From street tabloids to the first newspaper of the Republic of China

August 26th.

Instead of the rooster's crow to greet the sun, the shouts of newspaper vendors throughout the concessions were heard.

"Strange news! Strange news! The rumors continue; let's witness the extraordinary adventures of the Beggar's Cave!"

"Two coins a copy! Two coins! The content is just as good as the major newspapers!"

"The Preparatory Committee for the Establishment of the Monarchy has been officially established! The Six Gentlemen advocate for the imperial system! The Strange News also reports on it! Those who want to read news about the imperial system, come and buy it!"

Newspaper vendors held stacks of newspapers above their heads, continuing to shout even when their voices were hoarse.

The current edition of "Strange News" is in high demand, with each recent issue featuring more sensational content than the last, making it a highly sought-after item among newspaper vendors.

Furthermore, due to the dual nature of the *Strange News*, on the one hand, its content rivals that of any major newspaper, but on the other hand, it remains an illegal publication, leaving unreliable newspaper vendors unsure where to source it...

Today's front page of the "Strange News" features a headline printed in large font—

[A Glimpse into the Beggars' Den: The Visible Shadows Beneath the Glamour]

Below the title is a line of small print:

[Our reporter conducted an on-site investigation.]

This combination of title and description is what makes a hit product.

As the sun gradually rose, more and more people gathered on the street, and nine out of ten people came over after hearing the shouts.

The first to gather around were the rickshaw pullers, who had been running around the streets since before dawn and were now taking a break for breakfast.

"What?"

"Who knows? I can't read..."

"I know a little bit about it; I can read the Strange News! But I don't have any money. If you want to hear it, pay two coins, and I'll read it to you!"

A middle-aged rickshaw driver in his forties stepped forward.

Soon, a few people put their heads together, each contributing a little to buy a copy of the "Strange Newspaper," which they handed to the middle-aged rickshaw driver, and waited expectantly.

The middle-aged rickshaw driver glanced at the contents, making sure he recognized most of the characters, and then began to read them haltingly:

"All sorts of beggars, with their rotting hands and feet, stretch out to you; starving mothers will lift up their poor, crying, hungry children; filthy children run to you, begging for your mercy. This is the everyday scene that can be seen everywhere on the streets of Shanghai."

"It's a bit difficult to pronounce... please don't mind it!"

The person next to him urged him:

"Just read it aloud, we understand!"

The middle-aged driver continued reading.

When he finished reading the first section, the drivers fell silent.

A young rickshaw puller, about the same age as Xiangzi, suddenly cursed:

"Damn it!"

No one responded.

The middle-aged rickshaw driver continued reading, finishing the second section.

A middle-aged man wearing a melon-shaped hat passed by, stopped to listen for a while, and then frowned and said:

"What does this say? Beggars have gangs? And rules? Isn't this something from a novel?"

No one answered him.

An old coachman suddenly stood up, took out two coins from his pocket, walked across the street, and placed them next to a huddled beggar.

The beggar looked up at him, thanked him, and clutched the money tightly.

The middle-aged driver waited for the old driver to return, then continued reading:

"What is the way to live? It's the art of turning people into ghosts!"

More and more people gathered around, listening quietly to the story unfold, and glancing at the beggar on the street a few more times.

"Is...is this real?"

A woman dressed in silk asked in a trembling voice.

The middle-aged driver did not answer directly:

"If you believe rumors, then it's true. I believe him anyway."

The student in the long gown stood at the back of the crowd, adjusted his glasses, and muttered:

"This is a crime."

The businessman-looking man sneered:

"Why don't you go and report it to the police? See if the police or the neighborhood committee will do anything about it..."

The students fell silent.

The middle-aged rickshaw driver continued reading, finishing the fourth part.

A cigarette vendor suddenly interjected:

"I saw it on Jiujiang Road. Those beggars would gather at the entrance of Guangchengxin at night to smoke opium, and they looked like ghosts from the stench."

An old man wearing a melon-shaped hat said:

"Hey! You don't know this at all! That's not opium at all, it's just dregs of opium. You can buy a puff for just a few coins, it's cheap and strong, and after you smoke it, you won't think about anything else!"

Upon hearing this, the young student silently clenched his fist.

"I'm not writing this to elicit a few tears of sympathy or a few coins from you gentlemen and ladies... Tell me, can you even bear to read it?"

After that question, the street was quiet for a long time, with only the horns of the trams blaring.

A young student suddenly asked:

"This newspaper also has news about the Preparatory Committee for the Establishment of Peace?"

The middle-aged rickshaw driver handed him the newspaper:

"Look for yourself, I'm going to pull the cart now."

The rickshaw pullers dispersed in a commotion.

I'm not interested in any kind of Preparatory Committee for the Establishment of Peace.

The young student glanced at the newspaper and said to those who hadn't left:

"Look, look... Yang Du and five others launched the Preparatory Committee for the Establishment of the State, claiming to be studying the issue of the form of government, but what were they actually studying? How to bring the emperor back!"

"On one side, the Six Gentlemen are discussing the imperial system; on the other, beggars are rotting in the streets. What exactly is our vast country doing?!"

The businessman retorted:

"You're wrong. The establishment of an imperial system is a major issue, while begging is a minor one. They shouldn't be confused."

The student turned to look at him:

"A small matter? A child having his arms and legs cut off and being left to beg on the street, is that a small matter?"

The businessman felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and looked away.

"Then what do you suggest we do? If the government doesn't care, what can we do? Young man, don't be so radical."

The woman dressed in silk took out a dozen or so coins from her bosom and interjected:

"I can't control others, but I can control myself."

She walked away and gave two coins to each of the beggars on the street.

Doing good deeds is not a fundamental solution, but without these good deeds, these beggars would starve to death in just a couple of days.

......

More and more people are gathering at the newsstand.

The young man in the suit squeezed to the front, bought a copy of the "Strange News," quickly glanced through it, then looked up and said to his companion:

"This 'rumor' is from the reporter who wrote about the dockworkers before."

His companion glanced at it twice and nodded:

"It should be him. All of them are based on on-site visits, written in plain language, and depict the lives of people at the bottom of society."

The young man in the suit folded the newspaper and put it into his briefcase.

"This editorial is very similar to Goodnow's two. They're all like slashing with a knife; you don't see blood when you cut in, but when you pull it out, blood gushes out."

"So you think 'The Message,' 'The Alarm Bell,' and 'The Shout' are all written by the same person?"

"It's highly likely that he's the chief editor of the Strange News."

"If it really is the same person, that's amazing."

His companion exclaimed sincerely.

A middle-aged man in a gray long gown chimed in:

"That's impressive. They're simultaneously conducting political commentary and surveys on people's livelihoods, and they're doing both very thoroughly."

The young man in the suit said, without a doubt:

"Yes! Political commentary requires courage, and conducting public opinion surveys requires hard work. This person has both courage and the ability to endure hardship. You can't find many like him in today's press."

"I'm quite curious, who exactly is this person? With such writing skills and such spirit, it's impossible for them to be unknown in the press. How come I've never heard of them before?"

The rickshaw puller who had been reading the newspaper recently passed by here, overheard the conversation of several people, and called out:

"I don't care who he is!"

Everyone turned to look at him.

The rickshaw driver chuckled:

All I know is that he can speak for us.

The cart wheels rumbled on the stone pavement, the sound fading into the distance.

People on the street came and went, sometimes gathering, sometimes dispersing.

The "Strange News" newspaper at the newsstand was sold out by noon.

The news vendor counted the coins and grinned.

"This newspaper is getting better and better!"

The cigarette vendor asked:

"How long do you think this newspaper can last? Aren't you afraid of offending people with what you're writing?"

The news vendor thought for a moment, put the coins away, and said with a smile:

"Offend someone? Offend whom? Don't be fooled by the good content of this newspaper; it's actually very shrewd! It never names anyone specifically, making it difficult to convict anyone. What are you worried about?"

......

Sanma Road, second floor of the Shenbao Building.

Shi Jiaxiu and Chen Huasheng each had a bowl of glutinous rice balls in front of them, and each held a copy of the "Strange News" newspaper in their hands. They had already read it three times, and the glutinous rice balls were almost soaked into a paste.

Finally, Chen Huasheng's stomach growled with hunger, and he put down his newspaper, saying:

"This editorial is better than the one about the docks."

Shi Jiaxiu clicked his tongue twice and put down his newspaper.

"The article about the docks was a record; this one is a denunciation on behalf of others. The former lets people know, the latter shakes people."

Chen Huasheng scooped up a spoonful of glutinous rice balls, and before putting it in his mouth, he said:

"Do you know what I admire most?"

"What?"

Look here.

He pointed to the newspaper article with the heading "On-site visit" and the second paragraph of the preface.

Shi Jiaxiu understood the meaning, and holding the bowl, said:

"These four words are easy to say but hard to do. If he wants to write about beggars, he has to become a beggar first, squat next to a garbage dump, wear tattered clothes, smear soot on the bottom of a pot, eat with those beggars, live with them, get bitten by mosquitoes with them, and smell that stench with them."

"These days, very few journalists can do that; no one would be willing to do it even if you paid them."

After the disasters reported in the year of Gui Chou, most journalists today have become evil dragons.

Their professional ethics have deteriorated; they use news to blackmail businessmen and celebrities for profit.

While pursuing sensationalism in its content, it also contains a great deal of distortion; much of the information is either hearsay or fabricated out of thin air.

Those who accept political subsidies are countless, treating it entirely as a business.

Even truly principled journalists, like Shao Zhenqing, have some shortcomings, namely their focus on politics. They establish their position and gain influence through sharp political news, and despite their reputation for being "outspoken," they rarely publish articles related to people's lives.

In contrast, for Lin Wangzheng, political reporting is his sharp spear, while concern for people's livelihood is the cornerstone of his position, which shows his newspaper's philosophy.

"It's not easy for a young person under twenty to achieve this level."

"Such talented people either soar very high or crash down hard; there is no third outcome. This is the consequence of speaking the truth."

"In this era where everyone is afraid to speak out, there are still people who are willing to squat next to a garbage dump and write things that no one wants to read. This spirit deserves praise."

"I admire him greatly, and that's no exaggeration."

Chen Huasheng said while eating glutinous rice balls.

Shi Jiaxiu took a sip of tea:

"so?"

"So, what's your thought about that thing I mentioned last time?"

"You're still up to no good. If Shen Zishi finds out, he'll come over and yell at you."

Shi Jiaxiu said with a smile.

Chen Huasheng shook his head and finished the rest of the glutinous rice balls:

"Old Shi, do you know why I wanted him to come?"

"you say."

"Because he possesses something that we old journalists have almost lost."

"What is it?"

"anger."

"anger......"

Shi Jiaxiu fell into deep thought.

Maintaining anger is a double-edged sword for industries that require calm.

Anger can be a driving force for seeking the truth, but it can also be a factor in distorting news.

For a profit-driven commercial newspaper, anger may be optional; but for a newspaper that wants to represent the public, anger is absolutely essential.

Chen Huasheng added:

"He was angry when he saw dockworkers being exploited; he was angry when he saw beggars being treated like livestock; he was angry when he saw foreigners pointing fingers at China."

"This kind of indignation at injustice is the most valuable thing a journalist can have. Hundreds of years ago, such people were called chivalrous knights-errant."

"It allows journalists, even after ten or twenty years in the profession, to maintain their original aspirations, their desire to explore the truth, and to remember why they picked up their pens in the first place, instead of becoming conservative and being scorned by the world."

Shi Jiaxiu was silent for a moment, then nodded:

"you're right."

"So when are you going to bring him over?"

"Go by yourself!"

"You're the boss, so of course you should handle this kind of thing."

Chen Huasheng said shamelessly.

Shi Jiaxiu smiled and tapped him, saying:

"Alright, that's all for this period. For now, let's help our old friend build some momentum!"

"How to generate buzz? By reposting?"

"Yes! Add this paragraph... and it will read: 'This article concerns the people's livelihood and the foundation of the nation; it is essential reading. Although this newspaper is a major publication, it dares not be arrogant. Although this tabloid is insignificant, its words are worth considering.'"