Let you play a corrupt official, are you saying you want to make progress?

Chapter 5: The Qualities of a Corrupt Officer

【Qin Xuan, I have a question. Why did the previous challengers fail, and only you succeeded?】 A particularly sharp barrage message cut to the heart of the matter.

It directly raised the question that everyone was curious about. Many bloggers had already analyzed it, but everyone wanted to hear Qin Xuan explain it in his own words.

“Well, it’s quite simple. In the bureaucratic class of ancient times, you had to pick sides. If your actions might harm someone else’s interests, the higher-ups would naturally not tolerate you.”

“The previous challengers probably faced this issue – they might have endangered someone else’s interests, so they were excluded and thus failed.”

After Qin Xuan’s explanation, everyone instantly understood. Ancient people were known for their political maneuvering, so it made sense why the previous challengers had failed. If you weren’t on the same side, how could they support you?

Qin Xuan’s actions and words were all designed to align the interests of two key figures, ensuring the long-term success of his endeavors.

[“Qin Xuan is incredible. It’s all about social dynamics!”].

[“I didn’t expect that even though Qin Xuan isn’t in ancient times, he understands the psychology of these ancient people so thoroughly.”].

[“I used to think that some novels and TV shows oversimplified the mindset of people from the past. They portrayed them as easily outsmarted with a bit of modern knowledge. Now it seems that this show, which immerses you in history, is the real deal.”].

[“Exactly. If it weren’t for Qin Xuan’s unusual approach, this ‘Journey into History’ show would probably be a complete disaster.”].

The netizens continued to express their opinions and showered gifts. Qin Xuan’s number of followers rapidly increased, giving him a taste of what it’s like to be an internet celebrity.

All the gifts received amounted to more than enough to cover his salary and benefits for a considerable period. No wonder everyone wanted to become an internet celebrity.

“Ding dong! Congratulations to the host for completing historical education. You will receive a special reward!”

“Rewarding the host with historical expertise. Rewarding the host with physical enhancement!”

The system’s notification sound echoed, and Qin Xuan’s mind suddenly gained an inexplicable boost in memory. He could sense that his knowledge of the histories of various dynasties had become significantly deeper. While he had already possessed some historical knowledge, the level of understanding he now was on a different level.

Immediately following this was a warm sensation flowing through his body, reminiscent of the shiver that lingers after an early morning’s embarrassment. It was as though his entire body had been enhanced.

The system was quite generous. Learning all this knowledge would have taken an incredibly long time. Just considering the Twenty-Four Histories alone would take several years to complete. If someone claimed to have read all of them, it was highly likely they were deceiving others.

Combining over 70 million characters of classical Chinese text, how could an ordinary person finish it quickly?

After completing the task, Qin Xuan had a brief chat with his online friends and then ended the live broadcast. The viewers were highly interested in the “Journey into History” program. Even though a new episode had just aired, the viewers were already impatiently asking for more, and some demanded additional episodes.

The studio was delighted to hear this news. What was initially a mishap had now taken a completely different turn. This AI production was fresh air, even though it burned through the budget. As long as they selected the right challengers, the results would be outstanding. Due to budget constraints, they couldn’t conduct rehearsals in advance, considering the significant costs associated with each experiment.

The online audience grew more enthusiastic and began to inquire about the upcoming plot developments. Not only the fans but also the higher-ups called to inquire. In short, everyone was very satisfied with the performance that day.

The night quickly passed, and on the second day, when Qin Xuan went to work, his colleagues regarded him with admiration, envy, and respect but not a hint of jealousy.

This simple atmosphere reminded Qin Xuan of the people from his world in the 1950s and 1960s. He remembered hearing his old family members talk about how people in that era were genuinely happy for each other’s achievements. Thinking about this, Qin Xuan nodded in agreement. This feeling was genuinely pleasant.

The station manager personally distributed a bonus, and everyone genuinely applauded Qin Xuan. The atmosphere was quite good.

“Qin Xuan, come to my office!” The station manager said with a smile.

So, the two of them walked into the station manager’s office, where the station manager immediately took a seat.

“Please, have a seat, Qin Xuan. Don’t be shy. We’ve discussed your suggestions internally. As long as they align with the ‘Journey into History’ theme, there’s no problem.”

“You can proceed with your ideas. Also, your online popularity is quite high.”

“If we had chosen a different challenger, our viewership would probably have plummeted!” The station manager spoke directly and gestured for Qin Xuan to sit down and chat.

After sitting down, Qin Xuan nodded slightly. If the topic of corrupt officers could continue, there would naturally be no issue.

“Qin Xuan, if you have any requests, please bring them up!” The station manager spoke candidly. They would do their best to accommodate Qin Xuan’s requests.

“I’d like to follow the story of Wang Zhi and explore his career path for one season of content,” Qin Xuan contemplated for a moment before expressing his request.

“Using Wang Zhi’s storyline for career advancement? That’s a good idea. No problem, the viewers will like it.” Agreed, the station manager.

“However, Qin Xuan, this program is very successful, and you need to handle it well. We’ve received pressure from higher-ups. They want us to bring in more challenges, but I haven’t agreed to it,” the station manager agreed to the storyline and then shifted the conversation.

“But Qin Xuan, you should be prepared. The leadership has praised the show and suggested bringing in more challengers. I’ve firmly rejected that.”

The station manager sighed. Besides the praise, the leadership had subtly suggested introducing more challengers, but the station manager had firmly refused.

Hearing the station manager’s words, Qin Xuan couldn’t help but twitch his mouth. The people here were straightforward. When they said “no,” they meant it without any sugarcoating. While most of the people here were genuine, there were still some who were more politically savvy, though they were a minority.

“Mr. Manager, we could consider this approach: place these challengers alongside me, with similar backgrounds. We can create a comparison, and this way, the station can explain, and the show’s effect maybe even better,” Qin Xuan thought for a moment and offered a suggestion.

“Hmm, that’s a good idea. We can try it in the third episode,” the station manager’s eyes brightened. Qin Xuan was full of clever ideas.

Soon, it was 8 p.m. when the “Journey into History” program would be broadcast. Due to the program’s outstanding performance, it had been moved to the prime time slot, and it had even been extended to a two-hour duration, primarily due to the excellent results from the previous day.

The setting remained in the Ministry of Punishments, and Qin Xuan was in his position, doing his regular tasks. At this moment, Wang Zhi was sharing his predicament with Qin Xuan.

Wang Zhi sipped his tea and sighed, “Qin Xuan, I have always been fair and impartial in my duties, but my wife insists on arranging for her distant nephew to enter the Ministry of Punishments.”

“Currently, we don’t need more personnel in the Ministry of Punishments. If my wife were to come to you, please do not show any favoritism.”

Wang Zhi presented a challenging problem to Qin Xuan.

Qin Xuan didn’t believe that Wang Zhi didn’t want to use his connections. This was likely a test to see if he could handle such a small matter discreetly.

[“Whoa, I think I’m getting smarter. If I’m not mistaken, this is a test, right?”].

[“If he’s truly impartial, but Wang Zhi secretly wishes to favor his nephew, I can’t mess this up. But if I show favoritism and bend the law, there might be consequences.”].

Viewers started discussing the situation vigorously. Some bloggers had already begun to analyze it, suspecting that this was a test provided by Wang Zhi, and while a backdoor had to be used, it should leave no traces.

Naturally, Qin Xuan understood this, too. He looked at Wang Zhi and smiled slightly. “Teacher, what exceptional skills does your nephew possess?”

Wang Zhi’s face revealed an enigmatic expression as he slowly replied, “My nephew is quite unruly and doesn’t possess any exceptional skills except for the ability to pick locks.”

After hearing Wang Zhi’s response, Qin Xuan understood his intentions.

“Teacher, on the day we solved that major case and the prisoners escaped, we need to hire a few jailers. We should issue a notice and, in the process, allow your nephew to participate. We can emphasize that candidates skilled in lock-picking will be given priority!”

Wang Zhi’s eyes were filled with appreciation as he remarked, “Why did they manage to escape?”

“The Ministry of Punishments’ prison has been neglected for a long time, which is why the prisoners managed to escape. Teacher, I think we could request funding from the Ministry of Revenue to make the necessary repairs,” Qin Xuan replied with a smile.

“Good, then I’ll leave this matter to you,” Wang Zhi received the answer he was satisfied with, stood up, and prepared to leave. Before he departed, he asked, “By the way, how should we handle the escaped prisoners?”

“When the need arises, they will naturally be captured…”

Qin Xuan’s expression remained unchanged, and Wang Zhi revealed a meaningful expression.

Wang Zhi walked up to Qin Xuan and said, “Qin Xuan, you indeed possess the skills that an officer should have.”

[“Whoa, I need to use my brain here. Is this the legendary ‘radish pit position’?”].

[“Damn, I think I understand now. There probably aren’t any escaped prisoners, at least not at the moment. Qin Xuan can secretly control that person and, on the pretext of expanding the workforce, increase the number of positions.”].

[“The guy above didn’t finish the explanation, but the requirement is to be skilled at lock-picking. This seems tailor-made for the nephew. Damn, I knew it; it’s just like when I attempted the civil service examination for several years and never passed. It’s too similar!”].

[“When the nephew needs accomplishments, that escaped prisoner will conveniently appear, guaranteeing a significant achievement.”].

[“And as for the repairs to the Ministry of Punishments’ prison, wow, that budget… I wondered why everything in our department was always in disrepair. So that’s how it is.”].