As a painter, he was already quite successful. His exhibitions had gone abroad, his paintings sold one after another, and his agent held him in high regard. Yet he still felt he wasn't successful enough. He wasn't the most famous painter, his paintings weren't the highest priced, and he was still far from his goal. His goal was to become the most famous painter of our time, with every painting fetching the best price.That day, he shared his thoughts with his agent, asking if publicity stunts could boost his fame. The agent explained that painters aren't like movie stars—they generally can't rely on stunts to gain recognition. But there were other ways. Hearing this, he perked up and asked what those ways were. The agent suggested faking one's death to increase fame and elevate the value of the paintings. That seemed like a viable approach.The art world was a place where death seemed preferable to life. Painters who passed away invariably gained greater renown, and their works became more valuable. Think about it: once a painter was gone, their supply of paintings ceased to grow—how could their value not soar? He agreed to this plan. So, he and his agent went on a trip, and he stayed behind alone in the deep mountains. After the agent returned, he informed the painter's family of his death. Upon hearing this tragic news, the family was overcome with grief.Soon, news of his tragic demise spread far and wide. Overnight, his paintings became as rare as paper in Luoyang, with collectors scrambling to acquire them. Both his agent and family grew wealthy from the soaring value of his art. But what of him? Trapped in the mountains, he lived a lonely existence, unable to paint, devoid of any joy.Day after day, he could no longer endure this existence. He reasoned that since everyone believed him dead, his fame had grown, and his paintings had become valuable—why not return quietly? So he went back. His family was stunned to see him. After learning the reason, they told him, "You cannot live at home, nor can you paint again.""If you stay here long enough, people will discover you. Then not only will your reputation be ruined, but your paintings will become worthless. You mustn't paint either—if you create too many, suspicion will arise, and trouble will follow." His family rejected him, refusing even to acknowledge him as kin. Heartbroken, he had no choice but to flee home once more.He had no desire to return to the deep mountains; solitary life there felt worse than death. He could only walk with his head bowed in the city, living in shame, quickly avoiding acquaintances. One day, unable to bear it any longer, he went to the television station. That day, they recorded him, and the footage aired that evening. Overnight, everyone learned of his fake death.Everyone condemned him. From then on, his paintings lost value, his reputation was ruined, yet he could paint again and face the world. Thus, he found happiness. Later, when asked if he regretted stepping forward, he replied, "Not at all. As an artist, I can endure a tarnished reputation and worthless paintings, but I cannot stop painting."For a painter, not painting is true death. His words brought sudden clarity, revealing why he could stand up so courageously. A person can only truly live within their vocation. If they cannot pursue what they love, if they cannot find joy in their passion, they are already dead.