NOVEL WEB Chapter 356
Chapter 356: The Fang Universe Plan – Part One
The highly anticipated “Fang Universe Plan” product launch was held on the night of September 15th. This event invited many internet industry heavyweights, including the BAT trio, as well as numerous domestic media reporters.
Although Mei Fang had appeared in various private settings multiple times, this was his first time representing his entire business empire at an officially public event.
Mei Fang left a deep impression on many people, who usually only saw him in posters and videos.
In addition to the Fang Universe Plan’s poster, Mei Fang’s performance at the art festival, the shocking confession letter he wrote in Jiangchengshi No.1 High School, and the professional interview by Beijing Media about their childhood romance story, all contributed to forming a vague image of Boss Mei.
Since his childhood, he had been passionate about the gaming industry. As a middle school student, he created the legendary social game “Early Birds Fly First,” which garnered much attention. Later, he established C Station with his childhood friend Lin You Xi and sparked a storm of youthful love songs with Xia Yuan;
During this period, Lin Xi Technology, represented by C Station, Yuanxia Music, represented by music, and Ximilu Games, represented by games, gradually came into existence under Mei Fang’s guidance.
This young man, not yet 20 years old, might seem like just a neighborly handsome boy, but with the help of his childhood friends, they have continuously rewritten and created industry legends.
Although [Yuanbao] Xia Yuan and [Miss] Lin You Xi are also highly talked-about figures in their respective fields, there is no doubt that they have reached today’s heights through [Station Manager] Mei Fang’s guidance.
Mei Fang, who has a massive online presence, is actually quite mysterious and low-profile on social platforms, but the things he has done in both his career and personal life are remarkable.
Was his success in his career entirely due to his own achievements?
Although it was quickly revealed that his family background was not ordinary but rather that of the son of a bureau chief, a deputy director from a regular city doing unrelated work would hardly have an influence reaching his current status.
Regardless, as the most favored darling of capital in the current internet industry, everyone looked forward to seeing what experience Mei Fang would bring to this event.
As evening approached, many guests had already arrived, and Mei Fang was making final preparations backstage.
“Have you checked the PPT one more time?”
“No issues.”
“Are the lighting technicians all set?”
“Manager Mei, don’t worry!”
“What about the microphone equipment?”
“It’s all been adjusted.”
Mei Fang was preparing for the event when he noticed Uncle Chen Rui sitting beside him, dressed formally and closing his eyes, seemingly reciting something. Mei Fang walked over and patted his shoulder.
“What are you thinking about?” Mei Fang asked.
Uncle Chen Rui was startled by Mei Fang’s voice and smiled, touching his face, “I’m a bit nervous.”
“Uncle, you’re a seasoned veteran, and you’re nervous too?”
Mei Fang found it unbelievable, “Shouldn’t you have hosted many large-scale events like this before when you were with Hunter Mobile? Now you’re just responsible for explaining the ‘Fang Library.'”
“In fact, I’m quite socially anxious… after all, this is my first time hosting such a big project.”
“But you didn’t seem very nervous when hosting company meetings before…”
Chen Rui smiled and shook his head, “This is the first time I’ve stood on stage for a product launch of this caliber.”
Hearing this, Mei Fang suddenly felt relieved. It seemed even a top-tier figure like Chen Rui had a young and inexperienced side. His pressure eased considerably.
At that moment, Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi finished their makeup and entered the crowd, immediately spotting Mei Fang. They greeted him, and Mei Fang walked toward his two childhood friends:
“How are you feeling? Shouldn’t you be nervous?”
“I was a bit nervous, but seeing you two so cute made me feel better.”
“You always know how to flatter.”
Xia Yuan gently straightened Mei Fang’s tie, “This is our home court, there’s nothing to be worried about. Stay calm and show everyone our strength.”
Lin You Xi also adjusted Mei Fang’s earphone, but she didn’t say much. In such a public setting, she wouldn’t display too much intimacy with Mei Fang.
“Good luck.”
Lin You Xi whispered encouragement to Mei Fang, patting his shoulder, then said some words to him.
Rumors about Miss and Manager splitting up had spread internally within C Station recently, but since they were childhood friends who had known each other for many years, as long as it wasn’t a principle issue of infidelity and they parted ways amicably, people believed their friendship would continue.
However, it was clear that Miss and Manager now interacted mostly in a professional capacity (at least in public). This made the employees who supported Miss feel pained, while those who supported Yuan paid close attention to any signs of Manager and Yuanbao reuniting, waiting for the day of Fangyuan’s resurgence.
The rivalry between Yuan Party and Xi Party factions extended from online to offline universities and company offices, creating a drama that had always been a topic of discussion, maintaining everyone’s anticipation for their relationship development. Could this be considered indirect marketing?
Of course, this wasn’t part of Mei Fang’s original plan, and he himself was uncertain.
As the countdown neared its end, the Fang Universe Plan’s launch was about to begin.
While waiting for the countdown, Mei Fang’s mind flashed with memories like a revolving lantern.
How did I…
Gradually reach this stage?
This was a recent topic Xia Yuan had brought up with Mei Fang. Mei Fang remembered Xia Yuan mocking him when he first mentioned his dream of making money.
“Your dream is so boring!”
Without the aid of a system, the greatest advantage of a reborn person was experience.
But, almost only experience.
Experience could be knowing the outcomes of football bets, early investments in Bitcoin, early development in real estate, or investing in various stocks.
If Mei Fang focused his efforts on any one of these areas, he could live a life of luxury.
Sigh…
Making money alone would make this rebirth just another ordinary rags-to-riches story.
Money was indeed important to everyone.
But, it couldn’t be just about money.
Mei Fang was grateful for his unfulfilled dream of gaming and for having her and her companionship during this rebirth journey.
Reaching this point was definitely not solely his own effort.
Their mutual influence and the sparks between them shaped Mei Fang’s present—
Five, four, three, two, one!
A countdown appeared on the large screen, followed by a 3-minute promotional video displayed on the LED screen. The video started from the perspective of a child named Fang in the early 2000s, showcasing the growth of children in China over the past decade.
Of course, this promotional video was presented in a down-to-earth manner, telling the story of how Young Fang grew up with his childhood friend Yue, including elements like glass marbles, Xiaoxi cards, Xiao Bao learning machines, lollipops, origami cranes, wind-up frogs, and classic anime, manga, and web novels from childhood, leaving behind many beautiful memories.
Yue’s move away separated Fang and Yue, leading to a long period of silence. The scene turned dark, but unexpectedly, they reconnected in adulthood through a fan site.
The climax of the video showed their offline meeting. On either side of a slope, they noticed each other and began moving towards each other. The scene gradually transformed into a typical anime scene, with their figures becoming recognizable anime couples, ending with a sweet embrace and a flying hat kill.
Under the melody of cherry blossoms, the logo and slogan of the Fang Universe Plan appeared.
[Let our love transcend dimensions and mountains—Fang Universe Plan · Official Launch]
After the promotional video ended, amidst applause, Mei Fang, dressed in a student formal suit, emerged from beneath the LED screen—
The gesture Xia Yuan made earlier to adjust Mei Fang’s tie might have given the impression of a business attire, but in reality, Mei Fang was wearing the spring formal suit recently launched by Shenzhen University. This outfit maintained formality without forcing him to look overly mature.
Today, Mei Fang was undoubtedly full of youthful vigor yet retained the steadiness of a CEO.
Adjusting his earphones, Mei Fang smiled confidently, “Hello everyone, I’m Station Manager Mei Fang. Welcome to our Fang Universe product launch today.”
Upon finishing his words, the audience burst into laughter.
“I shouldn’t be wrong. Everyone here should be older than me, so calling us brothers and sisters or uncles and aunts isn’t inappropriate…”
Mei Fang intentionally leaned forward to listen, “Ah, you’re talking about Yuanbao and Miss? They’re both a year and a half older than me. When we were kids, they wanted me to call them big sisters.”
“In short, I can’t guarantee this will be the most exciting launch ever, but I can assure you it will leave a lasting impression on everyone.”
As he spoke, Mei Fang paced back and forth, “Over the past decade, I’ve pursued my passions while studying diligently, and somehow ended up here. There are many coincidences that seem like miracles. If I were to elaborate, it might waste your valuable time. We’ll chat about it in my autobiography when I retire, ha-ha.”
Behind Mei Fang, the giant LED screen switched to the first theme of the event.
“The concept of the Fang Universe Plan is not independent of my three companies. Actually, it encompasses all my ultimate dreams—a grand cradle. I hope that China’s secondary cultural industry can absorb the essence of Japan’s, thrive in local soil, and eventually become a renowned cultural export base.”
Laughter rippled through the crowd, but Mei Fang remained unfazed, explaining, “I know this sounds somewhat immature, but I think it’s romantic.”
“Since establishing C Station, we have been fostering a more relaxed and harmonious UGC model, guiding UP hosts to create content. Many people also hope for a broader UGC model. For example, I’m not good at editing videos, I’m socially anxious, or perhaps I want to express my views purely through text or illustrations—or light novels?”
A huge logo appeared behind Mei Fang.
“This is the first part of our Fang Universe Plan and the project we’ve invested the most energy in recently—Fang Library. Let’s have our true leader from C Station, Uncle Chen Rui, explain the strategic vision for this!”
Amidst applause, Uncle Chen Rui stepped out from backstage to take over and explain his strategic plans.
“Currently, most users in China still understand light novels as translated works from Japan. However, the light novels we understand are more suitable for young readers—light-hearted and enjoyable stories.”
“The distinctive feature of these novels is that they don’t require high reading thresholds. You read about things that could happen around you or are currently happening. You don’t need to compare with historical novels, nor do you need to understand basic scientific principles as you would with science fiction. We are light novels that anyone, especially young people, can enjoy and be moved by…”
Chen Rui explained the current development of Fang Library on stage.
The new main station of Fang Library has been preliminarily constructed and will start trial operations today.
In addition, taking advantage of the turmoil between Qidian Chinese Literature Network and Shengda Literature, Chen Rui recruited many experienced editors from the industry with high salaries. Naturally, this also brought along a large number of authors from these editors’ teams.
The new website offers numerous benefits, backed by the massive traffic of C Station. Currently, Shengda Literature is on shaky ground, and Yuetext hasn’t yet come into being. The industry is in a state of disarray, making this entry timing perfect.
However, previous light novels often couldn’t escape the writing style of translated Japanese light novels, resulting in a strong otaku flavor throughout the site. Writing novels that have enough influence to break out of the niche and avoid being just about eroticism will be the biggest challenge for Fang Library in the future.
(End of Chapter)