chance to serve two terms...
Alright, I dare not go into the more detailed reasons, but as long as you change your nationality, I'm afraid there is no country that wouldn't welcome you, Daddy Fang.
……
Film Weekly finally couldn't resist returning to a professional topic.
"SR, you haven't mentioned the movie once yet. Don't you care about Hurricane's box office at all?"
This was a somewhat insidious trap, which the online troll leader recognized immediately.
No, of course not.
Fang Xinghe immediately clarified.
"To be precise, I don't have a strong concern about the box office performance of Hurricane; it doesn't matter if it's lower or higher."
I will feel a great sense of accomplishment if everyone who has seen it thinks it is a good movie.
So I'm also working hard to promote it, hoping to encourage more people to go to the cinema.
Today's Tommy Surprise Battle event also has a promotional purpose, and I won't deny that.
Similarly, I won't deny that box office revenue is still somewhat important to me. If you have the opportunity, I hope you will see my movie for yourselves.
I won't use the money I earn for personal enjoyment; instead, I'll use it to help more children.
Star magazine pressed sharply: "You say you don't like to enjoy life, but you are already the only top-tier hedonist in the entertainment industry who owns a mansion, luxury cars, and a private jet at the same time."
"My friend, when have you ever heard of me throwing even a private party?"
"Forehead……"
Fang Xinghe's counter-question left the other party speechless.
The philanthropist chuckled and waved his hand: "Please keep company assets and personal wealth separate. Most of my personal wealth has been donated, a small portion is used to maintain the team, and less than 5% is used for living expenses."
I don't advocate excessive frugality, but I'm definitely not extravagant. You wouldn't imagine what my personal account balance has remained at year after year.
Unwittingly, Fang Xinghe left another hook.
Soon, the topic of speculating about SR's personal savings balance will naturally become a hot topic.
What constitutes a top-tier online troll army that transcends its time?
Go learn it, and you'll learn it without making a sound.
Next up, Los Angeles TV station strikes.
"What are your personal thoughts on the comparison between Hurricane and Lohan?"
Fang suddenly toned down his aggressiveness and praised his opponent. "Actually, Ocean's Thirteen is a decent heist film."
I've noticed the discussions among the public, and it's not really fair to directly compare a hurricane with a harbinger of calamity.
These are two movies with different modes, different points of enjoyment, and different values. I have my own style, and Luo Han has his own temperament.
Of course, from a personal perspective, the thirteenth Arhats did not meet my expectations. I am a fan of the eleventh Arhats, which is very cool, but the thirteenth Arhats failed to forge a new path, which is very regrettable.
But I still recommend to my fellow fans that if you want to try something different after watching Hurricane, both Ocean's and Pirate are good choices.
"Wow!"
The reporters were truly astonished. Who would have thought that Fang Xinghe would actually advertise for a competitor?
"You are so generous."
The reporter who asked the question expressed his sincere admiration immediately.
"This is nothing."
Fang Dadu Xinghe waved his hand, his smile revealing a gentle breeze and a humble heart.
"We are indeed rivals, but I prefer a fair and square victory."
Hurricanes and pirates are indeed qualified and have their own unique characteristics, so why not admit that?
No matter what happens, I will never tell my fans: "Don't watch my rival's movie, it's not worth it."
Because it is not necessary.
Fang Xinghe understands his fans too well. You can't stop casual fans; they can watch whatever they want. But you don't need to stop hardcore fans; if you persuade them to watch, they will see your rivals as mortal enemies.
So, this sounds nice, but it's actually completely useless.
Well, in this kind of situation, it's most important that it sounds good.
The reporters started clapping again, and then, the TNT host, who was last to ask a question, didn't.
Fang Xinghe greeted them warmly and said with a smile, "Thank you for your help. As agreed, I will provide your station with the video of Tommy and me today. I hope you can guide public opinion properly and prevent random people from disturbing their family."
TNT's host almost gave Fang Shen a military salute.
He is truly too kind!
……
"Star River is a true saint!"
On StarNet Weibo, a topic with an exclamation-like tone quickly soared to the top of the trending search list.
The topic originated from an article posted on the account by a reporter from Sun Entertainment News.
"If you watched this live stream through some channel, it's hard not to think that way."
Otherwise, you simply cannot explain why a super-rich person with a net worth of tens of billions would not enjoy a life of luxury, but instead spend every day on set doing grueling and thankless action scenes.
I didn't understand it at first, but now I suddenly understand—only saints have no greed for material things and genuinely have compassion for the world.
……
Because he was a saint, a saint in his early stages, he found it difficult to reconcile his contradictions with this corrupt world and had to frequently exhibit a state of stress in order to fight against malice.
This is the source of SR's intense aggression; the fault lies not with him, but with this filthy world.
......"
The article is quite long, but it can be simplified to just one sentence: It's all about my brother Fang bragging and making a big fuss.
This was certainly not Fang Xinghe's doing; to be honest, he had no chance of riding this wave of popularity.
If no one plays it for him, he will play it himself when he gets back.
But now, the internet is full of praise and flattery for him, so there's no need for Grandmaster Fang to personally intervene.
Well, a sky full of stars is enough.
Once the entire article is discovered by the first fan, it's bound to go viral.
"Yes, SR is a true saint!"
The passionate Starry Sky No. 1 liked the post, followed by the passionate Starry Sky No. N, charging towards their master's sixth trending topic today.
……
At 3 p.m., Fang Xinghe occupied six of the top ten trending topics.
Trending topic #1: Fang Xinghe spends a whopping $300 million on his fans!
Trending topic #3: SR is a true saint!
Trending topic #4: What is ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)?
Trending topic #6: I don't care about money.
Trending topic #7: Watching hurricane rescues for love.
Trending topic 9: Guess SR's personal savings balance?
Trending topic #13: SR suggests everyone check out Ocean's Thirteen.
……
It's clear that Warner Music bought the trending topic.
In the United States, it is illegal to buy trending topics directly from platforms, but it doesn't matter. You can find a commercial promotion company and have them hire netizens to search, forward, and comment on the topics themselves.
However, even though they spent money, the hashtag #SR recommends watching Arhat# failed to make it into the top ten because the remaining trending topics were just too hard to handle.
#PersonalDepositBalance# is a celebration for passersby.
The "bystanders" here refer to those who are neither concerned with hurricane rescue nor with charity.
It has to be admitted that there are quite a few people like this.
Their purpose is to maintain a consistent level of offline engagement. This lighthearted and fun topic is perfect for discussions at gatherings with friends and casual chats with colleagues, allowing for a slow and steady expansion of the community.
Over time, as people talk about it more, naturally some who were not originally part of the audience will go to the cinema out of curiosity.
This forms the potential box office foundation for the second half of Taken, which is of great significance.
#WatchingMoviesForLove# is the core theme of this marketing campaign.
It's only seventh now, but that's okay. Let the dust settle, and it'll eventually climb to number one and bring a huge influx of off-site tickets to Hurricane.
#I don't care about money# is personal marketing.
Fang Xinghe had previously told Nenxian that celebrities have three important aspects of image management: artistic image, personal image, and social image.
Not caring about money falls under the category of personal image.
This topic may pique the interest of some casual viewers, but that's not the point. Its core value lies in long-term image management.
Let it fade away after a couple of days of excitement, and bring it back when you need it again.
I've emphasized this several times: your father is an artist who is indifferent to fame and fortune.
#What is ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)?#
This is a charity skin, a prerequisite for the Ice Bucket Challenge, and also the core of social image management.
Americans buy into this. Take your time, I'm not in a rush.
#saint#
The core of personal image management, its obvious flaws, and the root of future controversies...
Now, it's the emotional tipping point.
In the future, it will guarantee popularity.
And... a huge pit that Fang Xinghe specifically dug for his opponents.
#Spending $300 million on fans#
A simple and crude way to boost trending topics; don't be fooled by its top ranking on the trending searches, it's actually the most hollow and superficial thing to do.
There's no way around it; capitalist societies love this kind of blatantly materialistic, rotten peach.
If this were in China, Fang Xinghe would definitely try to suppress this trending topic for the sake of long-term interests. But this is America, so let it be. Let them have their fun, I'll do my thing.
Actually, $300 million isn't a huge sum of money. The clever part is that the money was given to an ordinary fan for free, and coupled with Fang Xinghe's promise of "no upper limit," it was entirely a voluntary achievement.
Once this topic reaches the top, it will bring a continuous stream of traffic to other related topics, which will then be distributed downwards.
At this point, the matrix is complete, and the hurricane explosion is imminent.
June 2007 was known as Fang Xinghe's North American Sainthood Month.
(End of this chapter)