83: Chapter 83 My former mentor came for an interview: Mr. Jiang, do you need someone to sweep the floors?

The door to the interview room was pushed open a crack.

Supervisor Li Guoqiang's slightly greasy face, wearing a fawning and humble smile, carefully peered inside. He first scanned the room quickly, and his gaze paused noticeably when he saw Class Monitor Zhang Wei sitting in the co-interviewer's seat.

"This fatty... isn't that the 'King of Failed Courses' from back then?"

"Why is he wearing an Armani suit now, sitting there drinking tea like a professional?"

Immediately after, his gaze shifted to the position of the main interviewer.

A young man was sitting there.

He was wearing a simple white T-shirt, spinning a pen in his hand, and looking at him with a smirk. Supervisor Li Guoqiang was all too familiar with that face.

He was so familiar with it that even if he turned to ash, he would still recognize this as the "poor student" he had pointed at and scolded in his office for half an hour.

"Clang."

The briefcase in Supervisor Li Guoqiang's hand fell to the floor.

He stood frozen at the doorway as if hit by a paralysis spell, neither advancing nor retreating. That immense sense of embarrassment known as "social death" washed over him like a tidal wave.

Run!

That was the first thought that popped into his mind.

What was the point of this interview? Wasn't this walking right into a trap? He had burned his bridges back then, telling Jiang Chen that he was destined to be a delivery guy for the rest of his life. Now, the other person was sitting in the boss's chair, while he was holding a resume to apply for a job?

Supervisor Li Guoqiang turned to slip away.

"Teacher Li, since you're already here, don't be in such a hurry to leave."

Jiang Chen's voice rang out lazily, carrying a playful tone like a cat toying with a mouse, "What? It's been a few years, and you don't even recognize your own student?"

Supervisor Li Guoqiang forcibly pulled back the foot he had stepped out with.

He turned around, his expression uglier than a crying face, his features almost scrunched together:

"J-Jiang... President Jiang."

"Oh my! What a misunderstanding! I... I was dazzled just now, I didn't see clearly that it was you!"

Supervisor Li Guoqiang lived up to his reputation as an old hand; his speed at changing expressions was faster than flipping a book. While wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he bowed and shuffled into the room with small steps, picked up his briefcase, and even took the liberty of refilling the water in Jiang Chen's teacup.

"I knew it! I saw it back at school!"

Supervisor Li Guoqiang gave a thumbs up, his face piled with smiles, his tone so sincere that it seemed as if that snob from before wasn't him at all:

"President Jiang, you have such a distinguished air, a born leader! I told the other teachers back then, this kid is destined for greatness! Our school's small temple could never contain a Buddha like you!"

Class Monitor Zhang Wei, sitting next to him, rolled his eyes so hard he almost threw up his dinner from the previous night.

Does this old guy have any shame left?

Who was it that singled out Jiang Chen at the grade meeting for dragging everyone down?

"Alright, Teacher Li."

Jiang Chen waved his hand, cutting off his flattery, "Let's skip the pleasantries. Let's talk business."

He picked up Supervisor Li Guoqiang's resume and flipped through it casually:

"I see on your resume that you have twenty years of education management experience and are good at ideological work and team building."

"But..."

Jiang Chen's tone shifted, and he tossed the resume onto the table:

"We are a high-tech company. We make starships and quantum chips, that kind of hardcore stuff. Do you think your 'ideological work' can help me forge a chip?"

Supervisor Li Guoqiang's heart sank.

He certainly knew his own worth.

Aside from fawning and office politics, he knew nothing about technology.

However, he was desperate for money.

Unemployed in middle age, a mortgage pressing down on him, and his wife threatening divorce. The "million-dollar annual salary" on Chenxing Technology's recruitment ad was his last lifeline.

Even if it were only a tenth of that, it would be enough for him to turn things around!

"President Jiang! Listen to me!"

Supervisor Li Guoqiang suddenly stepped forward, the explosive power born from being backed into a corner by life causing him to abandon his last shred of so-called dignity as a teacher.

"I don't understand technology, I have self-awareness of that!"

"But! A big company needs someone to do the dirty work, right?"

He pointed at the office that hadn't been fully renovated yet, speaking rapidly, fearing that Jiang Chen would kick him out:

"Look, the floor is dirty, someone has to sweep it, right? The deliveries arrive, someone has to pick them up, right? When the company gets bigger, someone will have to block the troublemakers and the salespeople, right?"

"I can do it!"

Supervisor Li Guoqiang patted his chest, his eyes filled with a ruthless determination:

"I have thick skin! I can endure hardship! I managed students for so many years; I have no other skills, but reading people, handling miscellaneous chores, and even pouring tea for you—I am an expert at all of it!"

"President Jiang, as long as you give me a meal, even if it's not a million, even a few thousand... no, a few hundred is fine!"

"Just think of me as... ahem, a hardworking old ox!"

Looking at the middle-aged man who had humbled himself into the dust, Jiang Chen was silent for two seconds.

To be honest, he didn't hate this type of person.

In this messed-up society, putting aside one's dignity to survive is nothing to be ashamed of.

Moreover, Supervisor Li Guoqiang was right about one thing—he had thick skin and was slick. This kind of person might not be a great talent, but in certain situations, like fooling difficult clients or dealing with bureaucracy, he was much more useful than a straight-laced scientist like Academician Chen Shuyin.

Pinxixi Technology needed this kind of "down-to-earth" talent.

"An old ox?"

Jiang Chen smiled, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk, "Fine, since Teacher Li has put it that way, if I refuse, it would look like I don't cherish old ties."

"As you can see, the company is just starting up, and we do indeed lack someone... to handle miscellaneous chores."

He held up a finger:

"Monthly salary: twenty thousand."

"Position: Logistics Department Supervisor."

"Main duties: Responsible for company hygiene, security coordination, and... potential 'special product' sales in the future."

"Can you accept that?"

Twenty thousand?

Supervisor Li Guoqiang suddenly raised his head, his eyes bursting with ecstatic light.

This was double his salary as a counselor at school! And this was Chenxing Technology! How prestigious would that sound to others?

"Accepted! Absolutely accepted!"

Supervisor Li Guoqiang was so excited his hands were shaking. He bowed ninety degrees and gave a deep bow to Jiang Chen, "Thank you, President Jiang! Thank you for the opportunity! From now on, I, Supervisor Li Guoqiang, am your man! If you tell me to go east, I will never go west!"

"Alright, go find Manager Zhang to handle your onboarding."

Jiang Chen pointed to Class Monitor Zhang Wei next to him, "Just in time, there is a pile of delivery boxes that just arrived at the door. You go help unpack them and sort the trash."

"You got it! I'm on it!"

Supervisor Li Guoqiang didn't hesitate, rolled up his sleeves, and rushed out, his enthusiasm higher than that of a newly hired intern.

Watching his retreating back, Class Monitor Zhang Wei couldn't help but exclaim:

"Brother Chen, you're really something. Hiring an old enemy as the cleaning supervisor? I don't get this move."

"This is called making the best use of everything."

Jiang Chen stood up, walked to the well-guarded safe, and while entering the password, said, "Besides, we need a salesman who can talk a dead man back to life so that our upcoming products will sell well."

"What are we selling next?" Class Monitor Zhang Wei leaned over curiously.

"Click."

The safe opened.

Jiang Chen didn't take out any gold bars or documents, but instead pulled out a... dirty metal headband that looked like it had been picked up from a garbage dump.

This thing even had a few exposed wires wrapped around it, full of cheap plastic texture.

"This."

Jiang Chen tossed the headband to Class Monitor Zhang Wei, a mysterious smile curling the corners of his mouth:

"Notify the media, add a press conference tonight."

"What we are releasing is not some holographic projector."

"But—"

"The [Dream Machine], which will make people cry and beg to pay for it."