Age of Legends

Chapter 309 Acquaintance?

The midday sun slanted in through the window, and the provincial TV station's canteen was bustling with noise. Jiang Rong, carrying a tray, had just queued up at the window to get a bowl of rice and Kung Pao chicken, and then found a seat.

She sat alone at a long table by the window. As she sat down, she ran into a few familiar staff members from the station. They looked a little stiff, gave a slight smile as a greeting, and she nodded in response.

The smiles were fleeting; they quickly moved around her and squeezed into other tables to continue their conversation and laughter.

Jiang Rong's program was once very popular, and she was a celebrity on the provincial TV station. However, since Wu Yue took over and her program was suspended, people sometimes avoid her. She's used to this now, and she's focused solely on her work. Even when she eats, she has a stack of A4 printouts on hand, studying the process and details of "The Seven-Day Agreement."

The Kung Pao Chicken was still steaming hot, but she forgot about it.

Sunlight cast a bright glow on the paper, isolating her from the noise and indifference outside.

At that moment, she had only one thought—to actually make this show a reality.

Just then, a woman who had just gotten her food from the window was carrying her tray, and her gaze inadvertently drifted towards her.

The woman paused slightly in her steps.

She noticed Jiang Rong sitting alone by the window, a stack of A4 printouts spread out on the table, filled with dense notes. People around her were in twos and threes, some sitting together, others whispering, but no one was willing to come near her.

This atmosphere of isolation was made all the more apparent by the contrast with the bustling crowd.

The middle-aged woman's eyes darkened. When she walked over from the other end of the restaurant, she had already caught some comments about her—"She offended someone," "She won't become famous," "Don't get too close."

But the young man before me had none of the arrogance rumored about him; only a focused determination to persevere.

She already had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on.

I adjusted my pace slightly, walked straight past the noisy crowd, and went to the table.

Jiang Rong looked at the middle-aged woman, who was dressed in a proper shirt, had an elegant temperament, and clear eyes, with some surprise, and sat down opposite her so naturally and calmly.

"You are..." Jiang Rong initially suspected that the other person was a host, a mainstay of large-scale galas, who would likely have this kind of demeanor. In fact, she was very beautiful, and if it weren't for some traces of time, Jiang Rong might have thought that the other person was only a few years older than herself.

The other person just smiled and said, "Looks like we're the same, both of us are disliked. Shall we share a table?"

She spoke in a manner that suggested discussion, yet there was an undeniable certainty about it.

Jiang Rong could only nod. So the person didn't recognize her. She pulled her plate back slightly. But soon, she noticed the other person's gaze lingering on the A4 paper beside her. Jiang Rong was startled and quickly closed the paper, her fingertips unconsciously fidgeting on it.

The woman didn't press further, but simply smiled gently and said, "If you eat while watching, the food will get cold. I was like that when I was young, and I ended up with stomach problems. I regretted it then. You should eat properly."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to have a power that could drown out the noise of the cafeteria, reaching Jiang Rong's ears and making her slightly startled.

This feeling was even somewhat comforting. It had been a long time since a woman with such maternal instincts had told her to eat properly. Jiang Rong stared at her blankly, the rice she was holding with her chopsticks pausing in mid-air. A warmth spread through her heart, but she remained somewhat wary, smiling slightly, "Thank you for your concern, it's just a habit... I don't have time when I'm busy."

The woman nodded without asking any further questions. She picked up her chopsticks and slowly ate some food, seemingly just to keep him company, which actually eased the tension in the air.

After a while, she suddenly spoke, her tone casual as if in a casual conversation: "Those materials you have, they must be program plans, right? I've seen quite a few similar drafts. What, the program's been canceled, but you're still working so hard, unwilling to give up?"

Jiang Rong was startled and looked up at the other person, not understanding who they were, what their purpose was, or whether they were Meng Lihui's people who came for her.

But the woman raised her hand and took out her work ID.

Jiang Rong was startled when she saw the contents of the work ID. "The Publicity Department...!?" Jiang Rong involuntarily straightened up, her voice tinged with panic: "You are... the leader of the Arts and Literature Department..."

Ning Wenjing first observed her reaction with feigned interest, seemingly curious that this aloof woman could also be so shy in front of a leader. But then she waved her hand, her expression remaining gentle: "Don't be nervous. I came to the provincial TV station today to learn about some things. I just happened to run into you. Your name is Jiang Rong, right? I saw you sitting here alone, so I came over to chat."

“I’ve watched your show and I quite like it. The show originally came from Wang Bowen and was a bit too explicit when it aired on the city TV station. But when you took over the provincial TV station, I saw a change in its appearance. To be honest, you did a better job than Wang Bowen.”

“No…” Jiang Rong was slightly taken aback.

"Alright, Wang Bowen and I live in the same compound, a joint compound built by the propaganda department. Do you think I don't know what kind of person he is? I didn't expect him to be so arrogant now."

“Then you…” Jiang Rong paused, looking somewhat bewildered.

Ning Wenjing glanced at her, her gaze firm yet tinged with a hint of teasing: "Are you wondering why I came to the cafeteria? And even more so, why I'm sitting right across from you?"

Jiang Rong nodded.

“I received some reports about the situation at the provincial TV station, so I came here to verify the situation. Anyway, I have to talk to some people, and you happen to be on my list. Of course, since I also watch your program, I would like to have a real chat with you and see what kind of person you, Jiang Rong, who is currently quite famous at the provincial TV station, really are.”

She paused, her gaze lingering on the resolute and stubborn expression on Jiang Rong's pursed lips: "I won't just listen to one side of the story when there are rumors. Don't worry, justice will prevail. So, there are some things I've reported that I need to verify with you. Let's eat first. There's a teahouse nearby after we finish eating; you can go sit there. Don't be afraid or worried; feel free to be frank about what you know..."

Jiang Rong's heart was in turmoil, and she couldn't speak for a moment. She felt as if the sunlight streaming through the window and falling on Ning Wenjing was a ray of light shining into her long-gloomy heart.

……

Teahouses offer private rooms suitable for one-on-one conversations.

Ning Wenjing and Jiang Rong engaged in a question-and-answer session regarding the contents of the folder in their hands.

After a long while, Ning Wenjing put away the folder, tapped her fingers lightly on the cover, and nodded: "I understand the general situation."

She looked up at Jiang Rong and said, "Someone in the station is abusing their power for personal gain, ostracizing you, and undermining your authority. I will verify these things. Don't worry, if the situation is true, it won't be left unresolved."

Jiang Rong's heart trembled slightly, and her eyes welled up with tears. She tried her best to suppress her emotions: "Thank you... I thought that no one would ever care about these things."

Ning Wenjing smiled, her expression softening: "In the system, some things can indeed be disheartening. But the purpose of the system is to prevent those who truly want to do something from being buried."

"Besides, I watched your show. In the current situation, you didn't argue or complain; you just sat alone in a corner of the cafeteria, pondering the program proposal. That kind of perseverance speaks volumes."

She paused, seemingly casually, "However, I'd also like to hear—what are your plans next? I glanced at that document you're holding in the cafeteria; it doesn't seem to be the planning for the old program. Can I take a look? Of course, I'm just asking personally, but if it's going to be reviewed, it'll most likely have to go through me..."

Jiang Rong froze, her fingertips unconsciously tightening around the stack of A4 papers.

She took another deep breath and pushed the thick proposal in front of Ning Wenjing: "This is my new program, 'Seven-Day Promise.' If our previous programs were stolen or undermined... then this time, this is our counterattack."

"You guys?" Ning Wenjing laughed. "Wang Bowen really is your support."

She took it, turned to the first page, and saw a familiar name on Jiang Rong's neat and meticulous planning draft.

"Overall strategy..."

"Zhang...Chen?"

(End of this chapter)