After intensive preparations, the newly established Propaganda Department of the Secretariat finally published the first issue of Jinxia City's newspaper - "Shenjin Weekly".
As can be seen from the name, it is not just for Jinxia, but for the whole of Shenzhou.
However, due to conservative considerations of new things, its first printing was only 5,000 copies, which were distributed among three private bookstores and the official printing office of the Secretariat. Each copy was sold for ten copper plates.
Wei Wushuang came to the bookstore closest to his home early in the morning, and found that he was not the first one - a lot of people had gathered in front of the store, and the discussion was quite lively.
It seems that everyone is quite concerned about the actions of the Secretariat.
He was not wearing official robes, so naturally no one recognized him. Relying on the generous physique given by the alchemist, Wei Wushuang easily squeezed into the crowd, but the scene in front of him surprised him.
It was lively, but the newspapers were neatly placed on the table and no one was seen taking them. Faced with the selling price of ten cents, most people chose to wait and see rather than pay for it directly.
What's more, on a small wooden board next to the table, the entire newspaper is posted.
As long as you are literate, it is free
"It turns out this is a newspaper. I thought it was a booklet, but I didn't expect it to be just two pieces of paper."
"It would be great if it were a book. You can buy it to decorate your appearance. I always feel like it's a bit of a loss to buy two pieces of paper for ten cents."
"Old Zhang, can you read? Usually fish killers want to use books to decorate their appearance. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by those scholars?" someone said half-jokingly.
"What are you talking about! My son is in the school. Who is not a scholar?" Lao Zhang stiffened his neck and retorted, "I can't read, so can't I let my son read to me?"
There was a burst of laughter.
"Hey, can anyone tell me what the newspaper said?"
"It's the recent battle. It turns out that the mastermind behind it is the West Pole Dynasty, whose name is... the Kingdom of Natadine."
"I see, but why did they cross such a long distance to attack Jinxia?"
"It's because of the elves. Your Highness the Princess has signed a covenant with the elves. If they beat the elves, they are bullying Your Highness. Of course we can't just sit back and watch!"
"That's right! Although elves are monsters, if I get to know them more, I find that they are actually pretty good... especially the energetic girls from the Machine Building Bureau... "
As soon as these words came out, the scene suddenly became quiet, and everyone's eyes turned to the speaker.
"Well, I didn't really do anything, I just admired it, okay?"
"But since the newspaper is talking about a battle, why is there a portrait of a girl hanging in the center?" An onlooker changed the topic, "And this woman's appearance... I'm afraid she is also a monster, right?"
"This lady is not an ordinary demon. She is a dragon and auspicious! And she is also the biggest contributor to this battle!"
"Dragon?" Everyone was stunned.
"That's right," the introducer said loudly, "Then the West Pole Fleet galloped across the sea without any rivals. Why was it trapped in the shallow Jinxia Sea and finally captured in one fell swoop? It was because Master Long used magic to block the sea breeze that these The warship couldn't move even an inch! And in the final boarding operation, she took the lead and frightened the enemies on multiple warships in one fell swoop, which can be said to be a great contribution!"
"oh--"
The crowd let out a sigh of relief.
"It's a pity that such a nice girl has snake eyes, which is really intimidating."
"Yeah... In comparison, elves are easier to accept."
Click.
Wei Wushuang seemed to hear the sound of the introducer grinding his teeth.
He shook his head and shouted into the store, "Boss, bring me a newspaper!"
"Hey," the store owner immediately rubbed his hands and came forward, "Do you need to wrap it up for you?"
"No need, why is it so formal for something worth ten cents?"
"That's different. You are the first customer after the store opens!"
Wei Wushuang was stunned, pulled the shopkeeper aside and asked in a low voice, "Is there really no one buying this newspaper?"
"Yes," the latter smiled bitterly, "They say that cooperating with the Secretariat is a sure-profit business. It seems that I will be the first to lose money."
Wei Wushuang felt a little uncomfortable. He knew that Xia Fan valued the Propaganda Department very much. The current plans were all implemented by the Fu Cheng himself. If the first battle failed, not only would the Propaganda Department be disgraced, but he, as a member of the Secretariat, would also lose face. Members will also feel frustrated.
It's a pity that he doesn't know what to do about this matter.
After all, he was in charge of the Ministry of Food, and he came here to buy newspapers because his father wanted to read them.
Back at his home, Wei Wushuang found an extra pair of leather boots at the entrance door.
"Dad, I'm back."
"Oh, come here and meet Mr. Zhuang," Wei Yan waved to him to sit down at the table, "Do you remember this? A big businessman from Anshen City who used to take care of the grain store business."
"My child remembers." Wei Wushuang bowed his hands politely, "I have met Mr. Zhuang."
"Hey, it doesn't have to be like this. You are now a senior official in Jinxia City, so I should salute you." The latter said with a smile on his face.
Since he was appointed as the head of the grain department by Xia Fan, not only the attitude of his family towards him has changed 180 degrees, but also when guests come to visit. However, the feeling of elation in his heart did not last long. Instead, he felt uncomfortable all over, not even as relaxed as before when he was anonymous.
After some pleasantries, Wei Wushuang placed Shenjin Weekly on the table, "Dad, I brought back the newspaper you asked for. I have to go to the Secretariat later. Please forgive me for not being able to stay with you for a long time."
"Newspaper? What is that?" Mr. Zhuang asked curiously.
"Oh, Jinxia City has a new thing. I heard that with this thing, you can know the major events in the world without leaving home." Father Wei stroked his beard and smiled, "I was really curious, so I asked him to buy a copy. Come and take a look.”
"Really?" He curiously took the weekly newspaper and looked it up and down, "How much does this one cost?"
"Ten articles." Wei Wushuang replied.
"Is it so cheap?"
Wei Wushuang was startled, and then retracted his hands that were about to hold him up, "Do you think it... is cheap?"
"Isn't it? Looking at the paper material, not even a single ink mark can be seen through on the back. Ordinary rice paper can't do that." Mr. Zhuang looked at it carefully. "The size of each character is basically the same. It should be printed on an engraving board. Yes, the ink is thick in color and is undoubtedly of the highest quality... The person who made this must have put a lot of thought into it."
"As expected of an expert in running a pawn shop, he can actually see so many tricks." Wei Yan clicked his tongue and said in surprise.
"This business relies on eyesight, so why not be sharp?" The other party smiled and shook his head, "But let me tell you, the most valuable thing about this newspaper is not the paper and ink, but the portrait!"