2 (EDT) Chapter 2
About a week ago, before everything related to the post-apocalypse even happened.
"Sorry, Mr. Zhang. It seems that the company had a better choice of candidate for hire. Although this is regrettable, we hope we can be cooperating with each other again in the future. We can only wish you all the best for your interview with your next company." a secretary said apologetically.
But behind her words filled with understanding and apology was a hint of sarcasm.
She's definitely a looker with that hourglass figure, dressed in a tight pencil skirt and a loose blouse. Furthermore, the rigid paper folder in between her arms only served to enhance her breast further as it pushed her melons tighter around her chest.
Unfortunately for Zhang Qin Feng, a heavenly view like this would only come once. But as he enjoyed the sight in front of him, her following sentence destroyed all the attractiveness brought by her succubus-looking image.
"Because it's currently the lunch hour for the staff, please consider using the stairs while leaving. We're thankful for your understanding. If there's nothing else, please excuse me, as I still have something else to do."
The secretary said what she had to do before leaving Zhang Qin Feng outside the Human Resources Office.
'What the fuck?' Zhang Qin Feng cussed. It never came to his mind that he had to walk ten floors down just to leave this office building.
But with a dejected look on his face, Zhang Qin Feng followed what he was told.
'Are your fucking company's staff is crippled or something?' Zhang Qin Feng continued to scold as he took the stairs back to the lower floors. The echoes from his steps were like a frozen cold sword that stabs on his back with each step he makes.
It only made him feel better the moment he finally got out of the emergency staircase.
The moment he left the building, Zhang Qin Feng lit a cigarette in his hand and took a deep breath. Almost half of the cigarette was gone from a puff as he exhaled the smoke out from his lungs.
'Damn! What kind of workers are you guys hiring? Twenty years old with thirty years of working experience? Or a golden shepherd breed puppy trained to be obedient?' Zhang Qin Feng continued to complain the further he left the office building.
This was his fifteenth interview. It was a complete fifteen rejection streak he had since he graduated from the low-cost national college two months ago. He would be sleeping on the streets right now was it not because his uncle and mother had been supporting him in this Suihe City.
He had the urge to yell to get better, but Zhang Qin Feng knew it was pointless to do so. He would just end up as a clown or someone weird on the street if he did. And as he was waiting for the pedestrian light to turn green, Zhang Qin Feng turned his head back to the building to take a last glance.
[Golden Stars Retail Co]
'When I'm successful in the future, I'll buy this damn company and fire all the workers inside, especially the picky and problematic HR employees. I'll see where will you end up after getting fired.' Zhang Qin Feng made a promise to himself before crossing the road in a hurry.
He soon arrived at a relatively old residential zone with a few blocks of old-style flats. This place was a twenty to twenty-five minutes walk from the Golden Stars Retail Co Building.
From its look, the three residential flats here could house close to three hundred families, from a single individual to a family for four. In the middle of the three blocks was a spacious parking spot that could fit close to two hundred cars, and there is still space for hawker stalls to operate from morning till night.
On the ground level were some family-operated convenience stores, barbers, laundry, and so on. This place might look broken, but it still cost him a thousand Dongcheng Dollars in rent.
(Author's Note: This world had nothing related to the one we're living, and it was created just for this novel. Thank you for your understanding.)
Since this residential was quite old, there's not even a lift on this ten-level tall building. Luckily, the staircase was considerably spacious, enough for four people to walk side-by-side. Walking up to the fourth floor, Zhang Qin Feng took a key out to open the door.
Mind you, what he was unlocking was a padlock that kept the door shut. The doorknob he had on the door was so old that the lock was no longer produced anymore. Unless this metal door was taken apart and replaced with a newer wooden door, a padlock would be the only choice Zhang Qin Feng had.
But passing the door is a cozy studio about the size of a 4m x 4m. Except for the missing bathroom and toilet combo, it was quite a cozy studio to live in.
After changing his interview suit to a comfortable T-shirt and short pants, Zhang Qin Feng rested on his bed with his eyes closed.
A few hours later, Zhang Qin Feng was woken up by a disturbing phone call. The caller's name, "Fatty-Xie," was shown on display.
"Hello?" Zhang Qin Feng answered the call with the voice of someone suffering from a sore throat. It was not only harsh but sounded like he was dying to the caller's side.
"It took me five missed calls to wake you up. Come down and have something to eat, you jobless bugger. The noodles and beer are here," said Fatty Xie on the other side of the phone.
"How can the time go so fast? Give me five minutes. I'll be right there." Zhang Qin Feng groggily shut the call and washed his face using the water from the kitchen's tap. In less than five minutes, he was ready and walking downstairs.
"Why do you look like a loser right now? Just keep applying for a job until you get one." Fatty Xie said when Zhang Qin Feng pulled the chair and sat down.
"Who told you I was rejected?" Zhang Qin Feng grabbed the glass inside the ice water and poured himself a glass of beer. From his reply, it seems he denied the fact he was rejected in his interview.
"Tsk..." Fatty Xie clicked his tongue.
"How long do I know you? Do you think I can't guess if you get the job or not?" Fatty Xie replied to Zhang Qin Feng while reaching for another bottle of beer.
The two eventually bumped their glass and finished all the alcohol in a mouthful.
"Fuah! Bitter." Zhang Qin Feng said as he refilled Fatty Xie's glass before his.
"My treat today." Fatty Xie said. The two soon shared the plate of noodles and some spicy meat as the side dish.
Just like Zhang Qin Feng, Fatty Xie also recently graduated from the same low-cost National College. But his luck was slightly better than the former as he got a job immediately the next day after they graduated.
"Did you get paid today? What makes our Lord Xie so generous today?" Zhang Qin Feng jokes before stuffing his mouth with the spicy meat dish.
"Hahaha, even better than getting paid. I've picked up a fifty dollars note hidden on the driver's seat today when taking over the delivery job. It's either fallen from his pocket, or he was hiding money there on purpose."
"Anyway, finders keepers. It's mine now since there's no name written on that cash note." Fatty Xie smirked while telling his tale on how the money came from.
"Does that means we can order more than ten bottles today? Shall we drink until we're drunk?" Zhang Qin Feng suggested with a joking tone. With the price of four dollars and fifty cents for a half-liter bottle, fifty dollars is indeed enough for ten.
"I'll smack your head, you asshole. Let's split the drinking for today and tomorrow. By the way, why not going to help your uncle? His place always requires more workers anyway." Fatty Xie playfully replies while swinging his hand at Zhang Qin Feng. But his tone is serious as the topic about Zhang Qin Feng's uncle was brought out.
"I did think about that, but I don't want to bother my uncle further. It's already a bother to live in his studio with a discounted rent. Plus, if there's a money dispute between us, it would be problematic to my mother, who is also his younger sister." Zhang Qin Feng shook his head.
Just like what he said, he had been leeching on his uncle for quite a while. From accommodation to his college fee, his uncle had been half-supporting him for the past two years.
"But you'll have to work and eat anyway. Instead of waiting for an interview to come, why not treat it like part-time work? At least you have some income and work experience by the time you're ready for a job." said Fatty Xie.
His word is indeed accurate to some point. In this Suihe City, there's a total of eighteen retail companies. Out of the eighteen, fifteen had rejected Zhang Qin Feng's job application, with only three remaining. And out of the three, one was only opened for female applicants, and thus only two left.
"Look's like I got no other choice... Maybe I'll take your advice and go to my uncle tomorrow morning and see if he's willing to hire me." Zhang Qin Feng smiled and finished the last glass of beer on the table.
The following morning, Zhang Qin Feng paid his uncle's warehouse a visit, which is also about twenty minutes away from the residential area he's living in.
