The Reporter Problem Solved

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

He looked exhausted, his hair slightly disheveled.

As soon as Xie Xian saw Fang Zheng, he acted as if seeing a savior, complaining. "Master! The flyers worked!"

"You don't know! People outside have gone crazy wanting to apply for reporter positions. We can't even stop them!"

"I've sent them to Laoliu Restaurant for now... our reporters can't work peacefully."

Fang Zheng was delighted.

He had doubts about this approach, worried it might not be culturally appropriate and fail to attract people.

But the effect was amazing. It seems people's hearts were the same throughout the ages!

Despite vast differences in lifestyle, the fundamental desires remained unchanged!

"Isn't it good to have many people? We used to worry about not finding enough people. What's there to worry about now?"

Li Yuanzhao asked curiously. "Hey, Old Fang? How did you recruit people? I've tried many times but never succeeded."

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

After reading it, Li Yuanzhao frowned.

"Somehow... it all seems to make sense, but why does it feel so strange?"

Fang Zheng smiled. "What's strange about it?"

"Your Highness, this is promotion! Promotion means not telling lies, but selectively telling the truth. Don't the Six Ministries' newspapers do the same? When have you ever seen the court publicize its own shortcomings?"

"Besides, all the information on our flyer is absolutely true, just written in a more direct and simple way!"

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

"Your Highness, I've told you to read more Buddhist texts."

"Five poisons, six desires, seven emotions, eight sufferings... human weaknesses are all written in Buddhist texts. You need to use them! How does Buddhism recruit followers? Think carefully!"

Xie Xian suddenly understood!

He occasionally read Buddhist scriptures, but only now did he understand what they were really about!

It seems he had been reading them all wrong! As expected of the Master, one word enlightened him from his dream!

Li Yuanzhao nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Xie Xian. "Since so many people want to join the newspaper now, just recruit them! Why send them elsewhere?"

Xie Xian shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Your Highness, it's not that we don't want to recruit them. There are so many people, we have no experience and no system."

"We need about twenty people at most. Which ones should we choose? How much silver per month is appropriate?"

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

"Have the reporters compile a set of test questions. The written test will eliminate half, then conduct interviews."

"The interviews will eliminate another half, and we're done! Pay a bit more attention to those from poor families, but don't take those with really poor aptitude."

"Oh, and during the interview, place a trash can in the corner of the room with some garbage next to it. Those who take the initiative to clean up should be given extra consideration."

"We can publish this in the Chicken Soup for the Soul section the next day." Fang Zheng chuckled mischievously.

This would be another colorful stroke in the history books!

Xie Xian sighed in admiration. "Master is truly far-sighted. Such a small thing can reveal a person's character. Truly divine..."

"Enough, stop flattering! Anything else?"

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

"Hmm...." Fang Zheng pondered.

This was indeed a problem. Giving everyone two taels would be unfair to the old employees, but giving less might be considered false advertising.

Setting salaries was a science. Previously, all reporters had been paid the same, which was too simplistic.

With more people, continuing this approach would clearly cause motivational problems. This needed careful consideration.

Li Yuanzhao heard this and asked. "How much do those who came to apply this morning want? Did anyone mention it?"

Xie Xian thought for a while. "No one asked how much we would pay, but the competition is fierce!"

"Some said they would work for free as long as they got room and board and access to the library!"

Li Yuanzhao's mouth immediately broke into a grin. "Then what's there to worry about!"

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

Xie Xian was shocked. "Five taels! Taking all two hundred, not to mention the newspaper office can't fit them all, that's a thousand taels of silver in monthly expenses!"

"Your Highness, this definitely won't work. Perhaps... you should reconsider?"

He finished speaking and turned to look at Fang Zheng, his eyes full of helplessness.

The Crown Prince's thinking wasn't quite normal....

"Who said we should pay them? They should each pay the newspaper five taels per month!"

"Five taels per person per month, won't our newspaper increase its income by a thousand taels? The more people, the more we collect!"

"Since they're all eager to work, why should we pay them?" Li Yuanzhao mused, stroking his chin.

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

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

Seeing the Crown Prince becoming more like himself, Fang Zheng was full of admiration.

No wonder he was his student. His learning ability was so strong it had far surpassed his own level!

Ordinary capitalists only exploited workers, but the Crown Prince, at such a young age, was already thinking about extracting people's internal organs....

Working for the boss and paying the boss a salary!

Wouldn't this definitely be written into future business school textbooks?!

"Your Highness, that's going too far. We're a newspaper, and we need to consider the future status of reporters."

"If common people learn that reporters are just beasts of burden, who will respect reporters in the future?"

"They're coming because they hope to pass the Juren exam in the next three years. They already have no attachment to the newspaper. If they become officials in the future, wouldn't they curse us? This approach is not good for the newspaper!"

If we're going to charge applicants, we should at least choose a legitimate title!

Establishing something like a Banshan civil service exam or shared library might work too....

Li Yuanzhao shrugged. "I was just joking. What if it worked?"

"There is no 'what if'! Don't even think about this in the future!" Fang Zheng sighed with relief. "Old Xie, discuss with the other reporters and establish a promotion system. For now, set the new hires at one tael."

Xie Xian nodded in agreement.

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

"Those people have all gone home to celebrate. When they return, maintain all their benefits as before. The library and cafeteria should remain free for them. If anyone wants to continue working, let them, preferably with flexible arrangements that won't interfere with their studies."

"And Shen Yi, who is now our newspaper's golden signboard, should be treated the same. Don't force him to stay, but it would be best if he could occasionally help promote our newspaper, maybe do a special interview or something. That's all, go make the arrangements."

After organizing the newspaper, Fang Zheng thought carefully.

At this time... his third uncle should have returned...