The Mob [News]

[The Romance]

Everyone at the company knew that Huo Changting, president of Haoshen Group, had been married for seven years. The diamond wedding ring on his left ring finger was dazzling enough to blind you. Some people had even photographed Huo Changting kissing the "boss's wife" in the underground garage. But she was wearing a gray hoodie with the hood up, so all anyone could make out was a slender figure. It was hard to tell whether she was a man or a woman.

Everyone at the company knew that Lu Ning, the HR manager at Haoshen Group, was warm and considerate, with a comforting, dependable air. Too bad he was single. Plenty of people had dropped hints, but Lu Ning had played dumb and brushed them off. Approaching thirty and still unmarried, he naturally attracted plenty of young men and women. Yet in seven years at the company, his entire private life had consisted of working overtime, working overtime, and working overtime. He was a workaholic through and through. His spotless private life only fueled speculation.

What nobody at the company knew was that Lu Ning and Huo Changting had been secretly married for seven years. Keeping their marriage private had been Lu Ning's own stipulation in the prenuptial agreement. But after seven years, and with life growing increasingly dull and the future increasingly uncertain, Lu Ning had become deeply disillusioned with marriage and was considering going their separate ways.

But fate seemed to enjoy playing tricks.

His father, who had been gone for twenty years, finally resurfaced with some bad news: he'd somehow racked up a debt of fifty million. The creditors came knocking, with one message: pay up or die. Lu Ning hadn't wanted to get involved, but his father threatened to go to his husband if he refused to help.

Grinding his teeth, Lu Ning went to Huo Changting in person to explain the situation, thinking he might as well use the opportunity to get a divorce once and for all.

But Huo Changting simply said,

"I'll cover the fifty million for you. But you have to agree to one condition: take charge of FNK for me, and put the divorce on hold until you've paid back the fifty million."

Lu Ning considered it briefly. At his current salary, with his various assets and investments, he could pay it off in about ten years. And the position of news director was exactly what he wanted. He might be an introvert who didn't like stepping outside his comfort zone, but journalism was what he truly longed for.

And so they made a new prenuptial agreement, before the divorce.

[The Career]

Print media was in decline, but the news industry was at the center of an ever-growing storm. FNK, the flagship news channel being built by Haoshen Group, was about to launch when Lu Ning received a transfer order and was parachuted in as its director, despite having no frontline journalism experience.

No one knew that Lu Ning's university degree was in journalism and communications, from the School of Journalism. He had even earned his professional journalist certification with top marks before graduating.

Except for those closest to him, nobody knew that his original dream had been to become a journalist.

On the day he gave his presentation, Lu Ning looked toward the president's office above. Inside, Huo Changting met his gaze.

But making the news was no easy task. Idealism and passion alone weren't enough to succeed.

In journalism, the pursuit of truth is the lifeline.

To stand up for justice, Lu Ning took on public opinion alone, only to receive threatening letters from extremists. Some even threw water at him on his way to work.

To give people a voice, Lu Ning reported a company's scandal during a primetime live broadcast. He was then falsely accused of taking money to smear the company, and news of his father's fifty-million debt was exposed.

To uncover the truth, Lu Ning went undercover himself, but his cover was blown, and he nearly lost his life.

Everyone at the company thought President Huo was busy with matters of state, and that FNK was an insignificant part of Haoshen. Even without Lu Ning, there would always be another Niu Ning, Ma Ning, or Fox Ning to take over as director. But time and again, Huo Changting personally rescued Lu Ning from danger.

When public opinion turned against Lu Ning, Huo Changting personally issued a lawyer's letter, nipping every damaging statement in the bud.

When Lu Ning was threatened, Huo Changting personally refuted the allegations of "news bribery" and announced that Lu Ning's father's debt had been paid.

When Lu Ning was kidnapped, Huo Changting halted a board meeting and risked everything to save him himself.

Someone had once photographed Huo Changting embracing and kissing someone in the underground garage. With advances in technology, people began to notice that the other person in the photo looked a lot like Lu Ning.

And at that moment, Huo Changting had Lu Ning pinned against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the president's office. His voice was hoarse with seven years of restraint and regret. "Ningning, I can shoulder the company, public opinion, even your debt for you. But divorce... Don't even think about it."

"There's only ever been one truth between us: I love you."

I loved you where no one could see. Now I want to tell the whole world that you are the one I'll love for the rest of my life.

Theme: When you follow the crowd in reading The Crowd, you become part of the crowd yourself.