Chapter 594 - 593: What is a Reporter (3)

After filming the incident at the county hospital, Su Li gave the driver a quick tutorial at the entrance. She then asked him to act as her cameraman while she recorded a backup segment for her report.

She did the on-camera report herself.

After learning that Aunt Qin and the man were out of danger, Su Li took Grandma Li home before finally leaving Fengcheng County.

It was dark by the time she reached the city.

The next morning, as soon as Su Li finished her interview, she headed straight back to the Imperial City.

She rushed back to the Imperial City as quickly as she could. Instead of going home, Su Li went straight to the TV station. After handing in her completed interview footage, she also showed the video from the Fengcheng County hospital to her editor-in-chief.

The relationship between doctors and patients has been a constant, ever-evolving issue throughout history.

When Su Li explained her idea for the story, her editor-in-chief thought it over and gave her the green light.

That afternoon, Su Li went to several hospitals in the Imperial City to conduct interviews and gather material.

That night, Su Li worked overtime until midnight, getting all the raw footage and materials for her report ready.

The story on the incident Su Li had covered in Fengcheng County aired on the morning news the very next day.

Her on-camera segment was included, meaning Su Li had made it on air.

Su Li was only on screen for a dozen or so seconds, but her face, along with the simple on-screen text identifying her—"Intern Reporter Su Li"—was more than enough.

After getting an article published during her newspaper internship, Su Li had now also become the first of her fellow TV station interns to appear on air.

The news was, without a doubt, exhilarating.

Needless to say, Su Li, Wu Sheng, and Little Tang Mo were overjoyed, but regardless, the report once again sparked intense public debate.

The story had all the elements of a compelling news piece—human interest, conflict—and it touched upon an issue relevant to everyone’s lives. People formed strong opinions, some siding with the nurse, others with the patient.

After her report on domestic abuse, Su Li had once again, albeit unintentionally, become the first to explicitly tackle the issue of doctor-patient relations in the news.

Imperial City TV Station was once again flooded with calls. The story became a topic of discussion among the general public, and it certainly didn’t escape the notice of hospital administrators, doctors, and nurses.

The hospitals Su Li had rushed to for interviews were all major institutions in the Imperial City. The people she spoke with had certainly taken notice at the time, and even more so when the story aired the very next day.

Those who were interviewed and actually appeared on television were even more astonished and captivated.

As her interviewees stated, patients don’t want to be met with impatient doctors and nurses. Some who had experienced such treatment themselves said that while the man’s actions were regrettable, they could understand his impulsive behavior.

If they had been in his shoes, cursed at like that, they might have acted impulsively too. The one at fault, they argued, was the nurse with the unprofessional attitude.

The report sent a chill down the spines of many doctors and nurses who had grown accustomed to looking down on patients. They inevitably became more cautious, not daring to let their attitudes sour, lest they too end up on the wrong side of a knife.

On the very day the news aired, hospitals all across the Imperial City urgently called meetings of various sizes throughout the day. The main topic: staff must improve their professional conduct going forward.

Their job was to serve the public, to save lives and heal the wounded. A poor attitude was unacceptable.

After Su Li’s report aired, Wu Qihua was back in the neighborhood, singing the praises of her future daughter-in-law in every way imaginable. Even Su Li’s university professors made a point to contact her with their commendations.

If it hadn’t been winter break, many of her classmates would have surely found out, stirring up another storm of complicated feelings.

The morning news from Imperial City TV Station didn’t just capture the attention of the capital’s residents; word also reached the provincial television station governing Fengcheng County.

An incident that occurred within their own province had been broken not by them, but by Imperial City TV Station.

After learning what had happened, the provincial station ran a related story on their evening news. With permission from Imperial City TV Station, they used the footage Su Li had shot and reported on.

The black and white television in the Xinghua Village chief’s home could only receive the provincial TV station.

As a result, more than half of Xinghua Village saw Su Li appear on television with their very own eyes.

She looked so unfamiliar, yet so familiar at the same time.

And she wasn’t reporting on just anything—it was about Aunt Qin. Both the subject of the story and the reporter, Su Li, were people they knew. They never imagined they would see something like this on television.

When word spread that Su Li was on TV, the people of Xinghua Village were dumbfounded, especially Aunt Li.

While the adults were stunned into silence, the youngsters watching with them began chattering excitedly, all talking over one another.

These youngsters had either been taught by Su Li during her time as a substitute teacher or simply knew of her.

Even though many years had passed and they had grown up, no one at the school had forgotten Su Li.

Whether it was the older ones who had already graduated and were starting to have marriages arranged, or the little ones just starting their schooling, everyone knew the name Su Li.

Su Li had taught them so many games back then, games that were still being played at the school. How could they possibly forget her?

Watching Su Li on the television, the children’s eyes shone brightly as they broke into an excited, chattering discussion.

"How did Teacher Su get inside the TV? She’s incredible! Who is she? What’s a reporter?"

"Teacher Su’s voice sounds so nice!"

"Yeah! I want to be incredible like Teacher Su, too."

The children chattered on happily, creating a lively, boisterous scene, completely unaware of the shock gripping the hearts of the Xinghua Village adults.

’Su Li was on TV! How could she be on TV?!’

"She... who on earth is she?" Aunt Li’s face contorted. "Why... with the hospital incident... how could she..."

"Didn’t it say she’s a reporter?" someone replied.

The word "reporter" suddenly clicked for everyone.

Not long ago, they had been debating what a "reporter" even was, wondering if it was as good a job as being a factory worker. They had no real idea, until Su Li herself appeared on their television screen to give them a practical lesson.

Hearing the commotion, the village chief, who had been silent until now, looked over and heaved a deep sigh.

"’A reporter... so she’s a reporter...’"

As the most knowledgeable man in the village, the chief, of course, knew what a reporter was. The village committee subscribed to the *Huaguo Daily*, and he made sure to read the day’s news every single day, even if the papers sometimes arrived a day or two late.

Thinking of Su Li on the television screen, the village chief’s heart began to beat a little faster. He muttered to himself and took a couple of deep puffs from his long-stemmed pipe.

"Village Chief, do you know what a reporter is?"

Seeing him trail off, the other villagers asked eagerly.

"Of course, I do." The chief exhaled a puff of smoke, his expression unreadable through the haze.

"Reporters are a big deal. They’re powerful people. Whatever they write, people believe it. Newspapers, TV stations... they all need reporters. They’re very impressive people."

The chief explained what he knew about reporters, his voice filled with emotion. "To think Su Li became a reporter."

His tone was complicated. He had offended Su Li in the past and had felt ashamed about it ever since. ’If only I’d known... if only I’d known she was this capable, then...’

’It’s no use thinking about that now.’ The village chief sighed. "I remember seeing Su Li’s name in the paper before. At the time, I thought it was just a coincidence, someone with the same name. But now... it looks like it was really her."

"Her name in a paper like the *Huaguo Daily*, and now she’s on television... Our village has never produced someone so capable and accomplished."