Chapter 69 Unexpected Twist: The Interview Was Exhausting Too
The festive atmosphere of the New Year had not yet completely dissipated; the air still seemed to retain the pungent smell of firecrackers and sulfur, as well as the aroma of the New Year's Eve dinner.
The snow on Meow Meow Farm has begun to melt, revealing the soil underneath and the tenacious sprouting grass, signifying the revival of life.
However, Shi Wan had a strong urge to bury herself back in her lazy, holiday-day bed.
Every day, she would watch TV dramas while holding Tangyuan (a type of glutinous rice ball), eat snacks while scrolling through her phone, and watch Huanhuan and Bingbing roll around and crawl all over the place for a feather toy. In the end, they would even get angry and start meowing and fighting, although it was usually Huanhuan who was beating up Bingbing.
Such a leisurely day was so pleasant that when Su Qing arrived at work in a smart and impeccably tailored business suit, Shi Wan was still wearing fluffy loungewear, her hair sticking up in a mess, and she was clinging to Tangyuan on the sofa, making her last stand.
"Good morning, Mr. Shi." Su Qing's eyes shone with a clear sense of purpose and fighting spirit, her smile both polite and energetic.
"I've already finalized the work plan for after the New Year, and we're ready to get to work anytime."
Shi Wan buried her face in the sun-scented fur of the glutinous rice ball and let out a wail.
"Su Qing...you know...human nature is procrastination...can't I just be a lazy bum for one more day...just one more day...my vacation is gone just like that...I can't accept it..."
At first, Tangyuan obediently let her do as she pleased, having gotten quite used to it. However, as time went on, Tangyuan gradually became impatient with her rubbing against it. After meowing, Tangyuan nimbly jumped away, squatted on the windowsill, and left her with an elegant yet ruthless back view.
Su Qing was amused by her and pushed up her glasses. "Of course I can understand procrastination, but the installation of equipment and the arrival of personnel in Zone 2 are also urgent. We need to completely set up the production line before spring plowing."
Her tone was gentle, yet carried an undeniable force of determination.
"What do you think, Mr. Shi?"
Shi Wan sighed and resignedly got up.
Okay, the agent's wonderful (slacking off) life has officially come to an end today.
Therefore, recruitment becomes the next top priority.
Considering that her previous plan was mainly aimed at nearby villages and towns, and that online recruitment might not be a good fit, Shi Wan adopted a more down-to-earth approach.
She posted a prominent job advertisement at the farm's main gate, with the job posting and requirements clearly written in black ink on red paper.
At the same time, Aunt Li and Xiao Zhang, who were home for the Spring Festival, were asked to spread the news among their respective relatives and friends.
As expected, the news attracted a lot of attention.
The interview was scheduled for three days from now, in the conference room of the office building in Zone 1.
On the day of the interview, the weather was fine, and the winter sun brought a rare warmth.
Shi Wan and Su Qing sat side by side at one end of the conference table as interviewers.
Shi Wan tried to make herself look more "boss-like", changing into a neat sweater and trousers, although there was still a trace of lingering laziness from her vacation in her eyes.
Su Qing remained as professional and capable as ever, with a notebook and a pre-prepared evaluation form in front of her.
Da Huang seemed to know that something "big" was going to happen at home today, and he was unusually excited. He peeked out at the door of the meeting room, but after Shi Wan gave him a warning look, he reluctantly lay back down on the doormat, but his ears were perked up.
Tangyuan chose a spot on the windowsill of the conference room to bask in the sun, occasionally raising her eyelids to lazily glance at the people coming in for interviews, as if acting as an "aura detector".
As for Bingbing... Ban Gua Bing found a small bag of freeze-dried food that he had missed yesterday in the storage room and was busy dealing with his "important business".
Shi Wan had already quietly opened the chat box with Xing Lin.
"Agent: It's starting! I'm a little nervous! This is my first time interviewing so many people. How do I look? Do I have the presence of a boss?
Xinglin was amused by her, and his senses quietly spread along the data code, "seeing" Shi Wan's appearance.
Her face was serious, her eyes were sharp, and when she frowned, it gave people a strange feeling of fear and guilt.
She already has the air of a successful person, although she doesn't realize it yet.
"Xinglin: You are choosing your future partners. Just stay calm and don't be nervous. I've seen it. You look like a big boss right now. Mr. Shi was amazing today."
The first interviewee was a man in his forties with dark skin and rough hands. He was a well-known carpenter in a nearby village and wanted to apply for the equipment maintenance job.
He was a man of few words, answering only one question at a time, and was somewhat reserved, but his eyes lit up when he mentioned tools and mortise and tenon joints.
Su Qing asked him a few questions about mechanical principles and troubleshooting based on his desired position. His answers were a bit hesitant, but very practical.
After he left, Su Qing pondered for a moment and wrote on the evaluation form: "Experienced, strong hands-on skills, but needs to strengthen theoretical foundation."
Shi Wan glanced at it and nodded silently in her heart. Su Qing's performance and ability had always made her feel very at ease and reassured.
The message from Xinglin arrived quietly.
"Xinglin: This person is steady and has calluses on his fingertips from long-term use of tools, making him suitable for hands-on positions. Other aspects can be addressed with targeted training. My suggestion is that he is usable."
The second person was a young woman in her early twenties who had previously worked on an assembly line in a garment factory in the county and wanted to try her hand at being an operator.
She was stylishly dressed, spoke quickly, and seemed very lively.
"I'm sure I can do a good job! I'm very quick and efficient at the garment factory!"
She looked at Shi Wan with great confidence.
Su Qing also asked a few questions about attention and standardized processes, but the girl's answers were somewhat superficial and perfunctory.
After the girl left, Su Qing frowned slightly. "Although her attitude was very positive, I think she may lack some patience and attention to detail."
Shi Wan also felt that she was a bit too "arrogant". She couldn't quite put her finger on how she felt, but that was just the feeling.
"Xinglin: When answering detailed questions, her pupils moved to the upper right more frequently, which may be an exaggeration. Moreover, according to her information, she changed jobs four or five different factories within a year, which shows that she is not very stable. I will have reservations."
The third person is a mother in her thirties whose child is already in elementary school. She wants to find a stable job nearby so she can take care of her family.
She appears gentle yet efficient, and speaks clearly and logically.
“I used to work in quality control at a food factory, so I pay a lot of attention to hygiene and standards.”
Her tone was calm, and she looked the other person in the eye when she spoke, which made her seem very sincere.
Su Qing asked some scenario-based questions about quality control and handling abnormal situations. She answered them logically and even offered two small suggestions.
A hint of admiration flashed in Su Qing's eyes.
Shi Wan also felt that she made people feel very comfortable.
"Xinglin: This lady has clear logic and is emotionally stable. Moreover, her tone is natural and firm when she talks about her family, showing a strong sense of responsibility. I personally think she is worth keeping."
Next, Sun Xiaojun walked in.
He had clearly taken special care to tidy himself up; his hair was neatly combed, and he was wearing a dark-colored outfit that looked new but was still a bit wrinkled. His face showed obvious nervousness, and he was clutching a handwritten resume tightly in his hands.
"Boss Shi, Manager Su, I...I'm here."
His voice sounded a little strained.
Shi Wan smiled gently at him, signaling him to relax.
As usual, Su Qing asked questions, including her understanding of production work and how to handle difficulties.
Sun Xiaojun's answers were not fluent, and some were even unclear, but his eyes were focused, he thought hard about each question, and his answers were very sincere. It was clear that he had done a lot of preparation in private.
When talking about wanting to learn a skill and settle down, that simple longing almost overflows.
When he left, the back of his clothes was damp with sweat.
Su Qing frowned and thought for a while before writing on the evaluation form, "Pure motives, excellent attitude, and potential for development, but needs to improve expression and self-confidence."
As Shi Wan watched his departing figure, she already had a preference in her heart.
Xinglin's message carried a clear affirmation.
"Xinglin: I think he has a clear goal orientation, a strong desire to learn, and most importantly, an honesty rate of 95%, which makes him a person of excellent character. He can receive more targeted training in his professional field, and I personally think he can be retained."
Shi Wan was quite tired after interviewing thirty or forty people that morning, but Su Qing remained focused on the applicants' resumes and asked one or two questions each time.
They met many different types of people, all sorts of people: some were experienced but had outdated ideas, some were young and ambitious but lacked practical skills, and some, like that mother and Sun Xiaojun, had clear goals and a down-to-earth attitude.
The morning interviews were over, and there were no new applicants for the time being. Shi Wan rubbed her slightly throbbing temples.
The thought of this interview continuing for three days gave her a headache.
Big Yellow immediately came over and placed its furry head heavily on her lap, begging for a pat.
Tangyuan jumped down from the windowsill, strolled over slowly, and hopped onto the table to stare at the evaluation form in Su Qing's hand, as if trying to understand the result.
"How are you feeling?" Shi Wan asked Su Qing while rubbing the dog's thick head.
"It's better than expected." Su Qing sorted through the evaluation form in her hand. "There are several good candidates, such as Uncle Lei, Sister Zhang, and Sun Xiaojun. They all have good basic qualities and are worth training."
“I think so too.” Shi Wan nodded. “Then let’s compile a list of those to be added and send out notifications after all the interviews are completed?”
"Okay, I'll compile a list of candidates on my end and send it to you for final selection."
"no problem."
The interviews went on for three days in full swing. Every day, as soon as Shi Wan opened her eyes, there was a bunch of people waiting to see her, and she was getting a little annoyed.
In particular, there are quite a few oddballs among them.
Some people immediately asked if the base salary could be over 5,000, which surprised Shi Wan.
Su Qing frowned and asked why the base salary was so high. The man replied with a grin and a matter-of-fact attitude, "Isn't this a popular online store? I checked and your business is pretty good, right? You definitely have to pay more than other factories, otherwise people will say you're exploiting your employees, right?"
Shi Wan: ...
She and Su Qing exchanged a glance. Su Qing silently crossed out the man's resume and then asked him to leave.
As soon as the interview ended, Shi Wan tore down the job posting and began to synthesize Su Qing's evaluation, her own impressions, and the analysis results of some information that Xing Lin had given her, and drafted a preliminary list of candidates to be hired.
Just as Shi Wan was about to slack off and hand over the editing and hiring process to Xing Shilin, Su Qing received a call from the equipment supplier.
Her initially composed expression gradually turned serious after listening to a few sentences.
"Delayed shipment? Why? What's the logistics problem? How long will it take?...Unable to determine?!"
Su Qing's voice wasn't loud, but every word made Shi Wan, who was slumped on the sofa, gradually sit up straight.
She asked a few more questions, her brows furrowing more and more, before finally saying, "We need to discuss this internally and will contact you later," and hanging up the phone.
Shi Wan almost jumped up from the sofa. "What's wrong?"
Su Qing put down her phone, took a deep breath, and looked at Shi Wanshi with a hint of barely perceptible annoyance in her voice.
"It's bad news. The supplier said that the logistics for the core filling equipment we ordered has been interrupted because the key imported components encountered unexpected problems during customs clearance, and the delivery date cannot be determined at the moment."
This news instantly disrupted all their plans.
If the core equipment is not in place, the production line in Zone 2 cannot be assembled and debugged, and all subsequent production plans will have to be postponed.
The sense of relief Shi Wan had felt after finalizing the selection vanished instantly.
She subconsciously glanced at the chat box next to her.
On the screen, the message from Xinglin had already arrived, concise yet carrying a reassuring power.
"Starfall: The relevant issues have been recorded. Don't worry, I am currently searching for the latest updates on cross-border logistics of alternative suppliers and parts. I will notify you as soon as there is any news. Trust me."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com