Early that morning, it was time to officially start the job.

Chen Yuan made a point of wearing a freshly laundered white shirt under his down jacket. It was the same one he’d worn on the first day of school and hadn’t touched since.

There’s a unique charm to a man in a white shirt. It can draw attention away from his face and toward the shirt’s pristine condition. A pure white one not only makes the wearer seem to radiate brilliance but also creates an impression of impeccable neatness.

When he got back the previous night, Chen Yuan had made a point of tidying up his entire room.

Jiangg Ning would be back from Mingzhu City soon, and he didn’t want his girlfriend to come home to the same messy, untidy place.

He’d cleaned until past nine o’clock, mopping the floor so thoroughly that one would hesitate to walk on it even in slippers.

Afterward, he took a hot shower and had a relaxing video call with Jiangg Ning. He didn’t even realize when he fell asleep, waking only when it was morning.

His phone had also used up the last of its battery and shut down.

Chen Yuan didn’t even dare reply to the “good morning” message Jiangg Ning had sent. He furtively closed Green Bubble, pretending he hadn’t seen it. After quickly running some gel through his hair, he rushed out the door.

‘If I replied, Jiangg Ning would ask why I was up so early. Lying wouldn’t feel right, but hiding it would be awkward.’

…

A warm sun shone down on the morning crowd bustling below the high-rise, a stark contrast to the previous day’s silence.

With the New Year’s holiday over, businesses were reopening. People bid farewell to their leisurely break and threw themselves wholeheartedly into another year of hard work to support their families and build a better future.

The first-floor lobby of Bauhinia Investment Company.

Men and women in business attire were waiting in the lobby, and Chen Yuan blended in among them.

He stood out for his youth; anyone could see the age gap at a glance. Most of the other men were in their thirties, many with thinning hair. The women fared better, though the scent of their makeup was a bit strong, and quite a few of them were beautiful.

Chen Yuan found an empty seat and sat down.

“All new interns, head to the seventh floor for your interviews. No talking in the hallway. Just wait there for your name to be called.”

A woman approached from the elevators. She wore a pencil skirt and professional office attire, with curled strands of hair framing her face and black-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. She had an air of sharp competence.

After giving her instructions, she turned and walked away.

The prospective employees swarmed toward the elevators, and Chen Yuan hurried to keep up. Middle-aged men and young women jostled for position, pouring into the elevator car and instantly packing the already cramped space to the brim.

“Hey! Who’s stepping on my foot?!”

“Stop pushing! I’m about to puke up my breakfast!”

“Whose feet stink…? That smell is going to kill me.”

“Someone get off! The elevator’s over-capacity alarm is going off.”

Everyone was talking over each other, their chatter punctuated by the occasional shriek from one of the women. It was enough to give anyone a headache.

“One of the men should get off and take the next one,” a woman with long legs yelled.

“And why should a man get off?”

“Because it’s ladies first! Can’t you show a little chivalry?”

Being tall, Chen Yuan had been pushed to the very back and didn’t have to worry about being caught in the crossfire. He watched as a bald, heavyset man gave a derisive chuckle and then snapped, “If you don’t like it, you can get out. Stop telling other people what to do. Are you trying to start a gender war in here?”

The woman’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to retort, but then she caught sight of the company badge on the man’s chest.

Instantly, she seemed to shrink and didn’t dare say another word.

These days, the job market was tighter in more prosperous cities, especially around the New Year. Hordes of people were dealing with layoffs, unemployment, and job changes. Finding a high-paying job was incredibly difficult, as cities had no shortage of talent. An interview for a single position often meant facing a sea of competitors.

Just witnessing this scene in the elevator gave Chen Yuan much to think about.

If he had stayed at the university, it would probably have taken years for him to experience the reality of dozens of people fighting tooth and nail for a single job.

But what he was seeing was only the tip of the iceberg. Countless people studied diligently for years, only to end up as delivery drivers right after graduation, leaving them to wonder what all that hard work had been for.

With a DING, the elevator doors slid open.

The group swarmed into the hallway. The quick ones nabbed the available seats, while the slower ones were left to stand.

An interviewer was already waiting by the door.

He was a refined-looking young man in gold-rimmed glasses, a white shirt, and dress slacks. He glanced at his watch. “It’s about time. The interviews will now begin. First up, Cheng Jianuo.”

“Yes, sir!”

A woman with voluminous, wavy hair stood up and, looking slightly nervous, followed the interviewer into the room.

She was applying for a position in public relations. The company she’d worked at before the New Year had gone bankrupt, forcing her to look for a new job.

And Bauhinia Investment Company was undoubtedly her best option—the pay was high, and it was close to home. She had interviewed here once before but hadn’t made the cut.

Cheng Jianuo was quite beautiful, with a gentle face and long, straight legs—exactly the type of talent the PR department was keen on hiring. That was the reality of society; everything had a price tag, even one’s face and figure.

And those being priced didn’t feel insulted; on the contrary, they took pride in it.

“Next, Liu Xing.”

In less than three minutes, Cheng Jianuo emerged, a look of apprehension on her face. The second candidate went in.

The other women sitting in the hallway immediately crowded around her. “How did it go? What did they ask?”

Cheng Jianuo ignored them completely, shooting them a sidelong glance before striding away.

This earned her eye-rolls and a few muttered curses from the women she left behind.

“Quiet! Didn’t I tell you there’s to be no talking in the hallway?” the man in the gold-rimmed glasses reprimanded them.

At his sharp rebuke, the chattering group instantly fell silent.

“Next, Shi Guoguo.”

“Number four…”

The interview process was utterly nerve-wracking. A new candidate went in every few minutes; some emerged crestfallen, others overjoyed, and one young woman even came out in tears!

Chen Yuan was stunned.

‘This is more terrifying than being led to an execution.’

“Hey man, what position are you interviewing for?”

“I’m…”

As Chen Yuan was observing the scene, a short, chubby young man next to him suddenly struck up a conversation.

“Don’t want to say? That’s fine, I get it. Scared of the competition, huh?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“I’m not here to compete with you,” the chubby guy said smugly. “My uncle already pulled some strings for me. I’m just here for show.”

“No wonder you’re so relaxed.”

Ever since he’d arrived, the chubby guy had been completely unconcerned, watching the other interns’ emotional roller coaster of tears and joy as if it were a comedy show. He seemed to be having the time of his life.

He’d let out a snicker every now and then.

‘So he’s got connections.’

“You bet. Do you have any idea who my uncle is?”

Before Chen Yuan could ask, a loud BRRRING-RING-RING suddenly shattered the silence of the hallway.

It was deafening.

Dozens of heads turned in their direction.

‘I’m screwed,’ he thought. In the next instant, the interviewer in the hallway looked over as well.

“Hey, you… yes, you! You’re disqualified!”

“But I…”

“‘But you’ what? You come to an interview and you don’t even know something as basic as silencing your phone? This company has no need for an idiot like you.”

…

「In the top-floor office.」

Pei Youwen, oblivious to the events on the seventh floor, was the one making the call!

He was currently bowed at the waist, fully prepared to start showering the other party with praise the moment the call connected.

Meanwhile, in his office, a banner had been hung and a crowd of people was gathered.

Countless managers were waiting with bated breath.

At that moment, the reprimanded Chen Yuan had no idea that the position Jiang Zhengfeng had arranged for him wasn’t an internship, but the chairmanship of Bauhinia Investment Company.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep