However, this also shows that Xu Qingzhu's emotions have been completely adjusted.
She finally felt a little relieved.
It was worth it for her to give up this mission!
Fortunately, she will be able to complete a side quest this afternoon.
This week I can invite Xu Qingzhu on a trip to complete the second side quest.
While Liang Shi was still planning his tasks, Xu Qingzhu had already arrived at the company.
The design department urgently needs fresh talent, so we posted a job opening.
Today is the day for the second round of interviews, after the first round of screening.
Xu Qingzhu went directly to the Human Resources Department, where there is a dedicated office for recruitment.
The first round of screening eliminated most of the unqualified candidates, leaving eight people in the second round. Four of them will be selected to enter the design department, which is a relatively high ratio.
Those who make it to the second round of interviews are all quite outstanding, both in terms of their alma mater and their past design works.
When Xu Qingzhu saw a piece of artwork that she was unsure about, she sought out Zhou Yi'an.
Zhou Yi'an was surprised. She had thought she would become invisible in the department after the autumn product launch and was already considering resigning.
As a result, Xu Qingzhu earnestly asked her to judge the completion level of the work.
Zhou Yi'an was not very serious at first and gave a few perfunctory comments, but Xu Qingzhu summarized her opinions, wrote them down in a notebook, and handed her several more copies.
After noticing her perfunctory attitude, Xu Qingzhu said to her seriously, "Designer Zhou, please show your professionalism. Don't make me think that RT's up-and-coming designers are nothing special. Moreover, for these newcomers, this may be an interview that determines their career fate. It concerns eight people, so please be extremely serious."
She used the word "you" (您).
Zhou Yi'an suddenly felt a burning sensation in her ears. She glanced at Xu Qingzhu from the side a few more times and found that she was looking at the interviewees' information very seriously. So she also put away her nonchalant expression.
Xu Qingzhu spotted a familiar face among the interviewees, and she called out her name with a hint of excitement, "Su Meiqi."
Upon hearing the name, Zhou Yi'an looked up, her brows furrowing slightly, and asked Xu Qingzhu for information, "Give me her resume."
Xu Qingzhu handed it to her, "Do you know this place?"
"Maybe." Zhou Yi'an wasn't too sure either.
But the moment Su Meiqi walked in, she knew for sure.
Su Meiqi saw Xu Qingzhu first, "Sister Xu?"
Xu Qingzhu nodded: "What a coincidence."
Su Meiqi asked in surprise, "It's quite a coincidence. How come you're at this company?"
Zhou Yi'an, who had barely spoken since arriving, suddenly spoke up: "This is her family's property. Shouldn't the question now be, why are you at this company?"
Su Meiqi: "...I'm here for the interview."
She turned her head and her expression changed drastically. "Zhou...Zhou Zhou Yi'an?"
"It's me." Zhou Yi'an twirled a pen in her hand. "Are you here to gather intelligence for your company?"
"No!" Su Meiqi immediately retorted, glaring at her angrily, "I came here to work properly."
"Then why don't you go work at your family's company?" Zhou Yi'an asked her.
Su Meiqi: "...We'll be treated differently, sister!"
Xu Qingzhu looked bewildered: "You two know each other?"
Zhou Yi'an nodded and directly revealed Su Meiqi's identity: "The heiress of Haiwei Jewelry, a chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) girl who designs strange and weird things all day long, Su Meiqi."
Su Meiqi's eyes widened. "Sister, you can scold me, but you can't scold the things I designed."
Zhou Yi'an seemed to have thought of something, turned to look at Xu Qingzhu, and after thinking for a moment, said, "She has another identity, but I don't know if you'd like to hear it."
Xu Qingzhu instinctively felt it must be related to her, and she pursed her lips: "What?"
Zhou Yi'an's gaze swept over her, then over Su Meiqi, and she said in a low voice, "She has a famous designer aunt named Su Yao."
"Hey!" Su Meiqi gritted her teeth, wishing she could hit Zhou Yi'an, and said angrily, "My aunt is at least half your teacher! How could you betray me like this?"
Chapter 70
After Su Meiqi finished speaking, only Zhou Yi'an gave a light snort in the office.
It wasn't mockery, it was just pure anger towards Su Meiqi.
Su Meiqi bared her teeth and claws, ready to punch someone, but Zhou Yi'an poked her hand with her pen, saying, "Don't touch me, do you still want to have the interview?"
"It's definitely a dead end," Su Meiqi gritted her teeth. "You've already revealed my identity, how am I supposed to get into this company?!"
“Then I’ll come in too,” Zhou Yi’an said.
Su Meiqi: "..."
In less than two seconds, she sat upright in the chair opposite the interviewer, behaving extremely obediently.
Xu Qingzhu looked at Su Meiqi very seriously. According to the information, Su Meiqi was one year younger than Xu Qingzhu, had studied design abroad for a master's degree, and had been back in China for a year.
She could memorize these materials after reading them only once.
Right now, the main thing to look at is Su Meiqi's face. She has delicate features, fair skin, and looks like a beautiful girl straight out of an anime.
The main thing is that he has a lively and agile spirit.
Before she could say anything, Su Meiqi said to Zhou Yi'an again, "Sister Zhou, your teacher's name isn't Su Yao anymore."
“I know.” Zhou Yi’an looked down at the artwork, the pen still twirling between her slender fingers. “But the name Su Yao is still remembered.”
"What's the use?" Su Meiqi scoffed. "Do you think I can skip the interview just by mentioning her name? She hasn't been out of the public eye for years."
Zhou Yi'an: "Anyway, it's more useful than saying your own name."
Su Meiqi: "..."
A few seconds later, Su Meiqi gritted her teeth and said, "Just you wait, I will definitely beat you at least once in the future!"
"Then let's wait until the next life," Zhou Yi'an said smugly. "From childhood to adulthood, when have you ever beaten me?"
Su Meiqi: "...Damn it."
Zhou Yi'an glanced at her, "Are you here for an interview? Why are you talking to the interviewer like that?"
“You’re not the main interviewer,” Su Meiqi said. “Can you stop trying to bully people by using someone else’s name? You’re making a big deal out of nothing, acting like a smug little man.”
Zhou Yi'an: "..."
“You can leave now,” Zhou Yi’an said. “It’s impossible for you to pass the interview.”
"Hey!" Su Meiqi was so angry that she suddenly became furious.
But before they could argue further, Xu Qingzhu, who had remained silent the whole time, said, "Stay."
Her clear, cool voice was crisp and decisive, and she maintained absolute rationality as she spoke: "I really like your work and design concept."
Su Meiqi was stunned, still in a daze.
Instead, Zhou Yi'an casually glanced at Xu Qingzhu and said coldly, "You should think this through. She is the daughter of Haiwei Jewelry."
"I even dare to use you." Xu Qingzhu looked at her, radiating confidence from within, and smiled, "So what if she's the daughter of a rival company? On the bright side, I've taken her hostage."
Su Meiqi's face immediately fell. "Sister Xu, I really came here to look for a job. I don't want to go back to my family's company. My dad would torture me to death if I did... I will absolutely not leak any company secrets. If you still don't think that's enough, I can sign another confidentiality agreement."
“No need to sign a confidentiality agreement,” Xu Qingzhu said. “It will be in your contract with the company. You will be treated the same as all other employees. Of course, if you want to spread the word that you are the daughter of Haiwei Jewelry, then that’s not something I’m considering.”
"Ah. Definitely not." Su Meiqi immediately explained, "It was because Sister Zhou was there that I was exposed. Otherwise, I could have kept my mouth shut until I resigned."
Who wants their colleagues to know they're the daughter of a rival company?!
and……
Su Meiqi showed off her bracelet, "Look, I even use your products."
"What a coincidence," Xu Qingzhu said with a smile, "This one was designed by your sister Zhou."
Su Meiqi: "..."
"What a pair of enemies," Su Meiqi sighed.
Zhou Yi'an: "No way, pretend we don't know each other."
Xu Qingzhu looked at the two of them and then said, "Go home and wait for news. HR will send you an email."
Su Meiqi nodded frantically, but before leaving the office, she said to Zhou Yi'an, "Sister Zhou, are you coming to my house for dinner tonight? My aunt is sick again."
Zhou Yi'an pursed her lips: "Doesn't she get sick around this time every year?"
Su Meiqi: "..."
She retorted angrily, "You should watch your mouth! She just has a minor cold this year."
Zhou Yi'an replied lazily, "Okay, I'll go."
After she left, only Xu Qingzhu and Zhou Yi'an remained in the office.
Zhou Yi'an was prepared to be asked questions, but Xu Qingzhu flipped through the resumes in her hand and directly called out the next person's name.
Zhou Yi'an: "..."
They are quite patient.
//
After interviewing everyone, Xu Qingzhu mentioned the few people she liked and then asked Zhou Yi'an for her opinion.
Zhou Yi'an disagreed with her, offering a contrasting opinion on one of the people who, despite not having a high level of education, had very innovative design works.
“Her works have a strong imitative style,” Zhou Yi’an said. “Given time, it’s likely that plagiarism will be exposed.”
Xu Qingzhu asked, "Whom did you copy?"
“Don’t you think this work is very similar to Su Yao’s award-winning work in Berlin? It’s just a change in color scheme and shape on the right.” Zhou Yi’an said, “People who take shortcuts like this are unacceptable. They may look novel, but they are just copying others. Sooner or later, they will be exposed.”
Xu Qingzhu stared at the artwork again and again, but only smiled silently.
This is her favorite design among her many works.