Chapter 25: Chaos at the Interview Site

Two days later, the Xinmin Group recruitment fair was held as scheduled. With two days of preparations complete, everything was in place. At eight o’clock in the morning, Li Fengyu and Lin Chu entered the venue, chatting and laughing. The event was hosted in the main hall. Li Fengyu said to Lin Chu with a beaming smile, "Haha, I’ve only ever been the one interviewed by teachers before; this is my first time interviewing others myself."

Lin Chu picked up the conversation with a hint of excitement, "I wonder how Li Sen will conduct the interviews. I’m actually quite looking forward to it."

When Li Fengyu pushed open the door to his office, he saw Li Sen sitting on his desk with his legs crossed, sipping Bi Luo Chun tea. Li Fengyu asked, looking slightly puzzled, "Li Sen, are you all prepared? I heard hundreds of people are coming today; please, for heaven's sake, don't let me down." He then sat on the sofa, his tone shifting as he added with a playful, half-joking smile, "Though, if you want to pull some strings and find me a secretary who is both beautiful and sharp, I might consider it."

Li Sen did not take the bait. He set down his teacup and muttered to himself, "There will be no secretary, but you’d better station a few extra security guards at the recruitment site, or you and I might end up with heads full of bumps."

Li Fengyu was startled by this, thinking to himself, "Damn, just how big of a scene are you planning to make? It seems today’s recruitment fair is going to be far from peaceful."

This recruitment fair was different from most companies. Li Sen had arranged it in three stages based on a scoring system: each stage was worth 30 points, and a total of 60 was required to reach the final interview. Xinmin Group was promoting a principle of fairness and impartiality. The first stage was based on academic qualifications; those with qualifications that were too low were cut immediately. The point system was designed to accommodate those with lower academic backgrounds. The second stage was a written test, as Xinmin Group needed to recruit sharp, intelligent young people to infuse the company with fresh blood. The third stage involved Chen Yuxuan and other department managers asking questions to gauge the candidates' ability to handle pressure and solve problems on the spot.

After three o’clock in the afternoon, the first wave of the recruitment fair had filtered through the crowd, and thirty-one people had made it to the final interview stage, which was held in Li Fengyu’s office. Li Fengyu, looking somewhat annoyed, leaned over to Li Sen’s ear and whispered, "Why are we doing the interviews in my office? I was planning on watching Crayon Shin-chan in the air conditioning this afternoon."

Li Sen replied, "Because this is the only room with enough space."

Lin Chu interrupted them, saying, "The interview is starting; stop whispering."

At ten past three, the final interview officially began. Li Sen stood up and said to them sternly, "I have only one question for you today: do you consider the parents who raised you to be worthless?"

The moment these words were spoken, the room fell into absolute silence. Li Fengyu and Lin Chu were stunned and quickly rushed to cover his mouth, whispering, "Li Sen, what are you saying?"

At this point, the candidates finally reacted. Three or four of the more hot-headed individuals rushed forward and grabbed Li Sen, starting a fight. Security guards rushed to pull them apart. In the ensuing scuffle, the desk was overturned, chairs were broken, and documents and books were scattered across the floor. It was then that Li Fengyu realized the meaning behind Li Sen’s warning that morning. He and Lin Chu exchanged a wry, bitter look.

By the time the guards had regained control, the few who had started the fight left in a rage, and several others had walked out during the commotion, leaving only seventeen people in the room. Li Sen wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. Just then, one of the more composed candidates asked, "Interviewer, what do you mean by that?"

Li Sen smiled slightly and replied, "Exactly what I said."

Seeing the sour expressions on the other candidates' faces, Li Fengyu hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Everyone, please don't be hasty. He must have a reason for saying it that way. Let him finish what he has to say."