Chapter 41: Interview

Wang Yanxing stopped in her tracks and asked:

“Should we go up directly or wait for a moment?”

Xu Dengming blinked lightly, first giving Wang Yanxing a serious look before replying, “Let’s wait for a moment.”

After [Observation Eye] was upgraded to level ten, Xu Dengming could effortlessly see the trajectory of an ordinary person’s fate within the last one or two minutes.

Suddenly, as if ants were crawling on her skin, a subtle, almost imperceptible change occurred inside Building 27.

Xu Dengming didn’t actually see anyone, nor did she hear any sound, but she instinctively looked up toward the corner of the staircase.

Three seconds later, a black, featureless round head slowly peeked out from around the corner.

Xu Dengming:”…..”

For a moment, she almost thought she had entered a dungeon again.

Xu Dengming stared at the round head for a while, then tentatively spoke, “Hello?”

Upon hearing her words, the body behind the head smoothly emerged from the corner like pulling a radish-it was a young man wearing a management bureau jacket.

The young man walked down directly from the second floor, looking at them curiously, and said, “You, uh, are here for the interview, right?”

It seemed that Building 27 had no other function besides interviews, so the staff naturally assumed that anyone coming here was for that purpose.

Xu Dengming nodded in acknowledgment and explained the reason for their presence:

“We just knocked on the door, and it was unlocked, but there doesn’t seem to be any reception staff on the first floor.”

The management bureau employee shrugged:

“There should have been, but we haven’t started work yet.”

Xu Dengming and Wang Yanxing: “…..”

Considering it was already 2:30 in the afternoon, Xu Dengming had reason to believe that the management bureau was not a unit known for its tight work schedule.

Although it wasn’t the usual time to start work, since they had already arrived, the employee didn’t make Xu Dengming and Wang Yanxing wait any longer.

He directly took the two of them to the second floor, gestured for them to sit in the reception room for a while, collected their resumes, and then went to knock on the door of another office.

The management bureau employee said to his colleague inside: “… handle the interview?”

…They should be here for the interview as notified.

Who’s going to take the interview.

He wasn’t new to the job and vaguely knew about a neighboring unit with an extremely intense work rhythm.

The colleague took the resumes, glanced over them briefly, and said, “I’ll handle it. Both of them are on the list anyway, so it’s just a formality.”

She stretched lazily: “Let’s finish the interview quickly and get back. Building 27 is too cold, and my joints are missing the warmth of the office.”

Due to a shortage of personnel in the Special Affairs Bureau, they had temporarily borrowed a batch of employees from the management bureau to handle the recruitment.

About ten minutes later, Xu Dengming and Wang Yanxing were called into the office one by one for their interviews.

Perhaps due to the invisible pressure from her savings, Xu Dengming remained unusually composed during the interview.

However, the interviewer didn’t seem to care much about her performance either, simply asking for her name and school before announcing, “You can go back and wait for the notification.”

Perhaps concerned that Xu Dengming might be anxious about the job offer, the interviewer added, “Barring any unforeseen circumstances, you should meet our hiring criteria.”

She then handed her a manual, “These are some of the bureau’s regulations. You can take a look at them in advance when you get home.”

Xu Dengming raised an eyebrow, intuitively feeling that the interviewer’s words were not lies.

However, she also felt that her easy acceptance had nothing to do with her professional skills, expertise, or even hidden secrets.

It was purely because she had previously been involved in the Nest Park incident.

-There are secrets in the world that are not suitable for the general public to know.

Given this, it seems like a good choice to prioritize recruiting young people who have already glimpsed the other side of the world into the bureau.

The interview didn’t take up too much of their time.

Wang Yanxing had initially planned to eat out, but she found that the food prices near Azalea Street, although more stable than those near Sunflower Apartment, were still high enough to make her heart ache.

In the end, the two only went for a stroll at the Square Root of Five Library.

Just as they were about to head back, they heard a call from behind.

“……?”

As they were leaving the library, Xu Dengming heard a somewhat familiar voice.

She turned around and saw Lin Yunhui, whom she had met in the elevator scenario.

Lin Yunhui’s face was filled with joy and excitement.

She waved vigorously and quickly walked over.

Xu Dengming noticed that the other hand of Lin Yunhui was also holding a manual she had just received from the bureau.

Lin Yunhui: “Long time no see!”

Wang Yanxing compared Lin Yunhui’s face with the students from E University in her mind, and finally said in confusion, “You are……”

Xu Dengming: “Her name is Lin Yunhui, not a student from E University.”

She introduced the two, and after a brief exchange, they discovered that they had all participated in the bureau’s interview.

Lin Yunhui looked relieved: “I was worried about being unemployed, but I didn’t expect to get a internship position so early.”

Wang Yanxing sighed: “If I had known I would receive an interview invitation, I wouldn’t have bothered looking for information at various job fairs before.”

She then showed a hint of confusion, “But did I ever send my resume to the bureau?”

Xu Dengming, who had never expected her roommate to start pondering the resume submission issue only now: Although Xu Dengming could probably guess the reason, bound by the confidentiality agreement, she didn’t directly voice her speculation.

Instead, she shifted the blame to E University:

“Maybe the school helped submit it. With one more person finding a job, this year’s employment rate would look better.”

Wang Yanxing agreed deeply.

The three weren’t very familiar with each other, so they didn’t talk for long.

Before parting, Lin Yunhui waved her arm again and smiled at them, “Hope to see you again in the bureau.”

Perhaps because it was close to official institutions, the shops around Azalea Street didn’t set the food prices too outrageously, but they did limit the purchase quantity.

Xu Dengming didn’t waste the opportunity to go out and stocked up on some noodles and nutritional supplements.

Wang Yanxing helped her roommate carry the items while complaining:

“I heard from my family that the prices in the inner city haven’t risen much, but it’s not easy to send things out. They told me to just go back home if I’m short on clothes or food.”

As a local resident of Triangle Banyan City, Xu Dengming had long known that the more remote the residential area, the lower the housing prices, but the price system for daily necessities became increasingly chaotic.

Over time, many who couldn’t endure this would move to newly planned urban areas, contributing to the city’s real estate industry.

As the interviewer had mentioned, Xu Dengming received the notification of her successful application not long after returning home, a speed that was unusually fast for the administration’s typical efficiency.

The notice was delivered directly to her apartment door.

Xu Dengming took it home, opened it, and saw that the latest registration date was December 7th, with an option to come earlier.

The administration had thoughtfully left ample time for future employees to handle their personal affairs.

Xu Dengming stared at the notice in her hand for a long time.

Today was already November 28th, and the weather was getting colder.

Xu Dengming gazed at the frost forming on the windowsill and realized that if she secured the job, she might need to give up her apartment at Sunflower Apartments.

Xu Dengming had initially chosen this place because Sunflower Apartments were located in Hongshan District, close to the old campus of E University, with cheap rent and a quiet environment.

But once she decided to work at the administration, she would immediately face the significant issue of a daily commute lasting four hours.

Xu Dengming thought, perhaps she could not go home and just sleep on the floor in the administration’s hallway, striving to leave an impression on her colleagues of being a workaholic who didn’t fit in.

The notice included the administration’s contact information.

Xu Dengming called directly and tactfully inquired about the treatment of interns.

“…Yes, we provide accommodation here. If it’s convenient, you can come directly.”

Xu Dengming checked online and found that the rent prices around Azalea Street were at least ten times higher than those near Sunflower Apartments.

The administration had probably considered that interns might be financially strapped and thus decisively covered food and lodging.

With the increasing burden of living expenses and not much disposable funds on hand, coupled with the bleak job market in the city, Xu Dengming felt she didn’t have much room to be picky.

For her, living with strangers wasn’t the best choice, especially since Xu Dengming harbored some secrets that were inconvenient to disclose.

But if she couldn’t even hide them from other newcomers, Xu Dengming felt it was almost certain that the administration’s formal members would discover her anomalies.

The operator on the other end of the phone introduced himself as Zhang Er, a very talkative person.

Although Xu Dengming only asked about accommodation, he seemed to have triggered a keyword and detailed various benefits provided by the bureau.

The salary was much lower than that of formal members, but they could still receive two thousand city coins each month.

The bureau also provided meal allowances, travel subsidies, canteen subsidies, and free beverages.

As for the dormitory, as long as one was employed, they could stay indefinitely.

Xiao Zhang: “I also recommend that interns choose to stay in the dormitory to get along with future colleagues in advance, which will increase the chances of becoming a formal employee.”

Xu Dengming was curious: “So the probability of becoming a formal employee at the administration isn’t high?”

Xiao Zhang said matter-of-factly: “Even if we need more hands, we won’t let everyone pass.

At the end of the call, his voice became particularly enthusiastic, “Although the number of admissions is limited, I still hope you can succeed soon!”

Xu Dengming didn’t speak, nor did she hang up immediately.

She thought about the intern’s salary-two thousand city coins, which was exactly the average rent for a single-person apartment near Azalea Street.

The Administration Bureau was like a massive, damp tree, with its employees being various plants and animals living on it.

Over the years, they had formed an inseparable and stable ecosystem.

From birth to death, everything could be accomplished by clinging to this great tree.

Xu Dengming asked, “I have one more question. If an intern dies on the job, will there be any compensation?”

“Of course!” Xiao Zhang on the other end of the phone remained enthusiastic, his tone full and high-pitched, even somewhat cloying.

“The compensation standard for interns who die or are injured on duty is one hundred thousand city coins per person. We will do our utmost to ensure the quality of life for all our employees.”

As she listened to his words, a thought flashed through Xu Dengming’s mind-the acceptance letter she had just received didn’t seem to mention the process for declining the position.

There wasn’t even a reminder like “Failure to report by the deadline will be considered as forfeiture.”