Chapter 7

"Your job hunting methods need to change," Scrooge said to John Rockefeller.

"What should I do then?" John Rockefeller asked, "Scrooge, you're smart, do you have any ideas?"

"Let me think," Scrooge said. After a moment, he asked, "Hey, John, do you have a business card?"

Business cards were already common in that era. Even John Rockefeller's father, Bill Rockefeller, had many business cards, printed with various titles he had concocted, such as "miracle doctor," "pharmacist," "vice president of the American Cancer Prevention Association," and "expert in new medicine," among others.

"Hey, why didn't I think of this! My dad was the best at using these things. But, Scrooge, I don't know how much it costs to print business cards, and what should I put on them? Graduated from business school, good at bookkeeping, know commercial law—how about that?"

"That's too ordinary." Scrooge recalled his own job hunting experience from his previous life. Back then, he printed a thick booklet of recommendations, filled with all his achievements, including those he had achieved with his boss (the term graduate students used for their mentors) in the research institute, and the list of articles he had published in various journals (though none were in prestigious magazines like *Nature* or *Science*, the sheer number was impressive). It also included the awards he had won during his undergraduate years, even his role as a second stripe in elementary school. Additionally, he had built a personal webpage, and the promotional efforts were far more extensive than what Rockefeller had in mind.

"I don't want to engage in false advertising," Rockefeller misunderstood Scrooge's intention. He believed that his father Bill, who relied entirely on deception, could not achieve great success. "Your father is a very smart man. If he were more honest, he would be much stronger than he is now." This was how John Rockefeller's mother, Aliza, evaluated his father. John thought this was a reasonable assessment; if Bill had a good reputation, he would have earned more money. To make a little money by deception and quickly ruin his reputation in one place, then move to another to repeat the story, though he easily deceived people in every place, he could not establish roots or sustain development. John Rockefeller had much greater ambitions than Bill. "I know that reputation is not worthless; in fact, it is very valuable. I don't want to ruin my reputation for a little money, even if it's for a much larger sum."

"No, John, I'm not asking you to lie. Lying for such a small matter is definitely not worth it. But haven't you heard that 'the most deceptive thing is not a lie, but the truth'? As long as you can present the truth in the most appropriate way. Different ways of describing things can lead to completely different results. For example, 'good at bookkeeping'—can't you say 'years of bookkeeping experience, proficient in various bookkeeping techniques'? Isn't that the truth? Are there any bookkeeping techniques you don't know?"

"But, 'years of bookkeeping experience' isn't accurate," John Rockefeller said.

"Aunt Aliza told me that you started keeping accounts for your family's expenses from the age of seven. So, my statement isn't inaccurate, is it?" Scrooge smiled, and John Rockefeller laughed along.

...

"Scrooge, are these the new shoe designs you came up with?" Old Joseph pointed to several sketches and asked Scrooge.

"Yes, what do you think, Dad?" Scrooge asked.

These shoe designs were popular in later generations. Some people thought that these modern designs would dazzle the 18th-century peasants. However, peasants were still peasants. Old Joseph just shook his head at the sketches and said, "Scrooge, it seems you're not really suited to be a shoemaker. How did you design such impractical shoes? Look, shoes designed like this will only last a month before they start to change, and they'll be ruined in half a year—how can this be? This will ruin our reputation!"

Scrooge knew that Joseph's evaluation was correct. In this era, the intensity of shoe use was far greater than in later generations. This was because transportation still relied heavily on walking. For example, John Rockefeller, who was job hunting, would walk to any company, no matter how far it was. The road conditions were also much worse, causing more wear and tear on shoes. Therefore, the shoes that prioritized appearance and comfort, which were popular in later generations, were considered inferior products in this era.

"Ah, I only considered lightness and appearance," Scrooge said.

"Perhaps the children of wealthy families might like such things, but they won't come to our shop to buy shoes. Our customers are mostly manual laborers." Carol tried to say a few good words for Scrooge, but in the end, he also didn't think Scrooge's designs were good.

"Ah, it seems that having a golden finger isn't so easy. I should just stick to the golden leg," Scrooge thought, "I wonder how John's job hunting is going."

...

John Rockefeller was heading to his first target for the day. He still hadn't found his ideal job, but he was quite satisfied with the recent situation. In the past, he could visit ten companies in a day, but yesterday he only visited six. This was because he had conversations with the heads of two companies, which took a lot of time. Although in the end, both heads said they needed to consider it and did not make a final decision, and John felt that the results of their consideration would likely not be what he hoped for, it was still better than the previous days.

The first company John was visiting today was the Hewitt-Tuttle Company. When he entered the company and asked a person who looked like a regular employee if he could see the company's boss, the person, who seemed to be about to do something, stopped.

"Oh, do you have something to discuss, young man? I am the boss of this company, Tuttle," the person stopped and politely replied.

This encounter was completely unexpected by John Rockefeller, so he was a bit stunned. After a moment, he remembered his prepared self-recommendation.

"Sir, I hope to work in your company. I can keep accounts, and I have been trained at Folsom Business School. I also know some economic law, and I am hardworking and serious. I hope you can give me a chance."

"What did you learn at Folsom?" Tuttle asked.

"Sir, I studied double-entry bookkeeping, clear writing, commercial law related to banking and foreign exchange, but the main focus was on bookkeeping," John Rockefeller quickly answered, adding, "I graduated with excellent results."

"I happen to need someone who can keep accounts," Tuttle said, "but I have an urgent matter to attend to and need to leave immediately. Can you come back this afternoon?"

"Sure, no problem," John Rockefeller happily replied.

The other companies on today's list were far away. If he went there, he would probably return very late in the afternoon, and keeping his future boss waiting was not a good idea. Moreover, Mr. Tuttle seemed to really need a bookkeeper, and the likelihood of him hiring John was high. Therefore, John decided not to visit other companies today and to wait nearby.

John Rockefeller waited on the streets near the company, from 9:30 in the morning until 1:00 in the afternoon, when he saw a public carriage stop near the company, and a person got off and entered the company. "Is the boss back?" John Rockefeller thought and quickly entered the company, asking a real employee, "Is Mr. Tuttle back?"

"Not yet. But Mr. Hewitt is here," the employee replied.

Hewitt was another partner in the company. John Rockefeller smoothly met with this gentleman.

"Ah, Tuttle mentioned that someone would come to apply for a job this afternoon and asked me to see if it's suitable. You came quite early," Hewitt said, "He said you can keep accounts?"

"Yes, sir, I have been recording all the family's financial transactions since the age of five. From May to August this year, I received three months of bookkeeping training at Folsom Business School," John Rockefeller said.

"Did Tuttle tell you that our company's business is very complex, including grain, minerals, telegraph, and railways?" Hewitt looked at John and asked.

"Tuttle didn't have time to discuss it in detail, but I already knew that your company has a wide range of businesses," John Rockefeller replied calmly.

"Did Tuttle tell you that, besides bookkeeping, you might need to take on other tasks, such as collecting debts? Are you willing to do that?"

"I can do it well, sir, you can trust me," John Rockefeller said.

"Alright, you can start working here tomorrow. The probationary period is three months, and there will be no salary during this period. Can you accept that?"

The probationary period with no salary was illegal in later generations, but in this era, which had not experienced the proletarian revolution and thus had no labor protection laws, it was a common practice. Therefore, John had no objections and quickly thanked Hewitt.

"Yes, I can. Thank you, boss! You are a kind and good person, and God will bless you." He then gave him a "good person card" as a gesture.