A perfect life begins with changing the timeline.

"Although this may sound like a cliché, Li Ji, the future definitely belongs to the Internet age."

The three chatted casually while eating, and after Ding Lei expressed his opinion, he immediately found supporting evidence:

"Li Ji, Fan Ye, have you two noticed? Laptops are getting smaller and thinner these days."

"Well……"

The two internet novices were momentarily at a loss for words.

Ding Lei shrugged:

"Our company actually conducted an internal survey, and over the past three years, the weight of laptops at the same price point has decreased by 7% to 10% annually. At the same time, battery technology has been optimized, device heat dissipation has been improved, and even a series of components, including the broadband we are now launching for everyone... all these technologies are centered around 'ease of use.' We can infer from this that future technology iterations should all follow this direction."

"Take the V3 you two are using, for example. If I remember correctly, it has a 4.2-inch screen, right? Compared to the green screen of my last phone, it's clearly inferior. And it's so thin... So, the more technology advances, the more print media, which can't carry much information, will suffer. This is almost a consensus among internet companies. Besides, you guys should also feel this way: sometimes, news on websites is so much faster and more comprehensive than what you see online, right?"

"Um."

Li Mu looked deep in thought when Ding Lei spoke.

Because what he said was indeed correct.

Especially after the company started to widely adopt computers and connect to the internet last year... as journalists, we have all gradually felt the timeliness of that information.

If nothing unexpected happens, Southern Metropolis Daily will launch its own website next year.

"So, in the future, many things can be done on our phones?"

It's a mobile app.

Ding Lei corrected his word choice:

"The Internet is evolving, and mobile multimedia is indeed a major trend for the future."

"..."

Li Mu fell silent.

But it wasn't that I was speechless; rather, I was following a spark of inspiration and exploring a possibility.

Seeing this, Fan Bingbing picked up her wine glass:

"Come on, let's have a drink. By the way, how much did that men's shirt you bought the other day cost?"

The conversation between the two smoothly turned to "A Chinese Odyssey".

After chatting for a while, Li Mu, whose eyes were gradually becoming more alert, suddenly asked:

"Mr. Ding, if I wanted to compile our daily newspaper news into one or more MMS messages, then I'd have to become a mobile service provider's SP, right? Is that expensive? Or, if I wanted to charge a monthly subscription like a newspaper, would that also work? In other words… all I need to do is find a few tech-savvy people to convert the newspaper content to computers and distribute it to subscribers so they can read the newspaper via MMS, right?"

His questions were actually quite haphazard and off-topic.

This fully exposed his complete lack of computer skills, revealing his identity as a "newbie".

But Ding Lei did understand what he meant.

After thinking for a moment, he nodded:

"Yes, that's definitely possible, and it's not expensive. You can negotiate a revenue-sharing arrangement with the operator. That's their current mainstream charging method."

"Is this technology difficult?"

"What does Li Ji mean?"

Seeing him look over with a puzzled expression, Li Mu smiled and said:

"I think this idea is quite interesting and I'd like to give it a try. I just don't know how difficult the technology is."

"Technically, there's not much of a barrier to entry, but when it comes to the specifics, it might be a bit difficult for people who don't understand computer technology. But to those in the know, it's not difficult at all... Is Li Ji planning to do it?"

"think."

Without hiding anything, Li Mu admitted it directly.

The reason is quite simple...

Because he saw a... very good path!

Seeing that Li Mu was genuinely interested in these matters, Ding Lei extended an invitation:

"Li Ji, there's an internet conference in Shenzhen next month, and I'm an invited guest. Why don't you come with me? There are lots of tech people there, and I can introduce you to some. You can exchange ideas?"

Li Mu was taken aback, then laughed:

"OK!"

……

What are you thinking?

After dinner, sitting in the Audi driven by Ding Lei's driver, Fan Bingbing asked her boyfriend with some curiosity.

Li Mu shook his head:

"fine."

He didn't speak, and Fan Bingbing subconsciously glanced at the driver, nodded, and fell silent as well.

Upon arriving at Mingya Garden, the driver politely said goodbye, but Li Mu did not rush upstairs.

The alcohol had accelerated his thinking, making his mind race. He decided to take his girlfriend's hand and go for a walk.

Guangzhou was still sweltering at night, but nothing could dampen Li Mu's spirits.

Holding his girlfriend's hand, he whispered:

"My thinking is actually very simple. This newly launched newspaper is indeed an opportunity. From a theoretical point of view, the newspaper market in Yenching is very competitive."

"Of course. Leaving aside newspapers like Guangming Daily, I'll just mention the ones I know: Yanjing Evening News, Yanjing Youth Daily, Beijing Times, Morning Post, Economic Daily, China Times, Entertainment Daily..."

"Oh? You know so much about this?"

"It's not that I'm familiar with them, it's that I've been interviewed by these media outlets. And there are many more that I haven't been interviewed by. Have you never been to a newsstand? The newsstands in Yanjing have just as many newspapers as those in Guangzhou, and you can even buy newspapers from all over the country there. The silhouette book I made for you is from your Southern Metropolis Daily, which I bought in Yanjing."

"Yes, so the competition is fierce, right?"

"so?"

"So... I want to place the future of this new newspaper on color screen phones, or mobile devices. You see... for example, have you ever ridden the subway in Beijing in the morning? Isn't it incredibly crowded?"

"Yeah, it's packed with people."

"Yes, let alone reading a newspaper, you can't even stand up straight during rush hour."

Li Mu recalled his experiences riding the subway a few times and shook his head:

"The newspaper is so big! You definitely couldn't read it in that kind of crowded place, right? But with a mobile phone, you just need to use this posture..."

He made a gesture of supporting his shoulder and holding the V3 in front of his face:

"Just a tap of your finger and you can see today's news, isn't that convenient?"

"...Yes, indeed."

"And it's more convenient. Ding Lei just mentioned it, the monthly subscription service... isn't expensive. A newspaper costs 50 cents or a dollar. But if you buy it every day, it'll cost you 10 or 20 dollars a month. But this monthly subscription service might cost less than 10 dollars a month per person. You can receive the latest news every day, which saves money, right? Moreover, it carries more information, and even has more content than a regular newspaper... no matter how you look at it, it's far superior to a print newspaper, isn't it?"

"Um."

Fan Bingbing nodded again, glanced at her boyfriend who was talking non-stop, and chose to continue listening.

And she also admitted that her boyfriend was right.

Internet technology is indeed a disruptive force.

But just as she was following her boyfriend's train of thought, figuring out how to tap into this huge mobile market, he suddenly changed the subject:

Do you remember that night we took a detour to Long Street?

"Uh... I remember."

"..."

Li Mu suddenly fell silent.

After clarifying his thoughts, he spoke again:

"To be honest, although I have all sorts of awards now, I don't have enough work experience. According to Brother Bie, I might have to wait another three to five years before I can even get close to becoming an editor-in-chief. Let's say five years. In five years, I'll be 28... an editor-in-chief. Actually, that's pretty fast. Normally, people only consider it around thirty."

"The editor-in-chief has only just stepped into management, hasn't he?"

"Yes, but it's a stepping stone. Being a reporter and being an editor-in-chief are two different processes, understand? Think of it this way: when you first start working, you're a clerk, but you might remain a clerk for life. But if you can become a deputy section chief, then you've truly entered the realm of cadre management. And for us, an editor-in-chief is like a deputy section chief. As a reporter, you might publish a lot of news and win a lot of honors. But you're still just a reporter! It's only from the editor-in-chief onwards that you're truly considered part of the management team."

"But the editor-in-chief has to keep working long hours, right?"

"Yes, that's what I was thinking. If I were at Southern Metropolis Daily, the fastest I could become editor-in-chief would be at 28, and then I might not become a director or editorial board member until I'm 40... Then I might be transferred within the group or become the editor-in-chief of a branch. In short... by then I'd probably be in my forties or fifties."

Fan Bingbing suddenly chuckled:

"Then you probably won't be able to attend meetings at the Great Hall of the People anymore."

"That's what I mean..."

Faced with his girlfriend's teasing, Li Mu's eyes shone brightly:

"But what if I take a different approach? Like this MMS newspaper... A new newspaper, a new unit, the newspaper industry in Yanjing is so competitive, it's too difficult for a new newspaper to stand out. But... MMS newspapers are a blue ocean! While the new newspaper is being established and the departments are still in their initial stages, I can gain a voice in a new department... As long as I do it well, I can completely skip this redundant process."

For example, we set up a new media information department and brought in Brother Bie as its director. Although this information department was part of the news gathering and editing system, it was a new department... When recruiting, my qualifications... plus some maneuvering, secured me a management title. Of course, at first it just sounded good, but it didn't really carry much weight. But once I got this business up and running, the more people there were, the more influence the department would have..."

Now, Fan Bingbing understood her boyfriend's plan:

"Will your status also rise higher and higher?"

"That's right! This way I can completely break free from the organizational structure that the newspaper follows..."

As he spoke, his eyes were filled with longing.

He remembered very clearly what the guy in the bathrobe had said...

This newly established newspaper unit eventually became a joint venture between Guangming Daily and Nandu Daily, and was then placed under the jurisdiction of the Yanjing Propaganda Committee.

State-owned enterprises!

And if one could climb even higher, transitioning from a business to a government position…

that……

It's not impossible to attend a meeting at the Great Hall of the People, even if it's just to the deputy director level.

In an era where a minor academic position might be the ceiling for many people's entire careers...

Step by step, step by step...

Keep moving forward!

In the darkness, the ambition in his eyes burned like wildfire.

It spread.