Chapter 456: Setting Sail Straight into the Boundless Sea

Chapter 456: I'll Set My Cloudlike Sail to Cross the Raging Sea

“Hello, everyone, I’m Meng Fan.”

After host Xiao Sa’s introduction, Meng Fan stepped out and greeted the audience, drawing thunderous applause. Xiao Sa, as Meng Fan appeared, stepped down to leave the stage to him.

“I think everyone here knows me, and the time you’ve known me is mostly within the past year. Some first got to know me through live streams of painting, some through live streams of running, and more through the Olympics. No matter how you came to know me, it’s all been concentrated in this year.”

In the end, Meng Fan abandoned the script, improvising on the basis of his original preparation—a freestyle, you might say. He used his natural voice, his whole demeanor relaxed and effortless, and his charm went without saying.

“Many people say that this past year I’ve been like a cheat code, bursting onto the scene and appearing before you out of nowhere. I remember there was a post online dedicated to writing about how I cheated and turned my life around. The title was something like ‘From a Fat Otaku to Olympic Five-Gold King: A Fatty’s Comeback.’”

“Actually, I don’t really count as a comeback, nor should I be seen as a symbol of a successful turnaround, and even less should I become the protagonist of countless chicken-soup articles. Even if I hadn’t changed so much this past year, I’d still be doing fine. I have a pretty good family, so I don’t have to worry about food, clothing, shelter, or transportation. I have a decent major and skills that let me live a fulfilling and dignified life. I have a big-star sister who gives me the chance to find my idols for meals and chats. I have many silly and adorable classmates from whom I can draw a fountain of joy.”

Meng Fan’s speech this time was very anti-chicken-soup. As for how much the show’s team would keep or cut, that was their business.

Of course, though he made clear he wasn’t a “comeback-style” positive-energy representative, he still had to offer some positive energy in other aspects.

“...Of course, I’ve been on a cheat code, and you’ve been on a cheat code too—or you can be!”

“My first cheat code is family. I think many people know I was born into a decent family. You could say I started with a cheat code from birth. But this cheat code isn’t just about a wealthy life; it’s more about the talents and family education my parents gave me. My mother paints traditional Chinese paintings, my father draws architectural blueprints. I grew up surrounded by piles of art. My mother would ‘force’ me to learn various brush techniques, and my father would ‘trick’ me into recognizing different blueprints. Though in the end I chose neither traditional painting nor architecture but comics, I built a very solid foundation in drawing skills as a child.”

“My second cheat code is mindset. Everyone knows this too: a year ago, I was a fat guy—a really fat guy. Maybe many friends here weigh half of what I did. This fatness of mine lasted quite a while, and during that time, my mindset was always pretty good. I ate when I should, drank when I should, slept when I should, and of course, I had fun when I should. But the most important thing is, no matter what situation you’re in, always remember: you still have to learn when it’s time to learn, accumulate when it’s time to accumulate, forever keep your interests, keep your passion, and put in the effort for them!”

“Speaking of effort, that’s actually a crucial part of my third cheat code—my third cheat code is dreams. Dreams—this is a cliché topic. As they say, people always need dreams. But what I want to say is that people must have dreams, and when it comes to dreams, you have to be a bit greedy. Dreams can be bigger, and they can be more numerous!”

“I have many big dreams, and they keep growing bigger and more numerous. For example, when I was little, I just wanted to be a manga artist. A bit older, I wanted to be a famous manga artist. Even older, I wanted to be a bestselling famous manga artist. A year ago, I wanted to be a manga artist with works published in Japan. Half a year ago, my dream grew bigger—I wanted to be a manga artist who could also be a bestseller in Japan. And now, my dream is for ‘Strange People of Mountains and Seas’ to enter Japan’s historical top ten!”

Saying this, Meng Fan didn’t forget to give himself a little plug.

“My dreams about comics have also multiplied. I’m not just thinking about being a manga artist anymore; I’m paying attention to other areas of the industry. For instance, I want to contribute to the animation of Chinese comics, dreaming that Chinese animation can stand at the top of the world, hoping that domestic comics can push open the doors of Japan and the West, so that children all over the world can have Chinese comics accompanying their childhoods! So, after receiving that huge endorsement fee, I invested in an animation studio, and I’ll also invest in a dubbing studio. I’ll keep pouring in funds, giving them more money to make more and better animations, to do my part in advancing the entire animation industry. It’s not about cutting a slice of the growing animation market, but about making that cake bigger and better!”

“There’s already one in production, adapted from my good friend Kun Ye’s novel ‘Spirits Underground.’ It’s already in post-production. I’ve finished my dubbing part, and I’ve invited famous musicians like Shi Shiwu and Jin Xiaowen to oversee the animation’s music and songs. I believe it won’t be long before it goes online for everyone to see.”

“...These are my dreams about animation. I have many other dreams too. For every dream, and for the dreams that suddenly appear and become my own, I’m willing to put in the effort. Otherwise, dreams are just empty talk!”

“I believe everyone has dreams, and everyone wants to put in effort for Meng Fan. But many people worry whether their efforts are useless or fear they’re heading in the wrong direction. What I want to say is, every effort will be useful, or will be sooner or later. Never be afraid of putting effort in the wrong direction—maybe the next second it will bring you endless surprises. The dream I’m about to tell might serve as a reference.”

A brilliant smile spread across Meng Fan’s face: “You might think I’m about to talk about my Olympic dream next, right? No, the dream I’m about to talk about is called—Wu Tong!”

At the name “Wu Tong,” Meng Fan’s smile grew even brighter. He slightly altered the true story and continued: “About thirteen months ago, as a fat guy, I once again put weight loss on my agenda and stepped onto the track. But I couldn’t hold on for long. Just as I was thinking of giving up like countless times before, a light appeared before my eyes—yes, truly a light—a person carrying light, and that was Wu Tong. She ran past, turned her head, gave me a smile, and gave me a thumbs-up. Soon, she ran another lap while I had moved a few dozen meters, and she encouraged me again. When I really couldn’t run anymore, she slowed down and told me not to stop immediately, to keep walking. And so, I completed my first run over a thousand meters, and I found the courage to step onto the track again. Time after time, day after day, I would meet her and receive her encouragement. That’s how I persisted, got to know her, and gained another dream—to pursue her.”

“To pursue her, I put in a lot of effort, including some laughable ones. For example, by chance I learned that her brother was a famous mixed martial artist. At that time, I thought, maybe I should train too. So I found a mixed martial arts gym to learn fighting. Maybe I couldn’t become as good as her brother, and maybe it wouldn’t help in winning her over, but I thought at least I’d have a skill to protect her. And surprisingly, I trained really hard. Then, who would have thought, I fell in love with the sport and discovered I had a strong advantage and talent in it. After that, I think many people know what happened next!”

“Because I trained in mixed martial arts, I got to know Wu Tong’s brother. Because of that acquaintance, the incident at the Japan Martial Arts Hall happened, followed by challenges and gym raids from the martial arts circles of Japan and South Korea. Then, as the saying goes, I wanted to keep a low profile, but my strength wouldn’t allow it. That’s how I caught the eye of the national judo and wrestling teams, and through that, I met Dean Zhan, who discovered my great strength, so I took up weightlifting. Gradually, I set foot on the path of an athlete, and along the way, the dream of becoming an Olympic champion was born!”

Meng Fan spread his hands and laughed: “You might think my Olympic path sounds too... unreal. But at the beginning, dreams should be unreal. Turning the unreal into reality—that’s what a dream is. And the process requires effort! Results are important, but I think the process matters more. Because as long as you’re in that process, you have countless possibilities, and you can create countless possibilities!”

“‘He who is not in office does not meddle in its affairs’—applied here, it means you’re only on the path of dreams when you’re on the path of effort!”

“My life has been on a cheat code, and your life can be on a cheat code too. I hope that dreams can become the biggest cheat code in your life. I believe that your effort is the best patch for that cheat code of dreams!”

“I wish everyone here and in front of the TV a life like being on a cheat code—the cheat code of ‘A time will come to ride the wind and cleave the waves; I’ll set my cloudlike sail to cross the raging sea!’”

“Let us encourage each other!”

Meng Fan gave a slight bow to the audience, ending his talk.

The content wasn’t particularly brilliant, all clichéd topics, but spoken through Meng Fan’s mouth and combined with his deeds, it was always full of positive energy, persuasiveness, and credibility.

Amid applause and cheers, host Xiao Sa walked onto the stage, still clapping. Next came the host’s interview and audience Q&A session.

(The chapter ends)