Chapter 7 - An Old Friend
With the roaring of the airplane as it took off, the airport disappeared from her sight under her feet. She felt her body flying over the wide ocean. With the tremor of the engine, the plane penetrated the clouds, heading its destination. She closed her eyes, rubbed her forehead. Yesterday night made her so tired.
"Swing, swing to grandma's bridge, grandma calls me a good baby. One bag of sugar, one bag of fruit, grandma buys a fish to cook. The head is raw but the tail is burnt, Jump, jump, jump to the fish seller’s bridge, the baby laughs with joy." (a nursery rhyme)
It was grandma’s voice!
She smiled sweetly, curled up like a baby in her seat, and fell asleep 30,000 feet above the ground.
"I really don't understand if you are here for business or to settle down". Sally who followed them to the business trip watched as DU and the driver worked together to tuck JiangJun’s giant suitcase into the back of the car.
"The car has limited seats. Sally, you shall take the company car, Juno and I can take the taxi."
"Okay, good!" Sally replied!
"Not good at all" Juno muttered
DU glared at her, held her hand, and pulled her into the taxi.
"Thank you, we want to go to the International Club"
After telling the driver their destination, he looked sideways out the window. His hand still held on hers.
"You see..." She tried to withdraw her hand but his grasp was too firm for her to budge. "Why cry?"
"What?"
"Why did you cry in the plane when you were asleep"
"How would I know? I was asleep."
He brought her hand up to his lips, nibbling on it lightly.
"Interesting, your smile is so sweet but your tears make you seem so fragile. Juno, what are you thinking about?"
Her scalp was numb, and she pulled back her hand forcefully. She looked at him coldly, turned, and stared at the scenery outside the window.
"Tomorrow, the top 8 candidates will come for an interview. You can eliminate 2 first, and we will discuss the final quota." He handed her some resumes.
"You still have some quotas left? Didn’t you just hire 2 people last year?"
"The establishment of our new branch in the Mainland is still progressing. It is necessary to train up our manpower, and it is not a bad thing to reserve more talents"
"Okay"
"Training of the last batch in Singapore has ended, I will choose a few to work with you. You can decide what you want to do with them. Keep those competent ones."
"Okay."
"Go to bed early today, you look like a panda. You have been too busy this period."
She arrived in her room, called her family, leaned next to the window and read the documents DU gave her, and suddenly, she was startled. . . . . . . .
She strode into the interview office with her chin up, and the hem of Donna Karan black cashmere coat raised while she walked in front of the anxious interviewees. Sally followed behind her, "So cool, Her Majesty, are you going to a battle? Those poor kids outside seem so frightened of you."
She gently raised the corner of her mouth. The game has started.
"This last candidate......... 31 years old, ranked 2 and had 10 years of banking experience... Do you want her to come in now?"
"Call her in."
She leaned on the large leather chair and watched the pale woman walk in front of her.
"This is Ms. Jiang Jun, Vice President of Asia Pacific, MH Investment Banking Department."
JiangJun stood up gracefully and held out her hand. . .
The girl looked at her and tried her best to stay calm while answering Sally’s question. JiangJun saw her glancing at her from time to time. JiangJun smiled at her, quietly, without saying a word.
JiangJun said softly as the girl was about to leave. "Hi, Qiao Na. It’s been long since we’ve met."
When she went back to the hotel, the expected encounter with this “old friend” made her grin. She took to the Haagen-Dazs.
She declined Sally’s invitation for a night tour as she walked across the hotel lobby. There were soft footsteps behind her. She looked back and saw Jona's (Qiao Na) haggard face. She was wrapped in a dark jacket. It seems like she knows how to be afraid.
"Miss Qiao? What a coincidence"
"Coincidence or not, you should know it best."
"I'm so sorry, I don’t know."
"You did it on purpose, right? You knew from the beginning that we were interviewing for this job, so you arranged for us to pass the first stages of the interview, and gave us hope so that you can humiliate us in the final round. You are so cruel, you ruined me for 10 years already, and wanted to ruin my life?"
She continued to hiss, "Let me tell you, I'm going to enter this company for sure. You would not be able to stop me in any way with your abilities."
"..............."
Jona persisted, "I waited 10 years to get this opportunity. MH is not a state-owned enterprise, and it is not a place where you can make the final decisions. Your boss is here, too. If I get eliminated, I will complain to him. I will go to your boss and complain that you are using power for personal gains..."
Jiang Jun looked at her with a smile, this woman has really not made any improvements."I can tell you straight in your face now that you are not hired."
"You...."
"Don't you understand? Let me make it easy to understand for you. The rules of the game are set by me and I make the decisions to employ whoever I want. It is a pity that you are not eligible to play the same game like me!" Jiang Jun said as she turned to leave without looking back.
In the era of hunters and prey, kindness is a double-edged sword. If you accomplish others, you hurt yourself. She will never hurt herself for others.
Good people don't survive long but bad people live for a thousand years.
"I’ve sorted through those people, these 2 are out"
"This person who scored second is eliminated too?"
"She went to all four major domestic banks and worked in a low position, indicating that there are problems with her interpersonal skills and teamwork skill."
"OK!"
She smiled and watched as DU pushed the two resumes into the shredder.
"After the event is over, I will introduce you and Sally to the tycoon here and go out to party!"
Grandpa Mao (Mao Ze Dong) has taught us to treat comrades as warm as spring and enemies as cruel as the harsh winter.
She firmly agrees and carries the spirit of his old man.
