"Go ahead and let her in."

Lin Chu said with a smile. He felt a little jittery; after all, this was the first time in his life he’d ever interviewed someone.

Besides, this wasn’t some damn Business KTV where you pick out girls; this was a proper company interview.

He’d been frivolous for so long that suddenly switching to this serious mode felt a bit awkward.

"Alright, I’ll bring her in then."

Zhang Peng said with a smile, raising an eyebrow as he turned and left the room.

...

Gu Jiayan casually surveyed the company before her, a trace of curiosity in her clear eyes.

’No one’s here?’

’Looks like they just opened, doesn’t it?’

At the front desk, Xue Xiaojun poured her a glass of water. He wore a smile, his eyes betraying a flash of awe that he quickly concealed.

’She’s way too beautiful, isn’t she?’

He had been scouting streamers for many years, mostly female ones, but he could count the number of girls he’d seen with this level of looks on one hand. As for ones with a comparable air about them? There were none.

She was the kind of girl who just seemed to glow.

’Peng City, just as expected. The more developed a place is, the more beautiful women you find.’

"Thank you."

"I’m sorry, I arrived a bit early. I hope I’m not troubling you."

Gu Jiayan said with a polite smile.

Xue Xiaojun: "No trouble at all. Why don’t you fill out this form first?"

She nodded lightly. "Okay. Is this company newly established? I see there are so many empty workstations."

’This feels a little strange.’

When she had come across this company on a recruitment app, she felt the job requirements were a perfect match for her, and the salary looked quite good. Since it was graduation season, she figured she might as well check out all her options, so she submitted her resume.

But now that she was here, she was a bit surprised.

’Well, since I’m already here, I should at least see the interview through.’

"Yes, we just got started, but you don’t have to worry about the company’s strength. This is a new company from our boss, President Lin, who also has many other businesses. It’s just that this particular industry is a whole new track for us. We’re hiring aggressively right now, and our salary levels are far above the industry average."

Xue Xiaojun said with a smile, not even realizing that their roles seemed to have reversed. Everything he said hinted at how much he hoped she would stay.

Gu Jiayan smiled. "Alright, thank you. I’ll fill out the form first."

She instinctively felt that this man was a bit of a smooth operator.

’But the company must have some real backing, right?’

’After all, this is the Zhuoyue Center, and they have an entire floor.’

She focused on filling out the form.

Just as she was halfway through, Zhang Peng came out of the office and walked toward her.

"President Lin is free to interview you now. You can go in. If the interview is successful, we can discuss your salary and extend an offer on the spot. If not, we’ll reimburse your travel expenses for coming here. Of course, if you have other plans, please let us know in advance. Let’s respect each other and not waste one another’s time."

Zhang Peng said in a calm tone.

He had been studying how to be a good general manager lately and had picked up a few things.

One of the most important points was... getting the details right.

Gu Jiayan’s eyes narrowed slightly. She had never encountered a company so transparent.

Moreover, reimbursing travel expenses was a perk usually exclusive to large corporations.

’This company’s... benefits seem pretty good. Very considerate.’

"I currently have two offers, one from an educational training institution and another from an internet company, but I haven’t made up my mind yet. This is the third company I’m interviewing with, and I agree with what you said about mutual respect."

She said in a soft, quiet voice.

Zhang Peng nodded. "Okay. Come on, I’ll take you there."

Putting aside everything else, just based on her looks and temperament, Zhang Peng felt that few companies would be able to turn her down.

And sure enough, she had just said it herself: she’d interviewed at two places and passed both. This was her third.

"Did you not participate in campus recruitment?"

Zhang Peng asked an extra question.

She was silent for a few seconds before saying softly, "During graduation season, something came up at home. An elderly family member fell ill, and I went back to take care of them for over half a year, so I missed everything."

Zhang Peng nodded. "I see. Adjust your mood and go in for the interview. I wish you success. The president’s surname is Lin, as in the two trees."

He once again thought she was a good kid.

In any case, his criteria for screening a secretary for Lin Chu was simple: a "good girl."

He always felt that Lin Chu had been hurt too deeply by his ex-girlfriend. But objectively speaking, it was indeed difficult for a man with no money to meet a "good girl." Even if he did, it was hard to hold onto her.

But now that he had the means, he needed a chance to heal.

Partying every night wasn’t a solution.

But he couldn’t say this directly to Lin Chu. If he said too much, Lin Chu definitely wouldn’t want to hear it.

’A big brother has his pride, after all.’

So he wracked his brains and came up with those five criteria for finding a secretary, hoping to counterbalance and purify things for Brother Chu.

’A person’s environment is pretty important, you know.’

’What was that old saying again? Something about a room of fragrant orchids and a market of salted fish... I forget the exact words, but that’s the gist of it.’

...

「In the office.」

Lin Chu looked at the girl before him and was genuinely impressed. She had to be nearly five-foot-nine, dressed in a white blouse and a black mid-length skirt. She wasn’t wearing stockings, revealing a pair of smooth, jade-like legs and a pair of small leather boots.

Her style was simple and elegant, somewhere between a student’s outfit and professional attire.

As for her looks, she had the feel of a classical beauty: long, straight black hair, a delicate oval face, and a scholarly air about her. Her eyes were very clear—limpid, but not naive.

Just looking at her put one at ease.

Gu Jiayan, sizing up Lin Chu, was also a little surprised. ’This "President Lin" before me is really far too young, isn’t he?’

’He looks about my age, maybe only two or three years older at most.’

’But he’s already President Lin.’

"Hello, President Lin. I’m Gu Jiayan, here to interview for the administrative position in the president’s office."

She gave a slight bow, not at all reserved, appearing poised and graceful.

"Have a seat."

"No need for a self-introduction. I’ve seen it all right here. Let’s just talk about a few things."

Lin Chu said casually.

She nodded, sat down across the desk from Lin Chu, and placed her hands on the table, looking very earnest.

Lin Chu: "What made you decide to interview with our company?"

After the initial surprise of her beauty wore off, Lin Chu quickly adjusted his mindset. ’A beauty is a beauty, a good girl is a good girl. I don’t give a damn. It’s always wonderful for the first few minutes, and then it’s over.’

’This is my office, my absolute domain.’

"Well, there are two reasons."

"The first reason is that I saw your company is looking to collect intangible cultural heritage and develop top-tier Chinese luxury products, and then commercialize them in some way. That really interests me. Even though the position is administrative support for the president’s office, being able to touch upon that field aligns with my personal interests."

As she said this, she glanced at the "small bridge and flowing water" incense burner on his desk. A stick of incense was smoldering, its light yet incredibly rich fragrance drifting out from the burner’s channels like flowing water. It smelled truly pleasant.

’This incense is very high-end.’

’It has the scent of something I can’t afford.’

After that brief moment of distraction, she continued, "The second reason is that the salary for this position is, I feel, quite substantial for a recent graduate."

"That concludes my answer."

Lin Chu nodded.

’Top-tier Chinese luxury. That’s the direction and concept I mentioned to Zhang Peng last time. He probably thought it sounded impressive and put it in the company profile.’

"What kind of person are you? Please give a self-assessment, as detailed and objective as possible."

Lin Chu asked, his gaze sharp as he looked at her.

’Huh?’

Gu Jiayan froze for a moment. ’This interview question seems... unrelated to the job.’

’Then again, the five criteria in this company’s job posting had almost nothing to do with work skills; they were mainly focused on a person’s basic character.’

’But this question really is soul-searching.’

’If I don’t give a canned, standard-interview answer, I could talk about this for a long time.’

She pondered for a moment, then smiled brightly. "I studied psychology myself, so I’ve thought about this question many times. Of course, human nature itself is complex. But if I had to put a label on myself, I think... I’d say I’m probably a good person? And I hope to become a person who is useful to society in the future."

Lin Chu was surprised by her answer, but he couldn’t help but let out a couple of soft chuckles.

’In a society where everyone avoids the ’good person’ label like the plague, someone actually calls herself a good person?’

’How... "unconventional." ’

He nodded. "Go on."

...

...