Emma hadn't driven back last night, so she rode to work with Jason this morning. Their driver, Old Xu, dropped her off at the building first. As the car pulled up to the temporary parking spot, Emma pushed the door open to get out.
Just as she stepped out, another car pulled up behind them. A bright red Audi TT passed by her, and Emma glanced up, catching a glimpse of Wantong through the fleeting front window. Wantong did seem to drive a car like that.
However, Emma didn't dwell on it and walked straight into the main entrance of the building.
Outside the elevator, there was the usual crowd waiting. Since she had plenty of time, Emma casually chose an elevator and stood in line.
She hadn't been standing there long when she heard a female voice from behind her.
"Look, look, that's Emma, right?"
"Wow, it really is her. I was just thinking about the news yesterday, wondering if she'd still be working in this old building after being exposed."
The two girls whispered, but their voices still reached Emma's ears. She stared down at her phone, feeling the unabashed curiosity from the people around her.
Suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder. Emma turned to see Hua Zheng standing behind her with a smile, pleasantly surprised. "Looks like I'm early today; I've run into you, Emma."
"Did you have breakfast?" Hua Zheng asked, a bit out of breath from rushing.
Emma nodded. "I have. Jason wakes up at six every morning, so after his workout, he makes breakfast—it's usually just simple fried eggs and toast. But every time I get up, he's already prepared everything."
This made Emma feel a bit guilty.
Hua Zheng held up the breakfast she had just bought, grinning. "Want to try a rice ball? There's a breakfast place next to where I live, and their rice balls are especially delicious."
"I'll reserve judgment on your idea of delicious," Emma said with a light laugh.
Hua Zheng playfully complained, "They're really good. I'll share some with you upstairs."
Emma talked to Hua Zheng as usual, her expression calm, with an occasional faint smile on her face.
Many people around them took the opportunity to scrutinize her.
Emma was the kind of beautiful that everyone noticed at first glance. But her beauty was a bit cold.
Especially when she listened to Hua Zheng with a calm expression, her soft cheeks framed by a pair of clear, cold eyes, exuding a special charm that was not sweet but was the favorite of many women.
It wasn't until they entered the newspaper office upstairs that Hua Zheng whispered, "The atmosphere in the elevator just now was."
She had taken the elevator so many times at the company and had never encountered such a situation.
The elevator was unusually quiet, and even she could feel people looking in their direction.
The morning was supposed to be the time for the regular meeting, but Wantong had come to the company but didn't attend. Instead, she went to the editor-in-chief's office.
After the meeting finished, Emma had just returned to her desk when she was suddenly called into the editor-in-chief's office.
At that moment, Old Zhang and Wantong were both there. Editor-in-Chief Yao was sitting behind his desk, carefully examining something on his tablet.
After scrutinizing it thoroughly, he looked up at Wantong and asked, "Are you sure these photos were indeed taken in the school cafeteria's storage room?"
"I'm certain. They were secretly taken by the parents themselves. They took the photos yesterday and wanted to upload them online immediately, but I convinced them to post them on our public account instead, as it would have a wider reach."
Previously, because of the article on Da Di Kang, the follower count of the Hu Min Daily's public account had surged tenfold.
Even though Hu Min Daily wasn't a top-tier newspaper in Shanghai, that article not only resolved the issue with Da Di Kang but also greatly increased the newspaper's fame.
Wantong spoke earnestly, but inside, she was impatient because she didn't understand why Editor-in-Chief Yao had called Emma in at this time.
"Editor, I've been following this news story closely," Wantong said, frowning as she spoke up.
Editor Yao gave her a calm look. "Technically, this kind of news isn't really your department's concern, is it?"
Wantong, who was counting on this report to make a comeback, had been prepared and said confidently, "Jia Rui Middle School in Shanghai is a private school, but the basic annual fee for each student is over 100,000 yuan. Moreover, it's not just in Shanghai; they have branches in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, and other cities. The Shang Rui Group behind it is a well-known education group in China, which was listed on the NASDAQ in 2016."
"So I believe that matters concerning such a well-known education group cannot be unrelated to our economics team."
"Emma, come here," Editor Yao said after hearing her out, calling Emma, who had been standing in the corner.
As Emma approached, Editor Yao placed the tablet on the table and tapped it. "Take a look and tell me what you think."
Emma picked up the tablet and was taken aback by the photos displayed. The first image was of rotten fruits and vegetables, with tomatoes split open and mold visibly growing on the edges.
The subsequent images were equally horrifying, showing food with obvious mold and a dirty, dimly lit kitchen in the background.
There were about ten photos in total. Emma looked at the images, examining a few that looked particularly terrible.
"Is this from the school cafeteria's storage?" Emma asked in a low voice.
At that moment, something strange came to her mind—the anxious and impatient man's voice on the phone call she received this morning.
Turning to Wantong, Emma looked at her.
Wantong, already displeased with Emma's sudden involvement, became even more annoyed when she saw Emma looking at her like that. "These were taken at great risk by students who could be expelled from school," she snapped.
Emma immediately frowned. "You just said the photos were taken by parents?"
Wantong was taken aback by her question.
At this point, Editor Yao also frowned. "Xiao Wen, we can't take shortcuts in journalism. Where exactly did you get these photos?"
"Editor, please trust me. I stake my career on it; these photos were indeed taken by students and passed on to me by parents," Wantong insisted, fearing Editor Yao might hesitate.
"If you're worried that this report might bring any negative impact to the newspaper, I can post it on my personal account," Wantong added.
Editor Yao sighed.
Finally, he said, "I agree to publish it. After all, it concerns students, and school food safety issues are the most."
Wantong felt relieved and said, "Thank you, Editor."
"You may go and get back to work," Editor Yao took off his glasses, picked up the cloth in front of him, and carefully wiped his glasses.
Wantong glanced at Emma again before leaving the office.
After she left, Editor Yao said to Old Zhang, who had been silent all along, "Since Wantong is too busy now, you assign the interview task to Emma."
Old Zhang was taken aback and cautiously asked, "Isn't Jing Xi a bit inexperienced?"
"Who wasn't a newcomer when they started? Were you Old Zhang the team leader from the get-go?" Editor Yao joked.
Old Zhang laughed and said, "If that's what you say, I'll arrange for Jing Xi to do the interview."
Emma left the office only to find out that she was to interview a significant figure in Jiangsu's private economy, a task that was originally assigned to Wantong.
Although Emma didn't like Wantong in some aspects, she had to admit that Wantong had her strengths.
Wantong was good at chatting with interviewees, not just sticking to the interview. She once wrote an exclusive interview with an economic tycoon, unearthing stories from his youth that sold so well the newspaper sold out.
Even Old Zhang told her, "Wantong has her strengths. You're colleagues, not enemies. You should learn from each other where you can."
"I understand, team leader," Emma said politely.
However, Emma then looked up the previous newspaper and read the exclusive interview. But she noticed that Wantong seemed more interested in the stories behind the people than in the professional aspects.
Emma bit her lip and frowned again.
Anyway, she spent the whole morning thinking about the interview.
She was so absorbed that she didn't notice what was happening in the office until the noise around her grew louder. She looked up to see Wantong standing not far away, holding a cup of coffee, looking relaxed and at ease.
"Wow, this public account article has also broken 100,000 views, and the popular comments below are all over ten thousand."
Someone was holding a phone next to Wantong, talking and laughing at the same time.
Wantong smiled and said, "It's everyone's effort. How about I treat everyone to lunch? Who's in?"
"Me."
"And me."
A few voices of agreement came one after another from the office. Wantong then looked at Emma with a smile and said, "Jing Xi, would you like to join us?"
Emma: "No, thank you, Team Leader Wantong."
"Jing Xi, don't be too distant from us. We are all colleagues in the same office," Wantong said with a soft smile on her face, as if to say that colleagues should unite.
Emma remained unmoved and said, "I'm sorry, I already have plans."
She did have plans; Tang Mi was coming to have lunch with her today.
However, Wantong continued to act as if she was trying to be friendly and said, "Jing Xi, we are all going, are you really not going?"
"Thank you, really, no need," Emma still spoke indifferently.
At this time, a very small voice said, "Forget it, Team Leader Wantong, you can't force someone who doesn't want to go. Just treat us, and I'll eat more."
Wantong then put down her water cup and said gracefully, "Since Jing Xi doesn't have time, let's go together."
After they left, the office immediately became quiet.
"Looking at what? Aren't you going for lunch?" Emma asked Hua Zheng, who had been staring at her phone.
Hua Zheng handed her phone to Emma and said, "This Shanghai Jia Rui Middle School has been trending, and many people are cursing."
Emma was not surprised; after all, everyone would care about school food safety issues. At this time, many media outlets were following up on the hot search, and as for Wantong, she was not in a hurry because she had insider information from the parents.
In the afternoon, Wantong was not at the newspaper office; it was said that she had gone to the school.
The Shanghai Municipal Education Bureau reacted very quickly, sending people to the school in the first place and deciding to handle it in a transparent and open manner.
In the evening, Emma came home tired.
She lay on the sofa for a long time before hearing the sound of the door opening. Soon, Jason came to her side. He looked down at her on the sofa and reached out to touch her forehead.
Her temperature was not very high.
He asked gently, "What's wrong?"
"Tired," Emma uttered a word. Sometimes working at the newspaper office could be tiring. She just wanted to report the news quietly, but the complex interpersonal relationships in the office were quite exhausting.
After Jason sat down next to her, he directly let her head rest on his leg.
He reached out and gently pressed on her forehead several times before asking in a low voice, "Are you not happy working at the newspaper office?"
At this moment, Emma was lying flat and looking at him. From this angle, his nose was straight and high.
She reached out her hand as if fascinated and touched it: "But looking at you, it seems not so tired anymore."
No wonder everyone likes beautiful people. Seeing such a handsome face appear in front of her when she was so tired, Emma relaxed and stared at his face, almost reluctant to look away.
Jason took her hand in his, his hand was very warm, warm and very comfortable.
When it was quiet, he pinched her fingers one by one, from the knuckles to the fingertips and finally the palm, which was a meticulous massage for her.
Emma lay comfortably on his leg, feeling his warm palm slowly tracing her fingers.
Until Jason asked in a low voice, "If you don't work at the newspaper office, what would you like to do?"
Emma thought for a moment: "Freelance writer."
Independent, autonomous, and unbound, but unfortunately, she has not reached such a level yet. Or she would like to go to difficult and war-torn places; there is still a shortage of war correspondents in the country.
"Then be a freelance writer," Jason nodded.
Emma laughed and said, "Do you think it's that easy? If the articles I write are not bought by magazines or newspapers, I can only rely on you to support me."
"Then I will support you."
"Thank you, honey." Emma said obediently.
Then Jason said, "Did your newspaper office report on Shanghai Jia Rui Middle School today?"
"You also saw this news?" Emma was a bit surprised.
It's not that Jason doesn't care about the news, but he is too busy with time. He is fully scheduled with work every day, especially at the end of the year. He has been dealing with work every day when he comes home.
Hengya Group's communication business is all over the world, and he will fly to various places around the world from time to time.
He whispered, "Were you involved in the follow-up report on this news?"
"No," Emma replied honestly.
Jason lightly hummed and said in a low voice, "This matter is not as simple as it seems on the surface. There should be a new twist by tomorrow."
"How do you know?" Emma sat up abruptly.
She turned on the sofa to look at Jason.
Jason originally didn't know about this matter, but in the afternoon, the young master of Shang Rui Group called Jason, asking him as soon as he opened his mouth, "Brother, we didn't participate in this news, did we?"
It was then that Jason learned about this matter. After he read the news, he assured the other party that Emma was not involved.
The other party then unceremoniously stated that the stock price of Shang Rui Group plummeted as soon as the report came out, and he would definitely not let go of this reporter.
Jason, hearing his words, looked displeased and told him not to make any unnecessary threats and to focus on rectifying the school and admitting mistakes to the public.
"Admit mistakes? Brother, it's really not our school's fault this time. You wait, anyway, the education department has already entered the school, and we can stand the investigation of right and wrong."
Emma hesitated and said, "Did he really say that?"
Since the other party was so sure, it was likely that there was no real issue with the school.
Jason looked at her and asked in a low voice, "Is it possible for your newspaper to fabricate fake news in pursuit of hot topics?"
Emma took a deep breath.
The next day, the school's food was sent to a third-party inspection, and there was no new progress for the time being. However, the online public opinion was still very angry. Students are the future of society, and once it involves school matters, it will become the biggest concern of society.
It wasn't until the third day that the press conference officially began, and after inspection, all the food in the school's warehouse was found to comply with regulations.
The pictures circulated online were deliberately fabricated by parents to attract more attention.
Public opinion was in an uproar.
Netizens initially didn't believe it, until the official released several chat records of the parents involved in the group, clearly showing them discussing how to create fake pictures, and even plans to enter the school's canteen warehouse to destroy the food inventory.
Suddenly, public opinion reversed.
No one expected such a twist, but Emma, having been warned by Jason, remained calm.
In the afternoon, Wantong was called into the editor-in-chief's office. Emma went to the front desk to pick up something and happened to see a boy with a backpack walking in.
"Hello, is reporter Wantong here?" The young boy was very polite.
The front desk girl, seeing his cute appearance, asked with a smile, "What can I do for you, young man?"
"I'm his brother." The boy still said obediently.
Emma, hearing that he was Wantong's brother, looked up and saw the boy, who was obviously a bit nervous, slightly lowering his head with drooping eyelids.
"Wait a moment, Wantong is a bit busy now, but he will be here soon," the front desk said warmly, inviting him to wait at Wantong's seat.
Emma followed them and happened to see Wantong coming out of the editor-in-chief's office.
The front desk girl said with a smile, "Wantong, your brother is here to see you."
Wantong, who was in a bad mood after being scolded, looked up at the unfamiliar boy and said with disgust, "Who are you?"
But as soon as he finished speaking, the boy, like a little leopard, suddenly rushed out and pounced on Wantong: "You're the one who harmed my dad."
The boy was not very tall, actually a bit shorter than Wantong.
But after all, the boy's sudden rush made Wantong fall to the ground. The boy's movements were too fast, and Emma, who was behind him, didn't have time to react when he had already straddled Wantong and slapped him twice on the face.
The front desk girl screamed in fright.
At this moment, Emma stepped forward, grabbed the boy by the neck, and dragged him back. The boy was strong, and it seemed that he was about to fight with Emma. Emma twisted his arm and pulled it up.
The boy suddenly screamed and let go of Wantong's hair with his other hand.
Seeing that he was about to get up and fight with Emma, she couldn't help it anymore, directly grabbing his elbow, and with her short boots, she kicked his knee bend.
The boy, unprepared, knelt on one knee, and one hand was still held by Emma.
"Enough, if you hit someone again, I will really not be polite to you."
The boy seemed to be in great pain and sobbed.
At this time, Wantong was helped up by others, but the boy's strength was really too great, and her cheeks were swollen.
"Who is this? How did he come to our newspaper office to hit people?"
"Are you okay, Wantong? Oh, your face."
As for others, they were all amazed that Emma was so powerful that she could actually capture such a half-grown boy.
Emma didn't want to hurt the boy, so she asked in a low voice, "Let's talk calmly, and I'll let you go."
After Emma released the boy, she asked, "Why did you hit her?"
"It's her who instigated my dad to make fake photos, and now my dad has been arrested by the police. Why is she fine?"
At this moment, as soon as the boy spoke, everyone understood that he was the child of the parent involved in the incident at Jia Rui Middle School.
Originally, people were sympathizing with Wantong, but upon hearing the boy's words, they looked at her with complex expressions.
Wantong pointed at him and angrily said, "Nonsense, you're talking nonsense. I'm going to call the police to arrest you."
"Call the police now," Wantong shouted at the people around her.
Before anyone could react, the boy's violent demeanor completely disappeared, and he transformed back into a harmless appearance, nervously looking at Wantong.
Emma sighed and whispered in his ear, "If you don't run now, are you really waiting for her to call the police and arrest you?"
The boy was stunned, not expecting that Emma, who had just stopped him from hitting Wantong, would now tell him to run.
"Run," Emma suddenly barked, and the boy actually turned around and ran with his backpack on.
In a moment, he disappeared from everyone's sight.
No one expected that Emma would let the boy run away.
Wantong was so angry that she pointed at her and said, "You..."
"Why did you let him run?"
Emma replied indifferently, "Why don't you go catch him yourself?"
"He's just a student from Jia Rui Middle School; there are surveillance cameras everywhere here. I don't believe we can't catch a little brat. Why should he be able to slander me like this?" Wantong was furious, having been slapped by the boy in front of everyone.
Emma had already decided not to get involved in this farce, but when she heard this, she turned and looked at Wantong, suddenly sneering.
"I've realized that you really haven't reflected on yourself at all."
Wantong glared at her.
Emma suddenly called out, "Hua Zheng."
Hua Zheng, who was standing in the crowd, immediately responded.
Emma looked at the phone in her hand and said, "Record a video."
Although confused, Hua Zheng turned on the video function of the camera and aimed it at Emma. The camera recorded Emma slowly walking up to Wantong.
Emma looked at Wantong, her expression particularly calm: "Do you dare to deny the boy's accusation against you just now? The title of 'journalist' is tarnished by people like you who are eager for quick success. Even if I can't work at the newspaper office tomorrow, I have to say this."
"You are not worthy of being a journalist."
Wantong's face turned pale, and she stood there motionless.
Finally, Emma looked at the red palm prints on her face with some regret and said indifferently, "You should be glad I don't hit women."
"Alright, I'm done scolding. If you need to, you can get the video from Hua Zheng and take it to the police station to have the police arrest me and see if I've slandered you or not."
Emma sneered, turned her head, and left.
Hua Zheng carefully made her way back to her desk, holding her phone in her palm as if it were some rare treasure. Nearby, Emma was typing away, her hands poised on the keyboard, striking each key with swift precision.
As the commotion gradually died down, the other colleagues couldn't help but cast glances towards Emma. There was just something about her aura that was truly formidable. She had a charm that commanded respect. Even after the way she'd stood up to Wantong, most people felt she was being straightforward and fair, especially the women in the newsroom, who were all experts at recognizing manipulative behavior.
Wantong had a habit of flirting with men and wearing two faces with women. Besides, when she deliberately targeted Emma, many people had witnessed it. Initially, some thought Emma was being a bit disrespectful to Wantong, even confronting her in a meeting. But after the news of Emma's marriage to Jason broke, everyone was taken aback. It was hard to believe that the princess of Hengyia Group, starting from the bottom as a rookie reporter in our newsroom, could tolerate such unreasonable seniors without slapping them in public already showed great restraint.
As for today, Emma had no intention of continuing to be polite with Wantong, who was just too ruthless in her actions. In this school food safety incident, the parents were indeed at fault. But was Wantong entirely innocent?
If she was truly unaware, then she was derelict in her duties, as any journalist must verify and ensure the authenticity and validity of news material before publishing it for the public to see. If Wantong was involved, then it wasn't just a matter of dereliction; it was outright malicious.
Hua Zheng whispered, "Emma, should we keep that video?"
She personally wanted to save it; it was just too satisfying to watch.
"Didn't she ask for it?" Emma casually glanced over, a wry smile on her face, "Keep it, just in case some people don't want it now but regret it later."
Hua Zheng's eyes widened.
She was truly impressed. Although she knew Emma wasn't an ordinary person, the way she carried herself was too rare and endearing.
Hua Zheng really felt that if Emma wasn't already married, she would want to compete with Jason. Such a beautiful and strong woman, who wouldn't like her?
Now, she couldn't decide whether to be more envious of Emma or Jason. All she could think of was one phrase echoing in her mind.
A heavenly couple.
Right, what a heavenly couple they were.
Wantong, already upset from being scolded by the editor-in-chief, was further humiliated when a kid slapped her in front of everyone at the office. So that she didn't even return to her office; another intern had to bring her bag down to the parking lot.
It was said that she went to the hospital.
However, Emma thought her face was better off hidden at home; she really had no dignity left to face others.
When it was time to leave work in the evening, Emma left a bit late because she hadn't finished her tasks. As she finally headed out, she stood by the elevator waiting.
"Sister, sister."
The voice from behind startled even Emma's bold nature.
She turned to see the young boy who had slapped Wantong in the afternoon, hiding behind the door of the safety stairs, now peeking out with a smile on his face.
"You're still here?" Emma was a bit surprised.
After all, it had been almost four hours since he slapped Wantong at around three in the afternoon.
He must have been here the whole time?
The young boy, feeling safe with Emma around, immediately stepped out from behind the door, "I haven't thanked you yet."
Emma was slightly taken aback. She looked at the young boy in front of her, not very tall but with fair skin and a rather innocent face.
In the afternoon, when he slapped Wantong, he delivered two swift and fierce slaps.
At that moment, the boy was like a young cheetah, fierce and aggressive, but now all the aggression had faded, and he looked like a well-behaved child.
Emma curiously observed the boy, in a good mood, she asked, "You waited here just to thank me?"
The boy's face flashed with surprise, "Are you going to charge me?"
What on earth?
Emma was amused by the boy, lowering her head slightly, "No need."
As soon as she finished speaking, the boy's stomach, as if in response, growled loudly.