A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

Chapter 207 Blowing Out the Candles

Upon hearing her boyfriend say "something's not right," Fan Bingbing temporarily pulled herself out of her character's world and focused her gaze on him.

The boyfriend leaned back on the sofa, his eyes radiating absolute calmness.

That mysterious wind seemed to blow once again.

So she secretly poked her boyfriend with her toe.

It means to turn on hands-free.

Li Mu glanced at her, turned on speakerphone, placed the phone on the table, and his voice came from the phone:

"What does this mean? Something's not right. It's linked to our performance evaluation."

"I know... have you asked anyone else about this GG thing?"

"I asked him, I asked Brother Bin."

"What did he say?"

"I asked him how this performance evaluation was calculated, and whether it would affect me if my performance was poor. He said he wasn't sure either; this was the first time in many years that GG (Gross Gaming) income was explicitly included in the performance evaluation. In the past, even if we recruited GGs, we would just delegate the matter to the GG department to handle..."

"Yes, that's what I wanted to say. Don't you find it strange?"

"what?"

Following Sui Kuan's surprised voice, Li Mu thought for a moment and said:

"I also asked Brother Bie, but not about this performance evaluation. What I found strange was that in our regulations, Chapter Four says that GG funds should be deposited into a personal account designated by the GG department... Did you see that clause?"

"I didn't notice, what did Brother Bie say?"

"What Brother Bie means is, this is an unspoken rule. After all, our company is a provincial newspaper, and there's never been a similar incentive policy within the group. So, those personal accounts are essentially the company's slush fund, understand? All the guys' income goes there, it doesn't go through the official accounts..."

"I know that. Brother Bin also talked to me about it. He said that everyone does it this way, so it's not unusual."

"But the GG regulations have the official seal of the GG department. If something can be stamped, do you still think it's an unspoken rule?"

"...Just tell me what you mean, I'm a little confused."

"The meaning is simple: the reason a rule is unspoken is because it's something that can't be openly discussed. But now that the official seal is on, it's no longer an unspoken rule, but a written rule. Therefore, I have doubts about this written rule. After all, I've extended it based on my personal understanding, and no matter how you look at it, it's highly feasible. I have doubts about it, do you understand what I mean?"

"Well……"

Seeing that Sui Kuan was stuck, Li Mu didn't know if he was thinking or hesitating.

but……

In short, that's all I have to say.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, the attitude of "having doubts" was already evident.

Whether Fatty Sui can figure it out is up to him.

"So don't ask me to talk to you. I'm not interested in this. I suggest you think about it carefully."

The call ended.

Fan Bingbing became interested:

"What are the GG regulations?"

Li Mu didn't hide anything and told everyone about the regulations issued in February, the points of contention, the conversation with Brother Bie, and Zhou Long's three million yuan bet on the first day of the month.

As Fan Bingbing listened, her brows furrowed.

"You...don't want to do it, or do you feel the risks outweigh the rewards?"

"Both sides are involved, but I trust Brother Bie. Since he also feels something is wrong, I will definitely stay far away from him."

"But……"

Now, she really can't lie down anymore.

She straightened up, crossed her legs, and looked at her boyfriend:

"I think your thinking is flawed; you're being too ruthless. Putting everything else aside, even if you were just outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, that would have been fine. This Director Zhou is a new broom sweeping clean; are you going to refuse him? Even if you were like... Sui Kuan, casually pulling a fast one and making a thousand or so yuan, at least you'd have some explanation. There's no need to sever ties so cleanly right from the start, is there?"

At this point, she thought for a moment and then said:

"Aren't you afraid of becoming the next Director Zhang?"

"I'm not afraid of that."

Li Mu shook his head:

"Director Zhang, there's no way out. But I do, and Brother Bie does too."

"But……"

"I understand what you mean. Listen to my line of thinking... First of all, you mean if I feel something is wrong, I should do less, right? That way, it'll look better for everyone."

"right."

"Well... let me give you an example. Suppose this matter comes to light. Although Brother Bie is also advising me, saying that if something really happens, I'll be one of those 'people' who can't be caught by the law, have you thought about it? A stain is a stain; even if you can't be caught by the law, you can't wash it away completely. And my biggest concern is the 9/11 news; this news has already been submitted to the province for awards. I ask you, how valuable is this news?"

"That's for sure."

"Okay, if I could win the Guangdong News Award...wouldn't I be amazing?"

"Of course! You're a young talent. You've only been in the industry for a year and you've already won such a big award. And didn't you mention the national-level journalism award? Your journalism seems to qualify you, right?"

"Yes, let me put it this way: what news from last year, from the beginning to the end, left the deepest impression on you?"

"Well... at the beginning of the year, our national team qualified for the World Cup. Then we joined the WTO, then we won the bid to host the Olympics, then 9/11... uh."

When he recounted all the news stories she remembered, she instantly understood what her boyfriend meant, and her eyes widened in surprise:

"Could it be...you mean...?"

Li Mu shrugged:

"Although I don't know how the selection process works, well... at least I managed to create a big news story. Let's make a hypothetical scenario: in April, I won the Guangdong Journalism Award, and the province submitted my application to the national government. Then in August, the awards were announced, followed by the awards ceremony on November 8th, Global Journalists' Day... What if! What if something suddenly happens in the middle, and our unit makes a mistake because of these unspoken rules? Even if the law doesn't punish everyone, do you think the national government, during the comprehensive evaluation, would find out that I, as a journalist, was also involved..."

"Then you've lost out big time!"

"That's right."

He once again displayed a composed demeanor:

"Therefore, the best way is to eliminate this risk from the start. I'm not short of money; a mere 360,000 in commission is nothing to me. And the prestige a national journalism award can bring me is incomparable to that. So, it's better not to do it than to make a mistake. Even if, as you say, I become Director Zhang… at least I can use this national-level award to open doors to all media organizations, including those in the Chinese community. Besides, if I really win the award, the group will treat me like royalty; how could I possibly gamble my future on something like this?"

"..."

Now, Fan Bingbing finally understood her boyfriend's choice.

really……

If you don't do it, you won't make a mistake.

After all, this path was different from the very beginning.

but……

"Aren't you afraid that Director Zhou will make things difficult for you?"

"I don't need him to make things difficult for me. If everyone is trying to make money, and someone happens to be a loner, the group will naturally ostracize that loner."

"Then you must be feeling really bad."

Li Mu shrugged indifferently:

"Some crises are opportunities. If you seize them, you can soar. But some crises are pure poison. Don't even think about seizing them; just touching them will kill you. I'd rather do nothing than die."

"Well……"

Listening to her boyfriend's summary, she thought for a moment and asked curiously:

"Is this... what you mean by 'thinking from a politician's perspective'?"

"That's called running a newspaper with a politician's perspective."

After correcting his girlfriend's statement, Li Mu shook his head:

"No, it's just a matter of weighing the pros and cons."

"So what is it like to truly think from their perspective?"

"Well……"

Faced with her curiosity, Li Mu thought for a moment, then looked at her and asked a question:

If you blow out three of ten candles, how many are left?

"Seven."

Her answer was remarkably candid.

But I immediately realized something was wrong:

"Ugh... Ten! You're so annoying! Why are you giving me such riddles? What? Do you think politicians solve problems using riddles?"

"No, they will ask you in return: Why are you blowing out the people's candles?"

"..."

Fan Bingbing's lips twitched.

Li Mu shrugged and said no more.

But after savoring the taste, Xiao Fan suddenly threw the script in his hand onto the coffee table, got up and walked to the two "bookshelves" next to the computer desk.

I looked around and made my selection.

Finally, the question was asked:

"Recommend a book? Something in the style you just mentioned."

Li Mutou, who had picked up the white pieces again, didn't even look up and said:

"Political Order in Changing Societies"

"Let me see... I found him, Samuel Huntington?"

"Um."

"OK!"

With a mix of interest and curiosity, she picked up the book and returned to the sofa. She put her feet back on her boyfriend's lap, leaned back, and opened the book to the first page:

"The most important political divide between countries lies not in the form of their governments, but in the effectiveness of their governments..."

Well.

What is meant by "field division"?

I don't quite understand.

But... she trusts her boyfriend.

Reading is always beneficial.

So she read books, and he played chess.

Occasionally, she would steal her boyfriend's perfectly warm teacup and take a sip.

Night falls.

The aroma of tea gradually filled the entire room.