Chapter 299: I have a great scholar to argue for me
After leaving the airport, the group separated.

The band's work was temporarily over and they all went home to rest.

During the few days that Nilukzi was in Japan, she basically only slept five or six hours a day. She was either on a show or on the way to a show. Now that she is back in China, she can finally have a good rest for a while.

Cheng Cheng got into Li Zhuo's car.

Li Zhuo came to pick her up personally. In the car, Li Zhuo talked about what had happened recently.

The first is the schedules, activities, announcements, endorsements, and film contracts of each artist under the company.

The second is the projects that Shinhwa Company is currently showing and filming.

"Wulin Waijia" has come to an end.

"The Masked Singer Season 2" started off with a bang and received rave reviews.

"The Great Chen Qianqian" has passed the review and is currently in the promotion and distribution stage, with the release date scheduled for July 7.

The filming of "Love Apartment" has been completed by three-fifths and is expected to be wrapped up in mid-July.

The crew of "Underground Traffic Station" has been formed and is currently in closed training.

Cheng Cheng has already started shooting two of the four film copyrights he bought from the Cannes Film Festival, and is still forming crews for the other two. The actors are also gaining weight for their roles.

It can be said that the actors under Shinhwa Company are working at full capacity and none of them are idle.

Cheng Cheng is very satisfied with Li Zhuo's work. The development of Shinhwa Company today is inseparable from Li Zhuo's efforts and abilities.

Li Zhuo said seriously, "There is another thing that just happened. In Serbia, the CEO of Century Weekly made some remarks during an interview. They are related to us and have caused a lot of debate on the Internet at home and abroad."

"What did he say?" After getting off the plane, Cheng Cheng still didn't look at his phone.

Li Zhuo summarized the information she had learned with Cheng Cheng.

After hearing this, Cheng Cheng was also very puzzled.

If he is not chosen as Person of the Year, then he is not chosen as Person of the Year. He did not ask for it, or rather, he did not even know what Century Magazine was before. Century Magazine had nothing to do with him.

What did the CEO of Century Magazine mention when he was interviewed by the media?
Is it a shame?
Li Zhuo said: "Look at your phone. We have been ridiculed in the US media. Many Serbian netizens have said they have never heard of us. Some netizens in China have also taken advantage of the issue to make more comments."

"it is good."

Cheng Cheng opened Weibo and the entry about him was at the top of the list.

He clicked on it and found a post among the comments supporting him. The content said:
“Although his words are direct, they are not entirely unreasonable.

The annual person selection should indeed pay more attention to people who have a profound impact on the world.

Although Cheng Cheng has achieved certain success in the entertainment industry, let's be fair, everyone, does he really meet the selection criteria for Century Weekly's Person of the Year?

As an authoritative media, Century Weekly focuses more on contributions in the fields of society, science and technology, and politics.

We can't blindly support Cheng Cheng just because he is from Tianxia and East Asia!

If he was really named Century Magazine's Person of the Year, wouldn't that be harmful to him?

I really don't understand how such a casual remark could cause such a big controversy. I think people really have some cultural inferiority complex, and some netizens' emotional reactions are too intense, falling into the vortex of nationalism. As rational members of society, we should jump out of this narrow perspective. We are not only Tianxia citizens, but also international citizens.

All netizens should learn to relax and not be so sensitive all the time.
I even think we should thank him, because his doubts are completely reasonable and he has inspired us to reflect."

Under this post, there is also a group of supporters:
"The light of reason!"

"You are the only rational person I see on Weibo."

"I totally agree with the original poster's point of view! I learned a lot!"

"Yes, sometimes doubts from the outside world are not a bad thing. They are like a mirror, allowing us to see our own shortcomings and areas for improvement. Although Mr. Jonathan's remarks were direct, they did arouse our reflection and discussion."

"The author of this post should be careful of being criticized. There are too many extreme people nowadays."

"I feel helpless."

"There are not many people as clear-headed as the OP. Looking at the world and feeling compassion for the world, it is easy to get depressed."

Cheng Cheng was calm and clicked on the post that copied the comments of the Serbian netizens. What he saw was a screen full of ridicule:
"Who is Cheng Cheng?"

"I'd never heard of the name before, and to be honest, I haven't kept up with any East Asian movies, TV shows, or music. It's just not my thing. From an entertainment perspective, their stuff feels dated."

"I heard that Tianxia's fans are more fanatical than Hollywood's. For a while, they paid someone named Xia Ming to get on the Billboard charts. It was said that this made him even more popular in his hometown. So, is Cheng Cheng trying the same strategy?"

"I often see celebrities in Times Square. The level of obsession is shocking. That's why I always have a slight aversion to them."

"People in Tianxia would think that if Crana could be on Century Weekly's Person of the Year list, would Cheng Cheng be able to do the same? This is not a list you can buy."

"The Tianxia people are really confident. If they want to be on Century Weekly, they should surpass us first."

"I'm glad you didn't agree to that. If that happened, I might have to stop buying Time magazine altogether."

“Of course, this is the right choice.”

After reading it, Cheng Cheng quit Weibo.

What's strange is that this time, I read the bad reviews about him on the Internet, and the remarks of some reflective "rationalists".

He wasn't angry at all.

Li Zhuo observed Cheng Cheng's reaction and asked carefully:

"Boss Cheng, what do you think?"

Cheng Cheng said: "The instigator of this incident is the executive of Century Weekly, mixed with some foreign-worshipping dogs who are trying to fish in troubled waters. They make seemingly rational and objective statements, but in fact they are still using the same old tricks, distorting facts and changing concepts. It's not surprising."

Li Zhuo asked: "What should we do? Should we sue them?"

"No need." Cheng Cheng shook his head, his eyes gleaming. "In the final analysis, I'm not strong enough. If it was a Hollywood star, would they still do this? If it was a Hollywood star, would the foreign admirers in China still clamor?
It’s impossible to sue someone!

Block their accounts! Their bodies still exist!
Even if the physical body is destroyed, there will be more than one or two foreign-loving dogs.

What can really break their spiritual backbone is to let them watch me defeat them and their masters in their fields, and become the strongest in their fields! Become a true world superstar.

By then, the executives at Century will be begging me to be their Person of the Year.

Those Serbian guys will swallow what they said today and pretend nothing happened.

It just so happens that we don’t have to wait much longer. The filming of Resident Evil is about to start. I am even more looking forward to using the box office to slap them in the face. No matter how they scold me today, they will spend money on me tomorrow.”

Li Zhuo: "So we're not going to do anything now?"

Cheng Cheng smiled and said:

"It's not like I'm doing nothing. Just because I don't do anything doesn't mean others won't do it. We'll just have to wait and see. Let the bullets fly for a while~"

Li Zhuo liked Cheng Cheng's unparalleled self-confidence. She felt a little hot, and her beautiful legs in black stockings rubbed against each other. She glanced at Cheng Cheng with seductive eyes and said, "Boss Cheng, how about we go to my house first?"

"Okay, let's go to your house then."

Li Zhuo drove the car, changing lanes from the road leading to the company to another road.

-

"I'm really sick of people like you. How does Cheng Cheng not meet the criteria for the Person of the Year? Just because he wrote The Little Prince and founded the Little Prince Children's Care Fund, how is he not qualified to be on Century Weekly? You don't think Cheng Cheng's influence is limited to entertainment, do you? Do you know what cultural output is? Do you know what cultural soft power is?"

“I’ll just say three words: The Internationale!”

“Review: Crana is not as good as The Internationale!”

"The Reflection Monster is coming!"

"To be honest, the three previous Century Weekly Person of the Year combined are not as great as Cheng Cheng's contribution alone. Cleaning up the domestic entertainment industry is one of them, right? Firing the first shot against rumors and slander is one of them, right? Setting up a charity fund is one of them, right? Filling his works with empathy and understanding for ordinary people is one of them, right? The Three One Plan, giving newcomers opportunities without asking for anything in return, is one of them, right? Which of these is not a great achievement for generations to come?"

"You're pretending to be sober, and you're saying that Century Magazine focuses more on contributions in the fields of society, technology, and politics. Are you kidding me? Does Century Magazine know that you're praising it like this? Can't you see last year's Person of the Year, Krina?"

"It's cultural inferiority. It's nationalism. It's world citizenship. It's insensitive. I've let you do it all!"

The Chinese Internet was in chaos.

Although most of them spoke up for Cheng Cheng, there were also some stupid ones that made netizens feel uncomfortable as if they had eaten fly shit.

But at this moment, an article published by Japanese media came out of nowhere with the title:
In Neon, even Crana can't top the music charts

“Japanese people used to like European and American musicians, which was part of our worship of Western culture, but now things have changed.

Nowadays, Chinese pop songs, which are the opposite of Western styles, are becoming more and more popular in Japan. Even the songs of Serbian pop music queen Krina do not sell well in Japan, even though her tour in Kyoto in February made headlines.

The author interviewed a number of college students.

A 23-year-old graduate student told:

'I don't listen to western music anymore, it's just natural because I'm always following the trends. I like to listen to Tianxia pop music when I'm commuting or at home, and my playlist is full of songs by Cheng Cheng and Peninsula pop groups like PK.'

In 2021, no Western song made it into Neon Zone's annual 100 songs list.

Western music only accounts for 0.3% of the weekly chart of the Neon Hot 2008, while this proportion was as high as 29.8% in .

On the contrary, with the increase of Tianxia pop music, Tianxia pop songs accounted for 2022% of the top 6.2 songs in Japan in 3.8, surpassing the % of Western songs for the first time. All of this is due to Cheng Cheng's surging appeal and his emphasis on Japan. He can write Japanese songs, but Krina can't. He can speak Japanese fluently, but Krina can't.

Naturally, we like Cheng Cheng more because he cares about us and values ​​us. Moreover, as we are from the same East Asian cultural circle, we can understand and like Cheng Cheng's works better.

The author conducted a survey on the streets of Neon, and the survey showed that among young people aged 16-35, 75% liked Cheng Cheng better than Crane, 10% thought they were incomparable or equal, and only 15% liked Crane better than Cheng Cheng.
The influence of Western culture on Neon is rapidly diminishing.”

Once this report was released, it was almost no longer a hint!

It’s a clear indication!
Openly supporting Cheng Cheng.

Didn't you say that Cheng Cheng, as a East Asian star, was not qualified to be on Century Weekly? Then let's compare it with the last person of the year on Century Weekly. She is not as popular as Cheng Cheng in Japan!
We have long stopped listening to your European and American songs! Now we listen to Chinese songs instead!
In addition to Japanese media, Peninsula media also responded quickly and published articles.

The content is pretty much the same:

1. Condemn the discriminatory behavior of the CEO of Century Magazine.

2. State the contributions made by Cheng Cheng and support him.

Seeing the reactions of these two countries, Tianxia netizens smiled!

Wow, this is truly the most united the three East Asian countries have ever been!

The three countries that usually curse at each other and look down on each other actually have a day to unite against the outside world!
Of course, this has something to do with Cheng Cheng's strong appeal and the outspokenness of the CEO of Century Weekly. If you want him to scold Cheng Cheng, then just scold Cheng Cheng, but he has to add the prefix of "East Asian star" in front of it.

Doesn't he know how many countries there are in East Asia?
Not only Tianxia, ​​Peninsula, Neon, and the Three Kingdoms, but even Thailand, Temasek, Eros, and some European countries have come out to criticize the CEO of Century Weekly, saying that his remarks were suspected of racial discrimination.

For a time, the official account of Century Weekly and Jonathan’s personal account were filled with insults.

Among them, the languages ​​of Tianxia, ​​Peninsula and Neon are the most.

For a moment, Jonathan was numb!
This damn thing has stirred up a hornet's nest?
Internet users in Serbia were also dumbfounded.

What's going on? Is this a call?

How come in just a short while, the comments section has already exceeded 100,000? I checked again and it exceeded 1 million again!
The netizens in Serbia have all vaguely realized that Cheng Cheng, whom they had ridiculed before, does not seem to be a simple person! He seems to have a strong appeal in East Asian countries.

Jonathan also discovered that he seemed to have really spoken out of turn.

Day two.

Century Weekly Office Building, office.

Jonathan rubbed his brows, looking anxious.

Things are escalating. Now the company's directors have called to scold him. He did not sleep well last night. His personal comment section has been filled with insults. Now there are people scolding him in Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

He couldn't understand it. Didn't he just tease Cheng Cheng a little?
Is this necessary?

He made a phone call and handed Huang Zheng over to his office.

Huang Zheng walked into the office, lowered his head, and tried his best to hide his smile.

To be honest, he is now somewhat gloating and secretly happy:

Damn it, you deserve to look down on Cheng Cheng! Yesterday, I explained the benefits of selecting Cheng Cheng as the Person of the Year. Not only can we use Cheng Cheng to expand the influence of Century Weekly in the East Asian world, but we can also enhance the value of Century Weekly.

In the end you didn't listen!
Not only did he not give me any face, he was unwilling to understand me and even promoted white supremacy. Now he is being honest, right? He got scolded, right?
Of course, Huang Zheng also had to thank Jonathan for his outspokenness. If it weren't for Jonathan's outspokenness and his nonsense in front of the media, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to vent his anger. Jonathan's scolding of Huang Zheng in the office would have been in vain, and Huang Zheng really couldn't do anything about him.

Huang Zheng guessed that Jonathan must be facing multiple pressures now.

One is the pressure from the company's board of directors, and the other is the pressure from public opinion.

Although the vast majority of Century Weekly's sales are in Western countries, it does not mean that it is not sold in East Asia. Every year, 10% to 20% of Century Weekly's sales are in East Asia.

The Serbian government also gave great support to Century Weekly.

But where does this support come from?
This is not without foundation.

It is nothing more than public opinion hegemony over East Asian countries!

Just like the Nobel Prize, which is a golden signboard in the eyes of East Asian countries, Century Weekly is the Nobel Prize in the magazine industry.

But now, East Asian countries have begun to question and oppose Century Weekly. This is absolutely fatal to Century Weekly and will damage its foundation.

Jonathan said dejectedly:

"John, I'm sorry for what I said to you yesterday. I went back and learned more about Cheng Cheng, and I found that I was indeed short-sighted. Tell me, what should we do in the current situation?"

Huang Zhengdao:
"Honatan, let me say this, this could have been avoided, it didn't have to happen."

Jonathan said helplessly:

"I know, but it has already happened. I asked you to come here to ask for help. Public opinion is very unfavorable to us now. You are Chinese and you understand Tianxia culture. Please tell me what we should do now?"

Huang Zheng's heart was filled with a sense of revenge.

Jonathan was also feeling a little aggrieved. He was thinking about firing Huang Zheng yesterday, but he didn't expect that he would have to ask him for help now.

Huang Zheng was happy, but he was still a dedicated and responsible person. He analyzed seriously:
"Honatan, Cheng Cheng has a huge number of fans, and his fan base is very terrifying. If fans of other stars still have a little rationality, then Cheng Cheng's fans definitely don't have any rationality.

Normally, they regard themselves as mentally ill, and it is normal for them to go crazy at any time and anywhere, not to mention that Cheng Cheng has been insulted now.

Don't think about playing dead and trying to get away with it. They will never let you go. "

Jonathan cried, what the hell had he gotten himself into trouble with.

He said: "I didn't intend to play dead, I wanted to solve the problem head on."

Huang Zheng: "Listen to me, your question not only expresses disdain for Cheng Cheng, but also carries the prefix of East Asian star. Now in the entire East Asian country, as long as the netizens who can access the Internet, they all hate us very much.

However, there is a solution. I will give you a three-step solution. As long as you follow my solution, I guarantee that I can calm public opinion."

Jonathan's eyes lit up: "John, go ahead."

Huang Zheng stretched out his finger and said:
"First, publicly apologize, apologize to the people of East Asia, apologize to Sung Cheng, apologize to Sung Cheng's fans, apologize to all those who were hurt, and admit that you spoke without restraint.

Second, he admitted that his view on Cheng Cheng was biased. After being scolded by netizens, he took a deeper look at Cheng Cheng's information and found that he did meet the criteria for Person of the Year. He said that he would include him in the candidate list for Person of the Year 2022.

Third, I made it clear that this was just my personal behavior and had nothing to do with the company. I promised to reflect on it, never do it again, and accept all criticisms. "

"No no no!"

When he heard the second one, Jonathan started shaking his head wildly.

He said:

"No, Cheng Cheng cannot be included in the list of candidates. Apart from this, everything else can be done."

Huang Zheng frowned and said angrily:

"Why? You still don't admit that Cheng Cheng is qualified to be the Person of the Year? Haven't you already done your research?"

Jonathan said: "I understand, but no, absolutely not!"

Huang Zheng was puzzled:

"Why not? You know, this is the key to your apology. If you don't apologize for this, and only apologize for one, three or two things, Cheng Cheng's fans and East Asians won't buy it! It won't help at all! They will just think that what we said is meaningless and that we are just talking for nothing, do you understand? They should still scold us! We have to pay some price to get their forgiveness, because this is our fault in the first place."

Jonathan still shook his head and said stubbornly:
"No, if we include him in the candidate list, doesn't that mean Century Weekly has compromised? Doesn't that mean we are bowing to the East Asians?"

Huang Zheng opened his eyes wide and said absentmindedly:
"Aren't we compromising now? Aren't we bowing our heads? If you hadn't compromised and bowed your head, then why would you ask me for advice? Aren't you preparing to apologize?"

"That's different," Jonathan said. "How can it be the same? An apology is an apology, and inclusion in the candidate list is inclusion in the candidate list."

Huang Zheng understood.

Honatan was looking for a way to apologize without paying a price.

He is still arrogant! Still arrogant!

Jonathan defended himself, "John, what I said was right. Think about it, now on the Internet in Serbia, many people hold the same view because of what I said, and think that Cheng Cheng is not worthy of Century Weekly. If we announce that Cheng Cheng is on the candidate list now, what do you think they will think? They will quickly abandon us! They will think that we are afraid of being scolded and have no choice but to add Cheng Cheng, and then the fairness of Century Weekly will be completely lost."

"So what?" Huang Zheng asked, "So what do you want to do?"

Jonathan said:

"How about this? I will issue an apology specifically to Cheng Cheng and East Asians through Century Weekly's East Asian branch. We will also maintain the same attitude in the Serbian media. This way, neither side will be affected and we will achieve our goals. What do you think?"

Huang Zheng lost all desire to refute in an instant.

He didn't understand how Jonathan came up with this idea. Did he think East Asians didn't use the Internet? Why did Jonathan think he could fool two groups of people at the same time?

Now, Huang Zheng just wants to watch Jonathan go further and further down the road to death.

At the same time, Tianxia.

Li Zhuo said with some admiration: "So you were waiting for the bullets from Neon and Peninsula? Did you foresee that they would help us fight back against Century Weekly?"

Cheng Cheng said:
"Of course. Do you think I worked in Peninsula and Neon for nothing? If I still need to do everything for you, then I'm a failure. This is called: There are great scholars who will argue for me."

(End of this chapter)