“What condition?” Zhao Teng asked. “Go ahead.”
“That person who interviewed with me just now,” Zhu Yun said. “I’d like you to hire him as well.”
Zhang Fang folded his arms. “Is he a relative of yours?”
“No. Someone I knew from before.”
Zhang Fang looked suspicious. “But just now, you two didn’t even look like you recognized each other.”
“We haven’t seen each other in a long time.”
Zhang Fang shook his head in dissatisfaction. “Do you think this place is some kind of reunion club? You haven’t even gotten through the door yourself yet, and you’re already pulling strings for someone else. I’ll have you know — this company runs entirely on merit!”
Zhu Yun looked at him steadily. Zhang Fang, held in that gaze, felt a faint and inexplicable flicker of unease.
Zhu Yun looked at him for a moment longer, then shifted her eyes away, picked up her bag, and stood.
“If it’s too much trouble, then forget it. I wish your company all the best in finding the right people.” She turned to leave. Zhao Teng called after her: “Hey, hey — hold on a second…”
Zhao Teng dragged Zhang Fang into a corner.
“What are you doing, pulling me around like that?” Zhang Fang protested.
Zhao Teng dropped his voice to a hiss: “Just sign her already!”
“Sign what?”
Zhao Teng jerked his chin toward the back. Zhang Fang looked. Zhu Yun was still waiting near the company entrance.
“Didn’t you hear her? She wants to bring someone in as a package deal,” Zhang Fang said.
“So let her bring whoever she wants,” Zhao Teng said. “Two people, five thousand a month each — that’s ten thousand total. We’re getting an absolute bargain. A resume like hers? You couldn’t headhunt someone like that on the open market for fifty thousand!”
Zhang Fang hesitated. “Is she really that good? And that guy just got out of prison.”
“The boss Dong Siyang has also been in,” said Zhao Teng.
“Exactly!” Zhang Fang said, slapping his hands together in agitation. “That’s why you of all people should know how terrifying people like that can be! We already have one — and you want to bring in another one?”
Zhao Teng stood with his hand on his hip and, after a long moment, smiled slightly.
“Do whatever you want then. Recruiting isn’t my responsibility. I’ve given you my opinion — take it or leave it. I’m going back to my game.”
“Don’t you move!” Zhang Fang grabbed Zhao Teng and lowered his voice. “She’s really that impressive?”
“You’re the one making no sense here,” Zhao Teng said flatly. “You’re a programmer yourself — you can’t even tell when a peer is good?”
“Don’t compare me to them,” Zhang Fang said with indignation. “I switched careers midway — I’m not in their league. And you watch your tone, because I also hold the position of company accountant, if you’ll recall. I know this company’s finances better than any of you, and right now we have to make sure every paycheck we write is actually worth what we’re paying!”
Zhao Teng stared at Zhang Fang with the look of a man who had simply given up. “Get some rest. If even you can collect a paycheck here, she’s more than qualified. Go draw up the contract.”
And so Zhu Yun’s first job interview since returning to the country ended with an offer — and she started the following day.
Li Xun, of course, was part of the deal.
On their first day of work, they ran into each other again at the base of Feiyang Company’s building. It was morning rush hour, and both elevator lobbies were packed — everyone standing in line, waiting.
Li Xun stood out from the crowd simply by virtue of his height. He and Zhu Yun caught each other’s eye from a distance. He gave her a brief, dismissive glance, then turned and headed for the stairwell.
Zhu Yun shouldered past the people beside her and followed.
She pushed through the stairwell door. Li Xun was already at the second floor. Zhu Yun was wearing heels, and each step on the concrete stairs came out as a sharp, hurried tap. She chased him up half a flight before finally spotting that dark figure rounding the corner.
“Li Xun!” she called. Her voice echoed and layered through the hollow stairwell.
Li Xun stopped. Zhu Yun climbed another half flight and came to a halt roughly six or seven steps below him. Li Xun turned his head slightly and looked down at her.
The startup building looked polished enough on the outside, but inside the stairwell, the walls were bare concrete — unpainted — and only half the banister had been coated in paint. The whole thing had the feel of an unfinished construction site.
Yet it wasn’t dark. The stairwell’s best design feature was the windows on every floor, which meant that no matter how grey the concrete walls and steps were, at the edge of your vision there was always a patch of brilliant blue sky, white clouds, and the vivid green of trees below.
Zhu Yun noticed that this time, facing Li Xun, she was still nervous — but it was nothing like that first encounter in the alley, when it had felt as if all of her organs were being wrung together.
This was a new beginning. The starting point wasn’t very high — but like that glimpse of color at the corner of her vision, even just a small piece of it was enough.
That tiny corner, with its faint trace of vitality and hope, was already more than sufficient for the person standing before her.
“Li Xun, let’s talk,” Zhu Yun said, tilting her head up to look at him. “I can never quite figure out what you’re thinking, but I believe we have at least one shared goal right now.”
Li Xun, in no particular hurry about anything, pulled out a cigarette and leaned against the railing at the stairwell landing.
“You’re not willing to accept Fang Zhijing being in that company, and neither am I,” Zhu Yun said. “Honestly, I tried a few approaches before, but none of them worked. I was studying abroad then — too far away. By the time I came back, the company had already grown. But I’ve been following their products and direction closely all these years, and if —”
“Look,” said Li Xun.
He exhaled a breath of smoke and cut her off lazily.
“Why are you telling me any of this?”
Zhu Yun paused. “I said we have a shared goal. And I’ll admit — I’m not capable enough on my own.”
“Oh?” Li Xun said, with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “A brilliant, world-class overseas graduate like yourself isn’t capable enough?”
“…”
Li Xun turned the cigarette between his fingers, playing with it idly.
“When I go after that company, it’s because it was mine to begin with. What’s your reason, Miss Zhu? Don’t tell me it’s for the sake of whatever relationship we once had.”