After the Divorce, I Could Hear the Voice of the Future-Chapter 50: Learning English

"Tang, tomorrow Xia Luo begins shooting in Dalian — you take a trip there for me."

Lu Liang assigned Tang Caide some work, then turned to the perplexed-looking Chen Jinchun, "Xiao Chen, you go and recruit someone for me."

Chen Jinchun widened her eyes, at first thinking she had heard wrong. She was only a recent graduate herself, still within her internship period.

"Is there a problem?" asked Mr. Lu.

"N-no problem, what position do you want me to recruit for, Mr. Lu?" Chen Jinchun braved the question.

"An English tutor, with at least a Level 8 certificate. One lesson every workday, paying the highest market rate."

Having suffered from his poor English skills before, Lu Liang had resolved to improve his English, aiming for at least effortless reading.

"Okay, Mr. Lu." Chen Jinchun felt relieved. Thankfully, she just had to find an English tutor.

After all, having passed Level 4 herself and with the help of the academic credit system, interviewing a candidate with a Level 8 certificate should be no problem.

But what she thought in her head was one thing; actually doing it was another.

As soon as she saw Mr. Lu enter his office, Chen Jinchun, looking woeful, tugged at Tang Caide, "Sis, you've got to help me."

She had only ever been the interviewee, never the interviewer. Should she act aloof, or should she be down-to-earth?

If she put her hair up and wore a black silk OL outfit, would she appear a bit more mature?

"Don't stress so much. I guess Mr. Lu probably wants to learn English," Tang Caide said, trying to suppress a chuckle.

"The way English is taught is important, but so is the teacher-student fit. If you just interview a few and let Mr. Lu choose, he's bound to find someone satisfying."

Chen Jinchun then asked, "What if Mr. Lu isn't satisfied, what do I do with those tutors? Just let them go?"

Tang Caide nodded, "Usually there's a trial for half a lesson; if unsatisfied, you keep trying until he's satisfied."

Chen Jinchun looked troubled, "Shouldn't we give them some kind of travel stipend? Otherwise, wouldn't that seem a bit unfair?"

Having a half-lesson trial and then just replacing the tutor if unsatisfied made her feel guilty, as if she was exploiting someone's labor.

"When you failed an interview, did anyone ever give you a travel stipend? That's just how society is," said Tang with a shallow smile, patting Chen Jinchun's head like an elder, "This might be an opportunity for you."

"Opportunity?" Chen Jinchun blinked, utterly confused.

Tang Caide looked towards Mr. Lu's office, "Mr. Lu's probably missing an assistant by his side; he just hasn't realized it."

"Anyone can be a receptionist, but an assistant is different. They become a confidant to Mr. Lu, and the salary and benefits are much higher."

She saw this clearly, but she didn't remind Mr. Lu.

Because it was something Mr. Lu needed to realize himself. If she were to mention it, it might seem she had an ulterior motive.

"Sis, then why don't you..."

Chen Jinchun was puzzled; she might be a bit slow but she wasn't stupid. If it was such a good opportunity, why wouldn't Tang Caide take it for herself?

Tang Caide gave a self-deprecating smile, quite indifferent, "We are not the same. I'm older; I can't be groomed."

She was 37 this year, finding a job that matched her skills and paid reasonably well was already quite a feat.

But Chen Jinchun was different. At 22, fresh out of college, she was at the prime of her life. Although she graduated from a second-tier university, it was enough.

Having worked for over a decade, Tang Caide knew that education was just a stepping stone, and if it wasn't a technical position, its importance was even less so.

Moreover, Chen Jinchun was a fresh graduate, a clean slate at work, the type that bosses preferred to mold themselves.

"Tang, thank you."

Chen Jinchun was grateful, beyond words.

Ever since they met, Tang Caide had always been especially kind to her, constantly teaching her the rules of the workplace.

"In a bit, start with some online research. English tutors shouldn't be hard to find. Then schedule some interviews; if you find someone suitable, send them to Mr. Lu."

Tang Caide smiled and returned to her desk to organize her documents, preparing to pack for her trip to Dalian for Mr. Lu.

When she was at Redwood, her motivation for gain was very strong. Whatever she did, she had strong intentions behind it.

And she never made a losing deal, let alone teaching a newcomer for free.

As a result, her husband spent her money and cheated on her, leaving both her life and work a complete mess.

After operating a bed and breakfast in Cainan, and taking some time to recuperate for a few years, she had long since lost her previous mercenary attitude.

Now, her willingness to help Chen Jinchun was simply because she liked her; that was all there was to it.

...

At one o'clock, the stock market opened,

Lu Liang repeated the steps from the morning.

Although the trading steps were all the same, there were subtle changes each time, preventing him from feeling bored.

Because the market is fluid, no matter how meticulously a Market Maker controls the board, there will always be elements of uncertainty.

It's like a line from "Stock Market Master's Memoirs", you must always have a sense of awe towards the market because it is formed by the push and pull of countless investors. Even if Jesus were alive, he couldn't fathom the thoughts of millions of people.

This is an autobiographical novel, whose protagonist is named Livermore, once the king of speculation on Wall Street.

By three o'clock in the afternoon when the stock market closed, Lu Liang's capital position had reached 4.11 million, holding 4,272 lots of stock.

Compared to the morning, the amount of bought funds was much less.

The volume of trades decreased in the afternoon, and the activity wasn't comparable to the morning session, making it harder for him to make a move, causing him to observe for longer periods.

Lu Liang closed his eyes to rest, feeling his mouth was a bit dry, he wanted to call someone but then remembered he was at the company, not at home.

He grabbed his water cup and stepped out of the office, just in time to see Chen Jinchun conversing with someone in the meeting room.

The other person was a young woman, about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, wearing thick black-rimmed glasses, appearing somewhat restrained.

It looked like she was here for an interview.

But Chen Jinchun wasn't doing much better, her gaze was evasive, her limbs awkward, and she kept repeating questions, giving an unreliable impression.

Lu Liang suddenly laughed out loud, momentarily unable to distinguish who was the interviewee and who was the interviewer.

Hearing the noise at the door, Chen Jinchun turned her head to look, her face showing excitement, as if she had found a lifeline.

She hurriedly took out a resume, "Mr. Lu, this is Miss Su Wanyu, she's here for an English tutor interview."

"Mr. Lu, hello."

Su Wanyu startled, quickly stood up.

"Shangwai graduate, English Level 8, Japanese N2, French C1..."

Lu Liang nodded slightly, realizing the candidate was a language prodigy, proficient in four foreign languages, even her German was at a B1 level.

He went to the water dispenser, poured himself a glass of ice water, then headed to his office, gesturing, "Let's give it a try first."

Lu Liang opened the blinds of his office, allowing the outside to clearly see every move inside.

He genuinely wanted to learn English, to master it.

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Seeing this gesture, Su Wanyu breathed a sigh of relief, nodded to Chen Jinchun, and quickly followed.

"Mr. Lu, do you have any previous foundations I should know about so I can help you make a learning plan?"

Speaking about her area of expertise, Su Wanyu's demeanor was confident, as if she had become a different person.

"I took the College English Test (CET-4) ten years ago but didn't pass. I have some basics, but not much."

"Why don't I play a segment of English conversation for you, and you can try to understand as much as you can?"

Su Wanyu was relieved; having some basic knowledge was good, as she dreaded teaching someone older with no foundation.

A 90-second conversation, probably about where they ate, if they've eaten, and suggesting going together—very down-to-earth.

Lu Liang guessed his way through and understood about seventy to eighty percent.

Su Wanyu was surprised, "Mr. Lu, if you can understand this, you should be good enough for everyday conversation."

Lu Liang smiled and turned his computer screen towards Su Wanyu, "But trying to read some professional articles is still very difficult to understand."

Su Wanyu felt an immense pressure. To read the Wall Street Journal fluently required not just competence but mastery.

If the Chinese definition of illiteracy were applied, then over 90% of Americans would be considered illiterate.

Chinese can be said to be one of the most concise languages in the world, with only about seven thousand commonly used characters. As long as you understand these characters, you can comprehend almost any meaning.

Even with new words in recent years, like "diving," "slacking off," "watering down", these multi-meaning terms don't require new words for people to grasp their new meanings.

English, however, is different. Since entering the age of the internet, the growth rate of new words is about 10,000 per year.

Some new concepts sometimes require many words to come together to explain their meanings.

Even professors from Shangwai sometimes encounter words they don't know and have to consult the latest Oxford dictionary.

"Mr. Lu, reading an all-English newspaper fluently requires a large vocabulary."

Su Wanyu advised kindly, a process which was very lengthy, and her rate of 400 yuan per lesson wasn't cheap.

"No problem, I'm already prepared."

Lu Liang didn't see it as a matter of money; he thought Su Wanyu was worried he wouldn't persevere.

"Well then, Mr. Lu, I'll read a sentence, and you follow with me. After that, I'll explain the meanings to you..."