“Who would truly be content with mediocrity?”
Wen Ying did not shy away from discussing her career ambitions. “I believe everyone has some vision for their own life. Talent, effort, and opportunity allow some people to realise their visions. The achievements they attain make them stand out from the crowd. As for others who, for various reasons, have not yet realised their visions, does that mean they are content with mediocrity? I do not think so. Everyone is waiting for that chance to soar!”
The host looked at Wen Ying earnestly for a moment, then said lightly, “We are just chatting casually. Nothing we say now will be included in the interview, so you do not need to be so tense.”
The host was trying to gauge Wen Ying’s true personality through the informal conversation.
A skilled talk-show host can gradually lower a guest’s guard through continuous questioning, leading them to open up. Following the host’s deliberate guidance, guests often voluntarily discuss more private topics on air, such as their personal emotional state, genuine views on social issues, evaluations of other public figures, or even previously undisclosed childhood experiences or traumas.
Wen Ying was young, so the host was not particularly interested in her romantic life. What the host really wanted to explore was Wen Ying’s true thoughts during the several public controversies she had faced since becoming famous.
Not polished, standard answers, but real personal emotions and opinions.
The host was very experienced at this, yet unexpectedly, Wen Ying, despite her youth, remained so guarded. She showed no relaxation even in off-camera casual chat.
It was said that artists from Tianjiao were all like this when dealing with media!
Yun Chen and Zhang Yangning took a cautious approach. If they did not want to say something, no journalist or host could pry it out of them. Li Mengjiao seemed loud and bold, answering any question, but reviewing her interviews afterwards, her daring statements never increased public backlash. It was a strange talent.
These three were celebrities, so the host could understand them receiving professional training. But Wen Ying was just a writer. For Tianjiao to train her this way… no wonder Tianjiao had risen so quickly!
The host did not give up. In the subsequent chat, she probed Wen Ying multiple times, intending to pry open her heart.
Yet Wen Ying, this old cucumber brushed with fresh paint, had a mind steady as a rock. No matter how the host probed, the conversation rhythm never left Wen Ying’s control.
By the end, the host even felt a little confused.
Tianjiao was only an entertainment company, not some concentration camp. How could they train a young girl to be so watertight?
Hold on. Was it possible that it was not the girl being watertight, but that in the chat, she was not using any professional media responses at all? Every word she said came straight from her heart?!
The host thought for a long time but could not believe someone of Wen Ying’s age could withstand her interviewing techniques. She could only attribute every word to “childlike sincerity”.
“Little Fish, I really like your personality. I hope you can always keep your true heart unchanged.”
At the end of the chat, the host stood up and gave Wen Ying a smile that was not entirely professional.
“I will!”
Wen Ying knew she had passed the host’s test and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Yuan Fenghui walked over from the side. “How did the chat go?”
“I barely passed the test. This host truly deserves to be one of the top talk-show hosts. She is really too strong!”
Wen Ying was not merely flattering. The host was genuinely formidable. Wen Ying had nearly been led off rhythm several times, but fortunately she noticed and subtly brought it back on track.
Wen Ying felt her victory was narrow because her young, tender face was too deceptive. The host never imagined that a university freshman like Wen Ying could be so slippery!
Whether it was the earlier casual chat or the upcoming recording, it was a contest between experts.
The host saw Wen Ying as a fish in the water, wanting to hook her real emotions and expose her most authentic thoughts.
In Wen Ying and Yuan Fenghui’s view, the host and the entire programme were no less than a big fish themselves.
Of course, who was the fish and who the angler would not be clear until the recording was complete!
“Enough. You have stayed in your comfort zone for too long. It is time to interact with people at this level. Not only interact, but handle it with ease.”
Yuan Fenghui carefully adjusted Wen Ying’s collar.
Li Mengjiao was the “superstar” Yuan Fenghui wanted to build.
Yuan Fenghui had not changed this goal, so she would rather let Li Mengjiao remain idle than take unsuitable projects.
But who said there could only be one “superstar”?
And no one stipulated that a “superstar” could not be a writer.
Li Mengjiao could dominate the public’s sight and hearing, driving fans wild.
Wen Ying’s works and every public appearance could influence fans’ spiritual world. This influence might lack the immediate impact of visual or auditory stimulation, but it was deeper and more enduring.
Both Li Mengjiao and Wen Ying could become symbols of the era!
The “high-level figures” Yuan Fenghui referred to were not business tycoons, but renowned hosts, superstar singers and actors, international directors, literary giants, top musicians, painters, leading scientists, and so on. Yuan Fenghui believed Wen Ying should interact with such people!
“You are not just going to be a bestselling author.”
Yuan Fenghui described the vision softly. “Your name should influence at least one or two generations.”
Influence one or two generations?
Even selling ten bestselling novels and establishing ten literary funds might not achieve that.
She would need to become a literary master.
Considering Yuan Fenghui said “at least” one or two generations, with no upper limit on “most”, being a literary master in China alone would not suffice. It would have to be on a world level!
Wen Ying’s neck stiffened.
Teacher Yuan was truly impressive, voicing such grand ambitions in such a gentle tone!
“What, no confidence?”
Yuan Fenghui tried provocation. Wen Ying gave a dry laugh. “I refuse to be ordinary, but you want me to achieve the extraordinary!”
Yuan Fenghui poked Wen Ying’s forehead with a finger. “Look at you, so lacking in ambition. Go record now. There is something I wanted to tell you, but never mind. You will know soon.”
Wen Ying was curious, but Yuan Fenghui was keeping her in suspense. Wen Ying could only start the recording first.
At the beginning, the host followed the outline, using a warm conversational style to summarise Wen Ying’s rise to fame. From participating in the “New Concept Essay Competition” to serialising short stories in magazines, then long novels, and the publication of her first full-length book, “Teen Idol”.
Wen Ying felt her path to fame had been quite smooth, but in the host’s mouth, it sounded particularly arduous.
The host began to stir emotions, and Wen Ying could only cooperate wholeheartedly!
The host found Wen Ying’s plagiarism ordeal especially tragic.
Wen Ying: Actually, it was fine. She won the lawsuit, the plagiarist paid compensation, and she even managed to trip up Manager Guan along the way.
Thinking this inwardly, Wen Ying was still moved by the host’s emotion.
The hardship Wen Ying perceived was different from what the host assumed. For Wen Ying, the greatest difficulty behind her rise was “changing fate”.
Saving her aunt’s marriage.
Improving relations with her parents.
Averting Xie Qian’s tragic destiny.
Step by step, it had truly been far from easy!
The host sensed Wen Ying’s emotional shift and felt the timing was right. Finally, she addressed the controversies Wen Ying had faced.
“Why did you decide to establish a literary fund? Was it to counter the negative controversies surrounding you?”
“That was one reason, but not the main one. This might sound a bit self-elevating, but I genuinely want to do something for everyone within my ability. When a person receives too much praise, no matter what kind of person she was before, she wants to do something to live up to the public’s praise and the readers’ affection. It is a sense of social mission, and also a form of self-moral constraint.”
Wen Ying spoke eloquently to the camera, seemingly unprepared for any tricky questions.
The host nodded with a smile. “I understand why so many readers like you. Besides your creative talent, you are very authentic. Calling your sense of social mission ‘self-moral constraint’ is an interesting and sincere way to put it. As far as I know, besides establishing the ‘Dream Building Fund’, you also acted as a champion of justice in the recent highly publicised ‘Slann rights protection incident’. Without you reposting on your blog to support the affected consumers, and without your bet with the sister of Slann’s boss, the product issues would not have been resolved so quickly. This was also a manifestation of your sense of social mission, right?”
Wen Ying nodded. “Yes.”
The host’s expression suddenly grew serious. “But I received an anonymous tip. Someone says you stepped forward to support the victims who used Slann products only for personal grudge and benefit. Is this true?”
Off to the side, the producer watching the recording made a gesture. The director pushed the camera closer.
When this segment aired, Wen Ying’s face would occupy the centre of the television screen. Every subtle expression would be magnified by the lens.
Lying or feeling guilty would be easy to spot!
This was the “black material” most easily used against Wen Ying since her debut.
Rather than waiting for enemies to strike at the right moment, Wen Ying decided to expose it herself. Yuan Fenghui also approved this approach.
The so-called “anonymous tip” the host mentioned had actually been provided to the production team by Yuan Fenghui.
For the sake of impact, the team was happy to include such an explosive question in the recording.
Of course, the team knew Yuan Fenghui was no fool and would not deliberately harm Wen Ying. This was likely to use the interview to clear potential issues for Wen Ying while gaining her some extra attention.
It was a typical entertainment industry PR tactic.
Yuan Fenghui was renowned in the industry for favouring bold moves in hype!
If Wen Ying truly had no guilt, such tactics would not be needed.
Yuan Fenghui wanted to use the interview to whitewash Wen Ying. The team stood to lose nothing. If the operation went slightly wrong, it would be Wen Ying’s public image that suffered!
The camera zoomed in.
Surprise was unmistakable on Wen Ying’s face.
“This is not…”
The host even felt a little sympathy for Wen Ying. She was actually unaware?
It seemed the agent Yuan Fenghui had acted unilaterally to create programme impact, keeping it from Wen Ying.
Poor girl. She still did not know how treacherous society could be. She had been stabbed in the back by her own agent.
Sympathy aside, the host had her job to do. “You want to say this question was not in the outline, right? I am sorry. This is information we just received. If it makes you uncomfortable, you can choose not to answer. We will edit this segment out later.”
