Outside the Caesar Splendor 0433 room, Niuniu's Brother Chen Qun offered a Zhonghua cigarette to Chen Fei, then pulled out a Zippo lighter. He lit his own first before passing it over with a smile. "Buddy, I'm Chen Qun, Niuniu's brother. And you are?"

"Chen Fei, nice to meet you." Chen Fei smiled, taking the Zippo and cigarette, and casually lit one for himself. He didn't really have a smoking habit, but he wasn't against it either and saw no reason to be difficult.

"Your surname is Chen, too? What a coincidence, that makes us family. Where are you from? Tongzhou City as well?" Niuniu's brother asked, a look of surprised curiosity on his face.

"I'm not from Tongzhou. I'm from Northern Mountain City," Chen Fei replied with a smile, blowing out a ring of smoke.

"Northern Mountain City? That's a great place. I have college classmates doing business there. I used to go hang out all the time when I was younger." Hearing that Chen Fei was from Northern Mountain, Niuniu's brother showed no trace of the superiority often associated with residents of a provincial capital. Instead, a touch of nostalgia filled his eyes.

Back when he had just graduated, he and his old classmates from Northern Mountain City had partied hard, spending their days and nights carousing. The memory was still thrilling to think about.

"Don't say that, Brother Qun, you're still young," Chen Fei complimented him before suddenly changing the subject. "By the way, what's going on in there? Is it okay to ask?"

"Inside… Oh, you mean my sister? Ugh, don't get me started. Someone snatched her opportunity right out from under her, so now she's in there sulking." It would have been better if Chen Fei hadn't brought it up. The moment he did, even Chen Qun started to look dejected.

"Oh, snatched her opportunity? What do you mean by that?" Chen Fei asked, slightly taken aback.

"Well, my sister is taking the civil service exam this year. She actually placed first in the written portion, so we thought she was a shoo-in. But then a 'problem' came up, and someone else leapfrogged her." Although Chen Qun was gloomy, he still explained the situation to Chen Fei.

Obviously, anyone would be upset if this happened to them, let alone his own sister. It left him with a bitter resentment that he couldn't vent, and meeting Chen Fei now, he felt the urge to let it all out.

After all, if his sister had gotten into the City Landscaping Bureau, it would have been a joyous occasion for their family, even if they were already well-off. It wasn't just about the prestige; it meant their family would finally have someone with an 'iron rice bowl'—a stable government job. How respectable would that be?

"Something like that can happen? Aren't the spots supposed to be decided by test scores? And she was first on the written exam! Who would dare to pull strings with results like that?" Chen Fei asked slowly, his eyebrows raised slightly.

"Normally, first place on the written exam is a lock as long as your other qualifications aren't terrible. But this time, my sister had some seriously bad luck… The people who came in second and third both have powerful backgrounds. The one in second place is the son of a top executive at the City Landscaping Bureau, and the third person's uncle is supposedly a director at the City Finance Bureau. *Sigh*." At this, Chen Qun couldn't help but sigh again, a deep sense of helplessness washing over him.

"It's frustrating to say it, but that's just how society is these days. The written scores are genuine, but the problem lies with the interviews and physicals that follow. There's a lot of room for manipulation in those. They pulled strings against her beforehand; she was given a poor score on her interview, and even though she's perfectly healthy, they failed her on the medical exam, can you believe that…" he couldn't help but complain.

"That's outrageous. Do they really think us common folk are fools?" Hearing this, even the good-tempered Chen Fei felt his gaze darken as he spoke in a cold voice.

"Shh, keep it down! Don't just say things like that."

Niuniu's brother flinched reflexively, but then he remembered he wasn't at work and relaxed slightly. "These days, the ones with power and influence call the shots. There's nothing to be done… Luckily, my sister is capable. If it doesn't work out this year, she can always wait for the next."

"How is that acceptable?"

Chen Fei shook his head, stroking his chin. "If we let people who rely on connections push aside those with real talent, what kind of society is that? Don't worry, Brother Qun. I'll see if I can figure something out. I can't stand seeing societal dregs like them bully honest people!"

"Really!?"

Niuniu's brother was stunned. He hadn't expected a young man like Chen Fei to speak with such bravado. This was no trivial matter. It involved big shots from the City Landscaping Bureau and the City Finance Bureau—figures of such high stature that ordinary folk like them couldn't even speak of them lightly.

At this thought, he quickly said, "Xiaofei, on behalf of Niuniu, I appreciate the thought. But you're still young. Society is full of twists and turns, and there are too many injustices. A lot of things aren't as simple as they seem. So, let's just drop it. We appreciate the kind gesture." He clearly didn't believe Chen Fei could accomplish anything, but he thanked him politely nonetheless.

"Ah Qun!"

Just as Chen Fei was about to respond, a group of six or seven people approached from nearby.

One of them eyed Chen Qun's back with a flicker of recognition before whispering to an extravagantly dressed man beside him. Finally, he beckoned toward Chen Qun with his chin held high.

"Brother Weig. Hello! Out with friends?" Hearing the call, Chen Qun subconsciously turned. The man waving was the government acquaintance he had asked for help with his sister's situation. This friend of his was not just anybody; he was well-known and well-connected within government circles, so Chen Qun naturally didn't dare to slight him.

"Yeah. Just came in and your back looked familiar, so I called out," said the man Chen Qun called Brother Weig. He walked over, clapped Chen Qun on the shoulder, and then shot a sidelong glance at Chen Fei. "Ah Qun, is this your friend?"

"Yes, Brother Weig, this is my friend, Chen Fei. Xiaofei, this is Brother Weig, and these are…" Chen Qun nodded immediately and started to make introductions, only to realize he didn't know anyone besides Brother Weig. His face flushed with embarrassment, and his words died in his throat.

"Alright. Ah Qun, let me introduce you. This is Young Master Liu, Liu Yuanding." However, Brother Weig clearly had no interest in knowing who Chen Fei was. He gave a cursory nod, then, with a haughty look, gestured toward the extravagantly dressed man beside him.

"Liu Yuanding?"

The name stunned Chen Qun for a moment, and then his eyes flashed with unmistakable anger. This Young Master Liu was none other than the person who had usurped his sister's spot at the City Landscaping Bureau—the very man who had come in third.

"What? From your tone, it sounds like you have a problem with me?" said the extravagantly dressed Young Master Liu, his face darkening at Chen Qun's involuntary exclamation.

"No, no… You've misunderstood, Young Master Liu," Chen Qun stammered, his body jolting as a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He forced a placating smile.

"Misunderstood? Don't take me for an idiot. I bet you're cursing me out in your head right now, aren't I right?" Young Master Liu sneered disdainfully.

He paused, then continued, "Speaking of which, it's a real shame about your sister. She had an excellent score on the written exam, but then she mysteriously failed the interview and physical. What a waste of all her professional knowledge, don't you think?" As he spoke, he stared at Chen Qun with a cold, humorless smirk.

Hearing Young Master Liu's words, the men and women with him all curled their lips into mocking sneers as they looked at Chen Qun. They were clearly all in on the joke.

"...Yes, yes, Young Master Liu is right. It was my sister's own fault. She just performed poorly on the interview." Hearing their ridicule, Chen Qun's heart seethed with rage, and his hands clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. But he didn't dare show his anger in front of such a powerful figure, so he could only lower his head and force a smile.

"Hmph! At least you know your place!"

Seeing this, Young Master Liu raised his head, looking pleased. He pulled a thick wad of cash—probably about 10,000 yuan—from his handbag, tossed it on the ground in front of Chen Qun, and stared at him coldly. "I'm in a good mood today, so take this money and have some fun.

"But remember this: once you take the money, you and your sister better keep your mouths shut tight. So she couldn't get into the City Landscaping Bureau this year? She can always try again next year! But there are certain people you commoners can't afford to offend. If you do, you'll have to bear the consequences!" he added, staring down at Chen Qun with an air of absolute superiority. "I take it a smart man like you understands my meaning?"

"Young Master Liu, you..."

Chen Qun's face went pale. He clenched his jaw so hard his teeth hurt, and his fists were now white-knuckled and trembling. He never expected to be insulted like this—to have money thrown at his feet while being threatened in such a condescending tone. It was too much.

They were already suffocating from the injustice of it all, and they still had to force a smile. And what did they get in return? This humiliation?

"Ah Qun, just take it," Brother Weig cut in, trying to smooth things over while shooting Chen Qun a meaningful look. "Didn't you hear Young Master Liu? He's just treating you guys, don't overthink it… As for your sister, if it didn't work out this year, it'll probably work out next year. Go on, take the money."

The meaning behind Brother Weig's glance was clear. Young Master Liu said it himself—if not this year, then next year. For a promise like that to come from the esteemed Young Master Liu Yuanding was a sign of great sincerity. What more could he be dissatisfied with?

But was he really the one being ungrateful?

Just then, Chen Fei bent down slightly and picked up the stack of money from the ground.

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