Ch123.2 – Choosing a Topic
Zhou Sheng stood in the conference room. He was the only one left now.
He turned around and looked at the camera that had been connected to Yu Hao yesterday. He smiled, then stuck his tongue out at the nonexistent “Yu Hao” and made a “yeah” gesture.
“The most important thing in a relationship is mutual understanding.”
After Situ Ye finished listening to what had happened in Yu Hao’s video call yesterday, he said to him, “It’s like that between friends and couples. Soulmates ma, it’s only through understanding each other before one can enter deep into the other’s soul and walk even further together. A relationship with mutual understanding is the healthiest kind of relationship.”
Yu Hao said, “Yes, it’s that kind of fear. Yesterday I suddenly realised that he seemed a bit unfamiliar to me.”
Yu Hao has always envied Lin Ze and Situ Ye a lot. When one of them said that he wanted to come to Beijing, the other resigned from his job at an educational institution and followed along without another word. Most importantly, they’ve always had a sort of connection between them, and they would understand what the other was thinking. Lin Ze was extremely solemn and serious at work. He would always wear a suit and tie every day as he sat at his office desk, and when he started handling anything related to his professional matters, it was as if he had turned into another person. It was very similar to when Chen Yekai stood on a platform for his lectures.
Meanwhile, Situ Ye was responsible for joking around with the editors of the general office, adjusting the atmosphere, and helping their office maintain interpersonal relations. Yu Hao usually revered and feared Lin Ze, but ever since he started work, Lin Ze has never scolded him before. If only Lin Ze was here, then Yu Hao might have had a very hard time here.
“Ah Ze has never scolded me.” Yu Hao said, “Actually, my stress tolerance isn’t that low.”
Situ Ye smiled, “He doesn’t scold you because someone like you doesn’t need to be scolded. When something small happens, you’ll be the one feeling all guilty first. Scolding you would just alleviate your guilt.”
Yu Hao, “Okay then.”
Situ Ye’s eyes widened as he edited the photos he took. He raised an eyebrow and said to himself, “But his temper is better now. He used to scold people until they cried.”
Yu Hao said, “He shouldn’t have scolded you before ba?”
“He did when I was his subordinate.” Situ Ye said, “After I assumed a full-time post, he never scolded me anymore. Just need to take note a little in front of outsiders once in awhile. That’s the good thing about Chongqing men, they aren’t too particular about saving face.”
Yu Hao thought that did seem to be the case. Situ Ye would pull the rug out from underneath Lin Ze’s feet once in awhile, but Lin Ze had never gotten angry about it. However, Situ Ye’s the Lady Boss so it was okay, Yu Hao himself can’t pull the rug out from under his leader’s feet. He has to be careful with his words and actions during dinner that night.
“I’m guessing that the vice Editor-in-Chief will say that you’re someone with ‘character’ tonight.” Situ Ye said, “You have to take note of that, don’t think of it as a compliment.”
Yu Hao said, “I’ve been curious about this for a really long time. What does it mean to be described as someone with ‘character’ by a leader?”
“The old men are all into collectivism.” Situ Ye said, “Saying that you’re someone with ‘character’ is scolding you for being stupid, that you should be more obedient. When you hear that, quickly nod and laugh awkwardly a few times, and it’ll pass. Don’t go along with it and express your character.”
Yu Hao seemed like he had just awoken from a dream and hurriedly thanked Situ Ye. Situ Ye said without much concern, “Kids raised by the rich ma, they all have quite a character. 90’s kids ma, they have character too. Everyone is a person of character.”
“You didn’t understand his meaning.” Situ Ye said.
“Then why the hell did he say that?” Yu Hao really didn’t understand this either.
Situ Ye said indifferently while he edited his photos, “He said that you’re raised by the rich to mean that you don’t understand the sufferings of the common people. You don’t lack money, yet you don’t know how to help him issue a few fake invoices to help him take advantage of the state a little……”
Yu Hao, “……”
As soon as Lin Ze returned, Situ Ye stopped talking. Lin Ze tore apart a pack of anti-alcohol drugs, swallowed a handful, then looked at Situ Ye and Yu Hao to ask them if they wanted some too.
Situ Ye turned up his nose at them. Yu Hao was sick, so he didn’t dare take another medication. Lin Ze said, “Get ready, let’s go. Everyone’s very energetic. Angry birds, set off!”
For this dinner in Beijing, they reserved a room at Nanmen Hotpot. Lin Ze had invited three leaders, the three mainstays of the press — secretary, editor-in-chief, vice editor-in-chief, as well as the two heads from the department of news interviews and editing.
Yu Hao didn’t dare interrupt. With this group of reporters and editors, as soon as they started talking, the conversation would be filled with all sorts of anecdotes, and they were all quite talented. It was as if in every one of their spirits, there lived a lamenting, impulsive, and unrestrained Zhou Sheng. Lin Ze greeted them one by one, chatting jovially with them as he made jokes and took good care of his leaders and colleagues in all aspects.
“What do you think?” Lin Ze smiled at Yu Hao. He would call on Yu Hao from time to time.
“I’ve never thought that I would be able to buy a house in Beijing in my life.” Yu Hao answered honestly, “If only the land would be redistributed again sometime in the future.”
Everyone laughed at the same time.
“Indeed, these property prices have shut the door in the faces of many talented young people.” Yang Hong looked at Yu Hao adoringly.
“If you don’t buy one in your life,” the secretary said, “In the future, your son and grandson will have to buy it anyway. Would there be any difference?”
Everyone laughed again. The secretary said, “Man struggles upwards, while water flows downwards. If you want results, you’ll have to squeeze into the top places in this industry. Beijing is the political and cultural center of the country, you can’t evade it. If you want to just dabble in finance, you’ll have to go to Shanghai, Hong Kong, or New York. If you want to achieve even greater success in China, then you can only choose Beijing. See, didn’t Lin Ze come too?”
Lin Ze could only nod and say ‘yes, yes’.
Lin Ze would toss some questions at Yu Hao from time to time. Yu Hao followed the script and acted out his role as a college student who had just entered the workforce, and seriously answered his questions.
The vice editor-in-chief ate some shabu meat, drank wine, smoked a cigarette, and called Yu Hao out within the smoke, “You try to get smart too often, be a little more down-to-earth.” Then he said to Yang Hong, “Amongst the batch of interns we recruited this year, he’s the most good-looking one right?”
Yang Hong said, “Yu Hao does look quite good. When I saw Xiao Ye the first time, I thought Lin Ze’s assistant didn’t look much like a photographer, but more like a male model? But after Yu Hao came, he got downgraded again!”
Everyone roared with laughter. Yang Hong said to Lin Ze, “Where did you get so many high-quality resources from? Ah?”
“Xiao Yu has quite a character.” The vice editor-in-chief narrowed his eyes, “Young people na, are all people of character.”
Sure enough, Situ Ye got it right, and Yu Hao almost spat out a mouthful of wine.
“Yu Hao?” Lin Ze’s face was flushed red from all his drinking.
He tossed Yu Hao a glance to remind him, and Situ Ye immediately said, “Xiao Yu drank a little too much today, I’ll help him……”
Yu Hao immediately understood that this cup of wine must be toasted by him. These are all things that Zhou Sheng had never taught him before. He had to pour the white wine first, then bow and toast the vice editor-in-chief. The vice editor-in-chief sat down and drank it.
These people are very polite to Jin Weicheng, but they didn’t like him very much and often interrupted him. Jin Weicheng could only bear it. The head of the reporter’s department said, “Xiao Yu looks like the type to have been pampered at home.”
“We are all kids raised by the rich.” Situ Ye took the initiative to say sincerely, “Once we entered the workforce, we’d feel like there’s too many things we have to learn. Come come, cheers.”
Yu Hao, “……”
Situ Ye’s drink had blocked that person’s mouth straight away, so as to prevent him from continuing to nag. It’s not like he’s a leader anyway. The secretary asked, “My grandson is about the same age as you, but that kid yo, can’t calm down enough to focus on his studies and only cares about dating. He’s always enjoying the limelight at school and is gifted in many areas, he’s just not cut out for studying.”
Lin Ze continued the secretary’s words, “Examination-oriented education doesn’t reflect much. Don’t we rarely look at grades when we recruit people too? In the media business, what we need are quick-witted people.”
Jin Weicheng said, “Does Xiao Yu have any other talents?”
Yu Hao looked at Lin Ze. Lin Ze nodded slightly, then shook his head again. Yu Hao didn’t know what he meant, so Lin Ze smiled, “Do you want to embarrass yourself?”
Yu Hao understood. He meant that if you’re not confident, then don’t try to show off any of your ‘talents,’ lest it ends up biting you in the ass; if you have a good one that can add points for you, then take it out. It could end up being effective.
“Shall I sing a pingtan for the teachers?” Yu Hao said.
“Yo!”
This talent was beyond everyone’s expectations. Yu Hao took a chopstick and knocked on a white wine glass twice, then cleared his throat, “I lost the blazing sun —— a gentleman loses his willow, the willow lifts up gently, all the way up —— to the highest heavens ——”
Three words appeared on the top of Lin Ze, Situ Ye, and Jin Weicheng’s heads at the same time — “what the fuck?”
Lin Ze looked completely dumbstruck. Yu Hao knew he must be thinking, “you fucking know that too?”
“Ask Wu Gang……what he has, Wu Gang holds……osmanthus wine……”
Yu Hao was a little drunk. He closed his eyes a little, grasped the wine cup, stood up with a crouched posture, and gently clinked his cup with the vice editor-in-chief’s then downed all the wine in his cup. This song was the pingtan sang by Yu Hongxian; Zhao Kaisheng used Mao Zedong’s words. Almost everyone who had experienced that era would know how to sing it; the secretary, Yang Hong and vice editor-in-chief all started humming along.
“Good!” The crowd applauded.
The secretary was quite surprised, “Good! There aren’t many young people who can sing that nowadays!”
Yu Hao smiled, embarrassed, “I’ve just made a fool of myself.”
“It’s been so many years.” Yang Hong sighed ruefully.
Secretary said, “It’s been so many years.”
The vice editor-in-chief drank the residual wine, “It’s much better now compared to the environment 30 years ago.”
“Un.” Yang Hong nodded pensively.
No one spoke. After all, none of them had come from that era. The three leaders began to laugh as they recalled those years. Lin Ze spoke a little and praised them continuously. Yang Hong began talking about experiences before the Chinese economic reform, and everyone at the table started listening to the stories of the leaders. Yu Hao’s pingtan had turned into a short interlude for this dinner.
—
Juurensha: The reporter life is rough.
