Chapter 496 Finished Beyond Expectations

• Yuan Yingjie still felt a dull ache in his chest. In his mind, a fair and honest reporter shouldn’t get mixed up in all these fights over profit. Rhea Wood didn’t know any of that. She held the interview sheet and a mic, thinking street interviews would be easy. The sheet spelled everything out: what to ask, which age group, which busy spots. Rhea took her mic to the location, picked a friendly-looking girl at random, and went up with, “Hello, street interview. May I disturb you for a few minutes?” “Sorry, I have plans.” Rhea didn’t get discouraged after being turned down. She tried a guy: “Hello, street interview. May I disturb you for a few minutes?” He waved her off without a word and walked away. She tried twice more—only a younger girl gave her a couple of perfunctory answers. Watching the crowd stream past and getting rejected again and again, even her bright, sunny nature wobbled. A touch of social anxiety crept in. Street interviews are supposed to be the lowest-barrier, least professional, simplest kind of interview. If she couldn’t even do this, how was she supposed to become a big-time reporter someday? Rhea put away her draft notes and her mic and started watching. A lot of people were doing street interviews in this area—about all kinds of topics, all kinds of formats. Some were even giving passersby makeovers on the spot. Rhea watched. She watched how others spoke, how they picked their subjects, how they turned the same question into something lively and fun. After wrapping up his own errand, Yuan realized Rhea hadn’t come back yet. Rhea is very rule-abiding. She clocks in and out every day—whether or not Yuan is in the office, she clocks in daily. It was already quitting time. Why wasn’t she back? Was the street interview not going well? Yuan knew starting out in their line of work isn’t easy. Actually, starting out in any line of work isn’t easy. He didn’t call. He wanted to see what Rhea was doing, so he went over. One loop around, and he found her. Rhea wasn’t interviewing or reading her notes. She was sitting on the edge of a planter by the sidewalk, eating a sandwich, her big dark eyes roving everywhere. Yuan’s stomach growled too. He headed to the noodle shop across the street, ordered a bowl, and watched Rhea while he ate. Rhea watched the passersby for two hours. Yuan watched Rhea for two hours. It felt like they were testing each other’s patience. Until Rhea checked the time, gasped, and ran for the bus stop. She remembered she hadn’t clocked out. Yuan had no idea what Rhea had seen in those two hours, or what clicked for her. This time, he hadn’t set a deadline for her street interview. The next day, Rhea went back to the spot. She didn’t even bring a mic—just a notebook and pen. She wasn’t just watching now. She wrote. She recorded. Yuan sat in the noodle shop again and watched Rhea for another two hours, nodding with quiet satisfaction. On the third day, Rhea went back again. This time, she chatted with someone, then tagged along with a crew doing street makeovers, helping them out with whatever they needed. At noon, they even gave her a free lunch. Yuan, still at the noodle shop, watched her with real appreciation in his eyes. On the fourth day, Rhea finally handed in a neat, run-of-the-mill street interview report. She looked a little embarrassed. “Editor Yuan, I’m sorry. I took too long. Next time I’ll be faster.” Yuan shook his head. “You don’t need to go again.” Rhea ducked her head, apologetic. “Got it. Sorry, I held things up.” “No. You did great—better than I expected.” “Huh? What?” Rhea thought her piece was just standard—nothing particularly fun or dazzling. How did it earn such high praise? Seeing her confusion, Yuan explained, “Day one you hit walls and watched. Day two you recorded. Day three you followed. Day four you interviewed. Now you understand street interviews to a certain degree. I believe next time—whatever topic I send you—you’ll handle it fast and well.” Rhea still looked sheepish. “I still can’t do it fast and well. Most street interviews come with little gifts. Without an incentive, most people won’t stop to answer questions. And our budget is tight.” Yuan’s eyelid twitched. He dodged the budget talk. “Okay, let’s call this wrapped. From now on, you can shadow me.” Rhea’s eyes lit up. Her smile burst like sunlight. “Really? Thank you, Chief!” Yuan couldn’t help smiling too. Youth is a gift. So full of energy. No—maybe some people keep their faith from birth to death, no matter their age. Like Rhea’s teacher. Rhea is truly earnest—whatever she does, she gives it her all. That made Yuan feel he’d found a promising talent. He was willing to spend time, to watch her like a student, to guide her. In any field, if you only grope around alone, you’ll wander endless detours—and you might never make it. If a seasoned mentor is willing to lead the way, the road gets a lot smoother. After that, Rhea followed Yuan out on assignment, brimming with excitement. Once they were out, her excitement cooled a bit. She’d imagined chasing news would be about national issues, family stories, all kinds of social sights. Instead, it was ten at night, crouching outside a sports arena, staking out a star’s first appearance after a concert. And they weren’t the only reporters camping out. Tons of crews, most carrying more professional cameras, were waiting outside. From a distance, you could still hear the concert’s fevered vocals. Yuan took advantage of their lighter gear, squeezed forward with Rhea, and found a decent spot. Seeing Rhea looking down, he asked, “What’s wrong, girl? Think it’s too tough?” Rhea shook her head and forced a smile. Two hours later, the star came out, flanked by two rows of bodyguards. Reporters surged in, camera lights popping nonstop. Under the flashes, the star smiled gracefully and gave a few official answers. Yuan had squeezed up front, but their outlet was too small, not well known, so he couldn’t get a question in. The mics the star took had stickers from big-name outlets. Yuan just picked good angles and kept snapping photos. Then, guarded by the bodyguards, the star hurried away. This kind of interview left Rhea feeling a bit hollow—nothing like the reporter work she’d imagined.