Chinese intellectuals might have something to learn from the pages of Chuck Palahniuk, as it seems that China's online debate circles are turning into a Fight Club.

Last month, outspoken writer and social critic Li Chengpeng's nationwide book tour stirred up a storm as his new volume, Everybody in the World Knows, presents a collection of sharp essays of his critical thoughts about the country. 

At Li's first stop in his hometown of Chengdu, Sichuan Province, on January 12, he said he was ordered not to say a word. He decided to sign the books in silence as a form of protest. Li turned up at the bookstore wearing a black mask before suddenly opening his shirt to reveal the words "I love you all" written on a T-shirt. The crowd roared in applause as tears came to Li's eyes.

The next day, his reception in Beijing garnered an opposite and explosive reaction. First, a man punched Li in the face, called him a traitor and tried to run away. Then another man threw a kitchen knife at him which thankfully missed. The book signing dissolved into chaos.

Wu mao or not wu mao?

The incident highlights growing ideological tension online between the left and the right in China. The former are those who allegedly blog for the government, also known as the wu mao, or 50-cent party due to a rumor that they are paid that amount for each post they make, and the latter are those who pose as challengers of the authorities.

The popularity of Weibo has greatly expanded the participation of pubic intellectuals in social affairs in recent years. However, the online debate between the two sides has spilled over into real life and often brought about physical fights.

Li called for no revenge on his blog afterwards. "Our country is going through a time period when sunshine and fog coexist," he wrote. "I hope both sides can present their views in a rational way. Fighting or hurling knives is no good for finding the right direction for the country."

Newspaper columnist and social commentator Yao Bo writes under the pen name Wuyue Sanren. He witnessed Li's chaotic book tour and warns of another potential Cultural Revolution.

"I am really worried about the current situation," He wrote on Weibo. "Once both sides reach a certain stage where there is no talking and only fighting, then we would be close to another Cultural Revolution."

A self-claimed patriot who calls himself Hu Yanglin on the Internet told the Global Times he never thought his "gift," a meat cleaver, would cause such a stir at Li's signing.

"I never thought I would help him attract more attention, I just wanted to give him a gift," he said.

It was November last year when sharp items such as kitchen knives and pencils were reportedly pulled from stores due to the 18th CPC Party Congress. At the time, Li posted on Weibo jokingly asking for a cleaver.

Seemingly out of curiosity, Hu decided to give it a try and bought one in a supermarket. He posted a picture of the cleaver on Weibo and re-tweeted the picture to Li. 

When Hu learned that Li would do a signing in Beijing, he knew it was time to go. This time, Li replied to his message, telling him to come. On January 13, Hu wrapped the cleaver, put it in a bag and headed for the reception.

"I remember I was standing in front of him, took out the cleaver slowly and said softly 'this is for you.' I didn't sound threatening at all," he said.

The crowd did not agree. Hu was immediately seized and dragged away by security. In a bout of desperation to "present his gift," Hu decided to throw it at Li. The cleaver sailed past Li, who threw back a wu mao coin at Hu.

"I never meant to hurt him. I am the real victim here. I was beaten down by the crowd, my glasses were gone and my clothes were covered with shoe-prints," he said.

Hu was arrested but soon released without being charged. But he is now demanding an apology and financial compensation from Li.

"I am not a supporter of violence," he said. "But I want to tell Li's young supporters to think and act rationally, their generation is luckier than ours, they should appreciate what the country has given to them."

Wu Danhong, an assistant professor at China University of Political Science and Law, who writes under the name of Wu Fatian, said Hu committed no crime.

"He had no intention of murdering Li, he just wanted to prove Li was wrong about the bans, and Li knew he was coming," Wu told the Global Times.

"Li's book signing was more like an entertainment show, public intellectuals should speak through their works, not performance art," Wu continued.

In response, Li said publishers told  him that there was no way this book could be published. "And now I made it. I feel as if my child finally got a hukou. That's why I was angry and cried," he said.

Planned book signings in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province and Changsha, Hunan Province, were canceled at the last minute. Li was informed that the building in Shenzhen which was meant to host it was closed for fire safety inspections.

"The more you write, the more pressure you face," he said. "But I will continue writing, even though there may be more cleavers thrown at me."

His last stop in Kunming, Yunnan Province, on January 26 went off without a hitch although more security was in place.

Egging on the opposition

In the past few years, the language of online debate has turned particularly virulent. People voicing different views have been tarred with various labels from "brain-dead" to "traitor." Lobbing projectiles at those who disagree has become commonplace. Thankfully, eggs and shoes are usually the weapons of choice, not cleavers.

Last October, a young man hurled a shoe at outspoken scholar Sima Nan during his lecture at Hainan University, missing him by two meters. 

A month before that, Han Deqiang, a professor at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, slapped an 80-year-old man whom he said had insulted and abused the name of Mao Zedong during anti-Japan demonstrations.

Wu is also no stranger to physical confrontation. He has been nicknamed by netizens as "the chief representative of the 50-cent party" since they believe Wu always speaks for the government.

In July last year, Zhou Yan, a female journalist for Sichuan TV and frequent critic of the authorities, challenged Wu to a "duel" at Chaoyang Park in Beijing. Onlookers, made up mostly of Zhou's supporters, cheered as she kicked and threw eggs at Wu. Controversial artist Ai Weiwei was also present and the details of the clash were re-tweeted thousands of times on Weibo.

There seems to be a trend among the intellectuals to seek to provide entertainment to the masses, according to author and blogger Wang Junyi.

"The Chinese intelligentsia produces a lot of intellectuals who act like characters in Peking Opera. Sometimes they get closer to the leftists to share their benefits, sometimes they get closer to rightists when they are afraid they have already been forgotten by the public."

Differing stances

On January 27, another outspoken public intellectual Ran Yunfei held a Beijing signing for his new book Give Freedom to Your Loved Ones, a collection of his critical thoughts about China's education, which went smoothly. But even during the launch, he repeatedly joked that the people present were there to hit him, instead of to buy the book.

Ran said the signing went peacefully probably  because his readers are mainly parents and children, while Li's readers are often young people who easily get carried away."

Ran said there is no real public debate in China, but he is calling for a rational way to voice different opinions.

Li agrees, saying that since "there is no way to debate, people have no choice but to give you a cleaver."

Hu says he is afraid his "gift" was a bad influence, but he believes this is part of a painful path toward democracy that the country has to undergo.

"No matter if you are from the left or right, some people will choose violence when their views are being ignored," he said.

Ran said he believes all the disputes could be solved through rational communication. "Ideological difference can be solved through ideological communication, not violence," he concluded.