Chapter Seventy-six: If children are not born to be enjoyed, what meaning is there?

Following the main group, they arrived at Rongdian Chunhua Grand Hotel at noon.

Li Shixin got out of the car and, claiming his head was dizzy and he needed some fresh air, slipped into a nearby traditional medicine shop by the hotel’s parking lot.

His head was fine, of course; he simply needed a private space.

The herbal shop was small, with almost no customers inside. Only a sleepy old physician sat behind the counter, and when Li Shixin entered, he lazily asked what ailment he was seeking treatment for.

Upon learning Li Shixin merely wanted to use the restroom, the doctor impatiently pointed the way and, offhandedly, asked if he needed any medicine for frequent urination.

Li Shixin politely declined his kindness, ducked into the restroom, and took out the voice changer he’d won from the system’s lottery earlier.

[Voice Changer] Description: Provides imitation of target voice sample; can mimic their vocal tone. PS: Online dating, little brother? I have a loli voice!

He’d toyed with this device a couple of times after acquiring it—when pressed to his throat, it could analyze voice samples and convincingly replicate someone else’s voice. As long as the intonation was right, he could turn an old man’s voice into a young girl’s without needing any audio software.

But since he rarely went online and held no grudge against any top streamer, he’d assumed the system gave him this as a joke and hadn’t taken it seriously.

However, after hearing Wang Hai mention the upcoming media interview at the set, he suddenly realized... he needed a sensational moment to capture media attention.

And this supposedly useless voice changer...

Emmm...

Speaking of useless, he recalled that unfilial son, perhaps a product of human and beast collaboration.

Having inherited the old man’s memories, he naturally inherited his loves and hates as well. In the restroom stall, walls scrawled with all manner of messages, clutching the voice changer, Li Shixin narrowed his eyes and unfolded the short skit he’d written.

If a sixty-five-year-old veteran could have a renaissance in the entertainment industry, what useless thing couldn’t be put to use?

Right?

......

The banquet hall on the hotel’s second floor had been fully reserved by Tianmeng Company.

Li Shixin, finished in the medicine shop restroom, arrived at the hall. Wang Hai, along with several key partners and Jiao Chendong, had already completed the opening ceremony for "Flying Against the Wind." As the original author, Qiao Hong was on stage, serving as a mascot.

Li Shixin, An Xiaoxiao, and several core crew members sat together at a table.

Though Tianmeng Company was small, the banquet was lavish: two bottles of Sky Blue liquor, two boxes of Soft Zhonghua cigarettes, and a roast suckling pig at the center—a spread likely costing several thousand, maybe even over ten thousand per table.

Li Shixin had little appetite and less interest in eating.

He picked at his food briefly, then, following the process, accompanied Wang Hai and Jiao Chendong in the noisy ritual of toasting reporters, media, and a few partners, handing out red envelopes. Finally, the long-awaited interview segment arrived.

As a supporting actor, Li Shixin’s individual interview was scheduled after An Xiaoxiao’s.

It was obvious this was An Xiaoxiao’s first time facing such a scene; she seemed nervous. After chatting with reporters for over ten minutes, she, her face fallen, walked over to Li Shixin.

"Teacher Li, my persona is ruined."

Hmm?

Hearing An Xiaoxiao’s abrupt complaint, Li Shixin wondered aloud, "Did you even have a persona?"

"Of course I did," she pouted, pressing her head against his chest in a childlike way, mumbling, "Before the interview, I planned to go for the literary girl vibe, leave a good impression on the media and audience with my talent and grace."

"And the result?" Li Shixin smiled.

"The result..." An Xiaoxiao sighed in his arms, "The reporter was too cunning! He coaxed me into talking about daily life, and my mind blanked—I ended up spilling all my embarrassing school stories. I..."

At this, her eyes glistened with tears. "I even made a risqué joke in front of the reporter... Ugh, it’s over, I’m finished..."

Li Shixin patted her small, frustrated head, pursing his lips in amusement.

"Hopeless," he said, casually sticking a pin into her chest. Meeting her tearful glare, he remarked meaningfully, "Girl, with your intelligence, you’re not equipped to play the high-level persona of a literary maiden. Being genuine—a mudslide—might actually win you fans. Right?"

! (・_・)ヾ

An Xiaoxiao’s eyes brightened, "That sounds like it makes sense. So in the future..."

He raised a hand to stop her, preventing her from using her single-celled logic to tackle personas, which only high-level players and elite humans could manage. Li Shixin pointed at the phone in her hand.

"Leave future concerns for later. Handle the task at hand. Did you remember what I told you?"

"Mm-hmm!"

Recalling his instructions, An Xiaoxiao cleared her throat. "Focus on the timer—call at four and a half minutes into the interview. Let it ring three times, and then, teacher... um... teacher..."

Reciting Li Shixin’s mnemonic from the car, she stalled at the fourth line. "What comes after ‘teacher’?"

Rubbing his throbbing temples, Li Shixin muttered, "When the teacher answers, hang up immediately! Didn’t you say you memorized it?"

Facing her wounded expression, he waved his hand weakly. "Fine, just complete the first three steps. Once you hang up, go do whatever you need."

"Mm-hmm!"

An Xiaoxiao nodded obediently.

Really, how troublesome—just making a phone call. Why make it so complicated, inventing a whole mnemonic as if my IQ was low?

(ˉ.￣～) Tsk~~

She thought as much in her heart.

......

The so-called exclusive interview was simply a few invited media outlets individually questioning actors—not the kind of sit-down discussion seen in programs like "Face to Face."

Li Shixin’s status wasn’t enough to warrant such a featured interview.

Standing before the massive "Flying Against the Wind" promotional backdrop, he greeted the reporters, and soon received several microphones labeled with "Wenyi New Media," "Time Movies," "TengAi Video," and other outlets.

Earlier at the set, Li Shixin had been in character; his role as Coach Liu differed sharply from his real appearance. Now, back as himself, standing before the cameras, reporters’ eyes lit up.

Before them stood an elderly man with silver hair, deep-set, weathered features, a gentle and kind expression, simply dressed in a white Chinese-collar shirt with rolled-up sleeves. The first impression was excellent.

Old, yes—but vibrant!

He nodded deeply at An Xiaoxiao, who stood outside the crowd, then signaled his readiness.

"Teacher Li, please introduce yourself."

Smiling slightly, Li Shixin raised the microphone to the camera and nodded, "Hello, everyone. My name is Li Shixin. I am sixty-five years old, and have been in Rongdian as an actor for just over half a month. In ‘Flying Against the Wind,’ I play Coach Liu. Thank you all."

After a round of sparse applause, a reporter asked, "Teacher Li, we learned that before joining ‘Flying Against the Wind,’ you only played a bit part in Rongdian. Though you’re sixty-five, you’re a newcomer here. What made you decide to start out in Rongdian at such an advanced age?"

Li Shixin was about to answer when Wang Hai, nearby, coughed heavily.

Seeing Wang Hai’s exaggerated winks and gestures, Li Shixin smiled and shook his head. "Simply, I love acting. I wanted to fulfill a dream from my youth. I don’t have much to say about myself. Actors like me aren’t common in Rongdian, but we’re not rare either. Let’s focus on the film."

Hearing his gentle refusal, the reporters nodded quietly.

Nowadays, actors who shun overexposure and value their craft are rare.

With a touch of reverence, reporters asked a series of questions—mostly about his character, the plot, Qiao Hong’s original work, and the collaboration with newcomer An Xiaoxiao.

He answered professionally and calmly, and in no time, the interview reached four minutes.

Just as Wang Hai glanced at his watch, signaling the reporters to wrap up, outside the crowd, An Xiaoxiao, who’d been watching the timer intently for several minutes, finally moved as it hit 4:30.

"Go!"

With a low shout, she dialed the "Teacher Li" number saved in her phone contacts!

On the other end.

"For Teacher Qiao Hong, I have deep respect. She..."

Ring ring ring!

As Li Shixin was answering the final question, his phone rang.

He gestured apologetically to the reporters, "Excuse me."

Under the gaze of all the reporters and several cameras, Li Shixin took out his phone. He turned slightly, seemingly seeking better light, and showed the camera and reporters a corner of his phone screen.

The large-font call interface on his elderly phone clearly displayed two words—Son.

Before the cameras, Li Shixin’s gentle composure vanished; he seemed to suppress excitement and emotion, bowing to the reporters.

"Sorry, my son finally called me. I have to answer."

The reporters paused, surprised.

What did he mean by "my son finally called me"?

That tone—wasn’t it like an old father long separated from his son?

"Please, go ahead," one reporter nodded, indicating it was fine.

Standing upright, out of the camera’s view, Li Shixin quietly played a recording from his phone.

Then, he pressed the phone to his ear.

"Son! Has everything been alright while Dad’s been away from home?"

As soon as Li Shixin asked, the elderly phone’s distinctive, loud call audio spilled through his microphone.

"You old bastard, still alive? Dad, you sure are something! You left the hospital without a word—if you’re going to leave, leave clean, but settle the hospital bill, will you?

You said you wouldn’t give me your house? Fine!

But the emergency rescue and medication cost thirty-four thousand in total—go pay it yourself! I don’t have money for you, nor time to deal with your mess!..."

As the resentful scolding poured in from the other end, the reporters frowned.

What the hell—this is a son?

Wait—

Did this old man run away from the hospital?

From what it sounded like, he’d just survived a life-or-death event, rescued by emergency care?

And he hadn’t been out for long before coming straight to Rongdian?!

Recalling Li Shixin’s earlier words about coming to Rongdian to fulfill a youthful dream, the reporters were shaken.

There was a story here!

A storm of emotion surged in their hearts as they fixed their gaze on Li Shixin, who stood holding his phone.

At this moment.

With every heartless rebuke from the other end,

the excitement and hope on the old man's face slowly froze, each wrinkle trembling.

It was as if his strength dissolved with each curse and reproach; he swayed, then leaned his weight on the small table beside him, trembling.

His excitement and anticipation faded, replaced by sorrow.

It was a full ten seconds before he gently hung up, while the phone still spat out insults.

Facing the reporters’ complex emotions, the old man seemed on the verge of tears, yet forced himself to smile. Tears clung to his aged eyes, and with a voice suddenly ten years older, rough and dry, he apologized.

"S-sorry. Let’s continue... Where were we? Oh, yes... About Teacher Qiao Hong. When... I received Director Jiao’s script, I specifically bought Teacher Qiao’s autobiography and re-read it, again and again..."

Watching the old man before the cameras, bereft of the calm wisdom he’d displayed before, his eyes hollow, tears dripping onto the microphone as he focused all his strength on answering the previous question,

the reporters couldn’t hold back.

"Sir, please, enough."

"Yes, sir, don’t get agitated, just sit and rest for a bit. Listen!"

"Ah..." Seeing several reporters wipe their tears, Li Shixin sat dazedly on a nearby stool, raising his head in confusion, "Just one last question—I’ll... finish answering..."

Seeing his state, everyone present broke down in tears.

"Sir! Please, rest for a bit!" Seeing Li Shixin’s vacant, aged eyes, Wenyi’s exclusive reporter Liu Chang couldn’t help but cry out.

"Listen, rest for a while. I’m not leaving today; I’ll do this interview properly with you tonight!"

"I can't take it anymore, sir, please don’t cry. Or cry loudly, don’t hold it in! I beg you!"

"Damn it, I’ve never seen a child like this! He’s a beast!"

"Sir, tell us honestly—is it because he won’t support you or pay for your treatment that you came to Rongdian? Don’t be afraid, tell us. We’ll help you expose this beast!"

"Teacher Li, please don't cry, your tears are breaking my heart!"

As the anguished voices of righteous indignation echoed around him, Li Shixin, still dazed, let a cold light flash through his eyes.

Hehehe.

If children aren’t for playing with after they’re born, then what’s the point?

My own son—your father has been in Rongdian for so long, and both my godsons have served their purpose.

Now...

It’s your turn to shine!