The information age

He claims that he wants to pursue his ideals right away instead of wasting time on "meaningless" homework and exams.

"What is the use of studying? Is it getting high marks and ranks to compete with my buddies for the limited places in top high schools?" the precocious boy writes.

Immediately after his remarks were posted, the media began telephoning Feng's father day and night. They also converged at the boy's school in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, to pull him out of an ongoing class for interviews.

"I'm tired of interviews. It's unscrupulous of some media to defame me," Feng tells China Daily.

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He is referring to a report that quoted him as saying his actions are publicity stunts and that he enjoys seeing so many comments and an increasing number of followers.

"I didn't say that," Feng says, grimacing while staring at the floor.

"I said it's good that my posts have prompted people to reflect on the current school system. I wanted to attract the public's attention to the contents of my postings, not toward me."

Feng turned up for the interview with China Daily dressed in colorful clothes, carrying a backpack and wearing a cap bearing the autographs of two of his idols from the aerobatics team of the Zhuhai Air Show.

On his micro blog, he's outspoken, aggressive and sounds like an adult. For example, he slammed an official's idea to invest millions to cultivate sorghum to attract tourists to Gaomi, Shandong province - the hometown of Mo Yan, Chinese Nobel Literature Prize winner.

But in person, his chubby cheeks and childish voice give away his age. In contrast to his posts, his demeanor is somber and pensive.

His answers to many questions are: "I don't know how to answer the question", or, "I don't want to talk about it".

As he puts it: "I'm more comfortable expressing my ideas online in forums and weibo, and while chatting with my friends on QQ (an instant messaging service popular in China). I'm inspired only when I sit in front of the computer."