"Mr. Xiao, we will notify you if there is any news," Cheng Su said with a smile, extending her hand towards Xiao Pinshan. "I hope we have the chance to work together."
Xiao Pinshan also extended his hand with a smile.
"Xiao Ya, please see Senior Xiao out," Cheng Su called out to Ying Xiaoya.
Ying Xiaoya responded crisply.
Cheng Su was still flipping through Xiao Pinshanâs rĂ©sumĂ©. There were no computers yet, so rĂ©sumĂ©s were handwritten. His was written with a fountain pen, sharp and forceful, his characters bold and powerful, neat and proper, without a single error.
They say handwriting reflects the person, and Xiao Pinshanâs penmanship was indeed impressive. Good handwriting with no mistakes showed attentiveness, and after this round of conversation, he seemed quite steady.
Ying Xiaoya came back, rushed to Cheng Su, and eagerly asked, "How is it? Susu, did our Senior make a good impression on you?"
"What, did your Senior ask you to inquire for him?" Cheng Su raised an eyebrow.
"Not really, I just find it quite miraculous and coincidental. Let me tell you, our Senior is a legend at our university," Ying Xiaoya said.
Cheng Suâs interest was piqued, and she patted the sofa beside her. "Oh? What kind of legend? Do tell."
Ying Xiaoya sat down and began, "Senior Xiao comes from a rural background. I heard he didnât even have money for college and earned it by carrying bricks for others. During university, he was also diligent in working part-time, taking on five odd jobs to support himself while also helping to manage school affairs. Despite this, he always ranked at the top academically, never placing second, and he received scholarships every year until graduation."
So, he was a top student!
"And that makes him a legend?"
"Of course, thereâs more. In college, he dated a senior named Ma Lili who was famously beautiful and came from a good family. I heard she even pursued him. They performed in stage plays together, studied together, a match of talent and beauty that everyone envied. After graduating and starting work, they got engaged and married. A match made in heavenâhow romantic!" Ying Xiaoya said, filled with longing.
Cheng Su laughed dismissively. Was that it? Such stories were all too common in the universities of the twenty-first century!
In plain terms, Xiao Pinshan was just a âPhoenix Manâ who had changed his fate through his own efforts. The only question was whether this Phoenix Man was a good or a bad one?
Seeing Cheng Su laugh, Ying Xiaoya pouted and protested, "Susu, you canât be like that. Donât you think itâs romantic and legendary?"
Cheng Su covered her smile. Okay, she didnât see anything legendary or romantic about it, but then again, it was the mid-1980s, and from Xiao Yaâs perspective, it probably did seem truly romantic.
And that Xiao Pinshan, at thirty-three years old, was at least a college student from ten years ago, an even rarer breed from the 1970s.
"Romantic as it may have been, isnât he divorced now? Is it from that senior sister of yours? They have a child, donât they?" Cheng Su said.
Ying Xiaoya sighed and said, "Thatâs true. They have a daughter, already eight years old. I didnât inquire too deeply about why they divorcedâit doesnât feel right to ask too much about a senior with such seniority, someone Iâm not very familiar with. I just find it surprising that he ended up at our company and is an alumnus too."
"The world is neither too big nor too small, but if itâs meant to be, people will meet. Thereâs nothing too extraordinary about it," Cheng Su said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Thatâs true. So, Iâm asking you, what do you think about Senior Xiao? I tell you, heâs truly an exceptional person. Our university still records his past achievements. In terms of management, I think heâd be good," Ying Xiaoya earnestly promoted.