The cold countertop of counter A07 seemed like a piece of ice that would not melt under Lin Wei's fingertips. The red light of the surveillance camera above her head looked down at her coldly like an ever-extinguishing demon's eye. The surrounding was a never-ending "symphony": the "swish" sound of the cash counter running at high speed was like a rapid drum beat; the "squeak" sound of the printer spitting paper was like the friction of rusty gears; the microphone came with the unclear conversation between the teller and the customer, mixed with occasional high-pitched tones or helpless sighs; the backstage supervisor walked quickly with a mobile authorization terminal, and the heels hit the plastic floor with a short "click" sound, accompanied by the "beep" prompt sound of fingerprint verification... These sounds intertwined together to form a huge, noisy, and panic-inducing torrent, impacting Lin Wei's tense nerves.
She forced herself to pull her eyes back from the suffocating environment to the thick "Huaxin Bank Jiangzhou Branch Employee Handbook" in front of her. It was the "Counter Business Operation Specifications" chapter that was opened. Densely packed text, complex flowcharts, and shocking risk warning boxes were like dense ants crawling on the paper. Each clause was like a cold iron fence, dividing the operating space she was trying to understand into pieces.
＞ **"Cash income: The principle of 'collecting first, then recording' must be adhered to, and reverse operation is strictly prohibited!**
＞ **Cash counting:**
＞ * **Manual counting:** Must achieve 'three clears' - card handle clear (bundle of banknotes with intact waist), counting clear (count each banknote, check the authenticity of both sides), machine clear (check through the banknote counter at least twice). Customers must not take their eyes off during the counting process!
＞ * **Machine counting:** The banknote counter must be tested daily and in normal condition. Pay attention to the machine alarm prompts during the counting, and the alarm banknotes must be manually identified.
＞ **Large amount of cash (single transaction of 50,000 and above): must be reviewed by someone else! The reviewer must sign and confirm on the voucher.**
＞ **Leaving the counter responsibility: Once the cash and vouchers leave the teller's sight and are handed over to the customer, if there is any problem, the customer shall bear the responsibility (but there must be a surveillance camera to clearly record the handover process)."**
Lin Wei muttered silently, imagining the bundles of banknotes that smelled of ink piled up in front of her. Card counting? Money counting? Machine counting? She had only touched the money counting coupons used for teaching in the university finance laboratory. The slippery plastic feel was completely different from the real banknotes. Not to mention counting one by one in front of anxious customers, and paying attention to the money counting machine while maintaining a smile... Just imagining that scene made her fingers stiff and her breathing difficult. ＞ **"Credentials review: the core is risk prevention and control!**
＞ * **Identity identification (KYC - Know Your Customer):** The three must be consistent: 'person, certificate, and account'! Check the original ID card (pay attention to the validity period, photo, and anti-counterfeiting features), confirm that it is handled by the person himself (if necessary, you can ask for auxiliary information such as birthday and address), and confirm that the certificate information is consistent with the account information registered in the system.** It is strictly forbidden to handle business with only photocopies or photos!**
＞ * **Bill elements:** Checks, bills, deposit slips... Date, amount (uppercase and lowercase), payee name, payee account number, signature... Each item must be complete, clear, and unaltered.** Special note: Bills with altered amounts and dates will be invalidated!**
＞ * **Signature:** The customer must sign in person in front of the teller.** It is strictly forbidden for the teller to sign on behalf of the customer or allow the customer to sign in advance!** The signature must be consistent with the reserved seal or system record. **To authorize the agent to handle the business, both parties must provide valid certificates and a power of attorney that meets the requirements! **"
＞
"The person, certificate, and account must be consistent…" Lin Wei's mind was filled with all kinds of customer faces. Old people, young people, well-dressed, simple or even sloppy… How to quickly and accurately determine the authenticity of the certificate? How to confirm that it is the person himself without causing disgust? What if you encounter an imposter? The densely packed elements on those bills, if there is a slight omission, may be an irreparable loss. She felt like she was standing on the edge of a minefield full of landmines, and every step might step on a hidden trap.
＞ **"Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Operating Procedures: Top Priority!**
＞ * **Large Transaction Report:** If the single or daily cumulative transaction amount reaches the specified standard (such as cash deposits and withdrawals of more than 200,000, transfers of more than 500,000, etc.), the large transaction report elements must be accurately and completely registered and submitted on the same day!
＞ * **Suspicious Transaction Identification:** For transactions with abnormalities in transaction purpose, transaction background, customer identity, source and destination of funds, and transactions that are obviously inconsistent with customer identity, financial status, and business content, we must remain highly vigilant! Characteristics include but are not limited to: splitting transactions to avoid large-amount reporting, frequent large-amount deposits and withdrawals without obvious reasons, fast in and out of accounts without leaving balances, and funds coming from or flowing to sensitive areas/industries/people. If suspicious, report immediately to the operations supervisor and the branch anti-money laundering post!
＞ * **Continuous Customer Identity Identification and Due Diligence (CDD):** New accounts must be strictly audited, and existing customers must be reviewed regularly. Due diligence must be strengthened for high-risk customers (such as politically exposed persons PEPs, cash-intensive industries, etc.). **KYC is the cornerstone of anti-money laundering! "**
Anti-money laundering... This term that often appears in textbooks and international news now weighs heavily on her mind with a heavy legal responsibility. This is no longer an abstract concept, but a string that she must tighten in her daily operations. Identifying suspicious transactions? How keen is the observation and experience required? As a newcomer, how can she catch those deliberately hidden anomalies in the complex business flow? What if there is an underreporting... The penalty cases attached to the back of the manual make her shudder: criticism, fines, cancellation of qualifications, and even... criminal responsibility.
＞ **"Error handling:**
＞ * **Overpayment or underpayment:** Regardless of the amount,** related operations must be stopped immediately!** Report to the operations supervisor immediately, and two people must find the cause under the supervision of the supervisor (check monitoring, verify vouchers, count tail boxes, etc.). It is strictly forbidden to conceal or deal with it privately (such as using your own money to make up for it)!
＞ * **Receipt of counterfeit currency:** The "counterfeit currency" seal must be stamped on the front and back of the counterfeit currency in person, and a "Counterfeit Currency Collection Certificate" must be issued to explain the situation to the customer.** It is strictly forbidden to return counterfeit currency to customers or intercept it privately!** Submit it to the warehouse manager on the same day.
＞ * **Operational errors:** If the account is recorded in a wrong way, the amount is entered incorrectly, etc., it must be reported immediately, and the transaction process must be initiated after authorization by the supervisor, and detailed instructions must be retained.** Any correction operation must be double-checked and recorded!**
＞ **Consequences: Errors are punished according to the amount and nature, ranging from notification, fines, performance deductions to termination of the labor contract. If it causes major losses or reputational impacts, legal liability will be pursued."**
Overpayment or underpayment... Counterfeit currency... Operational error... Every word is like a sword of Damocles hanging over her head. Lin Wei subconsciously touched her shrunken wallet. Fine? She had just started working, and the meager probationary salary was probably not enough to withstand a decent mistake. What was even more terrifying was "termination of the labor contract" and "legal liability". She seemed to see herself standing in the dock of the court because of a momentary negligence, with disappointed eyes of her parents, strange eyes of her classmates... Cold sweat quietly slid down her back.
"Xiao Lin, how is it?" A gentle voice interrupted Lin Wei's thoughts of indulging in fear. She looked up and saw a female colleague in her forties with a kind face standing next to her workstation. The name tag on her chest read: **A04 Chen Jing**. This was the "Sister Chen" mentioned by Li Bin, her future master.
"Hello, Sister Chen!" Lin Wei quickly stood up, a little embarrassed, "I'm looking at the operating specifications, a little... a little too much." She smiled embarrassedly.
Chen Jing nodded in understanding, and the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes smoothed out because of her smile: "It's normal. When I first came, I was also completely in the dark when looking at this 'holy book'. Don't worry, theories are dead, but people are alive. It's a good thing that Manager Wang is strict. Only when the foundation is laid can the future be stable. Come on, I'll take you to the training classroom. Today we'll start practical training. You can't learn to count money just by reading the manual." Her voice was warm and reassuring, like a ray of sunshine, temporarily dispelling the haze in Lin Wei's heart. The training classroom is located in a relatively independent small room behind the cash area. Pushing the door in, there were already three people inside: Li Hao (a newcomer from the same batch I met when I reported yesterday), and two unfamiliar young faces, one man and one woman, who also looked new. In the middle of the room were several long tables, on which were placed several old-fashioned but polished money counting machines, several stacks of practice tickets (simulated banknotes used for practice in the bank, which feel close to real money but are printed with the words "practice tickets"), boxes of banknote waist bands (paper tapes), purple light for money verification, simulated coins of different denominations, stacks of blank deposit and withdrawal vouchers, transfer slips, check samples, and several simulation terminal computers. The air was filled with the smell of new paper and a faint ink.
Li Hao saw Lin Wei and immediately showed an overly enthusiastic smile: "Lin Wei, this way! I knew you would definitely be assigned to Sister Chen. Sister Chen is the 'counting king' of our sales department. You are so lucky!" He deliberately raised his voice with obvious flattery. The other two newcomers nodded to Lin Wei a little stiffly and introduced themselves: the boy's name is Zhang Tao and the girl's name is Liu Yun.
Chen Jing waved her hand, signaling everyone to be quiet: "Okay, everyone is here. My name is Chen Jing, and I will be your practical training instructor in the future. Before you officially go to the counter, you must pass the devilish training here. Manager Wang said that if you don't meet the assessment standards, you can't even work independently, and your probation period will be suspended." Her tone was gentle, but the weight of her words was not light at all. "Today's theme is just one word: **Money!** How to collect it safely, accurately, and efficiently and pay it out."
**Lesson 1: Counting money - Kung Fu and blood and tears on fingertips**
Chen Jing picked up a stack of practice coupons (denomination 100 yuan, a stack of 100 pieces, that is, 10,000 yuan). "Don't underestimate counting money, this is the basic skill of a teller, and it is also the first level of risk control. Speed, accuracy, and counterfeit currency identification are all indispensable."
She first demonstrated the standard **handheld single-finger single-note counting method**: hold the money with the left hand, with the thumb on top and the other four fingers on the bottom to support the lower left corner of the banknote; pinch the upper right corner of the banknote with the thumb and index finger of the right hand, twist it one by one, and at the same time, the ring finger will flick the counted banknotes away. The movements were smooth and steady, and the practice tickets made a crisp and rhythmic "rustling" sound at her fingertips, like flowing water.
"Look carefully, relax your wrist, use force on your fingertips, and coordinate your eyes, hands, and brain. Twist one and count it silently in your mind." Chen Jing said as she did it, "The goal is: **fast, accurate, and quiet. ** Fast is efficiency, accurate is lifeline, and quiet is psychological quality. If the customer stares at you counting money and your hands shake or count wrong, can the customer rest assured?"
Then it was **multiple-finger-multiple-note counting method** (more suitable for counting a large number of banknotes), and how to use **banknote counting machines** for initial and repeated counting.
"Banknote counting machines are not omnipotent!" Chen Jing emphasized seriously, "It can only assist, and the core still relies on human eyes and brains. Machines will get tired, make mistakes, and be deceived by counterfeit money. You must master manual counting, which is a life-saving skill! Now, each person takes a stack of practice tickets and first practices holding a single finger and a single ticket."
Lin Wei picked up a stack of practice tickets. The touch of paper is smoother than real money, but the thickness and weight are very similar. She imitated Chen Jing, holding the banknote in her left hand and twisting it with her right hand. However, the imagined smooth movement turned into a clumsy struggle. Her fingers were stiff and uncontrollable. She either couldn't twist it or twisted two or three at a time. The banknotes were crooked in her hands and completely out of shape. Li Hao next to her was not much better, and the banknotes were scattered all over the table. Zhang Tao and Liu Yun were also in a hurry. The only sounds of clumsy paper friction and occasional frustrated whispers were left in the quiet classroom.
"Don't rush, take your time." Chen Jing patiently instructed one by one, "The left hand must be stable, which is the foundation. The coordination of the thumb and index finger of the right hand is the key. Use the fingertips to twist, not the nails. Don't keep your wrist stiff... Yes, just like that... It's okay to be slow, get the feeling first."
Time passed by. Lin Wei's fingertips began to turn red, hot, and even stinging due to repeated friction. Sweat seeped from her forehead. She forced herself to concentrate and repeated the boring movements over and over again. Gradually, the stiffness eased a little, and the twisting movement became a little smoother. Although the speed was as slow as a snail, at least the bills could be separated one by one.
"Okay, let's start practicing speed now." Chen Jing pinched the stopwatch, "One finger counts a stack (100 bills) one by one, the standard is to complete it within 1 minute and 30 seconds, and it must be accurate. Start!"
The ticking sound of the stopwatch was like a death warrant. Lin Wei's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. She took a deep breath and started to speed up. The movement of her fingers became flustered, and the bills were no longer obedient. They would fall apart halfway through the twist, or she would forget how many she had counted. She hurriedly sorted them out and started again, but the result was even worse. The stopwatch went on mercilessly: 2 minutes and 10 seconds... 2 minutes and 40 seconds... On the first try, she took nearly 3 minutes to count them all, and she made 3 mistakes (discovered by her own recheck).
Li Hao cursed in frustration, and it was obvious that he had made a mistake. Zhang Tao and Liu Yun also blushed.
"Come again!" Chen Jing's voice was unquestionable. "There is no shortcut to counting money. Just practice! Practice until your hands cramp and develop muscle memory! At your current speed, customers will line up outside the door!"
Boring, repetitive, frustrated... The four people spent the whole morning fighting with the practice coupons. The fingers went from red to painful, and then to numb. The practice coupons scattered on the table were like debris on the battlefield. Lin Wei's score was slowly improving: 2 minutes and 50 seconds (1 wrong ticket), 2 minutes and 30 seconds (all correct), 2 minutes and 15 seconds (2 wrong tickets)... It was still far from the passing line of 1 minute and 30 seconds. Every failure made her feel more pressured, and Wang Lina's stern eyes seemed to be staring at her through the wall.
At lunch time, the four of them simply ate a few mouthfuls of unappetizing food in the staff cafeteria, and then immediately returned to the training room. The afternoon session was more intense, with the addition of **currency counting machine with counting** and **mixed identification** of real and fake currency**.
Chen Jing took out a box, which contained various denominations and versions of practice tickets, as well as a dozen carefully prepared **high-imitation counterfeit currency** (special props used for internal training, with extremely high simulation).
"Now, simulate the real scene. There are ten stacks of practice tickets here, each with 100 pieces, but there are different amounts of counterfeit currency mixed in, and the denominations are not all 100, there are 50 and 20 mixed in. Your task: within 5 minutes, use manual and machine tools to accurately count the total amount of each stack, and find all the counterfeit currency and mark them out. Start!"
This is not only a test of speed, but also a comprehensive challenge of concentration, observation and stress resistance. Lin Wei picked up the first stack, quickly twisted it open by hand to observe, and at the same time passed the banknotes through the currency counting machine in batches. The "swish" sound of the machine covered her rapid heartbeat. She needed to keep an eye on everything: the pattern on the bill, the watermark, the security line, the optically variable ink; feel the texture of the paper and the feel of the intaglio; listen to the abnormal alarm sound of the money counter (although counterfeit bills may fool the machine); and her brain had to quickly calculate the amount and identify abnormal points.
"This 100-yuan bill... feels a little slippery? The watermark is blurred?" She pulled out a suspicious one, put it aside, and shone it with a purple light, and found that the security line was printed, not embedded. "Fake bill!" She felt nervous and quickly marked it. Then she found a 50-yuan bill, the paper was thin, and the optically variable ink did not change color... "Another one!" She sweated more on her forehead. She also made frequent mistakes in calculating the amount, mixing in 50 yuan and 20 yuan, and her mental arithmetic speed could not keep up.
Li Hao next to him seemed even more impatient. He tried to pursue speed. When he stuffed too much money into the banknote counting machine, the machine got stuck and issued a harsh alarm. He hurriedly cleaned it up, wasting precious time. Zhang Tao was too cautious. He looked at each banknote repeatedly, and his speed was so slow that it was outrageous. Liu Yun was so nervous that her hands were shaking.
"Time is up!" Chen Jing's voice rang out. The result was terrible: Lin Wei counted the amount of 7 banknotes correctly and found 8 counterfeit banknotes (actually there were 10); Li Hao counted 5 banknotes correctly and found 6; Zhang Tao counted 3 banknotes correctly and found 4; Liu Yun counted 4 banknotes correctly and found 5.
Chen Jing did not criticize, but calmly picked up a banknote and demonstrated it herself. Her movements were so fast that she could hardly see the movement of her fingers. The banknotes in her hands seemed to be given life, flying, twisting, and passing through the machine, while her eyes sharply scanned every banknote that passed by. In less than 2 minutes, a banknote was counted, the amount was accurate, and the two high-imitation counterfeit banknotes sandwiched in it were accurately picked out.
"See? Fast, accurate, and ruthless, all are indispensable. This requires time and more effort." Chen Jing put down the banknotes. "There is no trick to identifying counterfeit money. Just look, touch, and compare more. Engrave the characteristics of real money into your mind, and you will naturally feel it when you encounter something wrong. Now, keep practicing! Practice until your fingers are calloused, and practice until you can feel the real and fake with your eyes closed!" In the next few days, the training content rolled like a wheel: * **Voucher filling and review hell: ** Chen Jing brought boxes of invalid blank vouchers and incorrectly filled samples. Deposit and withdrawal slips, transfer remittance slips, checks, deposit slips... Each voucher has strict and harsh filling requirements. Capitalize the date ("zero" must be written as "0"), the amount of the uppercase and lowercase ("whole" or "positive" cannot be missing), the name and account number of the payee (not a single number can be wrong), fill in the purpose column in accordance with the regulations... Lin Wei felt like she was back in elementary school practicing calligraphy, but this time, writing a wrong word may mean risk and responsibility. What is even more torturous is reviewing the vouchers filled in by others. Chen Jing deliberately set up various traps: amount alteration, date expiration, one less digit in the payee account number, illegible signature, lack of authorization for agency business... Lin Wei must develop a keen eye to find these fatal errors within a few seconds.
* **Core system operation simulation:** Learn to use the bank's core business system on the simulation terminal. The interface is complex and there are many transaction codes (deposit, withdrawal, transfer, report loss, query, print...). Each operation requires entering the correct transaction code, customer account number, amount, voucher number and other information, and waiting for background authorization. If you enter a wrong number, the money may be deposited into someone else's account. Lin Wei stared at the flashing cursor on the screen, her fingers moved clumsily on the keyboard, and every step was on thin ice. The "Transaction failed: XXX error" prompts that kept popping up on the screen were like slaps in her face.
* **Anti-money laundering scenario drill:** Chen Jing plays various suspicious customers: "I want to deposit 198,000 in cash in two installments", "Withdraw 100,000 for me, no, wait, take 50,000, and transfer the remaining 50,000 to this account (a strange account in a different place)", "This account (a long-term inactive account) suddenly received a large amount of remittance from overseas, I want to transfer all of it"... Lin Wei needs to quickly determine which behaviors trigger the large-amount reporting standards, which characteristics meet the suspicious transactions, and simulate entering the report information in the system. At the same time, she must "euphemistically" ask the "customer" about the source or purpose of the funds without causing the other party to be alert or disgusted. This requires extremely high communication skills and risk sensitivity. Lin Wei is often speechless when asked by the "customer" tricky questions.
* **Service standards and speech training:** "Hello, what business do you want to handle?", "Please show your ID card", "Please check the information on the screen and enter the password", "Please sign here to confirm", "Your business has been completed, please keep your cash/card/receipt, goodbye!"... These standard speech must be familiar to the heart, the tone must be friendly and natural, and the expression must be sincere (even when facing unreasonable customers). Chen Jing emphasized: "Service is soft power, but it is also a high-voltage line. An inappropriate word or an impatient expression may lead to complaints, and complaints are accidents!" Lin Wei practiced smiling in front of the mirror until her facial muscles were stiff.
At the end of each day's training, Lin Wei felt like all her strength had been drained. Her fingers were sore and numb from repeatedly counting money and tapping the keyboard, and even had calluses; her eyes were dry and blurry from staring at the screen and vouchers for a long time; her brain was buzzing because she needed to process massive amounts of information and stay highly alert at all times. Back in her small rental house, she was often so tired that she didn't even want to eat, and just wanted to fall asleep. That thick employee manual became her "hypnotic reading" before going to bed, and also a heavy stone on her heart. In her dreams, she was counting endless banknotes and filling out endless vouchers, with the "swish swish" sound of the money counter and Wang Lina's stern questioning in her ears.
Li Hao's performance showed another style. His counting speed improved quickly (although the accuracy was slightly lower), and he seemed very "smart" in system operation, always finding some "shortcuts" (some of which Chen Jing thought were over the line). He was particularly good at "service", his mouth was like honey, calling Chen Jing and several old tellers "sister" and "brother" affectionately, and occasionally bringing some snacks to "honor". He seemed a little impatient with boring rules and regulations, and was more keen to inquire about the "gossip" of the branch - which account manager had big customers, which department had more money, what President Zhang liked... Lin Wei could feel that Li Hao's mind was not completely immersed in basic business, he was looking for a faster upward channel. The competition between the two newcomers quietly breeds a subtle tension under this difference.
On the afternoon of the fourth day of the training, the first small test finally came. Test content: Complete the following operations within 10 minutes:
1. Manually count two stacks of mixed denominations (including 50 yuan and 20 yuan) of practice tickets (a total of 200 pieces), calculate the total amount and record it.
2. Accurately identify and pick out all counterfeit bills from 10 banknotes (including 3 high-imitation counterfeit bills).
3. According to the provided customer information and business needs, correctly fill out a cash deposit slip of 50,000 yuan and an inter-bank transfer slip (complete elements must be filled in).
4. On the simulation terminal, correctly enter a deposit and a transfer transaction (need to wait for the "supervisor" Chen Jing to authorize).
5. Answer three random anti-money laundering or operational specification questions.
The atmosphere in the examination room is solemn. There was only the rustling sound of the pen tip across the paper, the twisting sound of counting money, the tapping sound of the keyboard, and the slight footsteps of Chen Jing as the "supervisor" walking around to "authorize". Lin Wei took a deep breath, tried to calm her pounding heart, and started the operation.
The counting process was relatively smooth. Although the speed was not fast (it took nearly 4 minutes), the amount was accurate and all the counterfeit money was identified (thanks to several days of high-intensity practice). When filling out the voucher, she was particularly careful and repeatedly checked the account number and amount in uppercase and lowercase. When entering the system, she slowed down to ensure that every transaction code and number was entered correctly. When answering questions, she combined the contents of the manual and Chen Jing's explanation to give a relatively complete answer.
In contrast, Li Hao counted the money very quickly (less than 3 minutes), but miscalculated the amount (missed a 50-yuan bill); missed a counterfeit bill with the highest degree of simulation; when filling in the voucher, the date on the deposit slip was capitalized incorrectly ("zero" was written as "0"); when entering the transfer into the system, the recipient's account number was entered incorrectly (3 was entered as 8), resulting in the failure of the transaction; and the answers to the questions were a bit slick and not rigorous enough.
Chen Jing corrected their "answers" expressionlessly. Results announced:
* Lin Wei: The amount of money counted was correct, and all counterfeit bills were identified; the voucher was filled in in a standardized manner; the system operation was correct; the questions were answered correctly. **Overall score: Good. ** Note: The counting speed needs to be improved.
* Li Hao: The amount of money counted was wrong (points deducted); the counterfeit bill was missed (points deducted); the date of the voucher was wrong (points deducted); the system entry was wrong (major points deducted); the answers to the questions were acceptable. **Overall score: Unqualified. ** Note: The operation was too impetuous, and the risk awareness was weak.
Li Hao's face suddenly became ugly. He opened his mouth to make excuses, but when he saw Chen Jing's serious eyes, he swallowed his words and clenched his fists unwillingly.
"This is just the beginning." Chen Jing glanced at the four people, "Lin Wei, don't be proud. Your speed is a flaw. At the real counter, customers will not give you so much time. Li Hao, your problem is more serious. You pursue speed and ignore accuracy. You operate the system in a mess. This is laying mines! Zhang Tao, Liu Yun, your problem is that you are too slow and too hesitant. Inefficiency is also not competent for the job. Continue to take the test tomorrow, the standard will be higher! If you fail, I will report to Supervisor Wang truthfully."
The pressure did not reduce, but suddenly escalated. Lin Wei looked at the "good" score without any relief. She knew that it was still far from the "proficiency" and "zero errors" required by Wang Lina. Speed! Speed! This shortcoming was like a thorn in her heart. After get off work, she did not leave immediately, but asked Chen Jing to stay a little longer to practice counting money.
In the empty training room, only Lin Wei was left. She turned off the money counter and used only her hands. She picked up a stack of practice tickets, put aside all distractions, and concentrated on the twisting of her fingertips. Twist, flick, count... Twist, flick, count... The monotonous movements were repeated over and over again. Sweat soaked the back of her shirt, and the thin calluses on her fingers were rubbed so hard that they hurt, and some places even began to turn red and break the skin. But she gritted her teeth and did not stop. She stared at the stopwatch, recording the time every time she finished: 2 minutes and 5 seconds... 2 minutes... 1 minute and 55 seconds... 1 minute and 50 seconds... The progress was small, but firm.
"Are you not leaving yet?" A cold voice sounded at the door.
Lin Wei was startled, her hands trembled, and the banknotes scattered all over the floor. She hurriedly looked up and saw Wang Lina standing at the door at some point, hugging her arms, and her eyes behind the glasses were sharply examining her, as well as the practice tickets scattered on the ground and the note recording the time on the table.
"Wang... Manager Wang." Lin Wei stood up quickly, at a loss.
Wang Lina walked in, but didn't blame her for messing things up. Her eyes fell on Lin Wei's red, swollen and broken fingertips, and then glanced at the latest time recorded on the stopwatch (1 minute and 50 seconds), and finally fixed on her tired but stubborn face.
"It's a good thing to know your shortcomings and work hard." Wang Lina's voice was still not very warm, but it seemed less severe than usual. "But just practicing stupidly is not enough. Pay attention to the angle of the wrist, and the amplitude of the thumb twist can be smaller. Use clever strength, not dead strength. Also, breathe evenly, and tension will deform the movements." She actually gave a tip for the first time, although her tone was still stiff.
Lin Wei was stunned, and then an indescribable warmth surged in her heart: "Thank you, Director Wang, for your advice! I... I'll try again!"
"Yeah." Wang Lina responded without comment and turned away. After walking to the door, she stopped again, without looking back, and said, "Tomorrow afternoon, I will come to test you in person. Especially for counterfeit money identification." After that, the figure disappeared outside the door.
Lin Wei looked at the direction where the supervisor disappeared, and then looked down at her sore fingers and the scattered practice tickets on the ground. Wang Lina's brief glance and the blunt instructions were like a tiny spark, casting a little weak but real warmth on the lake of her heart frozen by fatigue and pressure. This warmth did not come from care, but more like a kind of clumsy but persistent effort... recognition?
She squatted down and silently picked up the scattered practice tickets one by one and sorted them out. The tingling sensation in her fingertips was still clear, but the heavy confusion and fear in her heart seemed to be replaced by something more specific and firm-a determination to cross the threshold in front of her. She picked up a stack of banknotes again, recalling Wang Lina's instructions about "cleverness", adjusted her breathing, relaxed her wrists, and twisted her fingertips again.
"Shua... shua..." The monotonous sound of paper rubbing against each other resounded in the silent training room, and it seemed to be a little smoother than before. The sky outside the window had completely darkened, and the city lights were just coming on. The huge glass curtain wall of the bank building reflected the cold light in the night, and in this small room full of practice coupons, a young teller was using her painful fingertips to clumsily and firmly knock on the door leading to the real counter in countless repetitions. She knew that the real test - Wang Lina's hawk-like eyes and the countless pairs of scrutinizing eyes outside the bulletproof glass - was coming soon. And she had to sharpen herself to be sharp and hard enough before that.