Chapter 110: Why Does This Trick Feel So Familiar? (Please Bookmark and Vote!)
Early in the morning, Li Shixin woke up to a tearing pain.
*Beep!*
You have accumulated 35,449 cheers for this time period!
Rubbing his numb face, Li Shixin glanced at the sudden influx of cheers. It was about what he expected; the online cheers were indeed fewer than those from the live audience. Still, considering the compressed video he had uploaded yesterday, he was quite satisfied. The video’s clarity was so poor it was practically pixelated, yet the kids managed to generate over thirty thousand cheers.
This batch of fans had great potential.
He opened the system’s lottery page. After a moment’s hesitation, Li Shixin invested 20,000 points.
A few draws in the early morning would be a pleasant diversion!
Maybe he’d get a new skill or something?
Right?
Finding a thousand reasons to justify his draw, Li Shixin started the lottery.
*Beep!*
Crutch x1...
Try again!
*Beep!*
Obtained [Old Beijing Cloth Shoes] x1. Description: Lined with abundant folds, offering you unparalleled softness and snugness. Slip them on and measure the world!
“...”
Early in the morning, and it starts again?
Try again!
*Beep!*
Obtained [Bone Strengthening Powder] x1. Description: One packet a day to make you hard again! Of course, I only mean your bones.
“...”
Supporting his old back, Li Shixin silently closed the lottery page.
This system is no longer worth my emotions and life today.
...
Hunched over and carrying the bone-strengthening powder, Li Shixin stepped out of the bedroom. Zhang Ying was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
“Old man, is your back feeling any better?”
Handing the powder to Zhang Ying, Li Shixin waved his hand. “Much better than last night. Make me a drink with this, and have Xiaoxiao give me a massage later. I should be fine walking.”
“Oh, with you like this, why bother walking? Listen to me — stay home and rest your back today. Ah!”
Facing his little sweetheart’s concern, Li Shixin smiled and nodded.
Sun Yaozhong was busy arranging performances at the Cultural Square, so there was nothing urgent for him. He had to take these couple of days to properly care for his back. If by the time Old Sun arranged the show, his back was still no good, that would be a problem.
Thinking this, Li Shixin glanced toward Zhang Ying’s bedroom.
There lay An Xiaoxiao sprawled out on the bed, snoring softly at 7:30 a.m., sleeping like a little pig. He raised an eyebrow.
Hunched over, he took the medicated oil and tiptoed into the room. Pinching An Xiaoxiao’s nose, he intended to wake her up by cutting off her breath. Unexpectedly, the girl promptly opened her mouth, giving up nasal breathing.
Huh?
Seeing the slightly parted lips with a droplet of saliva, Li Shixin immediately covered her mouth.
“Try breathing through gills then, will you?”
“Mmm!”
“Mmm mmm! *...*&%&...%&...%”
After several seconds, An Xiaoxiao finally opened her eyes, puffed her cheeks, and muttered a long string of nonsense. Li Shixin chuckled and released his grip. “Lazy girl, it’s 7:30, time to get up!”
Glancing at the clock on the wall, An Xiaoxiao rubbed her eyes reluctantly. “Ugh, I just got up yesterday morning. Why do I have to get up again today?”
She muttered and pouted, sitting up.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she looked at the medicated oil in Li Shixin’s hand and wrinkled her nose. “I said last night you’d come find me today, didn’t I? Saying no, no, but your body is honest.”
Li Shixin’s face flushed slightly as he lay down slowly on the bed. “Enough chatter, get up here.”
“All right!” An Xiaoxiao grinned and flipped onto the bed.
(｡◝ᴗ◜｡) Yay heeheehee…
“Number Two Technician An Xiaoxiao at your service! Watch out, Teacher Li! Hey!”
...
An Xiaoxiao had taken leave from the crew and adjusted her shooting schedule to help out.
After breakfast, An Xiaoxiao and Zhang Ying, along with Zhang Shuo, headed to the set, leaving Li Shixin alone at home.
Following Zhang Ying’s instructions, Li Shixin laid a summer cooling blanket over the heated floor and lay rigidly like a corpse, listening to the radio on his senior phone while nursing his back.
Around eleven o’clock, just as Li Shixin was dozing off listening to Tian Lianyuan’s rendition of “The Three Heroes and Five Gallants: The Five Gallants,” the exaggeratedly loud ringtone of his senior phone suddenly rang.
Forcing his startled heart to calm, he looked at the unfamiliar number on the screen and answered cautiously.
When he heard Director Wang Wenyu say someone had contacted the Juvenile Center and wanted to discuss the copyright of his play, Li Shixin perked up.
Heaven be kind — the play had just premiered yesterday, and already capitalists were circling?
Good news!
But he didn’t rush to get up. Instead, he lay on the floor for another half hour before moving slowly.
The first rule of vegetable market negotiation: always keep the initiative firmly in your hands; never let the other party think you’re desperate.
...
Though the commercial performance permits hadn’t been granted yet, the small theater was already bustling.
A group of longtime fans arrived early, chatting, playing cards, gossiping, and playing chess, treating the small theater like a senior activity center.
Among the elderly crowd, Yang Kuan frowned at Wang Kexin, the copyright manager from Huaqi’s copyright department.
“Brother Wang, aren’t you being a bit too overbearing? What if you push them too hard? You know we’re preparing for the CCTV Outstanding Public Service Advertisement Selection; this copyright is important to us.”
Wang Kexin, in his thirties, smiled faintly at Yang Kuan’s concern and put down his iPad. “Team Leader Yang, don’t worry. Everyone has their expertise. I don’t understand advertising, but copyright negotiation... Heh. Look at this environment — just a small theater. I heard our Huaqi’s rivals will surely try to jack up the price. We should show them some strength first; this IP negotiation will be a tug-of-war. Follow my plan and we’ll have the rights in three days!”
Faced with Wang Kexin’s confidence, Yang Kuan clicked his tongue.
“It’s been over an hour; where is that person?”
Just as Wang Kexin checked his watch impatiently, the small theater door was pushed open.
A hunched old man shuffled in slowly.
Seeing the two young men among the elderly crowd, Li Shixin smiled slightly and approached.
“Are you the two who said on the phone you wanted to discuss the copyright?”
Seeing Li Shixin, Yang Kuan and Wang Kexin stood up.
“Hello, are you Teacher Li Shixin?”
Wang Kexin took a business card from his pocket and handed it over. “Hello, Teacher Li. I’m Wang Kexin from Huaqi Company’s copyright department.”
Li Shixin smiled faintly upon seeing the card. “Hello, Manager Wang. Please have a seat. As you can see, I injured my back yesterday. Sorry to keep you waiting. You came to discuss the copyright for ‘Only You,’ right?”
“Ahem,” Wang Kexin smiled slightly and shook his head. “No, Teacher Li. Actually, we’re here mainly to deal with infringement.”
??!?!
Hearing this, Li Shixin, who was supporting his back sitting down, furrowed his brows.
“Infringement?”
“That’s right.”
Wang Kexin nodded and opened a video file on his iPad, pushing it toward Li Shixin.
The video was the exact footage Li Shixin had posted on Weibo last night—the scene from the play where An Xiaoxiao’s character, the teenage daughter, appeared montage-like beside her older father and middle-aged daughter.
“Who said... time is an unexpected thing, sometimes raining in the shade...”
Amid the blurry images, An Xiaoxiao’s clear singing voice sounded.
“Teacher Li, the copyright for this song belongs to our Huaqi Culture. According to copyright law, no entity may use it for commercial purposes without our authorization. Yet, you not only used this song on stage but also posted it on Weibo, constituting infringement.”
As he spoke, Wang Kexin pulled a document from his briefcase and slid it toward Li Shixin.
Looking at the legal letter before him, Li Shixin raised his eyebrows sharply.
Hmph...
This trick looks disturbingly familiar.
Young man, do you think you can play games like this with my old self?
Your path seems a bit narrow, doesn’t it?
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