Zhao Qiang entered Chen Xinyu's room and grabbed two bottles. These were the ones Chen Xinyu usually used, just in case. Zhao Qiang would modify them for her later.
Zhou Xiaowan objected when she saw the bottles, "Is this all you have?"
Chen Xinyu said, "You should be content, I have nothing left to use."
Li Qingqing advised Zhou Xiaowan: "We need to take this slowly. We need to squeeze him dry, like milking a cow."
Zhou Xiaowan said, "You're right, this is the price he paid for almost drowning us."
Zhao Qiang and Chen Xinyu finally escaped from the house. Chen Xinyu said regretfully, "If I had known it would have such serious consequences, I definitely wouldn't have agreed to send the cosmetics."
Zhao Qiang said, "If I had known she was your cousin, I would never have gone to her house last night, even if you beat me to death."
After all, she had already dealt with the people first, so she could put those two out of her mind for now. Today, Chen Xinyu's interview task was to follow up with the residents of the old Shihezi area who were being relocated and their reactions to the new policy. It was nothing more than getting them to say a few nice official words and sing praises to the government. Chen Xinyu didn't really like doing this, but she had been in charge of this interview in the early stages, and she couldn't change her now.
After getting off the car, Zhao Qiang picked up his camera, and the two went to the tea stall again. The old lady was already very familiar with Zhao Qiang and greeted him warmly, serving him tea. Zhao Qiang and Chen Xinyu decided to have a couple of sips and rest before conducting the interview.
"Have you heard? A superhero appeared in our neighborhood last night," a tea drinker started to say.
"What Superman? That's Ultraman. My son said he saw it with his own eyes in the middle of the night," a young man said.
Another tea drinker, clearly unaware of the situation, asked, "What's going on? What Superman or Ultraman?"
Volume 2 [565] Jumping off the building
[565] Jumping off a building
So some busybody told him: "Last night, Old Ji's daughter came home a little late from her night shift. She encountered some bad guys in the alley. Just when she was in danger, a masked superhero appeared. He flew through the air and picked up the bad guys one by one and slammed them to the ground. See that wall over there? According to Old Ji's daughter, it was that superhero who smashed it with one palm. In the end, he left by leaping into the air like a frog and disappearing."
Someone chimed in from the side: "What frog? That's Spider-Man. It's said that his web shot onto the roof of Qian Lao Er's house and tore a big piece of the chimney. You've seen the Spider-Man movie, right? That's what he looks like."
Chen Xinyu and Zhao Qiang listened attentively as the people discussed among themselves. Some said that there was no such thing as a superman and that they must have been seeing things. Others said that the Ji family's daughter was just making things up, either because she had mental problems or because she was afraid that being harassed by hooligans would affect her marriage, so she made up the story of a superman. In short, there were many different opinions.
Chen Xinyu said, "Do you believe me? I know you were in my bed all night, so it definitely wasn't you."
Zhao Qiang said, "There's no smoke without fire. Let's investigate further. First, we need to rule out the possibility that it wasn't Yang Shiqi's people who did it." To achieve the phenomenon these people described, all you need is an anti-gravity device, and many of Yang Shiqi's subordinates possess such equipment.
Chen Xinyu said, "I'll call and ask right away."
The call reached Yang Shiqi, who, after clarifying the situation, promised to provide results shortly. After all, it was impossible for her to track everyone's whereabouts. However, the military investigation was quite efficient, and they had answers in less than half an hour. All soldiers equipped with anti-gravity devices were on duty last night, including those in Africa. This suggested that superhumans without such equipment might indeed exist.
Chen Xinyu put down her phone and said, "This is really strange. Although I don't object to the existence of special abilities in this world, I've never heard of anything as exaggerated as what these tea drinkers are talking about."
Zhao Qiang said, "Let's go and interview the person involved. Maybe this can be another interview topic for you. The demolition issue is over, it's time to find a new topic."
Chen Xinyu said, "Okay, we'll interview the residents who are being relocated about their reactions to the government's new policy later, which will be a conclusion to the previous interview topic."
Braving the heat, Zhao Qiang and Chen Xinyu found the Ji family's daughter. However, with Zhao Qiang's super computing power, he couldn't find any flaws in her narration and expressions. What she said was roughly the same as what the other diners said, just without using as many terms as they did. She was too scared to pay attention to any further details at the time.
Chen Xinyu glanced at Zhao Qiang, who shook his head, indicating that he hadn't found any useful information. Chen Xinyu said to the unassuming girl, "Thank you. We will continue to investigate this matter. Please let us know if you have any more information."
The girl nodded. "Yes, but he's a good person, and I don't want you to publish any reports that are detrimental to him, okay?"
Chen Xinyu said, "Of course, we should praise good people and criticize bad people."
The girl was very proactive: "Then give me your phone number. I'll call you if I have any further news." Chen Xinyu's friendliness was undoubtedly a major advantage. If it were a male reporter, this girl surnamed Ji might not have been so proactive.
After exchanging phone numbers, Zhao Qiang and Chen Xinyu left the girl's house. Before they even got into the car, Chen Xinyu received a tip-off call. The caller's voice was urgent: "Reporter Chen, if you're interested, come over right away. Someone here is about to jump off a building and commit suicide."
Chen Xinyu said, "We'll be right there, please come over."
After putting down her phone, Chen Xinyu said to Zhao Qiang, "A man jumped off a building in the business building. Let's go take a look."
Zhao Qiang said, "Okay, I'll drive. It'll be faster that way." Chen Xinyu's driving skills were indeed no match for Zhao Qiang's.
The commercial building has sixteen floors, which isn't considered a high-rise in Beijing. However, if someone were to jump from there, they probably wouldn't survive. When Zhao Qiang and his companion arrived, the area had already been cordoned off, and a large crowd of people were gathered outside the cordon, all looking up at the sky. They could vaguely see a man on the upper floors, who would occasionally peek out from behind the protective wall that blocked their view. Everyone stared wide-eyed, and some impatient people shouted, "If you're going to jump, just jump! What's the big deal?"
Chen Xinyu showed her press card, and with her reputation, she was allowed to pass smoothly. At this time, the business building only allowed people to leave, not enter, so it was not easy for ordinary people to get to the roof.
Because of the elevator, Chen Xinyu and Zhao Qiang quickly arrived at their destination. From up there, the view was much clearer. A man, probably in his thirties, was perched on the rooftop railing. About fifteen meters away from him stood several police officers, two of whom were in plainclothes and presumably negotiation experts.
"Young man, you're wrong to do this. A relationship problem shouldn't make you give up your life. Think about it, there are plenty of fish in the sea. You can't give up on one fish and then give up your life. That's irresponsible to the other fish." I never expected a man in his forties to say such a thing. It was so impactful.
However, the man seemed unmoved by the negotiation expert's words, continuing to shout, "Make that vixen come see me, or I'll jump off the building to show her!"
The negotiation expert said, "Our people have already gone to find her. Please be patient. If you accidentally fall down, you won't be able to see anything when she arrives. Wouldn't that be a pity?"
The man said, "You don't need to use sweet words. I'm going to die this time to show her."
The negotiation expert said, "But she hasn't arrived yet, so you can't die, otherwise your wish won't be fulfilled?"
The man said, "Yes, I will definitely wait for her. I will drag her down with me." It was unbelievable that this man was so cruel. Not only did he die, but he also wanted to drag someone else down with him.
The negotiation expert added, "Do you smoke? I have some good cigarettes here. Relax, sitting for too long isn't good for your blood circulation."
The man touched his lips; he really wanted a cigarette. But then he checked his pockets and realized he'd left in such a hurry before committing suicide that he hadn't brought any. Seeing the negotiation expert pull out a cigarette case, he pointed at it from afar and said, "Give me one."
The negotiation expert, holding a cigarette case in one hand and the other behind his back, slowly walked towards the man, saying in a gentle voice, "These cigarettes are specially supplied to the inside. I guarantee that once you smoke one, you'll want two. Having one of these after each meal will make you feel like you're in heaven."
The man was not fooled by the negotiator's words. He suddenly shouted, "Stop! Stop right there! If you take another step forward, I'll really jump!" As he spoke, the man stood up from the wall. He pointed at the negotiator, swaying unsteadily. Just as the negotiator was about to approach the man, he could have lunged forward and grabbed him. In the end, his plan failed.
The man, somewhat agitated, swayed unsteadily against the railing. The negotiation expert dared not move. At that moment, the man lost his balance, screamed, and fell to the ground. Zhao Qiang, who had just come upstairs, leaped over and peered down. The man had already fallen more than ten meters. Zhao Qiang braced himself against the railing and prepared to jump. Whether others would recognize his identity was no longer important; saving a life was more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda.
Just then, with a whoosh, the man, already halfway down the cliff, saw a dark figure shoot across, grab his vest, and then the downward momentum vanished. The figure, carrying the man, launched him horizontally. When they encountered the building opposite, the figure lightly touched the wall with its foot, flicked its hand, and shot out a thin wire. With a thud, the wire grabbed the railing the man had just jumped from. Immediately afterward, the figure carried the man to the roof of the commercial building. The man was thrown to the ground by the figure, and the figure, undeterred, flew across the roof of the commercial building and disappeared on the other side.
The rescue was completed almost instantly. The man who fell was stunned and didn't know what had happened. The police officers who were running towards the wall also stood still. Their speed was far inferior to Zhao Qiang's, so they hadn't reached the edge of the building yet. Apart from just noticing a dark shadow passing overhead, these people had no idea what had happened.
Zhao Qiang witnessed the entire process clearly. He stopped moving the instant the shadowy figure appeared. The life or death of the man jumping was irrelevant to Zhao Qiang; in fact, he might even wish for such a man's demise. However, he couldn't bear to stand by and watch someone die, which is why he decided to intervene. But seeing someone else rush to save the man before him, Zhao Qiang naturally ignored them and focused all his attention on the shadowy figure. This figure was slender and tall, with a face tightly bound by a black mask. Zhao Qiang tried to scan it with his X-ray glasses but couldn't see through it—what kind of material could block the X-ray glasses' scan? Without a clear scan, he couldn't make out the figure's appearance. Moreover, the figure's movements were swift and decisive; after dropping the man, the figure jumped and disappeared without a moment's hesitation.
"Damn it!" The man who was about to jump finally managed to utter a curse after a long pause. It was unclear whether he was cursing the negotiator who had startled him, or the shadowy figure who had saved him was too terrifying. In the end, the man was thrown and suffered some pain, his buttocks almost splitting open.
Several police officers only reacted after hearing the man's curses. They rushed over and pinned him down again before he could even get up. The handcuffs clicked on him, one arm of the man was locked, and the other arm of a police officer was locked. Unless the man had enough strength, it would be difficult for him to jump again.
Chen Xinyu was the slowest to move. It was only then that she reached Zhao Qiang's side. Seeing Zhao Qiang's serious expression, she asked, "What's going on?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I think we've met the superman that tea drinkers are talking about, or there are two such people in Beijing."
Chen Xinyu refused to believe it: "No way, could it be that Yang Shiqi is joking with us?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Although she's usually a bit unreliable, she wouldn't joke like this with me. You stay and do the interview, I'll go look around." With that, while the police were busy dealing with the man who jumped off the building, Zhao Qiang leaped off the roof and chased after the direction where the dark figure disappeared. Although it took him a while to get closer, if he followed too closely, he would be noticed.
Volume 2 [566] Leaving Home
【566】Leaving Home
Zhao Qiang couldn't see through the shadows, but that didn't stop him from seeing through the surrounding buildings. The shadows moved very fast, but if Zhao Qiang used his energy to enhance his physical abilities, he could still barely keep up. However, it seemed that his actions were noticed by the other party. The shadows glanced back, their bright eyes seemingly carrying a strange smile, and then the shadows disappeared.
Yes, it just disappeared. There was no sign of the shadow hiding anywhere; it simply vanished into thin air, like it had become invisible. Zhao Qiang activated his X-ray glasses to scan, but it was clear that the glasses were powerless against this kind of invisibility, and Zhao Qiang could only leave disappointed.
This incident proved that what the tea drinkers said was true. There really was a person in Beijing. Moreover, this person did not rely on equipment to achieve his abilities, as Zhao Qiang believed that only he could manufacture the top-level equipment. However, it was obvious that Zhao Qiang was not familiar with the shadowy figure, otherwise the person would not have needed to avoid him. Since they were not familiar, Zhao Qiang would not give him the top-level equipment. Furthermore, Zhao Qiang has not been able to obtain the invisibility equipment so far. So who exactly is he?
Zhao Qiang returned to the rooftop of the business building. By then, the man who had jumped had been subdued, still muttering, "I want to die with that vixen! I want to die to show her!" A policeman, enraged, kicked the man hard in the buttocks, yelling, "Are you even a man? You're so desperate over such a trivial matter! You're such a coward!"
Chen Xinyu was filming the scene when Zhao Qiang arrived and took over the camera. Chen Xinyu then took over the role of host. However, the man who was about to jump off the building was not very cooperative. He wouldn't answer any questions and instead seemed disgusted by Chen Xinyu's beauty. It was like being bitten by a snake once and being afraid of snakes for ten years. So the interview became passive, and they just took a few videos and called it a day.
After the police led the man away from the rooftop of the commercial building, Chen Xinyu finally asked, "How did it go? Did you catch him?"
Zhao Qiang shook his head: "He got away. It seems he has an invisibility ability; I can't scan him."
Chen Xinyu frowned: "So he's quite powerful. I wonder if the existence of such a person is a blessing or a curse."
Zhao Qiang remained silent, but in his mind, he began to wonder if this suddenly appearing person was related to the person who had arranged to meet him. The ability to infiltrate his body was a symbol of strength, and the performance of the person who had just disappeared made Zhao Qiang even more wary. If he were to fight against Zhao Qiang, Zhao Qiang did not believe he could win.
Because this matter concerned social stability, Chen Xinyu ultimately could not publicly report the news of the invisible man. However, the matter could not be suppressed at all. There were at least a hundred people watching downstairs in the business building. No matter how fast the shadow was, it was still observed and filmed by many mobile phones. At that time, everyone was focused on the person who jumped from the building. Many busybodies kept taking pictures with their mobile phones. The shadow accidentally entered the frame. It was just that it was moving too fast, so the image was very blurry.
That evening, at Chen Xinyu's home, Chen Xinyu was furious as her daughter questioned her: "Dad, I don't understand. If the media becomes a tool of the government, what truth is left? You forbid reporting that kind of news, you forbid reporting that kind of news—do you think the people are blind? Who doesn't know what happened at the business building? But CCTV turns a deaf ear and is ridiculed. In China, the media has absolutely no freedom; it's just a tool to sing praises to the government. It's pathetic."
Chen Guangming said, "What do you know? If the higher-ups say you can't report this, then you can't report this. If you keep doing these pointless things, then you can stop doing news interviews and go to the logistics department. The first rule of being a reporter is to obey the organization's needs, but you have repeatedly broken this rule. You've made it very difficult for your father at the station. Do you know that your father can't just do whatever he wants? There are many people eyeing your father's position. Now the higher-ups are starting to hold me accountable. As my daughter, you should understand my predicament."
Chen Xinyu sneered: "Dad, since you're so afraid of everything, I'm not going to be a CCTV reporter anymore."
Chen Guangming said, "You're not going to do it anymore? Are you kidding me? You're at the height of your fame right now, what else would you do if you didn't become a reporter?"
Chen Xinyu said, "I only said I would quit being a CCTV reporter, I didn't say I wouldn't do other types of reporting."
Chen Guangming said, "If you can't be a reporter for CCTV, which other station would dare to hire you?"
Chen Xinyu said dismissively, "Do I expect others to take me in? I'll start my own media company with freedom of choice."
Chen Guangming looked at his daughter with affection: "Yu, don't argue with your father anymore. In China, you have to obey the national conditions, understand? Don't have those pointless thoughts anymore. How you live your life is not a lifetime. Actually, living a muddled life may not be so bad."
Chen Xinyu didn't answer her father's question. She walked towards the bedroom. Chen Guangming sighed. This daughter was becoming more and more difficult to manage; she always wanted to do something unexpected. Seeing Zhao Qiang, who was listening obediently to the father and daughter arguing, Chen Guangming immediately changed his mood and said to Zhao Qiang, "Come on, Zhao, let's play a game."
Chen Xinyu turned to Zhao Qiang and said, "Please don't play chess with my dad. Come to the room, we need to discuss something."
Zhao Qiang said to Chen Guangming, "Wait a bit, Uncle. Anyway, there's plenty of time in the evening. I'll come out and play chess with you later."
Once inside the bedroom, Chen Xinyu said to Zhao Qiang, "I've decided to make the report on the invisible man the media company's first news story."
Zhao Qiang said, "Okay, Hu Qian has already set it up for you. You can start by directing the media companies in Hong Kong through the internet."
Chen Xinyu said, "I've decided to name the media company Sky Media. I want to be like the sky, open to people and share everything."
Zhao Qiang said, "You decide what to do, but you should be careful if the reporting is too outrageous, and it must not be antisocial or inhumane."
Chen Xinyu smiled and said, "I understand. I just want to report the facts, not cover up the truth at every turn."
Zhao Qiang said, "Contact Hu Qian. She will teach you the specifics. From today onwards, Sky Media is officially established. Xu Xiaoya has a lot of people in Hong Kong. You can also contact her and ask her to borrow some people to set up the Hong Kong headquarters first, and then gradually develop newspapers and magazines."
Chen Xinyu knew that the real busyness was about to begin. Beijing was an international metropolis, and the invisible man was a hot news story in itself. With Zhao Qiang's ability to collect the latest audio and video data, Chen Xinyu believed that Sky Media would become a sensation at an extremely fast pace.
When Chen's mother learned during dinner that her daughter wanted to start her own household, her expression darkened, and she shifted the blame onto Zhao Qiang, becoming noticeably colder towards him. She even made a few sarcastic remarks, which embarrassed Zhao Qiang. He felt there was no point in staying any longer, so he moved out of the Chen family home. Chen Xinyu didn't try to stop him, but instead left with Zhao Qiang, infuriating Chen's mother. She tried to stop her daughter from leaving, but to no avail.
The two went downstairs, and behind them, Chen's mother was still angrily saying, "Yu, if you can't give up on that man, then don't ever come home again."
Mr. Chen tried to comfort his wife, saying, "What are you doing? It's so impolite to the guests." Mrs. Chen replied, "They've already run off with their daughter, and you, as her father, are still thinking about playing chess." Mr. Chen was indeed lamenting that the person who used to play chess with him was gone.
Zhao Qiang and Chen Xinyu exchanged a glance, and Chen Xinyu said, "I'm sorry, Zhao Qiang, my mother is really awful."
Zhao Qiang said, "Don't say that, your mother is only doing it for your own good."
Chen Xinyu said, "If it's for my own good, then you can't do this. Without you, where can I find happiness?"
Zhao Qiang chuckled and pulled Chen Xinyu into his arms, saying, "Where are we going? Once you've built up Sky Media, your parents will naturally stop questioning your abilities, and then you can go home."
Chen Xinyu said, "No way. If they can't accept you, I won't go home. Let's stay in a hotel, a nice one. You're not short of money anyway."
Zhao Qiang agreed, and the two drove the Ferrari out of the district. Before the car could even catch up with the two cars behind it, two sports cars sped up and sandwiched the Ferrari between them. Chen Xinyu's head was spinning: "It's my cousin Li Qingqing and Zhou Wan."
Zhao Qiang said, "I just gave her the cosmetics this morning, she won't come asking for them again, will she?"