Chapter 8

A week passed.

That noon, Zhang Ye sat at his desk eating.

Lunch consisted of a bun, another bun, and yet another bun. After eating all three, he was full.

After a few days of getting familiar with the work, the equipment, and the interpersonal relationships, Zhang Ye had learned quite a bit, all on his own. The person assigned to guide him, Tian Bin, had never bothered to help. After adapting to the work environment, Zhang Ye continued to do his job while waiting for an opportunity. He hadn't even done a single program yet, and even a chance to co-host would be good. However, the eight or nine hosts at the station were all in good health, and no one had been in a car accident or electrocuted. Sigh.

"Xiao Zhang," someone called from beside him.

Zhang Ye glanced over and said coldly, "What is it?" He still remembered his initial reaction when he first saw this person's face. He was really shocked. For a moment, his brain had reflexively popped out a line: "The aliens have finally invaded Earth!"

Yeah, just describe what he looks like!

This person was named Li Si, a very rustic name, one of the three most widely used names in the country, along with Zhang San and Xiao Ming. The reason Zhang Ye had this attitude toward him was because this telephone editor had spoken ill of him behind his back with Tian Bin and his wife. He had even commented on Zhang Ye's appearance, which Zhang Ye found hilarious. He thought, "You should take a look in the mirror. I can only say I look average, but you? You can only be described by a poem!"

You are like the clouds in the sky.

You are like the deep smog.

You are like the bright moon.

You are like the dust in the wind.

—Yeah, you don't look human at all.

Li Si put down a stack of A4 papers. "Tian Brother's evening program is starting a new story. The last novel, 'Ghost at Midnight,' ended yesterday. Today, we're starting 'Soul Summoning.' The copyright for the novel was negotiated last week, and we plan to record fifty episodes. This is the script for the first two episodes." The task of a telephone editor was usually to filter calls during live broadcasts, but now most programs were recorded, so the telephone editor also did some text editing for the programs. Tian Bin's "Midnight Ghost Stories" had always been edited by him, including annotations and reviews.

Zhang Ye asked, "What do you mean by giving it to me?"

Li Si looked at him. "You help Tian Brother revise a few paragraphs. They involve some political content, and the standards for publishing and broadcasting are different, so they need to be revised according to the requirements. I also need to do annotations for new words and other tasks. The program tonight is live, and there isn't enough time."

Since Zhang Ye was assigned to Tian Bin by the leadership, he couldn't refuse this task. He took the papers and made some revisions.

It was almost time to leave in the afternoon.

Zhang Ye finished the revisions and used the opportunity to read the first few chapters of the novel. He found it quite ordinary and cliché. According to his understanding, "Soul Summoning" was the hottest supernatural novel at the moment, and the simplified version was selling like crazy. However, when Zhang Ye compared it to the tomb-raiding novels in his mind, he found it lacking. The supernatural novels in this world were less entertaining and less suspenseful than tomb-raiding novels. After checking online, he learned that this world didn't even have the genre of tomb-raiding novels; no one had written them, and the novel environment was still in its early stages.

Suddenly, Tian Bin came to work. Night programs were like this; hosts usually came to the station in the afternoon or evening if there was a live broadcast.

Zhang Ye handed him the revised script. "It's done." He no longer called him Tian Brother; this guy had a long memory.

Tian Bin read it over. "Okay, this will do." He didn't even say "thank you."

Li Si also came over to check the script with Tian Bin.

Just as Zhang Ye was about to leave, the work he had been eagerly waiting for a week finally came.

A deputy from the editorial group met Zhang Ye face-to-face. Seeing him, the middle-aged man quickly called out, "Xiao Zhang, are you leaving?"

Zhang Ye replied, "Yes."

The deputy said, "Wait a moment, there's something here."

"Sure, if you need me, just say so." As a new employee, he knew he had to be diligent.

The deputy looked at the documents in his hand. "Besides the first live episode of 'Midnight Ghost Stories' tonight, there's another live program in the prime time slot. It's an interview show with a guest, so they need a temporary co-host to help with the atmosphere. You are the only substitute host on the cultural channel. I'm not sure if you can handle it, though. After all, you've only been here for a week, and you lack experience in this area. If it were a recorded program, it would be fine; mistakes could be corrected, and re-recording or editing could be done. But live broadcasts are different. Any issues would be considered a broadcasting accident, so I need to confirm this first."

Zhang Ye immediately assured him, "I can do it. I'm familiar with the work, don't worry!" This is what he had been waiting for!

The deputy nodded slightly and then turned to Tian Bin. "Tian Teacher, Xiao Zhang is under your guidance. Do you think he can handle it? If you think he's okay, let him try. The program is in a hurry, and if it's live, we need to prepare quickly."

Zhang Ye looked at Tian Bin.

Zhang Ye had applied for the position of a host, and he would eventually have to go on air. Now that he had this opportunity, no one would normally deny it, just a matter of saying a few words.

However, Tian Bin's reaction was unexpected. He was silent for a few seconds, then frowned and said, "He just got here and isn't familiar with the business. Let's skip it."

Skip it?

The deputy was also taken aback and said, "Oh."

Zhang Ye was immediately angry. "I'm from the broadcasting department, and I've taken practical courses. I'm very familiar with the work and can use the equipment..."

Tian Bin interrupted, "Xiao Zhang, I know you're from a professional background and have solid fundamentals, but live programs are different. They test your ability to handle unexpected situations, and you're not ready yet. I'm being responsible to you. You should slowly accumulate experience in broadcasting."

With a single sentence, Tian Bin had denied Zhang Ye the opportunity to go on air. The reason was that Tian Bin had noticed Zhang Ye's change in attitude over the past few days. He no longer called him Tian Brother, and Tian Bin sneered, taking the opportunity to put him in his place.

The deputy helplessly put away the program plan and said, "Alright, does Teacher Chen have a program today? I'll ask him to come and fill in."

Zhang Ye, who had lost the opportunity, immediately turned angry. "Teacher Tian, I haven't done anything to you, right? You don't guide me or teach me anything at work, and you don't answer my questions. Now, without even knowing my capabilities, you say I can't do it? You even deny me a chance to be a temporary co-host? And you talk behind my back? Did I kill your father or your mother? Is it necessary to be so ruthless?"

Tian Bin, surprised by Zhang Ye's boldness, said angrily, "Say that again!"

Li Si also stepped forward. "You're a new employee, how can you talk to Tian Brother like that? Are you rebelling?"

Everyone in the office area watched the scene, wide-eyed, but no one tried to mediate.

Tian Bin pointed at Zhang Ye. "You ungrateful brat! I'm protecting you! I'm helping you build experience! And you're shouting at me? Accusing me of talking behind your back? You're slandering me!"

Zhang Ye said coldly, "You know what you said to Li Si!"

The two had a big argument, neither backing down. In the end, it was only the intervention of some senior colleagues that stopped them. Everyone knew that Tian Bin had a habit of gossiping, and they understood that Zhang Ye wouldn't say such things without reason. Moreover, Zhang Ye had been hired to be a substitute host, and Tian Bin not only didn't guide him but also made him do various tasks to help him. After the new employee had done all the work, Tian Bin didn't let him go on air. This was indeed unreasonable, and anyone would be upset.

Tian Bin and Li Si left in a huff.

Zhang Ye stared at their backs with disdain. He knew the importance of keeping a low profile, but he wouldn't be polite to someone who bullied him. Tian Bin was really over the top! Hit him? He'd be fired. Curse him? Probably the same result. This was a job Zhang Ye had worked hard to get, and he couldn't afford to lose it. He needed the radio station to take his first step toward fame!

Wait!

That bad luck charm!

Zhang Ye suddenly remembered the new item he had won in the lottery last week. He wasn't sure how effective it was and hadn't planned to use it, but since things were like this, he might as well give it a try. The game ring was his future support, and he needed to figure out how to use the items and their effects. If someone was in his sights, he couldn't miss the chance to test it. He really didn't know how this bad luck charm worked!