Chapter 1044: Chapter 1014:
Chapter 1014:
“Who knows!” Wei Zhen was obviously more realistic than Duoduo, and also smarter. She glanced at Duoduo and then said, “Silly girl, how could Ye Chen, such an outstanding man, possibly give up an entire forest just for the sake of us two rookie little girls? Even if he remembers us, it might be because he suddenly felt lonely and thought of the two naïve, romantic girls in the bustling city of Beijing who are willing to sacrifice for him!”
“Oh!” Duoduo nodded, lowered her head, and took a few bites of her buckwheat bun. After a moment, she raised her head again and asked, “Wei Zhen, do you regret it? Regret giving ourselves to Ye that night together with me?”
“What’s there to regret!” Wei Zhen shook her head and said, “Once we’ve made a choice, there’s no room for regret. In our profession as journalists, sometimes we must learn to sacrifice for a story. Silly girl, don’t play dumb. Lately, Director Liu has been taking an interest in you; you need to learn to accept it. Isn’t Director Liu the one in charge of internal positions at our TV station? As long as you agree to Director Liu’s demands, maybe you’ll get a promotion!”
“Absolutely not!” Duoduo shook her head immediately and said, “I’d rather stay an intern journalist for life than sleep with that bald old man. Hmph!”
“What’s wrong with bald old men?” Wei Zhen giggled and said, “Just pretend he’s Ye Chen!”
“Hmph, how can that old man even be compared to Ye?” Duoduo snorted lightly and said, “In my heart, Ye is the best; no one can replace him. No one can substitute him!”
“Alright, alright, you silly girl!” Wei Zhen sighed helplessly, saying, “You remember him, but how does he remember you? Silly girl, people should think for themselves. Back then, we were willing to be with Ye Chen because he saved our lives. Moreover, Ye Chen is so handsome, like a hero. I believe any girl in that situation would have the thought of wanting to give herself to Ye Chen.”
“Forget it, let’s not talk about Ye anymore!” Duoduo shook her head helplessly. The two could never manage to stick to one topic about Ye Chen. Still, deep down, Duoduo held on to her belief, convinced that Ye Chen still remembered her and that one day Ye Chen would surely come looking for her.
Thinking of this, Duoduo’s heart was once again filled with happiness and confidence. She beamed at Wei Zhen, saying, “Wei Zhen, let’s talk about today’s news!”
“Sigh, just mentioning it gives me a headache!” Wei Zhen showed a displeased look and then said, “The person we’re interviewing today is a hard nut, supposedly a notorious businessman wolf. Many company’s PR beauties have fallen into his hands. Isn’t it like we’re offering ourselves to that guy if we go?”
“Ah? Then, why did Director Liu send us?” Duoduo exclaimed in surprise.
“Duoduo, one can be innocent, but not stupid, you know?” Wei Zhen looked seriously at Duoduo and then said, “Isn’t it simple for Mr. Liu to do this? He’s using this to coerce you into bed with him. If you don’t sleep with him, you’ll have to take on this task. However, if you accept this task and refuse to sleep with that business beast, you simply can’t complete this task. If you don’t complete it, the TV station will kick you out. Do you think anyone would stand up for a mere intern like you? Besides, no one wants to offend a person like Liu who has backing and connections in Beijing. What do we have?”
“We… we have nothing!” Duoduo recoiled.
“Exactly!” Wei Zhen nodded, then said, “So, it’s a trap, understand? My silly girl!”
“Then… Wei Zhen, haven’t I dragged you into this?” Duoduo looked at Wei Zhen aggrievedly.
“It’s nothing; being dragged down isn’t a new situation!” Wei Zhen shook her head, then said, “If you go alone, it’s like a sheep entering a tiger’s den. Accompanying you might bring a bit of a turnaround!”
“Hehe, I knew Wei Zhen is the best!” Duoduo immediately hooked arms with Wei Zhen, and the two girls leaned on each other. From graduating college until now, more than a year has passed, and unexpectedly, they both ended up as intern journalists at the same TV station. This was satisfying for them.
The two chatted as they hurried towards the bus stop. Ye Chen listened clearly to their conversation from a distance. A sudden sense of guilt arose in Ye Chen’s heart; to be strict, these two girls were also living lives like kites, bound by money and love, everything confined to a set of fixed shackles.
Too few can break this shackle and become a free-flying bird. The conversation of the two little girls just now made Ye Chen feel guilty. He didn’t expect that after that one night, the two would still be so attached to him. And himself? It seemed he almost completely forgot about the two women who shared two passionate nights with him.
Ye Chen seemed a bit surprised; from their attire and conversation, they didn’t seem to be doing well. Struggling for a livelihood, striving to survive. Moreover, they appeared to be encountering some trouble now too. Thinking of this, Ye Chen immediately felt a bit of an urge to help them.
With this thought, Ye Chen flagged down a taxi and told the driver, “Follow that bus in front; go wherever it goes until I tell you to stop!”
“Wow, brother, on a mission?” The taxi driver seemed a bit nosy. Seeing Ye Chen so seriously tailing the bus, he excitedly said, “I know; this must be a secret. I know it’s a special mission, but don’t worry, brother, I won’t lose track. Just make sure any red light tickets today are voided for me!”
Before Ye Chen could speak, the driver immediately floored the gas and sped off. To keep up with the bus, the driver eagerly ran several red lights, constantly chatting and repeatedly asking Ye Chen to ensure those red light tickets would be nullified for him. Deep down, Ye Chen thought, brother, not to mention I can’t void those tickets, even if I could, I wouldn’t do it for you.
After roughly five stops, Wei Zhen and Duoduo got off the bus. After getting off, their buckwheat buns were gone, presumably eaten. They glanced around and then crossed the street.
“Stop!” Ye Chen immediately said.
“Alright!” The driver quickly braked. Ye Chen handed him a hundred-dollar bill, saying, “This is for the fare; keep the change, do as you see fit.”
Having said that, Ye Chen turned and left. The driver held the hundred-dollar bill with excitement and waved at Ye Chen, saying, “Brother, don’t forget to cancel my fines!”
“That can’t be canceled!” Ye Chen, his back to the driver, waved his arm.
The taxi driver was instantly dumbfounded; his cheerful expression froze, his mouth twitching involuntarily, and he then roared, “Brother, you’re… you’re not a cop?”
“I never said I was!” Ye Chen laughed.
The driver began to wail, “Oh my God, my license is gone…”
Wei Zhen and Duoduo entered the red building, a high-rise with more than ten floors. For Beijing’s Third Ring, it was considered a relatively tall building; in such an ancient city as Beijing, national policies restrict building height within the ring roads. It’s precisely because of such policies that buildings like this, reminiscent of intestines, exist.
Ye Chen followed the two inside. As long as they didn’t encounter any trouble or danger, Ye Chen wouldn’t show up.
“Sister Wei Zhen, I’m a little scared!” During the walk, Duoduo kept thinking about the mall predator. She feared the mall predator would target her, and if he did, she wondered whether to accept or reject?
“What are you scared of!” Wei Zhen glanced at Duoduo and then said, “We’ve grown up; we’re no longer students on campus. Some things we must learn to endure rather than keep avoiding. Duoduo, it’s time to grow up!”
“Oh, I understand!” Duoduo nodded. She had already made a decision in her heart; today, if she could complete the task, she would. But if the other party made unwanted advances, she would definitely refuse. There’s no way she’d trade her body for such news.
The two headed upstairs. This was the Eastern Transport Trading Company’s building. Today’s interviewee was the general manager, Chen Fugui. This guy was notoriously well-known as a womanizer in Beijing City. With beautiful women he fancied, he could generally succeed unless their status far exceeded his connections and background. Usually, if Chen Fugui fancied a particular beauty, he’d use money to win her over first.
Chen Fugui himself summed up this experience: most women easily settle with money. Being a businessman, he initially wouldn’t make a high offer, usually starting at ten thousand. Many beauties would be dismissive; however, when he upped the price to a hundred thousand or even a million, the beauties would often relent, clinging to Chen Fugui.
Of course, some women weren’t swayed by Chen Fugui’s money tactics. Therefore, Chen Fugui had to find other methods, using power, connection networks, and even the underworld. However, when doing these things, Chen Fugui had his principles: never let lust shake his core. No matter how much he liked the same woman, he’d never spend more than three nights with her.