Chapter 42: Public Opinion War! Creating the World's First Full-Color Newspaper!
“Someone wrote articles to scold me?”
“I’m stuck in this godforsaken place called Daqing, how could these literary scholars even know me?”
Zhang Xue Ming took the newspaper with a confused expression.
Then, his face darkened.
“Northeastern Scoundrel Zhang Xue Ming, Disregarding the Republic, Publicly Choosing a Concubine!”
“Revolution and Reform! Down with Feudal Remnant Zhang Xue Ming!”
…
“Damn it! They dare to curse me!”
Zhang Xue Ming’s eyes widened.
He knew that during the Republic era, those so-called ‘masters’ were all secretly engaging in debauchery, frequenting brothels and brothel districts every day!
Yet they stood on the moral high ground, constantly criticizing others.
Their visits to brothels were considered elegant.
My search for a wife is considered thuggery!
It seems like they’re the ones who get all the benefits.
When it comes to sacrificing for righteousness!
What are they doing?
Aren’t they all hiding like turtles?
“I just placed an advertisement, why would they curse me so much?”
Northeastern Donkey Husband!
Who the hell thought of that?
Seeing Zhang Xue Ming’s anger, Lin Hui Yin covered her mouth and chuckled, “It’s not because you’ve been constantly provoking them?”
“Me? I’m too busy developing, where would I have the time to fight with these useless literati?”
However, Lin Hui Yin soon revealed the reason behind it.
It turned out to be Zhang Xue Ming’s elder brother, Zhang Liu Zi’s ‘goodwill’!
Zhang Xue Ming left to suppress bandits for Zhang Liu Zi, and his only request was for Liu Zi to help him post advertisements.
Perhaps fearing that his younger brother wouldn’t find enough people!
Zhang Liu Zi directly bought three front-page headlines, each published every ten days.
As a result, when the first recruitment news came out.
Literary scholars immediately began to curse, and after cursing, they felt refreshed.
Then ten days later!
They looked at the newspaper again!
Another front-page headline!
This time, it completely disgusted those literati!
I just finished cursing you, and you publish it again, are you deliberately trying to annoy me?
This cycle continued.
When the third recruitment was published.
In the mouths of those Republic era literary trolls, he had already become a ‘bandit thug’ with an ugly appearance, a lust for beauty, and countless heinous crimes!
Zhang Xue Ming smiled wryly, “I didn’t expect things to turn out like this!”
“But…”
Zhang Xue Ming knew that Chairman Mao once said: “We must occupy the ideological and cultural battlefields, or the enemy will occupy them!”
He was aiming to establish a family that would last for generations!
He must control the public opinion battlefield.
These Republic era court flatterers are currently smearing me!
In the future, when those future historians write biographies for my family.
They will inevitably consult historical materials.
If they search and see these news articles that slander me, it will become my fabricated ‘dark history’!
The founder of a family that will last for generations, can there be such a stain?
“Counterattack! We must counterattack!”
At this moment, an idea appeared in Zhang Xue Ming’s mind.
That is, he would also start a newspaper.
And!
It would be the world's first full-color newspaper!
Currently, the Daqing chemical plant and steel mill have been completed.
The chemical plant can produce various inks and chemical pigments!
While the steel mill can produce ink printing machines!
Coupled with Northeast China’s natural cold temperate forests, producing large quantities of high-quality wood pulp, printing tens of thousands of newspapers daily would be no problem at all.
As for nationwide distribution, I can simply have the Stuka bombers airdrop them to major city headquarters every day!
This is the advantage of a complete industrial chain.
Whatever you want to do, you can immediately assemble the corresponding machines.
There’s no need to fear being choked off by others!
Zhang Xue Ming waved his hand.
“Bring me a pen! I'm about to make a grand entry into the artistic world!”
............
Three days later.
Morning.
Workers and scholars in Shanghai City were busy going to work.
They suddenly heard the shouts of a newsboy.
“Extra! Extra! ‘New Life’ Inaugural Issue, Full-Color Picture Newspaper, Only Two Copper Coins Each!”
Full-color picture newspaper?
Isn’t that like the posters outside movie theaters?
And it only costs two copper coins!
That’s too cheap, right?
On the side of the road, Li Zi Mo, who was sitting in a rickshaw, waved his hand.
“Give me one of those ‘New Life’ newspapers!”
As soon as he got his hands on it!
Li Zi Mo couldn’t help but be stunned, this ‘New Life’ newspaper was not only a full-color picture newspaper, but also extremely thick, feeling like it had over a dozen pages, and the entire newspaper exuded a pleasant ink fragrance.
“So thick? This newspaper is so cheap, yet so substantial, how do they make money?”
During the Republic era, because printing presses and paper were extremely expensive, newspaper prices were not cheap, and there was even a children’s song that sang: “The news today is truly good, seven copper coins will buy two newspapers!”
You know, seven copper coins were enough to buy a bowl of large meat noodles, the equivalent of a commoner’s meal!
However, before Li Zi Mo could ponder why this newspaper was so cheap.
He was stunned by the content.
The front-page headline.
“Those Who Commit Injustice Will Inevitably Perish, A Proclamation to Punish the Traitor ‘Yuan Da Tou’ ”
This article lists Yuan Da Tou’s ten major crimes.
It criticizes Yuan Da Tou in a scathing manner.
You know, Yuan Da Tou’s restoration and claim to the throne were secretly condemned by everyone in the country!
But he held the military power of the Beiyang Army, and no one dared to speak out so openly!
But unexpectedly!
The inaugural issue of ‘New Life’.
The first front-page article was so bold.
“Splendid! Splendid! This article alone is worth a toast!”
After reading this article, Li Zi Mo felt as if he had eaten an ice pop on a sweltering summer day, completely refreshed.
He flipped to the next page and continued to read.
He couldn’t help but be stunned.
Because the second page was a poem.
“I Love This Land”
If I were a bird,
I would sing with my hoarse throat!
This land that has been battered by storms!
…
And the gentle dawn from the forest!
—Then I would die.
Even my feathers would rot in the land.
Why are there always tears in my eyes?
Because I love this land deeply!
.......................
Thanks to ‘Dragon King’ Da Lao for the monthly ticket! Thank you Da Lao!
.......................