"Hmm?"
Lin Fan was a little confused.
What was this old guy throwing a tantrum about now?
Did he want me to stand up?
Lin Fan didn't overthink it and directly sat down on the chair.
Wu Lei twitched the corner of his mouth, suppressing the urge to hook the chair away with his foot.
Doing that in front of a leader would have consequences he couldn't afford.
So, he could only watch as Lin Fan's head blocked his face.
Wu Lei's anger simmered, and looking at the back of the head in front of him, he wished he could take a bite.
Lin Fan, of course, sensed this intense hatred.
But he paid it no mind, remaining seated, his face flushed as he chatted and laughed with Tang Ming and Fan Qian.
"Let's begin. We'll film some clips as material first," Fan Qian said suddenly, seeing that the icebreaker session was almost over.
Generally, for interviews like this, to prevent the interviewee from being too nervous and affecting the program's quality, they would chat beforehand to ease their emotions before starting the formal interview.
Fan Qian signaled the cameraman with an 'okay' gesture. The cameraman immediately raised his camera and nodded.
Lin Fan took a deep breath.
He hadn't felt it just now, but why was he suddenly so tense?
Tian Mengyao still had a smile on her face, appearing completely at ease.
Tang Ming straightened his back, revealing an approachable smile.
"I'll be asking you some questions next. Please don't be nervous; just treat it like a casual chat," Fan Qian instructed, especially to Lin Fan, who was clearly tense.
She smiled at Lin Fan, giving him a look that said not to be nervous, and then lightly parted her red lips: "Hello, viewers. I am Fan Qian, a reporter from Yunqing Television..."
After her opening remarks, Fan Qian explained the purpose of their visit and the matter of the Luofeng Village Medicinal Herb Planting Cooperative.
Immediately after, she handed a microphone to Tian Mengyao.
"Secretary Tian, I heard you're a university graduate serving as a village official. How long have you been in office?"
Tian Mengyao replied with a smile, "Three months and twenty-nine days."
"Wow! You remember so clearly!" Fan Qian exclaimed with surprise. "It seems Secretary Tian is truly diligent and thorough in her work; she even keeps such small details in mind."
"Oh, it's just that I have a good memory," Tian Mengyao said modestly.
Fan Qian's sharp mind caught a point worth exploring. "Secretary Tian, may I ask which university you graduated from?"
"Oh, I graduated from Kyoto University."
"A top-tier student from a 985 university!" Fan Qian was quite surprised.
She had always felt that being able to successfully pass the TV station exam after graduation and become a host and reporter was something to be proud of.
Never did she expect that looking at Tian Mengyao, who was younger than her, she would feel a sense of inferiority.
There was no doubt that Tian Mengyao's family background must be good, at least better than her parents. Furthermore, Tian Mengyao had excellent academic qualifications and was beautiful, which made her feel deeply inadequate.
She could almost foresee Tian Mengyao's smooth career path, reaching positions she wouldn't even dare to imagine.
"Ahem."
The cameraman coughed lightly.
Fan Qian didn't pay attention, but just as she was about to continue praising Tian Mengyao, the cameraman coughed again.
She turned her head, looking at the cameraman curiously.
This wasn't right; he was usually very professional. What was going on today?
"Wait a moment," the cameraman with a beard reminded. "What are you doing? Peeking around, it doesn't look good."
Lin Fan froze.
The cameraman was speaking in his direction.
"Me?" Lin Fan pointed to himself. "I wasn't."
"Not you, the older one behind you." The cameraman pointed to Wu Lei, who was hiding behind Lin Fan, and snapped, "As soon as I turn the camera, you peek out. What are you doing? You're already old, I won't scold you, but how can I film like this?"
Lin Fan grinned, almost bursting into laughter.
So it wasn't him they were talking about!
Wu Lei's face was extremely unsightly, especially when Tang Ming, Tian Mengyao, and Fan Qian all looked over. He wished he could disappear into the ground.
What an embarrassment!
"Sorry, my neck was a bit uncomfortable just now," Wu Lei could only explain.
"Pfft!" Lin Fan chuckled and quickly covered his mouth.
Unintentionally, his laughter led Tian Mengyao to join in.
Both of them knew Wu Lei's intentions; he just wanted to be on TV, didn't he?
But he couldn't just poke his head out like a turtle whenever the camera turned!
Fan Qian understood what was happening with a little thought and couldn't help but laugh and cry. People like that, if not many, were certainly not few.
But the problem was, today, Tian Mengyao and Tang Ming were the main subjects! And then there was Lin Fan, dressed sharply in a suit.
You, an old man, and an insignificant village head, have no news value at all!
Fan Qian ignored Wu Lei and continued the interview.
Wu Lei looked dejected and pulled his head down, acting like an ostrich.
"Secretary Tian, how did you initially conceive the idea of establishing the medicinal herb planting cooperative in the village?"
"Actually... my initial idea wasn't like this." Tian Mengyao briefly recounted how she had initially planned to develop a tourism project, but Lin Fan had openly objected.
Fan Qian's eyes lit up. What good material!
A young university-graduate secretary taking office, making a bookish error due to a lack of understanding of the specific situation. Then, being criticized by the village's left-behind youth, she had a moment of realization and actively listened to their opinions. Wasn't this a typical example of being close to the people? Fan Qian silently jotted it down, already having a rough outline for her script in her mind.
Time ticked by.
Under Fan Qian's skillful questioning, Tian Mengyao not only answered fluently but also sprinkled in a few witty remarks, appearing capable rather than rigid.
When asked about Lin Fan, he appeared calm and serious. Xia Xue had repeatedly warned him to be careful with his words. Therefore, he spoke slowly and deliberately, afraid of saying something wrong and causing a scene.
Fan Qian listened patiently, her good impression of him growing. Young, wealthy, with a mature and steady demeanor, he exuded a sense of security. Fan Qian observed him and Tian Mengyao several times. If she hadn't noticed Tian Mengyao's interest in Lin Fan, she might have developed feelings for him herself.
"That's about enough. We'll stop filming here for now," Fan Qian said to the cameraman after interviewing the three.
"Whew~" Lin Fan let out a long sigh, his face a little pale.
"It's not like you're going to war, why are you so nervous?" Tian Mengyao teased.
Lin Fan gave her a look. "Nonsense, aren't you nervous?"
Fan Qian smiled. She could tell that Tian Mengyao hadn't been nervous at all from beginning to end. Such composure and ease were certainly not something one could cultivate in just any family.
"Tsk tsk."