CH 3

After receiving the consumer texts sent by the bank, Lu Chengyu felt that when he stepped out of Baiwei Restaurant, his chic and unrestrained style was all broken into dregs. How many thousands does it cost for a person’s meal? Whose family’s black sheep[1] is this?

[1]败家子 [bài jiā zǐ]: a prodigal son squandering the family fortune, a spendthrift; wastrel 

The next morning, Cheng Yu received an interview call from Hua Ding Personnel Department. He found a casual suit from his wardrobe. As a newly graduated college student, it is not a good choice to wear a mature-looking cloth when looking for a job. It is far better to dress neatly and tidily to impress the interviewer. If people want mature employees, why they want to recruit fresh graduates but not directly select employees with working experience?

In his past life, Cheng Yu believed that Hua Ding International has internal changes, so did not submit resumes to the company. After his interview with Liang Company ‘s failed, he becomes a manager in a company and ran errands with another manager for two years. After all the troubles, he qualified to take one artist under him. As result, the investor did not interested [2] in the artist, but interested in the manager. Cheng Yu didn’t want to play with this game, thus he resign from the company. Later on, he opened a small fast-food restaurant. Before he had earned his money, they smashed his shop. Someone, with no reason, accused him of using ditch oil [3] and tell it to a local tabloid, considered as it genuinely disgraceful.

[2] this part: in the novel, it stated that this investor didn’t look at the artist, but the manager. Meaning that the investor likes the manager which is Lu Chengyu, not his artist.

[3] 地沟油 [dì gōu yóu]

cooking oil that has been used and discarded (and, in China, sometimes illegally recovered from gutters and sewers, reprocessed and sold back to restaurants)

After closing the small fast-food restaurant, he was introduced to a crew as an assistant by an acquaintance. As a result, he met someone who wanted to support him before he knew this guy was an investor in the play and he was eventually tossed out of the crew. Those years had not been a good one, and his relatives treated him coldly. After that, he found some jobs, but somehow something went wrong. Finally, he became the lobby manager of a star-rated luxury hotel. As a result, when he was about to be promoted, he died.

Talents of dignified Q Branch of Economic Management, mixed together with this situation, were also considered “good-for-nothing” [4]. He felt that he must be a negative example of many alumni in the same grade, but later he seldom attended classmates’associations. What other people thought had little to do with him.

[4] 窝囊 [wō nang ]: feel vexed; stupid, cowardly and timid; good-for-nothing; -I choose good-for-nothing as MC stated because he brings a negative example to university

But looking back on the days of his past life, it’s hard to say it was tragic,

even he didn’t understand. He started smoothly and profitably many times, but when the critical moment came, he lost the chain inexplicably. It’s like God hates him and wants him to be unlucky.

“Who has not died since ancient times, only early death and late death,”

Cheng Yu skillfully operated the computer, looking up the information he wanted, smiling coldly,

“But cannot die in vain.”

Early the next morning, he changed his clothes and stopped a taxi instead of crowding in the bus or the subway, so that he wouldn’t get tired when he reaches to Hua Ding Headquarters.

Cheng Yu look up at the glittering sign of Hua Ding Headquarters and the vigours security guard at the gate. He straightened his collar and walk, not too fast nor too slow to the Hua Ding’s main door.

The receptionist knew that there would be many interviews today, so he quickly explained the location of the interview to Lu Chengyu.

After entering the elevator, Lu Chengyu felt that Hua Ding Headquarters was somewhat cold, which was not like the atmosphere of the headquarters of a large company. It can be seen how much the impact of Huading’s turbulence was. He somewhat understood why the industry was surprised when Huading got up.

Half an hour before the interview begins, all the job seekers are sitting in a conference room waiting for the interview to begin, which shows that Huading attaches great importance to talents. When Lu Chengyu entered, there were six people, four men and two women. Six people saw him come in. They only raised their heads and went to play with their mobile phones.

Lu Chengyu chose a seat nearby with a smile on his face. He looked around unconsciously and saw a camera in an obscure corner. If he hadn’t worked in the hotel for some time, he couldn’t have found it.

On the conference table, there were several coloured materials about Huading. He took a book and turned it slowly. He hadn’t looked at it for two minutes, but there was another person beside him.

“Hello,” he looked up at the people beside him, it was quite a beautiful girl.

“Hello,” the girl also politely nodded to him and smiled back. She imitates Chengyu behaviour; she took a copy of a book and turned it over slowly.

At 9:40, the interview officially began. There were twelve people coming for the interview. Because two assistants are recruited, thus ten out of twelve people should be eliminated (T/n: huh..meaning that the company wanted to recruit only 4 people. 2 people (the assistants) are already guaranteed the job, thus left only 2 places?)

Lu Chengyu felt a little confused. Whose assistant is this? Department Manager or Branch Manager?

Huading International has branches elsewhere and has set foot in several industries but its main focus is on electronics and real estate. Even if the interview is successful, these newcomers are likely to be delegated to the branch.

Lu Chengyu admits that he has ambition. That’s why he came for an interview when Huading was unstable. Having gone through so many bad luck in his past life, he should have saved a lot of good luck for this life, right?

This society is very realistic, only if they stand high enough to settle old accounts, people can not arbitrarily oppress.

He is not someone who is too self-contained [5], someone able to speculate things and also someone who unwilling to let go.

[5] 清高 [qīng gāo]: aloof from politics and material pursuits; self-contained; pure and lofty

The first few people who went in for the interview came out very quickly, their faces were not very good, and one of them even began to complain: “It’s yourself who is about to get bankrupt, still demanding so many things, when I can’t find a job?”

Lu Chengyu knocked twice at the door and entered the interview room. There were three men and one woman sitting in the room. Their faces looked very mild. But this kind of people can make others easily relax their vigilance and finally show their weaknesses unconsciously.

After introducing himself, the four interviewers asked him a few questions in turn, which was not too tricky. They would like to see more the comprehensive qualities of the job seekers.

After answering these questions in an orderly manner, Lu Chengyu finally heard them ask questions about business trips. He laughed and said, “There’s nothing wrong with business trips.” In his last life, he ran around for work and almost became a dog. It’s normal for him to go to work on business trips. He feels that accepting business trips is completely stress-free.

This society is always a world of relationships and abilities, no exception.

Several interviewers nodded, and the middle-aged woman sitting on the far right pushed her glasses on the bridge of her nose, showing a professional smile: “Welcome to join our company, please report to the Personnel Department next Monday, then we will sign the contract.”

Lu Chengyu smiled and nodded. He got up and nodded to the four men. “Thank you very much. I’ll be there on Monday.”

Four interviewers all smiled back and waited for Chengyu to go out. The middle-aged woman wearing glasses said, “This young man is young and calm, and there will be a lot of room for development in the future.”

“If it weren’t for his information here, some of his behaviours are not very clear, I really have to suspect that he’s a veteran in the workplace.” said the Vice Head of Personnel Department, a 40-year-old man, who wiped his half-bald forehead, drew a tick on Lu Chengyu’s job description and put it in a drawer. “No wonder someone called to ask about this man last night.”

Four of them are senior in the workplace. They knew that Lu Chengyu is not someone who knows people on the top manager (T/N: as in he got a recommendation or know top brass). It’s rare that a  top student in the Q Branch of Economic Management with his capability is willing to come to Huading to work at this time.

Lu Chengyu left Huading Headquarters and felt a little unexpected. How can a company like Huading hire people directly in an interview?

Looking at Hua Ding International’s glimmering signboard shower with sunlight, no matter what company, as long as the name is added with the word “international”, it will look like a bull’s fork, not to mention the name of Huading, China’s Ding [6], which is really powerful.

[6] 鼎 [dǐng]: an ancient cooking vessel with two loop handles and three or four legs; as the symbol of a dynasty;

Turning around the corner, he saw a lottery betting station. He stops walking and reminisces the day when he fails his job interview. While he went to search for a job everywhere, he got lucky and draw a prizewinning ticket in a lottery but he can’t remember the winning number is for sports lottery or lucky lottery.

In the end, Lu Chengyu bought four note body lottery ticket [7] and two-colour ball for luck lottery ticket [8]. It has been 8-9 years ago when we won this lottery, many of his memories have long been blurred, but now he’s just trying his luck.

[7]

[8]

Anyway, the total amount of eight lottery tickets is 16 yuan, and the money waste is not as bad as the money waste on the buddy he met last night.

After putting the tickets in his wallet, Lu Chengyu found an antique tea house and sat down. He ordered a cup of bamboo leaf green [9]. He listened to the quiet Guqin music. Through the second floor window, he watched the people coming and going downstairs. He slowly brings out his mobile phone and gracefully read the online novel that he had not finished last night.

[9]

(T/N: Oh nooo, when I thought I’m translating modern novel……..there’s trap everywhere ∠(ﾟДﾟ)/ Below is the plot of the novel that MC read, nothing to do with this novel, so it’s okay not to understand it, but if you understand it, write in the comment since I am sooo bad in translating Wuxia or Xiaxia novels)

The protagonist should be on the verge to move forward to the early period of Yuan Dynasty. But why hasn’t his girlfriend appear yet, and it’s was his teacher who brushes his existence everywhere (don’t ask me why..I’m gonna put the real description from novel below [10])

[10] 主角应该就快要跨进元婴期了,只是为什么身边的妹纸还没有出现, 倒是他的师傅处处在刷存在感

But then, this novel is magnificent in portraying atmosphere. Whether there is a girlfriend or not is just icing on the cake. The author is very good at writing, and the description of the protagonist has made up for all the deficiencies.

It was wonderful to see from where he sat, then he heard a girl’s slightly unexpected voice, “What a coincidence.” The beautiful female voice makes him to quickly pull out the bookmarks, put them to the novel, then smile and look up, “Is it you?” He didn’t expect to meet the girl he interviewed with before here, it’s a coincidence.

Chengyu gets up and goes to the other side of the table. He gently moved the carved chair back, whispered, “I didn’t expect to meet you here. It’s too fateful. Let’s have a drink together, please sit down.”

Zhang Jiayu hesitated for a moment. Seeing that the other party had dragged the chair away, she laughed and thanked him. She sat down on the chair and looked at the tea list handed over by Lu Chengyu. “I don’t know much about tea. I really don’t know what kind of tea to drink.”

After listening to her, Lu Chengyu knew that this was a girl with a straightforward personality. He laughed and said, “Girls drink rose tea to invigorate their blood and improve their looks. The taste is okay. Why don’t you try it?”

Zhang Jiayu did not pretend to be an expert. She nodded directly. Originally, because she was hired by Huading, she came to the tea restaurant around here so that she could have a good relationship with her future colleagues. She didn’t expect to meet the person who had just been interviewed.

“My name is Lu Chengyu. I will work in Huading in the future. Miss, how should I call you? I wonder if we will have the chance to be colleagues in the future?” Lu Chengyu ordered some cakes with Chinese tea. Looking at the girl’s expression, the interview results should be very satisfactory.

“Don’t call me Miss. My name is Zhang Jiayu. We both have “Yu” in our names. That’s fate. You can call me Xiaoyu (Little Yu).” Zhang Jiayu smiled brightly, but she declining Lu Chengyu’s respecting attitude towards her, “We’ll be colleagues in the future.”

Lu Chengyu also smiled and spoke with less politeness and more casualness, which was enough for the other party to perceive his intimacy. “In that case, you may call me Dayu (Big Yu). In the future, if you need to repair a computer or move something big, just call me,” said Chengyu to Zhang Jiayu. As for whether they will work in the same place in the future, it’s not important. It’s important to let each other know that he has the intention to help her.

Sure enough, because of his attitude, Zhang Jiayu’s words and deeds have become a lot of casual, and when the tea is almost finished and after eating the cake, they have exchanged mobile phone numbers, added WeChat, and even follow each other Weibo.

After they separate, Lu Chengyu has been marked with a big red tick by Zhang Jiayu in her heart.