American Fortune Life

At around 4:00 pm on Monday, October 8, 2007, the only national paid evening newspaper with a history of 182 years, which was renamed "London Evening Standard", officially started its new free chapter.

In subway stations, train stations and other crowded places, from time to time, you can see staff wearing FBI uniforms with standard newspaper printed on them standing in front of the newspaper boxes, and there are special personnel shouting loudly and working hard to distribute them. The first time I heard it on the road, those who didn't know it thought something big had happened.

There are also TV media reporting on the spot and interviewing passers-by. After all, this is also the first orthodox newspaper with a long history to choose free delivery, which undoubtedly attracts the attention of Londoners.

"I'm glad the paper is free, and it's very insightful about current affairs. It's great to watch on the subway after get off work!" A reader with a copy of the Evening Standard was pulled away by a TV reporter. live interview.

"...I think it's better to pay because they always provide excellent service."

Andy didn't care about this at all. Of course, he also wrote an open letter to readers on the first day of free newspapers for the first time.

"Today is a historic day for the Evening Standard as we are the first free orthodox newspaper in the UK. With this ground-breaking change we will be delivering 600,000 copies of the paper to Londoners (every day) ...

. . . We are committed to continuing to maintain the quality of the paper and the value of hard news, commentary and analysis. Our aim is to promote London as one of the greatest cities in the world, while at the same time exposing phenomena and behaviors that seek to undermine the city's progress. We pledge our commitment to serve all Londoners. "

The sincerity made many readers feel that Andy Smith, a young man, really regards the Evening Standard as a career and is working hard for social responsibility. When the TV news reports in the evening, the TV media also interviewed many well-known The people talked about their views on this.

Frequent gaffes and gaffes London mayoral candidate Boris spoke highly of Andy Smith, who backed him, "He is a very young, motivated and capable leader. Congratulations to Andy Smith - New Evening Standard boss. He will cover the greatest city in the world - an open London!"

Andy, who was nestled on the sofa, was watching TV and was very happy to be photographed when he heard Boris' flattery. Everyone likes to hear good things, even if the other party's flattery is purposeful, But what is this? It's a relationship of mutual use. The club's new stadium still counts on this slovenly big mouth to operate after becoming the mayor.

In Andy's view, the free Evening Standard is just the beginning of the reform. He will not lose money and make money like Murdoch. What he wants is to use Internet thinking to make physical paper media.

Free drives circulation and seizes the reader market. This is traffic. The influence and credibility of the newspaper industry itself will not be discounted because of free. Over time, the credibility of news stars that the British care about will be guaranteed, and the traffic will increase. , advertising profits will naturally increase.

In the two-year plan formulated, the London Evening Standard is to achieve a break-even. Coupled with the news website that the Evening Standard is valued, and the information sharing with his media company, he believes that it is only a matter of time before it becomes profitable.

As for some other noises, such as the autocratic criticism of the United News Agency, Andy didn't bother to deal with it, and directly sent a team of lawyers to invite the acquisition of the remaining shares. After receiving an unfriendly rejection, Andy initiated the transfer of creditors and debt clearance. , on the grounds that the shareholder did not fully pay the share funds, requiring the United News Agency as a shareholder to bear part of the liability for compensation.

Faced with Andy's shameless means of personally suing his own company, and seeing Andy Smith presenting their respective debt statements, as well as the team of attorneys with a mocking face, the Associated Press really wanted to throw these documents at the other party face.

Nima, it is true that the full amount of funds was not paid when the Standard newspaper shares were obtained, but has the resource sharing and information sharing over the years been fed to the dog?

However, they also know that unless they make up the funds and pay the part of the debt that they have to bear as shareholders, otherwise the group of bastards on the opposite side will definitely take the United Newspaper to court. At that time, they will face a group of greedy people who want to maximize their profits. The jackal is gone.

Faced with more than 9 million pounds of debt performance requirements, the United Newspapers is struggling. As a marginalized shareholder and a newspaper that doesn't know how long it can last, they will definitely not choose to die, right? Do you want the shares in their hands!

So three days after Andy took over, the United Press chose to compromise and sold their shares in the Standard Evening News at a high price of 300,000 pounds.

In a harmonious atmosphere, Andy and the United News Agency completed the transaction and took a group photo. Andy also communicated with the other party very friendly, "We can always find a way to solve problems peacefully, although this transaction may It was achieved at the very beginning, but the same goal by different routes, it finally did not disappoint everyone, thank you..."

Looking at the back of Andy who was leading people away with a smile on his face, the face of the United News Agency was darkened, and they cursed in a low voice through gritted teeth: "This arrogant bastard!"

"When you are tired of London, you are tired of life." This sentence has long been said by the British. No matter what kind of person you are, you will find your favorite lifestyle and style in London.

But for Andy, who ushered in another gloomy morning, he didn't like life in London very much. He was ready to leave and return to the sunny California. General Trust Group Chairman Viscount Rosemere Johnson Harmsworth's invitation letter, he also smiled helplessly.

Call the little assistant in and ask her to refund the booked air ticket, and she can only choose to stay in London for a few more days.

Andy naturally knows the reason for this invitation letter better than anyone else. It is nothing more than about the acquisition negotiation of "DU Li Bao", because the negotiating team of the Daily Mail messed up with flowery goods, and the burden that could have been thrown away was smashed again. When they got it, they didn't want to give up this opportunity in the face of Andy Smith, the only high-quality buyer interested in "Du Li Bao".

So they had no choice but to report to the big boss, and their young Rosemere Fourth came forward to re-facilitate the negotiations.

In 1998, Rosemere III died suddenly of a heart attack, and the Daily Mail kingdom passed into the hands of Rosemere Fourth. At that time, Rosemere IV was only 30 years old. No matter in news qualifications or business strategy, he could not compare with his parents. Public opinion deeply doubted whether Rosemere IV could maintain the honor of the last local media tycoon in the UK.

However, judging from the early years of the 21st century, several other newspapers under the "Daily Mail" group have maintained a good momentum of development, and Rosemere Fourth has also established his position as a young British media tycoon.

"Invite me to experience country life? Hehe, these British people are really hypocritical." Andy opened the invitation letter and looked at the content written on it, and muttered softly with a slight sarcasm at the corner of his mouth.

Only Britain in the world still retains the hereditary system of the aristocracy. Today, some lifestyles of the British aristocracy still follow the stereotypes of the past, but they generally don't say "noble life" now, but "country life". to allude to.

And now this season, the so-called country life, is fox hunting. Although it is not the best time in winter, in front of the lunatics like foxhounds, even a fox that gets into a hole will be torn apart by them crazily.

"A pleasant country life, a noble show-off mentality, the joy of hunting, the heroic mood of killing the people, plus the opportunity to have a short-lived love with a good-looking country girl..."

Andy is still very fresh and curious about the so-called fox hunting. Of course, he is only curious about the fox hunting, not the so-called aristocratic force. He has no interest in integrating into the British aristocratic circle, because it is better than New York. In the upper-class circles, hypocrisy and affectation are even more necessary to mix together, such as well-crafted manners and conversations, weird accents, pondering each other's status, picking up conversations and humorous expressions, etc. This is undoubtedly the most unbearable.

For example, in the face of Beckham who is determined to obtain a knighthood, if he praises his "London voice" for being nice, he will never be happy, because in the eyes of someone like Beckham who wants to get into the aristocratic circle, To say he has a Cockney accent is to say he's working class. . .