Chapter 317: A Stable Job That Makes Sense
Ignore the world outside the window. Focus only on the books in front of you.
All the hard work will eventually bloom like flowers, right? And you’ll get the reward you deserve?
After learning about the structure of the job training and the basic interview skills, Lin Yibai stopped going to the prep class. It was just too messy. Everything was still uncertain, but people were already acting like they were in the government, forming groups and playing politics.
Two days before the interview, Lin Yibai let go of all distractions and tried to relax.
Xia Changyu walked over and started giving her a shoulder massage. He said, “Just stay calm and relaxed. Remember, no matter what happens, I’m here for you!”
Lin Yibai sighed. “Maybe...”
She thought again of that woman she met in the training center, over 30 years old and still hadn’t passed the civil service exam. You could tell she was under a lot of stress. Lin Yibai didn’t want to live like that at all.
Life can be so confusing sometimes.
Back in school, we all had big dreams. We believed we would be at the top of society one day.
But reality is… sometimes it’s hard just to find a job that makes you feel okay.
Sure, Lin Yibai could rely on a man to support her. But that wouldn’t make her happy.
Her life belief had always been, ‘Before anything else, you must be financially independent. That’s the base of all dignity.’
No matter how much or how little you earn, having a stable job is never the wrong choice.
Seeing how determined she looked, Xia Changyu suddenly started to worry. Looking weak and pitiful, he said, “Baiyi… I just mean, if you do pass the interview and get the job, please don’t change your heart, okay?”
Lin Yibai blinked. She was confused. “What do you mean?”
Xia Changyu scratched his head, “I mean that saying, ‘Once you get the job, the first thing you do is dump the person you love’.”
Lin Yibai thought for a moment. “You mean that saying, ‘After landing the job, the first move is to cut off your boyfriend’?”
Xia Changyu quickly sat up straight and said seriously, “Baiyi, you see, I’m definitely a good guy. You wouldn’t dump me, right?”
Lin Yibai couldn’t help laughing. “What is going on inside that head of yours?”
Xia Changyu replied, “I’m scared, okay?”
Lin Yibai tried to comfort him, “Let’s think about it the other way, you have a lot of good qualities, alright? Like, you have a great personality, you’re good-looking, and you’re responsible. There's no reason to dump you.”
Every day with this guy...
How did she end up comforting him instead?
She wasn’t sure if Xia Changyu was doing this on purpose, but thanks to him, her mood really did improve.
Her anxiety faded a little. She felt more at peace.
Then came the interview day.
She put on the black formal outfit she had prepared long ago. She tied her long hair into a ponytail. Even without makeup, she looked stunning.
She lifted her chin and stood tall. Her confident figure looked sharp and full of energy.
Lin Yibai was candidate number 7. Over 600 people had applied for the position. With a 1:10 interview rate, only 10 people made it through.
To her surprise, she saw someone she had met before at the training class, Sun Wanjun, the same guy who didn’t focus on his interview prep and was always making social groups and trying to form little alliances.
They made eye contact, but Lin Yibai quickly looked away.
Sun Wanjun didn’t look too happy.
His written test score ranked him third, only 4.5 points behind Lin Yibai, who was second.
He still had a chance to catch up and win the job, but if it was Lin Yibai he had to beat?
They were in the same training class. Sun Wanjun knew very well how strong Lin Yibai was.
She was only 0.6 points behind the top-ranked person. Meanwhile, he was 4.5 points behind her. Considering how well she had done in the prep sessions, Sun Wanjun didn’t see a clear way to turn things around.
He walked over and gave a nervous smile. “Miss Lin, I didn’t expect we signed up for the same position.”
Lin Yibai shrugged. “If you hadn’t been so busy running group chats, you would’ve noticed during the interview training that I was your competitor.”
Sun Wanjun said mysteriously, “It’s still not too late, you know?”
Lin Yibai shook her head. “No. It’s already too late.”
Sun Wanjun suddenly lowered his voice and whispered, “Miss Lin, everyone knows you’re really strong. Have you ever thought about giving up this opportunity?”
Lin Yibai froze. “What did you just say?”
Sun Wanjun gave a strange smile. “I’m not asking you to give it up for free. I’ll give you something in return. What do you think?”
Lin Yibai looked at him seriously, then firmly said, “That’s illegal. Please don’t say any more, or I’ll report you to the police.”
Sun Wanjun quickly waved his hands, “No, no, I was just joking!”
Joking? What kind of joke is that?
Lin Yibai knew a lot about the civil service exams and how they worked. She understood clearly, never underestimate how dark people’s hearts can be.
Sometimes, even one small comment can be twisted into a weapon used against you. So she didn’t even bother asking what “reward” he was offering. She just ignored it.
Soon after, Lin Yibai was called in for her interview.
Several interviewers were sitting inside.
She stayed calm, took a deep breath, and smiled as she said, “Good afternoon, interviewers.”
That was enough. Saying your full name or where you’re from could actually cost you points.
The interviewers explained the process and gave some reminders.
Then she looked at the question for the interview.
‘A migrant worker insists on speaking to a higher official and has a conflict with front-line staff. If you were the staff member, how would you handle the situation?’
A very typical interview question!
The main idea, of course, was to satisfy both the migrant worker and the leader, and in the end solve the problem smoothly and happily.
There were tons of standard formats and answers for questions like this.
Lin Yibai realized that the more common the question was, the harder it was to stand out.
So the key wasn’t what she said, but how she said it.
First rule: Don’t stutter!
Second rule: Speak clearly and smoothly.
It didn’t take her long to organize her answer. She gave the interviewers a sign that she was ready.
Lin Yibai raised her hand and began,
【As the candidate, I will now answer the question. For this situation, I would first communicate effectively with the worker and truly understand their needs...】
Her tone and speed were calm and steady. Every single word, the pronunciation and pacing, was the best Mandarin she had ever spoken.
What impressed the interviewers even more was her confidence and clear logic.
All her hard work and preparation had paid off.
In the past six months, she had helped interview many job seekers. Now, being on the other side, she skillfully avoided all the common mistakes candidates usually make.
【...That’s the end of my answer.】
The interviewers showed no reaction.
Lin Yibai couldn’t read anything from their expressions. They didn’t give any feedback or clues either.
She walked out of the interview room.
After being tense for so long, her body suddenly relaxed, and her hand even started shaking a little.
Xia Changyu had been waiting outside for a while. He gave her a hug and asked, “How did it go?”
Lin Yibai thought for a moment, “It’s hard to say how it went... but I feel like I did okay.”
Xia Changyu said, “Congratulations!”
Lin Yibai jumped in alarm, “No! Don’t jinx it! Don’t pop the champagne early!”
The interview results came out the same day.
Lin Yibai got an amazing score of 87, taking first place. The second-place score was only 85.
But when she got the notice to go in for the medical check-up, she also unexpectedly received a message from the third-place candidate, Sun Wanjun, who only scored 76.
“Come out. Let’s talk.”
Talk about what?
Talk about handing over my stable, good-paying job to you?