Naughty Puppy Will Be Eaten by a Bad Woman - Chapter 16

“Lu Zhao, what kind of person do you actually like?”

After seeing Gu Xianyue off, Lu Zhao couldn’t sleep all night.

She feared that if she drifted off, Sarawi’s nightmare would continue to haunt her.

She had nearly succumbed to an episode earlier, and it was almost certain she would dream of it tonight, waking up convulsing and needing medication.

Since sleep was out of the question, Lu Zhao leaned back against her bed, pulled out her e-reader, and began to read.

At the top of her e-ink bookshelf was Sartre’s The Condemned of Altona, a book she had read countless times.

The story was short, and Lu Zhao quickly reread it. She imagined herself as one of the characters, dying repeatedly for some fleeting hope—sometimes dying with purpose, sometimes dying in vain.

As the sky gradually turned pale with dawn, her alarm rang. Lu Zhao closed her e-reader, got up to wash and dress, and headed to work.

At the station, Fang Lin was startled by Lu Zhao’s dark circles, as heavy as a ghost’s, her bloodshot eyes, and her deathly pale face.

“Did you go steal cows last night?” Fang Lin asked.

“Insomnia,” Lu Zhao replied, rubbing her eyes.

Having stayed up all night, Lu Zhao sipped the coffee she’d bought on her way to work while waiting for everyone to gather in the conference room.

After consulting with Fang Lin, the members of the Special Project Team were quickly finalized.

In addition to Fang Lin and Lu Zhao, who would handle planning, investigation, and editing, they recruited Zhou Muting from the station’s cybersecurity center as a data analyst, Zou Zi as the cinematographer, and Xiao Jia, an intern Fang Lin was mentoring.

Lu Zhao was familiar with all of them, especially Zhou Muting.

Long before Lu Zhao became a war correspondent, she had frequently collaborated with Zhou Muting, who could be considered Lu Zhao’s senior colleague.

Zou Zi was an even closer acquaintance, having partnered with Lu Zhao on numerous field assignments. Although Xiao Jia had only recently joined the team, Lu Zhao had met her several times through Fang Lin.

Before everyone arrived, Fang Lin struck up a conversation with Lu Zhao. “Hey, do you think our team is a bit too female-heavy? Not a single man among us.”

Lu Zhao, who was reviewing meeting materials, looked up. “Is there a problem with that?”

Fang Lin tilted her head, considering. “Well… not really. It’s just a bit unusual.”

Lu Zhao flipped another page of documents. “It is.”

Fang Lin nodded, then teased, “Reporter Lu, are you sure you want to attend the meeting looking like that? You’re the star of the show today.”

Lu Zhao paused, her hand freezing mid-page turn. “Do I look that bad?”

Fang Lin opened the front-facing camera on her phone and pointed it at Lu Zhao. “See for yourself.”

Lu Zhao glanced at the screen, then immediately stood up and hurried back to her office to quickly apply some light makeup.

The foundation concealed her fatigue. She blinked, flashed a camera-ready smile, and looked as if she hadn’t stayed up all night.

Still young, she thought. My face can still withstand this kind of abuse.

This morning, she’d been so groggy during her morning routine that she hadn’t even bothered to look at herself in the mirror.

Seeing her gaunt reflection on Fang Lin’s phone had startled her. She barely recognized herself.

Lu Zhao returned to the conference room just in time. The remaining attendees had arrived and were sitting upright, their eyes fixed on her.

Zhou Muting and Wei Ning, both seasoned veterans of the station, sat with Zhou Muting wearing rimless glasses and looking at Lu Zhao with gentle warmth. Zou Zi sat slightly apart, arms crossed and posture rigid. Despite the cold, she wore only a thin, unbuttoned jacket, her muscular arms taut and defined like those of a weightlifter, giving the impression she might burst through the fabric. Xiao Jia, the intern, sat primly with youthful exuberance, a notebook open before her.

Lu Zhao greeted the group briefly and immediately shifted into work mode, using the display screen to guide her explanation.

“I’m glad you could all join the Special Project Team. The team was established both out of my own personal motives and to address the station’s current developmental needs. The First News Channel is currently operating at full capacity, leaving no spare personnel to pursue more in-depth investigations. Moreover, due to certain sensitive reasons, many investigative projects have been unable to progress.”

The “sensitive reasons” were, of course, the tangled web of conflicting interests that made investigating certain cases both difficult and unrewarding. Over time, no one dared to touch them. The team members exchanged knowing glances.

Lu Zhao paused, surveyed the seated group, and continued:

“Therefore, you should all understand that working here will be far from easy. I thank you again for your willingness to join.”

Lu Zhao gave a slight bow.

Fang Lin chuckled, finding a certain humor in seeing a familiar face perform such a formal gesture.

Zhou Muting said, “Xiao Lu, no need for formalities with us. Just get straight to the point.”

Zou Zi remained silent, her arms crossed.

Xiao Jia listened intently, occasionally taking notes.

Lu Zhao continued, outlining Wei Ning’s stringent standards. The expressions of everyone present grew serious.

Wei Ning’s standards were undeniably demanding, but fortunately, Lu Zhao already had a lead for their first investigative topic.

“Shengye Group, Yunqing Medical Group’s rival, will be attending the International Medical Summit in a few days. I’ve already gathered some preliminary information. Unless there are unforeseen circumstances, Shengye is suspected of bribing hospitals and manipulating bidding processes.”

Zou Zi spoke for the first time, “What’s your source?”

Lu Zhao smirked, distributing confidentiality agreements across the table as she spoke. “Even though we’re all on the same team, we still need to follow protocol. Please review the agreements carefully, sign them if everything looks good, and then we can proceed.”

Gu Xianyue had previously mentioned Shengye Group’s shady dealings to Lu Zhao, giving her a general direction for investigation.

Following up on the lead during her spare time, Lu Zhao had managed to uncover traces of Shengye’s behind-the-scenes manipulations and gather some preliminary evidence.

However, she hadn’t yet had a chance to share this information with Gu Xianyue before their falling out.

The thought of Gu Xianyue sent Lu Zhao’s mind into turmoil. She unconsciously clenched her jaw, her knuckles turning white.

What is she doing right now?

Is she still angry?

Fortunately, everyone was focused on reviewing the contracts, and no one noticed Lu Zhao’s distress.

Lu Zhao gave herself a minute to regain her composure.

With everyone having signed the contracts, Lu Zhao continued.

“As you’ve probably guessed, Yunqing provided us with a general direction. The problem with Shengye lies in their ‘next-generation artificial joints,’ which they claim to be a domestic technological breakthrough. But… they’ve falsified materials, bribed experts, and even fabricated clinical data. The documents I’m distributing now contain partial evidence of these crimes.”

Lu Zhao began distributing thick stacks of documents.

Zhou Muting chuckled, praising, “Old Wei certainly has a good eye for talent. You’ve gathered so much information in such a short time, Xiao Lu. You have a bright future ahead of you.”

Xiao Jia’s eyes shone with admiration, while Fang Lin clicked her tongue in amazement. “Reporter Lu, when did you even have time to investigate this? You’ve been nonstop lately—either cleaning up the mess you made at Yunqing or busy with live broadcasts.”

Lu Zhao smiled modestly. “I’m overwhelmed with work, so I’ll be handing over most of the livestream responsibilities to Yu Longyan shortly.”

Hearing the name, Xiao Jia suddenly became excited. “Yu Longyan? She’s going to be livestreaming for our station?”

Fang Lin looked puzzled. “Yes, what’s wrong, Xiao Jia? Do you know her?”

Xiao Jia stammered, “Know her… no, not exactly. She’s a huge internet celebrity. Lots of… lots of girls know her. There was a big scandal about her recently—it was all over the news.”

Lu Zhao raised an eyebrow. She kept up with social trends, but her research focused on major societal events, rarely delving into personal matters. She figured Yu Longyan’s scandal was likely trending in entertainment news, an area she paid little attention to.

“Xiao Jia,” Lu Zhao asked, “could you tell me more about what happened?”

After all, this was someone she’d be handing over responsibilities to soon. It would be good to understand her background.

At the same time, this would allow her to gauge the Special Project Team’s reactions and further assess whether Yu Longyan was a suitable fit.

Even though the team was largely established, Lu Zhao remained vigilant, ready to add or replace members as needed.

Xiao Jia hesitated for a moment, but when she looked around the conference room, she saw everyone waiting quietly for her to speak.

Finally, she mustered her courage and said, “Her former MCN company boss was also her girlfriend of many years. She not only helped the company promote products but was also a well-known couple vlogger. Recently, they broke up and terminated their contract without specifying the reasons. Many netizens couldn’t accept it, and conspiracy theories about infidelity spread like wildfire, causing a huge uproar.”

Lu Zhao nodded silently, waiting for the others to react.

Yu Longyan had already explained the contract termination to her during the interview.

But she hadn’t realized the former company and Yu Longyan had such a close relationship.

Fang Lin: “These kinds of situations seem quite common in the influencer world.”

Zhou Muting pushed up her frameless glasses. “Xiao Lu, are her skills and attitude up to par?”

Lu Zhao replied, “Don’t worry, she’s more than capable.”

After hearing Xiao Jia’s explanation, Lu Zhao had a better understanding of the reasons behind their breakup. However, she wasn’t one to casually spread others’ private affairs.

Zou Zi remained silent for a moment before remarking dryly, “If they broke up despite being so deeply intertwined financially, there must have been a major conflict, not necessarily just emotional issues.”

Xiao Jia nodded in agreement. “Yes, but now there are so many unverified rumors circulating online. It’s easy for public opinion to be swayed.”

Xiao Jia was somewhat surprised. As an intern who hadn’t even graduated yet, she had assumed that discussing same-s3x relationships on Provincial Television Station would be considered inappropriate. She had braced herself for judgmental stares.

But when she actually voiced her concerns, she found that the Special Project Team members simply discussed the matter objectively, without making any additional comments about Yu Longyan’s sexual orientation.

Even Zhou Muting, the oldest member, only expressed concern about Xiao Jia’s professional capabilities.

Xiao Jia felt increasingly certain that she had joined the right team.

Lu Zhao glanced around the room before steering the conversation back to business. “Xiao Jia is right. Public opinion is easily manipulated. That’s why Shengye will also be attending next month’s International Medical Summit to shape the company’s public image.”

Lu Zhao flashed a meaningful smile. “Of course, it’s also the perfect opportunity to expose the truth and deal a decisive blow to them.”

Fang Lin immediately understood. “You mean… you’re going to…?”

Lu Zhao blinked. “No, I have a Special Project Team this time. I won’t need to put myself at risk.”

After discussing the details further, Lu Zhao wrapped up the meeting and dismissed the team to their respective tasks.

With her nerves finally relaxed, Lu Zhao instinctively pulled out her phone and opened her chat with Gu Xianyue. There were still no new messages.

The last message remained Gu Xianyue’s “I’m at the Provincial Television Station” from yesterday.

After a moment’s hesitation, Lu Zhao decided to sync the case files with Gu Xianyue.

Regardless of their personal differences, she couldn’t let their work suffer.

Gu Xianyue was likely busy and didn’t reply immediately.

Lu Zhao then recalled her behavior from the previous night, feeling a pang of regret. She frowned at her phone, looking troubled.

Fang Lin, the last to leave, noticed Lu Zhao’s expression and immediately sensed something was amiss.

Having worked with Lu Zhao for so long, this was the first time she’d ever seen her looking at her phone like that.

It was a familiar expression—the same one her close girlfriends wore when they were in a cold war with their partners.

Leaning closer, Fang Lin asked teasingly, “Got something going on?”

Lu Zhao quickly tucked her phone back into her pocket. “What do you mean, ‘something’s up’?”

Fang Lin, seeing through her act, cut straight to the chase: “Are you dating someone?”

Lu Zhao waved her hands frantically. “You’ve got the wrong idea! I was just discussing Shengye business with Gu Xianyue.”

Fang Lin’s disappointment was palpable. “Oh.”

She had hoped Lu Zhao was finally ready to shed her lifelong single status.

Over the years, Fang Lin’s relationships had been a revolving door, with countless partners coming and going. Yet Lu Zhao remained stubbornly unmoved.

Fang Lin had even introduced her to several outstanding men, but Lu Zhao showed no interest whatsoever. At one point, Fang Lin suspected she might be into women, but Lu Zhao seemed equally uninterested in girls.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Fang Lin blurted out, “Lu Zhao, what kind of person do you even like?”