Three days had passed since the last chat with Teacher Ding about the interview. Following her plan, Qiu Xi arrived at the office with her resume.
"Hello, do you have an appointment?"
"Yes, my surname is Qiu, the Qiu from 'Qiu Shui,' and I had an appointment with Teacher Xue Han."
"Alright, please wait a moment while I inform them."
"Thank you."
While waiting at the reception, Qiu Xi subtly observed her surroundings. The waiting area was spacious but not crowded. There was only one way up, located not far behind the reception desk.
"As expected, such a large company has quite thorough security," she mused.
Despite only two or three receptionists present, there were multiple cameras strategically placed, leaving no blind spots.
"Miss Qiu, your appointment has been verified. Please come this way, I'll take you up."
"Thank you, I appreciate it."
Qiu Xi nodded and followed the escort. The elevator stopped at the 18th floor, and they stepped out.
"Miss Qiu, this way, please."
After turning twice, they arrived at an office door. "Miss Qiu, Teacher Xue is in here. I won't disturb you further."
"Thank you for your help."
Watching the escort walk away, Qiu Xi reached out and knocked on the door.
"Enter."
"Teacher Xue, sorry to bother you."
Hearing the voice, Xue Han looked up. She was indeed attractive, but Qiu Xi wondered if her abilities were as outstanding as her teacher had described.
"Yes, you must be Qiu Xi," Xue Han said coolly.
"Yes, I am," Qiu Xi replied directly, neither subservient nor arrogant.
Xue Han was one of the partners at 'Yi Jia.' At 36 years old, she had secured her position with a decisive and assertive management style. Qiu Xi had learned online that people described her with three words: "steady, accurate, ruthless!" Clearly, she was a formidable person.
Qiu Xi's composed demeanor caused Xue Han's eyes to light up slightly. "Hmm, you do have a certain character." In her years of work, this was the first person who had come to her through the back door yet remained so calm.
"However, we do have our rules. I've given you face by letting you come, but whether you stay depends on your own capabilities." Xue Han emphasized that the rules would not change and took a folder from her desk drawer. "Here, take a look."
As she handed over the folder, Xue Han added, "You have half an hour. Tell me your thoughts." She clarified, "You don't need to solve the problem, just provide a solution strategy."
Without any pleasantries, Qiu Xi took the folder. "Understood."
"Yes, the specific requirements are all clearly written in there. Feel free to ask me if you need anything," Xue Han continued. "If you're ready, there's a desk over there where you can begin."
The moment Xue Han finished speaking, Qiu Xi was already walking towards the designated area.
"She's quite individualistic..." Xue Han murmured as she watched Qiu Xi's retreating back. After a brief moment, she returned to her work with a stern expression.
Meanwhile, Qiu Xi examined the materials from the folder, her brow furrowed as she idly doodled with a pen. The folder contained only one A4 sheet and two or three attached data cards. Given Qiu Xi's current English reading speed, she finished the A4 page in about three to four minutes. The content wasn't difficult, but the requirement was somewhat challenging. It was similar to an advertisement translation; the English text was about half a page, but the requirement was to translate it using only four Chinese characters. This presented a significant hurdle. The data cards served as supplementary material, introducing the company's background and other relevant information. Finally, Qiu Xi reviewed the few lines of handwritten English at the end, which were likely the requirements Xue Han had mentioned earlier. They were concise, just two short lines stating her desired outcome, but the standard was quite high. The explicit requirements were a five-minute presentation of a preliminary solution with practical feasibility, achieving a degree of recognition from the target audience.
After a moment of reflection, Qiu Xi began writing. Time was limited, so she needed to work quickly. Xue Han, who had casually glanced up, showed a flicker of surprise at seeing Qiu Xi already engrossed in writing. She wondered if Qiu Xi was confident in her abilities or just writing something casually.
Exactly thirty minutes later, Qiu Xi put down her pen. She organized the papers and reread everything carefully, nodding with satisfaction. With her current skill level, this was the best solution she could come up with. Once satisfied, Qiu Xi stood up and walked towards Xue Han.
"Teacher Xue, I'm finished."
"Hmm?" Xue Han asked, a hint of confusion in her voice, and accepted the paper Qiu Xi handed her. "Alright, tell me your specific thoughts." Instead of immediately reading Qiu Xi's written answer, she asked for a verbal presentation.
Qiu Xi nodded. "Certainly..." She understood that Xue Han was testing her. Sometimes, those who could write excellent answers might not be able to articulate their ideas effectively. Teacher Xue's approach was very direct; anyone who couldn't handle it might have had their interview end right there.
With her thoughts already organized, Qiu Xi only took a few seconds to formulate her response before earnestly explaining her ideas to Xue Han.
"That's enough. You've explained it well," Xue Han interrupted when Qiu Xi had covered about two-thirds of her content. Her explanation was excellent, and Xue Han was very satisfied. As for the rest, she could already tell from the A4 paper. Qiu Xi paused and replied, "...Okay." She felt that if her estimation was correct, she had passed this stage of the interview.
"I heard you're also studying French. How is it going?"
French? "It's going well. At least, daily communication is quite smooth," Qiu Xi replied, smoothly switching languages despite the unexpected question. Hearing this, the smile in Xue Han's eyes became more pronounced. After speaking French, they switched to Japanese, and then to English, engaging in a lively conversation. The discussion only paused when someone knocked on the office door.
"Wait here for a moment," Xue Han told Qiu Xi. "Come in."
"Teacher Xue, I've come to collect the translation materials you mentioned yesterday."
"No need. This issue has just been resolved," Xue Han replied, glancing at Qiu Xi beside her.
"Resolved?" Jiang Qin looked surprised. "Weren't you saying yesterday that it was very urgent? How has it been resolved so quickly after the start of the workday?" Jiang Qin was filled with questions but dared not ask them directly.
Xue Han smiled faintly. "Yes, it's resolved." She was quite satisfied with the answer. Xue Han's smile surprised Jiang Qin, as their teacher rarely smiled. "Alright!" Xue Han continued, "We'll discuss this later. Please leave for now and inform everyone that we'll have a meeting in 15 minutes. Everyone gather in the conference room."
"Yes, Teacher Xue." Jiang Qin nodded immediately and left the office. As soon as the person left, Xue Han turned back to Qiu Xi. "Alright, let's continue." There was only a little bit left, and she wanted to finish her conversation with this young woman. Qiu Xi readily agreed, and Xue Han resumed her topic. A few minutes later, their conversation concluded.
"Qiu Xi, may I call you Xiao Xi? Would you mind?"
Qiu Xi nodded. "Not at all, Teacher Xue. Please do." Qiu Xi felt a wave of relief, knowing that Teacher Xue had already accepted her.
"Good, then I'll call you that." Her voice softened. "As for your interview, you've passed." She continued, "Regarding your subsequent work arrangements... you'll be working with me as my assistant. Is that alright?" Initially, Xue Han had planned to offer her an internship opportunity and a place in the company if she passed the interview, out of respect for her teacher. However, after their conversation, she had changed her mind. This young woman was a rare talent. Keeping her close would make her a very capable assistant. Whether it was for the future or just to ease her current workload, Xue Han felt it was acceptable. And who knew what the future held?
After hearing Xue Han's proposal, Qiu Xi, though a little surprised, nodded. "Teacher Xue, I have no problem with that."
"Excellent!" Xue Han exclaimed. "Then prepare yourself. You'll be joining me for the meeting shortly."
"Okay, Teacher Xue."