Chapter 5: CEO’s Heartbeat Level: 0.01% – Stress Test…

The HR specialist’s face darkened after hearing those words. Watching Mu Ruye leave the meeting room so confidently, she grew even more frustrated.

The team leader of Group Two, who had been in the workforce longer and was more tactful, noticed her expression and tried to lighten the mood with a joke:
“Some people just don’t know how lucky they are. I’d kill to bring in a couple more so I could choose the best of the best. But look at him—he complains there are too many.”

HR assistant Xiao Zhang had been holding her frustration in for a while and couldn’t help but vent:
“In the past six months, we’ve already recruited six people for him. None of them lasted a week. The shortest one quit after just two days! I don’t know what kind of miracle candidate he’s expecting. The moment we hear it’s a hire for Business Group One, we all lose our appetite. If this goes on, I can say goodbye to this quarter’s KPI for sure.”

“Poor you. Lunch is on me—I really appreciate all the great candidates you helped us find for Group Two.”

The Group Two team leader wasn’t about to chime in with criticisms of Mu Ruye—after all, walls have ears. Who knew who might overhear and repeat it? Instead, he handed his completed evaluation form to HR, steering the conversation back to work.

Upon comparing both evaluation forms, HR noticed something troubling—both team leads had selected the same candidate. That made things tricky.

Ever since Mu Ruye’s sixth hire quit within a week, he hadn’t chosen anyone in over a month. Now that he finally picked someone, HR naturally had to prioritize his selection to maintain her onboarding numbers and avoid being publicly called out at the next meeting.

“But this Su Shangfei… she didn’t graduate from a top university, and aside from some part-time and freelance gigs, she has no formal work experience. Sure, she did okay in the group interview, but was that really enough to pass over all the Ivy League grads and elite school postgrads?”

The Group Two team lead, with years of experience in sales, had learned to read people well. Hearing HR’s not-so-subtle hint, he understood and decided to play nice—there was no point making enemies in HR. In such a high-pressure department, turnover was common, and they’d need HR’s help again soon.

To him, Su Shangfei had performed well—but not well enough to fight over.

“Oh really? Maybe I missed something. Mind grabbing me a new evaluation form?”

---

Su Shangfei hadn’t heard anything back from Guishang all week. Even someone as calm as her was starting to get anxious.
“You were right,” she admitted. “I should’ve done more interviews earlier to gain experience. Maybe then I’d at least have passed the first round.”

“Relax,” Meng Lu comforted her. “Big corporations are different from small companies. They interview a ton of candidates every day. It’s normal for HR to take one, two, even three weeks to review and respond.”

Su understood—but knowing didn’t ease the anxiety. If she failed this round, there was no telling when she might get another chance to interview with Guishang.

To calm herself and avoid obsessively checking her phone, Su forced herself to go to the library and study business knowledge—building a solid foundation to avoid looking incompetent if she ever did land the job.

Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, illuminating the library’s quiet corners. It was so silent that even the sound of sipping water seemed loud.

Rubbing her sore eyes, Su checked her phone again—and at that exact moment, it lit up with a familiar number.

She stood up immediately, leaving her belongings behind as she rushed to the stairwell to take the call.

“Hello?” she answered.

A professional voice responded, “Is this Miss Su Shangfei? I’m calling from Guishang Group’s HR department. You attended a group interview with us last Monday at 10 a.m.—do you recall?”

Su tried to stay composed. “Yes, I remember.”

“I’m calling to inform you that you’ve passed the preliminary round for the business department. The team leader would now like to invite you for a second interview. Are you available?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

“Great! Do you have availability this week or next? I’ll coordinate with the business team.”

Trying to keep calm, Su replied, “I’m free all this week. Please schedule me whenever the team lead is available.”

“We’ve confirmed two possible time slots: Wednesday afternoon from 3 to 5, or Friday morning from 10 to 12. Which would you prefer?”

“Wednesday, please.”

“Perfect. I’ll send you a follow-up email with the details. If you’re unable to attend, please notify us in advance.”

“I’ll be there on time. Thank you. See you Wednesday.”

---

Dressed in the business outfit Meng Lu helped pick out and wearing heels, her hair neatly tied back, Su sat nervously in the waiting room’s leather chair.

She kept trying to steady her nerves, losing confidence, then talking herself back into calm.

The glass door knocked.

She stood up quickly and looked toward the person entering.

Mu Ruye strode in, juggling his phone and tablet. In the few seconds it took him to walk across the room, his phone dinged with new messages several times.

Seeing her still standing, he motioned for her to sit.

“No need to be so formal. Sorry for the wait—I was in a meeting with a client that ran a few minutes over.” Sitting opposite her, Mu Ruye—meeting Su Shangfei face-to-face for the first time—softened his usually sharp demeanor in an effort to show goodwill. “You’re Su Shangfei, right?”

Su glanced quickly at him, then down to the name badge on his chest. Her eyes darkened with emotion, her mind drifting, and she forgot to respond.

Sensing she was a bit out of it, Mu Ruye offered, “Let me briefly introduce myself. I’m Mu Ruye, team lead of Business Group One. I’ve been with the company for a year and a half. If you’re hired, I’ll be your direct supervisor.”

Only then did Su start to return to herself. She nodded quickly to show she was listening.

Seeing that she’d composed herself, Mu continued, “Alright then. Do you have any questions about the position—or about me, as the potential supervisor?”

Su was caught off guard. Meng Lu had walked her through the typical interview flow: self-introduction, resume walkthrough, questions about logic and problem-solving, and then the chance for the candidate to ask questions.

But this man in a sharp gray suit and gold-rimmed glasses had skipped all that—jumping straight to the end.

She couldn’t help wondering: Did he already think she wasn’t a fit? Was he trying to wrap up early?

“I want to… I’d like to know about your working style.”

Mu Ruye looked mildly pleased, but instead of answering, he countered, “Why not ask about the job responsibilities first?”

Su was determined to make the most of this chance. She’d waited half a year for this interview—and she wasn’t about to let it slip through her fingers.

Especially since… this man was the very person she had been searching for. There was no way she’d give up.

“The job description was clearly stated in the posting. If I didn’t meet the requirements, I wouldn’t have made it to the second round. Since you’re personally interviewing me, that means I have some quality you value.”

She wasn’t sure how many other candidates there were or where she stood, so she had to seize every chance to show her worth.

“To be honest, I have no work experience. Most hiring managers see that as a weakness—they have to spend time retraining me. But I see it as a strength. I’m a blank slate. That means I can be trained systematically, molded to match your working style.”

Mu Ruye had been glancing at his phone throughout—but now, his eyes were fully locked on her bright, confident face.

He appreciated her self-assurance and eloquence—but still pressed her:
“You’re being hired to serve the group and do your job, not to cozy up to leadership. Are you here to work at Guishang or to please someone?”

Su sensed the cold, sharp edge in his voice.

She took a deep breath and responded calmly,
“Then why assume I’ll fail before I’ve even started? Business roles require constant communication. If I can’t even work well with my manager, how will I serve my clients? At some point, even your upper management will need subordinates to coordinate with. Isn’t having someone who understands your style and communicates smoothly with you… a good thing?”

Mu Ruye finally smiled, just a little. Then he extended the job offer:

“Miss Su, I admire your honesty and your well-timed sharpness. Are you interested in joining Guishang?”