Chapter 10: A Simple Interview

Li Shen looked at Wei Yan, who was eager for an answer, and pretended to be mysterious.

“You haven’t forgotten about the order cancellation incident at the end of last year, have you?”

“Of course not, but what does that have to do with President Chen?”

Wei Yan looked confused. He was one of the people affected by that incident, so there was no way he’d forget.

Back then, his client had returned all their orders because the clothing quality had significantly declined compared to before. The returned goods amounted to tens of thousands of pieces, all currently gathering dust in the warehouse.

“It has everything to do with him,” Li Shen said.

“You see, there are tens of thousands of garments piling up in the warehouse, yet all you’re thinking about is securing new orders. No boss would be happy about that!”

“Think about it. President Chen kept emphasizing internal company matters—he was clearly hinting at something!”

Li Shen analyzed with a serious expression.

Upon hearing this, Wei Yan felt as if he’d been struck by enlightenment. He suddenly slapped the table in realization.

“You’re right! How did I not see it? President Chen must want me to deal with the surplus stock!”

But his excitement quickly faded.

“But the quality of those garments is too poor. Even if I want to sell them, no customer would be willing to buy them!”

“Why don’t you think outside the box? Find a different sales channel,” Li Shen suggested.

“You have an idea?” Wei Yan looked at him expectantly.

Li Shen remained silent but gestured toward his empty beer glass.

Wei Yan immediately opened a new bottle and poured it for him.

Li Shen took a big gulp and then spoke.

“You can sell them to street vendors. I’ve seen the clothes they sell—none of them are high quality, but they focus on being cheap. A single piece usually goes for 10 to 20 yuan.”

“If you approach a few vendors and sell the clothes for, say, five or six yuan per piece, I doubt they’d refuse.”

The more Wei Yan thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He decided to find some vendors to test the waters the next evening.

“Good brother, I owe you one! I’ll drink to that!”

He raised his glass and clinked it against Li Shen’s before downing it in one go.

“Cheers!” Li Shen grinned and also finished his drink in one gulp.

After a few drinks, Wei Yan looked at Li Shen again.

“Should we inform President Chen about this plan first?”

“No need. Let’s sell the stock first and then tell him—it’ll be a nice surprise.”

“Sounds good!”

—

The Next Morning

Chen Mo woke up early, freshened up, and left the house. Instead of heading to the company, he went straight to the municipal building.

There was a job fair being held there today, and he wanted to try his luck in finding some suitable candidates.

Upon reaching the third floor, he unexpectedly saw that same family again.

The woman was adjusting the man’s collar at the entrance, seemingly giving him some last-minute reminders.

As soon as he saw Chen Mo, the man took the little girl downstairs.

Judging by the school bag on the man’s back, he was probably taking the girl to school.

Chen Mo exited the neighborhood, hailed a taxi, and headed straight to the municipal building.

Upon arrival, he registered with the event staff, paid some fees, and secured a small recruitment booth.

Since he had come in a hurry, he hadn’t prepared any proper recruitment materials.

Compared to other companies with banners and promotional posters, all he had was a handwritten job listing placed on the table in front of him.

Changfeng Garment Factory – Hiring Talents at Competitive Salaries
Positions: Assistant to the Boss, Finance, Accounting, Clerks, Workers, Sales, etc.

To make matters worse, his booth was in a relatively remote corner of the venue.

As time passed, nearly half the day went by.

Chen Mo, leaning on the table, started feeling drowsy.

For the entire morning, he hadn’t managed to recruit a single person.

Most job seekers merely glanced at his handwritten sign and walked away without a second thought.

“They’re hiring clerks here,” one girl commented.

“But look at this—there’s not even a proper poster. This place can’t be reliable. It might even be a scam company,” the other girl replied.

“Yeah… let’s check out that booth instead.”

The two girls exchanged words and walked away.

“Superficial!”

Chen Mo muttered under his breath, criticizing their lack of insight before resting his head on the table to take a nap.

At this point, he realized he probably wasn’t going to find anyone today.

—

Meanwhile, at another recruitment booth…

“You have a great academic record. We’d like to hire you,” the interviewer said.

“Really?” Shen Rou’s face lit up with excitement.

The interviewer smiled but then added, “However, since you’re still a student and only in your internship phase, you won’t be able to get a permanent position until after graduation. During this period, your salary will be limited to 2,000 yuan per month. As for your request to get an advance of 5,000 yuan, we can’t accommodate that.”

Shen Rou’s excitement immediately dimmed. She pleaded, “I really need the money right now. Could you make an exception? I’m willing to sign a contract, and I promise to work hard!”

“Sorry, our company doesn’t provide salary advances.” The interviewer was firm.

Shen Rou left the booth, feeling disappointed.

She had lost count of how many interviews she had attended that morning. Not a single company was willing to advance her salary.

What should I do?

If she didn’t get some money soon, the kids at the orphanage might go hungry.

With a heavy heart, she walked past each recruitment booth, searching for a suitable job.

Since she already had a night job, she needed something during the day that wouldn’t interfere with her evening work.

By now, she had almost gone through the entire job fair. This was the last row of booths.

If she didn’t find something here, she’d have to settle for temporary work, even though she knew that wasn’t a long-term solution.

Her gaze swept across the recruitment signs one by one, but her expression grew even more disheartened.

The job listings in this last row didn’t meet her needs.

I guess I’ll have to do temp work after all…

Just as she was about to leave, she caught sight of a small table in the farthest corner with a simple handwritten recruitment sign.

Hiring: Assistants, Finance, Clerks…

Her major was Business Administration, so she was qualified for these roles.

But looking at the crude sign and the recruiter who was asleep at the table, she hesitated.

Can I really trust this company?

This was the first time she had ever seen a recruiter napping during a job fair.

Shen Rou hesitated for a long time before finally making up her mind.

She decided to give it a try.

After all, she needed an advance payment. If this company wasn’t legitimate, they probably wouldn’t agree to that anyway.

With that thought, she stepped forward, approached the table, and softly spoke:

“Hello, I’d like to apply for a job.”