Tā kào huìlù dǎtōng le guānxi, zhēnshì qiánnéngtōngshén.
He greased his way through every connection - truly, money makes the world go round.
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The phrase comes from Tang dynasty 张固 of 《幽闲鼓吹》: a corrupt official said 'qián shí kě yǐ tōng shén' (money can truly reach the gods) when bribed to drop a case. It has carried a cynical, critical tone ever since.
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Used to criticize bribery and corruption - almost always disapproving. Don't say it as a neutral observation about how useful money is.
