A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

Li Mu had to admit that Huayi Brothers' moves were indeed quite significant.

And... unlike others who only focus on their own perspective, their public relations efforts seem smarter and more timely.

Before he could even do anything, Fatty Sui had already made arrangements for him.

Okay.

That's impressive.

But Li Mu was truly hesitant to go to the "Heaven on Earth" place he described, unsure of its actual appearance.

I'm a little tired and want to rest.

Upon seeing this, Sui Kuan said:

"How about we go for a foot massage later?"

"...Foot massage?"

"right."\

"Is this legitimate? I've never been to a place like this before."

"Go give it a try. It's right next door. I've never been either, but you just won an award today, you should celebrate. Relax, go home and get a good night's sleep."

Admittedly, Li Mu was indeed tempted.

The time spent in Shenzhen was indeed a bit too hectic; a massage to relax would be good. Liu Xiaoqing has now returned to Yanjing, Zhu Lingjun's territory, so she's naturally very familiar with the area.

Thinking of this, he said:

"I'll ask Captain Zhu, you ask Teacher Qin?"

"oh?"\

Sui Kuan's eyes lit up:

"Good idea. We'll need to find a good place... Let me ask around first."

"Um."\

Li Mu also took out his phone:

"Hey, Li Ji, what's up?"

"Brother Zhu, are you at work or resting at home right now?"

"At home. Haha... I can finally rest tonight."

"Then... shall we get a massage later?"

"..."\

To be honest, Zhu Lingjun must be a bit speechless right now.

I had a feeling that I had been "offended".

Even though I'm an economic crime investigator... aren't you being a bit too dismissive of me?

"Just a foot massage. Brother Zhu, to be honest, these past few days have really worn me out. Let's relax a bit, go back and get a good night's sleep, how about it?"

"...Nothing else, right?"

"No, that's definitely not it, it's just a foot massage."

"Okay. Let's find a place to get a foot massage then; my feet need fixing anyway."

"Okay, I'll send you the address in a bit."

"Alright."

After Li Mu hung up the phone, Sui Kuan had also finished talking with Qin Liyan.

The other party agreed very readily.

I'm eating at home right now, so I can only go out after I've finished eating.

Therefore, Li Mu urged:

"Let's eat quickly, so we don't keep them waiting too long."

"Hmm, I'll call Jiang Lin first and ask him where there are any good ones..."

"It's official, Captain Zhu specifically mentioned that."

"Okay, I understand."

When Fatty Sui called Jiang Lin, Jiang Lin immediately assured him that everything would be arranged perfectly. Especially after hearing who he was meeting that evening, Jiang Lin even tentatively asked if he wanted to join them.

Fatty Sui wasn't stupid either, he laughed and said:

"The four of us will just get a massage, somewhere quiet will do. We can all get together again another day."

Jiang Lin understood immediately. Shortly after hanging up the phone, a text message arrived.

"Brother Sui, the venue is all arranged. The private room is reserved, the address is..."

"He called you Brother Sui?"

Li Mu was both amused and exasperated, and asked while watching the chef roast the duck.

Sui Kuan nodded:

"For no reason, I've become the older brother...tsk."

As he spoke, he seemed somewhat sentimental, and said:

"Yanjing is... much more comfortable than Guangzhou. Putting everything else aside, in Guangzhou... I wouldn't be qualified to get a foot massage with these two."

Hearing this, Li Mu looked out at the night view.

really.\

Otherwise, why would so many people be risking their lives to get into this city?

"So just follow Brother Bie's lead."

"Ha, come on, eat!"

……\

In reality, matters of the martial arts world are all about saving face.

Otherwise, for tonight's event... the two official reporters might not be able to get the other two to come.

At least they showed some respect by coming.

In the future, everyone will be able to share resources.

That's how the network of relationships was gradually woven together.

Around 8 o'clock, the two arrived at the foot massage parlor arranged by Jiang Lin. And it wasn't called a foot massage parlor, but a health and wellness center…

You can tell it's high-end just by looking at the storefront.

Stepping inside reveals an even greater sense of tranquility and comfort.

Li Mu was quite satisfied. He lay back in the chair, inhaling the scent in the room—whether it was incense or essential oils—and felt relaxed.

Before everyone had arrived, he informed his girlfriend:

"Sui Kuan and I came for massages. We had an appointment with Brother Zhu and Teacher Qin."

Fan Bingbing replied about five or six minutes later:

"I was just taking a shower. Go ahead, just remember not to bring it home."

"?"

"Hehe, just kidding. You should relax a bit, and remember to have her massage your head; staying up late causes hair loss."

"she?"\

"Or maybe it's him again? Enjoy it, I love you."

After completing the reporting process, he breathed a sigh of relief and completely relaxed.

Around nine o'clock, Qin Liyan and Zhu Lingjun arrived.

Everyone was already familiar with each other, so there was no need for formalities; they just exchanged greetings.

They each lay down on the sofa...

Get a technician!

To be honest, the masseuses at this spa were all quite attractive... and their skirts were pretty short too. The four men, having come to the place, initially chatted and drank tea, but once their feet were in the foot bath tub, they all fell silent.

Fatty Sui was actually in the best spirits.

But Li Mu was starting to feel the strain; his eyelids were drooping.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Lingjun was the first to start snoring.

"Brother Zhu must be tired."

After Sui Kuan finished speaking, Qin Liyan nodded:

"I'm exhausted. My eyes are blurry from looking at all those documents."

Because there were still technicians present, no one mentioned what they did for a living, or boasted to the technicians about their connections in half of Beijing…

No need.

Qin Liyan then said:

"Hey beautiful, you're stronger, I'm putting in the effort."

He then closed his eyes.

As for Li Muna… even though it was his first time getting a foot massage, the experience was fantastic. Perhaps he was genuinely tired, because he drifted off to sleep, then vaguely felt someone telling him to turn over, and then smelled a uniquely feminine fragrance.

But... the fragrance is just so-so.

It doesn't smell very good.

But at least I felt a bit more relaxed.

Finally, a little after 12 o'clock, the four people, having had their feet and entire bodies massaged, put on their shoes and left.

There was no extra late-night snack or any attempt to persuade anyone to stay; in fact, the entire gathering that night barely involved any conversation.

Finally, everyone went home.

As for the bill... Li Mu didn't settle it.

When he went to the front desk, the manager on duty not only came over to say that the account had been settled, but also brought him two prepaid cards worth 10,000 yuan each.

Clearly, Jiang Lin had already been here.

The next morning, when everyone met at the Golden Ring Hotel, they exchanged smiles.

……\

In Li Mu's view, his front-page headline on the 17th was already a thing of the past.

Strictly speaking, that news article was written in early April.

Therefore, what is a major scandal that is fresh to the public has a strange sense of delay when it comes to him.

This happened a long time ago, the novelty has worn off, why are you making such a fuss about it?

But the truth is, because Liu Xiaoqing's affair was exposed, his work phone has been ringing off the hook these past few days.

At this crucial juncture of the year, Li Mu had actually built up a considerable network of connections.

For example, people you met at the annual awards ceremony, like Li Wei and the others who joined at the same time, or people you met at the awards ceremony a couple of days ago…

Many people know his phone number. And even those who don't can get it by making persistent inquiries.

So, over the past two days, Li Mu has received a lot of calls. Some were from talent agencies wanting to invite him to dinner, some were from colleagues wanting to inquire about inside information, and so on.

Not only him, but Sui Kuan was the same.

So much so that he started to consider whether he should buy another phone and get a personal number.

As for the entertainment industry... it's practically a state of panic.

Li Mu's article is like a lamp, using Liu Xiaoqing as the wick to illuminate all the dark sides since the tax law was first promulgated in 85.

As for the extent of this influence, it's hard to say for now. But it's certain that under the spotlight, there are shadows that cannot be hidden.

Many people were trying to find out more information, but all they could find was that Liu Xiaoqing was a typical case, and that this matter was being handled by a special task force comprised of multiple departments.

Although not much was found out, some more enlightened people already understood when the matter involved a "project."

Then... according to Qin Liyan, local tax bureaus in various places have been bustling with activity these days.

Some performance organizers, in particular, quickly took their performance contracts to file for taxes after sensing something was wrong.

Local tax bureaus with the authority to issue performance permits should see good financial results in the first half of this year.

As for the Southern Metropolis Daily, which made the matter public, the names "Li Mu" and "Sui Kuan" were mentioned much more frequently.

Countless people pulled strings to obtain their contact information.

Then she took the initiative to contact him:\

"Hello, Reporter Li, this is XXX. XXX gave me your phone number."

First, I introduced myself, and then:

"Mr. Li, do you have some time? I'd like to invite you to dinner..."

For these people, it can actually be considered a favor, both internally and externally.

Especially after news of his presence in Yanjing spread.

Having visited Heaven on Earth for the first time with Chen Jinli, and having witnessed the "mountains and valleys" that Fatty Sui had described, his actions were seen by many as "permitted."

The number of phone calls inviting me to join them increased significantly.

Thus, his record was five drinking sessions in four days, from April 25th to April 28th.

He was completely drunk in no time.

Ironically, he obtained his contact information from Shang Xiaobin, Wu Jun, and others.

Even Bie Yan joined in...

He couldn't push it away.

He truly experienced the taste of "fame."

And the public relations skills of these talent agency staff are indeed impressive; their words were full of flattery, and they always left a generous gift at the end of the dinner.

At first, Li Mu refused, after all, some people offered cash directly... After what happened with Liu Xiaoqing, he really couldn't stand it.

It's better to earn money honestly and steadily yourself.

good.\

But... he didn't want the money, though this group had plenty of ideas.

For example, the simplest thing is sending a card.

There are cards here and cards there, but the most common are shopping cards and membership cards.

After spending over a week in Yanjing and drinking until he blacked out several times, inexplicably, he became a prepaid member in many places…

Who can you reason with?

He suddenly realized that he wanted to be a pure white lotus, untainted by the mud...

In this entertainment industry where everything is grime and plaster...

It's quite difficult.

No wonder... even a reporter like me is behaving like this.

Your initial investment of 840 million was absolutely justified.

(Note 1: This isn't just something I made up. I have friends in the disciplinary field, and when we talk about these methods over drinks and meals, what they tell me is far more absurd than what I've described. And shopping cards and prepaid cards are really nothing compared to this. Their exact words were: "They're not even worth mentioning, I can't be bothered with them.")