Core group

Author: Xiao Renfu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-11-01
Features: The book delves into the intricate and winding path of career advancement for minor officials in the bureaucracy, detailing the ups and downs of success and failure for those on the fringes of government agencies. Yang Dengke, driven by his dream of passing the imperial examination and becoming a government official, goes to great lengths to climb the social ladder. After numerous setbacks, he finally achieves his goal, rising from an person to the driver of the bureau chief, then to his confidant, and finally to the office director. Just as he is basking in triumph and feeling ambitious, he is imprisoned for accepting bribes and taking the blame for the bureau chief. After his release, Yang Dengke discovers that his wife has thrown herself into the arms of his superior, Dong Ziliang. Realizing his mistake, Yang Dengke decides to expose Dong Ziliang's hypocrisy and report his corruption. The novel vividly portrays Yang Dengke's pitiable, tragic, and contemptible character, reflecting the author's rational critique. The distortion of personality in the bureaucratic world is also revealed, leaving readers to ponder deeply.
After receiving the red-bound graduation certificate from the department head, Yang Dengke left the classroom where he had spent two years. The sunlight outside was brilliant, and the grass and trees were lush. Yang Dengke felt a sense of pride, as if he were no longer the despised small worker but had become a dignified government official. Basking in this pride, he went to his dormitory to pick up a few belongings he had prepared earlier, bypassed the spacious playground, and walked along the shaded campus path toward the gate with composure. This was the Gu City Radio and Television University. Judging by the weathered look on Yang Dengke's face, one could tell he was an adult student, not a fresh-faced ordinary college student. Yang Dengke had entered this university two years ago. Through diligent study and overcoming the challenges faced by adults, he had finally achieved his goal and now held a university diploma. However, Yang Dengke knew that his triumph was still premature. Although he had a university degree, he was still technically a common worker. But with this diploma, he had a strong chance of changing his worker status and becoming a government official. This had been a lifelong dream cherished by Yang Dengke for most of his life. He had quit his job and come to the radio and television university for two years, with this as his primary goal.
Yang Dengke was a driver for the Gu City Agricultural Bureau, always driving the leaders in his car. He had excellent driving skills and a good attitude, earning praise from all the bureau staff. This was something he had honed during his time in the army, where he served as the driver for a high-ranking officer. The officer was tasked with safeguarding the nation and considered it his duty to die in battle, yet he did not want anything to happen to him while driving. As a result, he had very high standards for his driver. Only the most capable individuals could become a high-ranking officer's driver in the army. Moreover, the army was a revolutionary melting pot, with soldiers coming from all walks of life. It was a place where hidden talents and capable individuals abounded, and not just anyone could become a leader's driver.
However, Yang Dengke's ambition was not to spend his entire life as a driver. It wasn't that the profession of a driver was looked down upon, but rather, Yang Dengke believed that being a driver, especially a bureau driver, was not only practical but also carried a certain degree of prestige, though not much. Moreover, Yang Dengke had been taught from a young age that the revolution only differed in roles, not in hierarchy, and that everyone served the people. A man from a humble rural background had the rare opportunity to serve the people in a prestigious city agricultural bureau, which was itself a great blessing. After all, with 1.3 billion people in China, at least 1.1 billion would never even get the chance to serve the people.
Yang Dengke did not want to spend his entire life as a driver, and this was tied to his name. Yang Dengke was named by his grandfather. The Yang family once had a strong academic background, with several ancestors having passed the imperial examinations. By the time of his grandfather, though the family had fallen on hard times, the grandfather had been well-educated, knowledgeable in literature and history, and considered well-versed in governance. Deeply influenced by Confucian ideals, he believed that the most important thing in life was to govern the world, to establish virtue, achievement, and words, and to cultivate oneself, family, and state. He was determined to pass the imperial examination but was thwarted by the abolition of the imperial examinations, cutting off his path to officialdom. He then passed his hopes to his descendants. At first, it was Yang Dengke's father, but due to the chaos of the times, he could not afford to send him to a public school or hire a private tutor, so his dream was unfulfilled. By the time Yang Dengke was born, it was the three-year famine period, with widespread starvation and edema, and the family could barely survive, let alone focus on governance and statecraft. But the grandfather refused to give up, naming Yang Dengke in the hope that he would pass the imperial examination early and become a pillar of the nation, fulfilling his long-held dream.