A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

After hanging up the phone, Fan Bingbing fell into a state of almost blank contemplation.

She was pondering everything her boyfriend had said on the phone.

She's not stupid, and she understands her boyfriend's personality...or rather, his way of doing things.

What he's not saying must be very important.

Or, to some extent, it certainly requires a high degree of secrecy.

And his reminder... was certainly not unfounded.

Having been together for six months, whether it was during their usual time together or during phone conversations while she was away working... she always felt that her boyfriend was a very emotionally stable person.

Stable, rational, calm, and restrained.

And the more he acted like that, the more he liked it.

Putting aside these factors, the only possibility she could think of for someone with such a personality to issue her a warning—forbidding her from performing outside of her usual gigs and demanding a thorough investigation—was that...

My boyfriend probably learned some things through a news interview. And these things... are things the government plans to strictly investigate!

"!"

Once she understood this, she immediately realized the seriousness of the situation.

The thought of the consequences made her inexplicably panicked.

It's not that she's doing it, but rather a natural fear.

A perfectly healthy person,

With this thought in mind, her only option was to dial her father's number.

"Hey, Dad... I need to talk to you about something."

……\

"I just finished talking to my dad on the phone. He's going to Yanjing tomorrow. A finance company wanted to work with me before, but I turned them down because I was worried that financial independence would make them suspicious. Is it okay if my dad comes over tomorrow to talk to them?"

Upon seeing the text message, Li Muxin commented that it was alright; his girlfriend wasn't the type to be indecisive or wishy-washy.

So he replied:\

"Yes, a thorough investigation is warranted. From this day forward, all your business dealings must be legal and compliant; there can be no loopholes. You absolutely cannot harbor any侥幸心理 (a sense of侥幸, a belief that you can get away with something)."

"Is it that serious?"

"Yes, it's very serious."

"Okay, I understand. Are you in the dorm?"

"downstairs."\

"Okay, then I won't call you. You should get some rest."

Looking at the message, Li Mu thought for a moment and said:

"You can tell Wang Jinghua."

"Isn't it supposed to be kept secret?"

"It's confidential, just a subtle hint, so you have an excuse to investigate thoroughly."

What if she doesn't listen?

"Do your duty to others, and leave the rest to fate."

"Understood."

Li Mu didn't reply. Instead, he stood downstairs, pondering for a moment in the evening breeze, before calling Huang Feng:

"Hey, Manager Huang, how about we grab dinner together tomorrow?"

A moment later, after returning to the dormitory, Li Mu looked at Sui Kuan, who had just finished showering, and said:

"Fatty, Zhou Xun's agent is treating us to dinner tomorrow night."

Sui Kuan was somewhat puzzled:

"Are you two free to have dinner?"

"Of course, and you absolutely must go. This is a great opportunity to expand your network and increase our influence. Don't worry about it; just watch me talk to them tomorrow. Also, regarding Feng Yuan… you can meet with her tomorrow at noon for a meal and a chat. I won't be going. When you two are talking… give her a little hint, but don't reveal the nature of the matter. Just tell her to suggest that the company conduct an internal investigation. That's all. Don't go into any more details."

"What...do you mean?"

Sui Kuan was momentarily stunned.

Shouldn't this kind of thing be kept secret?

You wouldn't let me say it just now, why have you suddenly changed your mind?

Li Mu shook his head slightly:

"We need to raise our status a bit. In every way... so that some people won't still treat us like nobody's trash. But we can't be high-profile about it; we have to do it little by little. Remember, the more mysterious we are, the higher our status will be in the future. Just trust me!"

"Okay...that's fine."

Although he couldn't figure it out yet, Sui Kuan nodded in agreement.

Li Mu is definitely smarter than me.

And things you can't figure out... that's okay, think about them slowly.

And so, nothing was said that night.

The date has arrived: the 11th.

In the morning, Li Mu continued writing, while Fatty Sui dressed up in a rather flamboyant manner.

Around 11 o'clock, dressed in a trendy tracksuit, after confirming the limits of what she could "reveal" with Li Mu, she headed out with a smug look on her face.

Li Mu ignored him and continued writing.

Sui Kuan returned around 2 PM.

The first thing he said to Li Mu was:

"It's settled. I spoke with Feng Yuan and asked her to suggest that the company conduct a self-examination of Huayi Brothers' artists regarding tax issues related to commercial performances, just in case. She didn't quite understand and kept asking, but I didn't say anything."

"Hmm. Here, take a look."

Li Mu moved aside, while Sui Kuan sat down at the computer.

"April 10, 2002, First Inspection Branch of Yanjing Municipal Tax Bureau..."

Li Mu's writing skills are beyond question. This article, after being written, underwent revisions and can be considered a first draft.

After reading it word by word, Sui Kuan nodded directly:

"I think it's okay."

"Okay, then I'll submit it for review directly. As for the photos... how about you don't go to your workplace to get them developed for now?"

"What's wrong?"

"I'm worried that people in our unit might leak the information. After all, we're not familiar with the people here... So, I'll submit it for review."

"After you're done, tell Qin Liyan that you're going to his workplace to wash up."

"Is it really necessary? They'll only see photos at most..."

"It's better to be cautious."

Seeing that Li Mudu had said so, Sui Kuan could only nod in agreement.

So, Li Mu dialed Qin Liyan's number and got his email address.

I sent the article over.

They also discussed developing the photos, to which Qin Liyan readily agreed, saying that once the article was approved, the negatives could be taken to his workplace for developing.

Furthermore, Li Mu also sent a copy to Bie Yan.

Bie Yan called half an hour later:

"Hey, Li, I read the article, nothing wrong with it... What stage are they at now?"

After Bie Yan recounted every detail of yesterday's events to Brother Bie, he thought for a moment and said:

"Okay, let's keep following up. When will it make the paper... it'll definitely be a front-page headline."

The older brother's guarantee made Sui Kuan beam with joy.

At the beginning of the year, he was still fantasizing about when he would be on the front page of the news... and now it seems like that day is just around the corner.

"As expected..."

"What's wrong?"

"I absolutely have to cling to you! Following you... there'll always be big news! Haha!"

Hearing this, Li Mu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said:

"Alright, let's join forces, you two brothers."

"Invincible!!!"

"Haha~"

……\

The afternoon flew by.

Around 6 PM, the two set off on time and arrived at the address Huang Feng had given them.

Li Mu looked at the restaurant called "Fangshan" and felt like he'd heard the name somewhere before.

And... although it's a courtyard house, it looks quite upscale.

"Fatty, remember, there's no second round today. The main purpose of the meal is to talk business, so don't drink too much. Once it's in the news, and we remind them of our relationship today, they'll have to throw us two big meals."

"clear!"\

Sui Kuan naturally understood the importance and urgency of the matter, nodded, and the two walked into the courtyard together.

Led by the waiter, they wandered through the ornately decorated corridors of the courtyard like country bumpkins visiting the city, finally arriving at a private room where they saw Huang Feng and two other people.

"Haha, Reporter Li..."

"Haha, Manager Huang..."

The two sides got to know each other, and Li Mu also learned their names.

One is named Zeng Jia, and the other is named Zhao Ruoyao; they are also agents for Rong Xinda.

Among the artists managed by Zeng Jia are Zhang Jingchu and Yang Mi.

All of them fall into the category of "acquaintances".

And so, the banquet began.

Thanks to Huang Feng's explanation, Li Mu finally understood why the restaurant sounded familiar.

So it turns out it's the "Imperial Kitchen".

This is the taste of the dish...

He found it to be just average.

In a sense, Fatty's palate is actually quite discerning, and as a chef, although he specializes in Western cuisine, the techniques for many dishes are common to all.

Li Mu could tell the difference in a dish just by taking a bite, no matter how little effort it took to prepare it.

However, he wasn't usually too strict with himself when it came to food, and he didn't expect the quality of a 980-dollar dish to match the price of a 9.8-dollar stir-fried beef noodles.

But this dish, made in the style of a traditional Chinese restaurant...

In his opinion, it was all show and no substance, quite ordinary.

But Fatty Sui seemed to enjoy his meal quite a bit.

After a few rounds of drinks, once the conversation started, Li Mu found an excuse to say to Huang Feng:

"Manager Huang, we're friends, right?"

Huang Feng nodded:

"Definitely."

"Well, since we're friends... we should naturally share what we have. So... just consider this me talking nonsense because I'm drunk, okay? There are some things I can't say too explicitly, but at least I can give you a heads-up."

"?"

Huang Feng was taken aback, and Zeng Jia and the other two were also somewhat confused.

Clearly, they didn't understand its meaning.

Why did we suddenly start talking about this?

Then Li Mu chuckled and said:

"Manager Huang, I have a small suggestion for your company. Please conduct a self-check regarding any tax issues related to your artists' commercial performances, gigs, and collaborative projects."

"???"

Huang Feng was completely dumbfounded.

What... what does this have to do with anything?

"Li Ji, what do you mean by that?"

"Just drunken talk."

Li Mu, his face slightly flushed, waved his hand:

"It's nothing special, just a casual mention. If there are any problems, fix them quickly; if not, all the better. Okay, that's all for now. To be honest, we've been quite busy. Today's meal... although it sounds a bit boastful, it was really time squeezed out for our interview... so we won't drink much. After this last glass, we have to go back; we have another interview tomorrow. Come on, come on..."

Absolutely no more talk, absolutely no more rambling.

The message has been given.

She also refused Huang Feng's further questioning.

And so, Huang Feng and his two companions ended the dinner with their own thoughts on the matter.

After watching Li Mu leave in a taxi, the three of them exchanged glances.

What does that mean?