Chapter 381: Interviewer
Early the next morning, Xiao Luo drove Ding Zhenyun to the train station. He didn’t just drop Ding Zhenyun off but personally escorted him all the way to the train, and it was only after he had seen the train depart that he felt rea.s.sured.
His cousin’s dreadful episode had finally come to an end, and he could finally face his great aunt, Xiao Jianying. The trauma that was inflicted on Ding Zhenyun and the pain that he had put his parents through was etched in Xiao Luo’s mind, and he despised MLM organizations for that. When he walked out of the train station, Ji Siying was already waiting there next to his parked car.
Her grace and appeal were a welcome sight to Xiao Luo, and he couldn’t help comparing how she looked to those smart and beautiful heroines who appeared weekly on the syndicated TV drama series!
Ji Siying reported, “Good morning, Mr. Xiao Luo, I’ve already disposed of the bodies and taken care of the other people from last night.” She was a soft-spoken person, and her tone was gentle, even somewhat alluring.
“Thanks for your hard work,” Xiao Luo responded, “I still have things to do and will be leaving now.” He then looked at his watch and saw that it was already 8:30am, he needed to get to Shen Qingyan’s Huayao Corporation before 9 o’clock. That woman, Su Li, was threatening him with another suicide attempt, and so, missing the interview wasn’t an option.
As Xiao Luo was about to get into the car, Ji Siying called out.
“Mr. Xiao Luo, please wait…” she said.
“Yes?”
Xiao Luo stopped and turned to look at her.
There was some doubt in Ji Siying’s eyes, and she appeared hesitant. It took her quite some time to settle her emotions, and she was evasive at first, but then she looked Xiao Luo in the eye and said, “Mr. Xiao Luo, in the future, can you please stop killing people indiscriminately?”
Xiao Luo was taken aback, but he retained a calm expression, and he asked, “Orders from the higher-ups?”
“No.”
Ji Siying shook her head and biting her lips nervously, she said, “It’s… it’s from me.”
It was always wrong to kill—to Ji Siying, killing was an occupational hazard, something that had to be done to meet a specific objective. She didn’t want Xiao Luo to become a demon who would one day lose his moral compa.s.s and kill anyone at the slightest provocation. For, she had fallen for this man, and deep inside, she knew he was innately a decent person.
Xiao Luo looked at her for a while, then his eyes softened, and he smiled. “Okay, I’ll try my best!” he said.
As soon as he said that, he got into his black Trumpchi SUV and headed for his next appointment.
…
…
At around 8:50, he arrived at the Huayao Corporation for the interview that Su Li had arranged for him.
Xiao Luo was seated in the lounge along with another seven or eight others. They were all dressed decently in office attire, and their suits and ties gave them a relatively confident look. Xiao Luo was the only person who wore casual clothes, and in the company of the other candidates, he looked starkly out of place.
Of course, it was intentional as he did not want this job in the first place, and he had already made up his mind to give it his worse performance. As far as he was concerned, if he managed to rile up the interviewer so much and got thrown out of the room, then he would really have achieved his objective. Hence, the reason he was dressed casually.
In the waiting area, the atmosphere was somewhat tense, and no one was saying a word. Perhaps, as the candidates knew that they would be competing against each other for the limited number of positions, they were all somewhat nervous and on their guard.
The interview was scheduled for 9 o’clock, and as expected, everyone had come earlier with time to spare. There were already seven or eight prospects present when Xiao Luo stepped in, and they had arrived 30 minutes earlier. Absolutely no one would be so irresponsible as to arrive only minutes before an interview like Xiao Luo did, and he expected that he’d be the last person to show up.
All of a sudden, the gla.s.s auto-door slid open with a “woosh,” and everyone suddenly perked up, looking sharp and sitting up bolt straight.
A man with a chubby physique, round face, and a stern expression walked in. His hair was greased up and parted in the center, he had so much fat around his neck that his chin was barely visible, and he bore a close resemblance to Supreme Leader, Mr. Kim Jong-un, of DPRK. Holding a briefcase in his right hand and decked in a suit as straight as a ramrod, he walked with purpose toward the main seat.
Xiao Luo was stunned because he knew this man—he was none other than his old cla.s.smate, Guan Tong! When Xiao Luo last met him, he was still goofing around in the Xisheng Aeronautical University, in the eighth year of his studies. Was he here for the interview too?
Guan Tong looked around the room, giving each candidate a critical once-over. When he saw Xiao Luo, he was startled, but he didn’t greet him or even acknowledge his presence. Instead, he gave Xiao Luo a baffling look, and his eyes seemed to be indicating to Xiao Luo to act like they didn’t know each other.
Then he coughed lightly, and in a crisp and clear voice, he said, “Good morning, everyone. My name is Guan Tong—’Guan’ as in ‘person in charge’ and ‘Tong’ as in ‘Phoenix Tree.’ Many of you will hate me because I’m your interviewer today.”
Interviewer?
Xiao Luo was at a loss as a deluge of doubts flooded his mind that very instant. Didn’t Guan Tong tell him before that he wasn’t working? How was he suddenly serving in Huayao Corporation as an interviewer?
He naturally wanted to ask these questions, but Guan Tong’s gestures had deterred him, and he decided to opt for the wait-and-see approach.
When the others found out that he was the interviewer, they presented their most charming and friendly smiles and nodded their heads respectfully in greeting.
“This is the initial part of the selection process, and I have only one policy, that is, those who are qualified will stay, and for those who are not, my apologies, but I will ask you to leave right away.”
Guan Tong smiled wryly. He then took on a solemn expression as he sat down and pointed at the man sitting on the far left. “Let’s begin with you. Please briefly introduce yourself,” he said.
The man stood up, smiled confidently, and said, “h.e.l.lo, Mr. Guan Tong, my name is Shao Cailiang. I graduated from Ninghe University with a master’s degree…”
“Stop right there!”
Before Shao Cailiang could even begin introducing himself, Guan Tong raised his hand and unceremoniously stopped him from going any further, then added, “Huayao Corporation does not only want people with high academic qualifications but people who are truly capable of doing the work. For you to have flaunted your academic qualifications right off the bat, well, it tells me that this is the thing you are most proud of, and how you will perform in your work. The term, ‘fastidious but incompetent,’ refers precisely to pedantic people like you. You may leave now.”
“Mr. Guan Tong, I…”
Shao Cailiang was dumbfounded. He muttered to himself, “What is the meaning of this? I’ve never had an interviewer like him before.”
Guan Tong waved his hand again and said, “I don’t want you to tell people that I did not give you a chance, so I’m offering you the job for 3.5k per month. Are you up for it?”
3.5k per month?
Shao Cailiang didn’t say a word and immediately turned around and left. Fresh graduates with a master’s degree were usually paid 6 to 7 thousand dollars per month, and 3,500 was the rate for fresh college grads. He could not accept it.
“Next!”
Guan Tong leaned back on the chair, which creaked as it bore the extra load from Guan Tong’s stocky frame. It looked like it would fall apart at any time from the strain of supporting his weight.
“Good morning, Mr. Interviewer.”
The second candidate greeted Guan Tong with a charming smile on her face. She was a graceful young lady with a slender figure and delicate facial figures. Learning from the failure of the first candidate, she did not emphasize her academic qualification. “My name is Qin Qiaoli. I have four years of working experience. Hence, I can quickly adapt and get into the job. I hope that you will give me this opportunity.”
“I’m sorry, I really can’t give you this opportunity,” Guan Tong responded, drooling like a pervert as his beady eyes wandered to the girl’s thigh.
“But why?”
Qin Qiaoli was disheartened and in a daze. Most companies would have preferred to hire people with working experience, and as she had been in sales for 4 years, she could be considered a veteran in the field. She needed a reasonable explanation as to why she was unqualified for the job.”
Calmly, Guan Tong explained, “With 4 years of working experience, your mind has already been conditioned by your previous company. Companies, especially large ones like the Huayao Corporation, have a well-established corporate culture. Your working experience will only cause you to be in conflict with our corporate approach. So, I am sorry, please see yourself out. I hope you find a job elsewhere, good luck.”
Qin Qiaoli was speechless, but she didn’t go quietly, as she felt she had the right to make her opinions heard. Therefore, before she left, she snorted and had this to say to Guan Tong: “You must be dumb!”
Guan Tong was unmoved, twirling his pen in his hand nonchalantly.
The remaining candidates were now really nervous. This company did not want high-achieving students, nor did they choose people with working experience—so, exactly what sort of talent was the Huayao Corporation looking for?
Xiao Luo knitted his eyebrows as he stared at Guan Tong, seated pompously on the main seat, and wondered if he was really the job interviewer for Huayao Corporation.
…