34 Malone

The weather was growing increasingly sweltering, and the Olympic festivities were becoming ever more vibrant. As the various sporting events unfolded, the area surrounding the Bird's Nest stadium grew increasingly bustling, with tourists from all corners of the globe converging there.

"Duan Nanzhou, how are your interview preparations coming along?" asked a classmate, a top student who was also a good friend of hers.

"Almost finished. Once this round of interviews is wrapped up, I should have enough material," Duan Nanzhou replied, sounding satisfied as she looked over her notes.

The days of being dragged into covering table tennis were finally behind her, and she had returned to her primary beat. Little did she know she had caught someone's eye, having foolishly believed she could return to campus for a proper rest once this assignment concluded.

"That's great! But did you see Ma Long during your interviews? I adore him so much; I’d love to get his autograph."

Duan Nanzhou glanced at her friend, surprised that Ma Long had such a following before he had even reached the peak of his fame. She replied patiently, "No, I haven't. My interviews were focused on the core athletes. Perhaps Ma Long was elsewhere?"

"What a pity! This is the closest I've ever been to the national table tennis team. I don't know if I'll ever get another chance to get his autograph, boo-hoo..."

"Why don't you become a sports reporter? Then you'd be even closer," Duan Nanzhou teased, knowing her friend’s goal was to become an international journalist.

"Wow, Nanzhou! In that case, maybe I don't love him that much after all..." Her friend rolled her eyes, then asked, "Have you considered switching to the sports channel? Our professor said your table tennis coverage was more professional than that of many seasoned sports reporters. Plus, there are so many handsome guys playing table tennis! Don't you want to consider it?"

"I don't have any plans for that at the moment. I still want to transition into a behind-the-scenes role as soon as possible."

"What a waste of such a pretty face, Nanzhou!" Her friend grabbed her cheeks and playfully displayed them, marveling at her beauty.

"Alright, that's enough. You should go prepare for your own interviews!" Knowing her friend's personality, Duan Nanzhou nipped the conversation in the bud before it could spiral out of control.

Still, her friend’s suggestion had piqued a sliver of interest. She wondered if pursuing a path as a sports reporter might actually make it easier to transition to a behind-the-scenes role later on.

Soon, Duan Nanzhou wrapped up her Olympic coverage and returned to school to begin her senior year. Just as she was planning to lounge around for a few days before mapping out her post-graduation future, her dear Professor Li snagged her for another project.

"Nanzhou!" Professor Li’s greeting was full of warmth, yet it gave Duan Nanzhou a sense of foreboding. Sure enough: "I’ve found a great opportunity for you!"

"Professor, are there really any 'great' jobs out there?"

Stumped, Professor Li chose to ignore her pupil's remark and continued, "My old friend, the head of the sports channel, was very impressed with your professional capability. He wants to invite you to join them. What do you think?"

"I..." Before Duan Nanzhou could express her opinion, she was interrupted.

"I know what you're thinking, so I specifically brought it up with him. He said they value your talent and skill, and that the rest is trivial. They’re willing to sign a contract in black and white that you can transition to a behind-the-scenes role after three or four years!"

This was tempting. It wasn't just empty talk; a signed contract would make it official. Under her original plan, it would have taken at least five years to make such a transition. This seemed like a genuine opportunity.

"Well, Professor, I can't take all the benefits without giving something back. That wouldn't be fair, right? So, what are the conditions?"

"No real conditions. They truly value your genius. They just want to know if you can commit to following the national table tennis team for your interviews over the next few years." Even Professor Li hadn't expected this specific request, but after Nanzhou’s impressive performance, and given that table tennis was the national sport with rising commercial value, the request made sense.

"I'll think about it." Despite being tempted, Duan Nanzhou felt she needed time to deliberate, especially since this would mean returning to a field she had just left.

As for the orchestrators of this arrangement—Professor Li’s friend, Old Jiang, and a bit of help from Liu Guoliang—they simply smiled and kept their thoughts to themselves.

Ultimately, Duan Nanzhou accepted the offer. Guided by her professor, she signed the contract and officially began her career during her graduation season. She had pondered the decision extensively, particularly the prospect of returning to her old beat. While it lacked difficulty, she realized that analyzing table tennis from a reporter's perspective might yield unexpected insights.

However, she also considered the old acquaintances she might encounter. Though many were young and currently her age, the thought felt strange—especially the prospect of eventually meeting future boyfriends and friends who were over a decade younger than her. It was all quite surreal!

Thus, Duan Nanzhou became a temporary embedded reporter for the national table tennis team. Seeing the beaming smile on Liu Guoliang’s face, she felt certain he had a hand in this.

"Hello, Coach Liu!" Duan Nanzhou initiated the greeting this time.

"Ah, little Duan! Welcome, welcome! We're glad to have you with the national team!" The younger version of Liu Guoliang lacked the stern authority he would one day possess, replaced by a more affable demeanor.

"Coach Liu, when would it be convenient to conduct a major team interview?" As an intern, Duan Nanzhou had been handed a significant task: to conduct mini-interviews with both the first and second national teams to help the public get to know the players better and maintain interest in table tennis following the Olympic buzz.

"I'll arrange it. You’re truly a talent, little Duan. You have a profound understanding of table tennis!" Liu Guoliang had been present during her previous interviews and was deeply impressed by her professionalism.

"Thank you, I appreciate it, Coach Liu!"

...

"Long, did you hear? Apparently, the team is arranging a series of interviews?" Xu Xin, always the first to share gossip, sought out his brothers.

"Interviews? Isn't that routine? Why are you so surprised?" Ma Long couldn't grasp his friend's train of thought, and Zhang Jike, standing nearby, felt the same.

"I heard the reporter is a great beauty! I think Wang Hao and the others have already met her. Look at the young guys on the team—they're all acting restless!" Xu Xin grew more excited. "Long, why aren't you anxious? Look, Jike and I already have partners, but you don't. This is your chance!"

"Exactly, Long. Look at that handsome face of yours; you'd definitely win her over!" Zhang Jike, who had been daydreaming about his own girlfriend, chimed in. He hoped Ma Long would find someone so he would stop bothering them—they had serious dating to do, after all!

Xu Xin and Zhang Jike exchanged a look. They knew each other's plan: promote their brother to someone else so they could have their own space to date in peace.

"I have standards too, you know!" the proud Ma Long said, arms akimbo.

Looking at his defiant face, Xu Xin and Zhang Jike were speechless. For the sake of their brother, they decided to scout the situation themselves. Perhaps this could actually work out!

As for Ma Long, he remained indifferent to his friends' efforts, focusing entirely on training and rest. It wasn't until much later, when he discovered the sheer number of romantic rivals, that he regretted not scouting the situation sooner and seizing the initiative.