Story highlights Hillary Clinton and her aides plan a very different campaign in 2016

Clinton will avoid using the first person whenever possible and Bill Clinton will play a smaller role

Staffers waiting for the official announcement are currently unpaid and working out of a kitchen

The person in charge of reintroducing Hillary Clinton also helped shape Michelle Obama's public persona

New York (CNN) The second time around, Hillary Clinton is downsizing.

As she and a coterie of advisers prepare to launch her presidential campaign, their work is guided by a new set of humble principles: No big crowds. Few soaring rallies. Less mention of her own ambitions. And extinguish the air of inevitability propelling her candidacy.

The long and winding prelude to her announcement is nearly over, according to aides, and the start of her second bid for the White House is likely only days away. Top Democratic activists in the early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire privately say they have been placed on alert that Clinton will soon be on her way.

The specific moment she jumps into the race remains a closely-guarded secret, even inside the crowded corridors of her small office suite in Manhattan, which new aides have descended upon to build the operation. Only a handful of confidantes actually know the precise time Clinton will pull the trigger -- first on social media -- yet aides have been instructed to be ready from Monday forward.

But her campaign strategy has crystallized: She will devote considerable time and attention to on-the-ground footwork in Iowa and New Hampshire. She intends to make less frequent stops in Nevada and South Carolina. Together, those four states kick off the nominating contest early next year and will help determine how warmly Democrats embrace her candidacy.

The early pieces of her strategy are starting to come into sharper view as the announcement nears. One of the most noticeable differences from her first campaign, according to more than a dozen people close to the Clintons, is a concerted effort to try and make her candidacy seem far less focused on her winning than on listening to the concerns of voters.

"The early caucus and primary states give her an opportunity to visit with folks in small, more intimate settings, where they will learn a lot about her and she will learn a lot from them," Tom Vilsack, the agriculture secretary and former Iowa governor, who served as a national chairman of her 2008 campaign, told CNN.

Putting in time in Iowa

Over dinner and drinks one night last week at Baratta's, a cozy Italian restaurant in Des Moines, two top visiting Clinton strategists listened as supportive Iowa activists issued a stark warning: Some Democrats are far less enthused about her candidacy than others. After placing third in the Iowa caucuses in 2008, they said she must ask for every vote as well as being willing to run a gauntlet of small events and take part in grueling campaign sessions across the state.

Robby Mook, the campaign manager, and Marlon Marshall, a top deputy, traveled from New York to Iowa and New Hampshire last week as Clinton's envoys. They hosted the dinner and other intimate events, hoping to show that a former First Lady, senator and Secretary of State was open to concern, constructive criticism and even complaints.

Tom Henderson, chairman of the Polk County Democratic Party in Iowa, said activists were hungry for a primary campaign or at least a serious conversation about issues facing the country and who would become President Obama's successor. He was not invited to the dinner last week because he intends to remain neutral in the race, but he said he has shared his views with Clinton confidantes.

"The Democratic voters in Iowa are eager for this to get started," Henderson told CNN. "Many Democrats believe that a spirited caucus and primary season is essential to a successful Democratic presidential campaign in the fall of 2016."

Several Democrats close to Clinton say she would actually rather face a credible primary challenger -- and she still might -- rather than be forced to compete with unrealistic expectations of a phantom candidate being promoted by the party's more liberal left wing.

No 'I' in Clinton 2016

But Clinton has told her advisers that she intends to aggressively campaign as though she has a primary opponent, aides say, by listening to concerns of voters and taking great pains to avoid the appearance of a coronation.

One approach is to avoid blatant suggestions of the historic nature of her candidacy, hoping to fight impressions that Clinton's presidential aspirations are all about her.

That was one of the key findings of research already conducted through focus groups in Iowa and New Hampshire. Those conversations, coupled with the searing lessons from 2008, have led aides to impress upon Clinton and her loyal circle of admirers that, far more than her own political ambitions, this race must be about what voters want.

While it seems basic, the fresh crop of advisers cringe at how she announced her last presidential campaign, with a video message and a statement on her website that declared: "I'm in. And I'm in to win."

This first-person mantra, which flourished repeatedly throughout her statement back on Jan. 20, 2007, will be all but stripped from her vocabulary, aides say. In its place will be a pledge to carry the causes of Americans who feel left behind in the economic recovery and the growing divide among classes.

Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, pictured here on Tuesday, March 3, has become one of the most powerful people in Washington. Here's a look at her life and career through the years. Hide Caption 1 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Before she married Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here, Rodham talks about student protests in 1969, which she supported in her commencement speech at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Hide Caption 2 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Rodham, center, a lawyer for the Rodino Committee, and John Doar, left, chief counsel for the committee, bring impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in the Judiciary Committee hearing room at the U.S. Capitol in 1974. Hide Caption 3 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton helps first lady Rosalynn Carter on a campaign swing through Arkansas in June 1979. Also seen in the photo is Hillary Clinton, center background. Hide Caption 4 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Bill Clinton embraces his wife shortly after a stage light fell near her on January 26, 1992. They talk to Don Hewitt, producer of the CBS show "60 Minutes." Hide Caption 5 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos With Hillary, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton waves to the crowd at his victory party after winning the Illinois primary on March 17, 1992. Hide Caption 6 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Al Gore, Tipper Gore, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton wave to supporters at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York, after they gave speeches on family values on August 23, 1992. Hide Caption 7 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton gestures at a campaign rally November 3, 1992, in Denver. After taking office, President Clinton chose his wife to head a special commission on health care reform, the most significant public policy initiative of his first year in office. Hide Caption 8 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Bill and Hillary Clinton have a laugh together on Capitol Hill in 1993. Hide Caption 9 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton pours herself a cup of tea in 1993 while testifying to the Senate Education and Labor Committee about health care reform. Hide Caption 10 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton speaks at George Washington University on September 10, 1993, in Washington during her husband's first term. Hide Caption 11 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton waves to the media on January 26, 1996, as she arrives at federal court in Washington for an appearance before a grand jury. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas. Hide Caption 12 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Hillary Clinton looks on as President Clinton discusses the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 26, 1998. Hide Caption 13 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Hillary and Bill Clinton arrive at Foundry United Methodist Church on August 16, 1998, in Washington. He became the first sitting president to testify before a grand jury when he testified via satellite about the Lewinsky matter. Hide Caption 14 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton shakes hands during a St. Patrick's Day parade in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens, New York, on March 5, 2000. Hide Caption 15 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton waves to the crowd as she arrives on the stage at the Democratic National Convention on August 14, 2000, in Los Angeles. Hide Caption 16 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton campaigns for a Senate seat October 25, 2000, at Grand Central Station in New York. Hide Caption 17 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Hillary Clinton is sworn in as a senator of New York in a re-enactment ceremony with, from left, President Clinton, nephew Tyler, daughter Chelsea, brother Hugh Rodham, mother Dorothy Rodham and Vice President Al Gore on January 3, 2001, in Washington. Hide Caption 18 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Andrew Cuomo, Eliot Spitzer and Clinton celebrate with a crowd of Democratic supporters after their wins in various races November 7, 2006, in New York. Hide Caption 19 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton speaks during a post-primary rally on January 8, 2007, at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire. Hide Caption 20 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos The Clintons pay a visit to the 92nd annual Hopkinton State Fair in Contoocook, New Hampshire, on September 2, 2007. Hide Caption 21 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton speaks at a campaign rally September 2, 2007, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She was running for the Democratic presidential nomination. Hide Caption 22 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton addresses a question during a debate with other Democratic presidential candidate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, on September 26, 2007. Also pictured are U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, left, and former U.S. Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska. Hide Caption 23 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Felipe Bravo, left, and Christian Caraballo are covered with Hillary Clinton stickers in downtown Manchester, New Hampshire, on January 8, 2008. Hide Caption 24 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton campaigns in Council Bluffs, Iowa, with her daughter, Chelsea, on January 1, 2008, two days ahead of the January 3 state caucus. Hide Caption 25 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton waves as she speaks to supporters at the National Building Museum on June 7, 2008, in Washington. After pulling out of the presidential race, Clinton thanked her supporters and urged them to back Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States. Hide Caption 26 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Obama and Clinton talk on the plane on their way to a Unity Rally in Unity, New Hampshire, on June 27, 2008. Hide Caption 27 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Obama watches Clinton address the Democratic National Convention on August 26, 2008. The two endured a long, heated contest for the 2008 nomination. Hide Caption 28 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Sen. Charles Schumer, left, looks toward Secretary of State designate Clinton as Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Sen. John Kerry, center, looks on during nomination hearings January 13, 2009, on Capitol Hill. Hide Caption 29 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton testifies during her confirmation hearing for secretary of state on January 13, 2009, in Washington. Hide Caption 30 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton, as secretary of state, dances with a local choir while visiting the Victoria Mxenge Housing Project in Philippi, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, on August 8, 2009. Hide Caption 31 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton looks through binoculars toward North Korea during a visit to an observation post July 21, 2010, at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. Hide Caption 32 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton walks up the steps to her aircraft as she leaves a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on July 23, 2010, in Hanoi, Vietnam. Hide Caption 33 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Hillary and Bill Clinton pose on the day of their daughter's wedding to Marc Mezvinsky on July 31, 2010, in Rhinebeck, New York. Hide Caption 34 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos U.S. President Barack Obama and Clinton observe a moment of silence before a NATO meeting November 19, 2010, in Lisbon, Portugal. Hide Caption 35 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton listens as Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu makes a brief statement November 29, 2010, before a bilateral meeting at the State Department in Washington. Hide Caption 36 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton shakes hands with a child during an unannounced walk through Tahrir Square in Cairo on March 16, 2011. Hide Caption 37 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Clinton and members of Obama's national security team receive an update on the Osama bin Laden mission May 1, 2011, in the Situation Room of the White House. Hide Caption 38 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton checks her personal digital assistant prior to departing Malta on October 18, 2011. Hide Caption 39 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton dances while in Cartagena, Colombia, on April 15, 2012. Hide Caption 40 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton enjoys a beer at Cafe Havana in Cartagena, Colombia, on April 15, 2012. Hide Caption 41 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton appears with little makeup during an event in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on May 6, 2012. She tells CNN, "I feel so relieved to be at the stage I'm at in my life right now ... Because you know if I want to wear my glasses, I'm wearing my glasses. If I want to wear my hair back I'm pulling my hair back. You know at some point it's just not something that deserves a lot of time and attention."

Hide Caption 42 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton speaks as Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai listens during a news conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 7, 2012. Hide Caption 43 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel on July 15, 2012. Hide Caption 44 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton looks on as Obama makes a statement in response to the attack at the U.S. Consulate in Libya on September 12, 2012. Hide Caption 45 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton applauds Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a ceremony where Suu Kyi was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal on September 19, 2012. Hide Caption 46 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Bill Clinton kisses his wife after introducing her at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting on September 24, 2012, in New York City. Hide Caption 47 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton shakes hands with Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, while attending a reception with Prince William, second from right, in New York in December. Hide Caption 48 of 49 Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight 49 photos Clinton speaks to reporters at U.N. headquarters on Tuesday, March 10, addressing her use of private email for official work as secretary of state. She said she used a private domain out of "convenience" but admitted in retrospect "it would have been better" to use multiple emails. Hide Caption 49 of 49

Reintroducing Hillary Clinton

Democrats close to her campaign-in-waiting have fought the urge to solely dwell on mistakes made during her 2008 candidacy. Their view is that she can't win the next two years by only trying to fix what happened the first time around, even though avoiding similar missteps is a key goal.

The cadre of operatives charting a course for her second presidential campaign are seeking to try and reintroduce Clinton - this time on her own terms - to American voters. These Democratic strategists say people know of Clinton, considering she has near 100 percent name recognition in most polls, but they don't know personal aspects of her story.

The goal in the next few months, aides say, will be to reintroduce Clinton through small, controlled and more personal events in hopes of casting her in a softer light than she was portrayed during her failed 2008 presidential run.

"The views about women candidates and how they should conduct themselves has really changed since 2008," said Bonnie Campbell, the co-chair of Clinton's 2008 campaign in Iowa. "First and foremost people vote for candidates that they like, people who connect with them emotionally. I think that helps with everybody but certainly it helps with women and the men who love them. It just makes her a more complete person."

Campbell said that in 2008 she saw voters in Iowa light up when they connected with Clinton in coffee shops and in their homes, but those events were few and far between compared to large rallies and speeches.

But it's an open question how successful the effort to reintroduce Clinton will be, with nearly a dozen Republican rivals and the full weight of the party eager to seize on more polarizing aspects in hopes of defining her in an unflattering light.

During her time on the paid speaking circuit and at philanthropic events over the last two years, Clinton regularly used her time as a mother and now a grandmother to remind Americans about her passion for early childhood education or paid leave for mothers and fathers. But Clinton rarely used those stories to convey a message about her own character aspects, something Democrats close to her would like to change.

"Reintroducing her is important because we want to make sure that the opposing party and even other Democrats aren't able to cast the secretary in a light that just isn't her," Bakari Sellers, a South Carolina Democrat who ran for lieutenant governor in 2014, told CNN. "She has an amazing skill to connect with voters and we just have to give her that opportunity."

And while the job of retooling Clinton's image will be the job of multiple people on the communications team, it will fall primarily on Kristina Schake, a woman who, as Michelle Obama's communications director, turned the first lady into an everywoman known for dancing on national TV, gardening with her staff and touring colleges with her daughter.

Schake, whose varied background includes working for issue campaigns, multinational corporations and Hollywood stars, will work inside the Clinton effort to make the former secretary of state more relatable.

Smaller public role for Bill Clinton

The Clinton team been eying an April announcement for more than a month, several top Democrats and donors told CNN. To a person, they expect Clinton will be a candidate by the end of the next two weeks.

Her team is quietly planning visits to Iowa and New Hampshire as soon as she declares her candidacy, but she intends to travel alone. Her supporters say she needs to be her own person, someone who steps out of the sizable shadow that has been cast over her by her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

A discussion is underway for how much to embrace or include the former president at the outset, but aides say Hillary Clinton will be the focal point.

Unpaid volunteers working out of a kitchen

The campaign-in-waiting, meanwhile, is starting to take shape as a full-blown presidential operation. Conversations are underway on a variety of topics, including such mundane matters as how voters and even staff should refer to Clinton: Madam Secretary, senator or simply, Hillary.

Mook, who will become the campaign manager, began building out his team earlier this year. Clinton conducted one-on-one interviews for nearly all top positions. A number of political operatives, including several alumni of the Barack Obama and John Edwards campaigns in 2008, moved to New York earlier this month. The workers are currently unpaid volunteers, but have been promised paychecks soon.

The new infusion of staffers has led to cramped quarters at Clinton's small personal office on West 45th Street, just off Times Square in midtown Manhattan. Some days, more than 25 people are jammed into a space once intended for Clintons' far smaller personal staff.

The crammed quarters have led to some funny moments. The campaign's digital team -- one of the most important pieces of the organization, tasked with blasting out her announcement -- has opened up shop in the kitchen, using counters as standing desks.

And for those who can't take the tight space, the storied lobby of the nearby Algonquin Hotel has been a secret Clinton headquarters for a few weeks.

The nascent organization signed a lease late last week for an office in Brooklyn, a person familiar with the deal told CNN.

The two-floor Brooklyn Heights office puts Clinton just across the river from Manhattan and near a focal point for Brooklyn transportation. The building -- which bills itself as "Modern Offices. Brooklyn Cool" -- also houses offices for Morgan Stanley and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

The staffing decisions and signing of the lease signal an imminent announcement. The Federal Elections Commission mandates prospective campaigns have only 15 days between conducting campaign activities - like booking an office - and being officially throwing open the doors for yet another Clinton presidential campaign.

Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson on March 2 announced the launch of an exploratory committee. The move will allow him to raise money that could eventually be transferred to an official presidential campaign and indicates he is on track with stated plans to formally announce a bid in May. Hide Caption 1 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos South Carolina's Lindsey Graham has said he'll make a decision surrounding a presidential run sometime soon. A potential bid could focus on Graham's foreign policy stance. Hide Caption 2 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Hillary Clinton continues to have an overwhelming lead over other possible 2016 Democratic presidential candidates. Although the former first lady and secretary of state has not said whether she'll run, a group of PACs and advocacy organizations have begun the process of raising money and aiding a hypothetical campaign. Hide Caption 3 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin is considered a possible Republican candidate, but he told CNN that his priority is to first help the GOP capture the Senate in next November's midterms. Hide Caption 4 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican rising star from Florida, was swept into office in 2010 on the back of tea party fervor. But his support of comprehensive immigration reform, which passed the Senate but has stalled in the House, has led some in his party to sour on his prospects. Hide Caption 5 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has said his decision to run for the Republican nomination will be based on two things -- his family and whether he can lift America's spirit. His father and brother formerly served as President. Hide Caption 6 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said recently it's too early to announce whether he'll run. Jindal has said he wants to focus on "winning the war of ideas" before making a decision on his presidential ambitions. Hide Caption 7 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee member Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., asserts an objection to Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a Democratic sponsor of the long-stalled Keystone XL pipeline bill, as the committee met to advance the controversial project, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Hide Caption 8 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Former US Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., gestures during a talk at the AP Day at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014. Hide Caption 9 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Vice President Joe Biden has twice before made unsuccessful bids for the Oval Office -- in 1988 and 2008. A former senator known for his foreign policy and national security expertise, Biden made the rounds on the morning shows recently and said he thinks he'd "make a good President." Hide Caption 10 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has fallen out of the top spot among potential Republican presidential candidates with a political scandal roiling his administration. Hide Caption 11 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Rep. Paul Ryan, a former 2012 vice presidential candidate and fiscally conservative budget hawk, says he's "keeping my options open" for a possible presidential run but is not focused on it. Hide Caption 12 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Sen. Rand Paul has said that he was seriously considering a run for president in 2016. If the tea party favorite decides to jump in, he likely will have to address previous controversies that include comments on civil rights, a plagiarism allegation, and his assertion the top NSA official lied to Congress about surveillance. Hide Caption 13 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Texas Sen. Ted Cruz plans to travel to states that factor into the early nomination process. The first-term Republican and tea party darling is considered a gifted orator and smart politician. He is best known in the Senate for his marathon filibuster over defunding Obamacare. Hide Caption 14 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Maryland Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley released a "buzzy" political video in November 2013 in tandem with visits to New Hampshire. He also headlined a Democratic Party event in South Carolina, which holds the first southern primary. Hide Caption 15 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced in 2013 that he would not be seeking re-election, leading to speculation he might mount a second White House bid. Hide Caption 16 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, a social conservative, gave Mitt Romney his toughest challenge in the nomination fight last time out and has made trips recently to early voting states, including Iowa and South Carolina. Hide Caption 17 of 18 Potential 2016 presidential candidates 18 photos Political observers expect New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to yield to Hillary Clinton should she run in 2016, fearing there wouldn't be room in the race for two Democrats from the Empire State. Should she not jump in, Cuomo would then be a potential candidate. Hide Caption 18 of 18

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