"I'm Wang Yan, a reporter with China Youth Daily. I'd like to ask why you were willing to give up such promising prospects in the capital and travel thousands of miles to this plateau..."
"I'm with People's Daily..."
"Guangming Daily..."
"Qinghai Daily..."
"Xinhua News Agency..."
"China Central Television production crew..."
The reporters sat on stools borrowed from nearby villagers, each holding a notebook and pen as they took notes. Some had cameras set up behind them, microphones in hand as they conducted interviews. Others circled Wang Yan with cameras, snapping photos from every angle.
Behind the reporters stood personnel from the provincial, municipal, and county governments, along with logistics vehicles carrying cooks, cooking utensils, all kinds of meat and vegetables, and more. They had started preparing food next door at a villager's house.
The meal was to host these reporters and personnel from the other relevant units. Conditions were poor at the moment, and it was already nearing dinnertime. Since the reporters had insisted on rushing over for interviews at once, the county naturally had to receive them properly...
The reporters were also quite orderly, asking questions one at a time. Of course, that was partly because most of their questions were similar, covering a set range of topics. As for more individual questions, they learned from one another and scribbled down notes furiously.
Wang Yan answered their questions with great patience. He spoke of his own journey of the heart, but said less about himself and more about what he had seen in Machi County—more about the contrast between Machi County and the outside world, its strengths and weaknesses.
He had written two articles. One promoted the spirit of ethnic unity and offered reflections on economic construction and development in western regions, brimming with a young man's fervor; he