Chapter 25: Interview

Chapter 25 Interview

"So, our little mermaid can read now!" Dangdang exclaimed, lowering her voice for the camera. "Everyone, please be mindful of your online comments! Let's protect this secret together."

"Siren Company will regularly moderate discussions under related topics, but we still rely on everyone's cooperation! Thank you all!"

She blinked, about to continue, when her expression froze for a split second.

However, her exceptional professionalism kept her composure intact, and she smoothly delivered her lines without faltering.

Jiang Xun noticed, but maintained a poker face in front of the camera.

"Ahem." Dangdang cleared her throat, her smile slightly strained. "Next, we’ll invite our little mermaid, Liu Hai, to make his grand entrance."

"I heard they’ve prepared a little performance for us backstage… Haha, what an unexpected surprise! Let’s take a look!"

Jiang Xun looked briefly confused as he met Dangdang’s gaze—she looked even more bewildered than he was.

Dangdang could only feel her future darkening. Who thought it was a good idea to spring a mermaid performance on them? Even if the performance went well, what if it sparked controversy over mermaid exploitation?

As her thoughts raced, the stage curtains parted, and Liu Hai’s tank was slowly wheeled onto the stage by the crew.

Gold glitter rained down, revealing a—not-so-slender, plump, rounded figure in the spacious tank.

A gorgeous face broke the surface, rapidly approaching the camera. The cameraman quickly zoomed in to capture the moment as Liu Hai flicked his tail and shot straight toward the surface.

Jiang Xun: "…"

He had a bad feeling about this.

With a splash, Liu Hai shot out of the water like a rocket.

The audience craned their necks as one.

Mid-air, Liu Hai stretched his body gracefully, droplets spraying everywhere as he pulled the string on a confetti popper hidden in his hand. A shower of colorful ribbons exploded, refracting dazzling light that made the "mermaid" appear especially radiant.

But the spectacle lasted only three seconds before Liu Hai cannonballed back into the tank with a loud *thud*.

A massive splash soaked the stagehands pushing the tank on either side, who still managed to maintain professional smiles despite their miserable expressions.

"Whoa, sorry!" Liu Hai quickly resurfaced. "I didn’t control my tail properly! Let me help dry you off!"

He frantically wiped one side, then hurried to the other, spinning around like a panicked whirlpool.

"Ahem." Jiang Xun barely held back a laugh.

Liu Hai turned to him in distress. "Jiang Xun! Jiang Xun, help! I messed up! Help me pay for the damages—"

"Got it." Jiang Xun rubbed his temples and bowed slightly to the two crew members. "Sorry about that. He’s a bit of a live wire sometimes. The company will cover any property damage and compensation. Please don’t worry."

"I hope this doesn’t ruin your workday."

Liu Hai clung to the edge of the tank, puppy-eyed. "I’m sorry—"

"I-It’s fine." The crew members stared at his pleading eyes, already imagining the company’s generous compensation, their heads spinning slightly.

Host Dangdang jumped in with a smile, smoothing things over and guiding Jiang Xun back to his seat while Liu Hai’s tank was placed beside him.

Dangdang sneakily mopped her brow before turning back with a professional smile. "Now, let’s ask Dr. Jiang and our little mermaid a few questions! Liu Hai, how are you doing? Are you what people imagined a mermaid would be like?"

Liu Hai tensed up, sneaking a sideways glance at Jiang Xun.

"Not even close," Jiang Xun replied with a resigned expression. "As we all know, this era has many legends about mermaids, and artists have created numerous works featuring them—most portraying them as glamorous but doomed figures."

"But our Liu Hai…"

Liu Hai nervously interjected, "What about me?"

Jiang Xun stood up, walking to the transparent tank and pointing at Liu Hai’s fluffy, chubby tail. "Perhaps because he hasn’t fully recovered, his tail is a little… pudgy."

Liu Hai looked down at his round, furry tail. "What? No way!"

Jiang Xun pretended not to hear. "Also, maybe we haven’t recreated the ideal seawater for him, or perhaps being salvaged from the ancient ocean affected him—he doesn’t have scales."

Liu Hai splashed the tank indignantly. "Wait, didn’t you say before that fluffy tails are just a different mermaid subspecies?"

"Oh, right. That’s possible too." Jiang Xun played dumb. "But he seems a bit insecure about it. He even collects other fish’s scales and tries to stick them on himself…"

Liu Hai thrashed his tail angrily. "That’s not why!"

"It’s just…"

He muttered, "Sometimes I wanna switch things up."

Jiang Xun sighed deeply. "And unlike the legends, his singing is… godawful."

"Hey!" Liu Hai slammed his fists against the glass. "That’s too much!"

Jiang Xun grinned and gestured toward Liu Hai’s furious face. "One last thing—he’s been pampered silly in our lab and has quite the temper. So, please refrain from making unkind remarks about mermaids."

"If it’s me saying it, he just gets a little mad. But if it’s someone else…"

"He might send them flying like a skipping stone."

Dangdang couldn’t help laughing. "Oh, Dr. Jiang, you’re hilarious."

She whispered, "Even you shouldn’t bully the little mermaid too much, Dr. Jiang. My heart’s breaking here."

Jiang Xun smiled. "But I’m not joking."

Dangdang: "Wait, seriously?"

Liu Hai leaned in. "It’s true. I’ve sent pirates airborne before."

Dangdang short-circuited briefly before recovering. "Aha! Well then—I’m sure everyone’s curious about how you two met."

"Liu Hai, do you remember the day you were salvaged from the ancient ocean?"

"Hmm—" This question was unplanned. Liu Hai scrunched his face in thought.

"Honestly, I don’t remember much," Liu Hai admitted, clinging to the tank. "I just remember getting struck by lightning—*BOOM!*—and then passing out."

"When I woke up, my head was still spinning, and this jerk was tugging my tail. Then I blacked out again."

"The next time I woke up, I only met cool humans!"

Liu Hai darted behind Jiang Xun and ruffled his hair. "Dr. Jiang is really nice! He feeds me fish, gives me shiny gems, and even bought me clothes! But fabric clings weird underwater and feels uncomfortable, so I don’t like wearing them. I’ll toss ’em on sometimes when I’m on land, though!"

Dangdang hissed, "Liu Hai, Liu Hai, stop! You’re messing up Dr. Jiang’s hair!"

"Huh?" Liu Hai tilted his head at him.

"It's fine." Jiang Xun smiled as if it were routine. "Just think of it as his way of being affectionate."

"Haha, it seems the two of you really get along well. Guess it’s a special connection?" Dang Dang relaxed and casually asked, "Dr. Jiang, what kind of clothes did you prepare for him?"

Liu Hai gestured with his hands. "Some just dangled off me, with only a few clinking chains."

Dang Dang stammered, "Ch... chains?"

Liu Hai continued, "And some that were just a few pieces of cloth, saying they had to cover the chest, like this, see?"

Dang Dang blurted out, "A bikini?!"

Liu Hai tilted his head again. "And there was a black one, with lots of white lace and a headband..."

Dang Dang glanced subtly at Jiang Xun. "Wait—a maid costume?"

Jiang Xun: "Don’t give me that look. Those clothes were prepared by my assistant."

He motioned to Liu Hai. "Those were all given to you by Xiao Jin, right? Mine weren’t like that."

"Really?" Liu Hai tilted his head, then suddenly smacked his hands together, getting it. "Oh, Jiang Xun gave me this!"

He lifted the white lab coat draped over Jiang Xun’s shoulders. "This coat!"

Dang Dang gasped loudly. "Matching outfits!"

Jiang Xun closed his eyes briefly. "...It’s just to show he’s part of the lab."

Dang Dang laughed awkwardly. "Ahaha, right, right! It’s also to help Liu Hai feel a sense of belonging!"

"So, Dr. Jiang, what’s next for you two?"

Liu Hai also looked at Jiang Xun with interest. Jiang Xun smiled. "First, we still need to help Liu Hai adapt to this era."

"Right now, he no longer has trouble with the air, but we haven’t let him try entering the sea yet."

"After confirming he can fully take care of himself, we’ll consider his own opinion—whether to let him go or help him adjust to society."

Dang Dang added with a smile, "I know. No matter what future the little mermaid chooses, Siren Biotech Company has stated they’re willing to provide financial support unconditionally, looking out for him."

Jiang Xun didn’t interrupt her advertisement for Siren Company, gazing at Liu Hai, distracted.

Letting him go...

"Alright, that’s all for our little mermaid segment." Dang Dang sighed in relief. "Please head backstage for a short break. Our staff has prepared a big meal for you!"

Liu Hai’s eyes sparkled. "A feast!"

"Haha, go ahead." Dang Dang smiled warmly. "Now, let’s ask Dr. Jiang Xun some professional questions that might bore the little mermaid?"

Once Liu Hai’s tank was wheeled away and the earpiece confirmed he was out of earshot, Dang Dang changed the subject. "Alright, now that Liu Hai can’t hear us, let’s talk about this mermaid business."

"Dr. Jiang Xun, haven’t you been able to determine what species he actually is yet?"

Jiang Xun nodded. "We’ve got some ideas, but until confirmed, we’re keeping it under wraps for now."

"I see." Dang Dang smiled and nodded, following the script. "Then why does our Liu Hai keep saying he’s a mermaid?"

"I think there are many reasons." Jiang Xun sat up straight. "First, he has no peers in this era, and his first encounters were with humans who weren’t kind."

"But he didn’t pull away; instead, he seems to like every person he meets."

"So at first, I was puzzled—why’d he make that up?"

"Later, I realized that while he may seem a little goofy, he’s actually very clever, sometimes even sharper than most people."

"So, I think he calls himself a mermaid because he’s smart... and because he really wants people to like him."

"He appeared on the Siren, a ship originally built by the company for mermaids—everything was prepared for the legendary mermaid. So he believes everyone loves mermaids, that they make people happy."

"But in truth, we are happy—not because of mermaids, but because we like him, just as he is."

"Completely understandable." Dang Dang couldn’t help but nod. "Just spending this short time with him, I already feel a lot happier."

She smoothly continued with the planned topic. "But should we let Liu Hai keep saying he’s a mermaid? Even though we like him for himself?"

"Mhm." Jiang Xun smiled faintly. "That’s why Siren Biotech Company and the TV station have jointly started two projects."

Dang Dang cleared her throat. "Then let me introduce them!"

"The first campaign: Tag your posts with #ThisCanBeAMermaid? and draw what you think is a unique, unconventional mermaid! Does a human top with a fish bottom make a mermaid? Can it just be a fish tail? Can it have no tail at all? What makes a mermaid?"

"That’s for everyone to answer! Let’s rethink what a mermaid is together—with awesome prizes provided by Siren Biotech Company!"

"The second campaign: Tag your posts with #MyFavoritePrehistoricMarineLife and submit art, writing, photography, stop-motion films—anything goes! Let’s travel back to the prehistoric oceans, an era of life everywhere!"

"Let’s prove to this goofy 'little mermaid' that people don’t just love mermaids—we love all creatures! Again, with awesome prizes from Siren Biotech Company!"

Jiang Xun smiled to himself, quietly relieved.

This was good. The show wrapped up nicely.

Dang Dang grinned. "Now, we have one last question."

Jiang Xun looked slightly surprised. "What is it?"

Dang Dang chuckled. "Did you know? When you and Liu Hai first appeared in public, one pic blew up online!"

"Check it out!"

The background screen displayed the image: "The Ice-Cold Scientist and the Cute Mermaid!"

Jiang Xun: "..."

...

Meanwhile, Liu Hai, who had just been wheeled into the break room, saw neither Xiao Jin nor A Yu—only a staff member telling him to wait a moment before leaving as well.

With nothing to do, Liu Hai flipped around in his tank until the break room door opened.

Author’s Note:

Anonymous Rabbit: Hi, can I write a story called "The Ice-Cold Scientist and the Cute Mermaid" for the campaign?

Jiang Xun: "..."

One more update coming later! [Throws confetti]