Chapter 3: Honest Officials
Bab 3: Pejabat yang Jujur Dalam perjalanannya, Lao Can bertemu dengan beberapa pejabat yang jujur dan berdedikasi, yang berusaha keras untuk melayani rakyat di tengah korupsi yang merajalela.
Although official corruption was severe, there were also some honest and clean officials. They upheld justice, feared no powerful forces, and strove to do practical things for the common people. Lao Can encountered such officials during his journey.
There was an official named Magistrate Huang who left a deep impression on Lao Can. He was clean, upright, and concerned about the people's suffering, earning an excellent reputation locally. After conversing with him, Lao Can discovered that he was truly a good official who served the people.
Magistrate Huang told Lao Can that being an official was not easy. He not only had to face pressure from superiors but also had to deal with exclusion from colleagues. However, he always adhered to his principles and refused to collude with corruption.
Lao Can expressed admiration for Magistrate Huang. He believed that in such a corrupt era, those who could uphold justice were even more worthy of respect. The existence of Magistrate Huang made Lao Can see a glimmer of hope.
However, Lao Can also realized that honest officials like Magistrate Huang were few. Most officials had been corroded by corruption and become appendages of the powerful. This situation plunged society into deeper darkness.