How to Subscribe to Sanlian Lifeweek

To start, receive a link to a magazine article, from a friend.1 The article is in Sanlian Lifeweek, the fourth most circulated magazine in China. Click into the article. Read two minutes. Hit a paywall. Click a link in the corner to register for an account. Enter your phone number, and wait ten seconds for text message verification. Follow the link to purchase a monthly electronic subscription for three dollars. The link is on Taobao, the largest online retailer in the world. Successfully find all pictures with three open suitcases. Fail the captcha. Taking extra care, find all the pictures with exactly five pomegranates. Fail again. Attempt three more captchas with no success. Access the Taobao link via your Android phone. Download the Taobao app when redirected. Sign up with email and password. Ten seconds into account setup, get logged out of the app. Log back in, to be presented with a notification that the account has been shut down for security screening. Create a second account…