When Li Ye graduated in his previous life, he had known that pulling strings through acquaintances to find a job was a shortcut in life. Working at a good work unit for a lifetime and scraping by in society for a lifetime were worlds apart.
Never mind the obvious differences in salary, benefits, and housing allocations. Just look at how quickly the looks of the two sides aged, and you would know what kind of lives they had lived through all those years.
Though everyone was a "beast of burden," and those hardworking gods hauling loads could even earn twenty thousand a month, by sixty, the wrinkles on their faces could pinch flies to death. When it rained or the sky turned overcast, their backs and waists ached, and their calves trembled just climbing stairs.
And what about the office beasts of burden with tea and newspapers? After sprucing themselves up, they looked like they were only in their forties. Give them a grassland and they could still hop about for a while!
So when Li Juan told Li Ye, "Maybe they want you to give them a gift," Li Ye was not disgusted to death by it.
After all, there were far fewer opportunities to remain in the capital than there had been in earlier years. And with this mess happening this year, who knew how many graduates were sharpening their heads to a point, wanting only to stay in the capital, find a good work unit, and settle down.
That made an opportunity for a job in the capital an extraordinarily scarce resource. It was not exactly unreasonable for someone with connections to use it in exchange for something.
Besides, the other party might even believe such an exchange was an act of "kindness." Li Juan receiving this