The state officials were already covering their faces.
That's why they wanted to pre-screen reporters and set boundaries for the interview questions.
This is exactly what they were trying to prevent!
Lincoln's expression was subtly complex, but the faces of the officials had turned completely dark as they were ready to stand up and interrupt the interaction.
However, Lincoln was quicker, briskly raising his hand to signal that he would answer one last question, effectively bringing the interactive segment to an end.
Moreover, the last question was directly chosen by Mavis, who picked an enthusiastic "Chang'an" series player.
The player's question, unsurprisingly, was about the latest "Cyber Chang'an: 2077"---
"In the trailer, we saw the use of [Flying Sword] for attacks. May I ask if there will be a [cultivation] enhancement path in the game?"