Chapter 48: A Grain of Rice

In the morning, Lin Chuan stepped out of his room and immediately saw the old man and Yuan Ye sitting on the sofa in the living room, eyes wide, staring intently at the television, unmoving.

“What are you two doing?” Lin Chuan was somewhat taken aback.

“Xiao Chuan, come here quickly. Today is Fan Li’er’s first time on the news,” Yuan Ye called out.

Lin Chuan smiled, shook his head, and walked over. There were still five minutes until the news aired, and the television was currently running a psoriasis commercial. The disturbing images of patients made Lin Chuan’s previously good mood sour.

“Today, could you mention at the station to reschedule this commercial? It really disrupts the news viewing experience.”

“No problem. I agree—it’s too unsightly,” Yuan Ye nodded vigorously.

Before long, the advertisements finally ended. The screen shifted to Fan Li’er’s delicate face, clad in a deep blue professional suit.

“Good morning, viewers. Welcome to our morning news. As the city’s economy continues to grow…”

Fan Li’er, a graduate of Broadcasting and Hosting, proved her worth. Her voice was crisp, her diction clear, and most importantly, unlike the so-called ‘star’ anchor, she did not yawn, cough, or pause for sips of water during the live broadcast.

In just half an hour, every news item was delivered succinctly, never rambling. Occasionally, Fan Li’er would improvise a few opinions and commentaries.

The only flaw was a slight quiver in her voice at the end of each segment, a result of nerves. But Lin Chuan believed she would overcome this with time.

“That’s all for today’s morning news. See you at the same time tomorrow.”

The broadcast ended. The old man sat expressionless, offering no comment.

Yuan Ye stood up with a cheerful grin. “Not bad, that young girl performed much better than I expected—certainly better than Shen Hong.”

Lin Chuan chuckled. “She’s trained for this, after all. But the news content still lacks depth, too much filler.”

“There’s nothing we can do; today’s news was drafted at the last minute yesterday. Hardly anything new,” Yuan Ye shrugged helplessly.

“That’s enough—work talk doesn’t belong at home. It’s getting late. Hurry up with breakfast and get to the station. Is Yang Yang up yet?” Lin Chuan had more to say, but the old man waved his hand, stopping him.

This ordinary morning marked a new beginning for Lin Chuan and Yuan Ye, and also for the Quancheng Television Station.

Especially for Fan Li’er, newly promoted, who had spent last night in a mix of excitement and nerves. Even after finishing the live broadcast, her heart had yet to settle.

She had been at the station for nearly a year, always assisting Shen Hong, handling various trivial tasks. As a graduate of the Media University, she longed to step out from behind the scenes and host her own TV show.

But for someone without connections, that dream seemed unattainable. When she learned Quancheng Television Station was facing closure, she worried deeply about her future.

Without the station, she had no idea where to go or what to do next.

Then Lin Chuan appeared—a man with an air of maturity and rugged handsomeness—and her fate changed dramatically.

From an obscure assistant, she suddenly became the news anchor for Quancheng Television Station. It was a tremendous shift, a turning point in her destiny.

When she walked out of the studio and saw her colleagues celebrating her achievement, Fan Li’er felt a small surge of pride for the first time.

“Fan Li, the chairman and station manager are here. They want to see you—better hurry,” said a capable-looking young woman with a smile.

“Thank you, Sister Qi. I’ll go right away,” Fan Li’er nodded and headed to the elevator.

“Good luck!”

Sister Qi and the others smiled, cheering her on.

The remaining staff at the station were mostly veterans, with little intrigue or rivalry among them. Everyone had their own responsibilities and saw no reason to envy someone’s promotion.

They genuinely supported this seemingly innocent young woman, hoping the station would soon revive. They didn’t expect to become a major network, but at least wanted to avoid closure.

Lin Chuan sat in his office, surrounded by luxurious décor, feeling a surge of emotion.

Back in Beining, he was a single father struggling to put food on the table. To give his son a better life, he joined the “One Song to Fame” talent show, using his singing talents.

He aimed for the substantial prize money.

However, unexpectedly, due to various circumstances, he ended up as the chairman of Quancheng Television Station. Though the title was somewhat threadbare, he believed he would restore its brilliance.

A gentle knock sounded at the door.

“Come in,” Lin Chuan called out.

The door opened, and Fan Li’er, dressed in her professional suit, entered nervously.

“I watched today’s news—it was excellent,” Lin Chuan said with a smile.

“Thank you… thank you, Chairman,” Fan Li’er replied softly, head lowered.

For reasons unknown, she always felt inexplicably nervous around Lin Chuan. His words made her heart pound wildly.

“No need to be so tense. Have a seat,” Lin Chuan said calmly, unaware of the thoughts swirling in her mind.

“Yes,” Fan Li’er nodded and settled on the sofa.

“Do you remember what I told you yesterday? Any classmates willing to join the station?” Lin Chuan got straight to the point.

This was important for both him and the station—without reporters, tomorrow’s morning news would be troublesome.

Fan Li’er paused, then nodded quickly. “Chairman, I’ve already contacted them. Most have jobs, but three are willing to come for a trial.”

“Three? That’s quite good. When will they arrive?” Lin Chuan smiled.

This girl was so nervous, she even used the word “report” when speaking to him. But he didn’t correct her—he knew that pressing her would only make her more anxious. Better to let her adapt in her own time.

“Nine o’clock. I told them the interview is at nine,” Fan Li’er replied.

“Thank you. If they pass the interview, you’ll have done the station a great service. Tell Director Yuan to oversee the interviews personally,” Lin Chuan instructed.

“Understood,” Fan Li’er nodded and stood up. But before she could leave, she stopped, turned back, and said, “Chairman, if there aren’t enough staff, I can go out to gather news. I learned about this at university…”

Her voice grew softer, lacking confidence.

Lin Chuan looked up, smiled, and nodded. “That’s fine. We’ll arrange it with your department.”

Fan Li’er said nothing more and quietly left. As she closed the office door behind her, she leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, almost collapsing.

Her heart raced as if trying to leap from her throat.

She stood there for a while, and only when she felt recovered did she head toward the end of the corridor.

At nine in the morning, Fan Li’er’s three classmates arrived punctually at the station—two men and one woman. Yuan Ye, acting station manager, personally conducted the interviews.

Since the station desperately needed talent, the interview wasn’t overly strict. Half an hour later, the three exited the room with smiles on their faces.

Clearly, they had succeeded.

Over the next few days, Fan Li’er and her three classmates scoured Quancheng for news material while also working with the newsroom to prepare content for the following day. It was hard work, but Fan Li’er never complained; in fact, she felt genuinely happy.

As for Lin Chuan, the new chairman, apart from spending time with Lin Yi Yang, he secluded himself in his office, planning the station’s future.

Given its current state, the station desperately needed a compelling program to boost ratings and reputation.

He immediately dismissed dramas and films—why? Simply because the station lacked the funds to buy copyrights.

That left only variety shows.

With memories from his previous life, Lin Chuan had plenty of great options: “Running Man,” “I Am a Singer,” “Where Are We Going, Dad?” and “Extreme Challenge,” among others.

But as good as these shows were, Quancheng Television Station wasn’t ready for them—not enough funds, not enough fame.

Even if Lin Chuan launched a fantastic program, without celebrities from this world to attract attention, without major sponsors, it would all remain theoretical, of little practical value.

“What should I do?” Lin Chuan sat behind his desk, brow furrowed, rapidly searching his memory for variety shows from his past life.

Clearly, finding the right program wasn’t easy. It had to be innovative, require minimal investment, and ideally not need celebrity participation.

It was evident that the matter was far more complicated than he had imagined.