Chapter Thirty-Three: Bound for the Interview!

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Wang Zheng sat on a bench by the roadside, studying the job advertisement scrawled on a slip of paper. Of the six companies listed, he’d already visited five, only to have the detestable Bai Bing sabotage his efforts—he hadn’t even made it past the lobby before being rejected, never mind entering the HR department. Only one company remained. He checked his watch: two in the afternoon. He hoped this time would be different.

Just as he stood up from the bench, Bai Bing sprang up beside him with a bright smile, her face radiating innocent mischief.

“Could you please stop following me?” Wang Zheng suddenly shouted at Bai Bing; he could no longer bear her vexing presence. If this continued, he feared he’d never find a job, not even if he searched for a lifetime.

“All roads lead to the sky, each walking half his own,” Bai Bing retorted with a calm smirk, undeterred by his frustration. She met his sullen glare with gloating satisfaction, mingled with a hint of confusion.

Wouldn’t it be better to stay in the organization? Why insist on acting as someone else’s assistant when he could have such a good position? Clearly, his brain had been addled by the African sun.

“Bai Bing, you really are something. You’re the most obnoxious of all scoundrels—worse than a toad! At least toads don’t follow people everywhere!” Wang Zheng sneered, for in his eyes, even a toad was more lovable than Bai Bing—at least a toad wouldn’t haunt his every step.

“Whether I’m a swan or a toad, you don’t get to decide. What, are you giving up already?” Bai Bing taunted, adopting a victorious pose, unaffected by Wang Zheng’s insult.

“Give up? Hah!” Wang Zheng snorted. “You think I’d abandon my resolve because of a single setback? Is that what you take me for?”

“A toad!” Bai Bing interjected.

“Even if I am a toad, I’d never chase after a female toad!” Wang Zheng retorted, his voice rising. He felt himself growing dizzy from anger at this shameless woman. Taking a few deep breaths to steady himself, he turned to her and said, “Success in life isn’t about being dealt a good hand, but about playing a bad hand well. Everything in this world is difficult at first, but soon enough you settle into the rhythm and begin to enjoy it. Bai Bing, just watch—I’ll show you how I land a job!”

Confidence radiated from him; someone who’d wrestled with death itself was not so easily defeated. If he were, he’d never have set foot back on this land. His eyes burned with the fire of ideals, determination, and the faint glimmer of hope. Even Bai Bing seemed to feel the heat emanating from him.

But she cared nothing for his fervor; even if he turned into a blazing fireball, she was determined to douse his flames.

Shiheng Venture Capital Group—this was Wang Zheng’s final stop today.

Walking into the first-floor lobby, he found that Shiheng’s HR department was in the midst of a recruitment drive. Drawing on his earlier experiences, Wang Zheng wrote “PhD” in the education column.

A warrior in the battle for jobs!

He handed his completed application to the recruiter and, under their guidance, made his way to the third floor, where he waited quietly for his interview.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, startled to see Bai Bing had followed him in.

“I’m looking for a job too, is there a problem?” Bai Bing arched an eyebrow, looking at him with triumphant defiance.

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“You? Looking for a job?” Wang Zheng eyed her suspiciously. Was this woman insane? After struggling through the application in spite of all her interference, now she wanted to play some new trick?

Was she a double agent?

“Yep!” Bai Bing nodded emphatically and flourished her numbered application in front of him. “See? Number twenty-four. You’re twenty-three. I’m right after you!”

Wang Zheng sighed deeply and shook his head; it seemed there was no saving this woman.

Ignoring Bai Bing, Wang Zheng pulled out the notes he’d gathered about Shiheng Group, scanning them rapidly to commit the main points to memory—anything to help him stand out in the impending interview.

After nearly an hour in line, it was finally his turn. He stood, straightened his collar, and entered the office.

The room was small, with three people—two men and one woman—seated at the front. A solitary chair faced them, giving the impression of a police interrogation. Wang Zheng smiled and nodded in greeting before sitting down.

The panel looked at him with a touch of puzzlement. One of the men asked, “You’re number twenty-three?”

“Yes, my name is Wang Zheng.”

“And this lady?” The man gestured behind him.

Huh? Wang Zheng turned around—his view was blocked by an impressive bosom. Stretching his neck, he saw it was Bai Bing, standing ramrod straight like a statue behind him.

“I don’t know her,” Wang Zheng replied, a sense of foreboding settling in.

“I’m number twenty-four!” Bai Bing announced loudly. “Your company can consider us as a package deal. If you want to hire him, you have to hire me; if you want me, you have to hire him!”

The three interviewers were stunned, exchanging glances filled with surprise. They’d heard of bundled sales, but never bundled job applications. Since both had made it in, they decided to interview them together.

“Mr. Wang, you’re applying for the position of assistant to the general manager?” one asked.

“Yes,” Wang Zheng replied. He’d applied for the same role at every company so far; he had his mind set on it.

“And the lady?”

“My name is Bai Bing, and I’m applying for the secretary to the assistant of the general manager,” Bai Bing answered without batting an eye.

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Secretary to the assistant to the general manager? What did that even mean? There was only one assistant—did he need his own secretary? In that case, why not just hire a secretary for the general manager directly?

The three recruiters glanced at the ashen-faced man, then at the woman gloating beside him, stealing glances his way. It was suddenly obvious: these two knew each other, and judging by the tension, were likely a couple in the midst of a spat. The man ignored the woman, while she clung to him relentlessly.

“Listen, this is a job interview, not a matchmaking service. You’re in the wrong place. Could you please show some respect? Do you think we’re here for your entertainment?”

“Sorry, apologies,” Wang Zheng stood and addressed the panel, then grabbed Bai Bing by the neck and dragged her out of the room.

Not only had he failed the interview, he’d had to apologize to them. What had he done to deserve this?

Wang Zheng, dejected and helpless, exited the gates of Shiheng Group, while Bai Bing practically radiated glee, as if it were October 1st, 1949. Watching her revel a bit too exuberantly, Wang Zheng’s hands itched to knock her out right then and there. Rejected by six companies, the culprit was still by his side, celebrating with fireworks and song—enough to make even a mute curse aloud.

“Weren’t you so confident before? Why are you wilted now, like an eggplant struck by frost? Didn’t you want to show me how you’d find a job? Well, go on, show me!” Bai Bing teased, her face alight with smugness. She would never miss a chance to persuade him to return to the organization, nor to make fun of him.

“You've plucked all the feathers from my wings, and you still expect me to fly for you?” Wang Zheng replied, utterly dispirited.

What goes around, comes around. Perhaps this was retribution for all the killing he’d done... But he’d only ever slain those who deserved it, never an innocent soul. How could this be his punishment?

“If you want to fly, I can lend you a pair of wings!” Bai Bing laughed.

Hmph! Wang Zheng snorted inwardly. This woman only needed to lift her skirt, and he’d know exactly what she was up to. He was about to lash out at her when a scene in the distance caught his eye.

A woman, her arms full of thick notebooks, was following a fat man, speaking to him earnestly and with urgency. The man waved her off impatiently, knocking the books from her hands before climbing into his Mercedes and driving away.

The woman stood rooted to the spot, her face etched with disappointment as she watched the Mercedes vanish. She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. But when she opened them again, the look of despair was gone. Straightening her clothes, she knelt down and began picking up her scattered books.

“Well? Have you made up your mind yet?” Bai Bing nudged Wang Zheng, her face already wearing a winner’s smile.

“Put away your chicken wings. I’ve found my angel,” Wang Zheng replied.