Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

The next day, after the morning court session ended, Fang Zheng and Li Yuanzhao arrived at the newspaper office together, where Xie Xian immediately rushed to greet them.

He looked exhausted, his hair slightly disheveled.

As soon as Xie Xian saw Fang Zheng, he acted as if he had seen a savior, and complained, "Sir! The flyers worked!"

"You have no idea! People outside are going crazy to apply for reporter positions, and we can't stop them!"

"Right now, I've sent them all to Lao Liu's Restaurant... Our reporters here can't even focus on their work."

Fang Zheng laughed.

He had been doubtful about whether it would work, wondering if it wouldn't suit the local conditions and no one would apply.

He didn't expect such a great effect. It seems that people's hearts are the same, whether ancient or modern.

Apart from the huge differences in lifestyle, the underlying things are still the same!

"Isn't it a good thing to have more people? We used to worry about not being able to find anyone, what's there to worry about now?"

Li Yuanzhao asked curiously, "Hey, Lao Fang? How did you recruit people? I've recruited many times before, but I never managed to get anyone."

Xie Xian quickly went back inside to get a flyer and handed it to Li Yuanzhao.

After reading the flyer, Li Yuanzhao frowned.

"It seems... everything it says makes sense, but why does it feel so awkward to me?"

Fang Zheng said with a smile, "What's awkward about it?"

"Your Highness, this is publicity. The so-called publicity is about not telling lies, but selectively telling the truth. Isn't that what the Six Ministries' newspapers do? When have you ever seen the imperial court publicize its own shortcomings?"

"Besides, the information on our flyer is all true, it's just written in a simpler and more straightforward way!"

Li Yuanzhao shook his head and sighed, "Tsk tsk, this method is good, how come I didn't think of it?"

"Your Highness, I've told you before, you need to read more Buddhist scriptures."

"The five poisons, six desires, seven emotions, and eight sufferings, the weaknesses of human nature are all written in Buddhist scriptures. You have to make use of them. How does Buddhism recruit believers? Think carefully!"

Xie Xian suddenly understood!

He usually liked to read some Buddhist scriptures, but now he finally understood what it was all about! It turned out that Buddhist studies were like this!

It seems that he had been misinterpreting his books before! As expected of the master, his words awakened him from his dream!

Li Yuanzhao nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Xie Xian and said, "Now that so many people want to join the newspaper office, then hire them! Why send them to other places?"

Xie Xian shook his head and smiled wryly, "Your Highness, it's not that we don't want to hire them, but there are so many people and they don't have any experience or rules."

"We only need about twenty people at most. Who should we hire? How much silver should we give them each month?"

Fang Zheng pondered for a moment, "What's so difficult about that? Hold a written test first to test their level."

"You can have the reporters compile a set of test questions. The written test will eliminate half of them, and then conduct interviews."

"The interviews will eliminate another half, and that's it! Take care of those with poor family conditions, but don't take those with too poor qualifications."

"Oh, right. Put a trash can in the corner of the room during the interview, and throw some garbage next to it. Consider hiring those who take the initiative to clean it up."

"This matter can be published in the 'Soul-Soothing Chicken Soup' section the next day."

Fang Zheng chuckled, his mischievous side kicking in.

This will be another heavy stroke in the history books!

Xie Xian exclaimed, "Sir, you are truly far-sighted. Such a small matter can reveal a person's character. It's truly divine...."

"Alright, stop flattering me! Is there anything else?"

"What about the monthly salary? Our old reporters get two taels per month. The newcomers can't be paid more than that, right?"

"Hmm...."

Fang Zheng began to think hard.

This is indeed a problem. Giving everyone two taels would be unfair to the old employees, but giving less would be suspected of false advertising.

Setting salaries is a science. It was too rough to have a uniform salary for all reporters before.

If there are more people and we still do it this way, then the incentive mechanism will obviously have problems. This needs to be carefully considered.

Li Yuanzhao heard this and asked, "How much money are those who came to apply this morning expecting? Did anyone mention it?"

Xie Xian recalled for a while, "No one asked how much money we would give, but the competition is quite fierce!"

"Some people said they would be willing to work for no money, as long as they had room and board and could enter the library!"

Li Yuanzhao's mouth immediately widened, "Then what are we hesitating about!"

"Take all two hundred of them! Five taels of silver per person per month!"

Xie Xian was shocked, "Five taels! Taking all two hundred people, not to mention that the newspaper office can't fit them, that would be an expense of one thousand taels of silver per month!"

"Your Highness, this is definitely not possible, or... would you like to think about it again?"

After speaking, Xie Xian turned to look at Fang Zheng, his eyes full of helplessness.

The Crown Prince's mind is a bit abnormal....

"Who said we were going to give them money? It's that they have to give the newspaper office five taels each month!"

"Five taels per person per month, wouldn't our newspaper office increase its revenue by one thousand taels? Take as many as we can get!"

"Since they are all willing to fight for the job, why should we still pay them wages?"

Li Yuanzhao stroked his chin and pondered.

Fang Zheng: "......."

Xie Xian: "........"

Seeing the Crown Prince gradually becoming Fang-like, Fang Zheng's heart was full of admiration.

As expected of the student I taught, his learning ability has far surpassed my realm!

Ordinary capitalists are just skinning people, but the Crown Prince, at a young age, is already thinking about taking out people's internal organs....

Working for the boss and paying the boss a salary!

Isn't this definitely going to be written into the teaching materials of later business schools?!

"Your Highness, doing this is really a bit too much. We are a newspaper office, and we still have to consider the status of reporters in the future."

"If the common people know that reporters are just a bunch of cattle and horses, who will look up to reporters in the future?"

"They came here for the sake of passing the imperial examination in the next three years. They originally have no feelings for the newspaper office. If they become officials in the future, wouldn't they curse us to death? Doing this is detrimental to the newspaper office!"

If you really want to collect money from the interviewees, you should choose a public purpose!

Establishing a "Banshan Civil Service Exam" or something, the shared library also seems good....

Li Yuanzhao shrugged his shoulders, "I was just saying it casually, what if it works?"

"There are no 'what ifs'! Don't ever think about this again!"

Fang Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, "Lao Xie, you should discuss with the other reporters and set a set of promotion standards. The newcomers will be tentatively set at one tael."

Xie Xian nodded in agreement.

"Also, our reporters who have already passed the exam probably won't continue to work as before. Let's do a good deed to the end."

"Those people have all gone home to celebrate. When they come back, the benefits that should be given will remain the same. The library and cafeteria will be open to them for free. If anyone is willing to continue working, then let them do it. It's best to arrange a more flexible job so as not to delay their studies."

"Also, that Shen Yi, he is now our newspaper office's golden signboard. It's the same for him, there's no need to force him to stay, but it's best if he can take the time to help us promote the newspaper office, do a special interview or something, that's all, go arrange it."

After arranging the newspaper office, Fang Zheng thought carefully.

At this time... Third Uncle should be back, right.....

......

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