Xing Ming struck Chen Linan during the year-end conference banquet of Pearl TV Station News Center.
The News Director of Pearl Station, known more commonly as Ol' Chen, was in charge of two of the most notable programs at the Station. He was a man who always loved sticking his nose into other people's business during work or in their personal lives. Far more than that, as a master of flattery and kissing up, Ol' Chen had the most vile, vindictive, and vengeful personality at the Station.
Tales of their conflict at the year-end party quickly spread like wildfire around the News Center. The rumors were widely discussed and described the incident like a bloody crime scene. Almost everyone seemed to believe that Xing Ming was in serious trouble this time. Given the authority of Ol' Chen, no one except the chairman, Yu Zhongye, would dare to go against his will at the Station. Clearly, this time, Xing Ming was the instigator who had made the first move by smashing a wine bottle into the director's head.
But to be honest, Ol' Chen had actually been Xing Ming's talent scout. Like the historical horse expert, Bole, had always known how to pick out good thoroughbreds, Ol' Chen had been the one to pick out Xing Ming. Without him, this brilliant young man wouldn't have had the chance to stand out from others and become such a great success at Pearl Station.
Based on a core tenet of "Seek the truth," Pearl Station strove to provide its audience with distinct news programs and content, just as it had ever since its initial establishment. After years of working in the traditional media format of television and radio broadcasting, the Station was now confronting the challenge caused by the friction between traditional and online digital media. In recent years in China, the fast-growing pan-entertainment industry had brought huge changes to televised media with its multi-platform franchises that spawned many different types of media products from the same intellectual property. As such, it had become Pearl Station's top priority to transform their television programs to adapt to the changing times.
It was worth mentioning that two of its popular shows had become household names. One of them was Pearl Line, a news analysis program. After being launched, it had gained a positive reputation within the industry, readily winning numerous television news awards at both the provincial and national levels. The other program, Fated to be with You, was a dating show. Its male guest presenter was eloquent and adept in storytelling, and its multi-talented female presenter was capable of singing and dancing. On top of that, due to their exaggerated acting and their sensationalism, the show quickly went viral and gained popularity, beating its rivals after airing.
Both television programs were quite remarkable within the media industry: one had established the Station's reputation while the other gained steady profits. As such, Pearl Station became the main target of ill will, animosity, and grievances from many envious rival TV stations. Why should Pearl Station have both fame and fortune?
To find suitable guests for Fated to be with You, the dating show had collaborated with a few renowned dating agencies where several veteran marriage matchmakers and dating scouts worked. They frequently wandered around places like department store boutiques and exclusive clubs. Just like eager hawks hunting to snatch rabbits as prey, they stealthily spied on their targets with shifty little eyes, looking solely for pretty faces regardless of anything else.
The story of Xing Ming's brand-new career had started on the day when a scout had settled on him at first glance on a bustling street.
Xing Ming was a born and bred Southern Chinese man, but, strangely, he had a face that looked like a Northerner. His fair skin, thin lips, high-bridged nose, and height (more than six feet) made him stand out wherever he went.
The dating scout had gone straight for Xing Ming, offering him a chance to join the show immediately after obtaining his personal information.
Coincidentally, at that time, Xing Ming had been shopping with his girlfriend, who was a die-hard fan of the dating show Fated to be with You. Even after being forced to watch the show by the girlfriend a few times, Xing Ming still took it as a stupid and ludicrous performance.
In his eyes, the show ran like this:
A bunch of amateur struggling models, longing to stand out in their workplace and get into the entertainment circle would get together on stage and perform hilarious skits built upon the miseries of their families and friends. They then tried to gain sympathy from the audience by rambling on about their clichéd love stories and their gut-wrenching past experiences. In the end, the curtain would fall on an exaggerated performance as the actors wrung crocodile tears out of their eyes due to their "deep sorrow" and spouted out insincere promises.
What a perfectly contrived show!
The clowns on stage cried and sobbed; the audience off stage burst constantly into laughter. It was like a melodramatic comedic skit.
With a degree in Clinical Medicine from college, Xing Ming had held no interest in performing or acting in front of a crowd. In truth, he had been more of an expert at dealing with dead people, rather than the living. But his girlfriend had wanted the opportunity to get on camera, and the matchmaker had always kept his wits about him. He'd known when to take advantage of the opportunity and immediately took action, quickly offering a "buy-one-get-one-free deal" to them, allowing both of them to join the program, so long as they passed the interview process.
After a round of interviews, his girlfriend had been unfortunately rejected by the picky director in the final round. Meanwhile, Xing Ming had made it through easily and eventually got to the live recording process.
Unfortunately, Xing Ming's performance during the rehearsal had failed to satisfy the program's producer. A strong sense of aloofness arose from his demeanor, as he had kept silent with a poker face when he'd been supposed to talk and smile. Expressionless, he had behaved like a robot, moving with noticeably mechanical actions. A number of other male models had been available as Xing Ming's understudies, including Chinese, foreign, and interracial young men. Each one of them had regarded the chance to appear on this show as a vital steppingstone for their future careers, a turning point of their life that they needed to put all their effort into. Thus, unsurprisingly, many people had urged the program's director to find a better replacement for Xing Ming.
It was Ol' Chen, at that time the show's executive producer, who had helped him. Casting only one glance at Xing Ming, Ol' Chen had insisted on having him onstage despite the disapproval and complaints. He'd said that Xing Ming was a gorgeous and charming man who would easily grab the audience's attention and boost viewership even if he just stood on stage doing nothing: the show would be elevated into high popularity with just his presence!
Xing Ming's performance had ended up being mind-blowing to pretty much everyone, including Ol' Chen. Well-versed in the subject he was talking about, Xing Ming had smiled gently and spoken with witty, articulate words and punchlines. He had shocked even the professional host. The show had received a huge round of applause and cheers from the audience and, after it had broadcasted, gained unprecedentedly positive reviews.
A few days after that, Ol' Chen had phoned, explaining that the show Fated to be with You had been planning to find a second host for on-location scenes around that time, and the uproar for Xing Ming as a candidate had been so loud among netizens that he'd made up his mind to offer him the job.
Because of Fated to be with You, Xing Ming had become popular within a short period of time. As an online influencer, he wasn't cocky or arrogant, and as a rookie in this industry, he wasn't a social climber. Almost everyone at Pearl Station had favored him, regarding him as a modest, honest, assertive, and courteous young man who had talent but was not pompous.
But, unexpectedly, rather than taking this opportunity to secure a job as a permanent host for Fated to be with You, Xing Ming had taken initiative to request a transfer from the Entertainment Center to the News Center, becoming a normal correspondent on the show Pearl Line.
Completely different from hosting extremely popular dating shows, camera correspondents of televised news programs received much poorer treatment, to the point of being unable to sign a contract with Pearl Station and therefore not being counted within the institution as a public-sector employee.
In fact, a common belief claimed that, for a novice like Xing Ming, one who possessed no professional knowledge or interview hosting skills, the only method he could use to gain a shortcut to success involved pretending to be an idiot, acting foolish and entertaining on stage. However, Xing Ming was skeptical of that kind of pop culture factoid, and so he'd decided to start from zero by studying core journalism courses, including interviewing, recording, and reporting news. After only one year of study, he had grown from a nameless and faceless correspondent to a professional journalist at Pearl Station. With a recommendation from Ol' Chen, he'd been eventually offered the chance to stand in for the female host of Pearl Line, who'd been preparing for maternity leave.
At first, Ol' Chen had been very satisfied with Xing Ming's work and proud of his promotion. After all, it proved his capability as a professional talent scout, to have wisely picked out the most gifted individual from all the average Joes. But, as it turned out, this choice also became a problem.
The producer of Pearl Line was Ol' Chen, and the original host had been Zhuang Lei, the popular sweetheart and leading lady of Pearl Station.
Zhuang Lei was an exceptionally gorgeous and classy woman, and she had even avoided the egotism or haughtiness typical of most extreme beauties. Rumors claimed that when Zhuang Lei had first joined the station, she'd captivated a lot of skirt-chasers and pursuers within only a few months, all because of her charming smiles and friendly, outgoing personality. She completely deserved her position as the most popular woman at the Station.
Supposedly, Zhuang Lei was Ol' Chen's niece, but it'd been rumored that she was actually his lover. No one had been able to come to an agreement on whether or not the rumor was true. Of course, they never leaked a word of it in front of the Director, often choosing instead to slander Zhuang Lei in secret.
Although he wasn't as cynical as those people, Xing Ming hadn't been surprised at all of the happenings; after all, the Pearl TV Station Entertainment Center was similar enough to half of the entertainment circle. All the dirty deals, hideous trades, and complicated social networking that went on there had been much more chaotic than the News Center. When he had worked in Fated to be with You, he'd often been told to "release his instinct" (as in, turn a blind eye) by the sponsors and leaders with ulterior motives. Besides, he believed that people all had their own goals in life. Ol' Chen was over fifty years old, around five and a half feet, with a partially bald head and a sour odor. It wasn't hard to say that by "devoting" herself to such a man, Zhuang Lei had not only paid for her success, she'd earned it.
But Xing Ming had refused to participate in the typical dealings of the entertainment industry. Moreover, he hadn't been merely unwilling to do it; he'd disdained it. Although he'd pretended to be obedient and tame when he first got into Pearl Station, he was actually an innately fickle and ill-tempered man who wasn't used to being submissive or showing any weakness. At school, he had been the outgoing and assertive valedictorian who'd always scored the highest in all subjects. Meanwhile, at the News Center, he was secretly called the "Ice Prince."
Zhuang Lei had eventually married a news host at Pearl Station called Lin Siquan. One was the charming number one beauty, whereas the other was an elegant chief host. The couple seemed perfectly matched. Unfortunately, although Zhuang Lei left work due to her pregnancy, the show Pearl Line couldn't be postponed. Carefully considering capable but unambitious people to take the temporary role, Ol' Chen had finally made his decision, choosing Xing Ming, the young man whom he had already recommended and promoted.
After she'd given birth to the child and her body had restored itself to its usual shape, Zhuang Lei had returned to the broadcasting room only to find herself unable to recognize any familiar faces. At that moment, she had realized that, after only a few months' leave, Xing Ming had replaced all of her partners.
To Zhuang Lei, it seemed clearly like a maid wanting to usurp the control and position of the mistress of the house, so she'd sent a complaint to Ol' Chen. In the beginning, Ol' Chen had thought the issue would be something easily resolved with a few persuasive words. To his surprise, Xing Ming had been extremely stubborn and persistent, claiming that Pearl Line had come completely under the Xing banner by then, and that he refused to change his mind about his claim.
That was when Ol' Chen had suddenly understood the situation, remembering that, when Xing Ming had proposed to transform Pearl Line, he himself had been the first to completely agree. At that time, he still hadn't realized that Xing Ming had already started a plan of insurrection, one which had grown with his power. Ol' Chen's modest and humble little lamb had surreptitiously transformed into an ambitious wolf in sheep's clothing!
At the News Center's year-end conference banquet, Ol' Chen had been so exasperated and bitter that his hands shook, jolting the half-filled wine glass that he'd been holding. Then, he'd approached the table where Xing Ming sat and cursed him out harshly in front of the crowd, scolding him for being a snake in the grass, a turncoat, a filthy schemer…
Meanwhile, Xing Ming had just received, on behalf of the Station, the Top Ten News Centers of the Year award during the earlier conference. It had been his most highly regarded moment. Despite everyone's scrutiny during Ol' Chen's vicious comments, he retained his smile from the beginning to the end, taking the insults as they came.
Xing Ming knew that, for Ol' Chen, his favorite things were the fours sins of "alcohol, sex, money and indulgence," and so he'd brought a bottle of 1982 Lafite, leaving an extra bottle in the backseat of his BMW. He had planned to give them both to Ol' Chen once the conference ended. He hadn't intended to irritate Ol' Chen any further at the time, thinking that, although the man was narrow-minded and short-sighted, it would have been impossible for him to get into his position as a director only through flattery. There must have been some other reasons for his success.
"I've already apologized to Quan-ge this afternoon. It's my bad for being so thoughtless and not putting myself in Lei-jie's[1] shoes. Please don't take it seriously and forgive us young people…"
Xing Ming had chuckled guilelessly and then ingratiatingly refilled Ol' Chen's emptied glass. At this point, Ol' Chen's resentment had almost been relieved through all the cursing, but he'd still been highly drunk and thus too stubborn to disregard everything. Hence, he had pointed his finger accusingly at Xing Ming's nose to scold and educate him.
"Young men are supposed to be humble," he'd said. "Don't think you can hide your little family affair thing, especially your dad, the rapist—"
Hideous and dreadful memories had rapidly rampaged into Xing Ming's mind. Not waiting for Ol' Chen to finish his statement, Xing Ming had immediately hurled the 50-thousand-yuan bottle of Lafite straight at Ol' Chen's head.
Ol' Chen fell to the ground right then and there, bleeding profusely until the policemen arrived.
People from the News Center sent him to the hospital's emergency room. His wound was almost three inches long, and he got twelve stitches.
While staying in the hospital, Ol' Chen appeared quite benevolent, telling police that they were all gentle people without any serious dispute or hatred, that alcohol was the culprit for muddling their minds, and that everything could easily be resolved under the table.
In the end, the incident ended with no official case; not even civil compensation was mentioned. Everyone recovered from the incident and went back to relish the New Year Holidays.
Only, Xing Ming knew, clear as mud, that the more peaceful and tranquil everything seemed, the more perilous the situation actually was. Ol' Chen loved playing dirty. And for years, many self-confident and unyielding men had been defeated by him. Each battle had been a fierce struggle, and each time, the aftermath had ended up deadly enough to ruin someone's reputation.
It was always easy to find a stick to beat a dog with. Xing Ming was familiar with Ol' Chen's capability and conspiracies.
After the long Chinese New Year break, Xing Ming returned to the offices of Pearl TV Station News Center at ten in the morning, and he soon realized that there was something different in the air. All the people there avoided him. Rather than smile in greeting, they turned their backs and gossiped in whispers.
Xing Ming ignored it all. He'd gotten used to that kind of treatment a long time ago.
He of course sensed other people's judgment and attention on himself. Just like during his time as a student, he'd gotten used to being noticed by many girls, standing straight with eyes focused forward as he accepted all their admiring glances and fantasies about him. Now that he was in this situation, he also remained calm and accepting of all criticism.
He already knew that Pearl Line had a problem, and he also knew that, at that moment, Ol' Chen was in the director's office, trying to think of ways to get him kicked out of Pearl Station.
While the show's director and executive producer had both reviewed and approved the program, in the end, he was the only one who could take responsibility for any mistakes. He could only blame himself for being overconfident when, in order to obtain a job at the News Center, he had given up a secure long-term contract in favor of a relatively well-paid but risky temporary contract.
It wasn't certain if Ol' Chen had been behind this whole thing from the beginning, but he definitely would not let pass this opportunity to mess with Xing Ming. Everyone at the New Center had heard about the situation, but they felt surprised that the forbearing director of the News Center would use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, that this time Ol' Chen had reported the whole matter to the chairman, all just to take revenge for a personal grudge.
At a place like Pearl Station, social awareness was always far more important than working ability. People tried to get out of the danger zone of the dispute by avoiding Xing Ming, but they underestimated this guy's courage and insight.
In this world, a praying mantis might stalk the cicada, but the sparrow stalks the mantis in turn. In the food chain and in the cycle of life, everything has its predator. Human society was the same.
Though Ol' Chen sharpened his knives in preparation for revenge, there was still someone above him: that man was the real boss of Pearl Station, Yu Zhongye.
Xing Ming personally thought himself familiar enough with Yu Zhongye. Though unofficial personnel usually had few chances to interact with the chairman, Xing Ming had had three face-to-face conversations with him since joining the Station over a year ago, and that was excluding the times when they passed each other by in the office building, when Xing Ming would glance over and greet the chairman with a quick "laoshi[2]."
The first time they'd spoken had been after the show Fated to be with You had ended, when Xing Ming had appeared at the Station not on invitation from Ol' Chen, but to go straight to the post-production group leader.
The episode of the show Xing Ming had recorded had just aired, receiving positive reviews all around. Only, the post-production team had gotten his name wrong in the credits. His surname, "Xing," was supposed to be written with the character meaning "punishment," but the TV had shown the homophonous character of a more common surname. Both characters were pronounced the same, and even the difference in writing was very subtle.
As such, Xing Ming had politely asked for a correction in the credits of the next episode.
The group leader, thinking Xing Ming was making a fuss over nothing, cheerfully tried to laugh off the request. He said that the "Xing" in Xing Ming's name was pretty uncommon and therefore easy to get wrong. He even added that the meaning of the name felt too ominous to be kept in the show, that maybe he'd change it entirely. Saying that, he began to turn back to editing the program, only to be unexpectedly stopped by the determined young man in front of him.
"Please correct the mistake and draft an official apology." Xing Ming spoke in a courteous manner with a slight smile, but his eyes gazed coldly at the other person, giving off enormous pressure.
Gradually, more and more people gathered around the tense scene. They were all employees at Pearl Station, yet they all stared at Xing Ming. The Station was a weird place where, on the surface, people interacted peacefully and happily but all types of foul schemes and treachery lurked in the shadows. Over time, each person became a survivor within this highly hazardous environment. In order to make a living, they learned to hide their talents and to bide their time for the right opportunity.
But this kid was an outlier.
The atmosphere became frigid as everyone stared at Xing Ming in anticipation of a spectacle.
Both parties maintained their stalemate, but then a voice suddenly spoke from behind them:
"I apologize on behalf of Pearl Station. Your requested statement will be posted before the next episode begins."
He hadn't even seen the man, only heard his voice.
Xing Ming's heart thumped, almost beating out of his chest. The voice sounded great, rich yet mellow, charismatic yet mature.
The post-production group leader threw his gaze in the direction of the voice, then immediately stood straight, chuckling, "Hey, Yu-shu[3]."
The title "Yu-shu" contained three-tenths awed respect and seven-tenths flattering adoration. Xing Ming intuited that this "Yu-shu" surely had a special status within this Station.
He followed the sound of the voice with his gaze—strangely, though there were a lot of people around, he was able to figure out who'd spoken with just one glance.
With slightly sweaty palms, he could feel that his heartbeat was palpitating with excitement.
Xing Ming had seen a lot of people before. He himself was handsome, and so he'd grown up knowing a lot of beautiful people of varying age ranges since he was young. When they first saw him, they would stiffen in amazement and stare before pursing their lips and rearranging their hair. After seeing so many good-looking people, Xing Ming had developed his own standard for "beautiful person," and unrefined, common charmers were not his type.
However, the man he was looking at should never have been called "Yu-shu" (Uncle Yu), since "Yu-meiren" (Beautiful Yu) definitely suited him better.
He was even taller than Xing Ming, wearing a business casual suit without a tie or any other luxury items. Just through the profound sensation brought forth by his powerful eyes, deep calm voice, and his humble yet tolerant attitude, it clear that this man was sophisticated and mature. It was rare to see a man of his age take such good care of himself. His beauty rivalled that of deities.
The man smiled and departed, leaving Xing Ming standing still, uncertain which way to go.
That man seemed familiar.
Later, he heard that this "Yu-shu" was none other than the chairman, Yu Zhongye.
Yu Zhongye was over forty years old. He had been appointed to the position of Chairman of Pearl Station for no longer than three years, but he wasn't afraid to face challenges regardless of his past achievements and glories. On one hand, he had won over the ratings at Golden TV Show Time through multiple entertainment shows. While on the other hand, he had broken rules and collaborated with BBC and CNBC to make Pearl Station shows that successfully entered the international market.
From the tales told of him, Yu Zhongye was an omnipotent polymath, which was very mystical. It was said that he had graduated from a renowned school as a journalism student before devoting himself to military service. It was also said that he had personally created lyrics and composed songs for the Station's programs. And when the "Hundred Year Calligraphy Exhibition" had been launched by both the Ministry of Culture and the Artist's Association, his name had been displayed together with legendary master calligraphers like Chen Zhongzhi and Tian Liming…
Xing Ming had little interest in those gifted in arts like calligraphy, ink-painting, or music. People in the television industry always bragged about themselves being "cultured," and most of them could do well in calligraphy and poetry; it was commonplace. However, Xing Ming was curious about Yu Zhongye—could such an extraordinary person have normal lusts and desires?
Yu Zhongye had been born into an average family, but his ex-wife, Hong Ni, had been the daughter of the province's former Deputy Party Secretary, Hong Wanliang. Luck in employment had allowed Hong Wanliang to be successfully promoted to the central government, but his daughter had suffered a harsher life. She had died only a few years after marriage, leaving only one son, who had been sent abroad quite early on.
On the surface, Chairman Yu seemed deeply attached to his wife. He had lived alone without remarrying another woman for ten years. The wedding ring remained on his fourth finger, but most people at the Station knew that exceptionally charming men never put their eyes on only one person. Therefore, there was a rumor at the Station: after Hong Ni had passed-away, Yu Zhongye had signed a secret contract with Hong Wanliang, specifying that Yu Zhongye could have as many women as he wanted in secret, and Hong Wanliang would not speak a word about it, but he could never marry any other woman.
Of course, every rumor had an alternate version, and in this case the counter-rumor was that Yu Zhongye actually preferred men.
The second encounter between the two had been during a journalism course. Yu Zhongye had been the speaker for that lecture. Although the busy Chairman Yu only taught for that one lecture, it was because of it that Xing Ming alone had right to call him "laoshi" instead of the more common titles like "Chairman Yu" or "Yu-shu" that were used for him by others at the Station:
It was time for group discussion, and since Xing Ming had some renown from the show Fated to be with You, a classmate asked him: why would a student of medicine decide to work in television? And why did he start from scratch and join the news programs, instead of continuing with entertainment programs?
At that moment, Yu Zhongye stood behind the podium, staring deeply into Xing Ming's eyes. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so Xing Ming rapidly organized his thoughts, making his few minutes of class discussion time into an improvised speech. With appropriate drama and presentation, he explained why he had given up medicine for the arts. Between entertainment for the masses and concern for humanity, he said, he'd resolutely chosen the latter.
In the beginning, Xing Ming talked in a slow, emotional, and fluent manner, yet soon his speech became faster and faster. Though intelligent and logical people often spoke quickly, this time, it was his passion that spurred him on.
He cited a poem of a renowned French-Chinese author, saying that he knew traditional news had been diminishing for the past two years and that times had changed.
He added that he also knew that he had the capability to stand up for the minorities of society and speak out for them.
Initially, everyone regarded this speech as nonsense, but then gradually the feeling faded away. The class lapsed into silence as most students concentrated on listening. Only one girl ultimately giggled out loud, whispering to her desk mate, "Who does he think he is?"
Yu Zhongye smiled as well. Xing Ming, despite not knowing whether he was being teased or disdained, still thought the expression was captivating.
To be honest, the idea of "standing up for the minorities in society and speaking out for them" did not originally come from Xing Ming's mouth, but Xing Hong's.
And who was Xing Hong?
Xing Hong had been Xing Ming's father, a journalist working at an economic news organization. He had been a noble man, honest and just. Even after being in the industry for twenty years, he had never collected any bribes. But some people had disliked his straightforwardness. Even Xing Ming had held complicated feelings towards his father, a combination of awe and fear, love and resentment. However, the disastrous turning point had been when he turned fourteen, the year when Xing Hong had been convicted of bribery and rape and sentenced to prison for ten years. Three years into his sentence at the Niu Ling Prison, he had passed away.
Before death, he'd been a "tenacious journalist" with little renown; only after death had he received his enormous notoriety.
When class ended, all students rushed forth, requesting the signature of Chairman Yu. Everyone wanted a job at the Station, and therefore each one of them wanted to at least try to build up some sort of relationship with Chairman Yu.
With a limited amount of time, Yu Zhongye only signed for the first couple of students before leaving. Xing Ming missed the chance as he was way behind in the queue. Of course, he didn't care to be so fawning and flattering, believing that his earlier speech had already impressed Yu Zhongye enough. Unsurprisingly, a few days later, the assistant of Yu Zhongye sent him a book, the exact poem anthology that he'd quoted from by that French writer. On the title page of the book, a line of flourishing script had been left:
Cherish your talents and keep your empathy.
The third time they'd conversed, Xing Ming had been in an enormous bed in the master bedroom of Yu Zhongye's residence, where they'd spent the night together:
Xing Ming was stark naked, with his thighs slightly open. He lay prostrate on the king size bed, kneeling down like a submissive servant. The cold scent of perfume swiftly wafted toward him. Then, he felt the other man's playful fingers on his skin.
"I was drunk at the banquet. I shouldn't have hit Director Chen…" Bypassing the influence of his immediate supervisor to report to a higher authority was the top taboo in the workplace, yet the incident of Xing Ming hitting Ol' Chen at the year-end conference banquet had already been witnessed by everyone.
Behind Xing Ming, Yu Zhongye chuckled, then placed a single finger on Xing Ming's lips, saying, "No business talk tonight."
The man's voice lilted like a pipe organ was hidden inside him. Even his chuckle sounded melodious. Xing Ming had to admit that Yu Zhongye's fingers were unusual as well. They were slim and cold, with a velvety smoothness. Just a little haphazard teasing around his lower half rendered him trembling and quivering like a light electric current ran through him.
Yu Zhongye seemed to notice Xing Ming's uneasiness, and his fingers slipped down the crack of Xing Ming's ass, rubbing his balls before plunging into Xing Ming's entrance.
That finger immediately caressed and stroked that sensitive spot within Xing Ming, who felt an irresistible jolt and involuntarily clenched his ass. Meanwhile, fluid began to gather at the tip of his cock.
In his hole, another finger joined the first. Yu Zhongye's fingers were dexterous, flicking in and out, repeatedly pressing on that crucial spot. Xing Ming got even wetter. Not even when he masturbated or got blowjobs from girlfriends had he ever gotten so wet. The fluid dripped steadily from his length, glistening and slightly viscous, as if he hadn't been able to hold it in.
"Do you want it?" Yu Zhongye's voice was deep but dispassionate, without any particular excitement.
"Laoshi." Having been teased to the pinnacle of lust, Xing Ming whimpered hoarsely. His entrance twitched helplessly against Yu Zhongye's movements, gaping and gulping, greedily sucking those fingers in.
Expecting Xing Ming's reaction, Yu Zhongye chose an ideal moment to withdraw his fingers, pulling out his cock instead, slowly thrusting into the covetous entrance that seemed to starve without anything filling it.
It hurts. It hurts so much. Xing Ming gasped in pain. It felt like his body was being invaded by something sharp, something that brutally penetrated him, trying to split him apart. He was so nervous that his entire thigh seemed to cramp. All of his muscles convulsed.
"Laoshi, I've… I've never done it with a man before…"
It was the truth; Xing Ming wasn't a virgin, but he had never really done it with a man. He put on a façade in begging for mercy with soft keening and erotic moans, but it didn't seem to work. As the "Ice Prince" of Pearl Station, Xing Ming never bowed down to anybody, and faking it just felt awkward.
"Take it easy." Cock squeezed so tight that he felt uncomfortable, Yu Zhongye stopped moving, then said with a smirk, "Show me your value."
Xing Ming took a deep breath and tried hard to relax. But, without even waiting for him to finish exhaling, the hard length inside Xing Ming's body had already pushed brutally in again.
Yu Zhongye started thrusting, each out-stroke removing his cock completely before the in-stroke fiercely penetrated to the root, reaching deep into that heated hole.
It was hard to say if Xing Ming was in agony or ecstasy. Not only were his waist muscles numb and his kneecaps tender, but he blearily realized that his knees were threatening to give out.
Seeing the body in front of him shake and gradually collapse in on itself, Yu Zhongye pulled out his belt and playfully tied it around Xing Ming's neck, leashing him up like a pet.
He tightened his belt around Xing Ming's throat and pulled his head up and back to the greatest extent, then lowered his head to seek a kiss.
Xing Ming's eyes were closed, struggling even on the brink of suffocation to hold his own against Yu Zhongye's kiss. Yu Zhongye's tongue was so soft and so dominating, bringing a hint of sweetness with the taste of his saliva.
As Yu Zhongye kissed Xing Ming, he held tightly onto his ass, then thrusted his cock ferociously in. This one thrust almost seemed to pass through Xing Ming's intestines and reach straight into his gut. Feeling the unbearable heat of his inner walls and the roiling sensation in his stomach, Xing Ming yelled out unwittingly and hooked his arms around Yu Zhongye's neck, pressing himself close against the other man's wide chest.
It was already late night outside, and the window wall of the bedroom was lit up bright, acting like a makeshift-mirror. In this mirror, Xing Ming saw a man, his complete nudity exposing pale flesh. He twisted, wiggled, posed in unbelievable positions, all while making lewd moans. The other man in the mirror seemed unflappable in comparison, rarely gasping or losing composure. He hadn't even taken off his suit.
Xing Ming closed his eyes. What a slut, he accused himself.
As soon as Xing Ming appeared at the office cubicles of the News Critic Department, he saw the intern assistant, Ruan Ning, mysteriously approaching, saying, "Boss, Director Chen is in the chairman's office right now, and he wants you there as well."
Xing Ming acknowledged the message but wasn't in a rush to head to the office. Pinching Ruan Ning's cheeks, Xing Ming instead asked him how much weight he'd gained this New Year break, since his face was almost round.
Xing Ming was just teasing. Ruan Ning was a film school graduate, five-foot-ten, and handsome, with fair skin and delicate features. In the past two years, he had become popular through acting in Chinese fantasy dramas and films. Theoretically, a capable man like Ruan Ning, one with such an impressive background, should have succeeded solely with his looks and his many other skills. However, unfortunately, the competition at the Station meant that even after a year of working there he was still merely an intern assistant.
Normally, Ruan Ning called Xing Ming "Boss," and Xing Ming treated him fairly well. In the television industry, such an enthusiastic and warmhearted young man was hard to come by. The only problem was that sometimes, he became overly passionate and crossed the line into nagging and long-windedness.
"I'm a person who only grows fat on my face. Not like you, Boss, born to have a good-looking face that fits the camera." That statement was not flattery but true admiration.
Just then, Ruan Ning apparently remembered something, and he surveyed the room, and then lowered his voice, saying, "That episode of The Ordinary Road broadcasted during the New Year break was revealed to be faked. Those two paid actors were on a show on East Asian Channel. Right now, Ol' Chen is preparing to find a scapegoat for it…"
Ruan Ning was reminding him to find an explanation for Chairman Yu, to not let other people tell his story for him.
Xing Ming mumbled another acknowledgement, turning to walk out the door. But then he turned back before ever crossing the threshold, asking Ruan Ning to check when the other members of the group were free on the weekend. He had brought gifts from abroad and wanted to invite everyone out for a meal.
The troublesome episode came from the program The Ordinary Road. The show had a completely different method of operation compared to that of previous Pearl Line shows, all of which invited academic experts and business elites to participate in discussion and to weigh-in on current news issues. Instead, it had used the format of a documentary film and revealed the current situation of some average wage-earners struggling to survive in big cities.
After the show had been broadcast, it gained overwhelmingly good feedback. On his own dime, Xing Ming had invited nearly two hundred migrant workers who hadn't been able to return home for a New Year's Eve dinner for the Lunar New Year. It had been a grand event, and it had been fanatically reported by not just Pearl Station, but all the other major media organizations as well.
By the end of the festivities, there had been nothing left of Xing Ming's newly earned year-end bonus. He'd celebrated with hundreds of the workers, connecting with them as brothers, then painfully vomited everything he had eaten once he got back home. Some rumors online had said that he had done this as a way to increase his own fame. Although this ulterior motive accounted for 70% of his plan, it certainly did not cover the remaining 30%.
When his father had passed away and his mother had remarried, Xing Ming had moved out of his home and, since then, never participated in reunion dinners with his family. Having a lot of people together for the New Year festivities was a nice change of pace that made him feel comfortable and warm.
An individual who sought fame would get it, just as one who pursued profit would get that; besides the high ratings the program received, it'd also revealed the many obstacles and difficulties experienced by the migrant worker population that lived in the big city, as well as cast them into the limelight, drawing public attention and intriguing everyone enough to start related discussions. This was supposed to have been a beneficial achievement for everyone. Only, New Year's festivities had not even concluded before an incident had occurred.
Someone had revealed that the workers participating in the show The Ordinary Road had actually been paid actors. Immediately, another provincial station, East Asian Channel, took action and invited those two actors to one of their shows.
The door of the chairman's office had not been closed, so when Xing Ming approached, he could hear the impassioned speech that Ol' Chen was presenting. He said that the complaint hotlines were overloading because so many people were trying to reach out to them. Even the executive leaders had called to ask about the situation, rebuking them and saying that those two episodes of The Ordinary Road had not only violated an essential tenet of Pearl Station, but also crossed the baseline morality of reporters…
Xing Ming, tired of listening to Ol' Chen's prattling, pushed the door wide open, then, standing straight, called out, "Laoshi."
Yu Zhongye raised his head to glance at Xing Ming, then said in his typical callous way, "Come in."
Ol' Chen saw Xing Ming and huffed with discourtesy. Then, his treacherous face suddenly brightened, "Here comes young Xing." He smiled, but his voice held a hint of sneering, "Young Xing, I think The Ordinary Road is a singular idea. You shouldn't have to repress yourself, staying here at Pearl Station. You should go make a film, be the script writer, director, producer, and even one of the actors. Zhang Yimou did it and got famous—I think you'd rival even him!"
"Yes, I'm here about that." It seemed to Xing Ming that his opponent's agenda was to directly blame him for the deception in the show, so Xing Ming just calmly nodded, smiling. "Director, you look happy today; something good must be about to happen soon."
"Ridiculous." Ol' Chen didn't seem to want to entertain someone he must consider to be a kid, for he directly addressed the incident. "I'd say a storm is coming. It hasn't been as peaceful as usual at the Station recently."
"Yeah, I saw the news too. There's a crisis and tension in North Korea and the American Navy Stealth Destroyer sailed into the South China Sea. Most reporters like engaging in these kinds of things." By only talking about the recent news, Xing Ming was able to skillfully avoid aggression and hostility from Ol' Chen. Both of them deserved awards for their excellent acting.
This was Xing Ming's first time in the chairman's office, so he looked around in curiosity. The interior design displayed moderation, containing metallic tones of black and gray with basic to almost boring geometric shapes. Behind the black marble office desk stood two huge bookcases full of tidily arranged books.
Yu Zhongye raised his head to look into Xing Ming's eyes. Their gazes collided in the air between them, but not a single spark was made.
In front of other people, their roles were a normal employer and a normal employee, a respectful teacher and a respectful student. Behind their backs…
Behind their backs, they were barely human.
Even after three days, the belt marks on Xing Ming's neck were still noticeable, and he still walked with a limp.
Yu Zhongye didn't try to pretend at any unfamiliarity with Xing Ming, directly asking him, "Tomorrow is the weekend. Do you have any plans for the night?"
"I'm going back home to visit my mom," Xing Ming answered honestly. "The anniversary of my dad's death is approaching, so I have to be with her to visit my dad's grave."
It had just been a random question, and Chairman Yu didn't continue the conversation. He picked up the remote control to open the office's flat-screen TV—which was showing an episode of Extraordinary Life on the East Asian Channel. In the show, two middle aged men who seemed to have experienced many deviations in life confessed that they had been involved in the recording process at Pearl Line. They said that all the touching stories in the show had been meticulously designed by someone, a male host who was even more charming than movie stars…
These two guests of the show had both done a decent amount of shooting at the Hengdian World Studios, so they'd already met plenty of powerful, influential, and intelligent individuals in the entertainment circle. Hence, it was reasonable that they could not remember the name of a little TV reporter. However, the host at East Asian Channel was also more charming than movie stars, and so he rapidly followed to confirm, "Are you talking about Xing Ming?"
Hearing that, Yu Zhongye chuckled, then turned his head to look at Xing Ming. "Have you already watched this episode?"
Xing Ming nodded. "Yes."
Yu Zhongye's finger gently tapped the surface of the black marble desk. "Explain yourself."
"I made minor changes in the process of recording The Ordinary Road. The people were real, and the stories were real. However, there were some workers who were too scared to be on camera, so, in order to avoid delaying or halting the shooting process, I found some actors. They were interviewed and selected by me, so the fault is on neither the producer nor the director."
Despite the awkwardness of the situation, Xing Ming remained chivalrous. He never intended to exonerate himself of the incident. After all, Yu Zhongye was not an outsider to this industry, so he clearly understood that in this era, most stations would engage in exaggerated effects and impact in shows by arranging paid actors, guests, stand-ins, and applauding audiences. It was commonplace. Nevertheless, some shabbier stations deliberately faked sensational news stories.
Yet Pearl Line was not a reality show. Consequently, to Pearl Station, which had been established based on the words, "Seeking the truth," this was a fatal reprehensible blunder.
Xing Ming understood this point very clearly; otherwise, he wouldn't have decided to so hastily climb into Yu Zhongye's bed.
"The East Asian Channel was just too thoughtless. Before broadcasting a show like this, they should have at least informed us about it." Ol' Chen was uneasy as well. Ever since the competition between television channels had rapidly escalated in the past two years, mutual tip-offs and under-the-table crackdowns between rivals were normal. Most of the time, however, no one dared to be so provocative.
Meanwhile, Yu Zhongye didn't seem to mind at all. He gazed over at the host on the television, smiling, "Luo You is quite the professional on stage. I'm going to talk to him at some point and ask if he would be interested in working for Pearl Station."
"Not only is he a professional on stage, but he also has an outstandingly good appearance. Even A-list actors couldn't compete with him! But inviting him might be slightly difficult, since he's been rapidly promoted in the last two years and could now be considered to be the top host of the East Asian Channel. How could the channel let him go so easily?" Ol' Chen thought for a while, adding with concern, "On top of that, he must be treated well at the East Asian Channel. I'm guessing he won't consider searching for another contract or job-hopping to another Station."
"People always look for higher positions and better opportunities. Media professionals in particular are never lacking in insight or ambition." Yu Zhongye, not as pessimistic as Ol' Chen, gave a slight nod, saying, "He will join us."
Then, they continued on the topics of recent news and entertainment trends and gossip, virtually ignoring Xing Ming's presence in the office. Xing Ming kept still, patiently biding his time. At this moment, the only thing he could do was follow instructions. He had embarrassed himself already; there was no turning back from that, so he would just cope and do his best.
They chatted for about ten minutes before Yu Zhongye shifted topics, asking Ol' Chen, "Regarding the paid actor problem on Pearl Line, what's the News Center's solution to it?"
Based on Ol' Chen's personal intentions, he definitely wanted to destroy Xing Ming's life and ruin his future career. But as of yet, the emperor had not made any decrees, and, as a eunuch, Ol' Chen did not dare to usurp the emperor's power. In fact, since he couldn't be sure how Yu Zhongye felt towards this issue, he couldn't push for too resolute of a solution. So Ol' Chen only grimaced, saying, "Since Yu-shu already knows about this matter, I'll definitely follow your lead."
Ol' Chen wasn't just a little older than Yu Zhongye, but he'd always followed the younger generation at the Station in calling Yu Zhongye "Yu-shu," which showed his clear talent in flattery. Having silently observed this exchange from the beginning till the end, Xing Ming almost wanted to laugh, for it reminded him so much of the emperors of old and their powerful eunuch advisors.
The Duke of Qi of the Tang Dynasty, Gao Lishi, was a eunuch who had weaseled his way into political power through flattery and brownnosing. Ol' Chen was merely a modern version of him.
Yu Zhongye laughed as well. "I won't take over your authority. The decision is yours."
"My decision…" Ol' Chen tactfully thought over his wording. "The matter can't be considered too devastating; online gossip will die down after a while. However, the matter also cannot be considered insignificant; the word 'truth' is the doctrine of journalists, and the basis of Pearl Station is, 'Seek the truth.' If we just let it go, we will suffer damage to our reputation. I think we should immediately terminate the employment contract of the person responsible, then publish an official statement promising that we will never absolve any such acts of deception and will also never again recruit any employees with a history of such deceit."
Ol' Chen's happy plot had been well-considered. Contract termination meant kicking Xing Ming out, and a piece of paper with a "never recruit" statement basically cut off any possibilities that Xing Ming could stay in the broadcasting media industry.
"Then go ahead and do it." Yu Zhongye nodded at Ol' Chen in assent, the motion looking more like a stately grant of amnesty. Then, he seemed to finally realize that there was another actual living being in the room, and he looked at Xing Ming with cold and callous eyes that seemed to banish him from the room.
Xing Ming was slightly stunned. His eyes were so dry that they felt like they were on fire, and his mind had completely blanked. He felt neither rage nor grief, but rather amusement.
Everything had backfired. He'd whored himself out for nothing.
How ridiculous.
"Thank you." Xing Ming squeezed out a smile, voicing thoughtless gratitude, then departed.
However, before he had gone very far, he returned, pushing open the door of the chairman's office with a bang, eyes unfeeling and viciously staring, with all the appearance of someone trying to force the abdication of an emperor in order to usurp imperial power.
Yu Zhongye sat still behind his desk, but Ol' Chen yelled first, "What are you doing? You're to leave, didn't you hear?"
Xing Ming suddenly felt relieved.
He realized then that those people who disdained Zhuang Lei did so without reason. Ancient Taoists had their "Method of Xuan Su" and "Way of Huang Chi" to guide practitioners in the carnal arts, so, technically, this type of bedchamber skills could be considered technical skills. Unlike Zhuang Lei, however, Xing Ming was obviously not suited to this line of work. That night, he had tried his best to please Yu Zhongye, twisting his waist and moving his hips in a hundred different but equally embarrassing ways. Now, as he recalled that night, he remembered Yu Zhongye's ambiguous attitude, how he'd remained calm and composed, how he hadn't made any promises. Even now, it would be unreasonable to say that he had broken any faith.
The situation was already as bad as it could get, so, having nothing to lose, Xing Ming spoke simply and candidly. "I have something else to say."
"Your meaning is already very clear." Yu Zhongye gave him no chance for further explanations. Without even looking at Xing Ming, he pressed a key on the landline, telling the secretary, "Let the security guards in."
The security guards arrived quickly, all big and tall and wearing suits like gangsters did in movies. As soon as they entered through the door, they pushed at Xing Ming's back. Disregarding that their target was a relatively well-known host, they tried to expel him immediately.
A hand roughly grabbed his shoulder, so Xing Ming shook his shoulder, but he failed to break free from the hand. Somehow, flames had ignited, and they leapt up in his chest as his indignation escalated. He turned back and punched the guard in the face. From the collision of flesh came the sound of a loud thump. Even the other security guards were startled. They had never seen such an unmannered and unruly person making trouble in front of the chairman. It took them two minutes to react and step in to help.
Xing Ming was trapped in a siege of seven or eight guards. Alone, he might be strong enough to down a few, but after several pushes and shoves, he was eventually outnumbered and pressed to the ground.
Unluckily, when he was knocked to the ground, his chin hit the corner of the glass tea table, immediately tearing open a gash that bled profusely.
Yu Zhongye observed Xing Ming the entire time. He witnessed him out of control, causing trouble, rampaging, and getting brought down bleeding to the ground. The entire time, he didn't speak a single word.
Face down to the ground, Xing Ming's hands were bent behind his back. The security guards seemed to be scared of his fists, so they had pressed almost all their weight on his back. Xing Ming struggled to get free from the restrictions, but then realized how eerily similar his situation was to that story of when the Monkey King had caused so much ruckus in the heavenly realms that the Buddha had stuck him under the Five Fingers Mountain, pinning him in place. So, Xing Ming finally came back to his senses and decided to stop fighting, turning instead to negotiate.
"I have worked as the host of Pearl Line for nearly half a year. Within this half year, the audience rating of Pearl Line always maintained its top position, even amongst all competition that aired at the same time throughout the country. Last month, I received an award from the Advertising Department of the CPC Central Committee, for an increase of 300% in revenue for advertisement!"
Ol' Chen had not expected that Xing Ming would use a trump card like this, yet Yu Zhongye seemed to have already known about it. He nodded and then slowly said, "The elders planted trees so that the youth might enjoy the coolness of shade. The accumulation of fame, power, and influence generated by Pearl Line through the years are what determined its success in ratings, investment, and sponsorship. But according to the latest CSM ratings figures, Pearl Line has a 37% decrease in its ratings compared to that from the same period last year."
It was not that Xing Ming only reported good news while discounting the bad news. Pearl Line under Zhuang Lei's leadership had been the best in the country with its many impressive achievements, and the decline of ratings was an indisputable fact. He clearly knew it. Attacking a fort was easier than keeping a conquered city, just as a one-time best score was a cheaper achievement than a steadily excellent record. Almost all televised news media was vulnerable to the crushing impact of new media, the Internet. While many other news shows similar to Pearl Line had already been taken down, the survival of Pearl Line and its maintained ratings had not been easy.
Xing Ming did not believe that his skills were inferior to Zhuang Lei, but neither did he have the will to find any excuses. He thought it over, then said, "Eight months ago, I suffered after being involved in the attacks in Syria while covering news interviews. Luckily, I managed to survive with mere loss of composure in the panic and fear I felt, instead of losing my life… Two months ago, when I was in Manila, covering the Hong Kong tourist hostage crisis, I was stabbed in the waist by a local mobster…"
"So…?" Yu Zhongye slightly narrowed his eyes, and a slight hint of impatience appeared on his handsome face.
Ol' Chen understood the meaning behind Xing Ming's words. He had both suffered injustice and had a reason for resentment; even though he may not have achieved the necessary accomplishments, he had still made a laudable effort. It was only reasonable for Pearl Station to give him another chance. However, Ol' Chen did not want to pass up any opportunities to work against Xing Ming, so he deliberately added, "Willing to work hard is a good thing, but if you are going to work hard, you must do so in an appropriate way and understand the expectations and limitations. You dared to falsify news reporting—what wouldn't you do?!"
Xing Ming started to really feel the desperation. Extreme desperation would make a person lose the ability to judge his own situation and abilities, and so Xing Ming started to speak in an overly straightforward way. "Give me a show, and I will build my own team and search personally for sponsors. If the ratings are bad, I'll quit on my own and I won't say another word against it!"
"Finally, something a bit more interesting." Yu Zhongye smiled at last and gave the security guards an indicative look. "Let him stand up."
Xing Ming got up from the ground and adjusted his crumpled shirt and jacket. He stood straight and said, "Give me a show."
Yu Zhongye chuckled without concealing the hint of teasing in his eyes. "Why?"
"I have the capability to make this show as great or even better than Pearl Line. But before it succeeds, I won't ask for more than just the base salary."
Ol' Chen was the type to rub salt in any wounds he noticed, so he mocked with a sour tone, "If you are as capable as you say, why don't you just give up taking even the basic salary? Isn't that better?"
It was always easy to say big words, yet relatively tough to put it into action. Now that all his impulses were spent, Xing Ming ignored Ol' Chen's provocation. Instead, he glared unwaveringly at Yu Zhongye, "I need the money for the basic preparations like costumes, food, travel and accommodations. In order to achieve a quality and popularity that rivals that of Pearl Line, I need at least one year—"
"Half a year," Yu Zhongye interrupted.
Xing Ming was stunned. Even for such an arrogant and confident man like him, this request was burdensome.
"You don't have to give an answer just yet. Actually, the Station is currently planning on two new shows." Yu Zhongye looked to Ol' Chen. "You explain it."
Reluctantly, Ol' Chen said, "Boss Tan of Hua Can and Ol' Song in our Entertainment Center have a pretty good relationship. They intend to co-produce a contemporary show called If People Love Beauty, a reality show about travel and food, as well as an emotional series of microfilms about celebrities. People regard food as essential, and celebrities are people too. No one can resist a food-tasting program, so the audience will love it."
To Ol' Chen, this seemed to be a reward under the guise of punishment for Xing Ming. Hua Can was the largest domestic film company, and it had almost monopolized all the A-list movie stars from the major regions of mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong and Macau. Every guest invited to the program If People Love Beauty would certainly be the top kings and queens of entertainment industry celebrities. The show had straightforward proceedings, and its publicity and ratings could be guaranteed. Countless young hosts were eagerly hoping that they could get in on the action—and Xing Ming would be the one to get this opportunity?
"Another show is still in its drafting process at the moment. It's a news debate program," Yu Zhongye continued from what Ol' Chen said. Then he unhurriedly spoke two words: "Live broadcast."
The two words were awfully intimidating to most rookies. It was like asking a singer who could only sing songs in recording studios to sing live without lip-synching.
Xing Ming could hear a thumping sound coming from the burning blood in his veins. The past ten minutes were disastrous, yet right now all his energy seemed to have flowed back into his body.
Xing Ming's choice was the expected one.
Yu Zhongye asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Xing Ming frowned a little, then added solemnly, "Half a year. Please just give me half a year. After six months, if either the viewership or public reviews fail, I'll see myself out. But for this first half a year, I will fully be in charge of the show."
"If you'd said this earlier, everything would've been less complicated." Yu Zhongye smiled. "This is exactly how you will show me your value."
Ol' Chen did not catch the meaning behind "show me your value," but Xing Ming certainly did. He felt slightly dismayed, but his relief eclipsed his upset; to Yu Zhongye, Xing Ming had value outside of the bedchamber.
Xing Ming expressed his gratitude once more with earnestness and sincerity, then left the office.
He paused at the doorway, closing the door slowly, which enabled him to hear what Ol' Chen was saying.
"He didn't even go to school for this, but now he has this delusion that he can produce a live show? I don't know if his boldness is due to his ignorance, or if he really is just that green and naive, like a toddler who hasn't grasped the basics of walking wanting to learn how to fly."
Then Xing Ming heard Yu Zhongye's voice again. His voice was as low and alluring as usual and seemed to carry a hint of teasing.
"It's the kid's instinct to be provocative and aggressive. I want to see how far he can go."
Xing Ming left. Meanwhile, the halls were crowded with employees, who all stared at him strangely.
Under their gazes, Xing Ming quickly got control over his emotions.
His face was damaged and there were traces of blood on his shirt. Though Xing Ming was in a very tight spot, he behaved with dignity, tidying up the shirt collar and the suit cuffs in a nonchalant manner. Then, he left in his usual way, jaw slightly raised, back straight, and eyes focused on his destination, so similar to porcelain with a strength in spite of delicacy and value. Ruan Ning had always admired this posture, and he'd secretly tried to imitate it a few times, yet he could never catch the essence of it. However, in Ol' Chen's view, this was mere empty bravado.
More and more people clustered in the passage, casting both friendly and antagonistic stares on him.
Xing Ming did not care about it. Afterall, this wasn't the worst situation.
It reminded him of that day of his ninth-grade midterm exam. The campus walls had been red, lined with two rows of ancient trees. The sky had been so fatally blue.
His last subject was math, and he wasn't even thirty minutes into the test when the Dean of Students, who rarely showed his face, suddenly arrived just outside of the exam room with two police officers. The supervising teacher was called out, and four of the adults chatted for about four to five minutes. Although their voices weren't loud, every student in the room could acutely perceive that something big was going to happen.
Since the supervising teacher was a newcomer who had just transferred from another school, she did not know students by face. So when she reentered the room, she shouted in front of all the students, "Xing Ming? Is Xing Ming here?"
The students all lifted their heads, turning around and staring toward the second-to-last row—Xing Ming had been tall since his childhood. The only person who could sit behind him was the athletic scholarship student of their class, a high jumper.
However, Xing Ming seemed to hear nothing, continuing to work on his calculations for his math exam.
Without hearing a response, the supervising teacher yelled again, "Is Xing Ming absent? Xing Ming, something happened to your dad!"
The restlessness spread throughout the students and an overwhelming silence filled the room. Only one person continued to write, the scrape of his pencil against paper audible in the absence of other sound. He was concentrating, hands moving rapidly as he jotted down the answers.
All of a sudden, a student stood up, pointing to the back, "Xing Ming sits there!"
"Xing Ming," the teacher repeated, "you don't have to finish the exam. There was an incident with your dad."
Finishing up the last word, Xing Ming finally stood up. He took his exam paper, walking up to the podium under the stares from all his classmates, and then he handed it in to his teacher.
"Teacher, I'm finished," he said with composure.
He'd gotten 96%, and he'd maintained his average rank number one in his grade.
What could've been better than this?
What could've been worse than this?
[1] Quan-ge and Lei-jie refer to Lin Siquan and Zhuang Lei respectively. They denote "older brother" and "older sister," but they are used in familiarity with friends and friendly acquaintances regardless of familial relation.
[2] This means "teacher," which is a respectful yet familiar way to address someone regardless of age or gender. In context, this initially seems somewhat inappropriate, but the backstory behind it is explained later in the story.
[3] The suffix "-shu" denotes "uncle," but it is used in familiarity for older men regardless of familial relations.