We Won't Lose Each Other for the Rest of Our Lives

In the summer of 2008, Beijing was the center of the world. Every Chinese person was swept up in an atmosphere of excitement and fervor, while the beleaguered investigative reporter Meng Chuan’er was locked in a bitter fight with a paper company listed in Hong Kong.

Investigative reporters are a special breed. Talk of shouldering justice, writing with a deft hand, or being uncrowned kings is just what outsiders say when they’re watching from the sidelines. To sum up the profession in two words: miserable. Add two more, and it’s downright hellish.

Like Conan, they’re after one thing: the truth. But they don’t have Conan’s brains, or his luck. Most importantly, investigative reporters are broke and brazen.