Chapter 2: Late
Guan Pipi felt like she could understand Director Zhang's attitude. Yesterday as she was leaving work, he had warned her repeatedly not to be late for the meeting, so in the end she'd committed the offence knowingly. Knowing she was in the wrong, she speedily fished out her tape recorder and notebook from her bag, expressed the appropriate apologies to the director, and moved quickly into the meeting room.
Everyone was smoking.
A huge air conditioner was blowing warm air, and the warm air and the smoke mixed together, making Pipi feel like she was sitting in a chimney.
The meeting had just started. The president announced the month's important news, the departments reported on the key topics and new columns, and the advertising department reported their income and expenditure.
"Last week, a highly-ranked student became enraged by family conflict and killed his own mother. We intend to send out a reporter to investigate the psychological pressure faced by today's university students. Aside from that, in order to participate in the "Top Ten Cultural Good News" at the end of the year, we have drafted five special topics and interviews to promote traditional culture, which are under discussion." Xie Huang, director of the Department of Political Affairs and Literature, looked at his notebook and spoke indifferently.
After muttering to himself for a moment, the director continued, "We'll take the investigation into psychological pressure slowly. Let's see what the judicial authorities have to say. If it's mental illness or a random accident, we'll be prohibited from talking about it. Perhaps if you do an investigation into psychological stress, we won't need to put this matter forward. I'll choose the topic for the news around the culture festival quickly, and aimt to get it in the paper by this weekend."
"Okay."
The president moved his attention to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Director Fang Nanhui immediately said: "The V3 railway is about to be completed. The reporters who follow the report are sleeping in the mountains. Could you consider giving a special subsidy to that hard-working group? Xiaowei is three months pregnant and spitting very badly. The mountain conditions are too bad. In my opinion, she should be transferred back to the Department of Political Affairs."
The president nodded: "The subsidy is no problem, but the share and the deputy directors will need to discuss the matter first. As for Xiaowei, you can tell her to return to the city today."
"She's having a pregnancy test today, so she's already back."
"Ah, then tell her she needn't return to the construction site."
The regular meeting was particularly long. Every mouth was talking non-stop, spitting smoke incessantly.
Pipi sat to one side, recording in shorthand and waiting for the end of the meeting.
Two and a half hours later, the president finally said: "We'll finish here today. Guan, you'll go and handle the record of the meeting. Send a record to every department."
Guan Pipi had a mouth full of promises, and suddenly there was a burst of disgust in her chest. In front of everyone, she covered her mouth with her hand and made a beeline for the bathroom.
Last month there had been an outbreak of hepatitis in the city, and it was said that it began at a breakfast booth on the street. Many citizens were in the habit of eating breakfast outside. Even if they used disposable chopsticks, hepatitis could still spread. Guan Pipi doubted that the meat dumplings she'd eaten for breakfast that morning weren't clean, but the soy milk was another issue. To put it briefly, she couldn't stop coughing, and she was continuously seeing stars. Her face went green, she put a hand on her stomach and, leaning on the wall for support, walked step by step to do as the editor had asked.
However, unexpectedly, at the door of the office, she ran into her superior: editor-in-chief Du Wenguang.
"What's wrong? Are you unwell?" The editor-in-chief took care of the reporters, who were all unruly and harsh. Only someone even more harsh could control them. As such, Du Wenguang was usually steady and stern. He was not the type to waste words or laugh easily. Met by his concern, Guan Pipi was overwhelmed.
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