A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

"Li Ji, the truth is, celebrities doing gigs are walking on the edge of the gray area. In this industry, it's incredibly easy to find a clever excuse."

"Most likely? You could say that."

"The main problem is that the tax law is not yet perfect, and there are loopholes that can be exploited."

"Hmm, I think it's best not to do it. Does Mr. Li have any connections in the entertainment industry?"

"It would be best to remind her that paying taxes legally is the only way out; otherwise... like Liu Xiaoqing, it's basically over for her. Of course, she's famous, so whether she can make a comeback is another matter, but based on this case... of course, this is just casual conversation, but in my experience handling cases, those who commit major violations face at least three years in prison, and up to seven. Even if Liu Xiaoqing wasn't the main culprit, she certainly deserves a sentence... but this is just my personal opinion..."

"Yes, yes, as long as Mr. Li understands. We're just chatting."

"They've all been made examples of, so if they don't arrest someone, they'll be 'dead,' right? Besides, wouldn't it be better to just earn money and pay taxes? You want to steal? Then we'll arrest you without hesitation."

"Hey, you'll see, Li Ji, when the time comes... Don't be fooled by their glamorous appearances; once they're really in there... they'll all be unrecognizable."

"They've lost their spirit, haven't they? I've seen plenty of people like that. Our job is to go against the big bosses. So many big bosses drive Mercedes-Benzes, spend thousands on a single meal, but in the end, they still eat corn porridge and steamed buns three times a day."

We chatted idly the whole way.

Although he didn't name names specifically, Li Mu and Sui Kuan could imagine from his words... what kind of fate those people ultimately suffered.

And through Qin Liyan's gradual opening up, both of them felt as if they had embarked on a "second life."

Previously, I hadn't had much contact with these public officials, so I didn't have much of an understanding of their situation.

But this time, upon contact... especially seeing the undisputed leading lady of the film and television industry, she was like... a mouse trying to flee in panic in front of them.

Suddenly, an unprecedented sense of awe washed over Li Mu.

It was a deep-seated reverence.

It's impossible to shake it off.

Then, they returned to the Golden Ring Hotel. In the hotel's parking lot, Li Mu watched as trolleys were being used to haul documents into the hotel...

This feeling is especially strong.

"Next, Mr. Li, we'll begin reviewing the data. This process will take approximately... ten to fifteen days. If there are any significant discoveries during this time, we'll contact you again."

"Okay, then let's get back to writing the article."

"Okay, you two can just contact me when the time comes."

"Okay, thank you for your help, Teacher Qin."

"You're welcome. There's still food available in the cafeteria, shall we go and eat?"

"good."\

After a working lunch, Li Mu and Sui Kuan said their goodbyes.

As the two walked out of the Golden Ring Hotel and were about to hail a taxi back, they inexplicably said in unison:

"Shall we wander around for a bit before going back?"

"Um."\

So the two men started walking along the road, heading in a direction they didn't even know.

"You'll write the article?"

"Okay, I'll do it."

Li Mu accepted it without hesitation.

"Then...should we add another brother?"

"I don't know, I'll ask when the time comes. But I reckon Brother Bie won't let me join; he's the deputy director, and if he does, wouldn't that mean he authorized this business trip?"

"……Um."\

"Fatty..."

"Um?"\

"Isn't that scary?"

"well."\

Sui Kuan let out a long sigh:

"My mom and dad both like her a lot, but... you saw it today, Liu Xiaoqing was clearly flustered... do you think she knows about these things?"

Whether she knows it or not is unimportant. What matters is... she's already done it.

"..."\

Ring ring...

Just then, the phone rang.

Sui Kuan's.

"...It's Feng Yuan."

"Let's not see each other for now. Focus on finishing this article."

"I think so too...feeding."

Li Mu quickened his pace.

I didn't listen to what the fat guy was talking about.

But Sui Kuan quickly caught up and said:

"I've already told her I can't see her for a while; I'm busy for a few days."

"Um……"\

Li Mu responded.

At this moment, Sui Kuan said:

"Speaking of which... I suddenly remembered something."

"What?"

"Well... when I was in high school, I remember my mom telling me about a news story. Liu Xiaoqing wrote an autobiography, you know?"

"I don't know, I'm actually quite indifferent to her."

"That autobiography... I forgot the title, something like 'From Star to Billionaire' or something. My mom said Liu Xiaoqing is really amazing; she was going to publish a book, and before she even wrote it, just with the beginning in mind, it was auctioned off. In the end, just the title alone was worth over a million."

"Well……"\

"well."\

Neither of them knew why they sighed.

But then... I couldn't help but sigh.

Finally, Li Mu stopped and hailed a taxi:

"I'm leaving."

"Um."\

After the two returned to the dormitory building of the Southern Metropolis Daily, Li Mu connected his laptop to the internet, opened a document, and began writing an article.

First, let's look at the beginning of the article.

Li Mu thought for a moment and typed a few words:

Liu Xiaoqing is under investigation for suspected tax evasion.

An unremarkable beginning.

But it directly addresses the root of the conflict and clarifies the theme.

Then, he fell into deep thought.

About half an hour later, Sui Kuan handed over his notebook, which was filled with his observations from that morning.

News reports are factual accounts, and the two people's respective experiences can be compared and contrasted.

Then he said:

"Shall I go get the photos developed?"

"Don't go."

Li Mu shook his head:

What if someone asks me about it?

"...Okay, let's talk about it later."

"Um."\

The room returned to silence.

A moment later, the phone rang.

Li Mu glanced at it.

Wang Jinghua.

Without saying a word, he hung up immediately.

Then came Fan Bingbing.

He hung up again, but this time he replied with a message:

"Writing a news article."

Then I simply muted the phone.

This article, written from morning till night, was far from finished, mainly because there was so much to describe. He was considering whether to explain some of the reasons behind the events in the article, and also how to interpret the case from a fair and open perspective… he was even worried about Liu Xiaoqing's influence.

And... I'm pretty sure this article isn't finished yet.

The case of Liu Xiaoqing will certainly be documented in multiple articles, detailing everything involved.

We also need to consider the feedback and opinions during the review process, as well as reader feedback…

To be honest, this article is quite difficult.

Because it involves celebrities...

After much deliberation and countless revisions throughout the afternoon, I only managed to complete a little over four hundred words.

After showing it to Sui Kuan, Fatty Sui offered a few more suggestions…

Finally, the two of them couldn't stand the hunger any longer, so they stopped for the time being.

Let's go find somewhere to eat.

It was almost 8 o'clock.

The two didn't go far. Although it wasn't Sui Kuan's first time in Yanjing, he wasn't very familiar with the area. Li Mu was even less so. So, they found a hot pot restaurant nearby.

(Parentheses: Fatty Sui ate five plates by himself...)

Li Mu clicked his tongue in disbelief.

I thought to myself, "You've really come here to rip me off."

After finishing their meal, the two returned to their dorm and were too lazy to think anymore.

Li Mu decided to take a break.

"I'm going out for a walk, do you want to come?"

"No, I'll call Feng Yuan and chat for a bit."

"Okay, remember that. Don't say things you shouldn't."

"rest assured."\

So, Li Mu walked again in the April evening breeze of Yanjing and called Fan Bingbing back.

He was a little worried, but he certainly couldn't tell Fatty Sui.

The call connected quickly, and my girlfriend's tired voice came through:

"Hey, are you done with your work?"

"not yet……"\

"What kind of news is it? Is it hard to write?"

"Hmm, it's difficult to write. As for what kind of news... I can't tell you right now. But I do have something to ask you."

"What?"

"...When you do gigs, do you pay taxes?"

"ah?"\

Fan Bingbing, who was exhausted from filming all day, was momentarily stunned and didn't react.

What does that mean?

"Do you pay taxes when you do commercial performances?"

"Of course we pay. But it's not me who pays, it's the person in charge of the performance venue. Performance taxes are complicated; they have ways to circumvent them, but we can't. If I were to pay taxes, it would be personal income tax, and there's a whole series of taxes involved, so the tax rate would be much higher than what they pay."

"..."\

Li Mu's heart skipped a beat.

Putting everything else aside, the root cause of Liu Xiaoqing's situation is none other than that old news from fifteen years ago, isn't it?

Considering the "trigger" that the frowning guy mentioned, the seeds were already sown at this time?

"What's wrong? Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

Fan Bingbing still didn't understand.

But he received no response from Li Mu.

Li Mu remained silent, his brows furrowed...

After thinking for a while, he finally spoke softly:

Do you believe me?

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just asking you, do you believe me or not?"

"Of course I believe it."

"...Okay, I have a suggestion. Find someone you trust and have them connect you with a reputable accounting firm. Then, have them audit all your taxes over the years, including those from gigs, commercial performances, and film/TV appearances. Check every single transaction, make sure everything is clear. That's the first point. Secondly... don't do those kinds of gigs anymore. It's absolute, but... not even once!"

"?"

Fan Bingbing was taken aback.

My first thought was, "Has my boyfriend gone crazy?"

Commercial performances are such a lucrative way to make money, why aren't they allowed?

Why should I?

Why won't you let me...?

Hmm.

Suddenly, she remembered the first part of her boyfriend's words.

Based on my understanding of him, these things must not be unfounded.

There must be a reason for this.

and……\

She paused for a moment, then asked in a low voice:

"Can I ask why?"

"Not at the moment."

"...Is it serious?"

"A maximum of seven years."

"Huh...?!"

Upon hearing this answer, Fan Bingbing initially didn't understand its meaning, but after realizing it, a chill ran down her spine...

The words weren't explicitly stated, but the underlying warning was extremely strong.

"...Can't you say?"

"Yes, I can't say, but you might see it in the newspaper in a while."

"...Okay, I understand. I'll start having someone check it tomorrow. Don't worry, I won't make you worry; I'll entrust this to the person I trust most!"

"Um."\

Li Mu breathed a huge sigh of relief.