The two paper takeout bags brought by Lin Yan were still resting on the cabinet in the entryway.
Xie Sui did not go to touch them. He merely lit another cigarette, smoking it slowly.
With his back resting against the back of the sofa, he closed his eyes.
His body was exhausted, yet his mind was exceptionally clear. He could distinctly recall every detail of last night, the strength of Jin Huaiqian’s hands, the frequency of his breathing, and the sensation of his sweat-dampened skin pressing close.
Thrilling and sensational.
This was exactly what he wanted.
As for Lin Yan, he was very good, the most satisfactory one he had encountered so far. Docile, sensible, and caused no trouble. But that was all. He would not change his lifestyle for anyone, a fact Lin Yan must have understood long ago.
The phone vibrated with a new message.
Xie Sui picked it up and saw it was from Yan Shuzhi, asking if he was coming to the office this afternoon, as there was a new topic to discuss.
He replied with a short “Yes,” then stood up to go to the bathroom to wash up.
The topic under discussion this time was primarily concerning another of the company’s public accounts. This account mainly utilized traffic channels, focusing on social hotspots, writing about whatever happened to be highly trending.
However, the results had been less than satisfactory, and Zhao Shang actively proposed that he wanted to take over this account.
Seemingly eager to reclaim the face he had lost last time, Zhao Shang spoke eloquently throughout the entire meeting.
A recent social hotspot involved a news story about a “PhD graduate from America returning to China to deliver takeout.” An individual who had obtained a doctoral degree in the United States could not find a suitable job after returning home, and was forced to deliver takeout just to survive.
“This story has great explosive potential,” Zhao Shang pointed excitedly at the data on the projection screen. “Degree devaluation, overseas graduates turned into stranded kelp, and employment difficulties, every single keyword can ignite traffic. I suggest we dig deep into this person’s background, and it would be best if we could find some dramatic twists.”
“For instance, he was actually expelled due to academic misconduct?” another editor interjected.
“Or perhaps he has some personality flaw that makes him unable to find a job?” someone else added.
The atmosphere in the meeting room grew heated, with everyone offering suggestions on how to make the story more appealing.
Xie Sui remained silent the entire time. He stared at the blurry silhouette of the delivery man’s back on the screen, his brow furrowing slightly.
“I have a question.”
Zhao Shang said, “Go ahead, Brother Xie Sui.”
Xie Sui said, “Delivery courier is also a profession. Why assume that delivering takeout means one cannot find a job?”
The others looked at one another, temporarily unsure how to answer.
Zhao Shang said with a smile, “In today’s society, many people believe the takeout industry is at the absolute bottom, and only those who cannot find jobs will choose it. It is not just me who thinks this way; it is a general perception in society.”
“Just because it is a general perception in society does not mean it is right.”
The smile on Zhao Shang’s face slowly faded. “What we are discussing right now is not who is right or wrong, but how to write it to generate more discussion while aligning with public trends.”
Xie Sui remained silent for two seconds, letting the subject drop.
Once a perception has formed, one should not expect to reshape someone’s values in a matter of seconds.
He turned to ask instead, “Do we need to verify this person’s actual situation? I recall that this public account did not involve personal privacy before.”
Zhao Shang said, “And that is exactly the core reason why the traffic has been poor. Furthermore, Brother Xie Sui, the cycle for hotspots nowadays is only two or three days. By the time we finish verifying, the opportunity will have long passed. Besides, so many major accounts are writing about it, we just need to follow the trend.”
“What if the story deviates from the facts?” Xie Sui pressed further.
“It is even better if there is a deviation!” Zhao Shang grew more excited. “If it is proven later that he is not a PhD holder, or that he is actually very wealthy and just experiencing life, we can write a twist article and bring in another wave of traffic!”
Xie Sui looked quietly at Zhao Shang’s face, which was distorted with excitement, and said nothing.
Yan Shuzhi lightly tapped the table, breaking the silence.
“Zhao Shang, it is still better to verify this kind of matter beforehand. It is best to seek truth from facts.”
Zhao Shang was puzzled. “President Yan, seeking truth from facts and gaining traffic are mutually exclusive. You should be clearer on this than I am.”
“Be that as it may, I suggest not taking things out of context. Otherwise, if something really happens, the consequences will be endless.”
Zhao Shang fell silent for two seconds before saying, “Alright, I will handle this matter properly.”
Yan Shuzhi said, “Xie Sui, you assist them in keeping check to ensure no factual errors occur.”
Xie Sui glanced at Yan Shuzhi and smiled. “Sure, but on one condition.”
“What is it?”
“The final content must be reviewed by me before it can be published.”
The moment Xie Sui’s words left his mouth, the meeting room fell into absolute silence. Due to embarrassment, Zhao Shang’s complexion looked rather poor.
This was a blatant show of distrust toward Zhao Shang.
Yan Shuzhi said, “Agreed.”
Zhao Shang grit his teeth. “President Yan, what is the meaning of this?”
Yan Shuzhi said, “Xie Sui is more experienced than you. Having him review it is safer. Since it involves a social event, it is better to be meticulous.”
Zhao Shang was clearly defiant, but out of respect for Yan Shuzhi, he did not say anything more.
When the meeting concluded, Zhao Shang made a great deal of noise as he stood up, as if to express the dissatisfaction in his heart.
Xie Sui saw the teaser posted by Zhao Shang on his Friends Circle.
“Why did a PhD graduate from America reduce himself to delivering takeout? Tomorrow morning at ten o’clock, we reveal the shocking truth to you!”
The accompanying image for the teaser article was a blurry photograph. The delivery man inside had his head lowered, making his face unidentifiable, but his frame was thin, his back slightly hunched, and he carried multiple takeout orders in his hands. The color tone of the photo had been adjusted to be very dark, creating a suffocating and tragic atmosphere.
Various speculations and comments emerged endlessly in the comment section:
“Are PhDs nowadays really that worthless?”
“The devaluation of academic degrees is so severe.”
“That is impossible. Several PhD holders around me are doing very well. It must be that his own personality has issues, just a bookworm.”
“A PhD from America returning to deliver takeout? Must be hype, right?”
Zhao Shang had not informed Xie Sui about this teaser beforehand.
Since finalizing the topic last Thursday, Zhao Shang had been leaving early and returning late, so the two rarely crossed paths.
Now that the teaser was already published, it seemed the article was completely written.
Xie Sui had already clocked off and returned home, so he simply sent a WeChat message to Zhao Shang.
S: [Is the content written? Send it over for me to look at.]
An hour after the message was sent, Xie Sui finally received a reply.
Zhao Shang sent the file without saying a single word.
It appeared Zhao Shang was still throwing a tantrum. Xie Sui did not bicker over small matters and tapped open the document.
After reading the entire piece, he found that no extreme remarks distorting facts to catch eyes had appeared. The expression of the content and the pacing were both quite good, showing that care had been taken.
S: [It is fine. A lot of progress has been made.]
Zhao Shang did not reply.
Xie Sui did not bother to manage him further; as long as he had sent what he wanted to say, it was enough.
At ten o’clock on Tuesday morning, the article was published right on time. Xie Sui did not tap it open, but the constant message notifications popping up in the company group chat indicated the explosive success of the piece.
“The view count has broken fifty thousand!”
“It will hit one hundred thousand very soon.”
“The comments have already exceeded one thousand!”
Zhao Shang sent a large red packet in the group chat to thank the team for their hard work. Xie Sui did not grab it.