21. Prepare for the Battle of North Park
The atmosphere of the Monday morning meeting was filled with the lingering laziness of the weekend and the tension of the new week. Sunlight slanted through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on the conference table.
Fang Tang cleared his throat and announced the list of field staff. Qin Xiancheng, who had experience in campus recruitment, and Jin Yaojia, who had recently become extremely popular, were selected. Everything made sense, but Chi Jin's dream of a paid trip was ultimately dashed.
After the list was finalized, Fang Tang looked around and landed on the remaining editors who were not selected. "So, who is willing to go to Beiyuan University Town with Editor-in-Chief Chen?"
The conference room was silent for a moment, no one responded, only the faint hissing sound of the air conditioner vents.
Chi Jin watched Fang Tang wait awkwardly, her eyes sweeping over the colleagues around her who were looking down and pretending to be ostriches. She then glanced at Chen Yisheng's temporarily vacant seat at the main table. For some unknown reason, she raised her hand and said, "I'll go."
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Duan Xingche, who was sitting next to her, raised his hand high as if afraid of being left behind: "I'm going too!"
Fang Tang was visibly relieved. "Okay, then it'll be you two. But there's one thing: this year's 'Childhood'... is also going to Beiyuan University Town."
In previous years, the editorial office of Childhood had been firmly stationed in Nanyuan University Town. This year, they suddenly relocated to Beiyuan, their intentions obvious. Who didn't know that the editors-in-chief of Childhood, Jiang Hu, and Chen Yisheng, had always been at odds?
A low gasp suddenly rang out in the editorial office.
"But it doesn't matter. Just follow Chief Editor Chen's arrangements." Fang Tang said, "Yanni is in the editorial department. You can also contact Editor Du if you have any questions."
Duan Xingche nodded vigorously, his face showing the innocence of a newborn calf fearless of a tiger, and a hint of excitement about being able to go on a mission with his master. He turned to Chi Jin and smiled brightly: "I listen to my master! And I also listen to the editors!"
Qin Xiancheng patted Duan Xingche's shoulder sympathetically and said, "Little Duan, your first battle after becoming a regular employee is going to be a tough one! Best of luck to you!"
Duan Xingche was confused, and Chi Jin's heart skipped a beat. The sense of relief that it was just a piece of cake and the sense of justice that he felt for Chen Yisheng not having anyone else to choose from were instantly gone.
She looked at Duan Xingche's slightly confused face, and then thought about the fierce open and secret struggles between the two editorial departments over the years. She regretted it so much that she wanted to retract her raised hand on the spot.
Just then, the conference room door opened. Chen Yisheng, fresh from a high-level meeting, walked in with a steady gait. His presence chilled the atmosphere, which had previously been filled with the prospect of a tough battle, and instantly stagnated.
He swept his eyes over everyone, finally landing on Fang Tang. His voice was not loud but clearly heard by everyone: "Is the list finalized?"
"It's settled, Editor-in-Chief." Fang Tang nodded. "Chi Jin and Xiao Duan will go to Beiyuan with you. Also, the editorial department of Childhood will be going to Beiyuan University Town this year."
Chen Yisheng's reaction was much calmer, with a look of indifference that said "I know".
"Yeah." He responded and turned to Chi Jin and Duan Xingche, "Please stay for a while after the meeting."
"Okay." The two answered almost in unison, with obvious tension.
Seeing this, Fang Tang immediately took over the conversation, trying to get the meeting back on track. "Let's discuss the autumn recruitment arrangements in advance. Let's discuss the work tasks of each group this week. Huanhuan, your group goes first."
…
The crowd dispersed, leaving only three people in the conference room. Chen Yisheng beckoned them to sit closer together, and he relaxed his posture, leaning back in his chair, but his eyes remained sharp.
"Beiyuan University Town has strong liberal arts departments. Journalism, Chinese, and sociology are our target majors. Zhong Xin is planning to attend Jingda University, Jing Normal University, and the School of Media." He got straight to the point. "I've contacted the graduate schools of the School of Liberal Arts and the School of Journalism at Jingda University, and they're each hosting a presentation. Chi Jin, compared to Xiao Duan, you're a senior editor, so you and I will each give one presentation. The key point is to clearly communicate the positioning of each of the group's publications. For 'Face' magazine, we'll focus on clarifying our leading position and unique value in in-depth facial reporting."
Chi Jin nodded while taking note of the key points: "What about the other two schools?"
"Their presentations will be handled by other editorial departments. We'll just handle the two presentations at Haojingda and take turns covering the autumn recruitment. 'Childhood' and Jiang Hu have clear goals: to compete with us for fresh blood in the in-depth content space. However, several of us editors discussed this last week. 'Face' will still prioritize quality over quantity this year, preferring to have less than sloppy content. They're good at creating hype and using flashy tactics to attract attention, so don't worry too much."
Chi Jin's heart warmed. She hadn't expected Chen Yisheng to entrust her with such a core task as the presentation. She nodded solemnly and said, "I understand. I will be fully prepared."
"Okay." Chen Yisheng turned his gaze to Duan Xingche. "Xiao Duan, besides being on duty at the job fair to control the flow of people, your task is to canvass the building and set up booths. Get the second-year graduate course schedules and activity schedules for each target department in advance. Three days before the presentation, place advertisements in every classroom, on bulletin boards, and even under the dormitories of each relevant department. Only place advertisements for 'Faces'."
Duan Xingche's writing hand suddenly stopped: "Second year of graduate school? Aren't we recruiting fresh graduates?"
"Graduate students who haven't graduated yet are our reserve force. Even if Faces doesn't expand this year, it will definitely need new blood next year. Plan ahead and lock in potential stocks."
Chi Jin immediately remembered that she seemed to have seen a lot of publicity for "Faces" in the School of Journalism building during her second year of graduate school.
"Understood!" Duan Xingche immediately straightened his back, his eyes shining with the unique enthusiasm of a young man. "I will ensure that the task is completed! I will contact the student unions and counselors of the three schools immediately!"
"I have the contact list of the Jing University Student Union and counselors. I'll send it to you right away."
"Okay, Master."
Chen Yisheng added, "As for materials, the design department will fully cooperate, so we don't need to worry about it. Chi Jin, give me the core framework of the presentation PPT for preliminary review before leaving get off work today. Xiao Duan, also send me your floor-visiting schedule. We have two core goals: first, to complete the recruitment task for Zhong Xin; second, to discover truly qualified and in-depth talent for 'Faces,' so there's no need for falsely high figures. As for 'Childhood'..."
"They should have some tricks up their sleeves!" Xiao Duan said.
"They play their games, and we play ours. To remain constant in the face of change and to maintain the style of 'Faces' is victory."
Chen Yisheng's arrangements were well-organized and targeted, instantly dispelling the two young editors' anxieties about the "tough battle" and replacing them with a sense of security of being trusted and guided.
Frankly speaking, she hadn't put much thought into this unpaid, unsupplemented field work, treating it as just another errand. But since Chen Yisheng had entrusted her with such an important task, she couldn't let it down.
Chi Jin is a person who will not miss any opportunity, especially this kind of opportunity that comes to his doorstep.
She buried herself in her workstation, the light from the screen illuminating her focused profile. Her fingertips flew across the keyboard, carefully mulling over each word, striving for perfection.
Looking at the cases and data piled up on the screen, she tried to extract a few key words: depth, warmth, influence, professionalism... But these words floated on the page, appearing empty and lacking penetration, as if covered by a layer of frosted glass.
How could she use the most refined language and the most impactful presentation to allow the audience to grasp the irreplaceable soul of "Faces" at a glance? She had so many questions and doubts that she hastily wrote a framework, determined to have something to hand in before leaving work.
Unexpectedly, Chen Yisheng's reply was quick, yet not sloppy:
[The framework has been reviewed. There are too many examples, and the core value is not fully refined. Select a representative core case and deeply analyze its entire process, from topic insight, breaking through interview barriers, in-depth writing, and ultimately social response. The main logical thread must be clear and consistent, and the value points must be concrete and perceptible.]
The reply was like a cold yet precise scalpel, each word piercing her previously confused spot like a needle. There wasn't a single unnecessary rebuke, not even a single emotional word, yet it made her cheeks heat up slightly, feeling embarrassed and stinging.
Fortunately, after digesting these sharp comments, she finally felt enlightened.
She stared at the screen, her vision gradually losing focus, and her thoughts were pulled back to that afternoon which was also filled with the chill and rain of autumn - her first meeting with Chen Yisheng also began at an autumn recruitment briefing.
Because it was raining, many of the classmates who had agreed to accompany her to see the Zhongxin promotional event canceled their appointments. She was left alone, holding a rickety umbrella, running to the small auditorium in the college building. On the way, the ribs of the umbrella suddenly broke, allowing the icy rain to pour down unchecked. By the time she reached the auditorium, she was in a state of disarray.
She was awkwardly trying to wring out her clothes in a corner when a hand offered her a clean towel. She looked up in surprise. The editor, presenting on the stage, had signaled a colleague to bring it. The towel was of average quality, slightly cool to the touch, with a hint of dampness from the rain, but it was a lifesaver.
Her awkwardness was instantly overcome by another force. The clear, steady voice on the stage pierced the dullness of the rainy day, flowing clearly into the auditorium. His speech was insightful and profound, his logic rigorous, his insights into the industry were incisive, and even more rare was his unhurried, calm, and confident demeanor.
Chi Jin looked up. It was Chen Yisheng, the editor-in-chief of Zhongxin Media's "Face" magazine. This precious feeling of familiarity, even though she knew the dates and ages didn't match, made Chi Jin wonder: Could this person be the editor named "Zhou Cheng" who had patiently replied to her countless naive submission emails?
The speech ended and the crowd dispersed. She clutched the towel, pretending to return it, just to get a closer look at the person on the stage and leave a vague impression in front of him.
The other party nodded slightly and reached out to take it. At that moment, she clearly saw his ring on his slender, clean finger.
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