He Xiaoyuan was on the subway when his phone pinged with two messages simultaneously.
One was from his aunt, informing him that since he was about to graduate and would be renting near the company, she had repurposed his old room for his cousin to use as a study while preparing for the graduate exam.
It wasn’t a question—it was a directive.
He Xiaoyuan silently replied, “Okay.” His aunt said nothing further.
The second message was from his friend Xu Ruomeng:
“Where are you? Good luck with your third interview today! I’m rooting for you and can’t wait to work with you.”
She had also attached a string of cheering stickers.
He Xiaoyuan smiled, replying:
“Almost at the company.”
“Fist pump, give it your all.jpg”
Xu Ruomeng responded with the same sticker: “Fist pump, give it your all.jpg”
The subway announced the next stop, and He Xiaoyuan made his way toward the sliding doors.
As the doors opened and he stepped out, several people coming in couldn’t help but glance at him. Among them, a girl with a ponytail whispered to a short-haired companion, “Wow, that guy was so handsome!”
Her friend covered her mouth in delight: “I saw him too! Really, so handsome.”
They were, of course, talking about He Xiaoyuan.
He Xiaoyuan was 21, 183 cm tall, a senior at C University studying management. Known as the campus heartthrob, his sharp features and confident aura made him a familiar face across campus.
Today, he was heading to the twin towers in the CBD to attend the third round of interviews at the renowned internet company “SupraSys.” Passing this round would secure him an offer.
Since October last year, He Xiaoyuan had endured several rounds of tests and interviews, already holding multiple offers from other major companies. Yet the management trainee position at SupraSys was his top choice—not just for the prestige and high pay, but for the clear promotion path.
He had decided: if he got the offer, he would turn down the others.
Xu Ruomeng, who had messaged him encouragement, was his high school senior and had joined SupraSys last year through campus recruitment. She had even provided him a referral spot.
Truthfully, compared to other companies, He Xiaoyuan felt least confident about SupraSys’s management trainee role, even though he had reached the third interview stage. Among his competitors were graduates from top-tier universities like 985 and 211, making him feel like an underdog.
This morning, his relatives debated in a family chat whether he could get into SupraSys, with his cousin scoffing, “How could a 211 graduate even get into SupraSys?”
He Xiaoyuan knew the odds were slim—but he wasn’t willing to give up. He wanted to try, to prove himself.
Stepping out of the subway, the sun shone brightly. He quietly encouraged himself and headed toward the SupraSys building.
After checking in at the front desk and receiving a visitor card, he followed the instructions to the rear elevator to reach the 16th floor.
While waiting, he noticed several employees wearing ID badges. A pang of envy rose in him—he was eager to join their ranks.
The elevator doors opened, and He Xiaoyuan squeezed in with several full-time employees.
At the front, a young man and woman who knew each other were chatting quietly:
“What’s happening on the 21st floor today?”
“Seems like there’s a project briefing. CEO Lu will be there.”
“No wonder.”
He Xiaoyuan listened in briefly, still quietly envious of the full-time SupraSys employees. He hoped to become one himself.
As the elevator moved, people got on and off. When it reached the 16th floor, He Xiaoyuan, standing near the back, squeezed past others to exit. Looking around, it was obvious he was unfamiliar with the layout.
Once the doors closed, a young girl inside the elevator whispered in awe, “So handsome.”
Others laughed along, strangers bonding over the comment:
“Is there an interview on the 16th floor today?”
“Yeah, campus recruitment.”
“Morning was the management trainee final round.”
“Wow, are all the handsome guys this competitive now?”
He Xiaoyuan felt the pressure too. Entering the waiting area, the hall could seat at least a hundred, and it was packed with young, formally dressed candidates. He found a seat, wondering how many would make it through.
More candidates arrived, and the atmosphere remained quiet, punctuated by soft, restrained whispers.
A staff member with an ID badge came over to maintain order, explaining that interviews would be conducted in groups of three, and results would be sent via email or text within a week. The room fell silent again.
“Names in this list, follow me,” the staff said, scanning their booklet.
“Wang Shu, Zhou Xixi, He Xiaoyuan.”
He Xiaoyuan was surprised—he was in the first group. He immediately stood up, and many eyes in the room turned to him. Even the staff member reading the names couldn’t help but glance his way.
Young candidates naturally noticed such things, and someone muttered, “So handsome.” Laughter spread through the room. Accustomed to attention, He Xiaoyuan smiled quietly.
The staff chuckled as well, clapping lightly to maintain order, teasing, “Don’t worry, today we’re not judging by looks.”
The tension in the room eased. He Xiaoyuan, feeling a bit more relaxed, followed the staff with the other two candidates down a long corridor into another office.
Inside, four interviewers sat in a neat row. He Xiaoyuan entered last, letting out a quiet sigh.
You can do this, he told himself.
The interview went relatively smoothly, though he felt unsure of his performance. When it ended, he was told he could leave immediately, while the others waited for friends, so he headed alone to the elevator.
Standing in the empty elevator lobby, he lost himself in thought, staring at the floor indicator, replaying the interview in his mind. He felt he hadn’t performed well—two of the interviewers had barely looked at him, seeming disinterested.
Am I overthinking it?
At that moment, an elevator arrived, doors dinging and sliding open. He Xiaoyuan, not paying much attention, stepped forward.
Someone exiting the elevator glanced at him and said, “This is the executive elevator.” He froze, only managing a quick, “Oh,” realizing he couldn’t ride that one, and stepped back. Instinctively, he glanced inside.
He didn’t focus on any faces—he barely noticed anyone—but someone inside saw him clearly. Not just clearly, but memorably.
Lu Chen stood silently, deep in thought.
The elevator ascended in silence, the other occupants saying nothing. After a moment, Lu Chen asked, “What’s happening on the 16th floor today?”
A quick-thinking executive replied, “Seems like campus recruitment interviews.”
Interviews, for fresh graduates.
Lu Chen’s mind flickered back to that strikingly clean, impressive face he had seen earlier. He said nothing further.
When the executive elevator reached the 21st floor and they stepped out, Lu Chen turned to his assistant Qiao Sihang:
“Bring me the interview materials from the 16th floor later.”
Qiao Sihang paused in surprise. In all his years following Lu Chen, this was the first time the CEO had requested interview materials.
Interview materials?
His professional instincts kicked in, and he replied immediately, “Understood.”
Still, he wondered—was there something special about the 16th floor interviews today? A campus interview, and Lu Chen personally paying attention?
Soon, the news that the CEO wanted the interview materials reached the person in charge on the 16th floor—the high-level executive responsible for campus recruitment.
He paused, realizing it must be Lu Chen requesting them. Puzzled, he messaged the CEO’s office:
“Do you want just the materials, or also the assessment results?”
CEO’s office: “Hold on.”
After a short wait: “Both.”
16th floor executive: “Original copies, or can we send duplicates?”
After some thought, the person in charge decided to send the interview materials directly to Qiao Sihang—just to clarify whether it was indeed CEO Lu who wanted them, and what the CEO intended to do with them.
Qiao Sihang replied quickly and concisely: “All materials. Purpose unknown for now.”
The person in charge then instructed the other three interviewers to separate the accepted and rejected candidates so the CEO’s office could pick them up later.
However, a few candidates’ results weren’t fully finalized—mainly because the interviewers couldn’t reach a unanimous decision. One of the disputed candidates was He Xiaoyuan.
The person in charge remembered him well—not just because he was in the first group, but because he was strikingly good-looking.
Picking up He Xiaoyuan’s evaluation sheet, the person in charge asked, “What’s the issue?”
Her own evaluation had been a pass. Another interviewer disagreed:
“211 graduate? How did he even pass the preliminary and second rounds?”
A third chimed in, “211 is fine. He got through the first and second rounds, so he can’t be that bad. His interview today was okay too.”
Someone asked if they were strictly limiting by university, but the person in charge cut them off firmly:
“Yesterday and today, only fifty candidates are being accepted. If there are already fifty, there’s no room for extras.”
In other words, He Xiaoyuan wasn’t a bad candidate—but because the number of passes was capped, whether he got in depended on how many had already been accepted.
Once the counts were double-checked, it turned out there were 52 candidates deemed qualified. The dust settled.
He Xiaoyuan—rejected.