Chapter 37 Changing Perspectives
A fracture?
This is just too unlucky!
The system weakly spoke up: "Um, actually, he had barely managed to steady himself on the slope, grabbing onto the roots of a bush... but when you rolled down, he completely let go to catch you, acting as your human cushion..."
Ling Wei: "......"
She turned her head awkwardly, her cheeks flushed.
"I...I'll call someone right away!" She frantically pulled out her phone, only to find "No Service" clearly displayed in the upper left corner of the screen. "Why is there no signal in this godforsaken place?!"
The abandoned observation pit was too deep, and the dense shrubs and unique geological structure around it completely blocked the signal.
Oh no! What do I do?!
"It's alright," Qu Mingyuan's voice remained steady, though hoarse with pain. "I have a tracking device on me. I pressed the emergency call button before I fell. They should be able to find me soon."
That's good, Ling Wei breathed a sigh of relief.
The atmosphere became somewhat tense and awkward for a moment.
"I'm sorry." Her gaze fell on his swollen ankle, and she didn't dare to look him in the eye.
Having just launched into such a tirade against someone, Captain Groundhog now genuinely wants to turn into a groundhog and dig a hole to burrow into.
Just then, Ling Wei felt her wrist being gently grasped by a warm hand. She looked up and met a pair of eyes with a faint smile.
"Finally... I've caught you."
His fingers tightened slightly around her wrist, as if afraid she would break free again. Qu Mingyuan looked at the person in front of him, his words tinged with helplessness and teasing:
"Now, could you give this corrupt official some time to explain?"
"......"
"I know this is very unfair to you, and we will take specific compensation measures for Team A..."
Ling Wei muttered to herself, "No amount of compensation is as useful as letting us do a live stream now."
“But we really can’t do a live stream.” Qu Mingyuan sighed softly. “In the competition rules, the popularity of Group A is tied to the whole group.”
If only the live streams of the teams that violated the rules are shut down, the popularity generated by their violations will actually be diverted to other teams in Group A. This could lead to other teams taking the risk again, gambling on the profits from violations.
“Furthermore,” he said, looking at the woman before him, his gaze tracing her slightly furrowed brow and tightly pursed lips, “that fisherman did indeed attract a lot of attention to his products after all that commotion.”
"Now quite a few people on the island are asking how to bump into the production crew. If the live broadcast continues, the chances of your teams getting into trouble will only increase."
"What about Group B?" Ling Wei couldn't help but ask, "Why are they able to broadcast as usual?"
"Group B is responsible for promoting tea picking in the intangible cultural heritage village," Qu Mingyuan explained. "The tea picking season only lasts a few days; if you miss it, you have to wait another year. Shutting down the live broadcast is a major loss for tea farmers, and we cannot break our promise to promote local specialty industries."
Ling Wei listened quietly.
“Sometimes, fairness is not simply about treating everyone the same,” Qu Mingyuan’s voice softened, as if afraid of disturbing her thoughts, “but about finding a balance between the demands of different groups. Closing the live broadcast of Group A is not only to maintain the fairness of the competition, but also to prevent more people from following suit.”
He saw Ling Wei's eyelashes tremble slightly, her gaze lowered to the ground, as if she was carefully weighing the weight of his words.
“This decision was difficult,” he said softly at the end, “but it had to be done.”
Ling Wei lowered her eyelids, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the withered leaves beneath her.
Qu Mingyuan's words forced her to admit that she had indeed been blinded by anger and resentment, focusing only on the injustice suffered by her team, but failing to look at the whole incident from a higher perspective.
She recalled the days before she was selected, realizing that without the platform provided by the program, she could not have gained such attention in such a short time.
Although she believes that even without this competition, she will eventually stand on the stage, this kindness of being recognized is ultimately real.
And those farmers who tend to their tea fields are perhaps placing their hopes on this publicity campaign, just as she did when she was waiting for her chance.
Once I understood this, most of my previous resentment suddenly dissipated.
Her hands, which had been resting on the withered leaves, gradually clenched, and Ling Wei's voice lowered: "Grandma used to say that as a person, you should not only uphold your own principles, but also learn to understand the difficulties of others... I think I understand that a little now."
She looked up, her eyes serious: "I'm so sorry for those immature things I said just now, and for talking to you like that."
Qu Mingyuan did not respond immediately, but gazed at her gently. His gaze was so focused, like a still pond under the moon, clearly reflecting her slightly stunned expression.
He unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand, causing her to frown slightly.
He then suddenly realized what was happening and abruptly let go of her hand.
Ling Wei immediately took the opportunity to step back a few steps, almost leaping to the other side of the pit. She squatted down with her back to him, her fingers unconsciously digging at the dry grass roots on the pit wall, trying to use the action to cover up her inner panic.
At the same time, a groan echoed in his mind, blaring from the system: "Ugh, I feel so pathetic! What he said makes so much sense. How embarrassing!"
The system quickly reassured him: "Relax, relax. He's more experienced than you are, it's normal for him to understand some things."
Ling Wei: "......" At his age, did he grow up eating pickled vegetables?
The system coughed lightly: "Oh, I think that's normal. Everyone has different priorities. He's in that position, so he needs to consider the big picture and be a good official; while your responsibility is to lead the team forward and be a good captain. Your positions are different, so naturally you'll have different perspectives on issues."
"If you really think as much as he does, always considering the big picture, you might as well take the civil service exam. I have the latest civil service exam question bank here, do you want to start working on it now?" Sensing the underlying resentment in Ling Wei's heart, the system began to play tricks on her.
Ling Wei was also amused: "Go away! (￣ω￣ヘ)"
She felt a little relieved. Just now, she had some indescribable emotions that made her feel both unwilling and guilty.
She still couldn't face Qu Mingyuan.
I just had a great time cursing the corrupt officials, feeling like a powerful lawyer upholding justice for the people. Now I just want to be an ostrich and bury my head in the sand.
Qu Mingyuan looked at the back of the figure that had deliberately hidden at the other end of the pit, and helplessly tugged at the corner of his mouth. She had obviously listened to reason, but her real grievances were also real.
This is a significant blow, especially for a player like her who is on the rise.
Normally, after making thorough arrangements, he could have acted with a clear conscience, since the subsequent official documents and compensation details would explain everything. There is no perfect solution in the world that can satisfy everyone, and he has always acted in accordance with this principle.
But when he was with her, he inexplicably wanted to explain things to her in person.
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