Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten
Chapter 301: Nervous Interview Line

“So... so many people. What a grand company. It looks way bigger than it did in the photos.”

Lin Xiaoli first took in the wide entrance to the company building, then looked up at the two-story-tall but incredibly expansive Zhengshi Music branch.

Her eyes widened, filled with awe.

The building wasn’t a standard rectangular shape—it had an artistic architectural design, commissioned in recent years by Wang Lan, with a massive art installation shaped like a musical note hanging from the exterior.

“And this is just a branch office. What must the headquarters look like? This is nothing like the tiny nail salons I used to work at...”

Suddenly, her phone rang, making Lin Xiaoli jump. She quickly pulled it out of her pocket and saw it was her husband calling.

Clearing her throat and forcing herself to sound calm, she answered.

“Hello? Hubby?”

Lin Yingjun, calling from the office, asked, “Wife, are you there yet? What’s the company like?”

Lin Xiaoli looked up. “It looks pretty grand. Super big and impressive. And...” She glanced around and whispered, “There are so many people here to interview. Packed. Just shows how legit this company is.”

“Well, it’s a big company. Nervous?”

Her forehead was sweating, but she still chuckled. “Just a tiny bit nervous. But I think I’ll be fine. I’ve learned so much about makeup these past weeks—I really feel confident.”

“As long as you’re feeling good. Are you sure you don’t want me to take the morning off and go with you? I’m not busy this morning.”

“No, no need.” Lin Xiaoli straightened her back, waving one hand confidently. “It’s just a small interview! Come on, what haven’t I seen in my life? No need for you to come with me. Besides, even if you did, you wouldn’t be allowed inside. You’d just be waiting at the door.”

“Well, even waiting could help you feel less stressed.”

“What stress? I’m not a little girl. Our son’s already eighteen! Alright, alright, I’m heading in. I’m hanging up now.”

“Okay, good luck, babe! Hope you land the job. Mua~”

Lin Xiaoli: “Mua~”

They exchanged a married-couple-style kiss over the phone. But the moment she hung up, Lin Xiaoli deflated.

First time interviewing at such a major company—of course she was nervous! Her heart felt like it was racing at 300 bpm.

She took a few deep breaths, silently giving herself a pep talk.

“You got this, you got this, you got this! You’re totally going to get hired!”

And with that, she joined the massive interview queue.

At the entrance, a young security guard checked each person’s interview form one by one. “Line up properly! No talking, no messing around! One at a time!”

He looked over the long line and thought to himself—this company may be expanding, but they’re only hiring thirty or so positions.

Yet in the past few days, it felt like thousands of people had come through. A good job like this was clearly hard to get.

“Last time—line up properly! The messier the line, the slower it moves. You’re only wasting your own interview time!”

Among the crowd, a side gate suddenly opened.

The chief of security stepped out of the booth with a walkie-talkie in hand. “Got a heads-up from the office—President Jiang and President Lin are on their way. Everyone, stay sharp today!”

All the guards replied in unison: “Got it!”

Sure enough, moments later, a Rolls-Royce slowly drove up from the far end of the road.

Seated in the back, Lin Zhengran saw the massive crowd from afar and was shocked. “Why are there so many people?”

He had thought maybe there would be a few dozen candidates at most—but this? A full-on mega-line.

There were even several rows of people lined up—he couldn’t see where his mom was at all.

From the front seat, Pan Lin explained:

“Because of President Jiang’s recent news coverage, the company’s popularity has soared. Plus, we improved our employee benefits. This kind of turnout’s been the norm all week. And this is after we already filtered out a batch through online applications.”

Lin Zhengran remarked, “Yeah, you can really see the hype. But can we really finish interviewing so many people in one day?”

“Don’t worry, President Lin. Interviews go quickly. Candidates come in waves. Those who don’t meet the standards can usually be cut within thirty seconds. We can get through over a thousand in a single day.”

Jiang Jingshi glanced at the long line, then turned her gaze back to Lin Zhengran. “Zhengzheng, you said your mom’s coming to the company today? What’s the big secret?”

Lin Zhengran smiled. Truthfully, he just really wanted to see what his mom looked like when she was nervous at a job interview. That’s why he had to come in person as an interviewer.

Opportunities to tease his mom like this didn’t come often.

“You’ll see in a bit.”

Jiang Jingshi was curious why Zhengzheng was in such a playful mood today. She noticed some lint on his jacket and reached out to brush it off.

That affectionate gesture made both the driver and Pan Lin smile instinctively.

As the car passed through the front gate, the chief security officer and all the guards stood tall and straight as the vehicle rolled by.

Back in the job applicant queue, Lin Xiaoli held her interview form like everyone else, watching the Rolls-Royce drive in from a distance.

There was a flurry of whispers among the crowd.

“Whoa! A Rolls-Royce! First time I’ve seen one in real life. Bet the company’s boss is in there.”

“No way, I heard the General Manager of Zhengshi Music, Wang Lan, drives an Audi. That Rolls belongs to President Jiang from the head office.”

“Wait—you mean that President Jiang? The one in all the headlines?”

“I think so.”

“D*mn, now that’s power. I’ve never even seen someone like that in person before.”

Lin Xiaoli stared at the car that had just driven in, gulping. It never even crossed her mind that anyone inside it might be connected to her.

To her, these high-level execs were people she wouldn’t be able to interact with in eight lifetimes.

After all, she was just interviewing for a makeup artist role. If she could even get an offer, she’d already be incredibly lucky.

Then again...

Looking at the age of the people around her, she couldn’t help but notice—everyone else seemed so young.

Most looked like they were in their early twenties, all stylish and polished. And here she was—over forty...

Even though she’d passed the makeup certification test, Lin Xiaoli pulled out her phone and checked her reflection on the screen. She pursed her lips.

Time truly spared no one.

There were wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. Probably only her husband and sweet Zhengran would still call her beautiful.

“Hey? Sister Lin? You’re here for the interview too?!”

A soft voice came from beside her.

Lin Xiaoli turned and saw a young girl with her hair down, wearing jeans—someone she’d once mentored as an apprentice at a nail salon.

Though the girl had worked hard, she was quiet and introverted, and after just a month, her coworkers pushed her out. Lin Xiaoli had even stood up for her at the time, and the girl had treated her to a meal in gratitude.

Now, seeing a familiar face, Lin Xiaoli lit up. “Xiao Shu! Long time no see—you’re here too!”

“Yeah, it’s really been a while, Sister Lin. What position are you applying for?”

Lin Xiaoli waved her résumé and smiled. “Makeup artist. The nail salon went under, so I switched careers.”

“No way, same here! I’m also interviewing for makeup artist. After I quit, I realized nail salons just weren’t for me, so I studied makeup too. Guess we’re in this together!”

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