Chapter 111: Another Salary Earned
Huaxia Daily and Inquiry News were currently the two most authoritative and widely circulated newspapers in the Huaxia Nation.
Put simply, Station Chief Liao dreamed of one day seeing articles from their little county radio station published in either of them.
Unfortunately, the useless staff under him had wasted piles of draft paper and still failed to get even a single piece published in the provincial newspapers—let alone the nationals!
And now Su He had just told him that two of her articles had entered final review!
Once an article reached final review, it was basically a done deal. Unless there were serious issues, it was guaranteed to be published.
Wouldn’t that instantly propel their An County radio station to national fame?
What an honor that would be!
Moreover, being selected by those two prestigious papers meant that Comrade Su He was undeniably qualified.
If he were to fire her now, wouldn’t that be openly challenging the authority of the nation’s top news outlets?
His career would be over!
So Su He must stay!
As for the person who had filed the complaint against her—since they didn’t say anything clearly, he would just play dumb!
Once the articles were published, that person wouldn’t dare speak up again anyway.
It never even crossed Chief Liao’s mind that Su He might be bluffing. In his eyes, she was just a naïve young girl with no exposure to the world—how could she have the guts to lie like that?
Besides, this kind of easily debunked lie would be self-sabotage.
What he didn’t know was that the person standing in front of him could lie as naturally as breathing—she wouldn’t even flinch.
Plus, Su He had a sort of mysterious self-confidence. She firmly believed her articles would be accepted.
Because before writing, she had carefully studied the editorial styles of both newspapers and tailored her submissions accordingly. She was almost certain she’d succeed.
Chief Liao gave a few awkward chuckles. “Little Su, no need for all that. Just now, I was only giving you a little warning, not really trying to withhold your credentials. Come on, take them.”
He handed her ID back, but Su He didn’t take it.
“Chief, I’m the kind of person who takes things seriously. Since someone reported me, I think it’s better to clear it up properly. Otherwise, if this gets brought up again in the future, I won’t be able to explain myself. So, it’s better you hold onto the ID for now.”
Chief Liao: “…”
True, she’d been unfairly targeted. She must be feeling upset—he’d need to coax her.
He smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Little Su. If anyone tries to use this against you later, I’ll vouch for you personally!”
He thought Su He would accept it then—but she still didn’t take it.
“Chief, Zhang Wenbiao said professional matters should be handled by professionals. He also said special correspondents are different from official journalists—after all, official journalists get paid, and I don’t get a single cent.
Money isn’t the point. But the way he said it, it felt like I was being looked down on. Treated as less than. So, I’d rather leave the ID with you for now. I need to cool off a bit.”
Chief Liao: “…”
He now wished he could sew Zhang Wenbiao’s mouth shut!
He used to think Zhang Wenbiao had some talent, like the tallest of the short. But ever since Su He arrived, he saw Zhang Wenbiao for what he really was—a mediocre blowhard.
And now that idiot had gone and brought up salary!
And now Su He was demanding a salary too—what was he supposed to do?
If he didn’t give her one, she might quit.
But if he did give her one—she wasn’t even officially employed! Where would the money come from?
After weighing it all, Chief Liao decided—he’d pay her. This girl was a treasure!
As for the money, the station had a little slush fund—more than enough to give her a modest wage.
After some “friendly negotiation” (i.e., haggling), they settled on a salary equivalent to a third-year apprentice: 21.84 yuan per month.
Su He immediately and cheerfully tucked her work ID back into her little shoulder bag. “Chief, you’re so busy—I’d better keep this ID myself!”
Chief Liao: “…”
Then Su He slapped her forehead. “Oh, right, Chief! I just remembered something.
I’m currently the student council president at the county night school. Principal Chen asked me to invite you to our performance report on the 20th.
All the county, commune, and factory leaders will be attending. You must come!”
Chief Liao: When did this girl sneak off to night school and become a big shot there too?!
“Chief, all the other organizations have donated supplies for the event. Principal Chen is planning a flower presentation ceremony—so it’d be awkward if our station didn’t donate anything!
I know times are tough for you, so how about this—just lend us a few speakers and microphones, okay?”
Chief Liao: “…”
“Chief, I’ll write up a report on the performance and you help me polish it up, then we submit it to Huaxia Daily. How about that?”
Chief Liao’s eyes lit up instantly.
He was an old fox—he knew what Su He meant!
She was offering to co-author the piece with him. If it actually got published, it’d be like his ancestors were blessing him from the grave!
He suddenly saw Su He in a new light.
Not only was she talented—she knew how to handle things!
He even thought the salary he gave her was too low. Coughing lightly, he said, “Little Su, since you’re on payroll now, you’re entitled to the same perks as the full-time reporters. We handed out a bag of Fortified Flour and a barrel of cooking oil for the Dragon Boat Festival—you can collect yours from logistics.”
Su He beamed. “Thank you, Chief! Shouldn’t you tell the logistics staff? Maybe you could walk over with me right now?”
Chief Liao was in such a good mood, he agreed right away.
He took Su He to the logistics office. “Add her to the roster. She gets the regular benefits now. And give her the Dragon Boat Festival package she missed.”
The logistics staff were stunned for a moment, but quickly agreed.
Then Chief Liao turned to Su He. “I’ll get those speakers and mics arranged ASAP—should be able to send them to the night school by tomorrow morning.”
Su He laid on the flattery, and Chief Liao couldn’t stop grinning.
He thought to himself, Thank goodness I didn’t fire her. From now on, whenever something involves Su He, he would need to think things through carefully.
Since Su He couldn’t carry the flour, she just took the oil for now.
Then she swaggered into the reporters’ office.
She said to Tian Xiaotao, “Xiaotao, why do you think our chief treats me so well? Not only is he giving me a salary, he insisted on giving me the holiday benefits too! I’m too small to carry the flour, so I just grabbed the oil.”
Tian Xiaotao: “…”
Su He then turned to Zhang Wenbiao. “Well? You wanted proof—now apologize!”
Zhang Wenbiao didn’t believe a word she said and ran to the chief’s office to confirm.
Then the entire office heard Chief Liao’s furious roar:
“Why don’t you focus on writing instead of gossiping like a fishwife?! Go write a 10,000-word self-criticism and hand it in!”
