Before Ma HuiYu returned from her phone call, I saw a white van park outside the restaurant and two people got off.
The one in the front was a ugly looking reporter-like person holding a microphone. The one in the back was an expressionless cameraman who was carrying a camera on his shoulder like it was an anti-tank missile.
Damn, isn’t that Zhao Yao, the special correspondent for Dong Shan News? Why is he here, is he the only reporter in Dong Shan city?!
“Xiao Wang, Xiao Wang, hurry up.” Zhao Yao pushed open the glass door to the restaurant while beckoning the cameraman.
“We were only able to come before the others because of my sharp senses, we have to publish this news first.”
Officer Ma furrowed his brows when he saw the reporter and the camera: the police chief told him not to alert the media, but in the end the media still caught a whiff of the situation and came.
The civil police, Xiao Zhang, who was standing up and recording evidence was very eye-catching. Zhao Yao immediately came to our table, pointed the microphone to Xiao Zhang, then asked:
“May I ask if everyone here is related to the stop the cars to save the dogs incident? Officer, you’re currently taking care of the problem, right?”
Xiao Zhang didn’t have much experience dealing with the media and said: “The chief said it’s not called taking care of the problem, it’s simply called mediating. Also, Officer Ma is the main mediator, I’m simply here to record evidence.”
“Alright officer, thanks for your hard work.” Zhao Yao patted Xiao Zhang’s shoulder. Zhao Yao’s feigned affectionate gesture really made Xiao Zhang very uncomfortable.
Zhao Yao looked around and quickly locked onto Officer Ma, who was dressed in civilian clothes. He was the only one who looked like a police officer out of the 6 seated people.
“Officer Ma.” Zhao Yao pointed the mic to him, “I’m a special correspondent from Dong Shan News. I came here specifically to do an interview about the stop the cars to save the dogs incident. Can I ask what you think about the actions of the volunteers as a police officer?”
Officer Ma was in a bad mood due to a lack of sleep, plus he met the media when he didn’t want to, so he said: “They’re bored…”
“What?” The rich woman across from him couldn’t hold it in, “We’re preventing evil people from taking lives, but you’re saying we’re bored when you’re a police officer? Do you even have a conscience?”
Zhao Yao immediately switched the focus to the rich woman: “Let me ask this volunteer. What’s your perspective on how the police ignores the fact that these pet dogs are being killed?”
Officer Ma slapped his hand on the table: “Those are pet dogs! Those are legally raised, legally transported, and soon to be legally butchered meat dogs.”
The rich woman said angrily: “Butchering is never legal, you’re a police officer that’s devoid of all humanity. I heard the narcotics division often uses police dogs to search for drugs, those police dogs are probably all German Shepherds. Dogs are your colleagues, but you can sit by and watch your colleagues get killed without even batting an eye, how merciless…”
“I completely agree with your opinion.” Zhao Yao nodded at the rich woman, then immediately poked the mic right in front of Officer Ma’s nose, “When the German Shepherds police dogs retire, do you turn them into dog meat hot pot and eat them?”
“Who would eat police dogs?” Officer Ma wasn’t calm anymore either, and explained: “Although I’ve never been a police dog trainer nor the handler in our squad, but we still develop feelings when working together. Police dogs are treated well after retirement and can even be adopted by qualified civilians, but of course the trainers have priority since police dogs are the most intimate with their owners…”
“Narrow-minded.” The rich woman commented, “You don’t eat police dogs, yet you can sit back and watch other dogs being eaten. What’s the saying, oh right, you’re a narrow-minded nationalist.”
“Pfft.” I couldn’t hold it in and laughed, it’s kind of weird to refer to dogs as a different group of people or a nationality.
“Officer Ma, may I ask what’s your nationality?” Zhao Yao quickly asked.
“My ID says Han… huh, is there any point asking me for my nationality?”
“There is a point. Since you’re a narrow-minded nationalist, then you would belong to the rumored Han Nationalism group. Do you only care about Han superiority and suppressing other ethnic minority groups like me?”
“When did I even suppress you and how are you an ethnic minority?”
“My mom is Manchu, so I would be considered an ethnic minority. I’m representing the 55 ethnic minority groups excluding Han and asked: When did you form your narrow-minded Han nationalism group?”
“You fu….” Officer Ma wanted to swear at him, but he held back since there was a camera pointed at him.
“Huh, aren’t you going a little off-topic?” The rich woman, who has never seen a reporter like Zhao Yao, raised a brow, “Aren’t you here to interview about the stop the cars to save the dogs incident?”
“That’s right.” Zhao Yao shifted the topic back, “Officer Ma, as a Han nationalist, do you think the Pekingese that was bred by the Han are the world’s best dogs?”
“The Pekingese was bred by Empress Dowager Cixi and she was Manchu like you.”
“A kind reminder, I’m only half Manchu, the other half is from my Han father. I can represent the 55 ethnic minorities excluding Han and I can also represent Han, so it’s incorrect for you to call me Manchu.”
What the hell, why not just say you represent all 56 ethnic groups?
“I’m sorry, Pekingese wasn’t bred by Empress Dowager Cixi.” The class leader couldn’t help but interrupt, “It’s a misbelief, but Pekingese has been the dedicated dog of the imperial court since the first emperor. When the Tang dynasty emperor died, they even buried the dog with him…”
“Wow, Shu Sha, you know so much.” The rich woman praised her joyfully, “As expected of a dog lover, I like you more and more now.”
The Zeng brothers rarely spoke since the reporter arrived. It was because reporters typically often favor the volunteers and attack the dog dealers. Zeng Lao Liu only added in a ‘we do legal business’ when Officer Ma police said “legally raised, legally transported”, but it was covered up by the rich woman’s words.
“What, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty was buried with a Pekingese?” The half-drunk Zeng Lao Da that was sprawled on top of the table drunkenly lifted his head, “That’s not fit for an emperor, should have at least used a Tibetan Mastiff.”
After Zhao Yao heard the class leader speak, he immediately told the cameraman to point the camera at the class leader. At the same time, he bowed down 90 degrees and did his best to extend the mic beside the class leader.
“It looks like you’re a student. What’s your perspective on the rich raising Tibetan Mastiffs which often leads to attacks?”
The class leader quickly blinked her eyes and doubted if he was an actual reporter. The rich woman also said: “What, why do you keep jumping from topic to topic…?”
Zhao Yao awkwardly cleared his throat and asked the class leader again: “Then let’s leave the matter of the Tibetan Mastiffs aside for now… may I ask if you’re the prettiest girl in your school?”
“N-, no.” The class leader blushed and never expected she would have been asked that.
I thought it was rare for Zhao Yao to actually say something true once in a while. In 10 more days, school will start up again and the third years will have already graduated, which means the previous prettiest girl in school has also graduated. If everyone gets bored and decides to select a new prettiest girl for our school, then there’s a good chance the class leader would get selected. At least I would vote for her, but the class leader wouldn’t want to be associated with that nickname.
“I don’t believe it.” Zhao Yao said, “If you aren’t the prettiest girl in your school, then that would mean you go to a film school that specifically trains actors.”
“That’s right, she is the prettiest girl in our school.” I thought it was fine to admit it since we couldn’t really talk with Zhao Yao properly. After a few days, I bet the class leader will be selected as the new prettiest girl in school.
“You…” The class leader got mad at me, but she couldn’t do anything to me because we were in front of a camera and I was also a patient.
Zhao Yao came to a realization and looked at me, “So you must be her classmate. Did you come here to protect the prettiest girl in your school?”
Zhao Yao has met me before at the special education school’s hospital, but we never spoke so he probably doesn’t really remember me.
“Pretty much.” I replied and then the class leader’s face turned even redder.
I looked down and saw my sunglasses hanging on the collar of my T-shirt. I was startled because I remembered that the reason why I wore sunglasses was because I was worried about appearing on TV and being recognized by viewers of Bloody Battle of Jin Ling.
I quickly put on my sunglasses and said: “You will put a mosaic on the face of interviewees when you guys put it on the air, right? You should at least put a mosaic for me and the prettiest girl in school to protect minors.”
Zhao Yao nodded, “We do need to add mosaic according to regulation. It’s a shame we have to put a mosaic over the prettiest girl in school’s face, but as for you, I think I would have put a mosaic over your face even if you didn’t ask…”
What the hell do you mean? Are you trying to say my face will scare kids if it suddenly appears on TV?
Zhao Yao didn’t really say anything when I put on my sunglasses. Maybe he thought since I covered up my face myself, it would save them from doing a lot of editing.
“By the way.” I said after I put on the sunglasses, “It’s fine if you do interviews, but don’t make irresponsible statements. Also, don’t reveal our names since we aren’t doing this to be on TV, much less to be famous.”
Although I didn’t mention that my name was Ye Lin, but the class leader had just been called her real name by the rich woman. Zhao Yao, who had sharp ears, must have heard it.
“Okay, I swear on my integrity that I will absolutely protect the privacy of minors.” Zhao Yao signaled the cameraman to keep filming, then turned the microphone toward the class leader and said with enthusiasm.
“Let me ask the student who doesn’t want to reveal her name, Shu Sha, did you come today to participate to save the dogs to show everyone that you have both inner and outer beauty?”
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