Chapter 541 Thriving and Prosperous

Chapter 541: On the Rise

Kang Honghui, a street-smart veteran, immediately sensed the shift in Su An's attitude and hurriedly explained.

"Sorry, Xiao Su. I drafted you into the situation earlier, but those two were just too annoying—they wouldn’t leave me alone, and I couldn’t bring myself to outright tell them to go."

Su An wore a pasted-on smile. "Oh, really?"

Knowing his earlier behavior was far from gentlemanly, Kang Honghui went on to explain his history with Jiang Qionggui and Liu Abo.

"That woman is Jiang Qionggui, and the man is Liu Abo. The three of us grew up together. Jiang Qionggui and I even developed feelings for each other and nearly got together. Later, my father was implicated by a friend and sent away to a reform-through-labor camp, and I went with him. Jiang Qionggui resented me and ended up with my good friend."

"By the time I came back, they were already married. Yet, she came looking for me a few times, which Liu Abo found out about. Our three-way childhood bond took on an uncomfortable tension. I know Abo minds that Qionggui and I had a past, and I know Qionggui still nurses lingering resentment. That’s why I’ve been avoiding them. But every time they see me, they cling to me like band-aids..."

Seeing Su An’s lack of interest, Kang Honghui pivoted. "Anyway, I was rude. I knew about your connection with Boss Zuo, so I used you to fend them off."

"By the way, didn’t you say you had something to ask me?"

At the mention of business, Su An’s smile gained a touch of sincerity. She cut to the chase. "Yes. As you know, I’m currently studying journalism at Jinan University. I have some ideas I’d like to discuss with you."

She signaled a waiter to bring a fruit platter.

"I want to start my own magazine. Since you’re an insider, I’d like your advice."

Kang Honghui grew serious. "You want to start a magazine?"

Su An nodded.

Kang Honghui’s gaze took on new respect. "The youth today put us old-timers to shame. Hahaha!"

"Starting a magazine is way more complicated than registering a company. China has strict regulations and laws governing periodical publishing. To establish a magazine, you first need a publishing unit that meets the National Press and Publication Administration’s requirements—including a qualified sponsor, supervisor, scope of operations, and more."

"You also need an organizational structure for publishing activities, personnel with state-recognized qualifications... even a fixed workplace in the same administrative region as the sponsor. The legal representative must be a Chinese citizen residing long-term in the country. All these conditions ensure compliance with national laws and the standardization of publishing activities."

"Bottom line, your magazine must align with the nation’s overall plans and strategic layout. You can’t oppose the state, right? So, you must conduct thorough market research and planning beforehand to ensure your development and positioning meet national needs. Only then can you proceed with the formal application and approval process..."

Su An listened attentively, and Kang Honghui was generous with his advice. Their conversation took on new energy, the earlier tension soon forgotten.

Kang Honghui admired Su An’s drive and, as an expert, was happy to lend a hand. He answered all her questions in detail and even left her his phone number for further inquiries.

Grateful for his mentorship, Su An felt her trip to Dongguan had been worthwhile.

Upon returning, she began preparing materials to launch her magazine while placing paid advertisements soliciting submissions in several Guangdong newspapers.

As a form of news media, magazines are tightly controlled in any country. Unless published internally within an organization, restrictions are heavy. Operating without an official serial number would classify it as an illegal publication.

Even with Kang Honghui’s help, Su An’s initial application failed to meet requirements. After no small effort—and Kang Honghui’s connections—she acquired a faltering existing magazine, finally securing a legal publishing license. The costs ballooned far beyond her budget.

Once the first hurdle was cleared, progress became smoother. Submission letters started pouring in.

Time passed quickly, and another semester passed.

With the magazine’s launch at a crucial juncture, Su An called home to say she wouldn’t be returning for summer break.

Though worried, Wang Xiaocui knew Su An was doing important work. If she interfered too much, it might affect Su An's career, so she could only call to remind her to take care of her health, stay safe, eat on time, and call home whenever possible.

Su An had also put together her team. She retained two employees from the original newspaper: Xu Guoliang, the photographer, and Sister Tang, the accountant. Both also handled layout and editing. Along with Chen Wende, a part-time student worker, and Jiang Liping, who followed Su An closely, the five-person team was formed.

For over a month, Su An dragged the team through negotiations for distribution channels, partnerships with printing companies, field visits, and editorial meetings to select content and set prices. Everyone was exhausted.

She was determined to make the first issue a major hit, ensuring that *Outside* would make a splash right from the start.

Finally, in mid-August, the first issue of Su An’s passion project, *Outside*, hit stores, priced at 66 cents per copy.

Thanks to its precise positioning, the results were highly encouraging—all 50,000 printed copies sold out immediately upon release.

Among the contents, a short story titled *Late at Night, There’s a Man by the Sea*, depicting the struggles of a young migrant worker in the city, resonated deeply with many low-wage laborers.

After its debut, *Outside* became a comfort read for countless workers.

In every corner of the city, people held *Outside*—reading it in restrooms, during meals, lying in bed after work, or under dim streetlights. They discussed it, lent it to one another, and discussed it again.

Letters and submissions to the magazine quickly multiplied, and the themes for the second issue soon took shape.

Su An didn’t dare relax. Like the first issue, the second underwent rigorous scrutiny. She read reader letters until her eyes burned, held meetings to analyze shortcomings in the debut issue, and debated what new elements to incorporate.

After pouring in tremendous effort, the second issue of *Outside* was released, and sales jumped to 120,000 copies.