The Complete Guide to the Use and Care (41-end)

48

Chapter Forty-eight

Ling Miao and Ji Linxi went to the company together, but at the door they met the person they least wanted to meet—Hu Lin!

“Why’d he come back?” Ling Miao murmured frustratedly.

Ji Linxi was also surprised. According to the schedule, Hu Lin should have returned after the Dragon Boat Festival, but he had returned three days early. The most important part was that if Hu Lin was at Ling Miao’s interview today, Ling Miao would fail with a hundred percent certainty.

Hu Lin caught sight of Ji Linxi and Ling Miao. He walked over wearing a warm smile.

“Good morning, Manager.” Ji Linxi tamped down on the disgust in his heart and greeted Hu Lin, who replied with a bland ‘Mm’ before his gaze fell on Ling Miao.

“He came to interview?” Hu Lin asked.

“Yes,” Ji Linxi replied guardedly.

Hu Lin looked at Ling Miao and said pityingly: “A lot of capable people are interviewing today, and the company’s only hiring one person. Linxi, Ling Miao’s in a pretty precarious position.”

With these meaningful words, Hu Lin went ahead into the company building. Ji Linxi watched his departing back with a cold smile then pulled the conflicted Ling Miao aside: “Don’t stand there like you’re guarding the company door—let’s go, dumb cat!”

“You’re the dumb cat.”

Ji Linxi showed Ling Miao to the meeting room where the interview would be held, gave him some encouragement, and went to his own office.

Hu Lin came back. As one of the department leads he was also one of the interviewers. With what Hu Lin had said outside the company, Ling Miao could be sure that his chances of getting this job were zero.

Even if he had no chance he still wanted to try. Maybe the other interviewers would let him in?

Ling Miao had underestimated Hu Lin’s position in the company—or perhaps he had underestimated Hu Lin’s hatred toward Ji Linxi. Seeing Ling Miao walk out of the meeting room dejected and frustrated, Ji Linxi could already tell that Ling Miao hadn’t passed the interview.

“Why did Hu Lin come back early?” Ling Miao asked in dissatisfaction.

Thinking back to what he had heard earlier, Ji Linxi said apologetically to Ling Miao: “I think he saw your resume and came back specially to stop you from getting hired.”

“Fuck, I…” Ling Miao’s curse was cut off by his phone ringing. He glanced at the display: an unknown number, and a foreign number at that. Ling Miao very decisively rejected the call.

“Fuck. I didn’t do anything to provoke him!”

Ling Miao and Ji Linxi both understood why Hu Lin was picking on Ling Miao. Ling Miao hadn’t been blaming Ji Linxi for anything, earlier; he was purely just venting his frustration. Ji Linxi awkwardly cleared his throat. “If you can’t get this job, then get another one, and if you really can’t, then write full-time.”

Ling Miao rolled his eyes at Ji Linxi and said coldly: “You think I earn four thousand yuana month by writing? If I could, I’d definitely write full time!”

Ji Linxi didn’t say anything more. He knew Ling Miao’s subscription count.

“Let’s go for lunch. My treat.” Ji Linxi changed the subject, but Ling Miao’s cellphone rang again.

“Fuck, why’s it him?” Ling Miao looked at the name on the display and didn’t know whether to swipe left or right. Ji Linxi saw Ling Miao’s frustration and glanced down at the screen. The words ‘Su Yuyang’ looked pretty funny from here.