Chapter 236: Please Be Willing to Work Hard

Chapter 236: Please Be Willing to Work Hard

TL: Etude

For Jiang Qin, whether it was the milk tea shop or the lamb soup restaurant, these were just spontaneous ventures on his entrepreneurial journey. However, since he embarked on them, steering them towards better development was certainly desirable.

But the most crucial aspect was recruitment.

After leaving He Yijun’s office, Jiang Qin first visited his own office to check the progress of the renovations. The independent offices required more work, but the rest of the nooks and crannies needed little change.

He then turned to visit Bao Wenping’s office to discuss recruitment matters.

Tan Qing had briefed Bao Wenping on the store’s group-buying project the previous day. Drawing on her years of experience in human resources, Bao had already set the recruitment direction.

Candidates who had experience with internet marketing, proven ability in organizing field promotions, and were willing to travel for work… and most importantly, willing to work hard without complaint!

Jiang Qin nodded, feeling these recruitment requirements were sufficient.

Especially the last one, ‘willing to work hard without complaint,’ was incredibly apt.

“Damn, who even coined this idiom?” he wondered. “It’s ridiculously convenient for capitalists.”

Asking people to work hard without complaint seemed almost inhuman.

Jiang Qin turned Bao Wenping’s computer towards him and searched for the origin of this idiom. He found that these words first appeared in “Discussions on Salt and Iron – Criticizing Power” by Huan Kuan during the Han Dynasty.

The Han Dynasty, over two thousand years ago, right?

Two thousand years… Huan Kuan was probably still simmering in the oil cauldron of the eighteenth level of hell, like a tiger-skinned chicken foot. freewebnoveℓ.com

With Jiang Qin’s approval, Bao Wenping uploaded the recruitment requirements to local websites, forwarded them to job-seeking groups, and printed a thick stack of job advertisements. These would soon be posted in community bulletin boards and job markets, awaiting applicants.

“Boss Jiang, will you be attending the recruitment?” Bao asked.

Jiang Qin released the mouse and keyboard. “I won’t join the first round of interviews. You and Yue Zhu can handle the screening. Schedule the suitable candidates for the second round at the same time, so I can meet them all in one go.”

“Understood, Boss Jiang.”

Jiang Qin tapped his fingers on the desk. “Did we lay off a lot of sales staff during the mall’s reformation?”

Bao Wenping nodded. “Yes, we didn’t need as many salespeople after the reform, so we did let a lot go.”

“People with sales experience could be suitable for field promotions. If there are any sharp and patient ones, we can bring them back under the guise of daily wage jobs.”

“Now?”

“After the formal recruitment is over. Otherwise, without someone to lead, there might be issues.”

After finishing his discussion, Jiang Qin left Bao Wenping’s office and returned to He Yijun’s place to watch Feng Nanshu teaching He Manqi, thoroughly engrossed.

University students enjoy watching the strenuous study routines of high schoolers, much like how freshly licensed drivers love watching funny driving test compilations online. Witnessing others struggle or fail brings a natural sense of superiority.

But this keen interest, when observed by He Yijun, took on a different meaning.

Jiang Qin might be somewhat callous, but he truly lived up to his reputation as a star student of Linchuan University. Even watching others study could captivate him so intensely—it was indeed frightening.

“Xiaoxiao, there’s a new company online recruiting a large number of employees, with decent pay. Shall we give it a try?”

“A new company? No, I’m determined to work for a big company.”

“Lele, Zhang Yu, are you guys interested?”

In a certain community in Linchuan, Deng Yuan, a graduate of the University of Science and Technology, was browsing job listings online. Upon seeing the recruitment advertisement and salary range of the group-buying company, her mouse stopped moving.

Behind her in the living room, three other girls were watching “Who Decides My Youth”: Liang Xiao, Qian Lele, and Zhang Yu.

They were roommates in college and chose to live together after graduation, hoping to build their careers in Linchuan. Unfortunately, finding a good job proved challenging, and they had yet to see significant progress after months of effort.

Faced with competitive job openings, they lacked an edge, and they were cautious about less popular jobs. They were nearly at their wits’ end.

Liang Xiao came from a well-off family and was picky about jobs. She refused jobs that were too demanding, paid too little, located in less bustling areas, or had poor working environments.

Qian Lele, close to Liang Xiao and somewhat indecisive, followed her lead in declining the opportunity.

Deng Yuan, not as financially secure, was the most active in job hunting, spending hours daily browsing recruitment websites.

“A monthly salary of two thousand, even higher with experience. That’s not a small amount in Linchuan. Even Qixi, who moved to Shanghai, only earns two thousand one hundred, right?”

Lying on the sofa and munching on chips, Liang Xiao retorted, “Come on, Deng Yuan. Haven’t you learned from all the job interviews? They promise two thousand, but they’ll slash it down to just over a thousand once you’re there.”

Qian Lele nodded in agreement. “There are jobs advertising five thousand to ten thousand, but they turn out to be sales jobs with a base pay of only five hundred. You can’t even make a single sale in three months, and at the end of the month, they deduct three hundred from your pay.”

Deng Yuan pursed her lips. “I’m out of money and can’t keep relying on my family. I have to check this out, no matter what.”

“I’ll go with you, Deng Yuan,” Zhang Yu suddenly said.

Liang Xiao sat up. “Don’t you already have a job? Although the company is small, the boss seems to appreciate you, right?”

Zhang Yu bit her lip. “The boss looks at me in a strange way. He insisted I work overtime yesterday, and I don’t want to stay.”

“That’s what happens when you’re pretty. Bosses nowadays favor female college graduates,” Qian Lele chuckled.

Zhang Yu pressed her lips together. “I just want to earn money through my abilities.”

Deng Yuan walked over and hugged her. “It’s okay, Zhang Yu. Let’s go together tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

In a flash, it was Monday, and many men and women in formal attire arrived at the top floor of the Wanzhong Mall, queuing up for the interview.

Some had seen the job advertisement online, others were informed by acquaintances, and some received notifications from the job market. Various channels had led them here, all attracted by the salary level offered.

The corridor on the top floor of Wanzhong Mall was packed with a dense crowd of people, buzzing like a busy market.

Deng Yuan, originally not nervous, started feeling uneasy seeing the large number of people.

The job market in 2009 was indeed tough, due to severe industrial rigidity, limited job positions, and the financial crisis. Large companies were busy optimizing internally, small companies struggled to survive, and even factories were impacted by the changes, leading to fierce competition for jobs.

Many people adhered to the principle of “better safe than sorry,” attempting any job opportunity they came across.

Importantly, Wanzhong Mall had a good reputation in Linchuan, and many believed this recruitment was related to the mall, so they weren’t worried about being scammed.

Of course, many inexperienced candidates, those whose specialties didn’t match, or those who didn’t fully understand the recruitment requirements were quickly eliminated.

Deng Yuan and Zhang Yu arrived early and, after waiting for about half an hour, were invited into the conference room.

Being new to the workforce and not yet skilled in self-promotion or exaggeration, both were very honest, unlike some more experienced individuals who would boast about participating in multi-billion projects for selling gadgets or claim collaboration with Tencent after rushing a QQ membership.

“You’re invited for a second interview next Wednesday at one o’clock. Please be punctual.”

“Ah?”

Deng Yuan and Zhang Yu didn’t expect to pass the first round, given the large number of interviewees. Their eyes were filled with surprise.

Their only advantage was that their major was marketing, which matched the job description. What they didn’t know was that the first round was just a preliminary screening. As long as the candidates spoke sensibly and had relevant experience or matching specialties, Yue Zhu and Bao Wenping would keep them for Jiang Qin to make the final decision.

“Can I ask about the salary for this position we’re interviewing for?”

“It’s two thousand, as we stated in our recruitment ad,” Bao Wenping answered.

Deng Yuan pursed her lips, “Is it really two thousand? It’s not some base salary plus commission, is it?”

“Yes, it’s a base salary plus commission.”

“…”

Hearing this, Deng Yuan and Zhang Yu sighed, expecting another base salary plus commission structure that probably wouldn’t pay much unless they made sales.

But the next second, Yue Zhu’s additional explanation left them somewhat confused.

“The base salary is two thousand without responsibility. The commission and bonus structure will be disclosed in the second interview.”

“Just a base salary of two thousand?”

Thus, the two girls left Wanzhong, returning to their rental place, still somewhat incredulous.

Liang Xiao, who had just woken up, rubbed her eyes and asked, “How did the interview go?”

“We have a second round next Wednesday,” said Zhang Yu.

“Heh, a new company holding two rounds of interviews seems pretty pretentious. Is the salary at least one thousand five hundred?”

Zhang Yu glanced at her, “It’s a base salary of two thousand without responsibility, with commission and bonuses to be disclosed in the second round.”

Liang Xiao’s smirk froze upon hearing this, “Really? So, if you get the job, you’ll start with a salary of two thousand?”

“Yes.”

“That can’t be right. Are you sure you understood correctly?”

Zhang Yu shook her head, “Deng Yuan asked several times. It’s definitely two thousand without responsibility.”

Liang Xiao pursed her lips in silence, then dismissively said, “That company probably won’t last long. Be careful not to get scammed.”

“The company is located above Wanzhong Mall. I heard the boss is friends with the owner of Wanzhong, so it should be trustworthy.”

“It’s located above the central Wanzhong Mall?”

Zhang Yu nodded expressionlessly, “Yes, and if work gets tiring, we can go downstairs for hotpot or shopping.”

Liang Xiao paused for a moment, “Is it still possible to apply for the interview now?”

“I wouldn’t know about that.”

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