Chapter Ten: A Hundred Boats Competing

"Wait! Hold on a moment!" Jiang Heshun came running, panting heavily. "Director Lai, please wait, I think there must be some misunderstanding here."

Lai Yibai made no effort to feign ignorance; she simply raised the employee handover documents in her hand and declared with unwavering certainty, "Director Jiang, it’s all written clearly here in black and white. Would you prefer to read it yourself, or shall I read it for you?"

Jiang Heshun was momentarily at a loss for words. He bypassed Lai Yibai and turned to Liao Yuan, assuming a gentle and affable expression. "Xiao Liao, why don’t you come back and continue as the midnight anchor for our Program Division Two? 'Strange Tales of the Human World' won’t be canceled, and you’ll still be the lead host of that show—I can promise you that right here and now."

Liao Yuan remained silent, like a mediator—eyes lowered, calm and collected, unruffled by the storm around him.

Seeing this, Lai Yibai felt a sense of relief. She sneered coldly at Jiang Heshun, "What’s the use of saying all this now? Liao Yuan is now a member of our Online Division. I’ve already approved two days off for him. In a couple of days, he’ll report to our department…"

Jiang Heshun’s frown deepened with every word, until at last he interrupted, "I absolutely cannot allow this! Director Lai, you know very well our station has always opposed factional strife, don’t you? What you’re doing is undermining Program Division Two! I will report this to the station manager, just as it happened!"

Lai Yibai was unmoved. She gave a cold snort, turned, and patted Liao Yuan’s arm with warmth. "Go ahead, you take your leave first. I’ll handle things here. Remember to report to work on time in two days."

Liao Yuan nodded. "Thank you, Director Lai, for the opportunity."

"No need for thanks—we’re all on the same team." Lai Yibai, with the air of a talent scout who had discovered a rare steed, beamed with satisfaction. "Don’t worry; with a fine horse like you in my care, I’ll see to it you thrive! I can promise you that. Unlike some people who only offer empty words and false promises…"

"Shut up! Hey, Xiao Liao, wait a second." Jiang Heshun stopped Liao Yuan, speaking earnestly and persuasively. "Xiao Liao, this was my fault—only my fault. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions without investigating first. You are, without a doubt, outstanding. In fact, you’re better than most… All right, I know you’re upset. I’ll take responsibility for everything. Come back to Division Two, and if you have any requests, just tell me. Anything I can agree to, I will. Whatever the other anchors have, I guarantee you’ll have as well, not a thing less."

By now, many people from the HR department had gathered, curiosity piqued, including General Manager Yu Shuwen. Watching the scene unfold, they were all a bit taken aback.

Liao Yuan looked quietly at Jiang Heshun. "Have you finished?"

"N-no, I haven’t finished." Jiang Heshun met Liao Yuan’s unruffled gaze, his heart skipping a beat. "Didn’t you always want a raise? I’ll give it to you, and I guarantee it’ll satisfy you!"

Liao Yuan showed no reaction, simply gazing at Jiang Heshun with clear, bright eyes.

Jiang Heshun felt a dull ache in his head and found he couldn’t even look at Liao Yuan directly. He lowered his head, wearing a pained expression. "At the very least, could you leave us the next installments of 'Ghost Blows Out the Light'? I can handle your departure, but if the listeners start causing trouble, I won’t be able to withstand it."

Lai Yibai interjected, "There’s no need to worry about that. In the next couple of days, I’ll have someone post an announcement on the official Weibo, explaining the situation. You can also put out a statement on your own frequency’s official Weibo, saying that Liao Yuan will continue narrating 'Ghost Blows Out the Light' on the station’s online channel."

Jiang Heshun neither confirmed nor denied. He looked at Liao Yuan, his eyes complex. "So there’s really no chance?"

"I asked you before to give me a chance," Liao Yuan replied earnestly. "But you didn’t."

Lai Yibai couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter, muttering, "Poetic justice!"

Jiang Heshun’s mind went blank for a moment before he finally nodded. "Very well, Xiao Liao. I’ve always prided myself on my judgment of people, but you’re the exception. Life is long—take care of yourself on your path."

Liao Yuan remained unmoved by Jiang Heshun’s bitter expression. He picked up his storage box, bid farewell to Lai Yibai, and turned to leave.

Whether it was Program Division Two, the Online Division, or the entire Donghai Broadcasting Station, to Liao Yuan, these were nothing more than waystations, temporary places to rest and not his final destination.

He was like a traveler, viewing the world with the detachment of an outsider. In such a state, his actions and dealings were as calm as still water, not a ripple of emotion stirred within him.

Even though this world was vastly different from his past two lives.

But the path to success, wherever it may be, always leaves traces to follow.

After leaving the company, Liao Yuan returned home, lay back on his bed, and fell asleep.

Last night’s meditation had drained much of his energy, and after spending the night penning new chapters of "Ghost Blows Out the Light," his brain cells had been depleted. The half-day of activity at the company had left him feeling muddled, as if he were dreaming.

So, after resolving his work affairs, he requested two days off—ostensibly to prepare his broadcast script.

Lai Yibai was only too happy to agree.

She had just searched for "Ghost Blows Out the Light" again and, watching its topic soar up the TOP100 trending list, felt overjoyed.

She’d found a treasure! An absolute treasure!

So, not to mention two days off—if Liao Yuan had asked for a week, she would have agreed without hesitation.

That night, Program Division Two’s midnight slot continued to air "Strange Tales of the Human World: Ghost Blows Out the Light." It was a recording Liao Yuan had prepared in advance, and it was the last installment to be broadcast.

The next morning, Jiang Heshun looked at the freshly released listener ratings for each program and was instantly rendered speechless.

Thanks to the boost from Weibo’s trending topics and hashtags, the frequency for Program Division Two saw a rapid rise in listenership after 11 p.m., reaching 0.74%.

By midnight, the listenership exploded to 1.31%!

And by 2 a.m., during the two hours "Strange Tales of the Human World: Ghost Blows Out the Light" was being broadcast, the midnight slot had reached a terrifying 1.74%!

What did 1.74% mean?

It was third place among all nine programs on the frequency.

It was only 0.37% behind the second-place show, "Gold Medal Mediator," at 2.11%!

A midnight program with listenership rivaling prime time…

It was simply unbelievable!

The newly arrived Mi Maodian was left utterly speechless.

"Is this some kind of trap for me?"

In the office of Program Division Two, the new anchor, Mi Maodian, stared in disbelief at the ratings report.

Many around him looked at him with sympathy.

Director Jiang Heshun sighed, "Comrade Maodian, strive to surpass your peers and push yourself further!"

To hell with you!

Mi Maodian almost burst out cursing. He was already regretting his decision to come to Donghai Broadcasting Station. Wouldn’t it have been better to stay at Baoshan Radio? Why did he have to seek thrills in this den of hidden dragons and crouching tigers…

That night, Mi Maodian sat nervously in Studio 3, recording the first story for his new program, "Late Night Tales."

In the depths of the night, all was silent.

But on Weibo, it was as if a bomb had gone off. When the eagerly anticipated "Strange Tales of the Human World" was suddenly replaced by "Late Night Tales," the comments under the hot hashtag #StrangeTalesOfTheHumanWorldGhostBlowsOutTheLight# came in a torrent, with new posts appearing every few seconds.

"Where’s Ghost Blows Out the Light? Where’s my Hu Bayi?"

"What’s this new ghost story? This sissy’s voice is unbearable—it’s nothing compared to Ah Yuan!"

"@DonghaiBroadcasting, why didn’t you air Ghost Blows Out the Light tonight?"

"Latest news: 'Strange Tales of the Human World' has been canceled due to poor ratings and replaced by 'Late Night Tales.' The new host is Mi Maodian, the king of midnight radio in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region!"

"To hell with your king—where’s our Ah Yuan?"

"Ah Yuan was dismissed due to poor performance…"

"What the hell, my Brother Yuan was fired? Are you kidding me?"

"@DonghaiBroadcasting, are your station executives blind? Don’t you know how popular #GhostBlowsOutTheLight# is?"

"My daughter wants to listen to Ghost Blows Out the Light—why isn’t it on? @DonghaiBroadcasting, please explain!"