Chapter 179: Why care at all – be it winter, summer, spring or fall!
“Help Zhang Ye find a job”.
Some people sincerely wanted to help, while others were just joining in for the fun. Of course, there were also the troublemakers. Everyone showed their way of getting enjoyment.
“I have an export business, requesting for Teacher Zhang Ye to join.”
“I am from a machine fabrication factory, requesting for Teacher Zhang to join.”
“I am from the textile factory’s sewing department, requesting for Teacher Zhang Ye to join.”
“I am from Da Hui Nightclub, offering a high salary for Teacher Zhang Ye to join us!”
Not a single television station wanted Zhang Ye, yet a mix of all sorts of companies offered Zhang Ye an olive branch in response to the call of “Help Zhang Ye find a job”.
“Pfft!”
“You guys stop messing around! Really, stop!”
“Why would Teacher Zhang go to the nightclub for! So he can recite poems to attract customers?”
“Textile factory’s sewing department? Do you all think that Teacher Zhang would have such a technical skill!”
By afternoon, this Weibo had became a farce before discussions gradually ended. Those who had joined in for fun or to mess around might have felt bad about making fun of Zhang Ye. It was related to Father Wei’s incident and Father Wei had only just been cremated, so they said no more after a few comments. Those who really wanted to help Zhang Ye were unable to help much. They had pretty much sent in Zhang Ye’s resume to all the television stations in the country, but only two replied. They had explained that while they acknowledge Zhang Ye’s character, they had to turn him down. The other television stations did not even reply at all.
Even though Zhang Ye was only infamous in Beijing, as the trouble he had caused was only within the territory and many people from other places did not even know about him, they were all still in the television circle. If they did not know about him, did that mean that they didn’t have friends who knew about him? With just a phone call, everything would be known!
……
Inside the office.
Xiao Lu strained her neck as she looked towards Zhang Ye, “Teacher Zhang, what are your future plans? Are you still planning on working in TV? Or are you returning to the radio stations?”
Zhang Ye replied with a question, “Can I return to a radio station?”
Xiao Lu replied, “Unanswerable.”
Zhang Ye asked another question, “Are there any television stations that dare to want me?”
Xiao Lu coughed and said once again, “…Unanswerable.”
Hou Ge and Dafei were also feeling extremely helpless. They knew that this was not an “unanswerable” question. It was just a polite way of saying impossible.
Zhang Ye threw his hands up, “That’s why. It’s not what I have planned for the future, but that I can’t make any plans at all. I may have something in mind, but that something does not have me in mind. I can only take it as it comes. It has been a few months since I graduated. Although it hasn’t been that long, too many things have happened. You all know that.” Seeing Xiao Lu and Dafei nodding and feeling the same, Zhang Ye said, “I’m really tired, so I could do with a short rest.”
Hu Fei looked at him, “Is there anything that I can help you with?”
Zhang Ye said, “Thanks, Brother Hu. It’s fine. I will take it one step at a time.” He knew that he had created too much trouble. Even though Hu Fei’s network was wide, there was nothing that he could do. The level of trouble that Zhang Ye had created was not something that networks could help with!
Hu Fei probably understood. He sighed and did not say another word.
Outside the door, a person from HR arrived. As he came in, he politely greeted Hu Fei, then looked over at Zhang Ye and told him that the paperwork for his departure was done and needed his signature.
Zhang Ye nodded and followed him.
After 20 minutes, Zhang Ye came back. At this moment, he was no longer a part of Beijing Television Station. He packed his stuff into a box with a relaxed mood. Then, he looked up and around the office where he had spent the past month battling for himself. He narrowed his eyes and carried his box and walked out of the office without any worries or regrets.
When he was outside, the corridor was crowded with people! It was packed with dozens of people!
Zhang Ye was shocked for a bit. When he had just come back, he was wondering where Hu Fei, Xiao Lu and the others had gone to since the office was empty. In the end, they were all at the corridor. Everyone stood there, it was not only limited to Hu Fei and his team colleagues. There were also the other program team staff members from the Arts Channel, some of whom he knew and some that he didn’t. All in all, everyone stood on both sides of the corridor.
Zhang Ye laughed, “I’m leaving. Everyone, take care.”
After a few seconds of silence, Hu Fei raised his hands and started clapping!
This was followed by Xiao Lu, then Dafei, Hou Ge and Hou Di. Following their lead, all the other colleagues started applauding thunderously for Zhang Ye!
Bba Bba Bba!
The applause could be heard all over the television station’s building!
“Teacher Zhang, take care!”
“You are the best! We can’t compare to you!”
“It’s all thanks to you stepping forward for Uncle Wei’s matter!”
“Sorry for saying all those bad things about you!”
“Take care. Although the television station has fired you, justice is still in everyone’s hearts!”
“That’s right; justice is in everyone’s hearts! We all know about the matter, and we know about your sacrifice!”
Zhang Ye’s actions on the matter of Uncle Wei had shocked everyone. No one had thought of Zhang Ye using such a method to perish together with Wang Shuixin. After the matter, although Zhang Ye had lost his job and had been blacklisted by many media entities, these past colleagues of Uncle Wei all felt respect for Zhang Ye! He was willing to go so far for a person who he was not related to by blood. At least, this was not something they could do!
The applause lasted for a very long while!
Zhang Ye also said to everyone, “Thank you. Thank you, everyone.” With so many people sending him off, with some of them not having had any contact with him before, he was also very pleased.
Hu Fei said, “Come back and visit us anytime.”
Hou Ge was so agitated that he went up and gave Zhang Ye a bear hug, “Teacher Zhang, although our time together was short, I still can’t bear for you to go. Let’s keep in contact. We can have drinks together next time!”
Xiao Lu was even sadder as her tears kept rolling down her face.
Dafei also gave Zhang Ye a bear hug, “If there’s any matter, tell me. My phone is switched on 24 hours a day.”
Zhang Ye gave his regards to them one by one, thanking them, “Even if I don’t work here anymore, that doesn’t mean that we’re not going to see each other anymore. When we have time, we can still go out for meals and drinks. Thank you for sending me off. You all should return back now. Don’t delay your work because of me. Otherwise, I will be even more guilty.”
Suddenly, the elevator door opened.
A few people who did not seem to be from the television station squeezed out.
“Is Zhang Ye here? Can we interview Teacher Zhang?”
“Sorry for bothering you. I’m a reporter from the Beijing Times.”
“Teacher Zhang, I’m from Entertainment Daily. Apparently, netizens are feeling sympathy over the things that had happened to you and have spontaneously posted your resume on Weibo to help you look for a job. However, no television media has accepted you. May I know your thoughts on this? Are you giving up being a television host or lecturer in the future?”
“Teacher Zhang, you are leaving today. Do you have any thoughts on Beijing Television Station’s decision? Can you tell us?”
They were reporters!
The five to six reporters barraged him with questions.
A few of the television station staff frowned, “Who let you up here? Have you obtained the approval for an interview?” Although they were in the same line, it was still not the same. They were from different systems. Television programs and newspaper media were quite different.
The reporters ignored them, “Teacher Zhang, do you have any last words before leaving?”
Another reporter took the opportunity to ask, “You have only entered the television station for a month before being fired. Do you really not have any thoughts?”
Zhang Ye gave them a fleeting glance and laughed. He then recited a poem that, as usual, didn’t exist in this world. It was written by Lu Xun of his world, and its title was “Self-mockery”!
As he recited, he walked forward.
“Before I had even dared to rise up, my head was already struck.”
“A worn-out hat to cover my face, I cross the busy marketplace. In a leaky boat loaded with wine – ‘mid torrent float as though supine.”
“Eyes askance, I cast a cold glance at the thousand pointing fingers. Head bowed, I gladly agree, an ox for children, to be.”
“Inside a small house hidden away, I seek a unified life to obey…” Upon saying this, Zhang Ye had carried his things into the elevator. Before the elevator doors closed, the final verse of his poem was read out, “Of the outside world, why care at all – be it winter, summer, spring or fall!”
The elevator went down!
Zhang Ye was also gone!
This poem was not as easily understandable as the modern poems that Zhang Ye had previously recited. Many people did not understand on the first listen, but this did not mean that the poem was obscure. After some thinking, everyone understood it!
This poem was describing Zhang Ye’s feelings at the moment!
Before I had even dared to rise up? Bad luck had risen up, so what good things could he wish for?
My head was already struck? He lied in bed, not even daring to turn his body, but his head was still struck.
Even on the streets, he had to cover his face with a worn-out hat, afraid of others seeing him, so as not to cause trouble for himself. He was like sitting in a leaky boat, going in circles in the middle of a river, with the risk of drowning. Against the denunciations, swearing and cursing of enemies, I choose to face them coldly. I’ll do as I wish. Against the masses, I don’t mind being an ox, letting them lead me in any way.
Wasn’t this all describing Zhang Ye himself?
Weren’t these things describing what had happened to Teacher Zhang Ye over the past few days?
What a good ‘cast a cold glance at the thousand pointing fingers’!
What a good ‘I gladly agree, an ox for children, to be’!
Many people questioned Zhang Ye’s bad temper, messing up a live broadcast, regardless of the consequences and him not considering the bigger picture. He also often stirred up trouble, but what was Teacher Zhang Ye’s attitude? Casting a cold glance at the thousand pointing fingers was such a perfect description! He was such a person! He did not care about the evaluation of others! For a terminally ill fan, for a deceased colleague that was in no way related to him, he was willing to bow his head and be an ox to do anything!
What sort of integrity was this?
This poem had thoroughly demonstrated it!
Especially with the last line before Zhang Ye stepped into the elevator. You scold me? Question me? Fire me? Great, inside a small house hidden away, I seek a unified life to obey! Why f**king care at all – be it winter, summer, spring or fall!
“Good poem!”
“This was clearly created on the spot, right?”
“It definitely was, or it could not be so appropriate!”
“Just a casual poem from Teacher Zhang’s mouth is so awesome?”
The reporters’ eyes lit up and hurriedly recorded the poem. Their manuscript for the day was settled. And needless to say, this poem would definitely go viral. Actually, that was a load of rubbish. Be it modern or ancient poems, none of Zhang Ye’s poems had less than a million clicks on the internet! This was something that had been tested by the markets and by time!
It was unexpected!
It was really unexpected!
Teacher Zhang Ye was really Teacher Zhang Ye. Even before he left, he would still shock the masses!