A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

Chapter 185 Arguing in May

"Congratulations, Xiao Li, you're on the front page!"

"Well, Li, it's only the beginning of the year, and you've already pulled off another big move."

"Hmm, I remember what was the fastest new employee to be featured in the headlines in our company before? But it was definitely later than Xiao Li's. Haha, Xiao Li is amazing."

"Congratulations, Xiao Li..."

On this day, the flowers of Chang'an seemed especially vibrant to Li Mu.

It blooms at night and when people go to work in the morning, the ground is covered with flowers.

Everyone in the office congratulated him, and... Li Mu couldn't help but wonder if all the older brothers and sisters in the Arts and Sports Department office had ever been on the front page of the news.

Or is it as the mentor said, that some journalists may never have felt the weight of the crown on this day in their entire lives?

Of course, he didn't ask, since it might offend someone.

But... no matter what, even the air tasted sweet during the first ten minutes of work.

From July 29, 2001, until now.

It lasted 186 days.

Exactly six 31-day calendar months, a full six months.

Reporter Li Mu, [Front Page Headline] achievement unlocked.

Filled with the joy of personal honor, Li Mu began his workday.

And at 9:15, there is a morning meeting.

Generally speaking, the morning meetings of the Arts and Sports Department are not held in the conference room unless there is something important to announce.

Usually, Zhang Zhengwen, as the director, or Bie Yan would come to the main office from their own workstations to hold a routine morning meeting in front of everyone, and that would be the end of it. However, if something truly important happened, such as instructions from the province or major events like the 9th National Games or the Spring Festival travel rush that Li Mu experienced last year, then a series of plans would be formulated in the conference room.

After all, everyone is quite busy.

At today's morning meeting, Zhang Zhengwen and Bie Yan appeared together.

And after they came in, the office became quiet.

The tacit understanding built up over the years meant that it was just a routine meeting that didn't require going to the conference room. The leader would call on the staff, and once that was done, the meeting was over.

Li Mu, however, was observing Director Zhang.

Unfortunately, the other party remained completely unfazed.

"Today is the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, a day for human beings. Although the Spring Festival is coming to an end, everyone should still be on duty these next few days. The post-Spring Festival return-to-work rush has also begun. The team that was in charge of the Spring Festival travel rush last year can continue to follow up on the news about the return-to-work rush and keep up with three to five interviews. Okay, that's all I wanted to say. Also~"

Zhang Zhengwen and Bie Yan both looked at Li Mu at the same time:

"Our new recruit, Xiao Li, has made the front page of the newspaper for the first time today. Congratulations everyone!"

"Splash splash splash..."

Even though congratulations had already been offered, the boss led the way, and applause rang out again in the office.

Li Mu quickly bowed to express his gratitude.

After the applause subsided, Zhang Zhengwen continued:

"Xiao Li has made a good start for our Arts and Sports Department in the new year, and he has set a good example for everyone. We must continue to work hard! Okay, that's all I wanted to say."

Zhang Zhengwen waved his hand, signifying the end of the morning meeting.

But Bie Yan spoke up:

"Xiao Li, come to my office."

"Uh... okay."

Li Mu responded and got up from his workstation. By then, the two leaders had already left the main office.

When Li Mu chased after him, he saw that Zhang Zhengwen had already entered his office.

He wondered if the news was true. Was he really going to leave?

With a puzzled look on his mind, he knocked on Bie Yan's office door, then pushed it open and went inside.

"Brother Bie, you were looking for me?"

"Yes, sit down."

Bie Yan pointed to the sofa, indicating that he should sit down, and then took out a tea canister from the cabinet.

When Li Mu looked at the tea canister, it seemed familiar.

After Bie Yan walked to the sofa and sat down, noticing that his eyes were fixed on the tea canister in his hand, she smiled and asked:

"What? You're not letting me drink?"

"Well……"

Upon hearing this, Li Mu subconsciously asked:

"Is this the one I gave you?"

"Yeah, I have to say, it tastes pretty good to me. Have you tried it?"

"No, I don't know much about tea. She recommended it to me when we were shopping."

"Bingbing's choice of tea is indeed excellent. The aroma is quite strong, but there is a downside: the first two infusions are particularly strong, but the aroma becomes very weak starting from the third infusion."

"Does it mean...it's not a good thing?"

"That's not entirely true. Some people prefer Dancong tea with a long finish and that can withstand multiple infusions. I, on the other hand, quite like this kind with a strong aroma, but it's too much of a hassle to drink."

Li Mule laughed:

"That's alright, I'll buy more."

"Give me a break."

Bie Yan rolled her eyes.

"I estimate this tea costs at least one or two thousand. How many boxes could you buy with your salary?"

"Uh...hehehe."

While the two were chatting, the water was boiled.

After tossing a bunch of Dancong tea leaves, which looked like weeds, into the teacup, Bie Yan laughed and said:

"How does it feel to be on the front page?"

"I'm quite surprised."

Li Mu speaks the truth:

"When I was in school, our teacher said that for a reporter, the front page headline is like a crown for a day. Only after wearing it can one truly appreciate its weight."

"Yes, that's true. It's mainly just a coincidence. There wasn't much big news today, and... NetEase is a pillar company in the internet industry. When Ding Lei made the news about NetEase's suspension of trading last year, it was actually a front-page story. However, that front page wasn't in the arts and culture section, but in the finance section. And with the successful resumption of trading, plus the interview with Ding Lei you have, if it weren't for your news, today's headline might just be a small headline announcing their successful resumption of trading, and it wouldn't have this much coverage."

"Hehe, the advantage of having more words?"

"I suppose so. But ultimately, you should maintain a good relationship with Ding Lei. If necessary, it's okay to show him some favoritism. The value that an internet billionaire can bring you is long-term. If you maintain a good relationship, you'll never have to worry about not having news."

"Yes, I understand."

When Li Mu agreed, his expression remained normal. Although he was happy, he didn't show any "arrogance." Bie Yan nodded slightly, but then fell silent.

The hum of a kettle gradually filled the room.

Bie Yan's eyes were fixed on the kettle, then suddenly seemed to drift away.

After observing him discreetly, Li Mu knew that Brother Bie definitely had something else to say to him.

After all... the matter with Toutiao was over, but they didn't let me leave, and they changed their previous "business-like" attitude during working hours.

Instead, he kept the tea for himself.

There's clearly more to it than meets the eye.

So, as the kettle went from "buzzing" to "gurgling," the older brother began to wash and brew the tea.

In Li Mu's opinion, Brother Bie's movements were quite professional.

Soon, a cup of tea was handed to him.

"Try it."

"OK."

Li Mu responded, squeezed the cup for a moment... and then quickly let go.

This cup is a bit thin and gets very hot.

Actually, this is also something he... how should I put it, more or less, doesn't quite understand about Southerners.

You know, this tea is very hot. If the cup is too thin, it'll be painful to hold. And if you ask them to get a thicker cup... sorry, no way.

And the most bizarre thing is that the cup not only has to be thin, but also light in color.

But here's the strange thing: why use a light-colored, thin teacup like white? They'll tell you it's for observing the color of the tea.

The problem is, the color of the soup is obvious at a glance, so why insist on using a thin-walled cup?

Why insist on looking through the cup when you can clearly see the tea soup at a glance? Isn't that just pointless?

Li Mu didn't quite understand, and when he asked some local classmates at school, he found that everyone's explanation was also very general.

Everyone knows the reasons, but how this habit naturally developed further back is unknown.

Haha, Brother Bie is really not afraid of getting burned...

"Director Zhang will be transferred after the 15th."

Li Mu, who was just letting his imagination run wild, suddenly heard this sentence.

He was taken aback for a moment, then quickly came to his senses.

He glanced at Bieyan, who seemed to be looking down at the color of the soup, thought for a moment, and said:

"Transfer? Where to?"

"It's unclear at the moment, but... most likely he'll become an editor at one of the weekly magazines. Less likely, he'll go to the Farmers' Daily."

"this……"

Li Mu thought for a moment and asked:

"Is that considered an increase or a decrease?"

"I'd say it's... a lateral move."

Bie Yan poured herself another cup, and seeing that Li Mu hadn't drunk from his cup yet, she put down the teapot herself.

"Broadly speaking, all the publications within the group are sister units. Everyone is at the same level, and the next step up from the department head is the editorial board member, then the deputy editor-in-chief, and finally the editor-in-chief. But... while we are sister units, our circulation exceeded 1.2 million copies last year. I asked my brother-in-law, and he hasn't received any notification from the group, so he probably won't be going to *Caijing*. That makes it easy to guess. *City Pictorial* has a monthly circulation of 110,000 copies, *Southern Sports* has 170,000, and *Famous Brands*, which is specifically for men, only has a little over 50,000 copies a month. The only one that could be considered a lateral transfer is *Entertainment Weekly*, but he probably won't be there."

"Uh...why? If it's Entertainment Weekly, then it's a good fit for my expertise, right? After all, although they're in entertainment, they're still part of the arts and culture."

"Because the head of Entertainment Weekly and the reason he was transferred this time are the same."

"What do you mean?"

As Li Mu countered with his question, the two of them naturally ignored the Southern Weekly.

The reason is simple: this weekly magazine, founded in 84, is practically a benchmark for in-depth reporting and is directly managed by the group. Moreover, its status is above that of the Southern Metropolis Daily.

Zhang Zhengwen was transferred laterally, not promoted...

After Li Mu finished asking his question, Bie Yan suddenly sighed:

"well……"

Leaning back on the sofa, he shook his head slightly, his gaze suddenly falling on Li Mu.

After looking him over, he asked:

"Xiao Li, what were you doing last May?"

Last May?

Li Mu was somewhat puzzled, but following this memory, he said:

"I submitted my resume to several other companies besides our newspaper, and then I was preparing for graduation... I didn't do anything else, right?"

Hearing this, Bie Yan nodded:

"Do you remember what happened at our newspaper office last May?"

What happened...?

Li Mu frowned slightly and began a frantic brainstorming session.

Last May...?

Southern Metropolis Daily?

occur……

Ok?

occur……???

Suddenly, his eyes widened as he looked at Bie Yan:

"Brother Bie is referring to... that [argument]!?"