This time, Huo Shenyan obediently went outside and waited for breakfast.
Ni Jingxi didn't actually make much; it was quite simple: fried eggs, bacon, and sandwiches. After all, these are easy to make and quick and convenient.
"Are you going to work today?" Huo Shenyan asked, sitting across from her at the dining table.
Ni Jingxi nodded: "Yes, the vacation is over, and it's time to go back to work."
He picked up the glass of milk in front of him, raised it to Ni Jingxi, and said with a smile, "I hope you have a pleasant first day at work."
Ni Jingxi was amused when she saw how seriously he was holding the milk cup.
She raised her glass and clinked it against his: "Thank you."
After breakfast, the two changed their clothes and prepared to go to work. Ni Jingxi was still driving the Audi A4, which had been taken out for maintenance by driver Lao Xu and was in good condition.
Before leaving, Huo Shenyan put his arm around her waist and leaned down to kiss her: "Call me if anything happens."
Just as he was about to let go, he suddenly turned back and said, "You can call me anytime you have nothing to do."
Ni Jingxi laughed out loud.
Ni Jingxi was going to report to the Shanghai branch of Xinhua News Agency. Before she returned to China, the agency gave her a two-week vacation, also because she had come back from abroad.
Otherwise, a normal vacation wouldn't take this long.
Although this was an internal transfer, Qiao Muheng still personally wrote a letter of recommendation for Ni Jingxi. After all, she had successfully interviewed in Beijing, and her arrival at the Shanghai branch was essentially an external appointment.
When Ni Jingxi arrived at the newspaper office, she was delayed at the entrance for a while because she didn't have a parking permit before she was able to drive her car inside.
She went into the lobby and told the receptionist she was looking for team leader Xue Yujie.
This is the head of the economics group. Ni Jingxi is still working in the economics group, which is her old profession. The receptionist quickly contacted Xue Yujie and told her that Group Leader Xue was waiting for her on the sixth floor.
When Ni Jingxi got into the elevator and reached the sixth floor, she saw a huge public office area as soon as she got out of the elevator, which was very similar to her office at the Shanghai People's Daily.
It wasn't yet time for work, and there were quite a few people walking around.
Ni Jingxi looked around, about to ask someone which one was Team Leader Xue, when a relaxed voice suddenly called out, "Jingxi."
She turned around and saw a man in a light pink shirt waving and smiling at her.
Ni Jingxi couldn't deny that a hint of surprise appeared on her face at this moment.
The man walked over and held out his palm in mid-air: "Hello, I am Xue Yujie."
Ni Jingxi immediately reached out and shook hands with him: "Hello, I'm Ni Jingxi."
After releasing his grip, Xue Yujie put his hands in his pockets, looking extremely dashing and debonair, and asked with a smile, "Didn't expect me to look like this?"
Ni Jingxi raised her eyebrows slightly, feeling speechless for the first time.
After all, Xinhua News Agency is perceived by many as a place of weight and history, exuding an air of seriousness and maturity. Yet, the deputy head of the economic group at the Shanghai branch, such an important position, is a refined and handsome young man.
Ni Jingxi really didn't expect this.
“I understand that everyone is surprised when they first meet me.” Xue Yujie smiled slightly, but there was even a hint of sadness in his expression: “I’m a bit too outstanding and can’t blend in with the crowd.”
If Ni Jingxi was only surprised by his appearance just now, she was truly astonished by his shamelessness.
"Let's go, I'll show you around our newspaper office first." Fortunately, Xue Yujie didn't continue to flaunt his abilities, but said in a serious tone.
Ni Jingxi didn't say anything and followed him.
Xue Yujie was quite interested in her previous experiences in Israel. As the two walked and talked, it was Xue Yujie who kept asking Ni Jingxi questions.
"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, the agency values your photo highly. You have a very good chance of winning both domestic and international news awards this year." Xue Yujie smiled at her, his face saying, "I really think highly of you."
Ni Jingxi nodded lightly: "Thank you."
Seeing that she didn't seem excited, Xue Yujie chuckled and asked, "What's wrong? Aren't you excited?"
"Excited," Ni Jingxi said earnestly.
She wasn't some detached, otherworldly person; she would be incredibly happy and excited if she achieved great success at work. But whenever she thought about the story behind that photograph, that excitement would abruptly cease.
After all, those are lives lost in blood.
Xue Yujie asked with interest, "I think if you had kept going, you would definitely have become a world-renowned journalist. Why didn't you continue?"
Although these words are not pleasant to hear, they are the truth.
Compared to regular journalists, war correspondents are much more likely to gain significant attention during wartime, whether due to the dangerous nature of their work or the content they report, which is more captivating.
For some war correspondents, capturing a live photo like Ni Jingxi's, which garnered worldwide attention, is a dream come true.
Not everyone cares about those tragic fates and the suffering of ordinary people. Perhaps they simply want to achieve something by consuming such suffering.
Ni Jingxi thought for a moment. She didn't necessarily have to answer this question, but she still said, "When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."
Xue Yujie was stunned.
Ni Jingxi walked forward slowly. Actually, there was a period when she suffered from terrible insomnia. Whenever she closed her eyes, all she could hear in her mind was a loud noise, like an explosion.
When she came into close contact with the war, it also cast a shadow in her heart.
Soon after they finished shopping, Xue Yujie took her back.
"The editor-in-chief isn't at the newspaper office today. I'll take you to see him when he gets back. Why don't you meet your other colleagues first?" Xue Yujie said.
After leading Ni Jingxi to the economics group's office area, he clapped his hands.
"Everyone, this is our new colleague, Ni Jingxi. I'm sure you all know her by now. We'll all be colleagues from now on. Although Jingxi is very capable, she's new here, so please help her out."
After he finished speaking, Ni Jingxi greeted everyone, saying, "Hello everyone."
Everyone greeted her one by one. Although they hadn't heard any rumors beforehand, they all knew her. After all, one of her photos had caused a huge sensation, with over a hundred million views worldwide.
Moreover, Ni Jingxi's background is also very eye-catching; she is the crown princess of Hengya Group.
This alone makes countless girls envious and jealous.
Working with someone who is considered a celebrity inevitably draws curious glances and scrutiny from others.
As soon as Ni Jingxi sat down at the desk, a young woman next to her whispered, "Hello, my name is Song Yu."
This is the youngest girl in the group, and she looks to be about the same age as Ni Jingxi.
Ni Jingxi chuckled at her, and just as she was about to speak, Xue Yujie suddenly called them into the conference room for a meeting. Everyone grabbed their notebooks and went inside.
Xue Yujie looked around and was about to ask a question when the door was suddenly pushed open.
A slender, graceful woman stood at the door. As she pushed the door open, she smiled gently at everyone in the conference room and said, "Sorry, there was traffic on the way."
Ni Jingxi looked up and immediately froze.
Wen Tang was smiling, but when their eyes met, her face immediately darkened.
She never expected to see Ni Jingxi here.
Both of them were a little surprised, but Wen Tang quickly composed herself and found a seat near the door. Ni Jingxi held a pen in her hand, twirled it around in her notebook, and then suddenly shook her head and smiled.
Xue Yujie was holding the meeting because there was an Asian Economic Forum in Shanghai the day after tomorrow, and he needed to send someone there to cover it.
"This forum is about the Asian economic situation. It's the first large-scale forum held in Shanghai this year. Not only are there many participating departments, but also many important figures. Economic leaders from various countries will be present. Our agency naturally has a spot, and this time we can not only provide follow-up coverage, but also do special reports."
Anyway, the chances are great, and everyone is very excited.
However, such large events are usually reserved for senior reporters at the newspaper, so everyone couldn't help but look over at a male reporter in his forties and Wen Tang. Although Wen Tang had only arrived last year, she had always been very comfortable in Shanghai's news circle.
Although people had heard about her work at the Shanghai People's Daily, her family had strong connections, so she went directly to Xinhua News Agency after leaving the Shanghai People's Daily.
Instead, he rose to a higher level, because Wen Tang's style at the newspaper remained as high-profile as ever.
She really didn't expect that, after all these twists and turns, she would end up working at the same newspaper as Ni Jingxi again.
This time, she sneered. So what if Ni Jingxi had someone backing her up? Wen Tang wasn't someone to be bullied. Wen Tang thought of her boyfriend whom she had started dating at the beginning of the year.
She straightened her chest; she wasn't afraid of Ni Jingxi.
Wen Tang had already heard about this forum and always felt it was hers for the taking; now she was just waiting for Xue Yujie to announce it.
Everyone was discussing it when Xue Yujie casually said, "I think this is a rare opportunity. Many of the veterans in the group have been there before, so let Jingxi lead the way this time."
This interview team is also carefully organized, because it includes a Q&A session with the reporters, so the reporter who asks the questions is the one in the lead.
Generally speaking, this is something that Wen Tang would do.
So much so that when people hear the name Ni Jingxi, they don't know whether they should go see Ni Jingxi first or Wen Tang.
Someone nearby said, "Team leader, I don't have any objections, it's just that Xiao Ni just started reporting for duty today. She's a newcomer to the newspaper, and it's really inappropriate to assign her to such a big event."
It's unclear for whom this outcry is being voiced.
Xue Yujie anticipated that someone would disagree, and said calmly, "A newcomer? While she was conducting interviews on the battlefield, you were all sitting in your offices. Were you worried she wouldn't be able to hold the recording pen properly?"
His words silenced everyone.
In the end, it was Xue Yujie who made the final decision and Ni Jingxi was chosen.
As for the other few people, they also selected a few others to form an interview team with her.
As the meeting adjourned, Ni Jingxi walked at the very back, and Xue Yujie said with a smile, "Are you wondering why I sent you?"
Ni Jingxi looked at him.
It wasn't until Xue Yujie said, "I heard that the CEO of Hengya Group will also be attending the forum. If our company can do an exclusive interview with him, wouldn't that be the best chance to get the first-hand news?"
Ni Jingxi then realized that Xue Yujie truly embodied the meaning of "shameless".
"What if I don't want to?" Ni Jingxi asked calmly.
“Sometimes having connections isn’t shameful, as long as you have a good interview.” Xue Yujie wasn’t angry; instead, he stopped walking.
He looked at Ni Jingxi with a smile and said, "If Huo Shenyan were my husband, I'd be in love."
Chapter 70
For the first time, Ni Jingxi felt a little defeated. After Xue Yujie left with a smile, she turned around and prepared to go to her desk.
Unexpectedly, Wen Tang was waiting for her halfway there.
Wen Tang took a deep breath, forced a smile, and greeted Jing Xi.
When she saw Ni Jingxi again this time, her feelings were extremely complicated. Of course, it was impossible for her to like her, but she was no longer the Team Leader Wen who used to dominate Ni Jingxi.