Section 1

Only Miao Tong respectfully addressed him as Mr. Bai, and this incongruous personality led all the children to isolate her, arranging her at the most remote position from Bai Xiyan at the dining table

Qian Meng said to Miao Tong: "Welcome to come and play often."

From childhood to adulthood, the secretary Liu that Miao Tong has known has always been assertive, habitually arranging the lives of the children raised by Bai Xiyan in a meticulous manner according to his own ideas, taking care of every detail from work to daily life—until they graduated from university, at which point all the attentiveness abruptly ceased

"I called you twice and you didn't hear me. Your face is so pale; have you suffered from heatstroke?" Zhuo Yue pulled her inside, muttering, "You young people really have poor physical fitness. You can't even handle coming out of an air-conditioned car in the middle of summer. In the future, you should run a few trips to the mountains with me while carrying equipment; you'll toughen up in no time."

Twelve years old

Miao Tong speaks little and may seem somewhat dull at first glance, but he is very intelligent and learns anything after just one teaching.

Zhuo Yue knew that she was not a child who would pay lip service while acting contrary, and thus she immediately ceased to say more

Miao Tong is an intern under Zhuo Yue. This year, the A University Journalism Department has four internship positions, and Miao Tong was recommended by a professor in the department. The editors-in-chief of the News Department, Culture Department, and Commentary Department personally interviewed her. Zhuo Yue retained her in the News Department, while the editors-in-chief of the other two departments tried to recruit her but were unable to compete with Zhuo Yue. However, it should not be assumed that those who were not selected are undesirable; the other three interns, upon learning that she was going to the News Department, immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

This is Liu Jinzhi's style; he never drags his feet. He certainly does not have the time to concern himself with the life of a girl whose sponsorship has already ended, as there is no benefit to him in doing so.

Thank you for your concern, Mr. Bai is in good health. However, he went to Switzerland a few months ago for recuperation and is expected to return after the summer.

Secretary Liu

She nodded with a smile: "Master, you can rest assured, I understand."

I apologize for disturbing you at such a late hour. Liu Jinzhi stepped out from the shadows, glancing around. Miss Miao, why do you reside in such a place? For safety reasons, it would be better to live within the city. If you are facing financial difficulties, I can make arrangements.

Such a dreamlike encounter is best forgotten as if it were merely a dream

However, unlike those classmates who are pursuing a leisurely life with high benefits, Miao Tong's original intention was to join the news department, although she herself did not know why Zhuo Yue took a liking to her at first sight. Nevertheless, Miao Tong is not particularly curious by nature, so she does not care much about the reason.

As soon as he entered, Qian Meng's gaze inadvertently fell on Miao Tong. Having navigated the business world for so many years, he could clearly see that this young reporter was distracted. She was a slender and unadorned girl, with skin that was unhealthily pale, and the corners of her eyes, enhanced by jade-colored contact lenses, were slightly raised. Her thin lips were tightly closed, giving her a cunning fox-like appearance—she seemed familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before

Those who have a slight understanding of the internal situation of the morning newspaper know that interning under Editor-in-Chief Zhuo in the news department requires a spirit of a gyroscope, constantly spinning without rest, available twenty-four hours a day, and enduring hardships without complaint

As he walked into the alley, a car was parked under the streetlight, casting a long shadow of the man.

Miao Tong shuddered upon hearing this, and the teacup in her hand slipped, spilling all over her.

Qian Meng displayed an expression of immense satisfaction, just as he was about to continue speaking, Zhuo Yue and Tu Shu had already stood up, "It is getting late, the society is also busy, we should be heading back, thank you for your hospitality"

"It has been ten years." Miao Tong gestured to the position on her chest, "At that time, I was this tall."

Well

On Zhuo Yue's wise and serene face, there was a constant expression of amiability.

Miao Tong's best friend is the dog in the garden, named A De. It is not a prestigious breed, but rather a mix of a German Shepherd and a local dog. Although there is an alarm system, it still spends every day squatting at the back door to guard the house. In Bai Xiyan's villa, she spends half of her day with A De, so it is not surprising that Qian Meng sees them together.

Zhuo Yue glanced sideways at this girl Miao Tong, who was holding the tea in her mouth like a cow chewing on peonies, and couldn't help but laugh: "I don't know much about tea either, but coincidentally, my father loves tea, especially Wuyi Rock Big Red Robe and Anxi Tieguanyin... By the way, speaking of Mr. Bai, how is his health?"

Qian Meng smiled and said: "So Miss Zhuo is knowledgeable about this. To be honest, as a rough person, I don't understand tea. This tea was placed here by Mr. Bai, and I, Old Qian, just came to borrow a flower to offer to the Buddha."

In the tatami suite of the conference room, Qian Meng had already brewed the Kung Fu tea and was waiting. Miao Tong glanced at him; he was middle-aged, overweight, with yellowish whites of the eyes and bloodshot veins, a face that had long been immersed in a life of indulgence. After listening to the polite exchanges between her master and him, Miao Tong took out her voice recorder and notebook computer from her bag to begin taking notes. The discussion revolved around how the affordable housing project would benefit low-income citizens, as well as the start and completion dates. Her master often told her that although the same event was reported by every newspaper, some articles were merely repetitive and hollow, while others were sincere and moving. This was determined by the journalist's perspective and the direction of their considerations.

Miao Tong followed Zhuo Yue into the lobby and explained their purpose to the receptionist. After the receptionist made a phone call to the office on the thirty-second floor for confirmation, she smiled professionally and said, "Miss Zhuo, General Manager Qian is waiting for you in the conference room on the thirty-second floor."

Zhuo Yue appears gentle and graceful, yet she is extremely demanding and hardworking when it comes to her work, earning her the nickname "Smiling Yasha" behind her back. Most importantly, she chooses to strive on the front lines instead of enjoying a leisurely life. Several veteran editors who have worked under Zhuo Yue for years still experience a twitch in their calves at the mere mention of her name

She was about to walk over when she was called: "Miss Miao."

What does Secretary Liu want to see me about

That is good, he worked too hard a few years ago, and at such a young age, he fell ill. It is also good that he can take a break now.

I have had a few encounters with Bai Xiyan. Years ago, when other newspapers published false reports about Yuansheng Real Estate, it was I who clarified the facts and restored his reputation. Zhuo Yue paused and said, "Although the claim that Yuansheng Real Estate cut corners in material selection is false, those reports are not entirely slanderous. How could someone who has built such a large enterprise possibly have a clean background? However, as people in the journalism industry, we must uphold the ethics and consciousness of being news professionals. Even when repaying kindness, we must maintain our bottom line. Qian Meng is not an easy person to deal with, so try to avoid meeting him as much as possible in the future.

Miao Tong felt a sharp cramp in her stomach, but was suddenly struck heavily on her shoulder, causing a surge of pain. Her mind instantly cleared, and she turned around, asking, "Master, what is it?"

She was slightly surprised, but it was only a slight surprise. It is still quite easy to find someone like this person in the picture book. His voice was very familiar; over the years, only one person had called her this way, a polite and professional form of address.

Miao Tong understood that this was a warning from her master. It is not uncommon in the industry for journalists to act unethically and report inaccurately for the sake of personal gain. However, this is something Zhuo Yue detests the most, especially when an intern she personally mentored turns out to be such a person

Standing at the entrance of the Yuan Sheng Real Estate building, Miao Tong tilted her head back, gazing at the dark green glass curtain wall against the light, feeling a bit dizzy. In an instant, the restless heat and dust in the air seemed to sweep over her like a heat wave

Mr. Bai must be very pleased to see you children graduate and take up your respective positions, contributing to the country

An interview like this could simply have a team leader come over, but Zhuo Yue insists on personally teaching her students. Conducting an interview requires skill; the key is to remain calm, think clearly, and be able to identify loopholes. Even if the information is tightly guarded, the truth can still come to light. Moreover, the most important aspect of being a journalist is learning how to interact with people from various backgrounds.

When did it happen

Miao Tong paused for a moment and said, "It is me." After that, there was no further conversation

Throughout the entire process, she remained very quiet, her only sound being the faint tapping of the keyboard, silent like an invisible person. Zhuo Yue was convinced that such a child must have a bright future. As the interview came to an end, she sighed in relief and flicked her forehead, saying, "Alright, the work is done, let's have some tea. Wuyi Mountain's wild Da Hong Pao, such a fine thing to serve guests, Mr. Qian is truly generous"

Mr. Bai's name is Bai Xiyan, and he is the owner of Yuansheng. After stabilizing his position, he has retreated to the background and does not participate in the company's operations. Everyone in the company refers to him as Mr. Bai. Zhu Yue was very surprised to hear Qian Mengxing excitedly mention that every year during the Spring Festival, Mr. Bai would bring the children he has been supporting to the villa to celebrate the New Year together, totaling sixteen children, with Miao Tong being the oldest among them, while the youngest are around eleven or twelve years old. When the children are brought to the villa to meet Bai Xiyan, they always buy new clothes to present themselves neatly and decently. In fact, the oldest child he supports is already twenty-three years old, only six years younger than him, yet regardless of age, they all uniformly call him Uncle Bai.

When Miao Tong returns, she casually tucks her hair behind her ear. Qian Meng suddenly remembers, "I have seen you before, last year at Mr. Bai's house. I went to visit him, and you were feeding the dog in the garden, wasn't it you?"

Miao Tong said: "I will not disappoint Mr. Bai's nurturing, and I will repay him well"

The two people walked out of the door, and the interview vehicle from the newspaper was waiting downstairs. Miao Tong remained silent, and after a long while, Xu Yue finally asked: "Are you the child raised by Bai Xiyan?"

I apologize, I will go to the restroom first

This building has a total of thirty-four floors, with offices for senior management located on the thirty-second floor and above. Qian Meng is the general manager of the project development department. Yuansheng Real Estate has undertaken the bidding for the construction of affordable housing in the city. For some developers, projects that are short on oil and water are best avoided, but Yuansheng is willing to take them on as long as they do not incur losses, aiming instead to earn a good reputation

At night, Miao Tong worked overtime until very late. She lived in a self-built house in the suburbs, a three-story small building, with a twenty-square-meter room that had a private bathroom. Because this area is remote, the rent is very cheap. Fortunately, there is a direct bus to the city, so it is merely a matter of wasting time commuting to and from work.

Has it been ten years?