Chapter 135: The Spring Festival Gala (3)

"No matter where we are, we will never forget that we are Block People!"

"Next, please enjoy 'My Motherland,' brought to us by the hardworking people of Residential District A."

"Authors: Qiao Yu, Liu Chi; Conveyor: Mo Fangyuan."

"A great river, wide and rippling."

"The wind blows, and the scent of rice blossoms fills both banks."

"My home lies right there upon the shore."

"I have grown accustomed to the boatman’s chant."

"..."

Having already experienced "The Strong Army Battle Song," the people were surprised, but no longer overly astonished.

"..."

"Please enjoy 'Me and My Motherland,' brought to us by the hardworking people of Residential District B."

"Author: Qin Yongcheng; Conveyor: Mo Fangyuan."

"My motherland and I can never be separated for even a moment; no matter where I go, a song of praise flows from my heart."

"I sing of every mountain, I sing of every river."

"The curling smoke from chimneys, the tiny village, the ruts upon the road..."

"..."

Compared to the previous two, this song felt even more resonant.

"This is what a song should be!" someone exclaimed involuntarily.

"I’ve spent half a lifetime singing, always thinking songs were just that—now it seems quite laughable."

"Old Li speaks the truth; it is my first time hearing such beautiful music as well..."

As they listened to the music, the crowd felt an ever-growing sense of identity with the Block Kingdom. This was exactly the effect Mo Fangyuan wanted. Using songs to propagate ideology and foster a deeper sense of national identity among the people—if this could be achieved, Mo Fangyuan's plan would be a success.

"The wave is the child of the sea; the sea is the reliance of the wave."

"Whenever the sea smiles, I become the vortex of that smile."

"I share the sea’s sorrows and share the sea’s joys..."

Performances continued on stage, while backstage, discussions regarding the logistics of the next activity were held with nervous intensity.

"What is a 'conveyor'? Why is His Majesty a 'conveyor'? I’ve never heard of these authors."

"Qin Yongcheng... I’ve never heard of such a strange name either..."

"Qiao Yu, Liu Chi... honestly, I’ve heard of people named Fang, Liu, and Wang, but never anyone named Qiao."

"Perhaps these creators were ancients from long ago!"

"..."

As one song ended and before the next began, people engaged in heated discussions about their questions. The most discussed topic was who the creators were and why His Majesty called himself a "conveyor." Everyone was curious about what kind of people could create such beautiful songs and wanted to understand why His Majesty labeled himself this way. Some had heard rumors that these songs were clearly created by His Majesty himself, which only fueled their confusion.

"Good years, good months, good country!"

"Good skies, good water, good development!"

"Next, please enjoy the play 'Good Days,' brought to us by the staff of the Civil Affairs Department."

"Teacher, why don't you include yourself as an author? I feel these songs were truly created by you!"

Jieweirong asked, his right hand gripping his ever-present notebook. He had memorized every historical record in the Block Kingdom and had constantly visited the grassroots, leading him to be certain that these songs were his teacher's original work. Historically, the living conditions of the Block People were often harsher than those of many current villages, and such an environment would not allow for the creation of this type of music. Patriotism requires a certain material foundation. Why his teacher would hide the fact that he was the creator was worth pondering. Given his teacher's current fame, announcing himself as the creator would only bring benefits, not harm...

"Because these songs were indeed not created by me..."

Mo Fangyuan’s pupils shimmered slightly as he gazed into the distance, as if trying to pierce through time and space to see the slowly rising Eastern sun—a sun so brilliant that it rendered the dim, Western lighthouses pale and insignificant. How could the mere light of a lighthouse compete with the sun and moon?

"However, in a sense, they are indeed my original work... in this world," Mo Fangyuan muttered to himself.

He was what people often called a "copyright purist." Because of this, he could not tolerate the fruits of someone else’s hard labor being stolen, especially when the thief profited from it and then boasted with a smug look, "Look how hard I worked! This is the result of my efforts!"

"Bah!"

Whenever he encountered such people, Mo Fangyuan would deal with them firmly. Yet, in his previous life, much of the entertainment industry promoted the "plagiarist" ideology that "stealing books is not considered stealing," a mindset Mo Fangyuan could never understand.

You steal someone else’s labor, gain fame and wealth, and that isn't enough; you go around showing off, even swaggering before the original creators, and worse yet, you start lecturing them! Such people cannot even be called human.

Returning to the matter at hand, it was precisely because Mo Fangyuan was a "copyright purist" that he credited the true creators. He would use and promote good things, carrying them forward, but he would not occupy what did not belong to him. Mo Fangyuan had his own bottom line, and not stealing the labor of others was one of them.

"These works are not mine, yet in a sense, they are. That is why I am a conveyor, responsible for spreading them..."

Mo Fangyuan began saying things Jieweirong could not understand.

"Teacher, I don't understand..." Jieweirong said with genuine sincerity. Honesty was an excellent traditional virtue of the Chinese people, and under Mo Fangyuan’s guidance, it was being spread to all the Block People.

"It’s okay, you will understand in the future." Mo Fangyuan offered no further explanation.

"Hey! Every day is a good day, booming and bright!"

"Hey! Every day is a new life, beautiful and full!"

The voices of the two actors performing in "Good Days" were loud and clear. The dark night was illuminated by lanterns; the entire Block Kingdom was brightly lit, standing out brilliantly against the darkness. This was civilization—at least in the eyes of the Block People.

The Spring Festival Gala in the central square continued in full swing.

"Fellow citizens! Greetings! I am the leader of the Kingdom, Mo Fangyuan."

As the event reached its third item, "Selecting Advanced Individuals," Mo Fangyuan had to take the stage.

"Long live His Majesty the King!"

Adults and children alike cheered with joy. Perhaps he wasn't handsome, perhaps he was even considered "ugly" by some... but an excellent leader is always charismatic, their every action capable of drawing attention and bringing courage and strength to the people.

"Greetings, fellow citizens! On this grand holiday, I wish you all that your hearts desire and that everything may go as you wish!"

Mo Fangyuan cupped his hands to the crowd below in a gesture of respect.