An 80s female translator was spoiled rotten by a rough and jealous man.

Chapter 291 Confrontation
But where did the problem lie? Did she miss something? Meng Youyou was puzzled.

Was a simple, text-based news report enough to satisfy John Bart? Could such a meager offering truly feed his insatiable appetite?

Meng Youyou's subconscious told her that this was unreasonable.

The difference in form creates a world of difference in essence. No matter how immersive a piece of text may be, its impact ultimately cannot match the directness and vividness of a picture. The latter can convey information at a glance, requiring no further interpretation, and naturally possesses advantages in evoking emotions and persuasiveness that text itself cannot match.

That fountain pen!

Suddenly, the image of that gleaming metal pen flashed through Meng Youyou's mind—before it left her surveillance range, the cap was still properly on the end of the pen, but when it once again flashed past Meng Youyou's sight, it appeared at the front of the man's hand.

Not only was the pen cap inexplicably put back on, but the man's grip on the pen also changed. Meng Youyou immediately noticed this difference.

But now... she's starting to want to overturn her previous assumptions about its purpose.

Almost at the same moment, a man's voice rang in his ears, asking, "Don't you hope... the war can end... as soon as possible?" Because he hadn't received a reply from the soldier, John Bart's tone became forceful.

Meng Youyou quickly composed herself, suppressing the shock in her heart. She decisively stepped forward and interrupted in a cold voice, "Mr. Bart, please stop leading our soldiers astray. What kind of answer do you want?"

Upon hearing this, the brown-haired man glanced at him sideways, as if it were incredibly unbelievable. He spread his hands and defended himself, saying, "Miss Meng, please don't misunderstand. This is all normal interview content."

He leaned back lazily in his chair, his eyelids drooping as he looked directly at the person beside him, his gaze filled with inquiry and confusion. He preemptively questioned, "A soldier's personal feelings and emotions are also worthy of our attention, aren't they?"

“Yes.” Meng Youyou’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Then how does Mr. Bart expect him to answer you?”

"Regarding that question, regardless of whether he answered 'yes' or 'no,' we can't escape being labeled with either 'serious war-weariness within the XX army' or 'violent and belligerent'. Isn't that right?"

“No! No! No!” John Bart immediately put on a serious face, shaking his head repeatedly in denial, and made a stop gesture with his two hands, one vertical and one horizontal, and asserted his position clearly: “I must state that I absolutely did not mean that. The above is entirely your subjective conjecture, and I am very saddened and disappointed by it.”

The man suddenly stood up from the back of the chair, instantly becoming much taller than Meng Youyou. The oppressive feeling brought about by the difference in size was immediately apparent and hard to ignore.

He looked down at her with a deep gaze, his tone and expression devoid of any sincerity: "Of course, if you really feel this is inappropriate, I can take it back. After all... when in Rome, do as the Romans do." He deliberately dragged out the last syllable, his words carrying a strong implication.

As he spoke, the man put one hand into his pocket, pulled up the brim of his hat with the other, and raised an eyebrow at Meng Youyou with a smile: "I understand the logic!"

Meng Youyou raised her head to meet his gaze, her eyes cold and her aura unyielding.

After a moment's thought, Meng Youyou made a decision and calmly said, "Since Mr. Bart has indicated in his words that he is willing to respect our rules, then please act in accordance with our management regulations."

Before your interview application was approved, I believe our relevant personnel had already clearly informed you that, according to Chinese law, all film, videotapes, and audiotapes obtained by foreign journalists during their interviews must undergo technical review before they leave the country. Only after we confirm that there are no classified documents or violations can they be taken away.

Both sides must have reached a consensus on this matter beforehand, which is why today's interview was able to take place.

Meng Youyou smiled, but her tone left no room for doubt: "Therefore, please keep your promise."

Upon hearing these words, John Bart seemed to have expected it. He remained calm throughout, showing no fear whatsoever, and appeared completely unfazed.

The man stepped back and turned to the side, making room for one person to pass, thus exposing the still-running black tape recorder on the bedside table to Meng Youyou's direct line of sight.

The man raised a hand and pointed to the tape recorder on the counter, indicating, "If Miss Meng wants to check it, just take it."

He grinned at her, his eyes crinkling into exaggerated wrinkles, revealing two rows of overly bright white teeth: "I have always been the most respectful of the interview regulations of various countries, and I am known in the industry for my high level of cooperation."

Meng Youyou didn't say a word, she just stared at him silently.

John Bart met her gaze calmly. He frowned slightly, his expression one of confusion, then after a few seconds, feigned sudden realization and asked directly, "Miss Meng...do you still want this camera?" He pointed to the camera hanging around his neck. After waiting patiently for a while, seeing that Meng Youyou didn't answer, the man readily took the camera off his neck, holding it in his hand, his tone slightly playful: "Ever since Miss Meng reminded me at the hospital entrance that I couldn't photograph the facilities in the wards, especially the wounded, this camera has been hanging around my neck without being moved. Miss Meng has been with me the whole time, so she must know best."

As he spoke, the man generously handed over the camera in his hand, then changed the subject: "However, I can understand that Miss Meng needs to strictly follow the rules and regulations, and the necessary procedures cannot be omitted."

Meng Youyou didn't reach out to take it. She continued to stare intently into his eyes, not missing the slightest change in expression, until she was certain that the owner of those eyes was truly fearless, without a trace of pretense or concealment. Only then did she finally withdraw her piercing gaze.

This encounter further confirmed Meng Youyou's suspicions—he must have a trump card up his sleeve, which is why he was so fearless.

So, Meng Youyou toned down her sharp edge, adopted a knowing attitude, and calmly asked, "Anything else?"

Meng Youyou has taken a risky step; let's give it a try.

To everyone's relief, upon hearing this, Meng Youyou clearly saw a momentary shift in the previously composed and indifferent expression on John Bart's face.

It was at this moment that she realized she had made the right move.

However, the seasoned John Bart quickly composed himself and casually asked, "What did you say?" The man's face was full of confusion.

Meng Youyou stopped being ambiguous and chose to be more explicit: "Mr. Bart, please strictly abide by the relevant regulations of our country regarding foreign media visits, and do not engage in any illegal filming or recording activities."

The brown-haired man opposite her suddenly darkened his eyes. "Miss Meng, what do you mean by this? I don't understand."

This reaction gave Meng Youyou more confidence, so she decided to take a gamble and threw out her trump card: "Mr. Bart, does your pen have a glowing eye?"

As she finished speaking, Meng Youyou held out a hand to the man, palm up, gesturing for him to hand it over. Her tone left no room for refusal: "The miniature camera hidden inside the pen will be returned to you after our personnel have inspected it and confirmed that the film content is compliant."

The implication is that if it doesn't comply with regulations, there will be a different solution.

"This is utter nonsense!" The man crossed his arms, his brow furrowed with offended anger, and demanded sharply, "Miss Meng, how can you be so sure you're not seeing things?"

"Can you really accuse me of such a baseless crime based solely on your hasty and one-sided statement? Where is justice?"

John Bart pulled a metal pen from his left pocket and gripped it tightly in his hand. His voice unconsciously rose: "This pen is my personal item, and it was a gift from one of my mentors who brought me into this industry. It means a lot to me, so I cherish it very much."

The man's tone grew increasingly forceful: "If you're going to use such an absurd reason to demand that I hand it over so you can disassemble and inspect it at will, I think I absolutely cannot accept such an unreasonable demand."

"Or..." he changed the subject, then chuckled, "are you going to unilaterally and forcibly take away my personal belongings without any concrete evidence or regard for my personal wishes?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he suddenly raised his hands, as if appealing to a group of non-existent spectators, and exclaimed emotionally, "My God! I really can't imagine that a country would treat foreign journalists like this!"

This is absolutely insulting!

During this time, John Barth spouted one sentence after another at a rapid and dense pace, so much so that Meng Youyou couldn't even find a gap to insert half a sentence.

Just over a minute ago, he exuded an air of calm confidence and self-assurance, as if everything was under his control. But now, that confidence had vanished completely, and he resembled a flea covered in thorns, his body radiating anxiety and defensiveness. The contrast was so stark that it was as if he were two completely different people.

It's not a skill to remain calm when things are going well. The real key to victory often lies in whether you can withstand the pressure and turn the tide when things are going badly.

It is obvious that John Bart is not a player who excels at turning the tide of a game. Once his weaknesses are exposed, he panics and indiscriminately reveals a series of mistakes to his opponent.

Thinking of this, Meng Youyou still wore a polite smile and pressed her advantage, pointing out: "Mr. Bart, if I'm not mistaken, you have another pen in your pocket that looks exactly the same that you haven't taken out."

Her gaze was fixed on the man's pocket, and she asked softly, "How can you be so sure that what we want to check is the pen you're holding, the one your teacher gave you?"