In the office, the official was moved by such a filial Xu Yun.

He asked, "President Xu, how would you like me to help you? I won’t do anything against the rules."

"Sir, what do you think of this?"

Xu Yun continued, "Could you help me post a recruitment notice in town to find artisans willing to travel for a performance? We’ll take whoever is willing to come."

"That’s simple. No problem."

The official agreed. "I’ll post it in the local WeChat groups for you and ask everyone to share it."

"Alright, thank you, sir."

"However..."

The official asked with concern, "What about the artisans’ fees? How will you be paying them?"

"As you know, the artisans will only be willing to travel if it means they can earn good money."

"Of course."

Xu Yun asked in return, "How much does an artisan typically get paid for a striking iron flowers performance here?"

"For each performance at the scenic area, it’s usually about five people. Not counting materials and other miscellaneous costs, each master artisan is paid 500 yuan per show."

The official said, "But your situation is different. Since they’ll have to travel out of town, no one will be willing to go if the pay is too low. It’ll be hard to find anyone."

"I understand."

After thinking for a moment, Xu Yun said, "Sir, when you send out the notice, just say that I’ll pay any artisan who is willing to go 10,000 yuan. Plus, I’ll cover all round-trip travel expenses."

The official was speechless. "..."

’I can’t believe how generous he is for someone so young.’

’Ten thousand for a single performance. That’s a massive incentive.’

"Alright, President Xu, I understand."

The official stood up. "I know you’re in a hurry, so I’ll go send out the notice right now. I’ll have anyone who’s interested come here to register with you."

"Okay, thank you, sir."

It was only after they left the official’s office that Yu Xuan finally understood. Her boss had brought her all this way just to arrange a striking iron flowers performance for his mother’s birthday.

’Ten thousand yuan per person... if a lot of people sign up, plus the round-trip expenses, it could cost nearly two million yuan.’

’This kind of filial piety certainly required money, but it wasn’t just a matter of money. It was a matter of how much heart you put into it.’

’Most people just weren’t capable of this.’

"Yu Xuan, you’ll be in charge of handling the registration and keeping a headcount."

"Yes, Boss."

The two of them found a nearby hotel and paid to use a side hall off the main lobby for the registration.

The official’s notice went out quickly.

It wasn’t a formal document, just a general recruitment notice.

Participation was voluntary.

Soon, the news spread through the small town like wildfire.

Everyone knew that a "President Xu" had arrived in town, looking to hire a group of striking iron flowers artisans for an out-of-town performance.

And the pay was ridiculously high—ten thousand yuan for one show.

Although they had daily performances in town and made a living, it was nothing compared to this offer.

Ten thousand for a single performance was more than they could make in many days of performing in their own town.

Normally, most of them were reluctant to travel for work.

But for such a large sum of money, that reluctance quickly turned into willingness.

So, upon seeing the notice, the striking iron flowers artisans immediately began calling Yu Xuan to inquire.

’How could they let an opportunity this good pass them by?’

’What if all the spots were filled before they could sign up?’

They all sprang into action.

Of course, no one suspected it was a scam.

For one, the town official had helped post the notice. For another, a large group of them would be going together, and they all knew each other.

After calling to confirm the offer was legitimate, people began trickling into the hotel to register in person.

The crowd grew larger and larger.

The hotel staff even came to help maintain order—not for free, of course. They were being paid for their time.

Yu Xuan recorded everyone’s basic information on her computer, keeping a running tally of the applicants.

She also added everyone to a WeChat group to make communication easier.

Registration was a nonstop affair, and they were busy until it finally wrapped up at 8:00 p.m.

Many who couldn’t make it in person that day had asked friends to register on their behalf.

The notice had specified a need for experienced master artisans, which had already implicitly weeded out a portion of the potential applicants.

Additionally, those who were too old were not accepted due to the risks associated with travel.

Xu Yun would rather have fewer people than risk any kind of accident.

He didn’t want a good deed to turn into a tragedy.

In the end, Yu Xuan’s final tally came to a total of 78 artisans.

That evening, Xu Yun hosted a casual dinner for the official, and they shared a bottle of Maotai.

The official mentioned that the number of people who signed up had far exceeded his expectations.

Essentially, more than half of the town’s master artisans had registered.

Such was the power of money!

Besides expressing his gratitude, Xu Yun also asked the official for another favor: to help organize travel arrangements for the artisans, who were set to depart the day after tomorrow.

This included not only the artisans themselves but also the tools and equipment they needed for their performance.

This wouldn’t be for free, of course. Besides covering all the expenses, Xu Yun promised the official a handsome fee for his troubles.

This was the kind of money the official was happy to earn and could accept with a clear conscience.

When the official got home that night, he told his wife about it. She was so delighted that she "rewarded" him right then and there in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, after dinner, Xu Yun and Yu Xuan took a stroll through the scenic area and went to watch a live striking iron flowers performance.

To be honest, seeing the striking iron flowers performance up close for the first time was a breathtaking experience for both of them.

It was a kind of beauty that no video could ever capture.

He suddenly found himself looking forward to his mother’s birthday, imagining the spectacular sight of nearly a hundred artisans performing all at once.

’It’s going to be absolutely breathtaking.’

After the performance, the two returned to the hotel. Having successfully handled business, Xu Yun also "rewarded" Yu Xuan for all her hard work.