2 Joining the company

Song Qixian tried his best to perform, but he had never been exposed to dance before, so how could he achieve any success in just three days?

Every movement was so stiff. It was obvious that the boy in front of him had made an effort, because although his dance was very exaggerated, he had roughly memorized all the movements.

Choi Byung-hee hadn't taken a liking to him; that was inevitable. Although the flyer indicated they were recruiting amateur trainees with no prior training, that was for junior high school students, fourteen or fifteen years old, who were in their formative years. There was another possibility, however, that this person was exceptionally gifted in some area.

Just looking at Song Qixian's layman's appearance, it was clear that he didn't have any talent. So Choi Byung-hee didn't even let him sing and directly rejected him.

It was an expected result, but Song Qixian could only imagine the scene of him being kicked out by the landlord's wife again a few months later.

This bearded uncle is his only chance.

"Wait a moment."

Choi Byung-hee looked slightly annoyed. It was the same again. Every time these kids were eliminated, they would always make some unrealistic efforts. Don’t they know that hard work can only be put in before opportunities appear?

Out of respect, Choi Byung-hee did not show his impatience, but instead advised kindly: "Qixianxi, you did a great job, but you do not meet our company's trainee standards. Please continue to work hard next time."

Song Qixian was not dissuaded by Choi Byung-hee's tactful refusal. He stared at the man who was about to leave with a firm look in his eyes.

"Please give me another chance, sir. I'm an orphan. I've done many jobs since I was little. I've sold clothes, served dishes, and even worked in sewers. I can endure hardships, a lot of hardships. If you can give me a chance, I'll definitely prove myself."

After saying that, Song Qixian bowed ninety degrees and did not stand up for a long time.

Choi Byung-hee's expression was slightly moved. Being an orphan could explain his current appearance. It was probably not because he didn't work hard, but because he was always struggling for a living.

However, their company is not a shelter. Although Choi Byung-hee felt soft-hearted, he would not randomly recruit a poor child.

So he asked Song Qixian to sing a song, the one he was most familiar with and sang best.

This should be the last chance. Song Qixian's eyes were solemn as he finally chose a children's song. It was the song that the director's mother often sang to them when they were young, and it was deeply imprinted in his heart.

The nursery rhyme was simple, and Song Qixian began to hum the familiar melody.

Choi Byung-hee nodded slightly. Song Qixian had a good voice, deep and rich, a typical bass. His pitch was perfect, and he didn't stray from the key. Although he still had the disadvantage of using his voice to generate power, he was already a leader among amateurs.

After singing, Song Qixian quietly waited for the final verdict. He silently prayed in his heart, "Director Mom, please bless me and let me stay here."

Choi Byung-hee approached Song Qixian, and they both seemed to be just over 1.8 meters tall. He lifted Song Qixian's hair and his eyes lingered on his face for several seconds.

Finally, Choi Byung-hee smiled and said, "Congratulations, Song Qixianxi, you passed the interview. From now on, call me President Choi."

Song Qixian's eyes trembled, and finally he bowed deeply to Cui Bingxi again.

He's a very polite kid, he should be able to get along well with those kids, Choi Byung-hee thought.

After passing the interview, Choi Byung-hee took Song Qixian to see his new dormitory.

It was still in the basement, but the environment here was much better than Song Qixian's previous rental. The bed was 1.5 meters long. Although it was a double room, the room contained not only two beds but also a large wardrobe. There was also plenty of space. Song Qixian calculated that it was about 7 or 8 square meters.

There is a washroom outside the dormitory, and next to it is a dedicated laundry room with a washer and dryer, so you don’t have to worry about having no place to dry your clothes.

Choi Byung-hee told Song Qixian about the owner of the bed on the inside, saying that his roommate was from Seoul and didn't come to stay here very often, and they would be able to get to know each other in two days.

As for the other trainees, they do not live in the dormitory, so Song Qixian is the only one in this huge trainee dormitory for the time being.

Song Qixian was very happy. He really liked the new environment. Although he didn't know if he could get along with his new roommate, that was a matter for the future. He would soon be able to live in such a nice room!

Song Qixian's eyes sparkled with joy, and Choi Byung-hee noticed the change in his expression. She wondered what life this child had led before, how could he seem so excited even living in the basement? Were life in Seoul's orphanages really that miserable?

Choi Byung-hee naturally didn't know that Song Qixian didn't grow up in Seoul, he came from a place farthest away from Seoul.

After looking at the general situation of the dormitory, Choi Byung-hee gave Song Qixian another card and told him that the card contained his meal money for one month. Since the company did not have a cafeteria at the moment, he needed to eat out for his own meals.

Song Qixian carefully accepted the card and asked when he could move in.

Choi Byung-hee was stunned for a moment, as if he hadn't expected him to ask this question. After a moment's thought, he asked, "So when do you want to move in?"

"Is it okay tonight, at half past nine?"

It wasn't too late, but the other employees and trainees in the company were on vacation, so Choi Byung-hee asked Song Qixian if he needed his help.

Song Qixian didn't hesitate and asked President Cui to come to XX 24-hour convenience store at 9:30.

-

After finishing his work, Choi Byung-hee looked at the time and saw it was only nine o'clock. Since he had nothing to do, he decided to wait outside the convenience store for the child he had just signed.

This time, he happened to run into Song Qixian and the store manager handing over their shift.

Through the transparent glass, Choi Byung-hee saw the child being pushed back step by step by the fat boss. Although he was a head taller than the boss, he seemed to be bent over by life.

Choi Byung-hee didn't intend to meddle in other people's business, so he saw more details of Song Qixian's work.

The boy was tidying the shelves with his back to him, wiping the goods that were still dust-free over and over again. His boss was lying on the chair, his mouth opening and closing, talking about something, but the boy never stopped.

After an unknown amount of time, the store manager took out Song Qixian's salary for this month and threw it to him.

"Go away, boy, don't let me see you again."

Song Qixian bent down to pick up a few banknotes that had fallen on the ground, bowed, and walked out of the store.

Seeing President Cui waiting for him not far away, Song Qixian smiled reflexively. He didn't know that his smile was actually very bitter and could not make people happy.

"Get in the car and I'll take you moving."

Song Qixian sat in the passenger seat and fastened his seat belt. Then he heard President Cui's voice.

"How much does this job pay you? That makes you so..."

Song Qixian scratched his leg unconsciously with his fingers and answered a number.

Choi Byung-hee frowned. "Such a low voice." He glanced at the boy sitting awkwardly in the passenger seat and lowered his voice.

"Do you only work at night? If so, this job is not bad."

Song Qixian shook his head. How could it be that easy? He was lucky to have found a job with three meals provided. He answered the time seriously: "No, my working hours are from six to nine."

He glanced cautiously at Choi Byung-hee, who was driving, and said, "But I've already quit this job and won't let it waste my time."

Choi Byung-hee's brows were furrowed so tightly that they could kill a mosquito. It was hard to imagine that there was a job in Seoul with such low hourly wages that required people to work for 15 hours straight.

Since he didn't say anything, Song Qixian felt very uneasy, thinking that he had done something wrong.

The car drove to Song Qixian's house, and Song Qixian asked Cui Bingxi to wait a moment.

So Choi Byung-hee saw him go to the second floor and knock on the door. Another round of insults came, and Song Qixian took out the money in his hand and handed it to the aunt, bending down to apologize. Then the aunt came downstairs with an ugly face and opened the door for Song Qixian.

Choi Byung-hee felt that what he saw today had refreshed his cognition. The last time he encountered a trainee with such a difficult background was more than 20 years ago. Nowadays, there are more children from wealthy families in the entertainment industry.

Choi Byung-hee tried not to sound strange as he asked, "Don't you have a key?"

Song Qixian blushed and said, "Mrs. Jin changed the door locks. I owe the rent."

From just a few sentences, one could tell how thorny his life was, so Choi Byung-hee didn't want to ask any more questions.

Following Song Qixian downstairs to his house, Choi Byung-hee felt like he had entered another world.

The basement was even worse than he'd imagined. It was dark, damp, and even dimly lit. No wonder the company dormitory made this kid so happy. Living in this kind of environment for too long would probably make anyone depressed.

There was a damp, cold and depressing feeling here. There was no decoration at all. At a glance, one could see Song Qixian's small bed and table. There was nothing else except the wooden box at the end of the bed.

Two 1.8-meter-tall men seemed too cramped standing here. Choi Byung-hee found that his head was less than ten centimeters away from the ceiling.

Song Qixian was packing his belongings. He didn't have much, just a few books, a few clothes, and a pair of shoes. He simply packed them in a large bag, then, carrying his backpack, he looked around the place he'd lived in for a year, making sure nothing was left out.

"Have you packed?" Choi Byung-hee was prepared to be a mover, but he hadn't expected Song Qixian to empty the house with just one bag. Hey, where's his quilt? And his winter clothes?

Choi Byung-hee didn't ask, so naturally he didn't get an explanation.

Song Qixian left with his things. Before leaving, he simply cleaned the basement and restored it to the way it was when he first arrived.

After getting in the car, Song Qixian breathed a sigh of relief. Choi Byung-hee had already developed an unusual fondness for this child.

But he was also worried about another problem: could a child in such a difficult situation get along well with those children?

President Cui shook his head, thinking he was overthinking it. Song Qixian's foundation was too weak to debut with those four. This kid still had to make his own way. He was just providing him with a temporary resting place. When their company's new boy group debuted in three months, this kid would still have to continue his wanderings.

After driving back to the company, Choi Byung-hee did not help Song Qixian clean up. Instead, he went to the convenience store nearby and bought a lot of snacks and daily necessities, and handed them to him, saying they were company benefits.

Song Qixian had no way to refuse. President Cui was obviously not the kind of person who would be deliberately polite. He waved his hand and drove home.

Song Qixian stared at the large bag of things in a trance, but he was not happy, but sad. He knew that he was pitied again.

President Cui was a good man. He had let him join the company, helped him move, and bought so many things for him. He was just like the good people he had met over the years. He looked at him as if he were a stray cat or dog that was starving.

He admitted that he had taken advantage of this kindness, but he still felt uncomfortable and couldn't sleep all night.

He must work hard, his life will not continue like this.

【Author’s words】

It's so hard, it's okay to be a little scheming [Cai Gou]

Just kidding, Qixian baby is actually a very sincere person. Look below, the stupid author gave him the biggest cheat code. [covering face to peek]