An Eye for News Chapter 18
[First an apology. I made a mistake in my previous translation. The Publicity/Multimedia Department should be translated as Public Relations Department. Corrections have been done. Again, I apologize.]
“d.a.m.n!”
Hai Dong’s face fell.
He was familiar with Station
Manager Wei’s modus operandi after so many years at the tv station. He couldn’t
fathom this ending well for Se Cai.
He stood up in a hurry, adding, “Station
Manager, let me do the preliminary examination. I’ll pa.s.s it to you after I’m
done.”
Se Cai didn’t have any experience
working on a news this big before, he didn’t know the script had to be
corrected multiple times before it could be sent to the central station.
Se Cai had completely his script
in less than 10 minutes. That showed utter disrespect for his work and that was
Station Manager Wei’s biggest taboo.
Station Manager Wei started from
the bottom as a reporter. He only reached his position after decades of hard
work. He treated his profession with utmost respect and demanded the same of
everyone else.
He was infamous in the tv
station for his difficult to meet high expectations.
“Xiao Bai, you know that I have
full faith in you but we both understand how important this script is, so just
leave it to me.”
Manager Wei strode to Se Cai’s
side, pulled a chair and sat down.
With a heavy heart, Hai Dong
moved to the seat the Manager Wei had left empty beside him.
“Se Cai doesn’t have a
journalism-related degree and has only been here less than a year so please…”
Hai Dong trailed off. It would reflect
badly on him as the program producer if his men were found lacking.
Hai Dong made a mental note to
conduct extra review meetings in the near future to raise the professional
level of his team.
Manager Wei didn’t reply. He
picked up a red ball pen and flicked through the newly printed script.
He was a traditionalist, he
preferred to do the editing on paper rather than on the computer.
The pen hovered over the script
dangerously. Manager Wei made to move in on multiple occasions to write
something but every time, he stopped and shook his head instead.
Hai Dong was perplexed watching
this unfold. He expected Manager Wei to have a field day with Se Cai’s rushed
script.
Even his own handiwork would
come back riddled with red correction marks, noting the faults in punctuation,
spelling and flow.
Once more Manager Wei tried to
correct something but he stopped in mid-motion.
Hai Dong’s interest was piqued.
He leaned in closer to scan Se Cai’s script and was dumbfounded.
It was unlike anything Se Cai
had done before. All the mistakes he had come to expect from Se Cai was gone,
and the piece flowed with impressive eloquence. It captured perfectly the
fright and indignation surrounding the event.
It was a textbook sample.
“Xiao Se, I couldn’t find an
error if I wanted to, and trust me I want to. I’m mighty impressed. Send it
over to the central news as it is. But next time, please mind us old folks and
use a bigger font size, would you?”
Manager Wei set his pen down and
said. He fixed Se Cai with a dubious gaze.
As the station manager, he knew
the general standard of his every reporter. Their standard, as befitting the county
station level was on a low average, especially the reporters from
time a script from
However, Se Cai’s script had
overshot his expectation. It didn’t read at all like a script written by an
amateur reporter!
“F*ck, you surely have cheated
somehow, haven’t you?”
After Manager Wei left, Xu Ran
stalked over angrily. He s.n.a.t.c.hed Se Cai’s script and scanned it. Even he had
to admit defeat. It was as Manager Wei said, perfect.
“Well done, Se Cai! I didn’t
know you could write so well! Looks like you have been biding your time,
waiting for an important news to unleash your true talent.”
Hai Dong slapped Se Cai on his
shoulder and laughed heartily.
“Nah, Director Bai. Somehow, the
words just came easier today.”
Of course, Se Cai had no
intention of revealing his Eye for News system, he added smilingly, “But,
Director Bai, if there’s any more important script in the future, would you
please pa.s.s them to me? I promise I won’t let you down!”
“Best if they’re lead news or
headlines,” Se Cai continued in his mind, “that way he would earn the News
Point faster!”
“Finish this news first and we’ll
see. We still have 40 minutes til broadcast, bring your script to Zhang Xin Yu
and work with her on the voiceover. Be careful to make no mistake! In the meantime,
I’ll help you contact the province city station’s liaison department.”
Hai Dong pa.s.sed the script over
the Se Cai and pointed at the dubbing studio.
Embarra.s.sing flashbacks from
earlier entered Se Cai’s mind and he hedged, “Do I really need to be there
personally…? I’m sure Director Bai has full faith in Zhang Xin Yu’s performance
quality, me being there will only distract her.”
“Cut the c.r.a.p. I’m giving you a
good chance here, Xu Ran would have killed to take your place!” Hai Dong said
with a wink.
“Yes, I go. I’ll gladly replace
Se Cai!”
Xu Ran sprung up like an eager
rabbit and volunteered earnestly.
If Se Cai wouldn’t embrace the
opportunity of spending some precious alone time with the beauty, Zhang Xin Yu,
he was more than willing to take his place.
“We don’t have time for all
these nonsense. I’m the producer here so listen to me. Xu Ran, you stay to
finish prepare the newsreel materials so that everything’s ready to go when the
voiceover’s completed!”
Hai Dong ordered in his
strictest tone.
Having Xu Ran alone with Zhang
Xin Yu would truly distract the anchorwoman. Hai Dong wasn’t that dumb to
sabotage such an important piece of news.
Xu Ran sat back down resentfully
but before he faded out of sight, he glared warningly at Se Cai.