Chapter 8, Urgent Bulletin
This intermediate athletics coach has already reached the level of training professional athletes. Chen Qiang believes that his training expertise in sprinting should be on par with that of this intermediate athletics coach, and in terms of theoretical knowledge, Chen Qiang should excel even further.
In old Shanghai, the most prevalent were the radio stations established by Americans, such as XRO Radio, New Fortune Shipping Company Radio, Kairo Radio, Meilingden Radio, and Xihua American Radio among others
Subsequently, Chen Qiang hired a mid-level athletics coach
The reward points for this task are 500, which is higher than the previous 10,000-meter task. If one were to take on the 10,000-meter task, it would require five times, meaning running 50 kilometers to earn 500 points. By taking on this marathon task, one can run 8 kilometers less and still receive 500 points. Isn't this quite a good deal?
The money is here, give it to me
Since becoming a professor at the Sports University, Chen Qiang has been focused on research in sports theory. Whether in training or competition, Chen Qiang tends to be more theoretical in his approach. Additionally, having not worked in frontline training positions for many years, his practical training skills have somewhat declined. However, his long-term theoretical work has endowed him with a profound knowledge base in sports theory.
As Chen Qiang entered the training space, he saw new text appear above his head
During the day, Chen Qiang completed two tasks of 10,000 meters, earning 200 points. This is sufficient for Chen Qiang to rent the athletics field in the training space
The next day, when Chen Qiang woke up again, he had already completed 100 hours of 100-meter sprint training
However, this marathon task consumes more physical strength, with a time display of 24 hours, and the difficulty of the task is also higher. It seems that the more difficult the task, the more reward points are given.
Chen Qiang displayed an expression of understanding.
The theoretical knowledge of the senior athletics coach is somewhat inferior to that of Chen Qiang, whereas in terms of practical training, the senior athletics coach is significantly more skilled than Chen Qiang
An "extra edition" refers to the newsprint that a newspaper temporarily issues in response to unexpected events. Since it is not included in the original newspaper numbering, it is called an "extra edition"
The circulation of special editions certainly cannot be compared to that of the regular newspaper. For instance, the regular edition of the "Shen Bao" has a circulation of approximately 50,000 copies in Shanghai, so printing 5,000 copies of a special edition would be considered quite substantial; printing more would actually lead to unsold copies.
Chen Qiang, filled with confidence, hurried towards Chen Rujis.
In the blink of an eye, the dozens of bundles of extra editions that had been sorted were completely divided up. By the time Chen Qiang squeezed to the front, he found that there was nothing left in front of him.
During the Republic of China period, information transmission was not as advanced as it is today. Nowadays, we have television and the internet; when something happens, we can simply post on social media or Weibo, and others can quickly become aware. However, in 1929, none of these existed, and even radio was a rarity
5,000 copies of the extra edition were distributed to more than 30 newsstands in old Shanghai, averaging less than 200 copies per newsstand. Larger newsstands like Chen Rujis might receive a few more, but they cannot withstand the competition from dozens of newsboys. Therefore, the newsboys must resort to "snatching" in order to obtain the extra edition.
... ...
Thinking of meat buns, Chen Qiang suddenly felt a bit hungry
A senior athletics coach consumes 5 points of credits per hour. Chen Qiang does not have many credits in hand, and he is reluctant to hire a coach for an extended period. Moreover, with Chen Qiang's current physical condition, he cannot even meet the amateur standard for the 100-meter sprint. Hiring a junior athletics coach for training would be less effective than Chen Qiang, a physical education university professor, training himself.
Subsequently, Chen Qiang went to the athletics field
Chen Qiang also mingled among the many newsboys, eagerly looking forward.
Now it is different; I cannot sleep at night. I turn on the radio, and the broadcasts are all about programs like "XX Night Talk" and "XX Emotional". It is either someone experiencing a breakup or another person seeking a mistress. There are also frequent advertisements for kidney supplements. How stimulating it is! The more I listen, the less I can sleep.
Give me two stacks
I want a stack
The reason I was unable to grab it today was mainly because I was a bit slow. The distance from the entrance to the warehouse is only about sixty to seventy meters. If I had sprinted at a hundred-meter dash speed, I would definitely have been able to get to the front and secure the extra copy.
A total of 42.195 kilometers have been completed, unlocking a new task
For Chen Qiang, the newsboy, each edition of the extra edition signifies the opportunity to earn a day's worth of food money
... ...
In the sorting warehouse of Chen Rujiji, the workers have already sorted the extra editions, bundling them in stacks of ten. Soon, the newsboys will come in, exchanging money for goods.
The content of a special edition is less than that of a regular newspaper, yet the price is not inexpensive
... ...
Chen Qiang first hired a junior athletics coach for one hour. Based on his professional judgment, the level of this junior athletics coach is comparable to that of a high school physical education teacher, capable of training ordinary high school students into amateur athletes
I lost two dimes!" Chen Qiang lamented as he slapped his forehead. If he had been a bit quicker just now, he would have definitely been able to grab two stacks of extra editions, and earning an additional two dimes would have been a piece of cake.
Americans have always been relentless in their pursuit of profit, especially when it comes to items that one cannot produce oneself, which are sold at exorbitant prices. At that time, radios were quite expensive; in 1929, the income of an average wage earner was insufficient to afford a radio. Even affluent families had to grit their teeth and make a significant sacrifice to purchase one. Therefore, "extra editions" remained the primary means of disseminating breaking news.
For example, the "Shenbao" newspaper consists of six large pages and is sold for 4 cents, while a special edition often contains only one large page but is sold for 3 cents. Sometimes, the special edition is printed on smaller paper, specifically 8 open size, yet it still costs 3 cents. There are even a few unscrupulous small newspapers that print special editions on 16 open paper but charge the same price as the regular edition.
Chen Qiang has been immersed in the training space.
Chen Qiang practiced sprinting when he was young. In fact, many athletes in the country start with sprinting, as it is an entry-level sport.
It is indeed a time of many events; in the days to come, special editions will certainly be inescapable. We must find a way to secure a special edition.
It is also possible to unlock new tasks! The full marathon distance is indeed 42.195 kilometers. It seems that I completed the distance of 42.195 kilometers in the past two days, which is why I unlocked this full marathon task. This time, there is a time limit for completion, which is 24 hours. Completing a full marathon within 24 hours is not considered difficult
Arriving late, it has sold out, this batch of extras, Chen Qiang did not manage to grab any
The special editions of that era were essentially equivalent to today's live broadcasts
A night without conversation
According to Chen Qiang's assessment, the capabilities of this senior athletics coach are sufficient to train high-level track and field athletes
The reason for using the term "抢" (to snatch) is primarily due to the scarcity of resources in the presence of many wolves.
Before the sun had set, Chen Qiang had already begun to sleep; he aimed to sleep for a full ten hours, which equates to practicing 100 hours of the 100-meter sprint
With less paper or smaller paper size, the printing costs will decrease, yet the selling price remains the same, which means that the profit will be higher. This applies to newspapers, to news vendors, and even more so to newsboys. As a newsboy, if one can sell twenty copies of an extra edition, the earnings for that day would be secured, surpassing the profits made from selling regular newspapers.
After training for 100 hours in sprinting, I refuse to believe that I cannot secure a spot today
As dawn broke, Chen Qiang hurriedly ran to Chen Rujis at Anli.
It has only been three days since Chen Qiang last had meat, and he is already feeling a bit intolerant of it
100-meter sprint? That's right, I have a solution. I have a training space, so I can practice in there. I will practice the 100-meter dash tonight
For instance, if there is breaking news in the morning and the newspaper prints an extra edition, but by evening it remains unsold, the evening paper will publish the same content. The evening paper will have more content and be priced even lower, so who would still buy the extra edition then
Upon learning of the extra edition news, Chen Qiang immediately ran towards Chen RujI
New task: complete a full marathon. Task duration: 24 hours. Task reward: 500 points
On the way home, Chen Qiang was constantly pondering how he could manage to grab an extra edition.
The well-known professor from the sports university in the past has long grown tired of eating meat and is seeking various ways to adopt a vegetarian diet
Chen Qiang hired a senior athletics coach for another hour
The reason American businessmen are so keen on opening radio stations is not to dedicate themselves to the broadcasting industry, but primarily to promote radios made in the United States
Although the benefits for travelers are of little use, Chen Qiang still honestly accepted a task of 10,000 meters. After all, he has to run while selling newspapers, so he might as well take this opportunity to complete the task and earn some points
Chen Qiang thought carefully and felt that it was not necessary to take on this task at the moment, as he could not cover a distance of 42 kilometers in a day
When Chen Qiang arrived at Chen Rujis, many newsboys were already standing at the entrance of the large warehouse, all there to grab the extra editions.
If I could earn an extra 0.2 yuan today, I would at least be willing to have a meat bun for dinner, Chen Qiang silently sighed to himself
Suddenly, there was a loud "crack" as the main door swung open, and then the newsboys rushed in like a flood that had burst its banks, charging into the sorting warehouse. This scene startled Chen Qiang.
At that time, the Central Broadcasting Station of the Republic of China had been established for less than a year, broadcasting only 8 times a day, with a total airtime of less than 5 hours. Most of the content consisted of orders, announcements, promotional outlines, and reports on resolutions, which were even more tedious than listening to the news. One could think of radio broadcasting as akin to attending a meeting and listening to leaders speak, which was absolutely hypnotic. Therefore, if one had trouble sleeping at night, turning on the radio and listening to the broadcast would quickly lead to sleep.
In the afternoon, the newspapers in Chen Qiang's hands were nearly sold out. At this time, he learned from a newsstand that a special edition had already been printed and should have been delivered to various newspaper offices.
I run more than 20 kilometers every day, which allows me to sell all the newspapers. Even if I go to grab the extra edition, at most I would run 30 kilometers, which is still far from the 42 kilometers of a marathon. Given this, it would be more cost-effective to take on the task of completing 10,000 meters three times for 100 points each.