In China, complexity is often mistaken for professionalism, but in fact, it functions more like a moat for vested interests. Any rule that can be explained in one sentence, once deliberately extended, fragmented, or packaged into a system, makes the right to interpret more valuable. The more transparent the rules, the less power they hold; the more convoluted the process, the greater the room for intermediaries and approvers. As a result, complexity no longer serves efficiency but is used to create barriers—it’s not really about teaching you how to enter, but about deciding who is unqualified
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