Having achieved financial freedom, I reorganized my workplace.

Chapter 34 The Commissioner Who Fell From the Sky

Lin Chen thought he was hallucinating from staying up all night writing.

He rubbed his eyes and looked at the text message notification again.

Yes, I passed the written test and was notified of an interview.

"But this is too unbelievable. He didn't even take the written test, so how did he pass it? Is this even possible?" Lin Chen felt a strange sense of absurdity. Was there some mistake?

Although the company's competitive recruitment process is similar to a scam, it usually puts on a very good show and the procedures are quite formal. The entire process, including interviews and written tests, is recorded and videotaped. Even if the leaders have a particular fondness for someone, they wouldn't be so blatant about it.

At Xinhai Company, no one is truly irreplaceable.

Just to be on the safe side, Lin Chen called Liu Hongmei to get to the bottom of things. The phone rang for a while before being answered. The environment on the other end was noisy, and Liu Hongmei's voice sounded tired: "Hello, Lin Chen, what's wrong?"

"Sister Hong, I just received the interview notification for that job competition, but I didn't even take the written test. How did I get 'passed'? Is it a system bug? Or did your HR department make a mistake?"

After a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, Liu Hongmei said, "That's right, you didn't come. You didn't answer my calls, so I just had someone else take the exam for you." In reality, they just had a new college student sit in front of the camera for a while, fill out the form casually, and then hand in the paper.

Lin Chen was stunned: "Wait, is it even allowed to have someone else take the exam? Isn't that against the rules? Wasn't this competition supposed to be fair, just, and transparent? This isn't fair to others."

Liu Hongmei immediately retorted, "Lin Chen, why are you taking this so seriously? Fairness, openness, and impartiality? Do you think this is an elementary school class monitor election? You're not new to company job competitions; don't you have any self-awareness?"

Damn, Lin Chen was speechless: "No, Sister Hong, it's me who had my exam taken for someone else, and I can't even say a word?" The person involved has no say, I'm really impressed.

Liu Hongmei: "Then go ahead and report yourself, saying you had someone take the exam for you, or do I have to publish an internal announcement saying you had someone take the exam for you and cancel your results?"

Lin Chen was furious; this woman was utterly shameless. He didn't want to climb the ladder, but he also didn't want to end up disgraced and ruined, unable to work at the company afterward.

Lin Chen: "Sister Hong, this is going too far."

Liu Hongmei was clearly a little angry: "That's going too far. You didn't even take the exam, but you passed the written test. Nobody else has said you went too far, but you're blaming them instead."

Good heavens, Lin Chen was completely dumbfounded.

"I told you then that I wouldn't take the written test, but you made me~"

Liu Hongmei: "This wasn't something I arranged, it was the leader's decision. Now that you're being told to go for the interview, just go ahead. You're really getting a free ride and then acting innocent."

Speechless, Lin Chen was utterly speechless. Thinking back to how he used to study so hard, burning the midnight oil, to get a high score on the written test for the job application, he was truly fucking idiot.

If others want you to get through it, you can get through it no matter what.

Lin Chen didn't care anymore and directly said, "Sister Hong, I don't care about you. Anyway, I'm definitely not going to the interview. Whoever took the written test can go to the interview." After saying that, he hung up the phone.

"Class monitor, what's wrong?" Tang Yuwei, who was next to Lin Chen, came over and asked with concern after hearing Lin Chen's phone call.

Lin Chen scratched his hair in frustration and told you about it: "Yuwei, is this a joke? I didn't even take the written test, and they just notified you that you passed."

Tang Yuwei laughed out loud after hearing this: "Hahaha, class monitor, it's obvious that you're already the one chosen. Whether you take the written test or not is meaningless. Even if you don't go for the interview, you'll probably be the one who comes out in the end."

Looking at the current situation, that's indeed the case. If it weren't, the leaders wouldn't have needed to do this. Lin Chen never expected that one day he would become the chosen one. It's truly ironic.

Is this really fair to everyone else?

"Squad leader, I think you should do this: if you really don't want to go up, just go for the interview, go through the motions, and then deliberately perform terribly, directly challenging the leader's bottom line. Let's see if he still wants you then?"

Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, with a hint of foxy cunning. Lin Chen suddenly felt that, from some point in time, a tacit understanding had developed between him and this girl, one that needed no words.

That's exactly what he was thinking.

On Monday, at the bureau building, Lin Chen deliberately wore a slightly worn work uniform, and his hair was a bit messy, making him look like he had just rushed over from the front lines.

A suit is required for the interview.

Yes, Lin Chen came to participate in the job interview, and he came with the determination to die.

While getting on the elevator.

Lin Chen encountered Zhang Junmin from the Bureau Office and Wang Yang from the Marketing Department.

It's a bit like enemies meeting on a narrow road.

These two are typical lackeys of their leaders, the kind who can't take their eyes off their superiors, so they're birds of a feather.

Upon seeing Lin Chen, Wang Yang immediately asked, "Lin Chen, are you here for the job interview?" The list of those who passed the company's written test was distributed company-wide, so he had naturally seen it as well.

Lin Chen and Wang Yang were in the same year. Although their relationship wasn't particularly good, they didn't have many conflicts either. Since he asked sincerely, Lin Chen answered truthfully, "Yes."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Junmin immediately mocked, "I wonder who swore they would stay at the grassroots level to serve the people, and now they're licking their boots to come for an interview so quickly. They've really lost all sense of shame in order to leave a good impression on the leaders. Our office doesn't need such hypocritical people."

Indeed, everyone knows that Lin Chen rejected Director Tang Xin some time ago, so it's a bit embarrassing for Lin Chen to come to this interview now.

Lin Chen, naturally, wasn't going to let such an idiot affect his mood, and simply retorted, "None of your business."

Upon arriving at conference room 408, the first person I saw was a familiar face named Cao Gangmeng, the son of Director Cao of the company's Biotechnology Department. He is now a technician at the Bagou Water Plant. When he first joined the company, he interned at the Balu Institute for three months, and Lin Chen mentored him.

Lin Chen was overjoyed to see him.

This is definitely a strong competitor, and I hope he lives up to his name and gets tough.

Of course, besides Cao Gangmeng, in a distant corner, there were several unfamiliar yet familiar young people holding piles of materials, frantically reviewing and making the best preparation for the interview later.

Seeing how hard they were working, Lin Chen thought of his past self and felt inexplicably sorry for them. It was bad enough that they were just running alongside others, but they had to work so hard. They knew that the chances were slim, but from the perspective of an ordinary person...

They had no choice but to constantly push and spur themselves on, rise from each failure, only to fail again and again, until they were disheartened and quietly withdrew from the scene.

Of course, one or two of them will make it to the top; it's a survivor bias, after all, the company needs people to do the work.

"Brother Lin Chen, aren't you wearing a suit to the interview?" Zhang Ningjing, a junior colleague who joined the company a few years younger than him, found it a bit strange that Lin Chen wasn't wearing a suit.

"No need," Lin Chen replied.

Zhang Ningjing: "Do you want me to lend you my suit later?" My junior sister is really nice.

Lin Chen waved his hand: "Thanks, but really, no need."

Cao Gangmeng: "Brother Lin Chen is trying to make a special impression on the leaders. Junior sister, you're worrying unnecessarily."

This statement probably carries a somewhat sarcastic tone.

Lin Chen smiled but remained silent.

Time was running out, and the interview order would be determined by drawing lots. All five people drew together, and Lin Chen had a lucky streak. Zhang Ningjing drew number 1 and was so nervous that her big, round face was trembling. Lin Chen went straight over to her and said, "Do you want to switch with me?"

Zhang Ningjing exclaimed in surprise, "Really?"

In this kind of situation, being the first one to go in will definitely make you nervous, and the results won't be very good, because the interviewer doesn't know the abilities of the other candidates. Even if you perform very well, they are unlikely to give you a high score.

Lin Chen was the first to go in for the interview.

The meeting room for the interview was reasonably well-arranged.

Across the long conference table sat five judges: Director Tan from the Human Resources Department, Director Cao from the Biotechnology Department, Director Xin from the Party and Mass Work Department, Chief Technology Officer Chen, and Director Liu, the company's third-in-command in charge of the labor union and corporate culture.

Director Liu sat in the middle, expressionless as he flipped through the documents in his hands.

Once inside, Lin Chen ignored everything and sat down comfortably in a chair, leaning back as if he were at home. He didn't look at any of the interviewers, his eyes vacant, appearing completely lost, as if wondering "Who am I? Where am I?"

Lin Chen had originally planned to cross his legs, but his sense of propriety prevented him from doing so.

Director Liu glanced at him, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, while the other directors revealed sharp gazes.

As usual, Director Tan from the Human Resources Department read out the interview rules and questions.

The first question was a standard two-minute self-introduction.

Lin Chen said in a completely flat tone, "Lin Chen, male, squad leader of Balu Institute."

A true man in five seconds.

Director Xin of the Party and Mass Work Department was taken aback: "That's it?"

Lin Chen: "That's all."

The others wore meaningful expressions.

Director Tan from the Human Resources Department asked another question: "Tell me your understanding of the position."

Lin Chen: "I don't understand it at all."

The interviewers were also stunned; it was probably the first time they had ever seen a candidate like this.

At this moment, Director Cao of the Biotechnology Department suddenly got angry and said, "You know nothing? Then what are you doing here for this interview?"

Lin Chen said indifferently, "You guys sent me the interview invitation, so why don't I just leave?"

Wow! The scene is breathtaking, it's incredible.

At this moment, Director Liu, who had been silent, looked up at Lin Chen with a complicated expression: "Lin Chen, what are you doing? Do you think this is some kind of vegetable market? Be serious."

Only after Director Liu spoke did Lin Chen sit down again, giving him some face.

Director Tan asked one last question: If a major safety incident occurs, how should a safety specialist handle it?

Lin Chen: "Report to the leader, follow the leader's instructions, and do whatever the leader says."

Director Cao of the Biotechnology Department couldn't help but cough once, and several other directors shook their heads. Director Liu closed the documents in his hand, his face revealing neither joy nor anger, and simply waved his hand: "Alright, you can leave now."

"Bye." Lin Chen stood up, maintaining his "not-so-bright" demeanor, and quickly left the conference room.

Lin Chen still held onto a glimmer of hope. In the eyes of others, his behavior should be considered outrageous and beyond redemption. He didn't believe that these people would be so tolerant.

The workplace is cruel. Apart from blood relatives like your own son, there are very few so-called benefactors. No one will help another person for no reason unless there is an exchange of benefits.

After returning home, Lin Chen stopped thinking about the job competition and devoted himself entirely to writing his novel.

The website gave itself a huge promotion, right at the very top of the site with a large headline. It looked incredibly cool, and subscriptions doubled in a single day. This is truly phenomenal.

Furthermore, the editor mentioned that someone was interested in the possibility of the book being adapted into a film, television, or animation series, and that copyright negotiations had begun, with the copyright fee potentially reaching a staggering one million.

Today, the editor sent an invitation for a long-term contract, asking Lin Chen to sign it. Lin Chen looked at the contract and found it had quite a few clauses. The advantage was that his next book could get recommendations, and he could request a higher share of the profits.

The price is that Lin Chen must write books on his website for the next five years. Of course, he can choose not to write on other websites.

Lin Chen asked what would happen if he didn't sign, and the editor replied that if he didn't sign, the number of recommendations would likely decrease, and the website wouldn't elevate the book to a god-like status.

Wow, Lin Chen could understand that. If they made you a god, and you just jumped ship to another website for your next book, wouldn't they be losing a fortune? At least they nurtured you, so you have to continue to be their slave for a few more years.

This world is full of constraints; how many truly capable people can transcend worldly limitations?

Lin Chen didn't care. After finishing this book, he didn't plan to write any more novels, as it was too hard on his back. Of course, his editor secretly told him that the benefits of signing him outweighed the drawbacks, and that even if he wanted to write outside the company in the future, he could just use a different pseudonym.

A few days later, the results of the competition were announced.

Unsurprisingly, Cao Quan took the marketing position, while a young man who was relatively unknown but supposedly a distant relative of one of the directors took the biotechnology position.

The position of "Safety and Dispute Management Specialist" in the Bureau Office is clearly marked with three words: Lin Chen.

"Holy crap?!"

Tang Yuwei shouted her congratulations: "Class monitor, class monitor!"

Lin Chen felt conflicted, as his worldview had been challenged like never before.

He didn't take the written test, his interview performance was so poor, and his attitude was so perfunctory... How could he get in?

What grudge did Tang Xin hold against him that she had to drag him to the bureau office to suffer? Just as Lin Chen's mind was in a complete mess, his phone rang. It was Chen Ya calling.

"Lin Chen, congratulations." The voice carried the tenderness of the past.

"There's nothing to congratulate me on," Lin Chen replied. Logically, he had been promoted, but he really couldn't be happy.

"You kept it from me? It's all been announced now. How about we have dinner together tonight? We'll be working in the same office from now on."

"Chen Ya," Lin Chen suddenly called her name, then calmly said, "No need to be so polite."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Chen Ya's slightly embarrassed laugh: "What's wrong? Do we have to be so polite between us?"

Lin Chen opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that he couldn't utter a single word.

He then hung up the phone.

"I'm so...fucked."

Lin Chen muttered to himself, a smile more painful than tears appearing on his face. This ironic reality was more surreal than any plot in his novels.

Lin Chen looked up at the ceiling and felt dizzy and disoriented.

Life, sometimes, is truly like a fucking absurd drama.

I used to rack my brains trying to climb up the ladder, but it was difficult and I ended up getting hurt. Now that I've given up and don't want to improve, I've been forced onto this path again.

She'll be reporting to the office next week, and these past few days Lin Chen hasn't been in the mood to work at the institute, so he's been taking her to visit various villages and introducing her to some of his accumulated "connections."

Sister Qin from Rose Village, her husband died early, but she's beautiful and kind-hearted, raising four children alone; Gouwa from Narcissus Village, his parents died early, and he raised his younger sister and brother single-handedly; Amao from Cactus Village, though disabled, is strong-willed...

Finally, after wandering around for a while, the two arrived at the sea of ​​flowers on the white sand beach.

They sat side by side on the grass, remaining silent for a long time.

The setting sun bathed the sea of ​​flowers in a warm gold. Tang Yuwei gazed into the distance and whispered, "Class monitor, actually... I don't want you to leave."

She paused, her fingers unconsciously tugging at a blade of grass: "When you were here, everyone had someone to rely on. Now that you're gone, it feels so empty."

"But..." She turned her head, her eyes sparkling in the sunset, "I also hope you can leave. You can have better development opportunities in the bureau office, instead of burying yourself at the grassroots level. You deserve a better platform."

Her voice grew softer and softer, as if she were speaking to him, yet also to herself: "I know you don't want to cling to anyone, but that's just how the world is... Sometimes, it's not you who chooses the path, but the path that chooses you."

Lin Chen listened in silence, his heart filled with mixed feelings. He understood her contradictions, just like his own helplessness in life. He wanted to break free, but was always pushed back onto the predetermined track by an invisible hand.

The wind picked up, and the sea of ​​flowers swayed like a flowing rainbow. It looked magnificent, but it was helplessly swaying with the wind.

"Class monitor, wherever you go, you'll always be my best class monitor." Tang Yuwei suddenly smiled, her eyes a little wet. She boldly asked, "Class monitor, can you hug me?"

Lin Chen paused for a moment, but finally pulled her into his arms.

She snuggled against him like a kitten.

"Class monitor, will you miss me?" Tang Yuwei's voice was soft, and her body became very hot.

Lin Chen caught a whiff of her faint fragrance, hesitated for a moment, then slowly placed his hand on her shoulder and patted it gently, saying, "The class monitor will miss you."

Tang Yuwei trembled slightly, stopped speaking, and simply hugged Lin Chen tightly.