Hearing Chen Yuan get eliminated so easily, the others in the hallway couldn’t hide their smug satisfaction. Positions were scarce, and one less competitor meant a slightly better chance for them. Naturally, they were happy to see him go.

In his entire life, Chen Yuan had almost never been scolded by anyone.

He had always been a model student in school. His classmates were eager to befriend him, and his teachers, even more so.

Being reprimanded like this by someone other than family, he was instantly filled with a stinging sense of shame.

This was the real world. A college graduate, out of the ivory tower, could no longer expect any special treatment.

Chen Yuan didn’t get hot-headed and argue back. He knew he was in the wrong. You had to be careful when working anywhere, especially as a bottom-rung intern who was new to all this.

It was his first day, and before he could even take a single step toward his bright future, he’d landed himself in this unfixable mess.

For a moment, Chen Yuan didn’t know whether he should leave or swallow his pride and ask the supervising interviewer for forgiveness.

He pulled out his still-vibrating phone and saw the caller ID: “Pei.” A surge of anger washed over him. ‘Couldn’t have called earlier, couldn’t have called later, you just had to call right now!’

Furious, Chen Yuan immediately typed out a text: “I’m on the seventh floor about to interview! Why are you calling? You got me yelled at!”

After hitting send, Chen Yuan put his phone back in his pocket and looked toward the interviewer.

“Don’t bother looking. I made myself clear! Get out now!”

In an instant, countless eyes were on Chen Yuan again. The gazes were so searingly hot it felt like they could burn holes right through him. He subconsciously bit his lip.

“Sir, this was definitely my fault…”

“I’m not listening to your excuses! Now! Get out of here right this instant!”

The clean-cut, bespectacled young man was relentless.

Even if the company had strict rules, there was no need for such a nasty attitude. With a crowd of people watching the show, even the most even-tempered person would start to feel a flicker of anger.

Chen Yuan suddenly felt a strong urge to curse out Pei Youwen.

If it weren’t for that phone call, the interview would have already started without a hitch.

Besides, Pei hadn’t given him any useful information before the interview, nor had he mentioned any arrangements. Chen Yuan had even shown up today without a resume.

Who else was there to blame but him?

…

‘I’m screwed, why did he go to the seventh floor for the interview!’

Pei Youwen’s head was spinning. He pushed through a crowd of people in his office and rushed frantically toward the elevators. He slammed the button, but whether it was due to too many employees on the first floor or something else, the elevator was taking forever to arrive.

He was starting to panic. Slapping his forehead, Pei Youwen gave up and bolted for the emergency stairwell.

His leather shoes went CLACK CLACK CLACK on the steps. A few strands of hair came loose from his impeccably slicked-back hairdo, trembling with every move.

He hurriedly arrived on the seventh floor, just in time to hear a sharp rebuke.

“Get out of here right this instant!”

That piercing voice, combined with the blurry figures ahead, made Pei freeze on the spot. His mind was filled with a single thought: ‘It’s over. It’s really over this time.’ Then, he took off like Bolt in a hundred-meter dash.

Pei Youwen arrived beside Chen Yuan, panting so hard he couldn’t speak for a moment.

He waved his hands dismissively, gulping down huge mouthfuls of air.

The clean-cut young man, one of the company’s supervisors, assumed someone had arrived late. He was about to scowl and lash out when he got a clear look at the newcomer and saw it was Pei Youwen.

The young man instantly snapped to attention.

“General Manager!”

His expression turned serious, and he gave a slight bow of respect.

General Manager!?

In the hallway, all the prospective interns immediately sat up straight. No one dared to crack a smile.

“What… what do you think you’re doing!”

“Reporting to the General Manager, I was reprimanding this intern candidate for disrupting the interview process!” the clean-cut young man replied respectfully.

“You idiot!” Pei Youwen roared.

“That’s right, you idiot! Hurry up and get lost!” the man said, trying to borrow the manager’s authority.

“I’m calling *you* the idiot!”

Pei Youwen was trembling with fear. He instinctively glanced at Chen Yuan’s expression and blurted out the words in a panic.

“Me???” The man was dumbfounded.

“You’re the one who deserves the scolding,” Chen Yuan said with a frown. “Why’d you have to call me?”

“Yes, yes, you’re right to scold me… Young Master Jiang… no, no, no, Chairman Jiang.”

The moment that title was uttered, the entire hallway fell deathly silent.

The supervisor who had been maintaining order couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation. His eyes widened, darting back and forth between Pei Youwen and Chen Yuan, unable to process what was happening.

The others all looked at each other in bewilderment.

This included the chubby guy from earlier who had struck up a conversation with Chen Yuan and hinted that he “had connections.”

“Chairman Jiang, it’s really my fault. I didn’t expect you to arrive so early. I was calling to tell you to go to the top floor…”

“Oh, so my interview was supposed to be upstairs.”

“Yes, yes, yes! Exactly!”

Pei Youwen’s mind was racing. He slapped his thigh and beamed at Chen Yuan, but the moment he turned his head, his expression transformed into that of a ravenous wolf about to devour its prey.

His expression turned grim. “You,” Pei said, pointing at the supervisor. “Follow us to the top floor. I’ll deal with you later!”

“I… I… I…”

“What ‘I’? Get back there and follow us!” Pei Youwen glared, not even remembering the supervisor’s name. This nobody had almost ruined his entire future! Then he turned back, practically bending over backward for Chen Yuan. “Chairman Jiang~ this way, please.”

And so the farce ended. In the hallway, the interns watched the three figures recede into the distance, each with their own distinct posture.

The feelings in their hearts were a complex mixture.

Words like “sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy” couldn’t even begin to describe it all.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep