Masked Gourd Hero... Activate!

"Aunt She, is this... is this your son?" The volunteer from Niutou Mountain Street was momentarily stunned when She Qingchun arrived with her son in tow.

"Baby, greet the uncles and aunties."

"Hello, uncles and aunties."

"Hello, hello, hello..." The atmosphere, which had felt somewhat unfamiliar before, suddenly became lively and warm. There was no helping it; after all, the old lady from Pingjiang had brought along a son.

Li Jie’s arms were not just for show—they were thick and dark, and he easily arranged all sorts of heavy items neatly.

This was a private kindergarten in the Niutou Mountain district, catering mainly to the children of migrant workers. Even the name of the kindergarten made its purpose obvious: "Hengqiang Charity Kindergarten," with "Hengqiang" printed twice as large as "Charity."

Tonight there was to be a performance for children. The area was filled with factory workers, many on night shifts, so after kindergarten ended, the kids would be sent next door to the "nursery."

The "Caring for Migrant Workers' Children" initiative had a wide scope, covering not just high school, middle, and primary school students, but kindergartners as well. Tonight, first through third graders and the kindergarteners would watch the show together for free, though the kindergarten’s lunch fees from the previous semester had yet to be refunded...

The parents were all laborers; it wasn’t their place to complain. Getting into a public kindergarten was nearly impossible.

To put it plainly, the children of migrant workers in these "urban villages" were essentially "left-behind children" brought along by their parents.

From a charitable perspective, this was still an untapped gold mine.

Charity is good business.

Take tonight as an example: the performers were from the Jianye South District Education Bureau and the Quyi Troupe. They didn’t come for free—travel expenses, refreshments, and so on all went through the "Hengqiang Charity Foundation’s" accounts, not the kindergarten’s.

After all, charity isn’t meant for the children to pay—it’s for their parents. Next year, "Hengqiang Charity Kindergarten" planned to open a second branch in Jianye, again serving migrant workers’ children, focusing on specialty and care.

Class One had been temporarily converted into a dressing room and prop storage. Tiger Mom Hu Wenjing was busy squeezing into a dinosaur costume, preparing to go on stage and "get beaten" in the play.

She had no choice; she was a professional. Though officially a nurse, Tiger Mom had played the villain for thirty years—roles including, but not limited to, the Big Bad Wolf, the Big Tiger, the Big Dinosaur, the Big Lion, and the Big Child Snatcher...

Don’t ask why everything had to be "big."

It was simply because she was tall and broad.

Among all the volunteers present, apart from Li Jie, Tiger Mom was the tallest and sturdiest—a six-foot, two-hundred-pound matron radiating pure intimidation.

Over the decades at the Red Star Welfare Home, ever since Tiger Mom was a young girl, she had been the children’s steadfast shield—the type who could subdue a thief with one arm.

"Come on, Tiger Mom, hang a couple more ice packs!"

"This thing’s already too small. If I stuff in more ice packs, it’ll be uncomfortable. Anyway, it's just for a few minutes."

Tonight’s play was a favorite among the children: "The Picky Eater Gets Eaten by the Carnivorous Dinosaur," one of the "Little Dinosaur Story Series." Tiger Mom played the carnivorous dinosaur who especially loved eating children—especially picky eaters.

Everyone at the Red Star Welfare Home knew it.

"Want me to do it instead?"

"You’re bigger than me, and I already think this costume is too small. Forget it, don’t add to my troubles. Find something else to do—sing a song, play a game, guess riddles, a round of idioms, teach a nursery rhyme, whatever you like."

"All right, I’ll busy myself, then."

"Just don’t make a mess."

"Got it."

So Li Jie looked around and, seeing materials on the crafts table, picked up scissors and a hot glue gun and got to work. His hands moved with practiced ease, thanks to his recent purchase from the System’s "Prestige Store."

"Baby, you can do crafts too?"

"Didn’t you teach me when I was little?"

Faced with her doubts, Li Jie answered honestly and with good reason.

The welfare home had indeed taught all sorts of handicrafts—paper cutting, origami, little trinkets, small crafts—which they’d then sell at charity bazaars.

Ten years ago, Li Jie had been a "child star," bringing much attention to the Red Star Welfare Home, but these skills had always been taught. Not every child there was as healthy and normal as Li Jie; many were abandoned due to congenital or hereditary illnesses, and every year some children passed away.

That was also why Li Jie was so cherished—he had been doted on even before becoming a "child star," simply because it was so rare.

Rare and precious.

"Wow, baby, your handiwork is even better than Aunt Shu’s! Your stitching is amazing. What’s this? A mask? Did you paint this yourself? It’s so well done..."

She Mom praised him endlessly, so much so that the others putting on makeup found it a little annoying.

However, upon seeing Li Jie’s craft, they had to admit it was exquisitely made.

A "Masked Calabash Hero" mask with a matching headpiece and cape, capturing the essence of "Dinosaur Rangers," but even more flamboyant.

At the center of the mask was a golden calabash outlined in swirling clouds, all drawn by Li Jie with a brush, his hand steady and sure as She Mom watched. She was thoroughly impressed by her "baby’s" skill.

She Mom may have been a medical worker, but her family heritage was poetry and painting—She Qingchun could paint landscapes.

"Baby, what is this?"

"'Masked Calabash Hero.'"

Li Jie tried on the mask and headpiece. He had to admit, it looked pretty cool. But... how had he ended up making such a thing? Was the stupid System brainwashing him without him realizing?

"Is it from a cartoon? Are you going to put on a show for the children?"

"I just made it for fun, I didn’t..."

Bzzzt, bzzzt—crack!

Before he could finish, the power suddenly went out both inside and out, plunging the world into darkness. The adults with phones pulled them out for light. Then someone asked in confusion, "Why does the nursery next door still have electricity?"

"That’s not electricity—it’s on fire!"

"Quick, put out the fire!"

Amid the commotion, the cries of frightened children overwhelmed everything else—they were scared of the dark and called out for their mothers.

Crying, shouting, and clamoring merged together. The world felt like it was being bombarded in the dark, leaving people dizzy and disoriented.

"Don’t wander off, She Mom!"

Li Jie dashed outside. Tiger Mom was still in her dinosaur suit—if chaos broke out, she wouldn’t be able to move at all.

"Oh, all right! Be careful, baby!"

In the darkness, She Qingchun shone her phone’s light and saw her "baby" darting out at an astonishing speed, masked and hooded. He was even more agile than before.

But She Mom was deeply comforted—this meant her "baby" had been eating well and was still growing strong.