"There's a possibility, you know."
Cheng Lu replied with a smile.
"Just kidding, don't take it seriously."
Chen Feng said, looking embarrassed.
"Chen Feng, I'm not joking. Your talent for writing official documents is truly remarkable. Back in Wulin Village, during the Lotus Town days, you could solve many of the government document issues that others couldn't. Speaking of your talent for official writing, it suddenly made me think of something..."
Cheng Lu asked excitedly.
"What is it?"
"You can directly take the civil servant exam! The Administrative Aptitude Test requires flexible thinking problems related to mathematics, and the Essay Exam tests government document writing. One is logic, the other is writing. You're good at both, it would be a shame not to try."
Cheng Lu said with excitement.
"Miss Cheng, you're oversimplifying things."
Chen Feng gave an embarrassed laugh.
Women always think too simply.
"How am I oversimplifying? Isn't the national civil servant exam always about the Essay Exam and the Administrative Aptitude Test? Did I say something wrong?"
Cheng Lu retorted.
"You're not wrong about those two, but you've missed a very important piece of knowledge: the interview. What's the point of scoring first in the written exams if you fail the interview? It's all for nothing."
Chen Feng explained honestly.
"How can it be for nothing? You're so good at the written exams, your interview must be good too."
Cheng Lu said, confused.
"Miss Cheng, you've been in official circles long enough to understand some unspoken rules. For example, the written exams for civil service are important, but the interview is the most crucial. Moreover, the interview is highly manipulable. If the higher-ups say you're good, you're good. If they say you're not, you're not. This is why many candidates who excel in written exams don't get hired. The interview process is rife with backroom dealings; it's basically one position for one person. Without connections, there's no way to get this job. You've probably seen news on Douyin recently, like two people who were absent from the competition but made it to the interview stage. Another one was someone who scored 3.17 and actually got hired..."
Chen Feng's explanation made Cheng Lu realize.
She initially thought Chen Feng was foolish for taking a circuitous route, but she didn't realize she was the foolish one, completely unaware of the unspoken rules of officialdom.
"Alright, Chen Feng, let's not dwell on these depressing topics. Please help me write a graduation report for the study tour class."
"No problem, after mixing in official circles for so long, I might not have other skills, but I'm still very adept at writing official jargon."
"Then what theme do you plan to write the study tour class graduation report on?"
Cheng Lu asked curiously.
"Work experience as a women's director."
"What? You want to write about work experience as a women's director? I don't think that's possible, is it? You've never worked as a women's director, so how can you write about it? And how can you make it outstanding?"
Cheng Lu asked with confusion.
"Miss Cheng, if you haven't written related documents, you wouldn't know. Actually, no matter the field of government documents, the approach is the same. It's like the eight-legged essay in feudal society; as long as you know the formula, you can write it."
Chen Feng said with a smile.
"It's that simple?"
Cheng Lu asked, feeling dazed.
"What did you think? It's not that difficult. However, as they say, it's difficult for the unskilled, but easy for the skilled. With a talent for officialdom, you can write fluently as soon as you pick up the pen. Without that talent, you might sit there for ages and not write a single word."
"Chen Feng, I really agree with what you said. Although I graduated from Capital University and my Chinese is decent, official documents are still very difficult for me. That's why I often wonder if I'm suited for a career in officialdom."
Cheng Lu lamented with a dejected tone.
"Miss Cheng, we're good friends, so I won't lie. You are very suited for a career in officialdom."
Chen Feng said calmly.
"What? How am I suited for officialdom when I can't even write documents properly?"
Cheng Lu looked at Chen Feng, completely baffled.
"Miss Cheng, let me put it this way: to succeed in officialdom, you don't necessarily need a lot of talent. Those with talent in officialdom are only a portion. Most people take another path, the path you're on. It's about connections and a degree."
Chen Feng advised Cheng Lu.
"Chen Feng, I do have connections in Jiangcheng, but the problem is, I lack the talent for official work. I can't handle many tasks, so how can I develop in officialdom?"
Cheng Lu continued to ask dejectedly.
"What are you afraid of? If you genuinely don't know how to do something, you can always ask someone behind the scenes to strategize for you. It's like how many top leaders have many secretaries; it's the same principle. A top leader might not understand anything as long as their secretaries understand everything. Of course, how to become a top leader is not a simple matter."
Chen Feng's explanation dispelled Cheng Lu's dejection.
"Chen Feng, I don't need to hire a secretary to help me; you're enough. If there's anything I don't understand in the future, you must help me."
Cheng Lu looked at Chen Feng with admiration.
Chen Feng's greatest strength was his talent in all aspects of officialdom.
It wasn't just his talent, but he was also incredibly diligent.
With Chen Feng around, she could smoothly navigate her career in officialdom.
"We're friends, no need to be so formal. Alright, I need to write the study tour class reports. One for you, one for me, and one for Mayor Qin."
"What? Are you writing Mayor Qin's study tour class graduation report too?"
Cheng Lu asked, astonished.
"Of course! Although I don't drive for Mayor Qin anymore, Mayor Qin is still my superior and my friend. I must help if I can."
Chen Feng said calmly.
"That's strange. Doesn't Mayor Qin have a secretary specifically to handle this for her? Even if Mingshan Town doesn't have that many secretaries for her, she has connections in Jiangcheng and can hire professional help. I heard that many postgraduate students in Chinese Language and Literature from Capital University in Jiangcheng can write reports with ease."
Cheng Lu asked, puzzled.
"Miss Cheng, I admit what you've said. Whether it's Mingshan Town or Jiangcheng, official circles hire many highly educated document writers to handle various official tasks. However, there's a small flaw."
"You said they are highly educated talents, so how can there be a flaw?"
Cheng Lu continued, still confused.
"These document writers hired by top leaders have a very narrow scope of application. For example, a secretary might be an expert in Jiangcheng's tax matters, but if they come to Mingshan Town to help Mayor Qin write official documents, the result might not be as good as mine."
Chen Feng explained calmly.
After Chen Feng's explanation, Cheng Lu had only one feeling: the official world was a very deep game.
After a brief chat, Chen Feng specially went to the Mingshan Town Archives.
Although writing government reports was his forte, making them outstanding was not so simple.
The Mingshan Town Archives contained many previous government reports. Studying how they were written could make his official reports more professional and impressive.
Thus, after two busy days, he finally completed the three reports.
"Mayor Qin, please take a look. Are these three reports satisfactory?"
Chen Feng said as he handed the three reports to Qin Yan.
"So quickly?"
Qin Yan asked, surprised.
"It's not that fast. The current study tour class concludes tomorrow, so if I don't finish writing them now, it will be too late."
Chen Feng replied humbly.
"Mm, I'll take a quick look. You sit for a bit, no rush."
After saying that, Qin Yan carefully read the three reports. The more she read, the more evident the look of excitement and happiness on her face became.
"Excellent, they are written beautifully! Even better than those written by professional secretaries from the provincial capital. How about this, to give you a chance to be recognized, prepare yourself tonight and..."
Qin Yan said with great excitement and happiness.