Zhongjing City Government, Mayor’s Office.
Mayor Ji Mingyang sat behind his desk, dealing with a pile of tasks.
Since starting at 8:30, he had been sitting for a full hour and a half.
During this period, he didn’t drink any water, use the restroom, or take any breaks.
This was Ji Mingyang’s work habit. In earlier years, he could maintain this state for two hours, but not anymore. After all, he was getting on in years and his body couldn’t take it anymore.
As soon as the clock struck ten, the small alarm clock on his desk began to chime.
It was placed there by Zhang Meng as a reminder for Mayor Ji to pay attention to the time.
When the alarm sounded, the office door was pushed open, and Zhang Meng brought in a cup of hot tea.
The tea, brewed with boiling water, was meant to calm and soothe the mind. It was too hot to drink right away and needed to cool down a bit. This cooling time was Mayor Ji’s rest period.
During this time, he would chat with Zhang Meng about something interesting to refresh his mind.
"Mayor, it’s time to take a break!" Zhang Meng said softly as she placed the tea on the desk.
"Hmm," Ji Mingyang stood up, stretched his body, and headed to the restroom.
A few steps out, Mayor Ji stopped and asked, "Has it been a few days without any news from Bai Xiaosheng?"
"No," Zhang Meng shook her head and asked, "Should I give him a nudge?"
"No need, let him think it over more. We don’t want to rush things," Ji Mingyang said.
Despite his words, a trace of impatience could be seen in his eyes.
Another two to three days had passed by, putting them further behind Langbei City’s Tianzheng Media. Watching the rival company about to submit their phase two review and increasing their progress gap, Mayor Ji was nearly unable to sit still with patience.
As Ji Mingyang left the office, Zhang Meng’s face also took on a complicated expression.
He could tell that the Mayor was anxious!
Dealing with thousands of issues daily, and also worrying about Zhongjing Media’s application for benchmark enterprise status, Zhang Meng felt a bit sorry for him.
"Otherwise, I’ll just give Bai Xiaosheng a call to inquire quietly," Zhang Meng couldn’t help but reach for his phone.
Before he could call Bai Xiaosheng, a call came in—it was Bai Xiaosheng himself.
Zhang Meng answered eagerly.
"Secretary Zhang, does the Mayor have a moment? I would like to report to him," Bai Xiaosheng’s calm voice was like timely rain to Zhang Meng!
"He does! I’ll arrange it, come over now!" Zhang Meng said urgently.
After a brief exchange, Zhang Meng ended the call.
The office door opened just as Mayor Ji had returned.
"Mayor, Bai Xiaosheng will arrive shortly to make his report!" Zhang Meng immediately informed him.
"Oh?" Mayor Ji’s expression visibly brightened, "That means the kid might have some good news for me!"
"Perhaps!" Zhang Meng couldn’t help feeling a bit expectant as well.
He hoped that Bai Xiaosheng wouldn’t disappoint them.
Zhang Meng specifically called over a secretary to wait for Bai Xiaosheng at the entrance.
This was not a courtesy extended to just anyone.
After setting that up, Zhang Meng continued to chat with Mayor Ji about the latest news from various circles within Zhongjing City.
These circles included both the salaried class and the wealthy elite.
Zhang Meng was responsible for gathering these stories, which he would share with Mayor Ji during these fragmented times.
In this way, Mayor Ji could relax while staying informed about the dynamics of Zhongjing, a practice that killed several birds with one stone.
Hearing about Bai Xiaosheng’s increasing prominence and the endless rumors surrounding him, Mayor Ji almost laughed.
"It seems that our Zhongjing Media General Manager has become quite the celebrity, very well-known indeed," Mayor Ji chuckled.
"Maybe he’s not even aware of it himself. Should I give him a hint?" Zhang Meng laughed.
"Forget it, what can Bai Xiaosheng do about other people’s gossip? Let them talk if they like; Bai Xiaosheng probably won’t care anyway," Ji Mingyang said with a smile, shaking his head.
"That’s true," Zhang Meng said with a laugh.
Before the tea was finished, a knock came at the office door.
Then, the secretary walked in with Bai Xiaosheng.
Ji Mingyang and Zhang Meng immediately smiled.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear—Bai Xiaosheng was summoned by mere mention.
"Mayor Ji, Secretary Zhang," Bai Xiaosheng greeted them both.
When it was just the three of them, there was no need for formalities, and they were completely at ease.
"The mayor and I have been waiting for you for a long time, hoping you would bring us a surprise," Zhang Meng said with a smile.
Ji Mingyang looked at Bai Xiaosheng with an amused expression.
"Surprise... I suppose there might be some," Bai Xiaosheng said with an oddly quirky smile.
He took two printed documents out of his bag and handed one to each, Ji Mingyang and Zhang Meng.
"I’d like to ask for the mayor’s and Secretary Zhang’s review, and I welcome your guidance."
"Why so formal? We’re all friends here!" Mayor Ji teased with a laugh, taking the printouts—there was quite a stack.
He placed them on the desk in front of him, put on his reading glasses, and skimmed through at a rapid pace.
After reading a little more than one page, Ji Mingyang’s expression changed. His smile faded, and his eyes revealed surprise.
"To surpass Tianzheng Media of Langbei City by conventional means is clearly inadequate. We need an unorthodox approach—this strategy might be a bit unconventional," Bai Xiaosheng warned ahead, as if giving the mayor a heads-up.
Ji Mingyang did not express any agreement or disagreement.
Meanwhile, Zhang Meng stood by reading his copy, also scanning the documents quickly and covering more than one page.
Zhang Meng’s expression underwent a drastic change, filled with disbelief.
Bai Xiaosheng dared to think big!
This was essentially about rallying the whole city around Zhongjing Media to fight a Keep reading on NovelHub - where stories come alive! This was like deploying heavy artillery. The command of "fire" would startle all directions!
How would the other prefecture-level cities view this, and how would the provincial leaders see it!
Bai Xiaosheng, have you gone mad!
This was really ahead of the game—not by a little, but by a great deal!
Zhang Meng couldn’t help but swallow hard. Looking at Bai Xiaosheng, he exclaimed in shock, "This is a bit too, a bit too..."
Zhang Meng wanted to say it was "a bit too exaggerated."
"Not bad, quite interesting!" Mayor Ji suddenly interjected.
With a very serious tone!
Zhang Meng looked at the mayor in disbelief.
Mayor Ji was known for his pioneering spirit and foresight, but he was not one to lose touch with reality or run blindly towards an idea. He was also a man of action.
So, did he agree with Bai Xiaosheng’s outrageous proposal?
Mayor, be mindful of the impact! If you took this step and it slipped, you might find yourself in trouble.
Zhang Meng wanted to say.
"Alright, since you find it interesting, shall we give it a try?" Bai Xiaosheng said with a laugh.
You really grab any opportunity to climb higher!
Zhang Meng couldn’t resist the urge to roll his eyes.
"Let’s give it a try!" Mayor Ji said, giving the desk a light slap and laughing.
His expression was one of resignation.