22. North Garden Smoke
The Beiyuan University Town job fair was bustling with activity. Amidst the numerous booths of major companies, Zhongxin Media didn't stand out. This was unavoidable, given the declining media industry and limited salary competitiveness. Furthermore, Zhongxin still had a significant presence in traditional print media, which revealed its predicament.
Compared to the three editors on duty at "Childhood," Chi Jin and Duan Xingche, who were on duty, were incredibly low-key. As Chen Yisheng, who was currently stationed at the School of Communication, had predicted, "Childhood" was going for a lively and eye-catching approach. People were wearing trendy T-shirts with company logos, blasting pop music, and getting free towels by scanning a QR code... The booth was bustling with people, mostly students seeking something new and exciting.
In contrast, Faces, with its master's degree minimum, attracted few applicants. The background screen played a loop of documentary footage from a team of experienced editors interviewing frontline personnel. There was no loud music, only calm narration and authentic images.
Chi Jin looked at the pile of towels on the table and finally understood where the towel she used to dry her wet hair came from.
Duan Xingche was a bit stunned. He had a master's degree from the Normal University next door, and he had been recruiting for another editorial department. He had never seen such a fierce and icy situation.
He whispered, "Master, even though there are only a few established magazines that everyone is looking for in Zhongxin, Childhood is still quite famous. Why do all their editors use the same style?"
Chi Jin raised his eyes slightly and glanced at Jiang Hu, who was sitting in a suit and tie behind the booth.
"King Chen is still more handsome."
"You kid has also learned to call him King Chen."
"Haha, I, the little king, have to go to work!"
Duan Xingche stood up holding a flyer, keeping his eyes open in the crowded crowd, and accurately guided those students who were truly interested in news, writing, and in-depth content to the "Faces" booth.
"Students, are you interested in in-depth reporting? You can check out "Faces". We are the benchmark in the field of face reporting in China..." Duan Xingche smiled sincerely and handed over the brochure naturally and smoothly.
Chi Jin stood in front of the booth, greeting the students who had drawn in. Although her presentation was on the last day, she still put in a lot of effort in her booth introduction. She spoke eloquently about how she used words to give faces soul, and about Faces's adherence to truth, depth, and humanistic care.
"That's a great presentation." A girl wearing glasses whispered to her companion, "I feel like this is where real content is created."
Jiang Hu sat in the back, seemingly flipping through his resume, but in fact he was taking in Chi Jin's speech and the reactions of the audience. He suddenly stood up,
He walked up to the booth with a megaphone, his voice booming over all the other voices: "Come on! Look this way! Zhongxin Media! Join us now and enjoy six social insurances and two housing funds, extra-long paid annual leave, and annual overseas trips! You'll also have the opportunity to participate in the million-follower influencer project!"
This tempting and straightforward promotion immediately attracted a large number of students to the "Childhood" booth in front of Jiang Hu, and even broke up the small queue in front of the "Faces" booth.
Duan Xingche frowned and was about to take action when Chi Jin raised his hand and gently pressed his arm, signaling him to be patient.
The booth next to them also stopped their presentations and frowned slightly at the almost exaggerated clamor from Zhongxin Media. Chi Jin quickly returned a few "excuse me" glances, then whispered to Jiang Hu, "Editor-in-Chief Jiang, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
Jiang Hu glanced at her sideways, with a forced smile: "You think it's not good? Let your editor-in-chief Chen come and talk to me."
The implication was that she wasn't ready to use her mouth yet. Chi Jin was indignant, but helpless. She glanced at the two editors from "Childhood" standing beside Jiang Hu, a man and a woman. The man looked like he was enjoying the show, while the woman, at this moment, looked a little embarrassed and helpless. Their eyes briefly met, revealing a sense of sympathy.
Unexpectedly, the situation worsened the next day. At Jingda University, Zhong Xin's booth only had Chi Jin, the editor from "Face," on duty; the rest were staffed by people from "Childhood." The female editor with the helpless look from yesterday was nowhere to be found, and Chi Jin was forced to huddle with Jiang Hu and other male editors who looked like they were asking for a fight, feeling quite depressed.
What made her even more disappointed was that Chen Yisheng was giving a lecture at the School of Arts at that moment. She had dreamed of that lecture several times. Now the opportunity was right in front of her, but she couldn't grab it at all.
A passing classmate glanced disdainfully at the Zhongxin Media booth and whispered to another person, "An editorial office made up of men, how can it be any good?"
Chi Jin's heart trembled, and he quickly pulled her back, shaking the brochure: "Classmate, this is biased. Zhongxin has always valued ability and potential, not gender labels. Look, we have "She Made," an all-female editorial department that handles everything from content to operations. It has a very good reputation and influence among college students. At Zhongxin, as long as you have ideas and abilities, regardless of gender, you can find a stage to shine."
"Sister, you are so good at speaking. Which magazine are you from?"
"I'm from the editorial department of Faces."
A male editor said humorously, "The average salary at Faces isn't as high as at Childhood."
Chi Jin calmly countered, "Yes. This process may not be easy, the income may not be substantial, and it will not make you financially free. But we choose value, not price. Every step is based on real ground, and every report may become a light that illuminates a corner somewhere."
Her voice was steady and powerful. She didn't attack her opponent, but each word was insightful. Even her clichés were direct, pointing directly to core differences in values. The students, initially captivated by the lively performance of "Childhood," also began to truly reflect.
The male editor's face turned pale as he choked. He said angrily, "Tsk, your tone of voice is exactly like your King Chen's."
Chi Jin met his gaze calmly: "Soldiers follow their generals' orders, what's wrong with that?"
Jiang Hu's expression turned grim. He hadn't expected a small editor to be so articulate. He opened his mouth, trying to save face, but suddenly felt that his rant seemed particularly impetuous and empty at the moment, and he was speechless.
Chi Jin stepped forward at the right time and said to the students who were lost in thought with a smile: "Students, if you are interested in Zhongxin Media or "Childhood" or "Faces", you can leave a resume or scan the QR code to join our campus recruitment group. There will be a more detailed sharing session later!"
After this wave of people dispersed, Chi Jin was finally able to catch his breath. He grabbed the water cup and gulped down half of it, which relieved the dryness in his throat a little.
Jiang Hu held the duty roster in his hand and looked at Chi Jin: "No wonder, it turns out you are Chi Jin. With Editor-in-Chief Chen backing you up, you naturally dare to say anything."
Chi Jin didn't know what he meant: "Editor-in-Chief Jiang is also an open-minded person, you can speak frankly."
Smiling Tiger Jiang Hu said with a smile, "Perhaps you don't know how famous you are. Last time, Chen Yisheng wrote you off as a special editor behind everyone's back, and the leadership was quite critical of you. Now that you have Editor-in-Chief Chen's backing, you really have no problem getting ahead."
Chi Jin guessed this would happen. She bit her lip, not knowing how to fight back against such veiled words.
"You're right, I'm the one backing you up."
A cold and steady voice rang out clearly, like the sound of jade colliding with each other.
Everyone was startled and looked in the direction of the voice. They saw Chen Yisheng standing a few steps away, standing tall and straight, his expression as calm and indifferent as ever, as if he were simply stating a recognized fact. His gaze first swept over Jiang Hu, carrying an invisible sense of threat and oppression, before finally settling on Chi Jin.
"Editor Chi, it's time for the College of Arts presentation." He said calmly, gesturing towards Exit C. "It's time to get ready."
Chi Jin was momentarily stunned. Before she could fully recover, her body subconsciously obeyed the command and she followed stiffly. Chen Yisheng had calmly led her out of the quagmire of embarrassment, achieving a significant result with just a few moves.
After walking a few steps away from the hustle and bustle of the Zhongxin booth, Chen Yisheng slowed down his pace, turned his head to look at her, and took the initiative to explain: "Didn't you say you wanted to listen to my presentation when we were summarizing our work last night? Was that a compliment?"
"No, no. It's just that I remember the briefing already started according to the schedule, right?"
"I had originally arranged for an intern editor from Childhood to assist, but he couldn't be contacted. I need help."
"Oh, we need strong men. I understand."
Chen Yisheng paused slightly, looked sideways at her, and added clearly in a lowered voice:
"No, I hope you can come and accompany me..."
Before he finished speaking, the two of them happened to reach the entrance to the area where the talent recruitment seminar for public institutions was being held. The place was crowded with people, and a huge force suddenly hit them, instantly separating them.
"Chen Yisheng!"
It was almost an instinctive reaction, faster than thinking, and Chi Jin blurted out his name.
A pair of strong hands pulled her to his side.
"I am here."
Chi Jin looked back with lingering fear and sighed softly: "There are so many people, it's like this every year."
Chen Yisheng didn't respond to her sentiment. He wondered if she had heard his unfinished words. Given his personality, he would never repeat the same words a second time.
"Let's go." He released her hand and gestured forward.
"Yeah." Chi Jin nodded and followed.
It was raining heavily at the autumn recruitment briefing that year. The audience was sparse, but he could clearly see every face.
The wet ends of his hair stuck to his forehead, and his coat was stained with dark water marks, like a small animal that had lost its way in the heavy rain and accidentally walked in.
Known for his lack of humanity, he somehow asked his colleague to deliver a towel.
The focus in her eyes was astonishingly bright. During the interactive session, she raised questions with sharp angles and unique insights, even subtly touching upon the core difficulties of the column, which gave him a slight jolt.
When she came after the meeting, he maintained his usual aloof attitude and pretended to be calm.
"Thank you for the towels."
He held out his hand and caught a glimpse of the ring himself.
For the first time, he felt that this ring and this "married" identity were so annoying.
"You're a good editor. If I go to Zhongxin, I'll have to publish Faces. Please remember, my name is Chi Jin."
She raised her face and said this.
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