Chapter 43 Interview
The next day at work, the company was unusually slow.
After a morning spent interviewing candidates in the conference room, Xiang Sun glanced at the pile of remaining resumes for the afternoon session and couldn’t help skimming through them restlessly.
Hmm, first he eliminated those with names he didn’t like; then he went through the photos one by one. Adopting a fair and just attitude, he set aside all female applicants who met the educational requirements. As for the men, anyone with looks scoring over six was dismissed.
As for how this six-point standard came about, it was, of course, based on Xiang Sun’s own assessment.
He rated himself a 6.5, or a 7.5 with some effort, averaging out to a seven.
He explained with fake seriousness to Song Xu, “Let me tell you, these stiff, standard headshots usually make people look uglier. If someone can still score a six in these photos, their real-life appearance is definitely no lower than a 6.5. Ugh, having you, an eight-point man, outshining me in the company is already enough. I can’t tolerate anyone else stealing my thunder.”
Xiang Sun counted the three resumes and shook his head regretfully. “You three, don’t blame me. Blame Lao Guang. If he leaves today, I won’t even have time to sit here picking candidates for interviews.”
Song Xu felt visibly irritated by his utterly boring behavior and randomly picked a resume to look at. After a quick glance, he decided, “This one.”
“I’ll leave after interviewing him.”
Xiang Sun took a look: “Ye Zhe...? No way, he’s so handsome!”
Song Xu frowned impatiently.
“......”
“...Alright, alright.” He was the big shot; Xiang Sun didn’t dare provoke him. “But we have a property viewing scheduled for this afternoon. Where are you going?”
Song Xu didn’t answer.
Just then, the receptionist Anni knocked and entered: “Mr. Song, there’s a visitor here to see you.”
Song Xu’s eyes flickered slightly, and he replied lightly, “Got it.”
/
Small Meeting Room.
Wen Bairan checked the time. The receptionist who’d shown her in said she would get someone, but it had been five minutes and she still hadn’t returned.
Before coming, she had heard that P&t’s scale was on par with her previous company. Now that she was here, she found it was indeed true.
Her previous company only occupied half a floor, and the empty office across gave the illusion that they occupied the entire floor. Here, an entire floor was genuinely theirs.
Zhongjie Headquarters International office building—the rent alone was shockingly high.
It was said the lease was signed for five years.
No wonder Qiao Yi said they had money.
As Wen Bairan looked around, the R&D and product departments took up half the office area, while the remaining half of the general office space was only two-thirds occupied.
There was none of the informality or disorganization typical of other startups. Everyone here was focused on their own tasks, with clear divisions of labor. It was like a well-oiled machine, each gear operating in perfect sync.
It was hard to believe they had been established for less than two months.
Only someone with Song Xu’s freakish efficiency could achieve this.
Speaking of him, Wen Bairan had actually returned yesterday but deliberately waited a day on purpose, to avoid giving him a heads-up.
She had caught up with Qiao Yi last night.
Qiao Yi had also decided to resign.
To join Song Xu’s company.
He had offered her a new position.
Assistant PR Manager.
“Although I’m more comfortable with projects, he’s right! My insight and reactivity are perfect for PR! I’m better at causing a stir than making plans!” She rubbed her hands excitedly.
Wen Bairan agreed with that, but she was more curious about whether the pay had doubled.
Qiao Yi giggled and said modestly it was alright.
Judging by her expression, it must have been at least double.
Who knew Song Xu would be so generous?
What would he offer her later?
After waiting a few more minutes, the receptionist finally returned.
She said beaming, “Miss Wen, please follow me.”
She led Wen Bairan to another conference room and knocked on the door: “Mr. Xiang, the last morning interviewee is here.”
Interview?
Wen Bairan paused. When she arrived, she’d only mentioned she was here to see Song Xu, not for an interview.
Before she could say it might be a misunderstanding, a voice came from inside: “Let her in.”
An unfamiliar man’s voice—probably Xiang Sun.
The receptionist gently held the door open for her.
“Please.”
Left with no choice, Wen Bairan could only brace herself and enter.
The conference room wasn’t big, and she immediately spotted Song Xu.
He was sitting on the left side opposite the door, his chair pulled somewhat away from the table. He seemed exhausted from interviews, leaning back lazily in his chair with his legs casually crossed. His left arm rested on the back of the chair while he mindlessly scrolled through his phone.
He was actually here?
Sensing her gaze, Song Xu slowly looked up. A cryptic glint flashed in his eyes, and the corners of his eyes lifted almost imperceptibly.
It was gone in an instant.
Wen Bairan immediately understood he had planned this.
Deliberately setting up this interview, deliberately not informing her in advance, deliberately wanting to catch her off guard and unprepared.
But how had he known she was coming today?
She temporarily set aside that question. Acting indifferent, he kept looking at his phone, not lifting his eyes again throughout.
Xiang Sun, sitting beside him, folded his hands together on the table and told her cheerfully, “Miss Wen, have a seat.”
Looks like he’s the main interviewer today.
Wen Bairan had already assessed the situation. She calmly pulled out the only chair in front of her and sat down.
"President Xiang, nice to see you again," she said with a light, graceful smile.
Xiang Sun raised an eyebrow. Their last meeting had been too rushed and chaotic—he hadn’t had the chance to appreciate how beautiful she was.
Her light makeup did nothing to diminish her natural, delicate beauty. Wen Bairan’s charm was clearly not superficial; her eyes held a rare depth and intelligence.
Noting her composure, Xiang Sun chuckled, unclasped his hands, and tapped the empty desk before him. He posed the first question of the day: "Miss Wen, you didn’t bring a resume?"
"I did."
Although Song Xu had clearly told her she could start immediately, she had come prepared for every possibility, just in case.
Wen Bairan neatly took a prepared folder from her bag, placed it on the table, and gently pushed it forward.
Xiang Sun flipped through a few pages casually. Clearly, she was well-prepared, and this was merely for show. He set it down in less than five seconds.
Then, folding his hands again, he kept his calm smile and raised the stakes: "Miss Wen, your work history is quite extensive. I have a question."
Wen Bairan replied, "Please go ahead."
"What are your thoughts on the highly publicized New Future Technology fraud case from a few years ago?"
As soon as Xiang Sun finished speaking, the conference room fell into an odd silence.
The smile on Wen Bairan’s face froze. She instinctively glanced toward Song Xu.
Many people knew about New Future, but hardly anyone could connect her to the incident. And the only person who could have possibly mentioned it to Xiang Sun was him.
He remained in the same position, absorbed in his phone.
It was impossible to tell what he was looking at—his thumb swiped only occasionally. It was as if he hadn’t heard their conversation, didn’t notice her look of betrayal, and hadn’t tipped off Xiang Sun. Whatever was on the screen had his full attention.
Song Xu had completely disengaged, acting as if he weren’t even present.
Wen Bairan frowned.
Xiang Sun noticed her composure had slipped. He felt a twinge of regret that she had revealed her true self so quickly.
Out of respect for Song Xu, he still offered her an out: "Miss Wen, don’t misunderstand. It was just a random question. If you’re unfamiliar with this case, we can change the topic. Let’s move to—"
"No need."
Wen Bairan gave one last look at the indifferent Song Xu, then acted as if nothing had happened. The coolness in her eyes added a strikingly sharp, rational edge to her gentle features.
She said, "I can answer this question."
Xiang Sun became intrigued. "Oh?"
The New Future case had been like a splinter in Wen Bairan’s heart for the past three years. She had always wondered when that thorn had been driven in and why it had struck her so precisely.
From the company’s management structure and project style to employee relationships; from New Future’s fraudulent methods and tactics to how they managed to deceive so many companies during on-site inspections without revealing any flaws—Wen Bairan had gone over these key factors in her mind over a thousand times.
She had summarized the following points:
"First, New Future’s laboratory was real at the time. It was later verified that they had rented Kanglai Biotechnology’s laboratory, which explains why no one suspected anything after on-site inspections. Second, their research direction was what the market needed, and urgently so. When people are in a hurry, they are more prone to oversight and potential risks. Finally, the reason New Future could pull it off for so long was that biopurification technology patents require extremely high lab conditions. Different equipment, personnel, and procedures can all affect the experimental results. It was precisely this difficulty in verification that allowed them to use similar methods to defraud companies in different cities for years.
"Of course, such a scam wasn’t foolproof. Therefore, the companies they targeted all had flaws—internal conflicts, lack of professional expertise in management, eagerness to profit and expand while neglecting proper due diligence. Only companies with such unstable factors were easy targets."
Wen Bairan’s response was logical and well-structured, as if it hadn’t been improvised.
Especially her analysis of the defrauded companies.
For instance, the medical group in Y Province that lost 60 million was due to internal conflicts within the board. As soon as the New Future incident broke out, the board immediately replaced its members. The disputes between the newly appointed director and the previous one were already widely known. No one would believe there wasn’t some inside involvement.
What intrigued Xiang Sun was how Wen Bairan knew all this.
He sat up a little straighter, his smile deepening. "It seems Miss Wen has done thorough research."
Wen Bairan curved her lips. "I’m flattered, President Xiang."
Xiang Sun raised his index finger. "One last question."
"If it were you, how would you have avoided this disaster?"
If it were her...
Wen Bairan looked at Song Xu again.
He was still looking down, but the indifference on his profile had clearly shifted—he was now engaged in the conversation.
His hand had stopped moving. He, too, was waiting for her answer.
Wen Bairan’s heart stirred. She withdrew her gaze and said calmly, "I would do my part, fulfill my obligations, and speak up when I noticed anything abnormal. But—"
She paused, then continued, "The company’s decision-making level is not something I can interfere with."
It was only afterward that she remembered: at the very beginning of her involvement in the case, she had already reminded her direct supervisor that New Future’s laboratory was rented and the lease was about to expire. Her supervisor said not to worry—it was normal for many startups not to have their own labs. As long as they could continue using the laboratory afterward, the company could choose to renew the lease or use another lab.
Unfortunately, that was only a verbal exchange. With time passed, there was no record of it anywhere.
In other words, she had already fulfilled her duty to raise the concern, but her supervisor hadn’t taken it seriously.
In that situation, there was simply nothing more she could have done.
Even if she had taken Zhou Lin’s father’s vague hint to heart and reported it upward, who would have believed her? Unless Chairman Zhou himself were present, why would they halt the company’s long-awaited project based on her insignificant voice?
About to become the youngest mid-level manager?
Hah, that meant she wasn’t one yet.
Even if she were, above mid-level there were senior management, and above them, the decision-makers.
Any action beyond the scope of her original role was beyond her control.
From beginning to end, her role in this matter had only been to take the blame.
It wasn’t until she realized this that Wen Bairan finally stopped her long period of self-reproach.
After finishing, she took a deep breath, adjusted her emotions and mindset, and threw the question back to Xiang Sun.
"President Xiang, suppose during a critical phase of a company acquisition, all cooperation terms have been agreed upon. Then the lady who brought me in earlier tells you this project has problems and shouldn’t proceed. What would you choose?"
Xiang Sun was stunned, then amused. "You mean Anni? She’s just a receptionist. Why would she care about such things? She probably doesn’t even know what projects the company has—"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly felt as if he had been scammed out of 60 million.
Wen Bairan smiled faintly, didn't confirm or deny.
She turned to Song Xu: "Similarly, I also have a question for Mr. Song."
The interview had actually ended just moments ago.
Song Xu was no longer an outsider; he lifted his gaze and studied her intently.
Wen Bairan’s smile remained unchanged, even gentler, but her words were laced with subtle sharpness: "Mr. Song has been silent all this time. I believe you must have a better business decision in mind. My question is, can your choice truly represent this company?"
It was common knowledge that the company was co-founded by him and Xiang Sun, but aside from them, there were several other investors. She had met them at a business dinner before—all seemed like experienced individuals. Though each held a small share, their combined influence was not to be underestimated.
Song Xu was riding high now, but when the time came, even if he could manage Xiang Sun, what about the others?
Even if he had extraordinary skills, would those arrogant investors all submit to Mr. Song alone?
Unlikely.
What Wen Bairan really wanted was to remind him not to see things in black and white.
Nothing in this world is absolute.
Did he not understand this?
Song Xu’s expressionless eyes showed neither anger nor joy, narrowed slightly, their depth growing more intense.
//
The interview ended, and Wen Bairan made a quick exit.
Just before the elevator doors closed, Song Xu suddenly appeared.
A large hand pressed against the doorframe, making the entire elevator shake.
Wen Bairan’s heart jumped.
There were others inside. She glanced at him, then looked away, moving to the very back.
Song Xu stepped in and stood kitty-corner from her, leaning against the wall.
His heavy gaze felt like a dark cloud looming overhead.
Wen Bairan paid him no mind.
The elevator, operating during peak hours, lurched. Finally, it reached the first floor.
Wen Bairan kept her head down as she walked out. Just as she reached the door, her wrist was suddenly seized.
The hold wasn’t tight, but his palm was warm.
Pressed against the base of her thumb, it tightened.
She stiffened: "What are you doing?"
She didn’t look up, and Song Xu didn’t speak.
He switched hands to hold hers, stepped forward to hold the elevator door, and pressed the button for B2.
The elevator doors closed, enclosing two intertwined figures.
It continued descending.
When they reached the parking garage, Song Xu still hadn’t let go.
He led her to his parking spot.
Wen Bairan didn’t want to get into the car with him.
Maybe she had considered it before coming, but not now—not anymore, no way!
They were just steps away from his car when Wen Bairan suddenly clamped onto his wrist.
"Song Xu!"
Song Xu stopped and turned around.
The garage was closed-off and dimly lit, the thick smell of plastic making her dizzy.
Wen Bairan winced slightly. When she looked up, she suddenly froze: "..."
The man before her had eyes burning with dark desire that seemed to spill over.
The next second, he cupped her face and kissed her.
Urgent, intense, as if he wanted to devour her.
It had been a week since he’d returned.
No calls, no messages.
He was swamped, no time to call.
Okay, maybe he could admit he was doing it on purpose.
He nipped at her lips, cut off her air, leaving a tingling ache deep in her tongue.
He had wanted to do this since the moments she kept looking his way in the meeting room.
These eyes.
This mouth.
Her waist, so soft it seemed it could break, curved back against his arm in a perfect arc.
His kiss grew heavier, deeper.
Ambiguous sounds echoed in the shadows of the pillars.
Wen Bairan was stunned.
For a moment, she was overwhelmed, focused solely on responding to his deep kiss, completely forgetting she could push him away.
It wasn’t until she was pressed against a pillar, her shirt collar tilted, his hand holding her neck, his thumb tracing from her jaw to the mole nestled in her collarbone, rubbing it lightly and firmly.
She let out an involuntary moan, then snapped back to awareness in an instant.
"Song... mmm!" Her eyes widened as she saw Song Xu’s face so close.
He was so absorbed, so intoxicated, as if he wished to merge with her right there.
Wen Bairan’s every warning bell went off, but there was no escape. She could only raise her hands to push against his shoulders, seizing the moment to shove him away with force—
She had used all her strength, yet Song Xu was only pushed back half a step from her push.
His figure still stood over her, his brow furrowed, his dark eyes filled with dissatisfaction, lingering desire, and confusion.
Why push him away?
Weren’t they already in sync just moments ago?
Wen Bairan hated her body’s reaction even more, and she hated that it was Song Xu who had made her this way.
Clenching her teeth, she held her collar closed, her eyes slightly reddened, glaring at him with a weak, powerless anger. “Song Xu, you’d better understand—we are nothing to each other now. What gives you the right to treat me like this?”
Treat her like what?
He could hear the hurt in her accusation.
As reason returned, Song Xu calmed down and stepped forward, reaching to hug her. “I can explain.”
“Explain what?” she coldly demanded.
Song Xu paused, his brow tightening.
He remained where he was, watching the icy resistance in her eyes as she slowly retreated. Only when a safe distance stretched between them did Wen Bairan, with a sense of resignation, casually tug at her collar.
She knew it looked unbecoming, but she had no choice. Right now, she could only resist him and stop herself from feeling him in such an extreme way. A single kiss from him had left her legs so weak she could barely stand.
Song Xu clearly recognized her struggle, his expression softening gradually as he quietly waited for her to say what she needed to say.
“Explain how you know me inside and out? Explain why you can come and go freely in my life while I can’t? Or explain why, knowing full well I came here today to see you, you still let me make a fool of myself? Song Xu, how can you be so self-righteous!?” Wen Bairan now understood why Zhou Lin had once said he hated her calm expression the most—he couldn’t sense even a hint of her care, as if he were the only one performing an emotional soliloquy.
Song Xu’s indifferent eyes now gave her a similar feeling.
“Fine, even if you can explain all that, let me ask you this: how could you be so sure I wouldn’t openly turn against you upstairs? Why did you tell Xiang Sun about the New Future incident?”
This was what bothered Wen Bairan the most.
It was a stain on her career, an old wound she didn’t want to reopen. The fact that she had allowed him to know about it was proof of her trust.
But he had betrayed that trust.
The accusation weighed heavily.
Song Xu finally spoke: “I didn’t.”
“Didn’t what?”
“I only asked him to get your opinion on the case. I didn’t mention your connection to New Future.”
“What difference does that make!” If he brought it up out of nowhere, who wouldn’t make the connection?
“He wouldn’t,” Song Xu said. “Because I told Xiang Sun it was a test I prepared for you. He thought I might go easy on you given the company’s interests, so he took the initiative to ask.”
“A test for me? Why test me?” Wen Bairan frowned.
Song Xu looked at her, slowly slipping his hands into his pockets, and stated bluntly, “You’re too sensitive.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
His brief reply, delivered in a cold tone, marked his return to the role of CEO Song.
Wen Bairan’s visibly stunned expression froze for a moment.
“Mistakes are temporary. If you don’t let go, they become permanent.”
“I’ve said it before—facing things head-on is always the best solution.”
She had already wasted three years on this matter, but there wouldn’t be another three.
The company was starting quickly and would develop even faster. Continuing to dwell in the past wouldn’t punish anyone but herself.
“If you refuse to break free from the past, then I’ll help you. From now on, I don’t want you shrinking back and remaining on the sidelines.” As he spoke, Song Xu slowly walked toward her.
His approach was pressuring yet still left room.
Wen Bairan was taken aback. Before she realized it, he was standing toe-to-toe with her.
“For the company’s sake, and for yours, I’m giving you the entire product department.”
His gaze settled on her, enveloping her in its intensity. “You’d better be able to shoulder this responsibility, or I will replace you.”
CEO Song’s voice was low and mellow, yet his close proximity carried a tenderness unique to Song Xu.
He switched between these two roles effortlessly, pinpointing her vulnerabilities, calling out her evasions, and mercilessly exposing her pretenses.
He had her completely figured out.
Wen Bairan closed her eyes in dismay.
She was no match for him.
At least not on CEO Song’s level.
The empty garage regained its initial tranquility.
Song Xu gently stroked her face, like a reward. “You did well just now.”
As he spoke, he clearly sensed Wen Bairan relinquishing her hostility.
But the next moment, she abruptly pushed his hand away.
His brow furrowed.
Song Xu watched as Wen Bairan lifted her eyes within his shadow, her stubborn gaze piercing through his encirclement.
She grabbed his collar, pulled him down, and fiercely bit the corner of his mouth.
She showed no restraint, nor any gentleness.
The metallic taste of blood quickly spread in his mouth, carried through his veins to his heart.
In the silence, someone’s heartbeat thumped loudly.
She probed with her tongue to explore further.
She felt his Adam’s apple bob sharply.
Wen Bairan released him, stepping back slightly.
Her eyes were seductive, enchanting enough to captivate.
She smirked disdainfully. “I’ve also said—don’t be so self-righteous.”