Rebirth 04: Starting from Taking an Unconventional Approach

Zhou Min's only current interest is going to that newly opened Japanese BBQ restaurant on Nanjing Road after get off work. She heard they use A5 grade Wagyu beef, but she doesn't know if that's true. Last week, the food section of the *Xinmin Evening News* published an article saying it melts in your mouth—how melt-in-your-mouth? Is it like chocolate that disappears in your mouth? How much would a piece cost? Her husband just got a raise last month; they should be able to afford it, right?

"I'm reporting illegal publications," the man said.

"Sit down and fill out the form."

"It's all filled out." The man pushed the registration form through the window.

Zhou Min didn't need to look to know what was filled in on the form: the reporting unit, contact information, name of the reported item, a brief description of the illegal act... all the same. However, the vast majority of such reports were ultimately proven to be baseless.

"Put the materials over there." Zhou Min pointed to a plastic basket next to her, which was already stuffed with five or six kraft paper envelopes, some of which had their corners curled up. "You will be notified of the processing results within seven working days."

"Excuse me, is this the service window?"

Zhou Min nodded silently.

"Could you please take a look at my materials first?" the man said, taking the materials out of the file folder and placing them on the window. "This matter is quite urgent. The other party is involved in illegal publications and is using violent means to forcibly expand their distribution channels. Every day we delay, more merchants will be harmed."

"Illegal publications?" Zhou Min said, pushing the materials back. "Illegal publications fall under the jurisdiction of the Cultural Enforcement Bureau and the Anti-Pornography and Anti-Illegal Publications Office. We only handle business disputes involving legitimate publishing units. You've come to the wrong place. Turn right after you exit and take bus number 18; it's three stops away."

The man leaned towards the window, and Zhou Min could tell from his expression that he didn't like the answer.

"Comrade," the man said, "this isn't just about pirated content, printing without an ISBN, and aggressive distribution; it also involves publishing qualifications and content review. According to Article 61 of the Regulations on Publishing Administration, the press and publication administration department is the legally mandated body for identifying and handling illegal publications. If you don't believe me, you can check it out now."

Zhou Min sighed: "We only handle violations involving publications with publication numbers here. Yours doesn't have a publication number, so it's a matter for cultural law enforcement. When you get there, they'll tell you what to do."

"Then please provide me with a written certificate," the man said.

"What proof?"

"Prove that I came to the Press and Publication Bureau to report this matter, but your bureau believes that this matter is not within your jurisdiction."

"We don't have that kind of procedure here."

"It's alright," the man said with a smile, taking an A4 sheet of paper from the file folder and handing it to Zhou Min.

Zhou Min saw that it was stamped with the official seal of Qingniao Publishing House, and there were several lines of text printed on it:

Receipt for Received Complaint Materials (Stub)

Whistleblower: Han Fei, Qingniao Publishing House

Report: Illegal publication of "Stories of Ordinary People"

The section for the receiving unit's comments is divided into two situations. One is that the materials have been received, in which case she only needs to sign it. The other is the situation we are in now, where she needs to sign in the "Not under the jurisdiction of this bureau" section and fill in the name of the department she recommends to transfer the materials to.

Zhou Min then realized that this matter was far more important than whether the Wagyu beef used by that Japanese BBQ restaurant was A5 grade. Having worked at the counter for over a decade, this was the first time she had ever seen someone bring their own "refusal receipt" to file a complaint.

"What are you doing? I don't have that authority," she stammered, implying that she couldn't sign. The fact was, once signed, the paper would become evidence. If superiors later inquired about "why the Qingniao Publishing House's complaint materials were rejected by the Press and Publication Bureau," her signed receipt would be irrefutable proof. Moreover, she wasn't sure if the case should even be under their jurisdiction; if the higher-ups thought they were shirking responsibility, her signature would be digging a hole for herself.

"You don't need any power," the man said, placing a black pen on the receipt. "You just need to prove I was here. Once you sign, I'll leave immediately, without interfering with your work. I'll take this to the Cultural Enforcement Bureau or the Anti-Pornography and Anti-Illegal Publications Office, and they won't send me back. It saves me the trouble of running back and forth, and it saves you the trouble of explaining everything again."

Zhou Min looked at the man and shook her head. Although she was afraid, she could still feel a smile welling up inside her; perhaps it was precisely because of her fear that she was acting this way. She could only resign herself to fate and pass the buck to her superior.

"This..." Zhou Min said, trying to avoid a smile, "This... is indeed beyond my window's authority. Please wait a moment while I consult my supervisor."

She picked up the phone.

......

Han Fei followed the middle-aged man in a suit down the corridor and into a small office. The office contained only a table, a few chairs, and a simple bookshelf; there were no personal belongings inside.

"President Han, your style of doing things is quite unique," the middle-aged man said with a smile. "That refusal receipt you made at the front desk—not to mention a young person like you, even a seasoned veteran who's worked here for twenty years wouldn't have come up with that. You're forcing us to accept it."

"The leader has misunderstood. I'm just following the rules, not trying to pressure anyone. If the Press and Publication Bureau thinks this isn't your responsibility, then I'll take your signature to the next agency, saving me the trouble of going through the long and winding road."

"Alright. I've heard of your Bluebird too, you've become quite famous lately. My surname is Jiang, and I'm the head of the General Affairs Section."

The middle-aged man smiled and extended his hand. Han Fei noticed that Section Chief Jiang had a set of perfectly aligned teeth. If the rest of Section Chief Jiang's face weren't equally symmetrical, clean, and well-proportioned, you would definitely suspect he was wearing dentures. He had fine laugh lines around his eyes, and his hands felt firm and dry when clenched. Han Fei thought to himself, this section chief is practically straight out of a political novel, with warm, gentle hands.

"Jiang Shi," Section Chief Jiang added, his eyes fixed on Han Fei.

"So, Section Chief Jiang called me over here because..." Han Fei said.

"May I take a look at the materials you've prepared?"

"Of course." Han Fei smiled slightly and handed him the materials.

They sat down in the chairs. Han Fei watched as Jiang Shi put on his glasses and flipped through the documents on his lap.

"I remember you have a partnership with China Mobile?" Jiang Shi asked without looking up.

Han Fei nodded: "Section Chief Jiang, since you asked about this, I'll take this opportunity to report to you as well. Qingniao does indeed have a cooperation with the Shanghai branch of China Mobile, and it's not just about SP business. The circular label on the cover of our Qingniao magazine that says '20 paid subscribers to China Mobile Dream Network' is official certification of our content from China Mobile. In other words, China Mobile is using its brand reputation to endorse us."