Chapter 69: Wealth Moves People's Hearts

Lu Fan saw the "Ningyang County Career Unit Recruitment Exam Registration Procedures and Specific Arrangements" in the Minister's materials; this was an internal document.

As expected, Fang Hui was in charge of registration, and Vice Director Xu Zheng was in charge of qualification review. These two positions were the most sought-after in the Human Resources Bureau. The connections Lu Fan had accumulated for two and a half years were finally going to come in handy.

The registration time for the career unit recruitment exam was July 20th. Lu Fan dragged it out until July 18th to go find Xu Zheng and Fang Hui, just wanting to catch them off guard and strive to get the two of them to help in a daze, because delay leads to changes. Once they completely reacted and pondered carefully, they might not dare to take such a big risk.

The saying "Clear wine reddens a person's face, money moves a person's heart" exposes human nature. It is better to chant Buddha with a meaty mouth than to scold people with a vegetarian mouth; things are easy to handle with money, and words are ineffective without money.

Of ten people burning incense, nine do it for wealth; work is also to make money. Xu Zheng and Fang Hui could only "rake in" a little small money on weekdays. Lu Fan divided the 400,000 of his brothers into two portions, 200,000 each; that should be enough to move them. There was also "sentiment" included. Over the years, Lu Fan had treated his relationship with them as "closer than brothers," a large part of which was for today!

At eight o'clock in the evening, seeing Lu Fan push the door and enter, the Vice Director of the Human Resources Bureau, Xu Zheng, handed over a cup of brewed tea and said: "In the middle of the night, what matter can't be said tomorrow? If it weren't for you looking for me, your sister-in-law definitely wouldn't let me out."

Lu Fan laughed: "Being afraid of one's wife is a good thing; it shows you have a good relationship with your sister-in-law. Brother Xu, I came to find you today because there is a huge matter I need your help with!"

"Xiao Fan, within my ability, it's definitely no problem. Tell me first, what is it?"

Show! Lu Fan directly opened the handbag, revealing twenty stacks of bright red hundred-yuan bills, which made Xu Zheng's heart jump. He hurriedly said: "Xiao Fan, what are you doing?"

"Brother Xu, this matter concerns the future and destiny of several of my brothers who have gone through life and death with me. Please, Brother Xu, no matter what, you must help with this favor!"

"Xiao Fan, is it about the exam? It's not that I don't want to help, but I'm really powerless. Secretary Wang Hongtao is personally leading the team for grading papers. No one knows where the papers are being graded, and it is jointly supervised by the finance, organization, discipline inspection, and other departments. There is simply no chance to change the grades."

"Brother Xu, don't worry, I'm not asking you to change the grades; that would be embarrassing you. To go through the back door, one must find the Party Secretary or County Head; we don't have that ability. But snakes have snake paths, and rats have rat paths. I want to find another way—find someone to take the exam for them!"

"Take the exam for them? I'm afraid that won't work, right?"

"Brother Xu, this is what I'm thinking. If there is anything not well-considered, please help me fill in the gaps. During registration, Fang Hui is responsible for registering information, and you are responsible for qualification review. We register normally; there will be no problem with the exam qualifications, and we can issue the admission tickets normally. But I plan to invite four people to take the exam for them. The information remains the same; we will make fake ID cards for the substitute exam-takers and privately issue them admission tickets. After the exam ends, we will immediately collect and void the substitute exam-takers' admission tickets."

Xu Zheng felt his heart jump after hearing this, but after pondering carefully, it seemed it was indeed operable. Looking at the full bag of red bills again, he said: "The admission ticket needs to be stamped and embossed. The stamp is in my hand, but the embossing seal is with Fang Hui."

Seeing that there was a chance, Lu Fan immediately said: "Brother Xu, I've already talked to Fang Hui; now I'm just waiting for your nod. Please rest assured, only the three of us know about this matter; even my brothers don't know. You know my character. If something goes wrong, I will be the first to resign and will take all the responsibility. At worst, you can just say the door wasn't closed properly and was taken advantage of by me, an 'acquaintance'."

"Let me think about it again!"

Lu Fan brought out his trump card and said: "The Director of the Employment Management Bureau is retiring to the second line in October. I will find a way to bridge the connection with the Minister!"

After a long time, Xu Zheng said: "Xiao Fan, as long as it is operated properly, the probability of your method succeeding is very high. The most important thing is confidentiality, especially those four substitute exam-takers—they must keep their mouths shut. And those four brothers of yours must also keep their mouths shut. Fang Hui is no problem; he is already taciturn. However, after thinking about it, the risk is indeed very high! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't dare to handle this matter even if the Heavenly King himself came!"

"Thank you, Brother Xu! You can rest assured ten thousand times; I will be extremely cautious and will never cause you any trouble no matter what!" After finishing, Lu Fan left the "handbag" and hurriedly left the office.

Xu Zheng looked at the bag full of money and sighed, thinking that the down payment for a house in Chang'an was almost enough, and since his child was studying in Chang'an, they needed a home.

Lu Fan returned to his office, took another "handbag," and after the lights in Xu Zheng's office went out, he went to Fang Hui's office.

Fang Hui was working overtime. Seeing Lu Fan enter, he enthusiastically brewed tea to greet him.

"Brother Fang, when I called you, I guessed you were working overtime."

"Sigh, there's no way! The recruitment exam is starting soon, and there is a lot of material to organize. The leaders are urging for it every day. We are cadres, we have to do it ourselves!"

"Brother Fang, personnel adjustments will definitely happen at the end of the year. You are now considered the cadre with the most seniority and the most important position. It should be no problem, right?"

"The Director will strongly recommend me, but you are in the Organization Department and know better than me. In the current situation, relying only on unit recommendation is not enough; one must also find connections. To advance, one has to shed a layer of skin!"

"The road is difficult, but it is difficult to walk. In such a society, we can only not give up and persist, looking forward to meeting a better self unexpectedly! At that time, I will try to put in a good word for you with the Minister and see the Minister's attitude."

"Xiao Fan, thank you so much! Don't worry, I will definitely not fail you here."

After chatting for a while, Fang Hui asked: "Xiao Fan, looking for me so late, is everything okay?"

"Brother Fang, there is definitely something, and it's a big matter!"

Fang Hui laughed: "I'm just a small cadre, what big matter can there be? Tell me, as long as I can do it, I will definitely be duty-bound."

Over the past few years, Lu Fan had been Fang Hui's main social contact, and their relationship was very close.

Lu Fan went straight to the point, handed the bag to Fang Hui, and said with a smile: "Brother Xu has agreed. It just depends on whether Brother Fang can lift a hand and help."

It was heavy, must be ten jin. Fang Hui was dumbfounded as soon as he opened the bag. Usually, when he helped people with small favors, it was just two cartons of cigarettes, at most three or five thousand yuan. When had he ever seen such a big pile of money?

Fang Hui said blankly: "Xiao Fan, what are you doing?"

Lu Fan said straightforwardly: "Substitute exam-taking! After the career unit recruitment registration is finished, I want you and Brother Xu to help re-issue four admission tickets. After the exam is over, hand them back immediately and replace them with the real ones."

No need for explanation; Fang Hui knew Lu Fan's idea. He was too familiar with the business.

"Director Xu agreed?"

"Agreed, otherwise I wouldn't have come to find you."

Immediately, the county's affordable housing was about to be handed over, and the house payment of more than 200,000 was still nowhere to be found. Wealth moves people's hearts! Plus, the friendship between the two over the past few years.

Fang Hui was in a dilemma. If the matter was exposed, his rice bowl would probably be gone!

After a full five minutes, Fang Hui said: "Xiao Fan, it must be secure, and the mouth must be tight. This concerns our rice bowls; absolutely nothing can go wrong!"

"Brother Fang, rest assured. You know my character; I will never harm a brother."

"Sigh, I feel my heart jumping. It's best if nothing goes wrong. If it weren't for you, I would never pay attention to this matter!"

After Lu Fan left, Fang Hui suddenly thought that his nephew also wanted to take the exam. What was the difference between doing four and doing five? In for a penny, in for a pound; might as well do them together. Anyway, if the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up!

Xu Zheng had the same thought. They were all Ningyang people; who didn't have relatives or friends? Lu Fan happened to provide them with the idea and opened up the connection between the two. Thus, four "substitute exam-takers" became seven!

On July 20th, the career unit recruitment registration began and received widespread attention from the people of the whole county. The Talent Center hall was crowded with people. Secretary Wang Hongtao personally sat in command, presiding over the registration work. More than a dozen windows had long queues, and even the Ningyang streets were bustling. Students rarely gathered together, and the restaurants were full.

Du Wenlong, Yang Minghao, Ceng Ming, Liu Jin Zhu, and Xia Li brought their ID cards, files, and brand-new junior college diplomas to the Talent Hall to register, full of joy.

Filling out forms, registering, handing in certificates—the registration went very smoothly. The staff notified them to pick up the admission tickets in three days.

They didn't know what method Brother Fan was thinking of, but everyone trusted their big brother unconditionally, asked no questions, and waited quietly for the result.

After Du Wenlong finished registering, he hurried home because he had obtained a set of reference questions with other classmates. The others also went back to read books.

Hearing that the five brothers had successfully registered, Lu Fan dialed Zhu Jianglin of the Political Science and Law University and said: "Jianglin, the 'substitute exam-takers' I asked you to find, are they okay?"

"Brother Fan, you can rest assured when I handle things! 4 graduate students, all with relevant majors. They are all preparing for the national exam, and their level is howlingly high. During this time, I've become buddies with them. And we won't let them fulfill their obligations for free—10,000 yuan each. The price is not low!"

"Now that registration has started, I need to trouble you with something."

"No problem, tell me."

"In Chang'an, get fake ID cards for the four of them; I'll send you the names. Also, bring their headshots back to Ningyang. Also, the exam on July 28th must not be delayed."

"Okay, I'll go immediately, get it done in an afternoon, and come back tomorrow."

"Brother, thank you for your hard work!"

Everything is ready, only the east wind is missing. On July 24th, the admission tickets will be printed; success or failure will be on that night.

This recruitment exam, under the strong insistence of Secretary Wang Hongtao, only had a written test, political review, and physical examination, with no interview. It could be said that one exam determined the outcome. Those without connections clapped and cheered, while those with connections sighed, because there was no room for operation.

These few days, the same topic for the people of the whole county was the recruitment exam. One exam touched the hearts of thousands of families.

For rural students, once they pass, it is equivalent to a carp leaping over the dragon gate, not only bringing honor to their ancestors but also securing the iron rice bowl that countless people dream of.

If they don't pass, they have to pack their bags and go far away from home.

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