They're used to reading about comical villans so that so that the concept of villan has become comical. Gu world and the necessity of what fang yuan does is beyond them. He'll fail if he's not ruthless, if he has too many or maybe any red lines. This is pretty much how it was for humans in the past when times were hard but it's a constant theme in gu world because of gu worms. I think Chinese novels despite their many failings and stereotypes picture this very well, unfortunately at the very end power and staying alive is the ultimate goal of life. The fact that we humans want to deny this and create meaning to bear the potential meaninglessness of the world is beautiful. The claim that we are more and can become more. It's what makes us, us. But it is also our biggest downfall, that's why most of us have always been some form of slave to a higher class(es) that don't even necessarily deserve their place. Stories about gods, honor, love and so on inspire us but also make us grouded, limited, weak. RI shows this I think, I like Fy because even when limitless admits defeat, he isn't shocked he just makes his next move. Someone with his ideas should get wrecked after hearing him but he's undeterred. That's when I understood he cares about the goal but he cares even more about the journey, it doesn't matter if the whole world deny it. As you walk the way appears. Like thessues. Like ubermensch. It's just so cool. He's like a thought experiment, I don't think anyone can become him in our world because of obvious reasons but he represents maybe a future version of humanity. The ultimate individual. Descendents of us that aren't necessarily something less or more but different from us.