Chapter Seventy-Seven: Internal Strife

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My Beauty Crisis – No Pop-up Version

As an internal meeting at Jinghua Television Station, Wang Zheng’s purpose for sitting here was simple: to watch beautiful women! At Zhongtian, Wang Zheng would be idle anyway; rather than staring at magazine beauties in his office, he might as well come to the TV station to see living, breathing ones.

At least, at times like these, all his troubles seemed to evaporate.

Not every team, however, was led by a beautiful woman like the news team. After Liao Tong finished her summary, the second, third, and fourth presenters were all men, which left Wang Zheng a bit disappointed. He found himself muttering curses at the sleazy men on stage, wishing they’d hurry up and get off.

After inquiring with Su Xue, Wang Zheng learned an important tidbit: among all the departments in the station, only two had female team leaders. This piqued his curiosity. The news team’s leader, Liao Tong, was both talented and beautiful—a rare combination. He wondered about the other one.

Perhaps fate heard Wang Zheng’s silent plea. After the man on stage said thank you and stepped down, someone stood up from the small group in the front left row, immediately catching Wang Zheng’s eye. Clearly, only a beautiful woman could draw his attention.

She was indeed a beauty, but there was something about her… Wang Zheng didn’t feel the usual thrill upon seeing her. Her gaze, her walking posture, every gesture, all suggested she was not someone to be trifled with.

At this moment, Su Xue, who had always looked down on Wang Zheng’s actions and motives, leaned slightly towards him, tapped her nose toward the woman on stage, and whispered, “How about her? Should I introduce you?”

Upon hearing this, Wang Zheng shifted his gaze from the woman to Su Xue herself. If the woman on stage wasn’t one to be underestimated, neither was Su Xue. Wang Zheng would never believe Su Xue was so kind as to introduce him to a girlfriend.

There’s definitely something fishy here!

“I wouldn’t mind a one-night stand with her, but anything more? Forget it,” Wang Zheng whispered.

Su Xue looked at him, then flashed him a thumbs-up.

“Good eye! Otherwise, the green hat on your head would poke a hole in the sky!” Su Xue laughed, her meaning clear as day.

Wang Zheng squinted at Su Xue’s smiling face, then turned his gaze back to the woman on stage. If he didn’t understand the implication of her words, he’d truly be a fool.

Unspoken rules? Ha, this woman certainly has the qualifications to be “ruled.”

Unspoken rules aren’t scary; every industry has them. What’s truly scary is not getting the chance to be ruled. Never look down on such women; a woman’s body is her most powerful weapon, and those who know how to wield it are far from mere ornaments.

Still, such women are only good for a bit of fun. If you get emotionally involved… Well, prepare for disaster! Suddenly, Wang Zheng thought of something: Chu Jun’s uncle, Chu Zihua, was the top dog at Jinghua TV. If this woman had climbed up through unspoken rules… was it with Chu Zihua? Wang Zheng couldn’t think of anyone else in the station. If so, things were complicated.

But such complicated relationships… damn, they were far more entertaining than any movie.

Of course, Wang Zheng’s thoughts were all conjecture, without evidence. To satisfy his curiosity, he quietly asked Su Xue, “Who’s the man?”

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Su Xue pointed with her nose at the old man on stage talking to Chu Zihua.

Huh? Wang Zheng was stunned, staring in disbelief. How old was that guy? And… did he still have the capacity? Truly, age may wither the body, but not the heart. Especially when it comes to lust—living proof that some men stay lascivious to the end.

“He’s the deputy director, known for being conservative at work. He’s been at the station for years, and when the previous director left, everyone thought he’d get promoted. But instead, Chu Jun’s uncle, Chu Zihua, got the job. The old man’s been resentful ever since, tried everything, but nothing worked. Since Chu Zihua took over, he’s played the role of roadblock—no matter what proposals reach him, he’ll either reject them outright or stall endlessly. Like sinking stones into the sea. Thanks to a few old comrades who are now big shots, and lots of old hands loyal to him in the station, he’s never been replaced. They’ve fought openly and secretly for years, but nothing’s resolved. Don’t let the smiles fool you; behind each other’s backs, who knows what insults they’re slinging.” Su Xue gave Wang Zheng the full rundown on the old man and the internal factional strife at the station.

No wonder Su Xue had chosen the announcer profession; she certainly had potential in this field.

Hearing this, Wang Zheng couldn’t help but see the old man in a new light. Conservative at work, but pretty open-minded in life. Sixty-plus, and still fooling around with a twenty-six- or twenty-seven-year-old? That takes some stamina!

If this line of reasoning holds, the old man’s lovers probably aren’t limited to just her. After all, what cat can resist fish? When there’s a school of beauties around, one is good, two is better, and after getting hooked, three or four still won’t fill him up. Deep down, Wang Zheng felt a twinge of envy. With mermaids swimming around him at all times, no wonder the old man’s smile was so radiant… though a bit pale and gaunt!

Ah, one can’t fight age—might as well take medicine.

Watching the woman’s impassioned speech on stage, and recalling Su Xue’s words, Wang Zheng’s mind stripped her of all clothing.

A person is like a movie, and a group is like an endlessly unfolding drama, unpredictable and fascinating. At this moment, Su Xue had become the narrator—whomever took the stage, she’d give Wang Zheng a detailed account. And Wang Zheng, of course, was the spectator—one who might even join the production.

Life has no rehearsals; every day is a live broadcast. Could I be the protagonist in someone else’s broadcast for a few days?

Sometimes Wang Zheng felt conflicted. He loved watching others’ life dramas, but as he got engrossed, he wanted to intervene and change things. This show was so compelling, even Wang Zheng felt the urge to join in.

“How much is your TV station worth?” Wang Zheng suddenly asked Su Xue, as casually as if he were at the market asking about cucumbers.

“Huh?” Su Xue didn’t react right away, unsure what he meant.

“An ice pop costs a yuan apiece—how much for your TV station?” Wang Zheng repeated, believing Su Xue would get it this time.

“Well… the station isn’t a private enterprise, and the mainland prohibits individuals from owning TV stations,” Su Xue replied.

“Really? That’s a shame,” Wang Zheng said.

“No need to be too disappointed!” Bai Bing, ever the spy, hadn’t missed a word of Wang Zheng and Su Xue’s whispered conversation. As Wang Zheng sighed, she suddenly said, “There are two other places in this world where the number and quality of beauties can rival the TV station, and private ownership is allowed!”

“What?” Wang Zheng asked.

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“Film companies and airlines!” Bai Bing replied coolly.

Wang Zheng looked enlightened and regarded Bai Bing with new respect.

“Well said! In that case, I’ll open a film company and an airline!” Wang Zheng said excitedly.

“You’re actually planning to do it?” Bai Bing raised her voice in surprise, then realized everyone was staring at her. She straightened up, face composed, as the meeting continued. Her comment had been a joke, but Wang Zheng had taken it seriously.

“I’ve got the money, so why not?” Wang Zheng replied.

His words left Bai Bing speechless. Indeed, with money, what can’t you do? Who was she to judge?

“If you’re so wealthy, why not buy me a car first?”

“What, you’re gouging me?” Wang Zheng exclaimed. “In that case, I’m not opening anything!”

Who would believe Wang Zheng was serious about opening a film company and airline? Just the thought of buying a car put him off the idea—how laughable.

In truth, Wang Zheng had never really intended to do so. Film companies and airlines would certainly bring plenty of beauties, but Wang Zheng had never been interested in women who threw themselves at him.

Bai Bing was so frustrated she could have bitten through her teeth. Judging by Wang Zheng’s words, she’d never get the car he promised her.

The team leaders’ summaries dragged on for over half an hour, and Wang Zheng didn’t absorb a word. The longer it went, the more bored he became. No matter how many beauties there were, they could only be admired from afar, not touched—a cruel torment! Wang Zheng grew restless, wanting to leave, but in such a solemn meeting, walking out halfway would be disrespectful. Even if he didn’t care about Chu Zihua, he had to give Chu Jun some face, right? Besides, sitting in the news team, his sense of duty told him not to embarrass the team’s beauties.

“How long do these meetings usually last?” Wang Zheng quietly asked Su Xue, noticing how steady she sat, her face serious—a far cry from the Su Xue he’d known all this time.

He spoke, but Su Xue didn’t respond, still listening intently to the summaries on stage. Wang Zheng was perplexed: when had this girl learned to study? Truly, three days away and she’s a changed person!

Just as Wang Zheng was dispelling his doubts and beginning to admire Su Xue, he saw her eyelids slowly closing, upper and lower lids drawing closer, until they collided like the British and French nuclear submarines.

Just… just sitting here and falling asleep? And in the front row!

You’ve betrayed my feelings!