Chapter 94: Teacher Li, Paragon of Virtue and Art

Early in the morning, Li Shixin received a call from Old Master Liu Feng. On the phone, the old man, mischievous as ever, insisted that Li guess the reason for his call.

Li Shixin didn’t even need to think. “You must have found a place, right?”

Having his intention exposed before he could even take credit, Old Master Liu felt a bit deflated. He gave Li an address and, after agreeing on a time to meet, hung up.

Returning to his roots in stage drama, Li Shixin had made his plans. Recently, the incident with his son had brought him some attention on social media and won him a wave of new followers. But Li understood that turning these casual fans into true supporters would take time—he had too few works to his name, and the two previous surges of applause had been sparked by controversy, not by his art.

What era is this now? An era entertained to death! In such a time, the praise found online is fleeting, gone as soon as heard. In this bizarre, interconnected world built on smartphones and keyboards, most people lack the patience to pursue the beauty embedded in their bones. Instead, they eagerly seek out whatever amuses them most. Whoever can satisfy their craving for excitement, holds the flow of attention.

Yet every day, countless events unfold across the world. Even those significant enough to alter the course of history are quickly buried by endless waves of new trending topics. All the more so for the trivial matters in the life of an aging actor.

So, in Li Shixin’s view, making a splash is necessary, but what truly allows one to stand firm in the entertainment industry are works and roles that move the heart, imprint themselves on the audience’s mind, and perhaps even shape their thoughts and values. That is the wellspring of lasting applause—not a field of chaff.

Given his current lack of outstanding works, stage drama was undoubtedly a good way to gather true fans and gain steady, enduring appreciation. He took it seriously.

Lost in these thoughts, he was interrupted by a notification on his phone. A message from his social media account. Opening it, Li Shixin slapped his forehead. He’d been so exhausted the previous night that he’d fallen asleep as soon as he returned home, completely forgetting the missing person post he’d made, asking netizens to help spread the word.

He’d forgotten, but the many people who helped share his post had not. They’d worried all night about whether the elderly woman had been found. Seeing his message inbox flooded with queries about Zhang Mingrong, he quickly drafted a new post, explaining that the old lady had been found safe the night before, and thanking everyone who had helped.

Ding!

Not long after posting the update and as he was getting ready to leave, he received a system notification.

You’ve received applause points of 17,691 carrying the tag [Uplifted]!

Seeing the joyous reactions beneath his latest post, with followers celebrating their collective success, Li Shixin chuckled. His follower count was now nearing ninety thousand—most had come for the Liu Xin incident or the sacrifice-for-his-son event, mere passersby. But there was still some real gold among them!

Scanning the comment section, he saw a towering thread of positive replies: “Wishing Grandma Zhang Mingrong good health,” “Mr. Li, well done! Hope more attention will be given to Alzheimer’s patients!” and so on. Li Shixin smiled with satisfaction. Not just a bunch of emotionless like-bots after all.

...

Half an hour later.

Li Shixin took a taxi to the Youth and Children’s Center on North Second West Road. At the entrance, he saw Old Master Liu Feng being supported by a middle-aged man, along with several old fans like Wu Ming.

“So everyone’s here?” he greeted them as he walked up.

Seeing Li Shixin, the middle-aged man behind Liu Feng stepped forward to shake his hand. “Mr. Li, hello, I’m Liu Jianye. Thank you for looking after my father lately.”

Li Shixin took an immediate liking to the man in gold-rimmed glasses, with his gentle and scholarly demeanor. Now, here was a polite and sensible young man!

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Shixin was led inside. On the way, he learned a bit about Liu Jianye. The man’s background was in law, handling real estate cases during the boom years. With many connections and an eye for opportunity, he’d branched out into other ventures. Though he didn’t have as much capital as other developers, his expertise in legal matters had helped him avoid pitfalls and steadily build a reputation as a reliable real estate figure around Rong City.

The Youth and Children’s Center wasn’t his property, however; it was run by the local Education Bureau. It had stood for over twenty years, and now saw little in the way of genuine youth activities, instead being mostly rented out for commercial purposes. It was supposed to serve cultural development for the young, but had become a hub for tutoring centers and music and dance studios.

On the fourth floor, Li Shixin and the others met the center’s director. Liu Jianye had already mentioned Li’s need for a theater space. Out of respect for Liu Jianye, and perhaps also seeing Li and Old Master Liu among a group of elderly men, Director Wang was very courteous. After offering them tea, he said with a smile, “These days, schools have their own facilities, so our stage and movie screen have been idle for a long while. Other than the occasional school performance for Youth Day or Children’s Day, the space is empty. It may not be large, but it’s just right for your needs!”

Hearing that there was also a movie screen, Li Shixin was pleasantly surprised.

Noting his satisfaction, Director Wang continued, “I’ve heard from Mr. Liu about your plan, Mr. Li. You want to use the theater so the elderly have an indoor venue for winter activities. That’s meaningful work, and I personally support it. Still, since the venue belongs to the Bureau, we’ll need to discuss rent. Normally, it’s ten yuan per square meter per month, including heating. The total area is a bit over 1,600 square meters—just give fifty thousand yuan for the whole winter. As for cleaning and maintenance, just handle it yourselves and we won’t charge anything extra.”

The price wasn’t exactly a bargain, but for a city like Rong where every inch of land is precious, it was fair.

Even better, the conditions were suitable. Li Shixin was satisfied. Wanting to settle things right away, he took out his bank card.

Unexpectedly, Old Master Liu Feng glared at him and waved for Liu Jianye to handle the contract and payment.

Director Wang, who was more a leasing and property manager than anything else at the center, was accustomed to people haggling over rent, but this was the first time he’d seen anyone fighting to pay!

Seeing the two sides refusing to back down, he chuckled and stood up. “You all discuss it—I’ll go inform security. There was a short-term renter before. Since you’ve made your decision, I’ll collect the keys.”

Once Director Wang left, Li Shixin turned sternly to Liu Jianye, who was still refusing to let him pay.

“You can’t just listen to your father on this. If I couldn’t afford it, I’d let you pay without a word. But I have the money, so why should you cover this?”

“No, no,” Liu Jianye shook his head, glancing at his father. “Mr. Li, my dad’s told me about your situation. You should save your money for a stent surgery if you need it. You don’t know what my dad’s been through—if joining you brings him happiness this winter, forget fifty thousand, even five hundred thousand would be worth it. Please, put your card away.”

Li Shixin’s patience snapped.

“I know you’re not short on money, but that’s not the point. If you insist on paying the rent, then I won’t run this theater.”

As expected, this trump card worked—Liu Jianye’s face fell. Seeing Old Master Liu Feng nod in agreement, he sighed helplessly and gave Li Shixin a thumbs-up. “Alright, Mr. Li, you win. Honestly, I’ve never seen your acting, but just for your character alone, you have my respect!”

“That’s right, that’s right!”

Seeing his son admiring his idol, Old Master Liu Feng was so delighted his dentures almost fell out. He patted his grandson, who was standing behind him, and mumbled, “Hey, grandson, I remember you praising some actress on social media before with a pretty cultured phrase. What was it again?”

His grandson grinned, “A virtuous artist.”

“Yes, yes! Mr. Li is a virtuous artist!”

What?!

As Old Master Liu Feng gave a big thumbs-up and his grandson blushed, Li Shixin’s face fell. Kid, are you taking advantage of an old man’s lack of media exposure? Are you sure you’re using that phrase correctly?

Just as Li Shixin was at a loss for words, a commotion sounded from downstairs.

“I never said I wouldn’t renew the lease! How can you just rent it out? No, I don’t agree!”