Chapter 12: (A special interview)
The night felt cold as the night breeze blew giving her chills.
Xiao Yanran walked up to her porch, her left hand holding a big polythene bag she had used to put her wet school uniform, while her right hand tried opening the door but it was locked from the inside.
She knocked and called their names for a long time but they had made up their minds that she would be spending the night outside.
Giving up, she sat on the floor cuddling herself. Thank goodness Lei Zhang had given her his hoodie and joggers or else the cold would have been even worse. She knew Lei Zhang didn't mind if she stayed the night at his place but that would make him suspicious of her family and she didn't want him to know about how worthless she was to her family.
The night kept getting colder and making it worse, the trees around the yard began looking like figures in the darkness. Her eyes kept darting around completely scared . One of the bushes formed an awkward position. It looked like a person bending backwards with his hands twisted around his neck.
She felt goosebumps run down her spine as the bushes kept on forming awkward positions and due to fear, her brain began messing with her making it look like the bushes were starting to get closer to her.
Unable to take it anymore, she hurried out from the yard to the street.
"Yanran, is that you?",
she heard a familiar voice say behind her and she turned back to see Mr Chen flashing a torch at her few feets away.
"Mr Chen",
she said and he walked up to her.
"What are you doing outside by this time of the night?",
he asked and she rubbed her palms.
"My parents locked me out",
she said sadly with a low voice, her face bent. Mr Chen exhaled. He was aware of how her parents treated her and he couldn't help feeling sorry for her.
"It's fine, you can come stay at my place tonight",
he said and she raised her head smiling.
"Really?" She said.
"Of cause, it's only me in that big yard every time, I'd love some company", he said and she nodded.
"Thank you",
she said and Mr Chen ruffled her hair as they left. He felt relived he had seen her on his way, would she have slept in the cold.
*****************************************
Friday morning at Central Shanghai, Xiao Wan stared at at the huge building of Titan Core Games and couldn't help picturing herself working there.
She brought out her lip gloss from her purse, rubbing it again incase the one she rubbed earlier had dried off then finally went in.
As the glass doors of Titan Core slid open with a soft hiss, Xiao Wan couldn't help but gasp at the beauty inside. The lobby gleamed with polished marble floors and glowing screens looping trailers of the company's latest hit titles.
Her heels clicked against the polished marble floor as she walked towards the reception desk.
"Good morning, I'm here for the internship interview",
she said with a steady and proud voice.
The receptionist checked the list and nodded.
"Yes, you're expected, please take this visitor badge and head to the 15th floor. HR will meet you there ", the receptionist said.
She clipped the badge to her suit and followed the path to the elevator admiring her reflections in the glass doors.
At the 15th floor, they were other people like her waiting to be attended to and she quietly took a seat as well. An HR assistant finally came in looking at the people waiting to be interviewed and smiled.
"You all will be going one at a time in the meeting room to be interviewed by the HR but first, who is Miss Xiao Wan?",
the HR assistant asked and Xiao Wan immediately stood up.
"I am she ", she said.
"You'll be coming with me, the CEO will be interviewing you personally ",
he said and the others gasped whispering to themselves wondering why the CEO was the one personally interviewing her. Even Xiao Wan could barely believe it. She was going to be interviewed by the CEO himself, the actual owner of Titan Core.
This made her grow even prouder as she stood with confidence feeling more special amongst the people that had come for the interview. While the others were being interviewed by the HR, only she would be personally interviewed by the CEO.
She followed the HR assistant back to the elevator, walking majestically as the others watched her leave wondering who she was to be personally interviewed by the CEO of Titan Core himself.
Arriving at the door to Lei Zhang's office, they stopped as the HR assistant turned to her.
"I'll be leaving now, the CEO is inside ", he said leaving.
Xiao Wan exhaled, retouching her make-up before finally opening the door and walking in. Seeing him seated at his table, she couldn't help but sigh in admiration. He looked even more hotter in person, his platinum blonde hair were neatly arranged leaving some few strands to dangle above his brows making him look even more gorgeous.
She cleared her throat and walked up to him.
"Good day sir",
she greeted and Lei Zhang who had been busy with his computer earlier switched it off.
"Please sit",
Lei Zhang said. He had already received a call from the HR that she had arrived. He had also done research about her and confirmed she was Xiao Yanran's sister.
She placed her folder on the table sitting up right.
"Why did you choose to intern at Titan Core Games?",
Lei Zhang asked and she drew a breath.
"Because I've admired your work since I was sixteen. Your games are not just entertainment, they're like worlds people can escape to, I want to be a part of creating that",
Xiao Wan said and Lei Zhang was quite impressed. Unlike Xiao Yanran, her older sister seemed to be smart and confident.
Lei Zhang leaned forward scanning her portfolio.
"I see you've included some game concepts, pick one and explain the design choice you made ", Lei Zhang said.
She opened the sketches of her project - an RPG with puzzle mechanics - and explained the character progression and level design.
Her words flowed More confidently as she spoke and Lei Zhang was impressed. It was hard to believe that this girl was the same blood with Xiao Yanran.
"Tell me, how would you adjust if the team rejected your idea completely ",
Lei Zhang asked and she paused, then smiled slightly.
"I'd fight for it once, if they still disagreed I'd adapt and support the team's direction. Games aren't made by one person, they're made together ",
she said and silence lingered for a moment as Lei Zhang scrutinized her.
"That's all for now, you'll be contacted with the results ",
Lei Zhang said and Xiao Wan stood, bowed politely and left his office.
Few minutes later, Xu Jin walked in and instead of seeing him busy with his computer as always, he was just seated there thinking.
"Did the interview with her sister go well?",
Xu Jin asked seating opposite him and Lei Zhang heaved a sigh.
"It went well, she's smart with a good IQ, I was quite impressed",
Lei Zhang said Xu Jin raised a brow.
"Really ",
he said and Lei Zhang nodded.
"But even at that, I still wouldn't accept her internship if not for Xiao Yanran ", Lei Zhang said.
"So, even though she impressed you, if she wasn't Xiao Yanran's sister, you still wouldn't accept her internship?",
Xu Jin said and Lei Zhang nodded.
"She's smart with a high IQ yes, but she has pride in her, I could read them clearly in her eyes, someone like her could lack co-operation, her words are confident and filled with passion but I could tell she didn't mean some of the words she said", Lei Zhang said.
"I see, she uses her intelligence to hide her real self ",
Xu Jin said and Lei Zhang nodded. That was still one of the reasons that made him attracted to Xiao Yanran. Her simplicity and honesty, never trying to be who she wasn't.
"Xu Jin, i need your help with something",
Lei Zhang said and Xu Jin raised a brow.
"And that is?", he asked.
"Can you transfer Xu Jun and Xu Yun to Xiao Yanran's school?",
Lei Zhang asked and Xu Jin creased his brows.
"Huh?",
Xu Jin said puzzled.
"She's being bullied at school and I can't just hire a bodyguard to follow her around. I need someone her age I can trust to watch after her at school ", Lei Zhang said.
"So you plan to turn my siblings into undercover bodyguards for your girlfriend ",
Xu Jin said and Lei Zhang rubbed his forehead.
"It's not like that, undercover yes but not bodyguards, just to school with her and protect her from bullies ", Lei Zhang said.
"Okay, undercover school bodyguards then ",
Xu Jin said and Lei Zhang glared at him.
"Why do you keep saying bodyguards ", Lei Zhang said.
"Cause they're still doing the same job as a bodyguard ", Xu Jin said.
"You know there's a difference ", Lei Zhang said.
Of cause Xu Jin understood what Lei Zhang meant, he just needed someone like a sibling looking after Xiao Yanran at school, since he knew Xu Jun and Xu Yun well enough, they'd make good older brothers for Xiao Yanran, especially since the three were all high school students but it felt nice to mess with him a little.
"Say please and I might convince them to transfer schools",.
Xu Jin said and Lei Zhang glared coldly at him but Xu Jin was already used to that. There was no expression Lei Zhang could give him that he hadn't seen.
Lei Zhang bit on his lower lips knowing Xu Jin wouldn't agree until he spat out that one word.
"Please",
Lei Zhang finally said and Xu Jin chuckled.
"Gosh you need to see your face right now, alright, I'll talk to them. Though, those twins likes money a lot so you're going to have to pay them ",
Xu Jin said arrogantly walking away as Lei Zhang still kept glaring at him until he disappeared. TBC