Chapter Forty-Two: Such an Interview

By the time the two arrived in Fuyuan District, night had fully fallen. Neon lights flashed along the streets, crowds came and went, and the city’s nightlife was just beginning. Compared to An County, this place was infinitely more bustling. They hailed a taxi and headed to the new meeting address sent by Li Fang’s friend.

“Why is it a bar?” Li Fang began to feel uneasy.

Her friend’s explanation was that their contact had waited too long and decided to relax at a nearby bar. They could simply sign the work contract in a private room; the interview was just a formality, since everyone was acquainted. It didn’t matter where the interview took place.

“Do you still think your friend is trustworthy?” Lin Lei was now certain Li Fang was being deceived.

“So… should I go?” Li Fang’s voice trembled with apprehension. If it were a factory or even a restaurant, she wouldn’t be so worried, but a bar was far too chaotic. A young woman, alone in a strange city on her first day—she couldn’t help but be cautious.

“That’s up to you. If you want to go, I’ll go with you. If not, we can find somewhere to eat and handle the interview tomorrow,” Lin Lei answered indifferently. He was just accompanying her, ready to step in at a critical moment, but the choice had to be Li Fang’s.

Li Fang began texting her friend, intending to decline the “interview”—at worst, she would lose a day’s wages.

But her friend’s reply grew stern, claiming she had gone to great lengths for Li Fang’s sake and incurred a huge favor. If Li Fang didn’t come, she wouldn’t be able to explain herself. Furthermore, if Li Fang didn’t arrive within half an hour, she shouldn’t look for her again for any work matters. It was just short of saying that if Li Fang didn’t come, their friendship would end for good.

“Maybe… I should at least meet my friend outside the bar. We don’t have to go in,” Li Fang sought Lin Lei’s opinion.

“I told you, everything is up to you,” he replied.

“Thank you!” Truth be told, without Lin Lei, Li Fang would never have risked this alone.

It also meant, however, that this journey could end here, and her friendship with the other would be severed entirely.

After about ten minutes, the taxi stopped in front of the bar—Radiant Charm Bar. Its décor was unimpressive, suggesting the prices weren’t high.

Li Fang hadn’t been waiting long when a girl stepped out, dressed provocatively and heavily made-up.

“Fangfang… you finally made it to Yangcheng! I’ve missed you so much!” The girl gave Li Fang a hug, then glanced at Lin Lei standing nearby. “Fangfang, who’s this handsome guy? Your boyfriend?”

“No… no, he’s Lin Lei, my classmate from middle school. He’s also coming to work in Yangcheng, so we traveled together. Lin Lei, this is my close friend, my bestie, Zhou Jing,” Li Fang introduced.

“I see,” Zhou Jing frowned, ignoring Lin Lei.

“Let’s go inside. Manager Liu is still waiting in the private room!” Things weren’t going exactly as planned, but Zhou Jing’s job was just to bring people; the rest wasn’t her concern.

“Wait, Zhou Jing, we’ve been best friends for years. Tell me honestly, is this really a job at an electronics factory?” Li Fang wanted to clarify matters before going in.

“Of course! Would I lie to you? But you should know, Manager Liu has lost a few hours because of you and is in a bad mood. I can’t guarantee you’ll get into the factory now. If you go in and say a few good words, maybe it’ll work out. But if you refuse, there’s absolutely no chance. The job market’s tough these days—worker wages are high, company profits are low, layoffs are everywhere, and the hiring peak has passed. If you miss this opportunity, who knows when you’ll find another?” Zhou Jing half-threatened.

Li Fang had indeed come late, missing the hiring peak, but it wasn’t impossible to find work. The problem was, she was unfamiliar with the city, and if she lost Zhou Jing’s help, her early days here would be very difficult.

Hearing it was truly a factory job, Li Fang relaxed a bit. She glanced at Lin Lei and decided, “Alright, I’ll go in with you.”

“Let’s go! But… carrying your luggage inside isn’t ideal. Maybe your classmate can wait here and watch your bags?” Zhou Jing suggested again.

“I don’t have a job either. I want to try my luck with Manager Liu. Even if I don’t get hired, I can learn about the hiring process for future interviews. As for the suitcase, I’ll leave it by the bar,” Lin Lei quickly replied, shutting the conversation down. He carried both suitcases to the bar, gave the bartender a generous tip to watch them.

With no further excuses, Zhou Jing led them upstairs to the private room.

Inside were two women and six men. The two women, apart from Zhou Jing, were evidently bar hostesses, meaning the rest were men. Of the six men, one was portly, while the other five looked like muscle-bound bodyguards.

All this just to sign a work contract? Lin Lei couldn’t help but sneer, recalling a scheme Xu Lei used to brag about during their school days…

The portly middle-aged man’s eyes flashed when he saw Li Fang, then landed on Lin Lei. Impatiently, he said, “What took you so long? Your friends must be pretty important.”

Clearly, Zhou Jing had already informed him about Lin Lei’s unexpected presence, and the man was trying to assert dominance.

“Sorry, Manager Liu, my friend’s train was late. We’ll punish ourselves with three drinks to make up for it!” Zhou Jing said, pouring drinks.

She made it a group penalty, meaning Li Fang was expected to drink as well. Without waiting for her response, Zhou Jing handed Li Fang a beer and downed one herself.

Lin Lei was deliberately ignored.

Li Fang hesitated, unsure what to do, when a hand reached over, took her beer, and drank it in one gulp.

“I was thirsty anyway. Let her three drinks count for me,” Lin Lei told Zhou Jing.

“Young man, do you understand the rules? You can’t drink someone else’s penalty!” Manager Liu snapped.

“Oh? Is that so? If it’s a penalty, shouldn’t the person themselves agree to it?” Lin Lei retorted.

“Sorry, Manager Liu. I don’t drink,” Li Fang added.

“What’s the point of coming here if you don’t drink? Besides, you can learn—no one’s born able to drink!” Manager Liu said irritably.

“I… I’m here to interview for the electronics factory job,” Li Fang replied, confused.

She’d never heard of factory workers needing to be able to drink.