Chapter Twenty-Four: Young Man, Can You Guess Whether This Old Fellow Knows How to Rap?

Amidst the chaos.

As the last trace of sweetness from the Peak Chewing Gum faded from Li Shixin’s mouth, he felt as if a pair of invisible hands had suddenly drained him of all his strength! In the next moment, a flood of soreness and pain swept over his entire body like a deluge.

“Hey! Don’t be like this, let’s talk things through!” Zhao Jin Zhi, caught in the tide of the crowd, had barely uttered a startled cry when she felt her hand seized. She managed to see that the hand belonged to the elderly runner, but before she could react further, her arm grew heavy.

“Ah! Stop pushing, someone’s passed out!” Seeing Li Shixin’s eyes roll back as he collapsed stiffly to the ground, Zhao Jin Zhi cried out in panic.

A group of elderly men had just rushed past the track. Hearing that something had happened, they halted at once. At the other end of the track, the young boys and girls who had been poised to confront the elders were stunned as well. In truth, no one had intended to actually fight; they had just put on a show because the situation had reached a stalemate.

But now, with real trouble afoot, panic spread.

The crowd quickly drew back. The youth and senior groups formed distinct circles, surrounding Li Shixin who lay on the ground, and for the moment, all talk of fighting ceased.

“Old brother, are you alright?” Zhao Jin Zhi’s hand was still tightly gripped by Li Shixin. Seeing him lying there, sweating profusely, his face contorted in pain, foam frothing at his mouth, and his limbs twitching uncontrollably, Zhao Jin Zhi was so frightened that tears sprang to her eyes.

“Is he having an epileptic fit?”

“No, it looks more like a heart attack to me.”

“Well, this isn’t our fault, it was those old men pushing.”

“Hey! Watch your mouth! If it weren’t for you kids making trouble, would this have happened? I’m telling you, if this old fellow comes to harm, none of you are getting away!”

“I think it’s a stroke! Miss, hurry and press the philtrum!”

Surrounded by the crowd, Zhao Jin Zhi finally snapped into action. She gently lifted Li Shixin’s head, pressing her thumb hard against his philtrum, her voice trembling with emotion, “Don’t scare us, old brother! What’s wrong with you? Stop gawking and dial emergency services, hurry!”

Her finger pressed firmly on Li Shixin’s philtrum, Zhao Jin Zhi turned and shouted desperately at the onlookers.

“No… no need!” Just then, a cold, withered hand gripped Zhao Jin Zhi’s arm.

At that moment, Li Shixin cursed the system bitterly.

What nonsense!

Damn irresponsible!

The item’s description only covered its effects; why didn’t it mention the side effects? The Peak Chewing Gum felt great while it lasted, but nowhere did it say that once its effect faded, all the accumulated strain would hit at once! Wasn’t this a trap?

“Old brother!” Seeing Li Shixin struggle to sit up, Zhao Jin Zhi quickly supported him in her arms. “Hold on, someone has already called the emergency services. The ambulance will be here soon.”

“No need, miss… get the medicine from my pocket.”

“Oh, alright!” Hearing that he had medicine, Zhao Jin Zhi hurriedly searched his pocket, only to find a small bottle that looked like Yida chewing gum. Opening it, the scent of gum wafted out, leaving her bewildered.

“Take one and give it to me.” Li Shixin weakly raised a finger, pointing at the “medicine bottle.”

With suspicion, Zhao Jin Zhi placed a piece of chewing gum into his mouth.

One, two, three…

“My goodness! Why can’t you folks just talk things over? At your age, is there any need for this roughhousing? You’re all old enough to know better!” Before her eyes, the old man who had seemed barely alive a moment ago suddenly sprang from her arms and stood up. Zhao Jin Zhi was utterly stunned.

Not only Zhao Jin Zhi, but the entire group of elderly men and women were left speechless.

“Damn, old brother, were you pretending just now?”

“Come on, old pal, this isn’t right! We’re supposed to be on the same side, but you’re staging a scam against your own team!”

After a brief moment of shock, the senior group erupted in protest. Meanwhile, the youth group was delighted.

“Finally, a sensible old man! Grandpa, if they ever leave you out, you’re welcome to join us!”

“Wow, Grandpa, you’re amazing!”

“A heart loyal to Han though living in Wei! Grandpa, you’re a legend!”

Li Shixin’s face hardened as he turned away. “Legend, my foot! I haven’t said anything about you young folks yet. If you want to rap, just rap—what’s with all that trash talk? Don’t you have elders at home, or do you think you’ll never grow old? Look at the words you use—are they things older people enjoy hearing?”

The smiles on the faces of the youth group froze.

After a moment of silence, the young rapper who had spoken earlier sneered, “Grandpa, do you even know what rap is? Without trash talk, it’s not rap.”

“???”

Li Shixin looked at the young man deeply.

The kid was so young.

Young and naïve!

If I don’t show you today, you’ll never know that your grandpa almost rose to fame on the strength of stepping over CXK in his youth!

“What if I do know?” Li Shixin pushed Zhao Jin Zhi aside and walked up to the young man.

Standing there in his buzz-cut, gray jacket, baggy blue khaki trousers, and old Beijing cloth shoes, Li Shixin drew a round of laughter from the youth group after a brief silence.

“Grandpa, you might know opera, but rap? Please, give it a rest.”

“Yeah, unless you show us right now. If you can rap, then fine! We won’t fight you for the track anymore, both sides are yours, agreed?”

“Do you mean it?” Li Shixin raised an eyebrow.

“We mean it! Babala-dye is our captain, his word stands for us.”

“Good!” Li Shixin straightened up. “Hand your grandpa the microphone.”

The young rapper, barely suppressing his laughter, handed over the microphone he had been brandishing as a weapon, then made a comically exaggerated gesture, “Grandpa, rap needs a backing track. Tell me what you want, I’ll play it for you.”

Holding the long-lost microphone, Li Shixin felt a wave of nostalgia.

“Anything will do, it doesn’t matter.”

“Alright, since you’re older, I’ll play something a bit slower so you can keep up. Don’t let anyone say we’re making things hard for seniors, right?”

“Captain’s generous!”

“So magnanimous!”

“Grandpa, good luck! I believe in you, hehe…”

Ignoring the youth group’s mockery, as Dye turned up the sound system, a dynamic yet mellow backing track began to play. Li Shixin lifted the microphone.

He tapped the track lightly with his toes, his whole body swaying gently to the rhythm. As he locked in the beat and entered the groove, he began:

“Yeah, for those of you that want to know what we’re all about. Welcome to the night at the ’98 Workers Stadium Square—this is MC Grandpa. Next up, I will take charge of this land of freedom!”

At this opening, every young face in the youth group was stunned.

Whoa, that deep, magnetic voice?

This grandpa might actually have something!

“OU ready? OK… Let’s go!”

The music entered its main theme.

“There are far too many tragedies in a human life. From the moment we leave the womb, we face the cold air. The frail newborn is lifted and carried by giant hands in the hospital, so every wail we cry comes from the malice of the world…”

“We land in this world and walk toward our ending. The universe, all its phenomena—birth, existence, change, decay—birth, aging, sickness, and death are the rules, and none can escape. But young man, you’re too naïve, unaware of the hardships of this world. Longing unmet, hatred gathering, the five skandhas burning, love and separation…”

“Mocking the wrinkles of others? You lack the right. Born a human, living for yourself, each scar on the face records joy and sorrow…”

The music continued, Li Shixin’s hands swaying.

On the east side of the track, every young mouth hung agape.

On the west side, every elderly face grew solemn.