A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

Chapter 184 One-Day Crown

After thinking about it, Li Mu still didn't take the initiative to ask.

He felt it wasn't appropriate. Knowing Bie Ge as he did, he knew that if Bie Ge wanted to tell him, he would have done so directly.

The reason he didn't say it was either because he didn't know... or because he felt there was no need to tell him.

As for Ji Jingjing, that's all the information she knows.

To put it more deeply, perhaps she knew, but... these things obviously couldn't be made public in the office.

Therefore, it's better not to ask. But he's not entirely inactive either.

Bie Yan participated in the pre-get off work meeting, said a few words, and then the meeting was dismissed. However, just before the end of the workday, Li Mu arrived at the time clock ten minutes early, pretending to be nonchalant… At that moment, he was actually quite embarrassed.

I suddenly regretted not smoking.

If you can smoke a cigarette at this time, it's considered a normal "work break".

Unfortunately, this was just a thought. But in the end... around 5 o'clock, when Bie Yan was checking in, she saw Li Mu.

Li Mu even went up and said something on his own initiative:

"Hey bro, are you playing cards tonight?"

Bie Yan's response was also very simple.

The older brother just rolled his eyes at him.

Ultimately, the other party did not say anything proactively.

Let's leave it at that.

So, Li Mu also went home after get off work.

I ate normally, exercised normally, read normally, surfed normally, and finally went to bed on time at night.

That's called self-discipline.

Time flew by, and it was already the seventh day of the lunar new year.

As soon as he arrived at work and clocked in, he habitually headed towards the magazine rack.

The newspapers and weekly magazines published there were always from the Southern Group, including the current day's and even the latest week's publications.

Updated daily.

He wanted to see if yesterday's interview had been published.

I promised Ding Lei I would publish it as quickly as possible, so I definitely need to check it.

But when he reached the newspaper rack, he suddenly paused...

The newspaper rack is arranged so that the day's newspapers are placed on top and the week's periodicals are placed below.

Because the group owns many newspapers and magazines, the newspapers are not sold in stacks like those sold in newsstands or convenience stores. Instead, they are folded in half again. There are even requirements for folding: no matter which newspaper it is, the newspaper name, such as "Southern Daily" or "Southern Metropolis Daily," must be highlighted in the upper left corner.

Therefore, Li Mu cannot see the content of the front page for the time being.

The problem is... besides the logo, some content is also visible in the folded newspaper.

When he saw the headline "NetEase Resumes Nasdaq" in the newspaper, his first reaction was... Huh?

But his eyes widened immediately, and he pulled out the newspaper and unfolded it...

NetEase successfully resumes trading on Nasdaq; exclusive interview with CEO Ding Lei!

Wait a minute... multiple CEOs?

Once he saw the title, his instinct kicked in and he quickly focused on the text below it.

Reporter/Photographer: Li Mu; Layout: Zhang Yi; Proofreader: Feng Wenlong

"On January 29th, Beijing time (January 28th, New York time), the time difference across the Pacific couldn't separate the focus of global financial attention—the hearing for NetEase's resumption of trading was held as scheduled at the Nasdaq Stock Exchange in the United States. Since the suspension of trading last year, this former 'first stock' of the Chinese Internet industry is now standing at a crossroads, determining whether it can return to the center of the international stage..."

When I saw the first paragraph of my article, the last bit of doubt in my heart completely disappeared.

Instead, there is a starkly clear reality.

I'm on the front page!?

I, Li Mu, a reporter who has been with the company for a little over six months... wrote an article... that made it to the front page of the Southern Metropolis Daily!

"call……"

At this moment, the only sound in the empty lobby of the office was his breathing.

A few seconds later, Li Mu's slightly bewildered gaze transformed into an indescribable radiance!

At that moment, he felt that the whole world had become a better place!

The air is fresh, birds are singing, flowers are blooming, the place is antique, and the aroma is intoxicating!

These incoherent thoughts kept flooding his mind, leaving him momentarily speechless, only feeling that... today was simply sunny and bright.

"Haha~"

"Hey, Li, what are you thinking about that makes you so happy?"

At that moment, a voice rang out.

Li Mu, still smiling, instinctively turned around and saw Yuan Jingci, a senior reporter in the financial sector.

Li Mu quickly regained his senses and greeted them politely:

"Good morning, Teacher Yuan."

"Um."

After Yuan Jingci finished swiping his card, he walked over and asked curiously:

"What's wrong? Why are you so happy?"

"Uh...hehe, Teacher Yuan, look, I'm on the front page!"

When Li Mu handed over the newspaper, Yuan Jingci was taken aback upon hearing this, but then took the newspaper.

After reading the headline article, a smile appeared on his face:

"Haha, congratulations, Xiao Li, you'll get an extra 500 yuan in bonus this month!"

The company's reward system is a front-page headline, with a bonus of 500 yuan.

But... the important thing is not this bonus.

For journalists, what's more important is... you can call it an honor, or you can call it a glory.

However, for Li Mu, the front page headline has a more fitting name: a one-day crown.

As the name suggests, at least today, the front page headline of this newspaper is like a great honor, representing that the reporter has obtained the most important news in the "country" of the newspaper.

The importance, prominence, and timeliness of this news made it the "best in the kingdom" on January 30, 2002, according to Southern Metropolis Daily!

That's the most important thing.

Li Mu remembers clearly that when he first heard this new term from his university professor, a classmate asked:

"Teacher, aren't there front-page headlines every day?"

The implication is that a front-page headline doesn't seem like a big deal.

The old professor's response was to list a statistic:

"Currently, there are nearly two thousand newspapers and magazines nationwide, and about half a million media professionals. These half a million professionals are vying for a front-page headline every day among these two thousand newspapers. As one of these half a million people, what do you think your chances are? And with so many people competing, why should it be your turn?"

Furthermore, do you really think that the significance of a front-page headline is just a news item that appears on the first page of a newspaper on a particular day out of 365 newspapers published a year?

No, your idea is wrong.

First of all, a front-page article is a testament to a journalist's highest professional competence. It not only means you've grabbed an exclusive story, but also that you have a keen grasp of news value among numerous reports… Of course, you might think it's nothing special, or even more superficially, that getting on the front page is just a matter of luck.

The old professor shook his head with a slightly speechless expression and continued:

"The front page headline of every professional newspaper founded by a professional newspaper tells readers, and even other media, which issues are worth discussing and remembering. Journalists who can write front page headlines are actually participating in defining the boundaries of public discourse."

This was the first time Li Mu had learned a different meaning of the word "discourse".

"The reason I mentioned professional newspapers founded by specialized newspaper organizations is quite simple. Under this premise, the newspaper filters, verifies, and sorts the massive amount of professional information that it excels at the previous day. When readers buy this newspaper, they are essentially buying certainty. The articles that reporters publish on the front page must be 'final drafts' that can withstand scrutiny and are impeccable. In other words, from a professional point of view, their news defines the massive amount of information of that day."

I could even put it more broadly: when your news makes the front page of your professional newspaper one day, then that day's information anchor is the beacon you cast, the one you defined yourself.

I often tell you: the first draft of a news story is the draft of history.

Perhaps to you, this is just a trivial matter—a front-page headline on a particular day. But years later, when people peruse the bound volumes, these front-page headlines, strung together, clearly outline the pulse of our era for posterity. These front-page headlines are, in this age defined by seconds, the catalogue we wrote for the future.

Now, my student, can you answer me: regarding this one-day crown, which may only be worn for a day, or even in a lifetime by some journalists, do you feel the weight of history and humanity within it?

He had an unforgettable memory of the old professor's lecture.

That's why, when the first news story made the entertainment headlines, Sui Kuan wanted to celebrate, and he would say to Sui Kuan, "It's not the front page headlines."

Because... after that class, Li Mu realized that compared to this one-day crown, the headlines of other sections were fundamentally different.

This is the true meaning of a front-page headline!

It is the highest praise and the greatest reward for a journalist's professional competence!

It's definitely not the "five hundred yuan" that Teacher Yuan mentioned!

Compared to this honor, the 500 yuan bonus, which is a quarter of my monthly base salary, is simply insignificant!

As insignificant as dust!

But... he didn't argue with the other party, he just smiled and nodded:

"Haha, yes."

Yuan Jingci patted him on the shoulder:

Congratulations!

"Thank you, Teacher Yuan."

"Um."

After watching the other person leave, Li Mu looked at the newspaper in his hand, at the photos he had taken, and at everything on the page...

Her smile is getting bigger and bigger.

Although the crown lasts only a day...

but……

My mentor...

The student can now, to some extent, understand the profound meaning behind your teachings.

You know what?

In this era of information overload, what it feels like to be an anchor point for information all day...

It's so addictive!

And feeling this sensation, for some reason, he recalled the thrill he felt at the company's annual party, sitting in the third row and looking down at the second and first rows...

And... a small ambition, quietly beginning to sprout.

This is just the Southern Metropolis Daily, a "small newspaper" with a circulation of about one million.

If only I could grace the front page of a national newspaper even once in my lifetime... and become a part of that national historical record...

What kind of feeling will it be?