It's a buyer's market these days, so it's rare to find a capitalist so enthusiastic and proactive: "Hey, hand me your resume!" At the time, I was busy tossing my resume at the recruitment booths of big companies, completely oblivious to his small stall. Yet, I stopped in my tracks as if spellbound.Later, I realized what drew me in was his honest, clean-cut face—it made me think of an innocent carrot, timidly peering at a little rabbit. My heart softened, and I handed him my resume. After all, jobs were scarce. Out of eight applications, seven companies remained silent—they only wanted candidates with experience.Only one company called me back. He congratulated me on being hired. Over the phone, he added, "It's a small company, but you'll climb the ladder fast. I've only been out of school two years and I'm already the operations manager." Hearing my hesitation, he raised his voice an octave: "Sure, there aren't many employees, but ten thousand yuan divided among ten thousand people versus two people—is that the same thing?The more he pushed for me to join, the more I feared falling into a pyramid scheme I couldn't escape. Just as I was about to refuse, I heard his final line: "Meals provided—three a day. Accommodation included—standard rooms." That hit my weak spot. As a college student away from home, wasn't basic sustenance my top priority?"Alright, I'll report tomorrow!" After over an hour of roundabout directions, I still couldn't find the legendary company. I began to suspect I'd fallen into the hands of human traffickers. My best friend Ah Hui advised over the phone: "Ask a police officer for directions. If you go missing, it'll leave more clues."It was a solid plan, but before I could act, I spotted him. He stood cheerfully at the corner, a large cabbage in hand, waiting for me. The company was indeed small—smaller than I’d imagined, barely 70 square meters in a rented space. Fast promotion was also true; even the least experienced colleague held a managerial position. Accommodation was provided: one bedroom served as the men’s dorm, the other as the women’s.Four guys shared two bunk beds; the girls—myself included—had two single beds side by side. No wonder they called it a "standard room." Meals were covered, of course. Everyone greeted my arrival with enthusiastic applause: "Our lives are about to improve!" He handed me an apron and said, "Their cooking skills are terrible. They're all hoping I can find a good cook."I gasped, "After nine years of compulsory education and seven more years of my parents' support, was I really meant to become a cook?" He chuckled, "It's a small company. Everyone wears multiple hats. Take me—I'm the manager, procurement, and sales. You'll be the accountant, PR manager, and office director." That day, I addressed all my colleagues in my inaugural speech: "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm no expert in manual labor or agriculture.I can't turn a cabbage into a full Manchu-Han Imperial Feast." Next Page: All "Scammers" Have an Honest Face${FDPageBreak}All "Scammers" Have an Honest FaceAfter the meal, I finally understood: we were all in the same boat—lacking work experience, unable to find suitable jobs, and taken in for free to gain some experience.When I asked about the company's products or services, the second guy opened a webpage: "This is it." I pressed further: "Where does the funding come from?" The third guy replied: "We wanted to send him to scam those real estate folks, but rich people these days all know about venture capital, so no one's willing to take the risk."I was even more confused: "Then who pays my salary?" Everyone looked at him and laughed. He flushed and said, "Paying you a salary would be insulting. You get one-sixth of the shares." I'd been had, completely had. All four of them looked at me and laughed: "No pay, but free meals. They're keeping us for free, so we can't complain about cold food.You can quit anytime, and the company will guarantee you a reference stating over a year of work experience." The guy with the honest face buried his head in his plate, concentrating on dipping his steamed bun into the vegetable soup: "Stop talking nonsense and get to work. I've almost blown through all the money I made from that last Flash project." I'm a rabbit that doesn't eat the grass by its own burrow. At least I have food and shelter, right?It's because I have no work experience, right? So I decided to stay. But within two days, he was already trying to cozy up to me: "Want me to set you up with a boyfriend?" I was thinking this self-recommendation tactic was pretty cliché, but then he continued: "He's a decent guy, works at the Administration for Industry and Commerce." Meeting him, I finally understood what "decent guy" meant—basically, symmetrical left and right.He still hadn't caught on: "This is Little Li, and this is our company's general manager." Expecting a favor in return, he made his own request: "Introduce me to a female classmate? My mom wants a grandchild." I snorted: "No female classmates, but I've got a ready-made grandson. Go adopt one from the orphanage." He looked shocked: "How did you know I often visit the orphanage?"We finally found some common ground and started volunteering at the orphanage together. The auntie there seemed quite familiar with him: "Little Zhu, brought your girlfriend along?" He quickly explained: "No, she's a Rabbit. She doesn't eat the grass right by her nest." This Rabbit wasn't lacking appetite; she simply hated him from the bottom of her heart. Because he'd introduced me to such a clumsy man. Apparently, in his eyes, I was just that kind of person too.
Next Page: Let's Make This Official
${FDPageBreak}Let's Make This OfficialEvery other day, he'd take me along on business calls. He was talented—his websites were eye-catching at first glance, but click-through rates were another story. That's when I stepped in as his secretary: "If you invest the money, why worry about click-through rates once funding comes through?"This was venture capital, after all, so nearly every boss responded with a smile: "We'll give it some serious thought." I knew that meant they'd likely never consider it. The website didn't sell, but a company took a liking to me. I reported back: "A major firm has agreed to a three-month trial period for me." I expected him to be reluctant, but instead, his face lit up: "That's fantastic!"At the farewell party, we both got drunk. Slurring his words, he insisted on walking me to my new place under the pretext of checking safety. I poured him a glass of water. He took it but didn't drink, just grinned at me: "Why don't we make it official?" Before I could refuse, he collapsed onto my bed and started snoring loudly.Losing my virtue was one thing, but my reputation was another. What on earth was this grown man doing lying in my bed? I had no choice but to call his classmate: "Hurry over." Just as that symmetrical guy arrived at my door with a bouquet of roses, he woke up, completely confused: "Sorry for disturbing you. Bye."The early bird catches the worm. After finally surviving the probation period and becoming a full-time employee, I still found myself nostalgic for those quiet moments when I remembered the days of six of us starting a company together and gaining work experience. Occasionally, I’d even think about that deceitful man with the honest face.The boss occasionally asked, "Still in touch with your old coworkers?" I quickly denied it—once married, I'd cut all ties like water poured out. He chuckled, "Better that way. That company was full of pretentious types. Especially the manager—he handpicked a girl from school to pursue, but feared her standards were too high and never made his move.He set her up with a really bad match hoping to get her to settle, but she had such low standards—the early bird got the worm." My temper flared instantly. "What does that mean? How dare he say that?" "Well, not only did she give him her address, but he showed up late at night with huge bouquets of roses."I slammed my fist on the table: "Tell that coward to stop making wild assumptions! The early bird didn't get the worm—a timid bird might not even catch the late-rising worm!" The boss was smart. The next day after work, he showed up at my doorstep, flowers in hand, waiting obediently. He looked so nervous, so shy.I sighed deeply: "I'm truly amazed by YOU. If you like me, just say so! Why keep playing this coy, half-reluctant, half-shy game? Are you deliberately trying to make me look like some kind of predator?"
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