Shang Zhi Tао bоаrdеd the bus earlу, аs the citу was just waking uр. Тhе bus trаvеlеd through the thin mоrning mist. With earphones in, she gаzеd out аt the strееts. Тhе pеорlе living hеre wеre truly diligent—sо еarlу in the morning, and thе sidewalks wеre alrеаdу fillеd with соmmutеrs.
She was оnе of thеm, rushing аlоng.
Tоdaу, shе wore а whitе shirt dress with а light brown thin belt, her hаir tied up high. Without mаkеuр, she rаdiated an invinсiblе уouthfulnеss. Sitting thеrе, quiеt аnd wеll-behаvеd, she rеsemblеd the obеdient сhild frоm thе neighbоr’s hоusе in rumоrs. Striking, yet not оverly so.
Shang Zhi Tаo had alwаys beеn this waу. Нer аcademic performance was only above average, and her looks were similarly middling. Because she was so close to mediocrity, even though she was humble and eager to learn, she could only manage to keep up without falling behind. So, from a young age, Shang Zhi Tao learned to console herself: I’m just an extra, an inconspicuous member of the masses. I can’t move heaven and earth; I just need to live up to myself.
Over time, she developed a very, very good temperament. As her teachers would say: Shang Zhi Tao, what a wonderful personality, so sunny, and her character is upright. There was nothing else to praise her for.
So when she submitted her resume to this internationally top-tier advertising agency, she didn’t think she stood a chance. In the first and second rounds, she somehow managed to slip through. In the third round, a remote interview, her competitors included graduates from Columbia University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Renmin University. By the time it was her turn, the interviewer, Luan Nian, was already exhausted. Holding her resume, he frowned at the sight of her alma mater, and his brow furrowed even deeper as he scanned her experience.
Others’ resumes listed positions like student council president, outstanding student representative, first prize in the International Mathematical Olympiad, or special admissions to prestigious universities. Hers? Head of the Life Department. The HR person beside him shrugged: “You know, to avoid accusations of school discrimination.”
“Did you just download this resume randomly from a job site?” At the time, Luan Nian was the company’s creative consultant, overseeing the planning department. Originally, he was supposed to conduct the final interview, but due to a last-minute schedule change, he was brought in for the earlier phone interview.
The recruitment HR, Liang Xin, was clearly accustomed to Luan Nian’s style. She smiled and said, “Just give her a try.” Liang Xin had fifteen years of HR experience and had seen countless people. Shang Zhi Tao had made it to the third round for a reason.
“Whatever.”
When the call connected, Luan Nian heard a cheerful voice: “Hello.”
“Shang Zhi Tao, this is Tracy. Today’s main interviewer is Luke Luan. Shall we begin?”
“Yes.” Even over the phone, it was clear she was sitting up straight, her voice trembling slightly. Luan Nian had already mentally failed her interview.
Liang Xin saw Luan Nian lower his head to check his phone and knew Shang Zhi Tao was done for, doomed by that slightly nervous “hello.” Luan Nian was formidable; he didn’t tolerate weak team members, not even among campus recruits. He only wanted the best, and Shang Zhi Tao was clearly not that. Liang Xin didn’t expect Luan Nian to speak anymore, so she asked Shang Zhi Tao, “Have you done any internships recently?”
“Yes, I’ve been working with classmates on exhibition design and reception for an art show.”
“Exhibition design—what does that include?”"The main visual design, venue setup, event flow, and so on. The main visual is being handled by my classmate, and I'm leading the rest." Shang Zhi Tao sounded less nervous now, and she seemed to smile shyly: "It's our first time working on such a big project, and there's a lot I don't know how to do."
"And you still dared to take it on?"
"Well... that art exhibition didn't have much funding, but we were interested... so..." Shang Zhi Tao was very honest; there was no need to lie about this. The career guidance teacher said job hunting is a two-way selection process, and overpackaging isn't good.
Liang Xin laughed—this silly girl. Beside her, Luan Nian had already stood up, clearly feeling this interview was a waste of time. Liang Xin sighed inwardly, watching Luan Nian leave the room before continuing the interview. Remote interviews were recorded, and she spoke with Shang Zhi Tao for half an hour, listening to her share her experiences from that project. They were genuine, small-scale experiences that might seem clumsy in their company, but they were what a student had gained through her own efforts—something worth noting. Down-to-earth, hardworking, and easygoing were the labels Liang Xin gave Shang Zhi Tao.
After the interview, Liang Xin sent the recording to Zhang Ling from the marketing department: "Didn't you say you wanted someone grounded? See if this fits the bill. If it does, I'll schedule an in-person interview."
Zhang Ling reviewed the online process and said somewhat hesitantly to Liang Xin, "Isn't this against procedure? Luke already rejected her."
"Don't worry about Luke; just listen for yourself."
"Alright."
Liang Xin called Luan Nian: "Human resources emphasizes diversity in hiring. Our company has too many elites; everyone's floating in the air, unwilling to come down for a sip of dew. If this continues, the team will have problems. For this year's campus recruitment, I want to hire a few down-to-earth, hardworking young people who aren't so flashy. Please give Shang Zhi Tao from earlier a pass."
"Is she a relative of yours?" Luan Nian asked casually. "Is she worth it for someone so mediocre?"
"I wasn't an HRBP from the start either; everyone has to learn."
"Then I'll do you a favor." Luan Nian hung up and promptly changed Shang Zhi Tao's interview result.
Shang Zhi Tao knew nothing of this process. Sitting on the morning bus, she daydreamed about work, but also wondered what exactly made her so special—special enough to beat out candidates from Columbia, Harvard, Tsinghua, Peking University, and Renmin University? Special enough to receive the same offer as them? She wasn't blindly confident; she simply attributed it to luck.
In Beijing after the rain, the early morning was still a bit misty. She arrived too early; the company's vast office building was empty. A security guard pointed her to a waiting area to sit. Through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, she could see a tall ginkgo tree outside.
It was still early. She placed her backpack beside her, sat upright, and looked out at the scenery, earphones in her ears and hands resting on her knees. It was 2010, and in Beijing of that year, few girls sat like that anymore. Most would sit in an extremely relaxed posture, as if they owned the world.
She caught the scent of coffee and turned to see a handsome man with a strong build and broad shoulders walk past. The man showed no expression, his gaze fixed straight ahead as he strode to the access gate, swiped his card with a beep, and disappeared into the elevator lobby.Shang Zhi Tao felt a flutter of excitement. Yao Bei had said that the most stylish men in all of Beijing were at Lingmei. Shang Zhi Tao had even asked her what exactly "style" meant, but Yao Bei had kept her guessing, telling her to experience it for herself. On the first morning of her first day at work, Shang Zhi Tao suddenly understood what style truly was.
Style, perhaps, was the man who had just walked past.
Luan Nian, of course, had no idea that he had just been defined as having style. They had a major case today, and he needed to arrive early to review it once more. As he passed by Shang Zhi Tao, he didn’t even notice her.
He went upstairs, placed his coffee on the desk, and heard his phone ring. He picked it up casually. On the other end, a woman was crying: "I regret it. I don’t want to break up. Can we start over?"
"Well, that’s too bad. I don’t go back to old flames," he said, hanging up the phone and promptly blocking the caller. His movements were swift, cold, and practiced. Then, he picked up his laptop and headed to the meeting room.
Many people in the company were afraid of Luan Nian. He had never been the amiable type, yet everyone was willing to follow him. At just twenty-eight years old, he had already reached this position—thanks to his talent, ability, hard work, and, of course, his background. His future was undoubtedly bright.
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