Big companies really do have money.
That was the profound sigh Song Xinya let out the moment she walked into the lobby of the Qin Group.
The gilded dome was inlaid with diamonds, shining as brightly as a galaxy.
The floor, paved with cool-toned luxury stone, reflected a clean light like a mirror, stretching all the way to the end of her line of sight.
A giant circular crystal chandelier hung in the center.
The reception desk combined a brushed metal surface with frosted glass, looking magnificent and majestic.
Standing in such a lavish lobby, it felt as though even the air she breathed smelled like money.
The staff coming and going passed in front of Song Xinya, all wearing neat and appropriate formal attire, exuding an elite aura.
Song Xinya thought of the company where she used to work. That pot-bellied Boss Wang would sometimes come to the office wearing big board shorts and shuffling in flip-flops.
With the boss acting like that, the employees naturally followed suit and didn't care about their appearance either. As a result, the company was full of men wearing big shorts.
Compared to the rigorous and professional staff of the Qin Group, one looked like a regular army, while the other looked like a ragtag militia routed by them.
Song Xinya explained her purpose to the receptionist. After verifying her information, the receptionist swiped a card to let her through the turnstile.
The interview location was on the 8th floor. Qin Yuhe's office was on the top floor, the 38th.
There were ten interviewees ahead of Song Xinya; she was the last one in line.
She sat in her seat waiting, watching one job seeker after another come out of the interview room.
All of them looked downcast and dejected.
There was a coffee machine in the company pantry. Song Xinya took a disposable cup and poured herself a cup of freshly ground coffee.
Premium coffee beans had been ground into powder, and a mellow aroma wafted through the air.
Holding the coffee, Song Xinya walked up to a job seeker who had just come out of the interview room: Please, have some coffee.
Like finding an oasis in a desert, the dispirited job seeker said thank you.
Song Xinya naturally started chatting with the other party: What questions did the interviewers ask?
Job seeker: Self-introduction, what you hope to get from this job, the reasons why students taking your tutoring classes fail to improve their grades, what your educational philosophy is, what your future career plans are, whether you can accept business trips, and whether you will do it long-term.
Song Xinya: These are all routine questions. You would be asked them when interviewing at other companies too.
Job seeker: The hard part isn't answering these questions; the hard part is answering them brilliantly. Obviously, my answers and those of the other applicants didn't satisfy the interviewers. Or maybe we just aren't competent enough, and the interviewers simply didn't think much of us.
The interview is divided into a first, second, and third round. The other ten interviewees, including myself, all failed the first round. Not a single person made it to the third round. Good luck to you.
Song Xinya thanked him and walked into the interview room.
She handed out a copy of her resume to each interviewer.
At her previous company, her monthly performance ranked first in the entire company. When the six interviewers saw this line, their eyes lit up.
Dignity only rests on the edge of a sword; sheer strength is the only absolute truth.
Song Xinya passed the first round effortlessly.
The interviewer for the first round was the team supervisor, the second round was the department manager, and the third round was the company's general manager.
Led by HR, Song Xinya arrived at the room for the second round.
The department manager asked a question: Miss Song, your professional skills are excellent. However, I have a question. We are currently in the era of internet traffic, and almost every company conducts live-streaming online courses where the teacher shows their face. Why is your business in this area zero?
Song Xinya had nothing to hide and said bluntly: Because my boss at the previous company said my personal image was too poor. If I showed my face, my ugliness would scare the students to death.
The department manager couldn't help but laugh: Miss Song, you must be joking.
The department manager was a man named Chen Siyan.
His gaze swept over Song Xinya's face and figure, open and not at all inappropriate.
Miss Song, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.
Song Xinya: Thank you. You are the second most handsome man I have ever seen.
Chen Siyan wanted to ask who the most handsome man was, but this kind of question wasn't suitable for an interview, so he focused his thoughts back on the interview.
So why didn't your boss at the previous company let you teach online courses?
Song Xinya: At that time, I weighed nearly two hundred pounds, and the boss thought I was ugly.
Her voice was clear, and she spoke powerfully, word by word: That was someone else's evaluation of me. Even at my heaviest, I still appreciated myself and never thought I was ugly.
Chen Siyan's eyes flickered like sparks.
He said: The General Manager, President Zhao, is in the office. I'll take you over.
Song Xinya cheered in her heart: YES, passed the second round.
Chen Siyan led Song Xinya toward Zhao Yinian's office.
Song Xinya heard a conversation coming from inside.
Did President Qin come in today?
No, I heard President Qin is attending the Political and Business Federation.
President Qin didn't come yesterday, and he didn't come today either. When will he come to the company?
President Zhao, are you missing President Qin?
Nonsense, I have work to report to President Qin.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, President Zhao, your face turns red the moment President Qin is mentioned.
Song Xinya walked into the office and saw Zhao Yinian sitting in the office chair.
Her face featured exquisite makeup, and her figure was well-proportioned—neither plump nor overly thin. She was definitely worthy of the word beauty.
Chen Siyan: President Zhao, this is today's interviewee, Song Xinya.
The moment Zhao Yinian saw Song Xinya, a look of stunning amazement surged in her eyes, immediately followed by vigilance.
Song Xinya sat opposite her, behaving with natural grace and showing no signs of constraint or timidity.
All the questions Zhao Yinian asked were very tricky.
For example: How would you distribute five cups of water among six leaders?
Song Xinya: If I were faced with this problem, I wouldn't try to divide them. I would immediately go and pour another cup of water.
This problem exposes a lack of adequate preparation for work. If I were in charge of a project, this kind of situation would absolutely never happen.
Zhao Yinian pointed to Song Xinya's resume and said: For someone as confident as you, why is your business in live-streaming online courses zero?
Chen Siyan stood up to speak for Song Xinya: President Zhao, I just asked this question. It was the boss of her previous company who didn't allow Miss Song to teach online courses. It isn't Miss Song's fault.
Zhao Yinian looked at Song Xinya and said: Why did the boss allow others but specifically not you? Flies don't bite seamless eggs. Shouldn't you reflect on yourself?
Song Xinya: Whether a fly bites an egg or not is driven by its nature; it has nothing to do with whether the egg has a seam. Flies don't just bite eggs, they bite everything. Just like some people say it takes two hands to clap, but a slap will make a sound on anyone's face. If it is my fault, I will correct it promptly. If it is not my fault, I will not bow my head, and I absolutely will not mentally drain myself over it.
Such articulate and sharp words caused a trace of appreciation to flash through Zhao Yinian's eyes.
She asked: What was the reason your boss at the previous company didn't let you teach online courses?
Song Xinya: At that time, I weighed nearly two hundred pounds, and the boss thought my image was poor. However, right now, I weigh one hundred and ten pounds.
Zhao Yinian was absolutely astonished. "I see you worked at your previous company for three years, so you lost eighty pounds over three years?"
"No," Song Xinya replied. "I lost eighty pounds in one year."
Zhao Yinian's mouth fell open in shock.
Losing eighty pounds in a single year—how much willpower must that take!
Zhao Yinian thought of herself. She constantly clamored about going on a diet, but the moment she saw good food, she couldn't resist. In just one week, she had gained seven pounds.
Admiration rose in her eyes as she looked at Song Xinya.
But in the next instant, that admiration was overshadowed by an even deeper wariness.
"That will be all for today's interview," Zhao Yinian said. "You can go back and wait for our notice."
Chen Siyan looked incredibly surprised. Usually, after a candidate passed the first and second rounds, the third round with the general manager would end with an offer on the spot.
......
After returning home, Song Xinya waited and waited, but no one contacted her.
Because Qin Yuhe had taken the morning off, he had accumulated a mountain of work to handle, so he ended up spending the night at the government building.
However, at noon the next day, Qin Yuhe returned to the Zijin Mansion.
Walking into the main hall, he saw Song Tingye eating lunch all by himself.
"Where is your sister?"
"She said she didn't have an appetite and couldn't eat," Song Tingye replied.
"Do you know why?" Qin Yuhe asked.
"My sister went to a job interview yesterday. She probably didn't get the job."
Upstairs in the second-floor bedroom, Song Xinya was fast asleep on her bed, wearing a pink and white nightgown. Her sleeping face was peaceful, sweet, and soft.
Her sleeping posture, however, was a bit uninhibited. She lay flat on her back, one leg stretched out straight and the other bent, leaving her legs spread wide open.
Qin Yuhe walked into the room and looked at Song Xinya. As his gaze swept over a certain spot, he suddenly froze, his breathing growing tight.
The temperature in the room suddenly seemed to soar.
