Successful application
The next day, at 9:45 am.
The glass curtain wall of the Gu Group headquarters building reflects the sharp sunlight, exuding a majestic atmosphere that keeps strangers away.
Lin Yu'an stood downstairs, took a deep breath, and felt a little nervous, but he quickly suppressed his nervousness with his optimistic spirit of "making the best of it".
He tugged at the only dark gray suit he had, which was at the bottom of his closet. Although the style was old, it was ironed straight by him.
The hair has been carefully groomed, and it is smooth and has a touch of youthful vigor.
"Come on!" He faced the shadow reflected in the shiny glass door with a smile full of energy, a mouthful of small white teeth, and bright and determined eyes.
Then, he walked easily into the revolving door.
The air-conditioned air, wrapped in high-end fragrance and elite aura, hits you in the face.
The receptionist had delicate makeup and a standard smile: "Hello, how can I help you?"
"Hello! I'm Lin Yu'an, here to interview for the position of administrative secretary in the CEO's office."
Lin Yu'an had a bright smile and a clear voice, with a natural affinity that made the receptionist, who was used to seeing all kinds of elites, startled for a moment, and then her smile became more sincere.
"Okay, Mr. Lin, please follow me. The interview will be in Conference Room A on the 28th floor. An HR colleague will meet you later."
The receptionist led him to the private elevator.
The elevator rose smoothly.
Lin Yu'an adjusted his tie against the elevator wall, keeping a calm mind.
It would be great if you could join Gu’s company, but if you can’t, just consider it as gaining experience!
He even quickly went over in his mind how to cleverly package his "experience in raising children" as "time management master" and "super stress-resistant ability" in his self-introduction.
"bite--"
We have arrived at the 28th floor.
The receptionist led him to the door of a spacious and bright conference room: "Mr. Lin, please wait here for a moment. The interviewer will be here soon."
The conference room was empty.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows is a bustling urban landscape.
Lin Yu'an chose a seat by the side and sat down with his resume neatly placed in front of him.
Instead of waiting, he took out his phone and quickly sent a message to Doupi's kindergarten teacher:
"Hello, Mr. Wang! I'm Doupi's uncle, Lin Yu'an. I'm currently attending an important interview, and my phone is on silent mode. I won't be able to answer calls for about an hour and a half. If Doupi has any emergencies, please contact the backup number XXX (he's left the phone number of his helpful neighbor, Aunt Zhang, in advance). Thank you for your hard work! Thank you very much! [Smiley face]"
Sent successfully! Done! Lin Yu'an, satisfied, switched his phone to silent mode and tucked it back into his suit pocket.
Nine fifty-five...Ten o'clock...Ten fifty-five...
Lin Yu'an was a little puzzled.
Wasn't the interview at 10 o'clock? Where's he? Did he go the wrong way?
He was just thinking about whether to go out and ask politely when the door of the conference room was pushed open.
The person who came in was Zhang Wei, the HR specialist from the Human Resources Department. She was wearing a serious suit and thin-framed glasses, with a furrowed brow and hurried steps.
"Mr. Lin Yu'an?" Zhang Wei's eyes swept across the empty conference room and finally fell on the only person, with obvious surprise and... a hint of imperceptible fatigue?
"Yes, hello, Manager Zhang!" Lin Yu'an stood up immediately, smiling appropriately and looking energetic.
Zhang Wei sat down in the main seat, opened her tablet, and flipped through the folders, her brows furrowed so tightly that they could kill a fly.
She raised her head and looked at Lin Yu'an, her tone a little absurd: "Mr. Lin, I must inform you of a situation. You are the only interviewee who arrived on time today."
"Ah?" Lin Yu'an was genuinely surprised this time, his eyes widening slightly. "The only one?"
This luck...isn't it a bit too magical?
"Yes." Zhang Wei rubbed her brow, clearly overwhelmed by this outrageous situation. "The other three: one was rear-ended on the road and is at the traffic police station; one... called out of the blue half an hour ago to say he'd just received notice that he'd been accepted by an Ivy League school abroad, but had given up the interview and was planning on furthering his studies; and the last one has completely lost contact and his phone is unreachable."
Lin Yuan: “…”
Tail-ending? Ivy League? Vanishing? What kind of a plot is this?
Is this a stroke of luck for him?
Zhang Wei was obviously in no mood to appreciate his good fortune. She quickly glanced at Lin Yu'an's resume, her brow still furrowed: "History?" She asked in a questioning tone without disguising it.
Here it comes! Lin Yu'an's spirits lifted, knowing that the crucial test had arrived.
Fortunately, I memorized a long passage last night!
Instead of retreating, he straightened his back, looked at Zhang Wei with bright eyes, and spoke clearly and fluently:
"Yes, Manager Zhang. My major is history. I know at first glance it doesn't seem to have much to do with administrative secretarial work. But history has taught me rigorous logical thinking, strong information collection and integration skills, and the ability to quickly extract key points from massive amounts of data—these, I believe, are the core skills for handling complex administrative affairs and organizing document sequences!"
"I also took a minor in administrative management and am very proficient in office software. I can type at over 125 words per minute with 99% accuracy! I'm a strong learner and adaptable, and my ability to handle stress has been honed by life," he said with a smile.
His answers were neither humble nor arrogant, and were clearly organized. He even cleverly transformed his seemingly disadvantageous professional background into a unique advantage.
The sunlight shone on him through the window. The positivity and confidence that came from within relaxed Zhang Wei's serious expression.
She pushed up her glasses, as if reassessing this "unexpected" candidate.
The tablet seemed to have received some information. She looked down and her eyes changed slightly.
"Well, Mr. Lin, your adaptability and mentality are indeed quite good." Zhang Wei's tone softened a little. "Given the current... special situation, and Mr. Gu's urgent need for personnel, your final interview will be conducted by Mr. Gu himself."
"Mr. Gu?!" Lin Yu'an's heart really skipped a beat this time.
The legendary icy CEO Gu Lin?! Meeting him in person?!
The pressure index instantly soared from the "Novice Village" to the "Ultimate Boss Battle"!
But he took a deep breath and quickly adjusted his mentality: What's there to be afraid of! When a person dies, the bird flies up to the sky, and he will live forever!
Just think of it as watching a business legend up close!
"Okay! I'm ready!"
Lin Yu'an's eyes were determined, and even had a hint of eagerness to challenge.
Zhang Wei looked at his fearless demeanor, her lips twitching slightly as she stood up. "Please follow me."
He walked through a corridor with even lower air pressure and stopped in front of a heavy, dark wooden door.
Zhang Wei knocked on the door.
"Come in." A low, cold, and calm male voice came, like an icicle piercing the air.
Lin Yu'an straightened his back, pushed open the door, and with a feeling of "The wind whistles and the Yishui River is cold, the warrior has left..."
"Uh, I'll just take a look and be back" he walked in boldly.
The huge office, the minimalist cool colors, the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the cold and oppressive feeling almost condensed into substance.
Behind his desk, a man was looking down at documents, like a perfect ice sculpture.
Hearing the noise, he slowly raised his head.
Time seemed to slow down.
Lin Yu'an finally saw clearly the legendary Gu Lin - the helmsman of the Gu Empire.
His facial features are deep and handsome to the point of being sharp, with a high nose bridge, thin lips tightly pursed, and a jawline as if it were carved by a knife or an axe.
The most captivating thing is that pair of eyes, as deep as an ancient cold pond and well, and as sharp as a scalpel, without a trace of warmth, only silent coldness and indifference looking down on all living beings.
A perfectly tailored black suit outlines his tall figure in an oppressive way.
Even though Lin Yu'an had a strong mental state, he was still frozen by the powerful aura that hit him.
But he quickly regained his composure and put on a polite yet confident smile: "Hello, Mr. Gu, I'm Lin Yu'an."
The voice is clear, neither humble nor arrogant.
Gu Lin's gaze was like a cold ray, sweeping over precisely.
From his obviously cheap but clean suit, to the overly bright smile on his face, to the resume in his hand...
Gu Lin frowned slightly.
Was there no obvious disgust in that look, more like pure, cold, incomprehensible confusion?
It was as if he was examining a strange object from another dimension.
The office fell into a suffocating silence.
After a few seconds, Gu Lin finally spoke.
The voice was low and cold, without any ups and downs, like a machine-synthesized instruction:
"Lin Yu'an."
He read out the name, his gaze returning to Lin Yu'an's face with scrutiny. "A background in history. Explain how it supports your qualifications for the position of CEO's secretary."
The questions were sharp, went straight to the point, and were filled with strong doubts.
Here it comes! Lin Yuan was prepared.
He met Gu Lin's cold gaze without any evasion, his smile still bright, even with a bit of the sharpness that only young people have:
"Mr. Gu, the core abilities that history has taught me are 'context' and 'essence'."
He spoke steadily and clearly, "Handling complex administrative matters is like sorting through historical events; you need to quickly grasp the core threads and eliminate distracting information. Organizing and archiving documents is like researching historical materials, requiring rigor, meticulousness, and meticulousness. Planning and coordinating your itinerary is like analyzing the key nodes and connections in the course of history, requiring a holistic perspective and foresight. I believe this ability to see the essence through phenomena and establish order amidst chaos is one of the core qualities most needed in the President's Office. As for specific office skills, I am absolutely confident that I can quickly master them; my ability to learn has always been my strength."
His answer was powerful and resounding, transforming his "disadvantage" into unique competitiveness, and his logical thinking and expression skills were far superior to Zhang Wei's performance during the interview.
Gu Lin had a blank expression on his face. His slender fingers tapped lightly on the smooth table, making a very slight "click" sound.
He didn't comment on Lin Yu'an's answer, but directly asked the second question. His tone was even colder, carrying the pressure of actual combat:
"Now let's simulate this: I need a comparative analysis of the quarterly sales data for Starlight Technology, a subsidiary of our group, in the Southeast Asian market over the past three years, focusing on growth rate, market share changes, and the dynamics of major competitors. I'll give you the basic data tables. How can you quickly complete this report and ensure accuracy?"
Lin Yu'an's mind raced! Excel! This was his comfort zone! He immediately constructed the steps in his mind:
“Mr. Gu, I would do this: First, use a pivot table to quickly summarize sales data by quarter, region, and product line;
Second, insert a line chart to visually display the growth trend;
Third, use the VLOOKUP function to match the market data of major competitors during the same period for horizontal comparison;
Fourth, use conditional formatting to highlight abnormal fluctuations or key nodes;
Fifth, generate a brief analysis text and attach it below the chart to summarize the core findings.
Throughout the process, I will use shortcut keys and templates to improve efficiency and cross-check key data to ensure accuracy. I expect to complete the first draft within 30-45 minutes."
He answered quickly, clearly and systematically, demonstrating solid operational thinking.
A very faint, almost imperceptible glimmer seemed to pass through Gu Lin's deep eyes, but the ice on his face still did not melt.
He leaned back slightly on the chair, his posture still carrying a strong sense of oppression.
Gu Lin's fingers stopped tapping.
His deep, cold eyes stared at Lin Yu'an for a long, scrutinizing moment.
From his bright and open eyes to the washed-out cuffs of his suit.
A few seconds seemed like a century.
Finally, Gu Lin looked away and looked at the documents on the table again, as if Lin Yu'an was no longer worth wasting another second on him.
He opened his thin lips slightly and uttered two cold words:
"go out."
Lin Yu'an's heart sank suddenly.
As expected...it still doesn't work?
Although I was mentally prepared, the feeling of loss still came over me instantly.
He took a deep breath and quickly adjusted his mood. Although the smile on his face faded a little, he still remained polite and decent.
"Okay, Mr. Gu. Thank you for your time." He bowed slightly, his voice still clear and without any resentment.
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