A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

Chapter 201 Conversation

"What did you sneakily eat for lunch?"

"What the hell? I went to meet someone, hoping to arrange an interview, but I couldn't get one."

When Li Mu ran into Fatty Sui in the afternoon, he made up an excuse.

He didn't mention seeing Brother Bie... Actually, it's already clear now that Brother Bie's attitude towards Fatty Sui is that of a hands-off manager who hands him over to Shang Xiaobin and then doesn't care anymore.

But... the reason why Li Mu mentioned Sui Kuan twice at noon today was mainly because he and Zhang Zhengwen had repeatedly mentioned "inheritance" at the dinner table that day.

This is, to some extent, an attitude.

Or rather, a quality.

He is certainly not qualified to mentor newcomers right now, but he should at least demonstrate this quality of "not forgetting his roots".

Moreover, he thought the fat man was also a smart person.

He has a particularly good quality: he knows how to keep his distance.

For example, after Li Mu took the initiative to "cut ties" with him after he became a full-time employee, he acted very calmly.

After realizing that every official journalist is an independent individual, although I still occasionally make joking remarks like "Hey bro, take care of your little brother," I've become more measured in my words.

However, he didn't mention the GG regulations now.

Instead, they plan to observe for a period of time.

Then, starting in the afternoon, Zhou Long began talking to people in the office.

The first one to be named was Wu Jun, the most senior reporter in the office.

"Teacher Wu, come to my office."

To be honest, Zhou Long was quite polite.

Wu Jun reacted quickly, responding promptly:

"Yes, sir, I'm coming right away."

Then, he quickly walked out of the large office.

About 20 minutes later, he came back and called out the name of another senior reporter.

Once the other party left, several veteran reporters, including Ji Jingjing, gathered around:

"Teacher Wu, what did you and the director talk about? Can you tell me?"

"They encouraged me to work more."

Wu Jun didn't hide anything, and with a chuckle, he held up his teacup and said:

"The director just arrived, so he definitely needs to get to know everyone's situation. That's why I'll be talking to each of you individually. It's nothing serious."

Listen carefully to what he says. For Wu Jun, an old man who has spent half his life in the Department of Culture and Sports and has seen all kinds of ups and downs, the new director's talk is definitely nothing.

To be honest, this kind of seasoned veteran... as long as he doesn't want to make a mistake, no one can find any trouble for him at work.

Their experience is too rich.

But for others, it's hard to say.

Now, neither Li Mu nor Sui Kuan dared to leave without permission, and they sat obediently at their workstations... In reality, the two of them had completely lost their minds.

The Culture and Sports Department is currently at full capacity with 35 reporters. Although some have gone out on fieldwork, it is clear that a dozen or so people cannot be interviewed in one afternoon.

It wasn't until he was about to leave work that Zhou Long managed to talk to six or seven people.

Then, he gave a very brief summary meeting during the party, the gist of which was that everyone should work hard, and then those who had nothing else to do clocked out.

After getting off work, Li Mu returned to his neighborhood with a lot on his mind.

After a quick meal, he grabbed his tennis racket and joined the tennis-playing crowd in the neighborhood.

His girlfriend's weight loss naturally put some pressure on him.

You can't afford not to maintain a good figure.

Exercise, fitness, surfing the internet.

Finally, amidst his girlfriend's drunken nagging, "Baby, I've had too much to drink, I love you, I love you, I love you," he went to bed promptly around 10 PM.

……

The GG Regulation seems to have been just a quiet little episode, and it seems to have had no impact on the behemoth that is the Southern Metropolis Daily.

Li Mu's time also passed very regularly.

These past few days, he's been going on interviews with Brother Bin, but the news stories haven't actually been very big.

2002 was, strictly speaking, a big year.

The World Cup in South Korea and Japan at the end of May, the Busan Asian Games, and the first Cultural Industry Forum to be held in Nanjing in May, which was announced at the beginning of this year, are all examples of events that will be held in the region.

But since nothing's started yet, Li Mu's job is quite easy.

Thursday arrived, and finally, after Li Mu returned from an outing for interviews, he received a notification:

"Xiao Li, the director wants you to go to his office."

"Okay, sure."

Li Mu responded.

Clearly, the fact that a newcomer was called over indicates that the entire "talk" within the Arts and Sports Department is coming to an end.

Arriving at Zhou Long's office door, he knocked, and after hearing a sound from inside, he pushed the door open and went in.

"Director, you wanted to see me?"

"Oh, Xiao Li, come, have a seat."

Sure enough, every time Li Mu saw Zhou Long, the other man always had a grinning face.

It's really hard to dislike them.

But... since Brother Bie said this person was a smiling tiger, Li Mu couldn't get close to him because of this preconceived notion.

Li Mu walked to the sofa, but didn't sit down immediately. Instead, he watched Zhou Long get up from his desk, walk to the sofa, and sit down first before he sat down himself.

Here, take it yourself.

"Thank you, Director."

Li Mu took the packet of Yuxi cigarettes from his hand, took one out, lit it for him with a lighter, and then lit it for himself.

But he doesn't smoke; he just took a couple of puffs and then spat it out.

A bitter taste filled my mouth.

"Where did you go?"

"I went with Brother Bin to Tianhe. The community there held a spring bonsai appreciation and exchange meeting. Several people from the Japanese Bonsai and Landscape Association brought a batch of bonsai that looked quite nice to exchange. We went with the local team to report and cover the event."

"Oh~"

Zhou Long nodded:

"You write the article?"

"No, I took the photos, and Sui Kuan wrote them."

"Um."

The other party nodded again and smiled:

"I thought you wrote it, after all, I've heard a lot about your writing skills. Haha, to be honest, the first time I saw your 9/11 article, I was still working at the weekly magazine. At that time, the editorial board of the weekly magazine was saying that they wanted to get you to do a special article on 9/11. But by then, your articles had already been published all over the country, which was enough, so we didn't agree to it."

"Uh...yes. There were indeed a lot of interviews back then, which was my oversight."

"Ha, not at all. You know, fate is a really strange thing. I was feeling regretful before, but then we became colleagues. Isn't that a coincidence?"

He said he and Li Mu were colleagues.

Li Mu didn't dare tell him, "We're colleagues," and could only nod with a smile.

"As for the article about the 'Four Little Actresses,' and the front page from a couple of days ago, I've read them all. Xiao Li, you have great talent! That's something we all agree on."

"Thank you for the compliment, Director. I think it's just a coincidence..."

"Eh~"

Zhou Long waved his hand:

"Young people should have a lot of drive, no need to be so modest. You say it's a coincidence, but others can't even have a chance to do it. Xiao Li, you need to be more energetic. As a new generation of journalists, you should let your brilliance shine even brighter."

"Well... Director, to be honest, I still feel there are quite a few shortcomings. I need to learn a lot from you, Deputy Director Bie Yan, Teacher Wu Jun, and Brother Bin. I think these articles were just lucky, a stroke of good fortune. Although I was able to write them, it doesn't mean I'm very good; it was just a matter of chance. This is truly my honest opinion."

Li Muna is truly humble, humble, and even more humble.

That's just how the workplace is.

When your boss praises you, it doesn't necessarily mean they genuinely mean it.

Don't take it seriously.

It's always good to be cautious and never speak too definitively.

Even if such social skills are considered slick, at least it leaves you with some leeway.

"Haha, you lad... well, that kind of humility is a very valuable quality."

Zhou Long smiled, took a drag of his cigarette, and then asked:

"By the way, are you quite familiar with Ding Lei from NetEase? How did you manage to arrange that interview?"

"I wouldn't call them close acquaintances. When I went to the US before, I met a senior figure in the Hong Kong stock market who knew Ding Lei. After NetEase successfully resumed trading, I took the initiative to talk to him about it, and he acted as a go-between. NetEase also happened to need to promote this, so it was a coincidence that we were able to arrange an interview."

"You have quite the network."

Zhou Long nodded with a smile:

"Ordinary people can't get a hold of Ding Lei. You have to maintain this connection and keep in touch often."

"That's for sure, I'll try my best. But to be honest, Ding Lei is quite hard to get an appointment with. After he made the headlines, NetEase's Nasdaq stock price has been soaring these past few days. I originally wanted to schedule a follow-up appointment, but he's always busy."

Li Mu quickly and silently put on a bulletproof vest.

Zhou Long didn't seem to care much, and laughed:

"Then let's keep making appointments. We're the media; we have the power. They'll need us sooner or later. That's how the relationship is built up, isn't it?"

"Yes... then I'll do my best."

"Hmm... Also, Xiao Li, have you read the GG Regulations?"

"I've seen it."

"Any questions?"

"No, it's written quite clearly inside."

"That's good. Keep up the good work. The group is undergoing reforms, and performance is a major evaluation factor. Work hard, do your best, and with good results and your abilities, a promotion is just around the corner. If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to contact me."

"Okay, Director. Just don't find me annoying."

"Haha, how could that be..."

After about ten minutes, Li Mu got up to say goodbye.

As he left the office, he inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief, then walked into the main office and called out:

"Sui Kuan, the director wants to see you."

"They're here."

Sui Kuan quickly walked to Li Mu's side and asked in a low voice:

"What did you talk about?"

"Just chatting, nothing serious."

"Phew... I'm off then."

"Um."

Li Mu responded and returned to his workstation. After thinking for a moment, he sent a text message to Bie Yan:

"Brother Bie, Director Zhou has finished talking to me."

"Hmm, what did they say?"

"They mostly encouraged me, and told me to follow the rules and work hard, saying that this performance evaluation was very important to me."

"Okay, I understand."

Li Mu didn't reply. Instead, he sat at his workstation, pretending to be lost in thought while holding the article that the fat man hadn't finished writing.

Admittedly, Zhou Long's attitude was actually quite friendly.

but……

He genuinely resisted these GG regulations.

He has the prestigious 911 brand to his name, an honor that many can only dream of.

This prestigious reputation cannot tolerate even the slightest blemish.

I dare not gamble.

You can't gamble.

Inappropriate.

Inappropriate.

We're all destined to walk different paths.