Chapter Four: Interviews and Social Engagements

Chapter Four: Interviews and Banquets

The process of filling in college and career preferences could begin as soon as exam results were released, with no other restrictions. Because Xia Zheng was well prepared, he didn’t need to scramble for information like everyone else. Crucially, almost all candidates and their parents were still immersed in either joy or sorrow after receiving their scores; few thought to submit their preferences at the earliest opportunity.

According to the Federal Career Selection Law, every law-abiding citizen of the Federation has the right to choose their career freely, without interference or obstruction from any force. Any violation of this principle is considered a challenge to federal law, and the Ministry of Justice will see that justice is done.

To avoid any possible complications, Xia Zheng decided to act quickly and even kept it from his parents for now.

He logged onto a special, invitation-only employment website open exclusively to those who had passed the national exams. He had no intention of continuing his studies; academia was not his pursuit. Having awakened his supernatural ability, he was determined to become an Ability User.

He entered his candidate ticket number and password. The website instantly displayed a golden congratulatory banner—his outstanding performance had earned him the status of “Gold-Tier Talent.”

Talent tiers were tied to exam results and employer evaluations. For new graduates, only exam results mattered. An A+++ score meant Platinum Tier, A++ was Gold, A+ Silver, and A was Bronze. Below A, there were nine further grades: first grade for ranks 101–1,000; second for 1,001–5,000; third for 5,001–20,000; fourth for 20,001–30,000; fifth for 30,001–40,000; sixth for 40,001–50,000; seventh for 50,001–60,000; eighth for 60,001–80,000; and ninth for 80,001–100,000.

Those ranked outside the top 100,000 but within the top million were redirected to a different employment site, where talent was classified simply as Senior (top 200,000), Intermediate (top 500,000), or Junior (top 1,000,000).

Gold-Tier Talents enjoyed full autonomy in career choice. The minimum annual salary for a new graduate at this level was 500,000 Federal Credits—about 40,000 per month, just enough to enter the middle class. Combined, his parents earned barely 10,000 a month, placing them near the poverty line. Xia Zheng had, in a single leap, changed his family’s fate.

Thus, the national career exam held immense importance in every household, and in society at large. For children of ordinary families, hard work on this exam was a path to transformation. Survive this ordeal, and you could turn your life around!

Using the site’s internal search engine, Xia Zheng filtered out academic research and military public sector jobs, leaving only corporate positions.

Academic and research roles suited those who were quiet, unambitious, and preferred research. The benefits were good, the conditions excellent, and there was ample free time—these positions were favorites among women in the workforce. The only drawback was slow progression; some spent a lifetime just to reach associate professor.

Military and public sector jobs offered higher pay but harsher, sometimes even grueling conditions, with little free time and strict management. Many young men eager to earn merit on the battlefield chose this path, attracted by frequent promotion opportunities.

Corporate positions were characterized by flexible management and a wide range of compensation, depending on individual ability. Nearly every year, the Federation’s wealthiest individuals emerged from this sector. In short, it suited those with strong personalities who chafed at strict discipline.

After his first round of filtering, Xia Zheng narrowed it down further, focusing on companies that had their own or hired teams of Ability Users. His aim was to join their ranks.

Letting his supernatural talent lie dormant would be a waste, Xia Zheng felt.

Moreover, he had no idea about the nature of his own ability, how to train or deploy it, or what it could do—this troubled him deeply. Training on his own would be inefficient and risky; he might even “go astray,” as had happened to others who tried to teach themselves, much like self-taught doctors who ended up harming themselves.

Developing supernatural abilities required not just innate talent but proper guidance. If he could work at a company with a team of Ability Users, he could learn from experienced mentors and eventually become a true Ability User himself.

After two rounds of selection, Xia Zheng had a shortlist of twelve companies. After researching them individually, he eliminated eight, submitting his resume to the remaining four.

He soon received interview invitations from all four, each expressing strong interest. They even allowed him to choose his interview times—a privilege reserved for Silver-Tier talent and above.

Xia Zheng scheduled all interviews for three days later, knowing he’d be busy with banquets and interviews in the meantime. The companies quickly confirmed, sending him cards with their addresses, transportation details, contacts, and phone numbers.

Three of the four companies were located in the High-Tech Park and could be visited in one day. The fourth was in a more remote suburb, near the neighboring district of Dannute, so he set aside a separate day for that visit.

After logging out, Xia Zheng heard that his parents had been invited to dinner at the community’s own restaurant, courtesy of the neighborhood council. Nearly the entire community had received invitations—after all, having a top scorer in their midst was a matter of great pride.

At the banquet, Xia Zheng was dressed up, with a large red flower pinned to his chest as he took the stage, flanked by his parents, to be interviewed by local media. When the official transcripts were released, provincial and even federal media would surely come.

That night, all three in the Xia family ended up drunk. His mother had only a little wine, but Xia Zheng and his father were quite inebriated, fortunately escorted home by council members.

Back home, the head of the council advised Xia Zheng’s mother to apply immediately for high-level talent subsidies. With this, they could buy a new home at a low interest rate—as long as it was within the community. His mother agreed with a smile; she knew about these benefits, but it was much easier to apply when prompted by the council.

The Federation’s subsidies for high-level talent were generous; particularly poor families were even entitled to free housing rentals, with the option to purchase at market price later—a great deal.

Over the next three days, Xia Zheng truly experienced the celebrity effect of being the community’s top scorer. The big boss from his father’s company personally brought a cash gift of 10,000, which the media captured eagerly. The boss was so pleased he considered bringing an even bigger gift next day—a far cheaper way to advertise than buying ad time.

This scene made the neighbors green with envy. Parents tugged their children’s ears, pointing to Xia Zheng as the model to emulate. He became the neighborhood’s prodigy, the genius, the pride of the community.

The school also invited him to return and speak before the entire student body, stirring envy among his peers. Only days ago he’d been a “dog with nowhere to go” after losing his special admission status; now, he was the exalted top scorer. Such are the strange turns of fate.

Among all these people, two stood out. One was Chen Xiu, who had staunchly supported Xia Zheng in his darkest hour. Though he envied Xia Zheng, he applauded him sincerely. The other was Delia, whose own story was even more dramatic.

Delia had thought her special admission was in the bag, so she’d treated the exam lightly, just for fun. The result was disastrous: her rank fell to 500,000, though she had the ability to make the top 100,000. Worse, after the exams, the military called her in for a retest. She went in confident, but her AB-161 index turned out to be just 0.095—only 0.005 short, but still a fail. Her special admission status was truly revoked.

The emotional rollercoaster nearly drove her to despair. If not for her parents’ timely intervention, she might not have made it to the graduation ceremony, for which they’d already arranged leave. But Delia insisted on attending.

Now she stood in the audience, no longer surrounded by admirers. Those who once flattered her had turned and scolded her, showing her for the first time the harshness of the world.

Watching Xia Zheng speak confidently on stage, Delia couldn’t help but weep. She couldn’t understand how, in just a few days, their places could be reversed. He was now the dragon among men, while she was trampled into the mud. Why was fate so cruel?

“Delia has fainted…” a classmate cried out, interrupting Xia Zheng’s speech. The principal and other leaders stood up in displeasure, directing staff to quickly remove the “useless” student.

As Delia was carried away, Xia Zheng sighed. But he also resolved: success and failure are not determined by a single moment. When faced with the cold winds of fate, one must learn to persevere and fight back, not sit and wait for doom, not give in to despair.

The next day, Xia Zheng declined all unimportant invitations and set off for his interviews.

The High-Tech Park lay to the northwest of Bolante City, in a zone with minimal pollution and advanced intelligent systems.

“Please present your credentials,” the robotic security guard at the gate said stiffly.

Xia Zheng brought up his interview notice and business card for inspection.

“Identity confirmed. Welcome to Bolante High-Tech Park, Mr. Xia. I am Lontes, your security assistant. At your service.” The guard’s demeanor changed completely after verifying Xia Zheng’s identity and the four companies he was to visit—a perfect imitation of human nature’s fickleness.

Inside, Xia Zheng found the environment beautiful, almost like a university campus. Outwardly, it seemed ordinary, but the deeper he went, the more illustrious the names he saw—here lay the true heart of the High-Tech Park.

These were titans of business and science, renowned throughout the Federation; among them were several who had once been the wealthiest in the land, figures so powerful they inspired awe like mafia dons—few dared meet their gaze.