Chapter 29

In the afternoon.

Mom and Dad were taking a nap, and Zhang Ye was alone in his small room, surfing the internet. He logged into his newly registered Weibo account, which already had a verification badge. The radio station had applied for the verification for him due to work needs. The verification information read: "Zhang Ye, host of the cultural program 'Midnight Ghost Stories' on Beijing Radio Station." Every radio host needed a public platform to interact with listeners, promote their programs, and maintain their image, which was part of their job.

In this world, Weibo was not divided into Sina or Tencent; there was only one Weibo, and it was significantly different in meaning, though some details and functions were distinct. For example, there was no setting to display one's location, as it was to protect privacy.

"Hello, Teacher Zhang."

"Teacher Zhang, I really like your program."

"Ghost Blows Out the Light is so good to listen to, and the poems are so classic!"

"Offering various certificates, contact 1348763733 if you need them!"

"Ha ha, Teacher Zhang has Weibo too? I'm Xiaofang, let's follow each other."

There were about thirty private messages, mentions, and comments, including advertisements, colleagues from the radio station, and listeners.

Looking at the number of followers, there were only a little over two hundred. It was a new account, so it was normal to have few followers, and it would take a long time to build up. Zhang Ye replied to some of the important ones and followed a few colleagues. Then he browsed Weibo, finding it not very different from what he was used to. This was an important platform for promotion, and Zhang Ye took it seriously. After some thought, he decided to post his poems: "The Bird and the Fish," "A Generation," the untitled "If You Are Well, It Is a Sunny Day," and "The Seagull," which he had not yet published publicly.

The number of followers immediately increased!

And countless people were sharing his posts!

"Let the storm come more fiercely? So intense!"

"The Seagull is written so well! I love it!"

"I thought 'The Bird and the Fish' and 'A Generation' were already classics, but after reading 'The Seagull,' I felt so refreshed. I'm turning from a passerby to a fan!"

"If You Are Well, It Is a Sunny Day? So beautifully written!"

"Teacher Zhang has new poems? Amazing! I'm in awe!"

Zhang Ye even saw comments from some big V users, like Hu Fei, the famous program producer from CCTV, who also shared Zhang Ye's post: "I first liked Zhang Ye's novels; 'Ghost Blows Out the Light' is so innovative, completely different from other supernatural novels. Later, I read two of Teacher Zhang's poems, and I especially like 'A Generation.' It feels like it was written for our generation. Today, I read 'The Seagull,' which is a prose poem. I've seen hundreds, if not thousands, of prose poems in my life, but I never knew they could be written so elegantly and powerfully! I know Lao Yan, the deputy editor of the Beijing Times, and I think his comment is very accurate: 'Hundreds of years from now, people might not remember computers, mobile phones, or the once-famous stars, but they will never forget 'A Generation' and 'The Seagull.' I believe these poems will be passed down through generations.'"

Zhang Ye, of course, replied humbly: "Thank you, Teacher Hu, for your kind words. I'm not as noble and great as you say; they are just some humble works."

Hu Fei highly praised him: "Talent is something you might be born with. Some people work their whole lives and never have it, while others are born with it. Teacher Zhang is only twenty-three? My son is also twenty-two this year, and they are about the same age, but while Teacher Zhang has such cultural literacy, my son only knows how to play on his phone, sigh."

Some people commented below.

"My daughter is the same, always playing on her phone."

"Yes, young people today can't live without their phones. They even hold them while eating and chatting."

Seeing this, Zhang Ye also commented, using a popular internet phrase from his world: "The greatest distance in the world is not between the bird and the fish, but when I stand in front of you, and you are playing on your phone."

"Ha!"

"Ha ha! I'm laughing so hard!"

"Teacher Zhang is so playful!"

"I didn't expect Teacher Zhang to be so humorous! He's a ghost story host and a poet, and I thought he would be very serious!"

"Surprising turn of events!"

CCTV's program producer Hu Fei also laughed and sent a smiley face: "I'll show this to my son later!"

With Zhang Ye leading the way, many netizens started to adapt "The Bird and the Fish" on their own, like "The greatest distance is not having toilet paper when you need it," and "A Generation" was not spared either, with adaptations like "The darkness gave me black eyes, but I use them to watch movies." If other poets saw their poems being altered so much, they would be angry, but Zhang Ye was not. Instead, he joined in the fun, showing a strong spirit of self-deprecation, which won him many netizens' favor.

"Teacher Zhang is so approachable!"

"This is the demeanor of a great writer!"

"+1! Support Teacher Zhang in creating more great works!"

...

At the same time.

Tian Bin was also off today. His program had been taken over, and he now had about three days off a week. With nothing much to do at work, he was feeling frustrated and drinking alone at home while browsing Weibo. He saw Zhang Ye interacting enthusiastically with netizens, not only blending in but also seeing his followers increase rapidly, reaching several thousand in just one day, almost catching up to Tian Bin's twenty thousand followers. Seeing this, Tian Bin's mood became even more unbalanced, and he exploded!

Improvised creation?

Spouting classic poems?

Tian Bin never believed Zhang Ye could have such talent and harbored resentment. Without changing his Weibo account, he posted on his verified official Weibo: "Some people can only jump for a while, not forever. Don't be too pleased with yourself, and don't use underhanded tactics, or you'll regret it!" He didn't mention anyone by name, but anyone with eyes could see he was targeting Zhang Ye, as his Weibo verification had changed to "Former host of 'Midnight Ghost Stories'" after Zhang Ye's official verification.

Tian Bin also had followers. Some liked Zhang Ye's hosting style, but others preferred Tian Bin's. When they saw Tian Bin's post, many of his fans immediately understood who he was talking about and started to attack Zhang Ye on Weibo!

"Using underhanded tactics?"

"Turns out Zhang Ye got his position this way!"

"Teacher Tian is right; I don't like Zhang Ye's program either. It's trash!"

On the other side, Zhang Ye was unaware of the situation. He had just gone to the living room for a glass of water and returned to see many insults on Weibo!

"Zhang Ye, you stupid pig!"

"Boycott Zhang Ye!"

"What a trashy program! Stop broadcasting it!"

"Right! Let Teacher Tian host 'Midnight Ghost Stories' again!"

Zhang Ye traced the source and found Tian Bin's official Weibo post, which made him laugh in anger. Are you looking for trouble? Daring to call me a villain in public?

Before Zhang Ye could say anything, his fans and some onlookers had already started to counterattack Tian Bin on Weibo!

"How can there be such a despicable person in the world?"

"Publicly insulting colleagues on Weibo? Who's the real villain here?"

"Just because Teacher Zhang's writing is better than yours, so he replaced your program. If you're not satisfied, take it back. Are you saying you can only insult people behind their backs?"

"Really funny, and there are still people cheering for you? You just like to insult others?"

At this moment, the program producer Hu Fei, who had just interacted with Zhang Ye on Weibo, also came to his aid, posting: "A person should have some tolerance. Don't try to bring others down just because they are better than you. It's laughable, and anyone with a bit of intelligence can see what's going on!"

The two sides started a war of words!

Weibo suddenly became lively!

"Son, come out and eat some fruit!" Mom woke up from her nap and called him from outside the room.

Zhang Ye had no appetite. "I'm not eating. I have something to deal with."

Mom came in. "What's going on? Eat first, then work."

Zhang Ye stared at the computer. "I can't eat. A colleague is using an official verified Weibo account to insult me, and it's having a very bad impact. I need to handle it."

Mom was also angry. "Daring to insult my son? This little bastard! But don't insult him. He doesn't care, but we need to be mindful of our image, especially now that our status is different."

"I understand. You go back." Zhang Ye saw that Tian Bin had posted another comment.

Tian Bin: "Character is more important than talent!"

Zhang Ye laughed coldly and replied, "How is my character bad, Teacher Tian? Please explain!"

Tian Bin's tone was mysterious: "You really don't know? Okay, hehe."

Zhang Ye: "Don't mislead everyone with your ambiguous tone. If I did something wrong, you can say it. I want to hear it too!"

Tian Bin sneered: "You know what kind of character you have!"

Zhang Ye, furious, replied, "I really don't understand. I can put everything on the table. I've always acted with a clear conscience. Your vague tone just makes you look weak."

Tian Bin: "Hehe, a villain is a villain."

...

At Beijing Radio Station.

In the cultural frequency office, many people were working today.

A DJ from a midday program suddenly shouted, "Hey, look at Weibo! Something's happening! Tian Bin and Zhang Ye are arguing!"

"What? What's going on?"

"Arguing? Let me see!"

"Oh, Teacher Tian is..."

"What's wrong with Tian Bin? How can he talk like that!"

"Especially using a verified Weibo account. This is so bad for the station's image. Listeners will think something is wrong!"

Several senior colleagues were very unhappy, Wang Xiaomei frowned, and Xiaofang was furious!

"I'll go tell the boss!"

"Who can call Tian Bin and Zhang Ye? Tell them to stop arguing and delete the posts!"

...

The phone rang.

Zhang Ye saw the number; it was Teacher Feng from the Old and Young Storytelling program. He answered, and Teacher Feng said, "Zhang, delete your Weibo post. Director Zhao knows about this and is furious. He wants you to stop. This is having a bad impact on the station. Someone is also talking to Tian Bin. Calm down, and we can discuss this tomorrow at work."

Zhang Ye, angry, replied, "I've been insulted by Tian Bin and his fans all day. I haven't said a single insulting word or made any false accusations. You want me to calm down? I haven't said anything extra. I just want Tian Bin to explain why he thinks my character is bad and why I'm a villain."

Teacher Feng said, "Look at your temper. Don't get angry with me. Calm down. I'm not saying you're wrong, but you need to be patient."

"Teacher Feng, I'm not angry at you. I understand." Zhang Ye said, not really upset. Among all the hosts and presenters, he had the best impression of Teacher Feng, who was experienced, humble, and kind. Zhang Ye wouldn't be angry with him.

"That's good. It's best to calm down." Teacher Feng hung up.

However, as soon as he put down the phone, Zhang Ye laughed coldly at the computer. Although he had promised Teacher Feng to calm down, he had no intention of doing so. Delete Weibo? Stay silent? Tian Bin had already said such things; how could he stay silent?

Tian Bin's fans were still attacking him.

"Look, Zhang Ye isn't saying anything now."

"Hehe, he's been scared into silence!"

"Stupid is stupid! A new person dares to take an old person's position!"

"I feel so sorry for Teacher Tian! To encounter such an arrogant person!"

"Everyone, keep insulting him! Flood the comments! Don't hold back! Stand up for Teacher Tian!"

Tian Bin occasionally stirred the pot, inciting everyone's emotions. He didn't curse himself, but he could incite his fans to do so!

Some of those insulting Zhang Ye were unaware of the truth, thinking Tian Bin was wronged by Zhang Ye. Most were just joining in the fun. The internet is an open platform, and some people just like to insult others. They didn't care about the facts; they just wanted to insult first. They believed Zhang Ye wouldn't dare to insult them back, as he was a public figure and had to be mindful of his words. This made the troublemakers even more brazen, finding it satisfying to insult someone with a higher status and achievements.

Afraid to respond?

Yes, maybe most radio hosts would be, but Zhang Ye was not one of them. They didn't understand his temperament!

Insulting me for no reason?

Stepping on me repeatedly?

He knew what kind of environment the internet was, especially in this case, where there was no right or wrong. It was just a pure insult battle. It wasn't about who was right; it was about who was stronger and more combative. Fine! Today, I'll have a good fight with you! Insulting, is it? Do you really think I can't do it? Am I afraid of you?