Some people were singing, some were dancing, some were fooling around, and some were laughing joyfully.
Hong Kong's nights never truly slept.
So while many had already gone to bed, plenty of others were still enjoying life or busy working away.
At the 27th floor of Block B, Longqing Building, No. 269 Guangming Road, Queen's Road West, the editorial office of Boluo Daily was brightly lit. Editors sat before their computers, working tensely through the night.
Boluo Daily was one of Hong Kong's highest-circulation free newspapers, printing more than 700,000 copies daily, giving it enormous influence across the city.
This newspaper, aimed at ordinary people, had always been famous for reporting social news with speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness.
"Speed" referred to how quickly they released stories. While they couldn't compete with the internet, even news that happened late at night could still appear in print by the next morning, waiting for citizens at newsstands or in their mailboxes.
"Accuracy" referred to their sharp targeting of Hong Kong's trending social topics and entertainment gossip. They understood exactly what the general public liked to read, which was why their circulation remained consistently high.
As for "ruthlessness," that meaning was even broader. Their paparazzi reporters were ruthless in chasing stories, and their editors were equally ruthless with their writing. Explaining all of it in detail could fill an entire book.
Relying on those three principles and a free distribution strategy, Boluo Daily, despite being founded less than ten years ago, had carved a bloody path through Hong Kong's fiercely competitive newspaper industry and become one of its leaders.
Inside the editor-in-chief's office, Editor-in-Chief Li Wan sat at his desk reviewing the freshly printed page proofs. This was something he insisted on doing every day; otherwise, he couldn't sleep soundly.
The success of Boluo Daily was inseparable from the hard work of this former deputy editor of Famous News. Though already past forty, his energy still rivaled that of many young people.
"Editor Li!"
A skinny young man carrying a camera rushed inside and shouted excitedly, "I got a scoop on Shu Jing!"
His voice was so loud that everyone in the editorial department heard him clearly.
The editorial office of Boluo Daily used an open-office layout. Although Li Wan had his own private office, the floor-to-ceiling glass walls made everything visible from both inside and outside.
Unless something extremely important or confidential was happening, his office door always remained open. Certain staff members didn't even need to knock before barging in to report directly to him.
This seemingly "ruleless" setup allowed Li Wan to maintain absolute control over the newspaper's operations. Among reporters and editors alike, his prestige was something even the owner couldn't match.
The young man who had just burst in was one of Boluo Daily's entertainment reporters, a paparazzo.
Li Wan set down the printed proof in his hand and smiled faintly.
"Little Hou, you're not pulling another blunder this time, are you?"
Little Hou blushed and quickly raised his camera.
"This time it's real! Shu Jing hosted a charity banquet tonight at the Shangri-La Hotel. After it ended, she went with a handsome guy to Lanting Café, and then…"
"Let me see!"
Li Wan immediately became interested. He took the camera, skillfully connected it to the computer with a data cable, and opened the photos stored on the memory card.
Shu Jing had once been a Little Heavenly Queen of the music scene. After marrying into a wealthy family, she retired from entertainment. Her divorce lawsuit several years ago had caused a huge sensation, and even now she remained a highly watched figure in show business.
Shu Jing was both a celebrity and a socialite, naturally making her newsworthy. And after several years of no rumors about relationships, if Little Hou had really captured evidence of a new romance, it was definitely headline material.
"This one, look at this one, and this one too…"
Little Hou pointed nervously at the photos while explaining,
"There was a huge traffic jam in Central tonight. Otherwise I would've gotten back earlier."
As a newcomer, Little Hou had very little seniority at Boluo Daily. Because of his lack of experience, he had previously botched a news grab and made a fool of himself in front of his coworkers.
This time, staking out and tailing Shu Jing, with a mix of patience and luck, had finally earned him something valuable.
Still, he worried that another paparazzo might also have been at the scene. If that happened, his exclusive would be gone.
So getting the story into print as quickly as possible was critical.
Li Wan waved his hand.
He had already looked through the important photos. Honestly, he felt somewhat disappointed. Shu Jing had indeed been with a handsome young man, but both of them were accompanied by assistants or friends the entire time. There weren't any intimate or overly suggestive interactions captured.
Using these photos alone to prove she had a new lover simply wasn't convincing enough.
Still, two of Little Hou's shots were taken from particularly clever angles. Viewed separately, they gave off quite an intimate feeling.
However, after searching his memory, Li Wan still couldn't identify who the tall, handsome young man was. He didn't seem to be an entertainer from the industry or the son of a famous family.
Of course, Hong Kong was full of outstanding young people. It wouldn't be strange for Shu Jing to date someone outside the entertainment circle. But his background was definitely not ordinary.
After a moment of thought, Li Wan made his decision immediately.
"You get Page B2. Use these photos. Tell Little Zhang and the others to redo the layout right away, add a headline, proofread it, and send it to print immediately!"
For free newspapers like Boluo Daily, which focused heavily on social and entertainment news, layouts typically featured giant headlines, oversized photos, and very little text. The headline fonts were often even larger than the newspaper's masthead, exaggerated and sensationalized, accompanied by pictures and just enough explanatory text.
It was completely different from serious newspapers centered on politics or professional reporting.
One advantage of this layout style was that changing pages was extremely easy. Last-minute swaps before printing were common, and the editors were long accustomed to it.
Page B2, the second page after the front page, was a prime position. Little Hou was overjoyed.
One editor grumbled,
"Little Hou, you really hit the jackpot this time. Now we all have to work overtime… You owe us dinner."
Little Hou just chuckled foolishly.
Sitting in his office, Li Wan couldn't help laughing as well. Holding the mouse, he reopened the earlier photos.
For some reason, the young man drinking coffee with Shu Jing that night looked strangely familiar to him.
Out of professional instinct, he felt he needed to think carefully about it.
Maybe there was an even bigger story hidden here.
Meanwhile, on Hong Kong's largest BBS forum, Hong Kong Island Forum, someone had just uploaded a video post in the Pop Music section.
The title was:
"Has Anyone Heard This Song Before?"
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(End of Chapter)
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